THE DAY OF THE LORD I: The Appearance

A strange bright light overwhelmed the sun,
Drew all eyes on earth to the eastern sky;
A great sign appeared, announcing the One,
King of kings, Lord God Almighty, was nigh!
A trumpet sounded; A Figure in white,
With blazing eyes, and in His mouth all Truth;
Riding a white horse; With Him, a great sight-
Heaven's angels and saints, showing no ruth*!
The wicked who lived mourned at His nearing
Knowing their cruel reign would come to its end;
The few surviving saints broke out cheering
At this answer to prayers they had sent!
"Vengeance is Mine!" says God; "Now will it be!
The blood of My martyrs cries out to Me!"
*ruth=mercy

Jesus Christ will return to earth soon; not as a baby in a manger, a gentle Savior, a meek, uncomplaining, unjust victim on a Roman cross, but as King of All the World, and He will wreak vengeance on the wicked armies of the earth.

"I (John) saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider (Christ) is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the WORD OF GOD. The armies of Heaven were following Him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp with which He will strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the wine press with the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." (Revelation 19:11-15) (Brackets added)

"At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn." (Matthew 24:30)

The nations living and functioning after the tribulation are fewer than today, comprising about one-sixth of the current population of earth. However, they are all Islamic, having delegated authority to the ruling Antichrist. They have forced everyone to worship the image and take his mark upon their heads or hands. Some Christians have succeeded in eluding authorities and are hiding, barely surviving and pleading for this day to arrive.

There is some symbolism in the passage quoted above. His robe "dipped in blood" is symbolic of His trampling the bodies in the wine press, which He does not actually do. The sword in His mouth is symbolic of His voice, which speaks only Truth and is His only real weapon in war. His angel armies will not actually fight; their clean, white linen is symbolic of their purity in loyalty as compared with the soiled clothing of Satan's fallen angels. Jewish hyperbole probably is involved in the amount of blood flowing 200 miles.