New Thoughts (08/31/11-09/05/11)
The first thing we might wish to consider as we come to this passage is the setting. At this point, the Mount of Olives begins to become a more prominent feature in the narrative. It has already been a feature of this final period around Jerusalem, but mostly to those familiar with the place. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem came across this hill. The withered fig tree was an event that took place here. And, Jesus together with His disciples had doubtless crossed its heights many times going between Jerusalem and Bethany.
What causes this location to be of more interest stems in part from its part in the writings of the prophets. Bearing in mind its location across the Kidron Valley from the temple, it is not surprising that there is something of a mental connecting of these two prominent features. Also, it is noted that the peak of this hill is somewhat higher than the walls of the temple were, granting the one standing on that peak an opportunity to see within the temple compound. It is perhaps this aspect of the setting that leads to its use as a stepping stone when God first departs the temple (Eze 11:23 – The glory of the Lord went up from the city and stood over the mountain to its east), and later when He returns (Eze 43:2,4 – He led me to the east gate, and the glory of the Lord was coming from the east with a voice like many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the east gate).
Granted, if one was traveling east out of Jerusalem, the east gate would make sense to use, and with the exiles off in Babylon, were God departing with the intention of visiting them, that might be the route to use. But, all of that is highly anthropomorphic thinking. God has no need of such things. He is everywhere all the time. Why, then, this particular path, even if it is only in the visions of Ezekiel? Could it be that God wanted one last, longing look into His house before He left, that He wanted to get a sense of conditions there before He returned? Again, that is assigning to God aspects of human nature that are not of His nature. But, we are dealing with symbolism here, and the imagery is intended to convey meaning to Ezekiel, who is very much a being with human nature.
Let’s add to this from the words of another prophet. Zechariah writes of the final days, the day of triumph when the Lord returns in victory. Of that day he writes, “On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and that mountain will be split east to west by a very large valley, such that the halves of the mountain are moved north and south. You will flee by that valley of My mountains, as you fled in Uzziah’s day. Then the Lord, my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him!” (Zech 14:4-5). Notice that bold bit: My mountains. Something starts to from in thought upon seeing that. Actually, it but adds to a thought already in my mind.
Consider some of the history of that place. David, we are told, took his route over this same hill as he fled from Absalom. At that time the hill was known for this: that on its summit was a place where God was worshiped (2Sa 15:32). But, observe! As history proceeds, we are given to know that Solomon, David’s son, the very one who was granted to build God’s house, had come to this place and built upon it Asherah poles, and altars to the likes of Chemosh and Moloch. Think about that! This is the same crew that Israel went after in the valley of Hinnom, leading to that place becoming one of the primary names for hell. And, here were idols to this same vile demon on the very place that had been set aside as a place where God was worshiped; right here in God’s face!
Once more consider the geography. The mount is, at least according to some maps, directly across from the pinnacle of the temple. What does that bring to mind? It is, of course, the scene of one of those temptations which Satan threw at Jesus in hopes of bringing Him down before He got started – a futile hope, but nonetheless it was as much of a plan as the enemy had. What is Jesus facing as He stands atop the pinnacle? He is facing that mount which, to Satan’s thinking, represented one of his finer victories over God. Hah! That had been a place where they worshiped You, but I made it a place to worship me. There, I once toppled Your power, and I can do it again. Do you suppose there was some such dynamic in his thinking as he brought Jesus to that place. Look! The high places where they worshiped at my idols is much higher than the house they built for Your Father. See? They like me better.
Of course, in learning of Solomon’s foolishness on the heights, we are reading of Josiah’s reform, when he undid all of this and defiled every altar on that mount (2Ki 23:13-15). Whatever small victory the devil may have had there, it had been crushed out and forgotten. Just so, the little victory he thought to achieve here in Jerusalem would not only come to nothing, it would be his downfall, the sealing of his fate, if you will.
