What is the meaning of Mark 13:24? But in those days Jesus opens with a time marker that looks beyond the disciples’ immediate future to a definite, God-appointed season. • “Those days” points to the closing chapter of human history, the same era Daniel foresaw when “there will be a time of distress such as never has occurred” (Daniel 12:1). • The phrase also ties back to Isaiah 2:11-12, where “the day of the LORD” confronts human pride and ushers in divine rule. • By introducing the prophecy with “But,” Christ separates this final period from all previous calamities, assuring us that what follows is both chronological and climactic (cf. Matthew 24:29, which parallels Mark’s wording). after that tribulation The Lord clarifies that the cosmic signs He is about to list do not replace the Tribulation; they come on its heels. • Earlier in Mark 13:19 He described “days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning.” This period is literal, intense, and global. • Revelation 7:14 refers to saints “coming out of the great tribulation,” confirming it as a real, finite timeframe. • Knowing the darkness follows “after” keeps believers from confusing ordinary hardship with the unparalleled events Jesus predicts (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). The sun will be darkened Christ next turns to the heavens—God’s ancient megaphone—that will register His displeasure with a fallen world. • This is not symbolic gloom; it is a literal eclipse-like blackout promised repeatedly in Scripture: “The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light; the rising sun will be darkened” (Isaiah 13:10). • Joel 2:10 affirms, “The sun and moon grow dark,” aligning perfectly with Jesus’ words. • Revelation 6:12 records the fulfillment: “the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair,” demonstrating a consistent prophetic thread. • Such a sign underscores God’s sovereignty over creation (Psalm 148:3-5) and serves as an unmistakable alarm for the rebellious earth. and the moon will not give its light The companion sign reinforces the severity and universality of this cosmic upheaval. • As Genesis 1:16 declares, the moon rules the night. When it fails, even nighttime guidance disappears, highlighting total moral and spiritual blackout. • Joel 2:31 states, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome Day of the LORD comes,” establishing sequential harmony with Mark 13:24. • Revelation 8:12 describes a further dimming of “a third of the moon,” indicating progressive judgments that intensify until Christ’s return (cf. Amos 8:9). • These signs are God-orchestrated, rescuing no one from faith but leaving no one with an excuse (Romans 1:20). summary Mark 13:24 assures us that, immediately following the literal Great Tribulation, God will darken the primary lights of heaven as a final, global announcement that human history is about to be interrupted by the visible return of Jesus Christ. The sun and moon, once steady fixtures, will obey their Creator’s command, signaling judgment for the unrepentant and vindication for the faithful. Trust the verse as written, take heart that the timeline is in God’s hands, and let the guaranteed fulfillment of these cosmic signs anchor your hope in the soon-coming King. |
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