The Second Coming of Christ — The Revelation | God's Prophetical Program for the Ages

The Second Coming is the visible, bodily, glorious return of Jesus Christ to the earth at the close of the Tribulation. It is the most predicted event in all of Scripture — occurring more than 300 times in the Old Testament and more than 1 in 30 New Testament verses.^35,36

A. The Two Distinct Phases of Christ’s Return

A fundamental error in prophetic interpretation is the conflation of the Rapture and the Second Coming into a single event. Scripture presents two distinct phases, separated by the full seven-year Tribulation period.^30,31

B. Events Immediately Preceding the Second Coming

Cosmic signs: sun darkened, moon gives no light, stars fall, powers of heaven shaken (Matt 24:29; Rev 6:12–14)
The sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky — all the tribes of the earth mourn when they see it (Matt 24:30; Zech 12:10–12)³⁶
The Campaign of Armageddon reaches its climax: nations assembled against Jerusalem; the city is partially taken (Zech 14:1–2)
Israel’s remnant cries out for Messiah in a national prayer of repentance (Zech 12:10; Hos 5:15–6:3)

The Geographic Route — Isaiah 63:1–6 and Bozrah/Edom

The geographic detail of the Second Coming’s final approach is provided not by Revelation but by Isaiah 63:1–6. Fruchtenbaum (Footsteps of the Messiah, pp. 261–268) identifies this passage as describing Christ returning through Bozrah in Edom (modern southern Jordan), where He has gathered the surviving Jewish remnant who fled to the wilderness (Rev 12:6, 14 — the Petra/Bozrah region). The route runs: Bozrah → northward through the Jordan Valley → Jerusalem.^44,72

Isa 63:1–2 “"Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?" "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?”

Isaiah 63 is the OT source for Revelation 19:13 (robe dipped in blood) and 19:15 (treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God). Revelation provides the cosmic scene; Isaiah provides the geography and the winepress imagery. Both are required for the complete picture.⁴⁴
The route through Edom is not arbitrary: the Jewish remnant fled to the wilderness of Edom/Petra during the Great Tribulation (Rev 12:6, 14; Matt 24:16 — “flee to the mountains”). Christ’s first act of the Second Coming is to gather His people from their refuge before advancing to Jerusalem.
Isaiah 63:3: “I have trodden the wine trough alone; and from the peoples there was no man with Me.” Christ acts alone in this campaign — no human army delivers Israel. The victory is entirely His.

C. The Events of the Second Coming (Rev 19:11–21)

Revelation 19:11–16 is the great climactic passage: heaven opens, and the Warrior-King appears on a white horse.^34,21

“Faithful and True” — Christ comes in faithfulness to His covenant promises and in true justice (Rev 19:11)
His eyes are a flame of fire; on His head are many diadems (crowns of dominion); His robe is dipped in blood (Rev 19:12–13)
The armies of heaven follow Him — clothed in fine linen, white and clean — the glorified saints who returned with Him from heaven (Rev 19:14; Zech 14:5; 1 Thess 3:13)
From His mouth comes a sharp sword to strike down the nations; He rules with a rod of iron (Rev 19:15; Ps 2:9)³⁶
National repentance and mourning of Israel: “they will look on Me whom they have pierced” (Zech 12:10); a spirit of grace and supplication poured out
Christ’s feet stand on the Mount of Olives — the mountain splits in two from east to west, creating a great valley (Zech 14:4)
Living waters flow from Jerusalem eastward to the Dead Sea and westward to the Mediterranean (Zech 14:8)
Antichrist’s armies destroyed by the Word of Christ — their flesh consumes away, eyes rot in their sockets, tongues consumed (Zech 14:12–15; Rev 19:21)
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are seized and cast alive into the Lake of Fire (Rev 19:20) — the first human occupants of this eternal judgment
Satan is bound and imprisoned in the abyss for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1–3)