By St. Nikolai Velimirovich
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne" (Matt. 25:31).
This is how our Lord spoke just before His most horrible humiliations, before being bound, before being spat upon, before being slapped, and before being ridiculed prior to His crucifixion. In His most darkest hour, He speaks about His most vivid and most glorious hour. Before His most terrible and miserable departure from this world, He speaks about His second coming in His glory. At first, He came from the cave in Bethlehem, humble and unseen, and the second time, He will come on the clouds of His angels. The first time as though He sprouted out of the earth, and the second time He will appear from the heavens. The first time He stood and knelt on the ground, and the second time He will be sitting on His throne of glory.
When He comes again on His throne of glory, He will not be unseen by anyone. No one will ask, as did the wise men [the Magi] before his first coming, "Where is the King?" (Matt. 2:2). At this time, everyone will see the King and recognize Him as the King. But this vision and recognition will be for some their joy, and for some their fear and terror. Just think of the joy of those who have fulfilled His commandments, those who have prayed in His Name, those who have performed good works and especially those who have suffered for His Name! Just think of the fear and terror of all those who have spat on Him, struck Him and crucified Him in Jerusalem.
O, Merciful Lord, forgive all of us who call upon Your Name and who because of our weaknesses, sin against You; forgive us before that great marvelous hour when You begin to appear in Your glory with all Your holy angels. To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.
