And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory. (Mk 13:24-32)
"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 the sky.
The prediction by Jesus of the end of time (and with it, his second coming) and of the destruction of Jerusalem is so mixed up that sometimes it is difficult to know which prediction is about the destruction of Jerusalem and which one is about the end of time.
The other evangelists speak of the second coming as imminent. In fact, the destruction of Jerusalem seem to be the sign that it is about to happen. Luke, however, sets it at a later time after the destruction of Jerusalem which he calls the age of the gentiles.
The nearness of the second coming (Parousia, in Greek) was so widely believed among the early Christians that some of them stopped working. Why tire yourself when the end of time was just around the corner? The problem had become so pronounced that St. Paul had to write to the Thessalonians: “Let him who does not work, not eat.”
Nevertheless, Jesus insists that no one knows when the end of time will come: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Hence, Jesus counsels vigilance.
The language used for the end of time is apocalyptic, that is, in terms of destruction of cosmic proportions Hence, Jesus speaks of fearful events involving the sun, the moon and the stars. For this reason fear is always associated with the end of time. This is unfortunate because the end of time is supposed to be a grand and glorious event as we read in the following verses.
And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds.
I would compare the Parousia to a grand and solemn event as the coronation of a monarch or the swearing in of a President. I would compare the gathering of the elect to a happy event such as a graduation or the oath-taking of new nurses.
But that is not all. The Parousia will also usher in new heavens and a new earth. The old will pass away. Everything will be transformed because all creation will be perfected. Our own bodies will be changed. We call it the resurrection of the dead. What happened to the body of Jesus at his resurrection will also happen to our bodies at the resurrection of the dead.
LESSON
As I have said, the Parousia (Second Coming), th end of time, and the end of the world should not be met with fear and trembling. For these events promise us that there will be a happy tomorrow awaiting us. They assure us that there is something to look forward to. They are a guarantee that no matter what happens, everything will turn out alright. For these reasons, the Second Coming, the end of time and the end of the world should be met with joyful expectation. They should give us hope.
We need hope. Without hope, it is impossible to survive.
During World War II, Viktor Frankl witnessed many prisoners rush to their death by purposely getting entangled in the electrified fence. These prisoners saw no end to their suffering. They gave up the possibility of being freed. They had lost hope.
A newspaper carried the report of a terminally-ill cancer patient leap out of the window of a government hospital. She couldn’t bear the pain anymore. She saw no chance of recovery. She had lost hope.
Filipino seamen were recently involved in mishap. Their ship sank in the cold waters of the Atlantic. Since not all of the survivors could fit in the life boats, some had to stay in the water while holding on to the side of the raft. One of them grew tired and told one of his companions who was on the raft that he could not longer hold on. This companion kept encouraging him. Later he told his companion who was on the raft: “Tell my wife and children that I love them.” And he let go. He had lost hope.
We need hope. Without hope, it is impossible to survive.
Let me share with you two quotes that have helped me go on when things turn out bad. They have helped me go on. They gave me hope.
1. God will not lead you where his grace can not keep you.
2. This too shall pass.
God will not lead you where his grace can not keep you. If God allowed this to happen to me, it is because he knows I can handle it. Why I should I despair? Why should I lose hope?
This too shall pass. This trial, this difficulty will not go on forever. Someday it will end. If I hold on long enough, I will survive. Therefore, why should give up? Why despair? Why lose hope?
Two frogs fell into a can of milk. The opening was too high. If the milk was solid, it would only take one jump for them to get out. But the milk was liquid. They kept on swimming, trying to think on how to get out. But after a while one frog gave up. There was no way out. He stopped swimming and drowned. But the other kept on swimming. “There must be a way out,” he kept on telling himself. And sure enough after hours of treading on the milk, the milk turned into butter. With a single bound, it leapt out of the can.
We need hope. Without hope, it is impossible to survive.
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