On April 13th of this year we celebrated Palm Sunday, blending our voices of Praise with those who shouted Hallelujah on our Lord’s Triumphal Entry on that first Palm Sunday! On that day multitudes shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!” What took place in Jerusalem that day, nearly 2000 years ago, was a direct fulfillment of Bible Prophecy.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech. 9:90).
Ever since the Jews were captured and carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, they had waited and longed for their Messiah, a mighty man of God who would come to rule on David’s throne.
When their Scriptures were at last fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, He was not at all like the man they looked for. The Jewish leaders were not only disappointed – they were downright angry! They wanted a powerful king and conqueror! -- they did not want a lowly Savior. They thought their king would come riding a dashing stead! This man was riding a little donkey and talked about “turning the other cheek.”
Even John the Baptist had been surprised. In present-day vernacular, he said, “Are you actually the One we’ve been looking for, or is the mighty conquer still to come?” Jesus sent this reply,
“The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them, and blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Luke 7:22,23).
That answer satisfied John but not the mighty Pharisees and Sadducees who wanted One who would Conquer the World and set up a Strong One-World Government in Jerusalem.
THAT DAY IS COMING
Christ will set up a Glorious One-World Government in Jerusalem! It will not be dominated by cruelty, hate, and terrorism!
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:4-6).
The above verses from Isaiah chapter 11, tell something of the glorious Millennial Reign of Christ, described in detail in descriptive language throughout the Bible.
This glorious “Reign of Righteousness” will not be achieved without a final military confrontation.
THE FINAL TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31,32).
HE WILL RIDE A DASHING WHITE HORSE
”And I saw, and beheld a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Rev. 6: 2).
“And I saw heaven opened, and I beheld a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself, and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God.
“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean.
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:11-16). (Emphasis ours).
JESUS ENTERS . . .
On the first Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus paused at the top of the Mount of Olives overlooking the city and wept for those whom He knew would reject His love, and be eternally lost.
Now as sinners face the wrath of God, they will want to hide but it is eternally too late! (Rev. 7:15-17). Those fighting against Jerusalem will be slain “by the brightness of His Coming.” For the first time ever, the world will know universal peace.
”The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).