In continuing our study of the Bible I would now like to bring your attention to a verse that is often miss-understood. When attempting to explain that Jesus returned at the fall of the Old World of Judaism in 70 AD, one of the first objections that is offered is Revelation 1:7, "Behold, he cometh with the clouds and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." Such objections are to be expected when we all have been deeply-seated in the traditional concepts about the coming of Jesus.
It seems to have escaped the notice of those who point to Revelation 1:7 as proof of a yet future coming of Jesus that John was also writing in a historical setting. The first thing one must understand about Revelation is that it is a book composed almost entirely of symbols ..... symbols that a first century Jew would have found immediately recognizable. These symbols were used before in such books as Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. When the phrase “every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him” is used it should bring to mind as it did the Jews a previous reference found in the Old Testament.
Let us examine this passage in its context and seek to discover its true significance. And I will pour out on the house of David, and on the (inhabitants of Jerusalem), the Spirit of grace and prayers. And they (i.e., the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall look on Me whom they have pierced), and shall mourn for Him. As one mourns for an only son, and will be bitter over Him like the bitterness over the firstborn. In that day (i.e., when they look on Him whom they had pierced) the mourning (in Jerusalem) will be great, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, families by families alone; the family of the house of David alone, and their wives alone; the family of Nathan alone, and their wives alone; the family of the house of Levi alone, and their wives alone; the family of Shimei alone, and their wives alone; all the families who are left, family by family alone, and their wives alone. Zechariah 12:10-14 (emphasis added)
Now notice the emphatic time statements. The old inhabitants of Jerusalem were the ones to see Him. This is undeniably when the Old Covenant would pass.
The Hebrew word for "family" is mishpachah and it means "family; by extension a tribe or people." So, in essence, Zechariah was saying that the "tribes of the land" would mourn for Him whom they had pierced. Who were those "tribes?" "The inhabitants of Jerusalem."
According to Zechariah, the "earth" is the land of Palestine, specifically, Jerusalem. Also, it is those tribes, i.e., the nation of Israel, who would "look on Me whom they had pierced." And because of that, "the mourning in Jerusalem" would be great.
With all of this information, we can see that the "tribes of the earth" in Revelation 1:7 are the nation of Israel. The "earth" is Palestine. The land that would mourn is Jerusalem. For John Zechariah 12:10 was applicable to Jesus' crucifixion; but it would receive final fulfillment when "all the tribes of the earth" would mourn when they looked on him whom they had pierced. To John this would be when Jesus returned in the clouds of glory.
Lest see if we can interpreting Scripture with Scripture. Another phrase that is similar in context that says all the old inhabitants of Jerusalem were the ones to see Him is to be found in Isaiah 40:1-5. “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “ Speak (comfort to Jerusalem), and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “ Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; (The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together); For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (emphasis added)
Do you see it? These verses are talking about John the Baptist and the first appearing of Christ and it states that (all flesh shall see it together). Luke writes. while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; (And all flesh shall see the salvation of God). Luke 3-2-6
If we are not careful we will interpret passages from the New Testament to mean we are the ones to literally see Him when it was not intended that way in the Old Testament.