Cap off this review of why this mountain was significant with a brief review of the many names it was known by at various points. It had been the Mountain of Lights, a place where signal fires were burned to announce the new moon, back when these were occasions for God’s worship. It had been the Mount of Corruption because of the sad idolatries of Solomon and succeeding generations. But, it was also the Mount of Anointing Oil. After all, this is the Mount of Olives, home of Gethsemane and other such olive groves, and olive oil was a prime ingredient in the anointing oil. Here, again, we see a certain combat between good and evil playing out atop this hill. Soon, we shall observe the next such skirmish, as the powers of evil come to take captive the Prince of Peace within the gardens atop its peak.
But, that is not the end of its story. There remains another name given this hill: The Mount of Ascension. Here, then, is the greatest triumph to date for the army of God. Here, the Son, the very one the devil thought destroyed and out of his way, was elevated to His eternal throne. Was it atop the peak that this was witnessed? There is certainly some doubt about that. I believe it was Fausset’s that suggested the visibility would have been too great for God to keep the event secret from the eyes of those in the city. Of course, that takes a rather short view of God’s power. On the other hand, were there some miraculous intervention that kept things private from the general populace, you would think it might have been noted. So, they propose a site in the general area known as the Mount of Olives, an area that would encompass Bethany, Bethphage and other small villages. But, they put the setting farther east than that place they point out to the tourists, down the slopes a bit where it would not be so visible. I have to say, that line of argument seems rather a stretch. After all, there were villages to the east, so the issue of being seen remains. In short, I see no particular reason to suppose it could not have been at the summit.
So, we have God making His exit and entrance into His temple via this mount. We see a long running series of battles between God and Satan play out on its heights. We see Jesus rising to His throne from this place, and we are given to know that when He returns, He will once more – and very finally – stand atop its height. For, it is His mountain. Let that be understood. Whatever has transpired there, whatever efforts there have been to dislodge Him, He is and ever shall be King of the Mountain. How fitting, then, that He chooses this location to discuss the day of His return with His disciples.
And, let us be clear: In spite of reading that the disciples, or a subset of them, came seeking Jesus out for this discussion, it is Jesus Who has chosen the time and place for their meeting. It bears stressing this point. God is in control. The events of those few years that Jesus was actively ministering were never by chance or by accident. All proceeds just exactly as God has purposed. I made a similar point with regard to that dinner Jesus had with the Pharisees, when He was pointing up their hypocrisies and due to these hypocrisies, pronouncing woes upon them (Lk 12:1-3). In their case, events were engineered so as to both harden their hearts as with Pharaoh, and to expose their falsity to the eyes of the public.
In this case, events have been engineered to open the ears of the disciples such that the message to be imparted now would penetrate as nothing else had managed to do. Think about what these last few days have been like for the disciples. There have been such highs as they saw the great reception their Rabbi received as He made His triumphal entry. They have seen the majesty of the royal city. No, this is not the first time, but it still tends to impress. But, then, they have also seen Jesus making firm enemies of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and, in short, all the religious powers of the nation. He has been, after His fashion, utterly belligerent. Again, this was all to His purpose, a purpose His disciples are still more or less in denial about. They understand that there is a great deal of risk for Jesus here in Jerusalem, but I don’t think they’ve really come to grips with what He’s been saying about His expectations of dying, and dying humiliated and abused. They’ve heard it, but they don’t really buy it.
Now comes this shocking message about the temple being destroyed (Mt 24:1-2). That’s a sufficiently disturbing statement to be making about any great edifice. If somebody came prophesying that, for example, Windsor Castle would lie in ruins not so very far in the future, we should consider it unbelievable. If we were told that Manhattan would be so thoroughly destroyed that not one building remained standing, who would give that word credence? It’s unimaginable. Think how shocking it was when we first saw The Planet of the Apes, and there was the Statue of Liberty just barely sticking out of the wastes. Unthinkable! Now consider how those feelings would be magnified when it came to the temple, the very emblem of God’s presence amongst His chosen people. Indeed, right up to the time of its destruction, that was a concept that would not, could not, penetrate Jewish thought! To hear, then, this Man, this Son of God, speaking such a thing was an absolute system shock. They could not doubt His word, not with what they knew of Him. Neither could they stomach the idea of having to face such destruction.
