13:24,25
The quotes come from Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4. The first comes from a prophecy against Babylon and the second from a more general judgement against the nations. So the situation is that tribulation will come upon Jerusalem, and this will be followed by judgement upon Rome. If we apply this to the very end we could read it as saying there will be great persecution of the church, followed by judgement upon the nations. We should note that the use of cosmic imagery to depict God’s judgement upon men is common in the Bible, so these verses do not necessarily mean there will be actual cosmic events. If there are actual cosmic events, the focus is on them presaging God’s judgement upon the world.
13:26,27
Then the Son of Man will come in glory. The term “son of man” harks back to Daniel 7:13,14. There are some who see this as completely fulfilled in AD 70. I have to say this seems unlikely. The general picture in the Bible is that at the end the whole world will see Jesus as Lord and have to acknowledge who He really is. He will come with great power and glory. It is helpful to go and read Dan 7:13,14, which ties in so well with Matt 28:19,20. It is perhaps worth comparing this with Mark 9:1. This verse, especially when taken together with the next, seems to be unequivocally referring to the very end, whereas Mark 9:1 just refers to the kingdom of God coming with power.
The angels are sent to gather in the elect from all over the world. It would seem difficult to see how this was fulfilled in AD 70.
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