Advent Devotionals - December 7th

Alleluia
“Alleluia. Alleluia. For the powers of heaven shall be shaken: and they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Alleluia.”
 
It was shortly after the Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and on one of the days that Jesus had been teaching within the Temple grounds. When he had finished then some of those with him began to marvel at the beauty of the temple and its construction. Upon hearing this Jesus began to speak to them about signs of the coming destruction of the Temple and all Jerusalem. (Luke 21:5-24) However, this particular preface is taken from the following verses, 25 through 28, where Jesus addresses not the terrible tribulation that Jerusalem was to undergo in the near future but rather the great and terrible tribulation that the world would experience in the distant future.

Christ now begins to speak of the conditions of the times when his return, his Parousia, his Second Advent was about to take place. Verses 25 and 26 tells us that the signs of some unimaginable, world-wide event are about to take place and that these signs, which will be astronomical, geologic and social in nature, will so great that “men’s hearts will fail them from fear and the expectation of those things which are about to come upon the earth” (v.26). And if we are interpreting the text correctly, even “the powers (angelic beings?) will be shaken. Can one even begin to imagine the affect of God Almighty arising from His throne in a way even greater than the Creation event. God moves to act and the Heavens tremble!

And now the “Blessed Hope”, the promise of His return, the Second Advent. We read in the following verse (27), “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” but both St. Mark and St. Luke tell us that at Jesus’ trial before the High Priest, Jesus says, “And you will see the Son of Man…. coming with the clouds of heaven.” Does this mean that both the living and the dead will witness His glorious return? How frightening it must have been for those hearing such predictions from the Lord and even for us today and yet we are not left comfortless for he closes that part of his discourse with the following words, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (v.28)

No, he has not forsaken us nor has he forgotten us and his return is the fulfillment of his promise, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3) Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Deacon John