When they are asking for signs, then, it is not solely – not even primarily – with an eye to the victory Christ will accomplish in the last day. It’s more that they want to make certain they’re somewhere else when that destruction comes. There’s nothing particularly wrong in that. After all, as we saw with the prophecy from Zechariah, God fully intends to make an avenue of escape for His own when that day comes. The splitting of the Mount of Olives is in large part to provide His people with a route to safety as the full punishment of God’s wrath falls in cleansing fury.
As I say, they are sufficiently shocked and shaken as to be particularly hungry for more details. It is what we would call a teachable moment. It is so because Jesus has been acting specifically to make it so. If they have found Him in a moment of privacy, it is no coincidence. It is because, in this instance, He has gone to a private place in order to be found there. When Jesus wanted to be alone with Father, He was alone and none could find Him until He was ready to be found. That hasn’t changed here. All is according to plan. As I commented in my preparatory notes, it’s pretty clear that the disciples took this lesson particularly to heart. The things they endured, and yet continued in the work of the Gospel attests to it. The upheavals that they were witness to: Bear in mind that some few of them would be around to hear of Jerusalem’s fall. They would hear of the Roman army’s violent subduing of Judea.
They would also be aware of some of the incessant turmoil in Roman rule, would witness the reign of some of the worst emperors to sit the throne of that empire. Neither would there be any shortage of news regarding natural disasters. Consider the work Paul was doing on behalf of Judea, and why. There was famine in the region of Jerusalem, and he was garnering aid for them from their newfound Gentile brethren. Paul was not the only apostle extent at that time. Others not only heard of it, but lived in the midst of it. Nor are earthquakes some recent development in the earth. These are, as Jesus says, things that must take place, just as the several wars and uprisings must take place. They are a fact of life on a fallen planet.
What comfort the disciples must have drawn from the message Jesus imparts here, and what warning as well. Indeed, much of what lies ahead in these lesson on the Mount of Olives consist of warnings as to what will befall not just the nations, but the disciples themselves. Yet, through it all, they can have the confidence of recognizing that He Who has warned them in advance could do so because He was and is in control. Oh, there would be that greater shock in coming days that would leave the disciples dazed and disheartened for a time. But, that phase closes with the glory of the Ascension, the majestic victory of Christ, which they would be witness to, not far from this very spot. That, too, must have served to seal the lessons learned on this hilltop to their memory. The warnings were engraved in thought, but so, too, were the comforts, the assurances, the knowledge that Christ has overcome the world. That is the very stuff that gave them the grit to stand even in the face of certain death with faith unshaken.
That is also the very stuff that will give us a similar strength of faith, if we will but internalize the Truth. God is in control. Period. There are no exceptions to this statement. Whatever uncertainties life may be throwing up in our faces, the greater certainty of Christ overrules them all. If there are issues of health (and there assuredly are myriad such issues), they are none of them beyond the hand of Christ. If there are issues of employment, they loom large in our experience, yes, but they are as nothing to Him Who rules creation. If there is death and destruction here, it is as nothing, for the future is in the hands of my Savior. Whatever uncertainties I may be called to face in the course of this brief life, they are as nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I am put in mind of my old co-worker, Gus. More useful words have rarely come to me than his philosophical advice in the face of workplace stresses: “Ask yourself what difference any of this will make in twenty years.” Now, there is much that could be said against this, and there is certainly a degree of fatalism to it that we ought not to imbibe. But, this really is the perspective we ought to have on all these worldly trials. Maybe twenty years is too short a span as we consider the trials of life. Call it sixty. It’s a pretty safe bet that anybody reading this, adding sixty years to their present age will be well beyond their life expectancy. Given that, one thing’s certain: The events of today will not matter much to my corporeal self sixty years hence. That holds, quite frankly, whether one is a believer or an atheist.
