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"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 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 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."
"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, Jesus refers quite vividly to the destruction of Jerusalem that is to come within one generation of His contemporaries (in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70 AD). These warnings are expressed with detail that gives His hearers the dire conditions that this battle will entail for the people of Jerusalem and Judea. My study Bible comments that the phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and
on 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." Here Jesus refers again to the entire age, and the time of His Second Coming. In Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, symbolized by His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey's colt (see this reading). At the time of His return He will instead be revealed in power and great glory.
Christ's warnings in today's reading come on two different levels, or perhaps we should speak of them as two different layers. The first is for events in the immediate future, within one generation of His contemporaries, many of whom will witness these horrifying and unthinkable events. Certainly we could say that the destruction of the temple, mingled as it is with Christ's prophecies of the end times, is tied to the end of an era, and the beginning of another. These two events are juxtaposed in each of Christ's reporting of end times to the apostles in the Gospels, and so it seemingly tells us that one event is inextricably tied with the other. The devastation of the Siege of Jerusalem is unparalleled in descriptions of the wrath of war. It had not been part of the Roman plan to besiege the temple as it came to be destroyed, neither was the fire that engulfed Jerusalem nor the sheer levels of destruction that eventually took place. But this fearsome outcome should teach us more about the dangers of war than we usually want to recognize: once violence is begun as a sort of solution to something, there is no telling where it will go. Control easily vanishes, replaced by rage, fear, and the sheer ferociousness of battle which becomes easily uncontrolled, and chaos plays its role. But Christ here is clear in His previews of what is to come. Woe, indeed, to those who were nursing babies and could not flee in this time of vengeance and great desperation. But then the topic switches to the end times prior to Christ's return: "There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and
on 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." These portend what we might call the great shake up and fall of a kingdom and rule that has dominated our world in terms of the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30). These are the signs of the "powers of the heavens" shaken and falling. Christ's return in power and great glory is the fullness of the manifestation and claim of His Kingdom, and full authority in our world, one in which He will render judgment, but also full redemption of the faithful. While these things are frightening, as Jesus describes them, we should understand them in terms of the fullness of the age, which was begun at His Incarnation for us and for all who desire the love of God and God's justice prevail in this world. It is all for our redemption, and against those powers that enslave and harm humankind, those which fan the flames of chaos and mischief and tempt us to war, wrath, and lusts of every kind. Christ comes to save, and save He will. But first we are offered a choice midst the times of wars, natural disasters, and the fearsome sights He describes. For we are meant above all to endure in faith, to be watchful, to find our redemption in the midst of this all.
