And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27
There is no doubt that our text is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His coming. But which coming?
Can it refer to His arrival into the world as an infant in Bethlehem’s barnyard? Although we don’t read of any clouds that night, we do read of multitudes of angels filling the night sky with their anthems of praise and their declaration of ‘Glory to God in the highest’. And while it is certainly true that the subsequent life and work of the Lord Jesus brought glory to His Father and displayed the power of the Almighty in His miracles, we must admit that the power He manifested and the glory He displayed were not recognized by more than a few around Him. Only His own followers saw the proof of His glorious resurrection. Even the events that followed Pentecost were limited in scope, and the works of the apostles in spreading the Gospel and in teaching the saints were not universally recognized. No, our text cannot be speaking of His first coming, except in a very limited way.
Then can our text be speaking of the rapture of the saints? The catching away of the redeemed from this world and into the presence of our Lord forever will certainly be glorious for us, and will demonstrate the power of God in the resurrection of the just. But most of the world will never see this great event. In fact, strong delusions will prevent most people from knowing that it even happened. This great event will occur in the air, not on the earth, and will be seen only by those of us who will depart this scene for Heaven’s shores forever. No, our text is not referring, except in a very limited way, of the rapture.
When the Jewish leaders responded to Pilate’s question whether he should crucify their King by saying that they had no king but Caesar (John 19:15), they were unaware of a coming time when their rejection of Him will come to an end. And our text describes that end. To their great astonishment, those who rejected the Lord Jesus then, and who reject Him today, will realize that they were wrong. It will be clear when He arrives in a cloud with power and great glory that this is none other than the One Who was rejected as their king. The soldiers who platted a crown of thorns for His brow and who bowed the knee in mockery will realize the great folly of their actions. They will see the crown of thorns replaced with a diadem of highest authority. Yes, our text is speaking of that time when the One who was despised and rejected at His first appearance will command all respect and honour.
Many will not like what they see when the Lord Jesus returns in power and great glory. But they must accept it. Praise God, we were made to recognize and accept Him in His rejection, and will welcome His glorious return. -Jim MacIntosh