Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down 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 or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His final public sermon (a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees), Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  According to my study Bible, Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem.  The Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before the temple was destroyed. The Lord's phrase when you see, it says, is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly thought to be inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to the early Christian flock, who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus blesses the barren women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:29).  My study Bible comments that this is an acknowledgment of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the woe in this passage).  St. John Chrysostom comments, "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"  

 

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness in terms of virtue, and winter indicating a fruitlessness in terms of charity.  So, therefore, the person who leaves this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment. 

 

 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."    How will Christ's return happen?  My study Bible says that, according to Christ's description, this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  Therefore, if there is any question or doubt, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  Again

 

 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  According to my study Bible, the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  Again, my study Bible cites patristic commentary, according to which the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ. In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor. 

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible tells us, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, He came in humility and mortality, but at His second coming, Christ will be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  See St. Paul's description of Christ's return at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  My study Bible remarks that the first-century document, The Didache, lists three signs that will mark the return of our Lord:  1) "the sign spread out in the heavens" -- Christ and His hosts; 2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and 3) "the resurrection of the dead."  St. Paul writes in this passage to the Thessalonians that the return of Christ is a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18) for the righteous.  

 

It's quite stunning to read my study Bible's commentary on Jesus' words that "immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  All of this, my study Bible says, will seem to be so to us in comparison to the revelation of the glory of Christ at His second coming.  When we think of such glory, we turn to the image of Christ given to us in the Transfiguration, in which this glory was revealed to the disciples in the form of brilliant light.  St. Matthew describes it this way:  "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2).  St. Mark writes, "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).  In icons of the Transfiguration, this brilliant light surrounding Christ is often painted with a blue tinge, in order to portray this light that is not fully perceivable to us, an ineffable divine light that is whiter than white.  In this way, Jesus has revealed to all of us a taste of the glory we might expect will be revealed at the Second Coming, that "beyond white" light that makes the sun appear darkened, and the moon without light, the stars seeming to disappear.  Indeed, there is more to this as well, when we consider that throughout our Christian history, and earlier in the times of the Old Testament, sun, moon, and stars were also associated with angelic beings, messengers of God.  Psalm 19 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4).  When Job finally has his say with the Lord, the Lord responds to him, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?  To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7).  The morning stars and the sons of God in the response of the Lord refer to angelic beings, part of God's creation, and especially their power of communication on God's behalf, so strongly expressed in Psalm 19.  Perhaps our most vivid associations of stars with God's messages from angelic beings comes to us at this perfect time of the year when we celebrate this time coming up to the commemoration of Christ's Nativity.  It's at this time we contemplate the wise men from the East who had seen "His star" which led them to Christ (Matthew 2:1-12).  Perhaps the most powerful testimony of this association comes from St. Luke's Gospel, in which we read of the angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shining around the shepherds in the field, and the "multitude of heavenly host" praising God and this gospel message of great joy for the world (see Luke 2:8-20).  All of this glory of God is overshadowed by the unforeseen brilliance of the Lord's return at His second coming, and so, as St. Paul says, we should not view these images with fear, but with joy and comfort.  What will it be like to experience such light and such glory?  St. Paul cites the prophecy of Isaiah as he writes of the "wisdom of God ordained for our glory," and Christ as "our Lord of glory," telling us in his Letter to the Corinthians, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:6-12; Isaiah 64:4).  Let us not fear, but think about the joy of His return, so powerfully eclipsing in glory even the joy of His birth.  For this is what awaits beyond tribulation. Let us be prepared to meet that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take heed that no one deceives you

 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

 

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

- Matthew 24:1-14 

 

Yesterday we finished reading chapter 23 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  The entire chapter was taken up by Jesus' final sermon, a lengthy indictment of the hypocritical ways of the scribes and Pharisees.  We began reading that sermon in Wednesday's reading.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught,  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your father's guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans during the Siege of Jerusalem.  This prophesy is quite literally true; all the remains today of the temple is one retaining wall of the temple, known as the Western Wall (formerly called the Wailing Wall).  Note ways in which this prophecy is connected to Christ's condemnation of the practices of the Pharisees and scribes in yesterday's reading, above.

