And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." 

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His final public sermon (a grand critique of the scribes and Pharisees, see chapter 23), Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  My study Bible tells us that Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  The Lord's phrase when you see is understood as an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly assumed to be inserted by St. Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to his early Christian flock, who may have witnessed this event.  

 

 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible directs us to Luke 23:29, in which Jesus blesses the barren women, as an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer as Jesus prophesies here.  Moreover, it notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness with regard to virtue, and winter as indicating fruitlessness with regard to charity.  Therefore, the person who departs this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

 

 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Once again, Jesus places emphasis on watchfulness, and the possibilities of deception.  (See yesterday's reading, above, and Christ's beginning by warning of deception:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.")  Moreover, here Jesus describes the manner in which He will return; He makes it clear that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, my study Bible points out, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  According to my study Bible, the carcass (or body; see Luke 17:37) refers to Christ, wile the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  According to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, my study Bible explains, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor. 

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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."  My study Bible tells us that the sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  While at His first coming, He came in humility and mortality, at His second coming, He is to be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  My study Bible cites 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which it calls one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  It cites the first century document, The Didache, which lists three signs that will mark the return of Christ.  First there's the "sign spread out in the heavens" which is Christ and His hosts; second, "the sign of the trumpet"; and finally "the resurrection of the dead."  It states that, for the righteous, the return of Christ is a comfort, not a threat (verse 18).

 

 In today's reading, Jesus speaks several times of the elect.  It's important that we notice that the times of which He speaks are mixed:  there are references here to the destruction of Jerusalem, as well as the end of the world as we know it, and His return.  Somehow synonymous with the terrifying destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem at that time (a catastrophic symbol, in some sense, of the end of the Old Covenant) is also the finish of time as we know it, the present era.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we noted the sense of entropy, a breakdown of good natural order according to God's creation, that continues until His return, the resulting chaos described on various levels, including even in physical nature, and interactions between nations and individuals, with great persecution of the Church.  But in today's reading, there is even more pressing news of dire hardship:   "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  And we have to wonder, in all of this chaos and destruction, as if the earth is returning to its original state of chaos ("without form and void" - Genesis 1:1-2) before God's creation came upon it, who are the elect, this kind of remnant that belongs to Christ, and how do they survive through it all?  For running through all of Christ's prophecies of the end times is this distinction about those who survive all this destructive force of evil in this lawless and loveless time.  In the ancient tradition of the Church, "elect" was understood on two levels.  This is connected with faith, a faith that responds to grace, an acceptance of Christ's salvation made possible through the Cross.   At the same time, there is the grace that makes such salvation possible, but there is also the faith that asks of us participation.  And this is made very clear in Jesus' prophesy of the end times, and His picture for us of the entire arc of the Christian era in this discourse.  For His emphasis is on an active faith, active participation in the reality of that faith:  doing what we are supposed to do, being alert and on guard against deception, and most especially, He uses the word "endure."  In yesterday's reading, He taught us, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  This election is not a kind of simple predestination but rather refers to the knowledge of God, who is not bound by space or time; it is this acceptance of grace as an ongoing, living practice active in our hearts that is what Christ means for us to endure, living our faith, retaining the love of God and the righteousness in which God asks us to remain and endure.  The grace that has been brought into the world through our Lord, and through the coming of the Holy Spirit, then, is what we need to rely upon in the times He describes.  For it is that grace upon which we depend for joy and peace in which we may endure despite the times, regardless of how dire or difficult they may become, even through tribulation.  These, and the ability to endure, are a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  So let us heed His words, and endure to the end, through grace He gives us and the faith in which we receive it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For may will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."    Jesus alludes to Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11), which was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The parenthetical words whoever reads, let him understand are understood to have been inserted by Matthew into Christ's address, as an encouragement to his early Christian flock who may have witnessed this event.

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A patristic spiritual interpretation views "the Sabbath" as a symbol of idleness with regard to virtue, and "winter" as indicating fruitlessness with regard to charity; in other words, the failure to practice Christ's teachings.  Therefore, the person who departs this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Once again, Jesus gives yet another warning against being deceived, following false christs and false prophets.  Moreover, He seals this admonition with a description of His return.  It will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, my study Bible points out, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so whenever possible Christians historically have worshiped facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of Christ's second and glorious coming.  Luke's Gospel reports Christ's final words here as, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Luke 17:37).   A traditional understanding of this statement indicates that the body refers to Christ, and the eagles to the angels and saints.

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  My study Bible says that in paristic tradition, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor.  We get a hint of this through the manifestation of the heavenly, brilliant light at the Transfiguration.

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible explains, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  While at His first coming, Christ came in humility and morality; but at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory.  Regarding Christ's teaching that they will gather together His elect, see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.

