“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11b
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28
For the last 3,000 years—since the First Temple Period in Jerusalem—Jews have been buried on the Mount of Olives. Today, an estimated 150,000 graves are there, overlooking the Old City and the Temple Mount. Why?
The Bible states that the Messiah will come to this location in might and power and establish His kingdom forever. Zechariah 14:4 specifically speaks of the Messiah’s arrival on the Mount of Olives. This is why so many have been buried here. They believe He will then head to the Temple Mount, so all their feet are facing the Temple Mount. This is so they will rise up and walk in the right direction with Him!
In this study, we can’t just look at Jesus’ First Coming without also looking at His Second Coming. Jesus ascended to heaven on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12). Just after this departure took place, two angels instructed the disciples that the Lord would one day return to that spot.
Herein lies the problem with the Jewish people. They were and are expecting a conquering Messiah. Prophets such as Zechariah, Amos, Jeremiah, and Joel foretold of such a leader. As a result, the Jews were expecting Jesus to immediately conquer the governmental powers of their day (Luke 19:11). When this didn’t happen, it made it hard for them to believe in Him. After all, how could this poor, humble son of a carpenter from a nowhere town like little Nazareth be the long-awaited, victorious Messiah?
The clues were there in the Old Testament, but so many eyes have been unable to recognize the various Messianic descriptions as referencing two different events. They ignored the Suffering Servant and focused on the Conquering King. The reality is, Jesus didn’t come the first time to conquer a physical enemy; He conquered death. He came to bring salvation. He will come a second time to establish the Kingdom of God forever.
We know from God’s Word that Jesus will not come back, though, until something very important happens. The world could be “going to hell in a hand basket,” as the saying goes, but a specific task must be completed first: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Jesus will not come back until this mission is completed. This is what every church and mission organization has been striving for.
However, when the task is done, then and only then will the Second Coming of Christ take place. It will be stunning and unmistakable: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). The dead will be raised first from the Mount of Olives and the world over, and then those who are alive will ascend to meet Him as well. Then, we will finally “be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17b). Hallelujah!