The Spiritual Forces of Evil Will Crumble
How Will the Lord Return?
The Son of Man will return with a shout and a blasting of the shofar. Those sealed with the Holy Spirit will rise to meet Him in the air; the same word used to denote the region ruled by the prince of the power of the air. Satan was previously given dominion as prince of the power of the air.
Some teach when this event happens, there will be a battle in the air. I don’t believe there will be an actual battle; instead, something more beautiful may happen. Let’s look at the passage.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the chief angel, and with God’s shofar. The dead in Messiah will rise first, Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thes 4:16-17).
The Clay Pots of Gideon’s Army
What if Gideon is a picture of the Lord’s return?
If you remember, the Lord took him and his 300 men to defeat a huge army. They had no weapons, only clay pots. Did you know Isaiah said, “We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand” (Is 64:8b)?
You are a clay pot! Do you remember what was inside each man’s pot? A light! Inside you and I, who’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit of God, is Christ. He is THE Light.
Gideon and his men broke their clay pots, shouting “the sword of the Lord and Gideon”. And lifting their lights, they blew their shofar. Sound and light pierced through the darkness! And the enemy was vanquished as the Lord’s sword was unsheathed.
Pots Must Be Broken
You guessed it!
The breaking of the pot allowed light to shine forth. It is in brokenness, you and I are purified so the light of Christ shines unhindered, driving back the darkness.
If we look further back in time than Gideon, the first creative act God did when darkness covered the earth was to create light. As He spoke, light broke through the darkness, making a boundary.
Generations later, John the Baptizer announced the coming of One who is the Light, who would break into the spiritual darkness of our world, to deliver the oppressed and afflicted out of their darkness.
The amazing thing is the Light came sheathed in the form of a baby! Why? Because we could not stand before Light in all His glory.
The Sign of the Son of Man
One day, as Daniel prophesied, the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven; all the tribes of the earth shall mourn as they see Him appear in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Angels will sound the shofar to gather the elect from four corners of earth (Mat 24:30-31).
The Messiah will come with a shout (teruah) and a blasting of shofar; we who are sealed by the Holy Spirit will be caught up with Him.
False prophets and false Christs do great signs and wonders and make wonderful declarations. But when the Son of man returns, it will be like lightning in the sky – there won’t be time for performance of miracles. Angels will give a clear sound on the shofar. When the Messiah comes, it will be a surprise; we must be ready at a moment’s notice (Matt 24:42-44).
Imagine when Christ returns. Suddenly, millions and millions of broken clay pots will rise into the air. Each sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, who leaves the earth with God’s children.
As we rise in the air, the beauty of whatever size light of Christ we hold – shines forth – mirroring Christ, the Light. In seconds, scintillating lights coming from below meet the gorgeous unsheathed Light, Yeshua Hamaschiah, coming from above. With shouts of joy and an explosion of unsheathed light on Satan’s turf – the Lamb blows the shofar and our voices will rise in worship to our King.
The Spiritual Forces of Evil Will Crumble
Satan’s kingdom is built on darkness. On earth, when worship rises, spiritual strongholds begin to crumble. But that day, when Light stands unsheathed surrounded by our pure worship, the forces of evil will be undone and fall from the air to the earth – the only place left for them to rule.
Here’s the secret of our great hope. Christ the Light always overcomes the darkness. Today, no matter the darkness we face, as we fix our eyes on Jesus, His light shines forth to battle the enemy.
The shofar reminds us Yeshua, our atonement, fights for us, even as He fought for Israel. It warns us to be ready; for angels, heralds of the King, blowing the shofar to announce the return of Christ. The sound of the shofar will sound, calling those sealed with God’s Spirit together under the standard of the Messiah, who is both Lamb and the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
At the call of the shofar, Israel united under their standard to go to battle – whether they fought or whether they stood still and watched the Lord battle on their behalf. We, too, will be called. A huge spiritual battle is coming.
Perhaps it will happen as I envision from Scripture. Regardless of the particulars, the Kingdom of Light will overcome the kingdom of darkness.
Dear Heart,
Are you washed by the blood of the Lamb? Ready to join those who will meet the Lord in the air?
Are you daily in the Word, quick to obey; actively setting your affection on Jesus, so the lamp in your clay pot will shine more brightly?
Dear one, be wise. Make sure you are ready to meet Jesus, the Light of the world.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Eph 5:8