 

 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that there is no precise chronology that can be determined from them (see Daniel 7 - 12; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  It notes that Christ's emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue, rather than constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.  Here in St. Matthew's account, the end described encompasses the initial sorrows (in today's reading), and in our following readings will cover the great tribulation (verses 15-28), and the coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31).  The period of the great tribulation, it is important to note, includes all of the Christian era, and is not, as some teach, limited to the final years before Christ's return. 

 

 And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."  Christ warnings against deception are given the most emphasis here, stated first.  Of particular importance, my study Bible says, is the warning against following a false Christ, which Jesus will stress again in verses 11, and 23-27.

 

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows."  My study Bible notes that the wars mentioned here refer first and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also certainly include subsequent wars.  Wars are not a sign of the imminent end, it says, but of the opposite -- that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).  

 

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  My study Bible comments that all these calamities and all this opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel, and indeed it has been seen that the persecutions against the Church often increase the number of those being converted.  St. John Chrysostom marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

 

 My study Bible comments that Jesus' most significant emphasis, in this prophecy of "end times," is a warning against deception.  As we live in an age of great manipulation of images and of information, with ever increasing development of new tools for doing so through popular communications, we should especially pay heed to such warnings.  If we as human beings and followers of Christ always needed to be on our guard against false christs and false prophets, then perhaps we need do so now and in the future more so than ever.  One can only imagine that the capacity for deception and manipulation will only grow with newer and more powerful technologies.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) our means of perception as human beings remains perhaps the same as it ever was.  We don't have automatic faculties for knowing what is true and what is phony.  Every day on popular media such as Facebook or TikTok or YouTube, one can see manipulated images created by the new versions of AI (Artificial Intelligence) software which grow exponentially with investment and development.  It seems inevitable that much of our daily business and commerce will be done through various forms of this software, even as it grows in applications for various service interfaces, including decision-making.  The point of recounting these modern phenomena is not to frighten people or make readers more worried for the future, but to point out that Christ's words and warnings about potential deception may grow in significance as we enter into the technological developments of today and the years immediately to come.  Jesus is, in this sense, more prescient than ever, and His words carry an even greater significance for us.  Our response to such phenomena requires us to hold fast to the things of faith with every effort we can muster, and this most certainly includes faith and prayer practices.  For in a world increasingly overtaken by disinformation and false stories generated for clicks and likes (and possibly through bad actors who seek to foment dissension and rancor within our societies), we truly need to hold fast to Christ's light that leads us through a world in which temptations and manipulation have always played a role as stumbling blocks for us.  We need to shore up our faith and prayer practices if only to meet the powerful tools that may mislead us in the future, into believing false things that do not serve the purposes of God, and turn us more and more against one another so that we don't see where the true interests of our faith lie, the narrow and difficult way of the Cross for us.  We need to focus on that life of the soul and the light of Christ which so eluded the Pharisees in their blindness and hypocrisy, focused so heavily on the external forces of worldly power and authority.  All of these new distractions have the effect of pulling us ever more vigorously into the world of competition and competing narratives, including by false actors who do not share our best interests, and certainly not those of community nor love as Christ would have it.  So, our response is to hold fast to things He said, and to "endure to the end" in so doing.  All of the things Christ has prophesied in today's reading are things many of us observe seemingly growing around us:  wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, earthquakes and other natural disasters, and sorrows abound.  Christians remain under persecution in various parts of the world, and this phenomenon is more frequent than most people know.  Over the past century there has been a dramatic reduction of Christian populations through persecution, especially in the Middle East (estimates claim Christians formed 20% of the population of Middle Eastern countries a century ago, down to perhaps 5% now).   Even in the nations which claim freedom of religion, those who call themselves Christians may find themselves the object of hatred.  Offenses, betrayals, hatreds seem to come up out of nowhere at times.  And this is the place where Christ says that "false prophets' can arise to deceive.  Perhaps His most ringing words for us today teach us that lawlessness will abound, and with that the love of many will grow cold.  As once-common notions of civility disintegrate, even communal understanding of the basic respect for shared humanity becomes more fragile.  We are here in the world to "endure to the end" carrying our Cross, and the light of Christ with us and within us.  Let us make every effort to do as He says, in all the ways available for our faith.   Even so, through the same technology and communications, we can see as well that the gospel of the kingdom is increasingly preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and so we go forward in His name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand

