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

 

 "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 all 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 

 

On Saturday 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 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."   My study Bible remarks that Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) 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.  The Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The words whoever reads, let him understand, my study Bible says, are commonly understood to be inserted by Matthew into Christ's speech as an encouragement to his early Christian flock who may have witnessed this event.  His warnings that begin here an emphasize an urgent need to flee, and to do so with all haste, even without possessions.

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  Jesus gives a clear sign of the calamity and horror to come.  In Luke's Gospel, Christ gives a blessing to the barren women as an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer, and whom they cannot save (see Luke 23:29).  My study Bible cites the commentary of 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.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false Christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you all beforehand."  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.  In patristic tradition there is also a spiritual interpretation, which sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness with regard to virtue, and winter as indicating fruitlessness with regard to charity.  Therefore, the person who departs life in that kind of spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

 

"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."  My study Bible asks the question, in what manner will Christ come back?   Here Jesus makes it very clear that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, then that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, whenever possible since the earliest times of the Church, Christians worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  

"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 teaching which is cited by my study Bible, the sun will not be destroyed, but darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, it says, 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.  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, my study Bible says, is the Cross, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, Christ came in humility and mortality.  But at His second, He will be revealed in power and in great glory, reflecting the truth of His divine nature as shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

It seems to me that when Jesus says that the sun will be darkened, the moon won't give its light, the stars will fall, and that the powers of the heavens will be shaken, He's indicating something like a tremendous dimensional change taking place.  Of course, we can't really know fully what He's talking about and what He's describing, but whatever it is, it will be a time when even "the powers of the heavens will be shaken," that is, a time when all that we know and all the things we relate to within our world and perception of the universe will be shaken and put aside.  What He seems to describe is an entirely new life, even a new nature of life, and no going back to the old.  My study Bible refers us to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, noting that it is one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  In the Didache (the earliest teaching document of the Church, written in the first century), it notes, there are three signs listed that will mark the return of Christ:  (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."  In this passage of 1 Thessalonians, as written by St. Paul, there he clearly notes that those who are alive in the earth will mingle together with those who have fallen asleep in Christ.  This is another indication of the suspension of the normal realities that govern our cosmos, our world and universe, for not only will those who have died live, but it is an indication that time no longer applies.  So this is one more sign that at the coming of Christ, the reality we know will disappear, and a different life begins.  All of that suggests the unmistakable quality and signs of that time; that this event will not be hidden from anyone, but, as my study Bible says, will be clearly evident.  The second thing it seems to teach us is that it is a radical ending and new beginning, where even the laws of physics we know will no longer apply. That's quite powerful to ponder, nearly impossible to realize in any but the briefest sense.  But it does seem to teach us that there will be an end to things, and that even as we live today in the world we understand the finitude of life as we know it.  I don't think the Scriptures nor Christ Himself nor St. Paul, among others, would leave us with this sense that there is an end to the things we know, except in preparation for it, and in preparation for Christ's return.  Thus it becomes very important that we consider these things not simply as staggering events to come -- and, in the case of the Siege of Jerusalem, as one of the terrible and terrifying events of history -- but that we understand our lives are temporary. Even the world itself, the creation that God proclaimed to be "very good" (Genesis 1:31), will eventually shift in its very nature, and that there will be a kind of transformation and merging of life into a different life, in which all will be gathered together.  I feel that this is something we can count on, a deliberately given promise, and one that gives a sharp focus not on some far away future, but in effect on our very lives today.  For what it does is highlight that this life is temporary, that there are things that we are to be about, that there is an eventual and certain outcome in which Christ returns and we will be understood in terms of our own contribution, our life of faith, our place within His kingdom.  It should give us pause to consider that our lives are precious, our moments limited, our time especially valuable for its briefness and emphasis on how we live while we are here.  Make every moment count, give it the value it deserves, and make it rich with the blessings God offers to those who seek to live His life that He offers.   Our treasure in heaven is what we build while we live in this world.

 

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near

 

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 

- Luke 21:20–28 

 

Yesterday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus 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 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."

 

  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  Here is a direct warning about what is to come in the lifetimes of the people who hear Christ.  The desolation of Jerusalem (and particularly of the temple; see yesterday's reading, above) was fulfilled in AD 70.  The prophecy of Daniel ("all things which are written") was occurred during the Siege of Jerusalem, 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 comments that the phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  Those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies would be unable to flee quickly in a time of desperation.  In chapter 23, Jesus, on His way to Golgotha, will say to the women who weep for Him, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’  Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" (see Luke 23:28-31).

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  My study Bible comments that Christ's return will be unmistakable to the whole world.  In other words, if there is any question or doubt, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  

