Mark 13:24-27 24“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The next type of sign that will come before Jesus’ return will be the complete darkening of the sky. The utter darkness contrasts with the glory of Jesus coming on the clouds. The greatest “fireworks show” of all time will take place as the stars fall from the sky, announcing the coming again of Jesus. Many ancient people (and even some people today) believed that the stars and powers of heaven represent spiritual forces that determine life on earth. The idea is similar to what Paul states in Philippians 2:10-11, that every knee will bow ” in heaven and on earth and under the earth” at the name of Jesus.
These next events take place after the time of great suffering described in verses 14-23. These verses echo many passages in the Bible and Jewish apocalyptic writings that predict cosmic events on earth and in heaven when the Son of Man returns. Jesus’ coming will mark the greatest fulfillment of all prophecy as this present evil age comes to a close and the new eternal age begins. All the predicted events that precede Jesus’ coming again mentioned in many places in the Bible will have been fulfilled, marking the decisive and evident moment of his return. At that point, it will be too late for people to choose Jesus, for their decisions will have been made. Those who mocked, rejected, or ignored Jesus will fall before his great power and glory. The humble Servant will come as the great Savior of the elect and Judge of those condemned by their choices.
Mark’s account of Jesus’ return is simple and pointed. It gathers together the essential elements expanded in other passages of the Bible. It expresses the simple hope of the elect who have put their faith in Jesus and remained faithful to his call. No matter the chaos around us, we must never lose sight of our hope of redemption, whether that comes in our lifetime or at our resurrection.
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