 

"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 those 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 

 

On Saturday we read that, as Jesus went out of the temple in Jerusalem, 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."  The abomination of desolation was a prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11), fulfilled in the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), when the Roman general Titus entered the Most holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.  The phrase let the reader understand is an encouragement to the early Christians who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"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."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  Jesus' sympathy for nursing mothers is reinforced in Luke 23:29, when He blesses the barren in preparation for the time He describes.  My study Bible quotes commentary on that verse from St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

 

 "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 those 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."   My study Bible points out that, here in St. Mark's Gospel, the account of the end times is given in a reverse or mirrored parallel form, often called chiastic (from the word "chi" meaning X in Greek).  That is, the topics He mentions in the first half of the passage are repeated and amplified in reverse order in the second half.  Taking the beginning of this discourse from Saturday's reading (see above), we begin to see the parallels.  He began (in Saturday's reading) with a warning to take heed about false christs, which is repeated here and amplified.  The second warning was about wars which He then described in detail just above these verses in today's reading, and includes the abomination of desolation.  The second-to-last warning is about tribulation here, which amplifies His warnings in Saturday's reading of being delivered up to councils, and betrayed and delivered up by family members.  Today's reading gives us the second half of that X shaped prophecy, the center of which was that "the gospel must first be preached to all the nations" in Saturday's reading (see above), which my study Bible calls the heart of the apostolic ministry and the mission of the Church.

 

"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."   My study Bible says that, according to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but will be darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, it will appear to be dark by comparison to the fullness of Christ's splendor.  Note that when Christ says that the powers in the heavens will be shaken, this can't be separated from the spiritual powers in the heavens, and the things described here are in response to that transition and glory in spiritual battle, the victory of Christ described in the next verses.  

 

"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."   Note that at Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, (as signified through His entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt; see this reading).  But at Christ's return, His second coming, He will be revealed with great power and glory.  My study Bible refers us to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 on the gathering of the elect, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  

 

What is the farthest part of heaven?   This seems to affirm that the elect include those on earth, but also those of the great cloud of witnesses, who stand in the resurrection.  This vast and incomprehensible number of souls is impossible for us to calculate, and I daresay, to even imagine.  In fact, much of what Christ has to say in this end times prophecy is to us, unimaginable.  That would include even those terrifying events of the Siege of Jerusalem, documented for us in history books, so vividly told here in Christ's forewarnings to the people.  These warnings -- such as to pray that their flight may not be in winter, or of the woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days -- carry with them the terror of such a calamitous and disastrous time.  They don't soften the sense of desperation and fear; quite the opposite.  Christ does not seek to minimize the dangers and harm that may exist for us in this world, particularly as His followers.  But He does warn us about them, and about the things we will be called upon to face for His name's sake -- and He also gives us His solemn promise and assurance of His return, and the gathering together of His elect from the four winds, and from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  Let's consider once again the depth and breadth of what these words mean, and the unimaginable number of souls gathered in Christ's power and glory and His return.  "From the four winds" indicates all the directions of the earth, not a single soul overlooked from anywhere in the world.  That even the powers in the heavens will be shaken should give us a sense of the shattering of our present reality in exchange for another one at the end of the age, and in the fullness of the coming of His Kingdom.  None of these things can be glossed over or de-emphasized, for all of it is important to us, and none of it is sugar-coated for us.  It all comes as part of the package of our faith in Christ.  Often we get the impression that there has been so much progress in terms of medical science, or technology, or a host of other modern developments, that we have great control over our lives and our world.  But Christ tells us something quite different, which perhaps we discover in our own lives through time and experience, that despite all of these innovations and modern wealth and productivity, we still have unforeseen circumstances to deal with.  We remain with wars and rumors of wars (perhaps more destructive, violent, and frightening than ever); we remain with natural disasters we can't seem to fully control or explain; and we certainly remain with evil in our world and political machinations and hardships of all kinds.  While we have news reported and available to us with 24-hour availability, it does seemingly little to reassure us that all things are stable and cared for; quite the opposite, in fact.  But with Christ, we have something more.  We have His reassurance that not a hair on our heads goes uncounted by God (Matthew 10:30), not a sparrow drops to the earth apart from God's knowledge and will (Matthew 10:29), and that God knows the things we have need of (Matthew 6:31-33).  Let us first seek the will of God, to know God in prayer and communion and to build up our faith, to find the things that Christ has for us to do in the world.  For ultimately we are dependent upon God, from whom every good and perfect gift comes -- and who gives us warnings about our world and knows the dangers and fears we live with; for He has been with us as one of us, and offers us the Kingdom and our discipleship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By your patience possess your souls

