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21 For,
behold, the LORD [Y@hovah] cometh out [yatsa'] of his
place [maqowm] to punish [paqad] the inhabitants [yashab] of
the earth ['erets] for their iniquity [`avon]: the earth ['erets] also
shall disclose [galah] her blood [dam], and shall no more cover [kacah] her slain [harag]. KJV-Interlinear
21 For
behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the
earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and
will no more cover its slain. ESV
Behold, is a call to pay attention. Something that most people these days, do not do. If they did, then they would have greater spiritual lives, greater blessings, greater capacity for life, greater understanding, and much, much less pretense.
The Lord is coming. And the obvious question is, from where?
Out of His place, is a reference to the dwelling place of God, namely heaven.
Do not confuse this with Mount Zion, which is the high hill inside of Jerusalem, and representative of the vast mountain of truth. That too is the dwelling place of God, namely truth, not the hill in Jerusalem. God dwells in truth, not on a hill.
But here, God is coming from heaven.
Now put this in perspective.
The Messiah comes into the world to become a sacrifice in our place, to purchase salvation for us.
But too, He in His glory, which occurs after the sacrifice, because He is not in His glory until after the sacrifice, but He in His glory will then return to judge the world.
So, Christ had to come first, make a sacrifice and secure salvation, then leave in order to return.
You cannot return to a place unless you first leave it. To return means that you have been there, that you left it, and thus can return.
So, this is the Second Advent.
He returns to punish the inhabitants, namely all evil, in the world, because of their evil.
Here it is referred to as blood or iniquity, which is a reference to the guilty.
Man is guilty and guilty means a sentence, and a sentence means punishment.
The world will reveal its guilt, and the world will not be able to hide or conceal its guilt. Guilty as charged.