Now, I’m not talking of the moral import of our actions in this case, I’m talking about the trials of life. How we face those trials most assuredly matters. If we walk through those trials with faith in Christ, and seeking to our utmost to face them with integrity and upright character, that assuredly has an impact beyond the grave. Likewise, if we face life with an insistence that there is no God, or that at the very least He has no claim on us, that will likewise have an impact beyond the grave. But, the trials themselves? The sorrows of this life? One way or the other, those will be permanently and perpetually behind us. For those whom God has called His own, they will be left behind for an eternity devoid of every sorrow, every pain, every reminder of the power sin once held over us. For the rest, eternity still lays ahead – and does so, whether one chooses to believe that is the case now, or not. But, it will be an eternity that will have you longing for the lesser trials that this life once pestered you with. You wish to rail against God for His injustice? Just imagine how you’ll feel when you come face to face with full force of Justice. Just imagine what must await the one who has called perfect Justice unjust, who has called the Merciful One unmerciful, who has repeatedly heard the invitation to heavenly citizenship and scornfully rejected it. Oh! Eternity awaits, but it shall be nothing to look forward to.
To return to my theme: God is in control. He will assuredly have mercy upon whom He chooses to have mercy, and He shall have vengeance on whom He chooses to have vengeance. He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them assuredly has both the right and the wherewithal to determine the course of human events. We move of our own accord, but never at odds with His purposes. Whether we serve Him willingly and gladly, or do so in spite of ourselves and in spite of our desires, we will assuredly serve His purposes. His will will be done, and that’s the end of it. I pray that, should you be reading this and not yet be decided to serve God with joy and gladness, that maybe the realization of Who He Is might penetrate, that perhaps He would count you amongst the number to receive His mercy and that you would be so wise as to receive what is on offer from His hand. Truly, life and death are set before you this day. Choose you life!
Turning to the specific disciples that Mark tells us brought this question of signs to Jesus, we have the four original disciples; brothers Peter and James, and brothers John and Andrew. It is perhaps quite natural that these four should come to be the more prominent members of that group, being the first. They had something of an eldership in that regard. However, it strikes me that there is another aspect of these men that makes them particularly apt to be bringing this question. They are all fishermen. They have spent their lives to date largely on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
Consider something of the contrast between the fisherman’s life and the farmer’s. The farmer, as Jesus gave the example years before, casts his seed pretty much anywhere. Farming, at this time, was not much by way of a science. You just threw the seed everywhere and hoped that a sufficient portion would take. This is a fine model for preaching, and that is exactly why Jesus used it as such. We spread the Gospel everywhere, giving no thought to the preparedness of the hearts to whom we preach, and we must necessarily trust God for the result.
Fishermen, on the other hand, spend their days searching out fish. By and large, they must do so without actually espying the fish directly. In short, they must be able to read the signs that indicate where the fish might be. Their livelihoods depend on this, as well as their families’ well being. If they cannot discern where the fish are, they cannot well hope to net those fish, and if they cannot net the fish, they can hardly be successful fishermen, can they? Interesting that Jesus marked out the qualities of the fisherman as being particularly necessary to the spread of the Gospel, as well. “I shall make you fishers of men.” It seems to me that this capacity for reading the readiness of the man plays a part in that effort.
To my current point, this tendency for seeking out the signs of where the fish are, not to mention signs of changing weather that would give them time to avoid a serious blow, would develop a tendency in these four men. They would tend to be perhaps more aware of the world around them, the natural world. Some of the others, with a more urban background, might be more attuned to the currents amongst the crowds, but these guys are used to spotting weather patterns, noting the particulars of the surface waters, and so on, with an eye towards what they portend. They are natural readers of portent – not seers after the nature of those practices which Scripture prohibits, but having a keener awareness of the natural order of things.