 

 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."   

 

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  and what sign will there be when these things are to about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

 

- Luke 21:5–19 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to scribes in the temple, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?" Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best sets in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  My study Bible notes that Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans in the Siege of Jerusalem.  Literally not one stone was left upon another.  Only a retaining wall remained, known today as the Western Wall (and for many centuries as the Wailing Wall, a place of prayer and pilgrimage for Jews).

 

 So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  and what sign will there be when these things are to about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven."  My study Bible comments that, in the Scriptures as a whole, the end times are described in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  Here He warns of deceptions from false Christs (which indeed was so in the very early period of the Church).  The immediate wars and commotions, my study Bible says, apply first to the period of the first century in Jerusalem ("these things must come to pass first").  The things that follow pertain to the whole of the Christian era, in which we await Christ's return.  But as we read a little further along, Christ's emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue rather than on constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.  

 

 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."  Here Christ gives warnings of the tribulation to come.  Note the emphasis on persecution as an occasion for testimony.  Christ promises the Holy Spirit as Helper and Advocate ("I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist").  Persecution entails betrayals and death, and hatred for His name's sake.  "But," He says, "not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."  This is the promise of eternal life, of the life of the Kingdom for those who follow Him steadfastly.

 

 Jesus begins His discourse here on end times, and it will continue through tomorrow's reading also.  There, He will delve into more detailed predictions which clearly portray the Siege of Jerusalem that is to come even in the lifetimes of His hearers at that time.  But today, Jesus begins with essentially a couple of points which He illumines with great color and urgency to impress upon His followers how they are to live through and bear the times He predicts.  The first point that He makes, as my study Bible points out, is a warning about deception, about being deceived.  He says, "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them."  This was quite true.  As we read in Acts 4:35-37, Gamaliel relates some of this history when he speaks to the Sanhedrin about how to proceed with Christ's followers and the nascent Church.  He mentions a man named Theudas, and another named Judas of Galilee, both pretenders to a messianic role at that time.  Then Jesus speaks of wars and commotions, which must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.  Following this, He embarks on what sounds like a summary of the entire age of the Church to this day:  "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven."  This is a description of the age, but then Jesus begins to speak of the immediate persecutions to come to His Church and His followers.  He begins with an admonition to take heed and watch that the believers not be deceived by false Christs, and ends with a powerful prompting not to fear the persecution to come, but to consider it an occasion for testimony.  Moreover, there is a great gift in the midst of tribulation.  He promises, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist."  And herein is the secret of the great struggle for faith.  That God lives -- or to use the language of the Scriptures, is enthroned -- in our hearts and minds, and that it is with our hearts and minds, and our mouths that speak wisdom that God lives and dwells with us in the world.  God is truly everywhere present, but Christ has made God known to us (John 14:9).  And we are those who will profess and proclaim God, keeping ourselves as temples in which God dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16).  While the reality of God and God's presence is not in doubt, it is up to us to receive God, and to live our faith through all things.  Jesus speaks clearly of dire persecutions and tribulation, but we are encouraged to testify, to proclaim wisdom.  The time of tribulation, my study Bible explains, includes the whole of the Christian era, and not just the immediate times faced by Christ's followers at that time, nor a period of time just before His return, as some suggest.  Let us keep our own wits about us, understanding our role as those who follow and are faithful. By our patience let us possess our souls. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down 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 or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His disputes with the religious leaders during what we know as Holy Week, Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"   And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  all these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  Here Jesus warns the disciples about events that would come to happen in Jerusalem.  He cites the prophecy of Daniel regarding the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11).  According to my study Bible, this prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman General Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple, before having the temple destroyed.  Christ's phrase used here, "when you see," is an indication that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.  Matthew inserts the words, "whoever reads, let him understand" as a way to encourage those early Christians who may have witnessed the catastrophic event.  

