I personally do not think of Christ return as being a time of revenge but it is. I think of the rapture of the church, and the joy of seeing my Lord come to take his church home. At the time of exile Israel was in a state of longing for the Messiah to come and take control and lead their people free from the nation that surround her. The blood shed and lost of life was enough to know that Israel was weakened and in trouble by her enemies. The nation once great had been defeated, only to search and wait for their Messiah. In Daniel the appointed time of the Messiah coming was known. Yet it was a long ways off when prophesied about. A long period to wait for the coming Messiah was over 400 years. I can only image from there in how they must of felt when their Messiah was not all they dreamed of. They understood that the shedding of blood would purge their iniquities but understood that the Savior would have to die.

No one wants to think of the superheroes in life having to pay with their life. Yet Christ was a superhero that would pay with his physical life but not his spiritual one. Jesus was Spirit/Word of God before the dawning of him coming in human flesh. The Spirit once leaving the body of Christ went into the depth of hell and grave to set the captives free. Jesus was setting his captives free that believed. He rose to victory on the third day but did not seal the gates of hell. He left them open for those that choose not God and Him. He left them open to return to shut the door and lock it on the Day of Judgment. A door with a permanent lock is not meant to be reopened. When Christ returns from is ascension to claim the church the door of hell will be locked and cast into the lake of fire forever more.

Christ resurrection meant life for believer for eternity, but did not give us a get out of a jail free card in this world we live in. Like Israel we wait, knowing our redeemer lives and will come to save his people. Yet the victory seems short lived with the departure of Christ to heaven, only to give his soldiers a weapon, a sword of the Holy Spirit to use not at their will but the will of the Father. Christ remained on the earth after his resurrection 40 days, and was seen by 500 people. Jesus went into heaven not to return until God says to his Son go get your bride the church. Yet until that time victory seems far away. Victory of proof of the nail scar hands, the pierce side, and ultimately the physical appearance of our Lord to the world is not all we wait for, but it is the beginning of the victory.

Can we abide in mercy and grace until the Lord returns. Or are we stuck in only seeing the revenge of our enemies on us, because of a lack of faith. Victory is not in our environment it is in knowing that even if this world we live in horrible conditions there is hope for eternity and if we are so lucky to have all the gold then victory is seen prior to Christ return perhaps, but it can be gone within a day. The gold of faith being the only permanent real gold anything else is fool’s gold. Do you believe Christ returned and that He did come to set his people free from sin and eternal death? To bury the sins of the world so that we can be free to serve the Lord in faith believing. Are we looking for the King to come, and free his people of the burdens of this old world? Purging and bring down the New Jerusalem to live in.

May This Easter be focus of not only redemption from sin, but the hope of eternity to come with the return of Christ. The grave could not hold our Lord. Our bodies will decay if not redeemed before our death. Yet our hope is we will see His return before our bodies have time to face the grave. Jesus has not left us comfortless but given us the precious gift of His Spirit to guide and direct us in all truth until his return. He is coming soon church, let us not loose our faith, because of lies of the world, or the lack of faith and hope that only can be healed by learning to trust in Him daily and allowing him to demonstrate his power in our life.

Dear Heavenly Father the unlikely Psalm bridging our redeemer for us through the shedding of blood for sin. Yet giving us hope through the resurrection and return, mush as Israel had waited for Christ coming, without ever fully understanding. In Jesus precious name, Amen.