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ye have seen Him go into heaven." I Thess. 4: 17 tells us that the hope of those
who are dispensationally described as the Church at Thessalonica is to be "caught up
together in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." A comparison of the teaching of
I and II Thessalonians with Revelation will show that they refer to the same period. The
word cloud (nephele) is one of the words that occur seven times in the Apocalypse, and is
associated with the Lord's coming, the time of reaping the harvest of the earth, the
finishing of the mystery of God, and the triumph of those who loved not their lives unto
the death. (It is interesting to know that among the Jews of early times the Messiah was
called "Cloud-comer" and "Son of a cloud.")
"And every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the
land shall wail because of Him."
The statement "every eye" seems to be qualified in this sentence by the words that
follow. Matt. 24: 30 undoubtedly refers to the same event, and says, "Then shall
appear the sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory." The "tribes of the land," and the mourning of those who pierced Him, take us
back to Zech. 12: 9-14--
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that
come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication: and they shall look upon
Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only
son."
This passage contributes several particulars that are essential to the true interpretation
of Rev. 1: 7.
(1). The occasion and time of its fulfilment is after the nations have come against
Jerusalem. This event is spoken of again in Zech. 14: 12-16. The fearful
judgment that falls upon those who have fought against Jerusalem is echoed in
Rev. 19: 18.
(2). Those who "look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourn," are the "house
of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem," more fully particularized into houses
and families, "Nathan, Levi, Shimei, etc." By no legitimate interpretation can
these definite particulars be made to mean the church of the N.T.
(3). This "look" and this "mourning" results from the "spirit of grace and
supplication." Repentance at last will be given, and the Lord "shall send Jesus
Christ . . . . . whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since an
age" (Acts 3: 19-21).
Together with Zech. 12: 9-14 see 13: 1. "In that day there shall be a fountain
opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for
uncleanness." Rev. 1: 5, 6 has already referred to this. Further, Zech. 14: 2-4 must be
read:--
"For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle . . . . . then shall the Lord go
forth to fight against those nations . . . . . and His feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem."