#DailyDevotion How To Recognize Jesus’ Return in Judgment
Mark 13:24–37
24“Now, after the misery of that time the sun will turn dark, the moon will stop shining, 25and the stars will be falling from the sky. And the powers of heaven will be shaken. 26Then people will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27And then He will send the angels and gather His chosen ones from the north, south, east, and west, and from one end of the world to the other:
Now we are coming upon some signs which, well to be honest, it will be too late to repent and believe in Jesus if you have been putting it off.`Darkness, a certain sign it is time for judgment. Before the last judgment upon Egypt the LORD casts darkness for 3 days. When the sin of the world was placed upon Jesus on Calvary it was dark for three hours. Now just before the Last Judgment the sun will turn dark, the moon will stop shining and the stars will fall from the sky.
In Revelation 6:12, 8:12, and 16:10 shortly before the Last Judgment the sun is darkened. So Christian when you see the world casts into darkness do not fear, unless your faith isn’t true, for your salvation is at the door knocking.
Jesus tells us at that time the whole world will see him coming with all his angels with great power and glory. Then the Son of Man is revealed to the nations visibly. It is seen as predicted in Daniel 7, 13“In the visions during the night I saw One coming with the clouds of the heavens like the Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And He was given glory, power to rule, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and those of every language should serve Him. His authority is everlasting and will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”
Now the angels when Jesus was taken up in Acts tells us, 1, “…11This Jesus, Who was taken away from you to heaven, will come back the same way you saw Him go to heaven.” The should not be surprised at this because Jesus told them so in today’s lesson. In Revelation 1 Jesus quotes Zechariah 12:10, 7“Look, He is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even the men who pierced Him, and all the people on earth will mourn over Him. So it will be. Amen.”
This is a great day for we who have put our faith in Jesus and remained faithful to him. When he comes he is going to send his angels to gather us “from the north, south, east and west, and from one end of the world to the other.” Now this is not the rapture as some misinterpret. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells us before the wheat is gathered the tares are gathered up first. In Revelation 19 we see the nations gathered against Jesus and his church for the final battle. In Matt. 24 Jesus tells us just as the wicked were swept away by the flood, the one taken is taken to judgment first then lost left behind are gathered into his kingdom. In the end, Jesus and his holy angels will remove all wickedness from the world, then the dead in Christ are raised and we are changed into our new immortal bodies as we are gathered together with Jesus in his eternal kingdom. Don’t put off being Jesus’ disciple until later. Don’t think you’ll have time to repent later. You won’t have time. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus for salvation today.
Almighty God and Father, you promise us Jesus will return in glory to receive all who trusted in him into his kingdom. Grant us true repentance and faith in him today so we will not be swept away with all the wicked on that day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.