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"   This woe is given to warn women who are pregnant or nursing of the terrible pain in seeing their children suffering under such desperate circumstances as will be engendered by the Siege of Jerusalem.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the similar passage in Luke 23:29:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

 

 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  There is also a spiritual interpretation found in Patristic commentary given, in which the Sabbath is seen as symbolizing idleness regarding virtue -- and winter as fruitlessness with regard to charity.  So, therefore, the person who departs worldly life in this spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."  My study Bible asks, in what manner will Christ return?  Here, Jesus states quite clearly that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, my study Bible notes, then that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  Since He states that His return will shine from the east, in the Orthodox Church Christ is worshiped facing eastward whenever possible, in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  

 

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study Bible comments on the similar passage in Luke's Gospel ("Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" - Luke 17:37) that the body (carcass) refers to Christ, while the eagles are a reference to the angels and the saints.  

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  According to Patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  So, my study Bible explains, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His true splendor.   

 

 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible explains, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, He came in humility and mortality.  But the second coming is entirely different, when He will be revealed in power and great glory.  Christ fully shares in the divinity of the Father, and this will be part of the tremendous revelation at that time.   Commenting on Christ's teaching, "they will gather," my study Bible refers us to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  

It's remarkable to consider that at Christ's return His glory will outshine every source of natural light we know, even our sun and the stars.  It tells us something as a kind of portent of the much greater life that awaits us in the kingdom of God, at the end of this present era.  We cannot truly separate these "end time" events from either the judgment Christ has taught will come, or from the great wedding feast of Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride, the Church.  For all of these events will come together, marking the end of our present age, and the beginning of a new age we cannot predict.  What we can know is that -- like the Incarnate Christ -- this new age will be marked by the union of Christ and His people, a world transfigured through the beauty of God, held strikingly in our understanding of a glory that outshines the sun and stars.  It tells us -- despite the dire predictions and upheavals we read about the end times -- about the ultimate fulfillment of Christ's mission in our world at His Incarnation.  We are all going somewhere, and it's important to know where we are headed.  The great upheavals and tribulation that Christ prophesies -- even the ferocious and uncontrolled destruction of Jerusalem that was to come so soon after Jesus left this world in the flesh -- are all a part of the journey toward that final fulfillment of His mission and ministry.  For those things which are both seen and unseen and oppose Christ will also have their way, and also work into this journey of salvation and redemption of the world.  We can't have one without the other.  We cannot have Christ and His mission and ministry in the world without His exposure of the things that oppose Him, the spirit of the Antichrist (1 John 4:3).    In his podcasts, Father Stephen De Young has often spoken about the Cross as not simply that which happened at one time as a historical event, but rather that which always reveals the truth of all things; that is, things as they truly are.  And as the sign of the Son of Man, we can know that the Cross -- in fulfillment of its true purpose and meaning -- is always revealing all things that are true.  This holds whether or not something is revealed to be true and beautiful and good, or false and evil or in error.  Thus we have side-by-side great beauty, tremendous glory and promise, and also at the same time the resultant horrors and violence of a world that rejects Christ.   So, in some sense, Jesus sends us all out on a mission as His followers, for we are the ones who make a difference in this struggle and engagement for the life of the world.  We are the ones who choose to become temples of God in this world, or not; we are the ones who need to be engaged in worship and prayer to continue to bring His love and hope and glory into the world, or to neglect this privilege to serve the highest good.  We are the ones who may deepen our communion with God and our brothers and sisters in faith, both those who live in this world and who live to Christ (Matthew 22:32); or we may choose simply to neglect and ignore this great cloud of witnesses in which we may participate and gather.  It is the time of our lives that is tinged with this deepened and heightened meaning and potential, or sadly made of little worth or fruitful value in the spiritual sight of God (see the parable of the Talents).  For these are not far away events being prophesied, nor are they far away events foretold and passed in history centuries ago, but this challenge of the Cross always lives, and it is within us and with us always.  It will continue to play itself out in our world and our history, but do we have the spiritual eyes and ears to understand, and to deepen the power of our faith in this world? 

