With All Power and Glory

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

WITH ALL POWER AND GLORY

Mark 13:14-27

14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now — and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect — if that were possible. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. 24 "But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'   26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

NIV

Well, we just had to include all the rest of this prophecy of Jesus. There was no way we could divide it up. Of course, he is using some of the words of Daniel here about the Anti-Christ who will stand at the temple and declare himself to be God. However, once again our historians have determined this had to do with the Romans and one of their generals, or regions putting an end to the sacrifices at the temple prior to its destruction. It is possible this is all been done and there is nothing to be done again, or that the Revelation given to John has nothing to do with this at all. However, there are still the ending words of Jesus which somehow our historians and scholars seem to set against a setting that has already happened. The Sun has not been darkened and the moon has just to no give light and the stars have not just fallen from the sky, and the heavenly bodies have not been shaken. In addition, men have not seen the Son of Man, Jesus, coming in the cloud with great power and glory. We have not seen His angels going to the four winds, or to the ends of the earth gathering believers. If all this has happened as with everything else explained away as happened by our historians, then we have no hope whatsoever and we should just throw in the towel. However, we have to remember the only inspired writings are those contained in the canon, or as we call the bible. Yes, all writings are by the hand of man, but the scriptures have been inspired by the Spirit, by God so as to reveal himself to his creation and His intended conclusion of this period of time that we live upon this earth and the beginning of what we might call eternity upon the new earth under the new heaven within a new city. We cannot escape the reality of the revelation Jesus gave to John. It is to come. It has not happened yet, but it will happen someday. We may end this life in this body before it does, like so many before us, but there will be a resurrection, and we will be gathered together to meet our Lord in the air as he appears with all power and glory. But low be to those who have rejected him in their life on this earth, for they will not see what we will, for their destiny is to perish. A sad day for mankind if they are not believers in Jesus Christ. They will not be able to flee from the wrath of God or from the dreadful day the earth is shaken. It is going to be a glorious day when our Jesus we will see when we look upon his face, the one who saved us by his grace, what a day that will be when we see Jesus coming in the clouds with all power and glory.