So, then, it is certainly in keeping with their experience that they would be the ones to come with an eye towards understanding the signs, the indications of events to come. Now, I grant that the nature of society at large was such as would be seeking signs and portents anyway. There was still a greater tendency towards thinking upon such things than we might be comfortable with today. I’m not sure we’re any better for our tendency to write all that sort of “signs of the times” stuff as meaningless. God, after all, has not changed. And, He did not tell these men to knock off their foolishness and grow up. He began listing off the events to look for, as well as noting the ones that, while prevalent and disconcerting, did not bear on the question.
What are these signs the disciples want to know about? They are portents. They are, by one definition, unusual events indicative of more remarkable events soon to come. They are precursors, hints and warnings. They are like the gulls suddenly gathering over a particular spot in the ocean. There’s a reason for it! Here be fish. The disciples, of course, are not looking for signs of prospects for conversion in this case, but signs of a situation they would do well to be far away from. It’s more akin to the weather eye watching the skies, or the waves for evidence of high winds approaching. It’s that sort of sign that we learn even from Scripture, such as ‘red skies at morning, sailors take warning.’ That’s what they want, is that warning sign so they can get out of the way of what’s coming.
That’s what people want today, those that still think of signs and omens. Indeed, many look at the events of this period of history and feel sure we are seeing signs of the end times. Interestingly, most of the signs they point out are in this list that Jesus pretty well writes off as being nothing to do with approach of the end, at least not in any immediate sense. We’ll get to that point. Right now, though, as we turn to the message Jesus gives in response to this question of signs, we enter into a passage that more fully demonstrates the prophetic voice in the voice of the Prophet than most anything else we read of His words.
Yes, the pronouncement of the temple’s fall was prophetic. Absolutely! But, this is more developed, more sustained, and it is more in keeping with prophetic expectations. The point about the temple was something of a toss off – not that Jesus was being casual or dismissive in what He said, but in that it was just a quick point made because of the advantageous nature of the moment. In that sense, it’s more reflective of His role of Teacher, availing Himself of what the moment provided for illustration. Here, we’re settling in for an expansive vision of what lies ahead.
Before I pursue the particulars of that which Jesus reveals, I do want to stop and speak to the matter of prophecy briefly. Much is made of the modern prophets, at least around Charismatic circles. Much is also made of the lack of justification for any claim to the prophetic office, if one travels in more conservative circles. For my part, it’s not clear that either side has the right of it. I understand the concerns of those who are inclined to reject the very possibility of a modern day prophet. I do not, however, understand how they arrive at the claim of Scriptural support for this view.
The one point I am inclined to support is that the role of the prophet as author of inspired Scripture is sealed off. Even there, though, I have to confess the evidence is a tad shaky. If I am not mistaken, the primary argument for this viewpoint relies on the closing words of the Revelation. “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Rev 22:18-19). But, don’t those words, by their own statement, apply to the book of Revelation rather specifically? Are we to understand that John knew himself to be writing out the last book of the Bible as he went? I don’t think so. If memory serves, that book had some difficulty in being accepted into the canon of Scripture in the first place.
In spite of this seed of doubt, I will hold with the statement that the canon of Scripture is closed, that the period in which God provided revelatory knowledge has ended because He has revealed all that needed revealing. Much is made of Hebrews 1:1-2 in this regard, as meaning that when the Son spoke, that was the end of the revelatory process. Yet, it must be said that the entirety of the New Testament came after He finished speaking. Yes, the Gospels can be taken as doing nothing much more than recording what He spoke and how He was when He spoke it. But, that leaves a lot of text to go, not least of it the Revelation.