 

 

 

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down 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 or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15–31 

 

In our current readings, it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus went out and departed from the temple after disputing with the religious leaders, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  My study Bible reminds us that Daniels' prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70.  This was when, during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem, the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place.  He had a statue of himself erected in the temple, and the temple was destroyed in subsequent fighting.  Only one retaining wall remained standing of what was one of the great architectural wonders of the world.  The Lord's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  My study Bible adds that the words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly understood as inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to the early Christian flock who may have witnessed this event.  

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  In Luke's version of this prophecy, Jesus speaks of a blessing on the barren women (Luke 23:29), which my study Bible calls an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the use of the word woe here).  It quotes St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible says that  the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of real desperation, as is indicated by Christ's words here.  One spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary views these words as applying to the entire period of the Church, in which the Sabbath symbolizes idleness with regard to virtue, and winter meaning fruitlessness regarding charity.  So, a person who departs earthly life in such a state will suffer judgment.

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."  Once again, as in Saturday's reading (above), Jesus warns of false christs and false prophets.   Here, in order to prepare believers, He teaches about the manner in which He will return.  My study Bible comments that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  It says that if there is any question or doubt, that by itself is evidence that Christ has not returned.  As His return will shine from the east, my study Bible tells us, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  In Luke's Gospel, this prophecy reads, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Luke 17:37).  The words translated as carcass and body are two different Greek words.  My study Bible comments that the body  refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.   St. Jerome comments on the use of the word for carcass, which has its roots in a word meaning "fallen."  He writes, "We can understand this body to refer to the Passion of Christ because wherever Scripture says that we are gathered together, it is for the purpose of coming to the Word of God."   A repeated theme stresses that this phrase is meant to compare the capacity for gathering to that of eagles who gather from long distances.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  My study again cites patristic commentary, which teaches that the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  What this means is that the sun will seem to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor.

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  My study Bible explains that the sign of the Son of Man is the Cross.  This is in keeping with the idea of the "body" or the "carcass" referring to the Passion of Christ.  But moreover, my study Bible comments that the Cross will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, it explains, Jesus came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory.  This is the power and great glory Christ shares with God the Father which will be revealed to us.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."   My study Bible cites  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 as one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  The first-century teaching document, The Didache (called the teaching of the apostles), lists three signs marking the return of Christ.  1)  "The sign spread out in the heavens" -- Christ and His angels; 2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and 3) "the resurrection of the dead" (His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other).  For the righteous, my study Bible says, the return of Christ is a comfort, not a threat.

 

