IN the presence of God, one is assured of joy and confidence that one will not be abandoned but rather shown the path to life (Psalm 16:5, 8-11). When the last day comes, the Son of Man will come in the clouds in full glory and all the elect will be gathered (Mark 13:24-32).
The Lord is my inheritance
IN a lyrical expression of trust in God, Psalm 16 proclaims God as one’s refuge and protection in life, one’s Lord in covenant communion. This specific relationship is captured by two images used: God is the allotted portion of land originally distributed among the tribes of Israel, the inheritance that gives one identity and sustenance; God is also the cup passed around in the assembly from which all drank to indicate unity, the cup of intimacy with God. And the psalmist is assured of his inheritance and future because it is the Lord no less who holds it fast and secure.
It is the Lord who guides and counsels the psalmist. The entire being of the psalmist is filled with confidence and gladness in the Lord: in his heart, in his inner depths, he is instructed by God even at night when irrational feelings well up inside him, and also in his body, his fragile and corruptible flesh, he rests secure in God and feels profound joy. He is sure that God will not abandon him to death and corruption, to sheol and the pit where the body is buried. The psalmist’s trust is unshakeable; God is steadfast. God is the one to teach him the path to life. And in the presence of God is fullness of joy; at His right hand under His powerful protection there is forever delight.
He will come with great power and glory
The gospel allusions to the tribulations preceding the coming of the new age and the advent of the Son of Man in the clouds are apocalyptic traditions Jesus used to teach His disciples. The portrayed distress taking hold of the world accompanied by cosmic occurrences indicate that all creation will be in disarray.
It is a final replay of the primordial conflict between order and chaos. As God’s creative power in the beginning brought chaos under control, so now its return in reversal of the order of creation presages the birth of the new age of fulfillment.
The advent of the Son of Man in the clouds (Daniel 7:13) heralds the coming of the new age; He comes with great power and glory, not in fury and destruction, not to scatter the elect but to gather them. Angels of the Lord will gather the elect from the four winds, from every corner of the earth and boundary of the sky. It is the “Day of the Lord,” the time of harvest, a joyful occasion when God’s victory over the enemies of Israel will be celebrated. For many it will be a time of rejoicing; for some it will be a time of terror, one of wrath and judgment (Amos 5:18-20).
His words will not pass away
Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree, a staple fruit in the Middle East that grows in abundance and often presented as a symbol of the messianic age. The tree’s blossoming in the spring is a reliable sign of the approach of summer. So also, the happening of the things He has described points to the advent of the Son of Man. He is near at the gates. But unlike the ripening of the figs expected at a particular time of the year, the precise time of the coming of the new age, its exact day or hour, is shrouded in mystery.
No one knows the exact time, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son of Man, only the Father. But all these things will certainly take place. Boldly Jesus states that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will not pass away or be proven empty. And He does not contradict Himself in saying that all these events will happen before “this generation” passes away. The generation referred to is the period of time of the present age. His words stand as we rely on Him that the world as known will pass away and all its chaos, even as the new age of joy and order comes in.
Alálaong bagá, all things are in God’s hands. If in the beginning of time God’s supreme authority prevailed over chaos and placed order in creation, so at the end of time the new creation will usher in cosmic order, fulfillment of joy and the victory of love. Good will ultimately and completely triumph over evil. It is all the exclusive work of God, and we trust Him. But we need to be ready for the coming tribulation and prepared for the advent of the Son of Man. As we come close to the end of our yearly telling of the story of salvation, we are confident of God’s loving and merciful power.
Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio-streaming on www.dwiz882.com.