 

 When we read about the destruction of Jerusalem that was to come within the lifetimes of those listening to Christ at the Siege of Jerusalem, we read accounts that are terrifying and frightening in the details that we have.  This is particularly true of the events which took place at the Temple and within it.  The details of bloodshed and warfare, the period of a war of attrition and the fury on both sides, in which countless numbers of innocent civilians died, is indeed horrifying.  The descriptions of the desolation that was left of what was once a beautiful city and magnificent temple tell us of the total destruction that resulted, and imply to us that Christ's words, though brief, tell a true story of devastation.  His warnings to flee proved prescient, as an account of the events of that time can attest to all who read it.  He steered His flock free of it, so that the Church was able to survive, as they fled to Pella before the outbreak of the Roman war.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42).   In a note on this passage, my study Bible explains that the name Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  It states that only faith in Christ brings true peace.  Jesus' admonition to avoid participation in useless and devastating warfare that could only come to one end proved to be wise for the early Church, and we today must continue to heed His words.  Certainly the early Church was filled with believers who were also soldiers, so this is not a call for abolishing the reasonable necessity for the protection of a state and its civilians.  Indeed, many of the early saints of the Church were soldiers, who were martyred because they refused to participate in worship of Caesar, even when they themselves were being lauded and rewarded for their valor and courage.  Instead, Christ calls us to understand what it is that truly makes for our peace.  The terror of the destruction of Jerusalem serves as an illustration of what happens when we combine relentless and unbridled passion together with violence.  As the descriptions go, even the most disciplined soldiers refused to obey orders in the heat of battle and resistance, and participated in ruthless destructive violence.  And this remains a warning to all of us.   Any examination of twentieth century history will show us that we are still susceptible to needless destructive violence and cruelty on a mass scale, especially when human emotions are stirred by skillful manipulators with totalitarian aims and unbridled desire for more power and conquest.  Let us consider today the things that make for our peace, and remember to always seek Christ's way first.  For this also is part of His teaching to us that as His followers, our priority is to endure in our faith, through all things, no matter how terrifying they might seem to be.  This is our lesson from the early Church, and it remains our all-too-human lesson today.  For He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it, and salvation remains His way.  For in Him we seek to avoid the useless end of violence that begets more violence and ends only in senseless death.  His promise to us is resurrection and life, and this remains our hope and light.  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, and it is at the Cross we remain, for it points the way where all things are reconciled and we make the choice for His truth.

 

 

The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

- Matthew 24:15-31

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week.  He has made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, and engaged in confrontation, questioning, and testing by the various parties of the  leadership, with His own challenging responses.  (See the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.)   Still in the temple, Jesus' then made His final public sermon, an indictment of hypocritical practices of the leadership, ending with a lament over Jerusalem (see readings of Monday,  Tuesday and Wednesday).   Yesterday, we read that then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  Jesus refers to the prophecy of Daniel of the abomination of desolation (see Daniel 11:31, 12:11; also Daniel's vision at 9:21-27).  This was fulfilled in AD 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem, when the Roman General Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple, and later had the temple destroyed.  My study bible tells us that the phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at this time.  My study bible also says that the parenthetical statement whoever reads, let him understand is commonly understood to be inserted by Matthew as encouragement to the early Christian flock, who may have witnessed this event.  Again Jesus uses vivid imagery to portray the urgency with which people must evacuate the city to avoid perishing in its destruction.

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study bible says that the severity in winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly at a time of desperation.  It also notes a spiritual interpretation that has been given for this passage:  the Sabbath may symbolize idleness with regard to virtue, and winter can symbolize fruitlessness with regard to charity.  A person departing earthly life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.  It is noteworthy that here there are mingled elements of both end times and the destruction of Jerusalem.  Tribulation, for example, is not limited to only the time of the destruction of the temple, but rather is a condition of the age.

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Jesus warns against false reports of His return, and that false christs and false prophets will arise (as did happen after His death).  But this is mingled with talk of His return, which will be evident to all people.  My study bible says that if there is any question or doubt, then that alone is evidence that He has not returned.   The last statement here is a puzzling one, but one interpretation is that the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints. 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Commentary by Church Fathers holds that the glory of Christ will be so bright that by comparison the sun appears darkened.  My study bible says that the sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  In His first coming, the Incarnation, Christ came in humility and mortality, as a human being subject to the influences of the world.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory.  What is perhaps most striking is that all His elect will be gathered together, from one end of heaven to the other.

We await Jesus' return at the end of the age, but there is no real timetable for us.  We don't know when that is going to be.  From the way Jesus teaches His disciples, the word that He gives to us, we are not supposed to know that time.  As the world changes, we look around ourselves and wonder if the signs He's given are happening before us.  Certainly we can see a globalized world, with instantaneous telecommunications and information that gives us news from everywhere, and all the time, 24 hours a day.  It's a "networked" world, where events that happen in one place are bound to have effects on another, perhaps around the world.  Economic crises can become worldwide, to one extent and another, because of a crisis in one country that will in turn affect exchange rates and currencies and stock markets elsewhere.  We live in a time of continental shifts in terms of migration and warfare and populations that are no longer reflecting traditional demographics and communities.  And there are wars and rumors of war, and it seems that the love of many has grown cold.  In other ways, it seems that lawlessness abounds.  These are all signs of this age that Jesus has described.  In today's reading, Jesus gives the signs in Jerusalem -- and a clear warning about what is to come and when -- to His disciples.  The events of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem were, in a sense, "inaugural" events of the end time; that is, the time in which we live  now and have been living since His death and Resurrection.  It is the time in which we await His return.  We are witnesses to His prophesies, and from what we see, He surely was correct.  But the crucial thing we need to cling to, as those who will endure to the end, as He has taught, are His teachings for us.  That is, the ways in which He has taught us to endure, following His commandments, knowing His love, living as His friends, followers, brothers and sisters, children.  That's where we find our true home and our identity, the one thing we know is true if all else fails and leads us wrong.  In a time of darkness, the light just becomes that much more important.  Like the time of His return, it's His truth and glory that outshine everything else as the one thing necessary.  Let us remember and live and put our trust where it belongs.