At any rate, the conservative corner becomes very passionate in their rejection of the prophetic office, often, it seems, to the point of rejecting the prophetic gift. Yet, Paul promotes it as a great boon to the Church, the Church standing at that point well past the death of the Christ. We also have certain anecdotes that Luke records for us in the Acts of the Apostles. For example, there is the prophecy of Agabus who, “in the Spirit” prophesied of the great famine approaching. And, it is noted that what he prophesied came to pass during the reign of Claudius (Ac 11:28). Now, this may not tell us much at all about any spiritual cause and effect in that prophecy. We don’t have the woes of a Jeremiah recorded there, nor the subsequent hope of an Isaiah. Perhaps these points were by then sufficiently obvious as to require no further comment.
Here is one slight distinction I see in the prophetic role before and after Christ. Beforehand, the prophets spoke not only to God’s chosen, but also to the world at large. Jeremiah, for example, was commissioned as a prophet to the nations. Jonah, as we know, was sent specifically to Ninevah. By and large, what we hear from the prophets of old is a call to repentance, or a pronouncement of judgment on those whose opportunity for repentance has passed. It’s the voice of correction as much as it is the voice of warning. Come to the New Testament and for the most part the prophets are speaking more exclusively to the faithful. Agabus is not warning Rome of the trouble ahead, but God’s church. Later, he prophesied to Paul about what lay ahead for that apostle when he went to Jerusalem (Ac 21:11).
In other words, it seems like the focus of prophecy has shifted. It is no longer the pronouncement of God’s promises or determinations. It has become more to do with giving the Church glimpses into what lies ahead, words of forewarning that His servants might go forward forearmed. If this was still active as Paul was active, what reason have we to insist that the gift is gone and done with? On what basis can we or ought we to suppose that the gifts of the Spirit were solely for that initial seeding of the church under the Apostles? It seems to me to stretch the words of Scripture to support such a view.
If there is one passage commonly brought forth in this line of argumentation, it is 1Corinthians 13:8-10. Here, Paul is clearly focused on the primacy of love over gifts, or we might say, of character over flash. So, he points out that love never fails, never ceases, whereas the time will come when the gifts of the spirit – prophecy, tongues and the like – will cease. He then provides, almost as an aside, the reason for these things and the reason they will become unnecessary. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” The argument I have come across supposes that by ‘the perfect’ Paul means to indicate Jesus. But, Jesus has already come before ever Paul became known as Paul, so how can one think to find that meaning in what he writes? No.
It seems clear enough to me that he is explaining the reason for the gifts: We are still here. We are not arrived at glory yet, not returned to our homes in heaven. Therefore, we remain in need of assistance. We do not have that eternal viewpoint, so God must needs provide us with an assist every now and again, lest we be overtaken by events. When the perfect comes, it seems pretty clear, is when we arrive at that moment with which Paul concludes, when we are face to face with Christ Jesus, then knowing fully even as we have been fully known by Him (1Co 13:12). In other words, we will be in eternity with an eternal perspective. We shall see, as God sees, the end from the beginning, and all that stuff in the middle will be pretty obvious. Our problem is that we remain stuck in the middle, having all but forgotten the beginning, and having no clue as to the end apart from that which God chooses to reveal.
This is what we see Agabus doing. He speaks not of the endtimes, but of the immediate future, the next step. He makes certain, because God chooses to make certain, that those involved do not go in unaware, but clear about what’s ahead. They may not know the outcome, but they know the next step on the path, and they know God is yet in control. That’s what the prophetic voice does for us. It doesn’t necessarily call out to us to change course, so much as to stay the course however scary it may look, knowing that God is perfectly well aware of where we are and what’s coming. He’s perfectly aware of it because He has ordained it. It is His Providential determination.
I pray, then, that we can arrive at a more balanced perspective as regards these gifts of the Spirit, that we shall neither make more of them than we ought, nor reject out of hand what God has given for our benefit. I pray that we will take heed to the warnings of Scripture not to accept every claimant of Spirit-led pronouncements as necessarily being so led. I pray, too, that we will likewise heed the warnings of the Spirit when they are yet delivered by means that we in our modernity tend to dismiss as crass mysticism.
God remains in control of events. God is yet able to communicate by whatever means He sees fit. Hopefully, God’s people are yet able to hear and to heed those communications however He determines to impart the news.
