Mourn – Matthew 24:29-25

One of the stumbling blocks of Christianity for many unbelievers is that we believe that Jesus is the only way to right relationship with God. Jesus is the only way to truth and life (John 14:6), as he himself said. That will be a source of profound grief and mourning when Jesus returns and people realize that he was indeed the way, the truth, and the life, and they are doomed to be separated from God for eternity, in that place called hell that they used to joke about and outright refused to believe in.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:29-35 ESV)

When the great tribulation is finished and God’s judgment is complete, the Son of Man will come back on the clouds of heaven with demonstrable signs and power.  Jesus is alluding to the prophecy in Daniel 7 that describes the one like a son of man to whom the Ancient of Days gives an everlasting kingdom that destroys all other pretenders and God’s chosen people are given sovereignty with him to rule all nations.  And so the angels will bring together all believers from every tribe and tongue to Jesus, but those who do not believe and have survived the tribulation will mourn.  Their judgment is come.

Jesus’ followers will have some idea when this is near just as they have an idea when summer is near.  The generation that sees the signs and evidences that Jesus has described, particularly the desecration of the temple, will not pass away before all things are fulfilled.  Jesus’ words cannot be contradicted or fail to come true.  As of yet, we have not seen the temple even built, but great interest surrounds that prospect.  When we see the way paved for the temple’s reconstruction we will know the end is near.

The covenant that the prince who is to come makes with Israel (Daniel 9) likely makes possible the reconstruction of the temple. He is the beast of Revelation 13, the antichrist of 1 John 2:18, the man of lawlessness of 2 Thessalonians 2:3. His clout with the nations will somehow make this possible.

We haven’t seen this happen yet, so maybe we aren’t of that generation that will see it all fulfilled. Right now there seems no one on the horizon who could accomplish this great feat.