The End's not Near its Here

The Coming of the Son of Man

Mark 13:24–27 ESV

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And 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.

Mark 8:27–16:20 A. Step 1

Jesus predicts that after tribulations people will see a coming of the Son of Man, accompanied by heavenly signs, leading to further developments. This will involve the personal presence of the Son of Man in glory, the sun darkening, the powers of the heavens shaken, and the gathering of the elect from all over the earth, plus, quite likely, given the prior context, the destruction of the temple in judgment. This would seem to reference AD 70 and beyond. However, at the crucifixion of Jesus, which is pre-AD 70, we can already observe the personal presence of the Son of Man in Jesus (8:31; 9:31; 10:33); the sun going dark at midday (15:33); the powers of the heavens being shaken in the rending of the veil of the temple (15:38), which veil comprised a tapestry of heavenly bodies (Josephus, Jewish War, 5.214); a gathering of people from everywhere at Pentecost shortly thereafter (Acts 2:9–11), concerning which recipients of the Gospel of Mark would surely be cognizant; plus an assurance of the destruction of the temple in the rending of the temple’s veil. Furthermore, the presence of the Son of Man is, in fact, in glory on the cross, i.e., it involves, as does “glory” in a biblical context generally, a great act of redemption that “makes God [Jesus] impressive”

Mark 10:33 ESV

saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.

Mark 15:33 ESV

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Mark 15:38 ESV

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Acts 2:9–11 ESV

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Glory = an extraordinary work of redemption that exemplifies God’s (Jesus) impressiveness.

THE TIME IS FULFILLED

Mark 1:15 ESV

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

How can He not know?

Mark 13:32 ESV

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mark 13:37 ESV

And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”