From a Donkey to a White Steed

 At the beginning of His earthly ministry, Yeshua/Jesus entered a synagogue on the Sabbath day “as His custom was” (Luke 4:16) and began to teach. He opened the book of Isaiah and read, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18-19; quoting Isa. 61:1, 2).

Then He closed the book and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Now, if we go back and read Isaiah 61 in its entirety, it’s clear that the passage mostly refers to Christ’s second coming, when He will set up His Kingdom on this earth.

So we can see here that Jesus’ first coming, in many ways, foreshadowed and paralleled His second coming — which He continually preached about and pointed toward. The first time, He did indeed come to set us free, to heal the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to the captives. When He returns, He will finish this work, and it will be on ever so much grander a scale than it was the first time!

Let’s look at a few more parallels — and contrasts — between Jesus Christ’s first coming and His second coming.

Throughout Yeshua’s earthly ministry, He preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Mat. 4:23). After John the Baptist was imprisoned, we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mat. 4:17). When the people of one city tried to prevent Him from leaving, “He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent’” (Luke 4:43).

When Christ returns, this mission will be magnified. He and His saints in the First Resurrection will preach the gospel to all nations and teach ALL mankind His ways! Here’s Isa. 2:2-3:

2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.

3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He not only preached the gospel, but He also healed many who were sick. Here’s Mat. 4:23-24:

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

When Yeshua returns, this, too, will be exponentially magnified. He will heal all peoples. Here’s Isa. 35:5-6: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”

But the greatest and the most magnificent healing, a healing that seldom happened during Christ’s earthly ministry, will be spiritual. Those who are deaf and blind to God’s Word will be healed so that they understand: “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 29:18-19).

Now, we see some stark contrasts, as well. First, when Jesus came to this earth in the flesh, He didn’t come as a judge. He handed down no sentences: “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (John 3:17). However, when He returns in glory, He’ll judge the world: “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth” (Psa. 96:13).

Secondly, Jesus harmed no one when He came in the flesh. “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them” (Luke 9:56). But at His return, He will slay the wicked: “And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:21).

In some ways, Jesus’ first coming both paralleled and contrasted His second. For instance, at the close of His earthly ministry, Yeshua/Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey”’” (Mat. 21:4-5; quoting Zech. 9:9).

But when He returns, He will return as a conquering King riding a white horse: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (Rev. 19:11). Once more, He will enter Jerusalem, this time in power and glory: “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two” (Zech. 14:3-4).

According to the Gospel timeline, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey was the 10th day of the first month, the day God commanded the Passover lambs to be chosen (Ex. 12:3). When He returns, I believe, for reasons explained previously, that He will once again enter Jerusalem on the 10th day, but this time on the 10th day of the seventh month, on the Day of Atonement.

After He entered Jerusalem, Yeshua cleansed the temple: “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a “den of thieves”’” (Mat. 21:12-13).

When He returns, He will cleanse all His people: “‘It shall be in that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the [false] prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land’” (Zech. 13:2). The false prophets, those who make merchandise of God’s people (2 Pet. 2:3; KJV), will cease: “And there is no merchant any more in the house of Jehovah of Hosts in that day!” (Zech. 14:21; YLT).

At the close of His earthly ministry, Jesus died on a cross on the Mount of Olives, as I understand it. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the Mount of Olives played a key role. It was from the Mount of Olives that He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (Mat. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-38). It was on the Mount of Olives that He spoke to His disciples about His return (Mat. 24; Mark Mark 13; Luke 22). It was on the Mount of Olives that He was arrested (Mat. 26:30-57; Mark 14:26-53; Luke 22:39-54). It was from the Mount of Olives that He returned to heaven to the Father (Acts 1:9-12). And when He ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, His disciples were told, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Now when Jesus returns, where does He return? We already read it: to the Mount of Olives, the place where He was crucified, the place He ascended from, and the place where so many key events of His ministry happened! “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You” (Zech. 14:4, 5).

So we can see, in all these ways and others besides, that Jesus Christ’s first coming foreshadowed His second. Through His earthly ministry, He offered us a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, this kingdom being the very message that He preached. And yet, many contrasts also exist, for obvious reasons.

But I find the comparison an interesting one, and hopefully this post has been thought-provoking for you as well. God’s whole plan is woven together in astonishing fashion, with types, patterns, foreshadows, and parallels galore! It’s a remarkable tapestry.

Are there any other parallels or contrasts you can think of? Let me know in the comments below!