What could the end of the world possibly mean in our understanding and imagination?  How could we picture it?  Despite speculation, despite the stuff of fantasy and films, I don't think we can imagine it.  There are hints we're given in the Gospels about life in the resurrection, the future to come that is beyond the world as we know it, such as Jesus discusses in response to the question in the temple from the Sadducees (see this reading).  But this is the reality of an age beyond time.  Jesus' prophecy in today's reading, in which He tells us that the powers of the heavens will be shaken, is an indication that the very foundations of the cosmos as we understand it will be shaken.  This is a transition to a different reality, a different life, and indicates a change beyond our capacity to predict.  In a comment on the passage giving us Christ's answers to the Sadducees about the resurrection, my study Bible tells us, "It is the clear teaching of Christ that the souls of the faithful who have departed this life are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection."  All indications are that this ultimate resurrection, the ultimate end, is a time of tremendous transfiguration of life -- a shift of everything that we know as life itself, likely including our experience of time and space.  So Christ's Incarnation has initiated into being the "end times," which is this Christian era in which we now live and await His return.  The signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars are those things which will herald a complete new age, a shift in the firmament of creation itself, a new heaven and a new earth, as the Revelation says (Revelation 21:1).  This doesn't just signal a physical transformation, but also a spiritual transformation in what constitutes the cosmos; it's a new age not for the earth alone, but for God's creation.  To behold the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory signals a shift in the ground of existence, a new kind of perception, and an unmistakable change -- and this is the end of the age to which Christ points, which is linked in all of His speech regarding this end time with the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple.  The details themselves are intermingled, signaling at the very least that a new age of "end times" have begun through which we await His return.  What this information should do is simply give us pause to understand that all that we take for granted rests upon a foundation that is in a process of change, and that this change signals something far greater beyond us than we can perceive.  It should give us a perspective on our own lives -- and, in particular, in the lives of we who call ourselves the faithful -- that we participate in something deeper, greater, grander than our day to day experience can show.  Everything we do that speaks to our faith, each choice we make in the light of Christ's life and teachings, every little prayer or sacramental act, becomes something that roots us in the participation of the fullness of life to which Christ points.  We become those in whom He's invested His faith and teachings so that we can carry this kingdom of God into the world, linking the here and now to what is so greatly beyond us, even to a transfigured reality of time.  In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, "For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" (Romans 8:22-24).  Two millennia later we still look to these words that teach us about hope, and that even in the midst of tribulation our understanding is one of hope.  We participate in that which is much greater and grander in dimension than we are; our faith ties us to this hope and to this future.  It is the life of the Spirit to which we turn, in which we are assured, and continue in that ground of that hope -- for it is with us always.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectations of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

  - Luke 21:20-28

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is what we know as Holy Week, the final week of the earthly life of Jesus.  He has been teaching daily in the temple, and also disputing with the religious leaders, who question His authority and also seek to trap Him.  But the common people listen eagerly to hear Him teach.  Yesterday we read that, 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 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."

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  Jesus warns of what is to come in Jerusalem (at the Siege of Jerusalem, which would take place in 70 AD).   These events would effectively take place forty years after Christ's death.   Forty years after Christ's death indicates, according to St. John Chrysostom, a period of an entire generation given as grace and for consideration of the gospel message.  My study bible notes that the Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectations of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of this time in which we live, which will culminate in His Return.  That they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory indicates this even will be unmistakable to all people, hidden from no one.  My study bible comments that at His first coming, Christ came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory, a phrase used also by Matthew (Matthew 24:30).

What does it mean that Jesus says that "Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled"?  I think we don't necessarily know a clear answer to that.  But certainly we can be given to understand we live in a period in which we simply await His Return -- and that we have no idea when that will occur.  God's time is not our time, and the fulfillment of prophesy is not a matter of simple calculation, nor immediate manifestation.  Moreover, all of Christ's emphasis is first of all upon warning His immediate disciples to be alert and aware of the time in which the Siege of Jerusalem would take place, and also that all of the Church -- for the entire period of existence of the Church -- is to remain alert for His Return.  That is, we're not to sit and calculate and speculate when that will happen.  Rather we remain alert to the things that we need to be about, how we best fulfill the mission He's given us, and to be the disciples He asks us to be.  In this sense, although 2,000 years have passed since Christ's life as Jesus, each of us has absolutely no time to waste.  Many will tell you that life is short, but what Jesus teaches us is that every moment counts, that He expects us to be alert and awake and fully present to His purposes in our daily lives.  Despite the power of prophecy and the temptation to speculate, if we don't take that message from what He tells us, then we are missing the point.  In this sense, every moment is precious.  Our walk of faith in our worldly lives is so essential that even the hair of our heads is numbered.  It is really remarkable how many teachings of Christ seem to indicate we have no time to waste.  When He warns against excess anxiety and useless worry (12:22-34), He's really teaching us not to waste our precious time.  He warns us that His Return will come as a thief in the night, at an hour we don't expect.   So our real purpose in hearing and heeding these warnings is to understand how deeply essential to God each moment of our lives in discipleship really is.  If we realized how precious our own life is, we would consider always what it is that we are to be about, how we may love God and grow in the practice of that love.  For each moment and for each person, there will always be ways to be busy being about "our Father's business."  We may always turn to prayer, for Christ calls faith in Him the work of God (John 6:28-29).  In a prayerful life, we may see things with a certain perspective, and whatever is before us to do will present opportunities for acting on that love of God, that faith in Christ.  We effectively consider at all times the two commandments that Jesus calls the greatest:  that we first love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and from this we love neighbor as ourselves.  The life lived as if all time is precious is one in which we do not forget this teaching, in which we understand that a moment lived in this love is not wasted -- and that there may be infinite ways of its expression depending upon our own circumstances.  It is a disposition of the heart that is the kind of alertness we're called to, and there will always be something at hand -- even if that means to sit in one's secret, private place and pray.  Sometimes that is indeed the best use of our time, as affirmed by Christ (Matthew 6:6).  Let us not forget that Christ also calls us to appreciate the beauty of the world and not to waste our time in useless toil (Matthew 6:28-29).  Moreover, we're to be aware of the good gifts we're given.   And we are always called back to ourselves, as was the Prodigal (15:17).  We might consider all the goals and challenges with which the world may present us; and contrast that with the humility He asks of us, the true and sober orientation of the heart He reminds us always to be alert to -- for it is there we will find our true challenge, the Way He asks of us, and how precious our every moment is to Him.  This is how we remain mindful of the reality of the time to "look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."