 Perhaps it seems a bit strange to reflect upon Christ's words on the end times, and the culmination of the age at His Second Coming, at this time in Advent when we are approaching the celebration of His Nativity.  But Christ's birth and a rebirth associated with the Resurrection and His Return are not really so strange.  It is of the same nature as the Passion, the event of Christ's suffering and death, which is irretrievably correlated with His Resurrection on the third day.  In Christianity, we cannot therefore separate death from rebirth, for Christ is always there with us.  Birth and death, in other words, are always mingled; there will always be a birth in Christ as a response to any form of death.  The key to this, of course, is faith, and a faithfully lived life.  In that context, it may help illumine our minds to follow up on some of the patristic understanding of Christ's mysterious words about the eagles gathering where the body is.  St. Apollinaris writes that there are those who explain this concept of a "fallen" body as meaning that all the elect (the eagles) will leave paradise behind, and in a rebirth of the world, gather to the place where the fall of Adam occurred -- where he violated the commandment and through his disobedience fell into sin.  Then the "fall" of the world will be undone in rebirth at the great Resurrection, the union of heaven and earth.  Revelation 21 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, after the first heaven and first earth pass away (Revelation 21:1-2).  So then, as we look toward the light, toward the East, from where Christ comes as does the light of dawn, we can look toward Resurrection and renewal, even of the whole of Creation, made possible through the Passion of our Lord.  Let us look to Nativity and ponder with gratitude befitting God's grace.

And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven

 

 "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 those 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 earth to the farthest part of heaven."

 

- Mark 13:14-27 

 

On Saturday 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 those 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."  The first half of this discourse on end times is given in Saturday's reading (above).  As we discussed in the commentary on Saturday, this end times prophecy is given by Jesus in reverse parallel or chiastic form (from the word for the Greek letter Χ which is "chi").  That is, the warnings to take heed come in the beginning and in the last warning.  The second warning is elaborated on in the second-to-last part, and the third warning is in the "middle" of the discourse and also elaborated upon third-from-last.  So, the warnings to take heed regarding false christs came both at the beginning, and here where He tells us that false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.  The first several verses in today's reading seem to apply directly to the destruction of the temple itself at the Siege of Jerusalem, with the 'abomination of desolation' referring to Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11), fulfilled when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and erected a statue of himself there, before having the temple destroyed.  This is an indication that among those to whom Christ spoke there would be witnesses of this event, and they are to "understand" about the prophecy and be encouraged despite their experience.  Then Christ speaks again of the tribulation as mentioned in Saturday's reading, elaborating that it is so severe that it is "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 those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days." 

 

 "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 earth to the farthest part of heaven."   After that tribulation, then Christ's return will occur.  According to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, the sun will look dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor, once again reminding us of the light revealed at the Transfiguration.  At His first coming, my study Bible comments, Christ came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed with great power and glory.  

Jesus says that after the intense tribulation, His return will commence.  He says that just prior to His return, 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. It has the strange quality of apocalypse, or apocalyptic writing, particularly in that the events Jesus describes seem to image the very meaning of the Greek word ἀποκάλυψις/apokalysis.  This word literally means uncovering or unveiling.  The scenario He describes seems to be precisely that, with the sun and moon darkened, and the stars of heavens falling.  It's as if the entire cosmos falls like a blanket to reveal the "new" that Christ's return will bring.  To think of these images in such a way becomes more interesting, when one considers that the word "cosmos" (Greek κόσμος/kosmos) for the creation or universe, can also mean "adornment," and is the root for the Greek word for jewelry, and even cosmetics.  In this sense, the creation or "ordered existence" created by God in the beginning falls away, so that Christ may reveal the new creation, the new heavens and the new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).  This ties in with what we have read.  On Saturday, we were given Mark 13:8,  "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."  The word that is translated as sorrows literally means "birth-pangs."   And these events of upheaval and conflict, the frightening specters of earthquakes and famines and all manner of disruption, even including the betrayals and tribulations, are a part of a process of the birth of something new, the new heaven and new earth.  When we see such things, we should remember, and we are meant indeed to remember what we must be about.  We should think about the struggle of something new being born, and how such experiences are signs that point to Christ's return, but especially how we are meant to be faithful amidst them, not to forget that these are included in His warnings.  Perhaps even when we personally go through difficulties, we can pause to consider that something old may be falling away in order to reveal something new, and we ourselves are feeling those birth pangs.  There is undoubtedly an ongoing process of repentance, or change, in living a prayerful life, with God presenting to use things we need to discard such as ways of thinking we must revisit, and behavior that need to conform to the new.  As such we are a microcosm of the events Jesus describes as a whole cosmic arc of the present age, and the beginning of the age to come.  Everything, we should be assured, is being revealed, and the process looks to us in this disarrayed, messy form of upheaval.  Let us consider most important and precious to us His words, teaching us what He wants and expects.  We're to take heed, and not to be fooled.  We are to remember who we are, that we are His.  We're to abide in His word, and endure to the end -- which is a new beginning at His return.

