Mark 13:24-27 – Lo! He comes…

In Mark 13:24-27, the Lord took the disciples from what would signal the destruction of the temple to the end of the world itself. This section made up of some Old Testament allusions, referring to the coming of the Son of Man, to usher in a new age. Prior to the coming of the Son of Man, the Lord referred to the tribulation, a tough time that would be so terrible that God in His mercy would have to intervene to shorten it for the sake of the elect.

In these verses, using language that they understood, the Lord narrated to the disciples what would happen at His coming. In the ancient world, people believed that the celestial bodies, the sun, moon and stars were controlled by gods or goddesses. The shaking of the heavens and the darkening of the heavenly bodies that gave light suggest that those gods or goddesses are not in control of the luminaries, but God is. He would shake everything in the celestial and cause the sun, moon and stars to eclipse. When that takes place, then earth will be engulfed by darkness. And the Son of Man will come in the clouds with great power and glory. Everything described here is intended to portray the divinity of the Son of Man. The luminaries in heavens, the cloud, power and glory and splendor, all belongs to God. In verse 27 the Son of Man will then send His messengers to gather all of God’s people from every corner of the earth. Everyone will be gathered.  

The destruction of the temple would have discouraged the disciples. It appeared as if God was defeated. The narration of the ultimate triumph of the Son of Man provided the assurance and helped them, and now us, to look beyond existing circumstances. The Son of Man will not come in defeat. He might have come in the first time to be humiliated, but it was all planned. But when He comes again, it would be in great splendor and majesty. And we look forward to it with great expectation and anticipation. How appropriate are the words of Charles Wesley:   

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,

Once for favored sinners slain;

Thousand thousand saints attending,

Swell the triumph of His train:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

God appears on earth to reign.

Now redemption, long expected,

See in solemn pomp appear;

All His saints, by man rejected

Now shall meet Him in the air:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

See the day of God appear!

Yea, Amen! Let all adore Thee

High on Thine eternal throne;

Savior, take the power and glory,

Claim the kingdom for Thine own:

O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!

Everlasting God, come down!