GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 13:26
In the Clouds
It would be extremely difficult to explain the Grand Canyon to someone who has lived their entire life on the flat plains of Kansas. One could speak about cliffs, rivers, colors, and vast distances, but none of the words would be able to reproduce its majesty in the understanding of the flatland man from Kansas.
I had seen pictures and movies of the ocean, but I still remember the first time I saw the Atlantic. No picture or movie could do it justice.
When Jesus was describing to his disciples the future of Jerusalem and beyond, he said, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26) He tried to put this climactic event in words they might understand, so he described the coming one as “the Son of Man,” not the “Son of God.” Perhaps, in the majesty of this event, they could more readily grasp the title “Son of Man” than “Son of God.”
A reader can skim over Jesus’ prophecy, much as one might hear a description of the Grand Canyon or the Atlantic Ocean without the full majesty of the event making much of an impression on the mind. It’s possible to imagine the disciples closing their eyes and trying to picture this coming event, just as the modern reader should.
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