 

 

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down 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 or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For may will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."    Jesus alludes to Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11), which was fulfilled in AD 70, when the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The parenthetical words whoever reads, let him understand are understood to have been inserted by Matthew into Christ's address, as an encouragement to his early Christian flock who may have witnessed this event.

 

"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 or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A patristic spiritual interpretation views "the Sabbath" as a symbol of idleness with regard to virtue, and "winter" as indicating fruitlessness with regard to charity; in other words, the failure to practice Christ's teachings.  Therefore, the person who departs this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Once again, Jesus gives yet another warning against being deceived, following false christs and false prophets.  Moreover, He seals this admonition with a description of His return.  It will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, my study Bible points out, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so whenever possible Christians historically have worshiped facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of Christ's second and glorious coming.  Luke's Gospel reports Christ's final words here as, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Luke 17:37).   A traditional understanding of this statement indicates that the body refers to Christ, and the eagles to the angels and saints.

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  My study Bible says that in paristic tradition, the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor.  We get a hint of this through the manifestation of the heavenly, brilliant light at the Transfiguration.

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible explains, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  While at His first coming, Christ came in humility and morality; but at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory.  Regarding Christ's teaching that they will gather together His elect, see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.

 

 When we read about the destruction of Jerusalem that was to come within the lifetimes of those listening to Christ at the Siege of Jerusalem, we read accounts that are terrifying and frightening in the details that we have.  This is particularly true of the events which took place at the Temple and within it.  The details of bloodshed and warfare, the period of a war of attrition and the fury on both sides, in which countless numbers of innocent civilians died, is indeed horrifying.  The descriptions of the desolation that was left of what was once a beautiful city and magnificent temple tell us of the total destruction that resulted, and imply to us that Christ's words, though brief, tell a true story of devastation.  His warnings to flee proved prescient, as an account of the events of that time can attest to all who read it.  He steered His flock free of it, so that the Church was able to survive, as they fled to Pella before the outbreak of the Roman war.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42).   In a note on this passage, my study Bible explains that the name Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  It states that only faith in Christ brings true peace.  Jesus' admonition to avoid participation in useless and devastating warfare that could only come to one end proved to be wise for the early Church, and we today must continue to heed His words.  Certainly the early Church was filled with believers who were also soldiers, so this is not a call for abolishing the reasonable necessity for the protection of a state and its civilians.  Indeed, many of the early saints of the Church were soldiers, who were martyred because they refused to participate in worship of Caesar, even when they themselves were being lauded and rewarded for their valor and courage.  Instead, Christ calls us to understand what it is that truly makes for our peace.  The terror of the destruction of Jerusalem serves as an illustration of what happens when we combine relentless and unbridled passion together with violence.  As the descriptions go, even the most disciplined soldiers refused to obey orders in the heat of battle and resistance, and participated in ruthless destructive violence.  And this remains a warning to all of us.   Any examination of twentieth century history will show us that we are still susceptible to needless destructive violence and cruelty on a mass scale, especially when human emotions are stirred by skillful manipulators with totalitarian aims and unbridled desire for more power and conquest.  Let us consider today the things that make for our peace, and remember to always seek Christ's way first.  For this also is part of His teaching to us that as His followers, our priority is to endure in our faith, through all things, no matter how terrifying they might seem to be.  This is our lesson from the early Church, and it remains our all-too-human lesson today.  For He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it, and salvation remains His way.  For in Him we seek to avoid the useless end of violence that begets more violence and ends only in senseless death.  His promise to us is resurrection and life, and this remains our hope and light.  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, and it is at the Cross we remain, for it points the way where all things are reconciled and we make the choice for His truth.