Posts
"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened these days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."
- Mark 13:14-27
Yesterday, we read that as Jesus went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened these days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand." In Saturday's reading (see above), we began this passage in which Jesus speaks of the "end times," both to come in Jerusalem within one generation, and the fullness of the age. As we noted, this discourse is in "chiastic" form, for the Greek word for the letter X, meaning there are topics introduced in the beginning, a particular centerpiece of the discourse, and then further elaboration at the end. In today's reading, we start off with Jesus' reference to the "abomination of desolation," from a prophesy by Daniel (Daniel 11:31, 12:11). This was considered to have been fulfilled when the Roman General Titus entered the sanctuary of the Temple during the Siege of Jerusalem, at which time the Temple was destroyed (AD 70). Jesus gives this vivid warning of the war and destruction that was to come to Jerusalem, and so the early Church fled when the signs of Roman siege were in place. But combined with the warning about what would come within another generation in Jerusalem are warnings the end of the age, and about the appearance of "false christs."
"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven." Here is the clear story of His Return, the Second Coming. We're not to be deceived by any such reports because it will be clear to everyone -- He will be coming in the clouds with great power and glory. There will be nothing secret, hidden, or mysterious about it!
Jesus gives a warning to the disciples, a prophecy of the Siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple ("Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down"). These warnings were all fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and its glorious Second Temple, a work of great architecture and wonder of its time. That gives us an understanding that what human beings have built has a limited power of its own, no matter how wonderful nor spectacular. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus gives a clear statement about what is to happen in this siege: "Days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation" - Luke 19:43-44 (my italics). Do we know when we are visited by God? Do we know the Spirit's presence? Do we understand God's grace at work in our lives -- perhaps when we're given a second chance, or a kind of warning about where we're headed? The only time that Jesus states that His time will be clearly known to everyone is at His Second Coming, the final "end time." But until that time, what do we understand of warnings, wake-up calls, second chances, and infinite grace that is present to us? Do we know how to listen? Do we know that "the time of our visitation" may be any time? Once again, we have to apply His teachings to ourselves; they are not just warnings to one set of people once upon a time. His truth is for all of us, for each of us. The heart knows what it will know, but a hardened heart seems incapable of hearing -- and may spend a lifetime deaf and blind to the call of God, the warnings of Christ, the work of the Spirit in and around us. Jesus teaches His disciples to rely on the Spirit, and to endure through all things. He teaches us not to be deceived by those who would mislead. He speaks of times of testing and difficulties, but these things are not to dissuade us nor dismay us. We rely on "God with us," who gives us a voice and words to hear and listen to, and to say in our own defense during times of persecution. We hold fast to what He's given us, we are to remain alert and watchful, and we know His prophecies.
