By Elizabeth Prata
One of my top favorite verses in the Bible is Acts 1:11. It says,
and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
That one verse does so much! It finalizes Jesus’ work on earth- His ministry, His death His resurrection, and His ascension, an important part of the Gospel. He resumes His exaltation in glory. His ascension physically proves His departure from earth, where not long after, Stephen saw Him standing beside the Father. Finally, the verse makes the promise that He will return.
He will return! We Christians cling to that promise of a sure future with Jesus. It is a joy to think on.
Acts 1:9 says He was taken up in a cloud, and in verse 11 He will return the same way. But there is more to His return than the simple vertical up and down.
By my count, He actually makes three stops.
First he returns with his witnesses (us). He is on His horse and leads us down from heaven. The armies of all the world are assembled ready to make war against Him who is called Faithful and True. This is at Armageddon.
Armageddon: Revelation 19:19, And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.
Zechariah 14:3-5
Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.
Revelation 17:14, They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.
Next, He rescues the huddled Jews who had fled across the wilderness at the start of the Tribulation (perhaps) to Bozrah/Petra.
Remember in Matthew 24:15–16 when Jesus is answering the disciples’ question about ‘when will these things be?’ and Jesus replied, known as the Olivet Discourse? He said that when the “abomination of desolation” occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation, those in Jerusalem should flee Judea into the surrounding wilderness areas to the east, which is in the direction of Edom where Bozrah/Petra are. He protects them-
Revelation 12:6, Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for 1,260 days.
In that verse, we learn that there is a specific location God had prepared, to which they flee. At some certain place, the Jews run to and are secured for the duration of the Great Tribulation. It’s not unreasonable to think that ‘place’ they flee and remain is at Petra throughout the Tribulation. God nourished the fleeing Hebrews in the Exodus with manna and quail andwate from the rock. He could do it again for the remnant at Petra, or if not Petra, whatever place it is that they hide.
On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. 9And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8-9)
Many people interpret that the place where they are protected and nourished is Petra, the rose red city carved into the rock. It’s also interesting to note that in Daniel 11:41, there is one region in the entire world that never falls under the Antichrist-
He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.
Edom, Moab, and sons of Ammon are the lands to the east (where Jesus said to flee to) and the southern end is Petra. We do not know for sure but it makes sense that when Jesus said flee to the mountains, knowing Petra is such a protected enclave, that they would go there.
When Jesus returns, Isaiah notes in his future prophecy that Jesus’ clothes are bloodstained. Perhaps from slaying those assembled at Armageddon. Then He rescues His hiding remnant at Petra.
Isaiah 63:1-3
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.” / Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? / “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained.
Revelation 19:13– He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 14:20- And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Finally, after those two things are accomplished, Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives, His physical presence once more touching earth.
Zechariah 14:4-5,
Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south. 5And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!
So to sum up, return and slay those at Armageddon, rescue the remnant at (perhaps) Petra, and stand on the Mount of Olives. There are a variety of verses scattered across many of the Old Testament and New Testament books, which makes it hard to interpret, but that to me is the general sequence.
Whatever the details, the Lord Jesus will return. Zechariah 14:9 makes this glorious prediction!
And the LORD will be King over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
What a day that will be!
the-end-time.org 
