BLOOD AND THE SECOND COMING

by Dr. Hank Lindstrom

     Blood is associated with both the first and second comings of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ came the first time, John the Baptist said to Him, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29)."  As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us on the cross of Calvary.  There on the cross as the sacrificial Lamb His blood was shed for the sins of the human race.

     "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:22)."  The Apostle Peter tells us, "For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (I Peter 1:18-19)."

     Blood, blood, blood is associated with the first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.  "What can wash away my sin," the hymn-writer asks.  The answer is, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus."  Nothing we have done in the past or will do in the future can bring about salvation.  Salvation is not based upon what we have done or will do, but upon what God did for us on the cross of Calvary.  Jesus alone secured our salvation by His death for us.  "Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4)."  Salvation is done!  Accomplished by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and offered to us as God's free gift.  Praise the Lord!

Blood, blood, blood is also associated with the Second Coming, when He will physically crush all the unsaved.  Every drop of blood will be squeezed out of the bodies of the unsaved.

     Jesus will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will accomplish five things mentioned in Revelation 19:11-16.
1. He will judge (vs. 11)
2. He will make war (vs. 11)
3. He will smite the nations (vs. 15)
4. He will rule the nations (vs. 15)
5. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (vs. 15)

     Grapes would be tossed into the winepress in olden days, and then a person or persons would stomp on the grapes with their feet until all the grape juice was pressed out.  The winepress in Revelation 19:15, is of God's wrath.  The grapes are people (unsaved).  The harvesters are the angels.  Jesus himself will tread upon the grapes (people) and BLOOD will flow out of the winepress.

     Read Revelation 14:14-20.  "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle, and reap: For the time is come for thee to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe (Revelation 14:15)."  "Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe."  "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of wrath of God and the winepress was trodden without the city, and BLOOD came out of the wine press, even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (Revelation 14:19-20)."

     A river of blood will flow two hundred miles long.  It will be deep enough to reach the horses bridle.  Human blood!  Can you imagine!  There are about six quarts of blood in an adult body.  How many people will have to be crushed to form a river of human blood 200 miles long and as deep as unto the horses bridles?  Jesus Christ will crush millions upon millions of unsaved people when He comes.

     Evidently according to Revelation 14:20 this will occur just outside of Jerusalem at the end of the tribulation period when Christ returns to set up His kingdom.

     Isaiah the prophet describes the same incident in Isaiah 63:1-6.  Asking about Jesus Christ's garments, Isaiah 63:2 reads, "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and the garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?"  Jesus answers in verses 3-6, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their BLOOD shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."

BLOOD AND THE SECOND COMING

     Blood is associated with both the first and second comings of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ came the first time, John the Baptist said to Him, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29)."  As the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us on the cross of Calvary.  There on the cross as the sacrificial Lamb His blood was shed for the sins of the human race.

     "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:22)."  The Apostle Peter tells us, "For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (I Peter 1:18-19)."

     Blood, blood, blood is associated with the first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.  "What can wash away my sin," the hymn-writer asks.  The answer is, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus."  Nothing we have done in the past or will do in the future can bring about salvation.  Salvation is not based upon what we have done or will do, but upon what God did for us on the cross of Calvary.  Jesus alone secured our salvation by His death for us.  "Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4)."  Salvation is done!  Accomplished by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and offered to us as God's free gift.  Praise the Lord!

Blood, blood, blood is also associated with the Second Coming, when He will physically crush all the unsaved.  Every drop of blood will be squeezed out of the bodies of the unsaved.

     Jesus will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will accomplish five things mentioned in Revelation 19:11-16.

1. He will judge (vs. 11)

2. He will make war (vs. 11)

3. He will smite the nations (vs. 15)

4. He will rule the nations (vs. 15)

5. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (vs. 15)

     Grapes would be tossed into the winepress in olden days, and then a person or persons would stomp on the grapes with their feet until all the grape juice was pressed out.  The winepress in Revelation 19:15, is of God's wrath.  The grapes are people (unsaved).  The harvesters are the angels.  Jesus himself will tread upon the grapes (people) and BLOOD will flow out of the winepress.

     Read Revelation 14:14-20.  "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle, and reap: For the time is come for thee to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe (Revelation 14:15)."  "Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe."  "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of wrath of God and the winepress was trodden without the city, and BLOOD came out of the wine press, even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (Revelation 14:19-20)."

     A river of blood will flow two hundred miles long.  It will be deep enough to reach the horses bridle.  Human blood!  Can you imagine!  There are about six quarts of blood in an adult body.  How many people will have to be crushed to form a river of human blood 200 miles long and as deep as unto the horses bridles?  Jesus Christ will crush millions upon millions of unsaved people when He comes.

     Evidently according to Revelation 14:20 this will occur just outside of Jerusalem at the end of the tribulation period when Christ returns to set up His kingdom.

     Isaiah the prophet describes the same incident in Isaiah 63:1-6.  Asking about Jesus Christ's garments, Isaiah 63:2 reads, "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and the garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?"  Jesus answers in verses 3-6, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their BLOOD shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."

     When Revelation says, "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13)," It is referring to the blood of unsaved millions that will be crushed by Jesus Christ at His coming.

     In the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" the words describe this bloody event.  "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath (unsaved) are stored.  He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword."  Judgment is the theme of this second-coming hymn.  Jesus Christ, as the judge of the earth, will crush and trample the unsaved.

     At the rapture all of the saved will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17).  The unsaved will remain to live during the seven years of tribulation.  During the tribulation period millions will be saved.  But those that are not saved by the end of the seven years will be gathered by the angels (Matthew 13:41) and cast into the winepress of God's wrath.  Jesus will return in flaming fire (II Thessalonians 1:8-9) to take vengeance on those that have not believed the gospel message.  Their bodies will be crushed until every drop of blood will then be food for the vultures.

     "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God:  that you may eat of the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (Revelation 19:17-18)."

     For the believer this ought to motivate us to win the lost.  Time is running out!  Jesus came the first time as a LAMB to shed his blood as our sacrifice.  He will come the second time as a LION to crush and devour those that have not trusted Him.

     If one does not accept the shed blood of Christ, Christ will shed that person's blood.  No one will escape His wrath and fury except the saved, which have received by faith His shed blood.  What about you?

     When Revelation says, "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13)," It is referring to the blood of unsaved millions that will be crushed by Jesus Christ at His coming.

     In the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" the words describe this bloody event.  "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath (unsaved) are stored.  He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword."  Judgment is the theme of this second-coming hymn.  Jesus Christ, as the judge of the earth, will crush and trample the unsaved.

     At the rapture all of the saved will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17).  The unsaved will remain to live during the seven years of tribulation.  During the tribulation period millions will be saved.  But those that are not saved by the end of the seven years will be gathered by the angels (Matthew 13:41) and cast into the winepress of God's wrath.  Jesus will return in flaming fire (II Thessalonians 1:8-9) to take vengeance on those that have not believed the gospel message.  Their bodies will be crushed until every drop of blood will then be food for the vultures.

     "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God:  that you may eat of the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (Revelation 19:17-18)."

     For the believer this ought to motivate us to win the lost.  Time is running out!  Jesus came the first time as a LAMB to shed his blood as our sacrifice.  He will come the second time as a LION to crush and devour those that have not trusted Him.

     If one does not accept the shed blood of Christ, Christ will shed that person's blood.  No one will escape His wrath and fury except the saved, which have received by faith His shed blood.  What about you?