Judgement

“Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One adorned in His clothing, bending down in His great power? I who speak in righteousness, great to save.” (Isaiah 63:1)

Jewish writers, ancient and modern, seem to agree that Isaiah is prophesying about the Messiah and so they write, “When the King Messiah shall come, He will be clothed in purple, beautiful to look at, which in colour shall be like to wine for the clothing of the King Messiah shall be silk, red as blood; and it shall be worked with the needle in various colours, and he shall be the Head of Israel; and this is what is said in Isaiah_63:2 "wherefore art Thou Red in Thy apparel?"'' These verses are very metaphoric and symbolic. The color of the clothing of Jesus will be dyed with blood from the wrath of God when the sickle is thrust on the earth. “And I looked, and behold, a white cloud. And on the cloud sat one like the Son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying in a great voice to Him sitting on the cloud, Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth was dried. And He sitting on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple in Heaven, also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had authority over fire. And he spoke with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the anger of God.” (Revelation 14:14-19) John gives us another picture of this event. “And I saw Heaven opened. And behold, a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war. And His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except Himself. And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:11-15)

This is not the coming of the Messiah born in Bethlehem, but the spiritual coming of Jesus to avenge Himself of His enemies, beginning with Edom, the known emblem of antichrist. “For My sword bathed in the heavens. Behold, it shall come down on Edom, and on the people of My curse for judgment. The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And the wild oxen shall come down with them, and the bulls with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. For it is the day of Jehovah's vengeance, the year to repay for the fighting against Zion.” (Isaiah 34:5-8)

Many ask if Christians will be in this world when judgement comes on the earth. There may be some believers, those who will believe after the resurrection of the saints. God has always delivered His people from the judgement coming to unbelievers and sinners. He took Noah and his family out of the flood in an ark. (Genesis 7 & 8) He took Lot out of Sodom before He rained fiery hail and destroyed it. (Genesis 19:1-29) And I believe He will take His children out of this world before the terrible judgement on the earth. My belief is that this will occur at the rapture or resurrection of the saints. “Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.” (1Corinthians 15:51-52) And Paul also writes about this to the Thessalonians. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall 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 we shall ever be with the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17)

 Whether Jesus’ robe will be actually dipped in blood or if this is Isaiah’s and John’s symbolic way of prophesying that judgement will involve the death of His enemies, who have refused to receive Him as Lord, we don’t actually know. I believe it’s symbolic of the immense death and dreadful judgement to come. But believers will be in the first resurrection and taken out of earth. We will not have to endure this terrible time on earth.