Verse 30 “…and
then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds
of the sky with power and great glory.”
Sunrise is the best
time of day. Although I haven’t actually seen the sun rise lately, since I’ve
been staying up too late at night to rise that early in the morning. For a couple
of years when I was in High School I worked on my uncle’s farm moving
irrigation sprinklers. It was hard work, but it paid well and I got to see the
sun rise every morning. Now each day when I wake up I look outside to check the
weather. On cloudless days I often say to myself---no clouds, Jesus won’t be
coming back today. Some mornings the clouds and sunlight breaking through the
clouds give an amazing preview of what it might be like when Jesus returns. Are
those just for practice? Listen. Do you hear any trumpets? Clouds move so quickly,
things change. Matthew 24:36-39 tells us it will be like in Noah’s day before
the flood when they were eating and drinking until the day that Noah entered
the ark. They didn’t understand.
In Acts 1:11, when
Jesus ascended into heaven on a cloud, two angels stood beside the disciples
and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus,
who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as
you have watched Him go into heaven.” we have the assurance from Jesus himself
that He will come back in a cloud.
Keep your eyes on the clouds. We don’t know the hour or the day, only the Heavenly Father knows the exact time of Jesus’ return. We’ve been warned—be prepared—“be on the alert” and "see to it that no one misleads you." For centuries people have thought that Jesus would return during their lifetime. When I was younger, I did, too. I’ve searched scriptures and tried to understand God’s timing. Many have taught that once Israel is back in their land (Palestine) that Jesus would soon return. Israel came back into the Promised Land as a nation in 1948. There have been wars and rumors of wars around the world continually---and birth pangs worldwide, like unusual earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, yet Jesus has not yet returned. Not everyone has heard of Him.
The clouds in the morning and evening are often brilliant and spectacular here in the western states. This photo was taken in western Montana. Is this God’s warm-up, His rehearsal for the glory of Jesus return? Remember that before Jesus returns there will be tribulation. Be strong and endure. After that Jesus will meet us in the air---that great rapture we’ve all heard about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The word “rapture” is not in scripture, but is a Greek word for taken up. See you “in the air” in the glory of the cloud when Jesus comes to snatch us.
Lord, help us to “be prepared” day by day, to be obedient and to share your love with others.
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