Mark 13:26-31
Mark 13:26 (KJB)
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory.
Once the signs in the Heaven start happening, then we are to look up because the
Son of man will appear in Heaven which means that Jesus is returning and now the
world is seeing it and as a result, when they recognize Jesus as the one they
have rejected and persecuted along with His children, they will mourn because
they know their impending doom is at hand. The return of Christ is not going to
be some secret rapture of the church but is going to be a mighty event for the
whole world to see, including the unbelievers who are about to be taken to
judgment. His power will split the heavens in two and then He will return in
great glory with myriads of angels and the glories of Heaven will be poured out
for all to see. In fact the second coming of Christ is going to be so awesome
that the unbelieving world will want to hide from it. (Rev 6:15-17 KJV) And
the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; {16} And said to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: {17} For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Mark 13:27 (KJB)
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of
heaven.
Then when the Lord returns He will dispatch His angels to all quadrants of the
world and will at that time bring all His redeemed children or Elect to glory.
This is also known as the rapture which takes place on the last day simultaneous
with Judgment day for the unbelievers. (1 Cor 15:52 KJV) In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians
15:52 confirms that the rapture of all the believers will be on the last day, at
the last trump. Then at that moment, the believers will receive their glorified
resurrected bodies. (1 Cor 15:53-54 KJV) For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. {54} So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. The words “uttermost” carries with it the meaning
of the farthest or most extreme. It does not matter where the elect of God are,
they will be raptured and taken to glory, even if their bodies were destroyed
completely in some type of event.
Mark 13:28 (KJB)
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
Jesus uses a parable about a fig tree. When the fig tree buds and the leaves
begin to appear, that is a sign the winter is over and springtime is here and
summer will soon arrive. The branch is tender because the sap has congealed
inside it during the winter. Something that congeals is something which goes
from a liquid state to a solid state. This happens in the cheese industry during
production.
Mark 13:29 (KJB)
So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it
is nigh, even at the doors.
Here Jesus sums up what He has been telling them in the way of signs of both
events, the destruction of Jerusalem and His return to earth on the last day.
Notice the word “doors” that it is plural. He is telling the disciples that when
they see the signs of the approaching armies on Jerusalem then the desolation is
right at the door. Then in the latter days, when the Christians see the signs in
the earth and heavens, then He is at the door of His second coming. So two doors
are in view because they are two separate events.
Mark 13:30 (KJB)
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these
things be done.
Here Jesus reverts back to the warning about the destruction of Jerusalem. The
generation that He is speaking of is the one that will be present in Jerusalem
in 70 A.D. This is certain because He uses two demonstrative pronouns, “this”
which is singular and “these” which is plural. When these words are used, it is
speaking of something that is near and not distant. The demonstrative pronoun
represents something that is either near or distant. If Jesus was speaking of
His return, He would have used the words “that” and “those.”
Mark 13:31 (KJB)
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
The words of Jesus are eternal and enduring and therefore will outlast the
heavens and the earth. What is also in view here is the fact that what Jesus was
warning them about, the coming destruction of Jerusalem is a sure thing and it
will happen. Even if the earth and heavens pass away, what He said will not pass
away because all will come to pass and that will include the second coming of
Christ. What also must be factored in are two other things which Christ spoke
about and that is the final abode of the unbelievers which is hell and the final
abode of the believers which will be the New Heavens and the New Earth. The
words “pass away” in the Greek means to perish. The words of the Lord will never
perish.