THE MESSIANIC PILGRIMAGE

Christians do not vary regarding Jesus Christ in the basic matters that reflect his great glory, including his birth from the virgin Mary, being the word of God, his message, his miracles, his ascension to heaven and then his second coming. However, they frequently do not talk much about the glory of Christ regarding the issues of His ascension and His second coming. Therefore, this season we will try to approach His glory through these two great events. It is the vision before us…

The Gospel of Mark tells us briefly that the Lord Christ “When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” (Mark 16:19), and the phrase of Christ sitting at the right hand of God Almighty after his ascension indicates the glorious position that the Lord Christ occupies. Between prophets and other angelic creatures.

Of course, the right hand of God is the ideal place for honour, true prestige, power, and glory. Luke details the incident of the ascension by saying that Jesus Christ, after his last speech to his disciples, ascended, ‘After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.  As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”‘ (Acts 1:9-11) We see that the verse includes the good news of Christ’s coming again, clothed with a glory similar to the glory of His ascension. This is what we will talk about in the next paragraph.

Both Christians and Muslims agree that Jesus Christ will come again to judge the entire world. Christ will come at the end of time as a just and equitable judge, where he will appear before the people surrounded by the angels of the God and will sit on the throne of his glory, as detailed. In the Gospel of Matthew:

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

It can be said that the second coming of Jesus Christ represents a great hope for all believers that God has the upper hand, the last word, and absolute authority over everything and that He is the Almighty, powerful, just, dominant, true to His promise and fulfilling all His promises and prophecies. In his first coming, Jesus Christ was a suffering and determined servant, but in his second coming he will be the victorious King and Judge. Also, in his first coming, he lived in the most simple and humble circumstances many times, but in his second coming, the angels and the soldiers of heaven will be with him, and glory be to Him.