[09/04/11] Reading the passage again this morning, it strikes me that Jesus speaks to this matter of the modern day prophets in what He says, particularly as Luke records His words. “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand’. Do not go after them” (Lk 21:8). That ‘in My name’ part, indicates claims to His authority, claims which He is saying are patently false. These claimants are no different than those who spoke in opposition to Jeremiah’s prophecies. They claimed to be prophets, but God said, “They don’t speak for Me.” Notice the additional message of these false ones, though: “The time is at hand.” How often we hear that very message! We have denominations that continue to exist today in spite of having been founded on the words of those who claimed to know the time. Never mind that they were proven wrong not once, but a number of times. Still their followers followed.
We’ve seen that playing out again just this last year. Was it May 12th that was the latest date certain? But, that having passed and the true believers still being among us, their prophet has suggested a modified date of some time in October. Apparently this spokesman for God found some issues with his translator unit. It would be nice to think all of his erstwhile followers would sense the fallacy and walk away, but history suggests that won’t be the case. There is something in us that wants to know that the certain doom of the world is just around the corner. And there are plenty of charlatans ready to take advantage of that trait in us.
Now, there is a near endless stream of claimants to the prophetic role today who speak in terms which, while they may not proclaim a date certain, proclaim that the time is surely at hand. They list off their signs. They speak of their visions. But, all of this, Jesus has rejected and told us to reject. This changes nothing in regard to those who, like Agabus, prophesy of coming events so as to leave us prepared. It is that particular aspect of stirring up the emotions with calls of ‘the end is come’ that marks the false prophet most clearly. It is not the only symptomatic sign, to be sure, but it is certainly a first order means of filtering out the garbage.
Jesus next turns to matters of the relatively immediate future for His disciples, matters that bear fairly directly on what He had said about the temple. “You will hear of wars, and rumors of wars.” I think it’s fair to take the first clause of that statement as pointing to the fall of Jerusalem. I don’t think that, by and large, hearing about the various campaigns of the Roman army would really matter all that much to the Jewish mind, except in that it perhaps offered hope that Rome would become to busy elsewhere to be bothering much over Israel.
It seems reasonable that the disciples would interpret this point primarily in regard to their own situation. So, when Luke records that there will be ‘disturbances’ or revolutions, they are probably thinking along the lines of what so many thought Jesus was to be about: Israel throwing off the yoke of Roman oppression and reasserting themselves as a kingdom in their own right. When they hear about wars, it is most likely heard with the thought of Israel being one of the warring factions. In other words, they will hear the message in the sense that it would appear to apply to their own circumstances. Roman battles in Gaul won’t matter much. Rome battling Egypt across the nation of Israel will.
As I’ve already noted, coming events were bound to put the disciples in mind of these words. The fall of Jerusalem would, of course, be a prime example. The expelling of the Jews from Rome, and the accusations leveled against them by Claudius would perhaps be another. All of these things would but lend credence to the message they received on this hilltop, and cause them to take even more seriously the rest of what was said.
Notice what Jesus says of these battles and uprisings: “These things must take place.” What should we take that to mean? That little word ‘must’ proves to be rather interesting. It’s not a word we tend to think about all that much. We understand the sense of it, that it indicates something necessary. It might be necessary because of cultural mores. It might be necessary because it is a legal requirement. It might be necessary for any number of reasons, not least because preceding actions have led to an inevitable outcome.
It’s worth our consideration to try and discern in what sense that ‘must’ is to be applied here. By one definition, it could be taken to mean that it is “necessary in the nature of things” that wars will happen. It’s just a natural feature of life on this fallen planet. Men will be men and all that. Some translations, such as Wuests’s, assume this meaning is intended. But, that is not the only possible understanding to take. Consider: They must happen because circumstances will have made it necessary. One nation provokes another: war will happen. Resources grow scarce: wars will happen. Rulers become oppressive: people will rise up against them. The result is an obvious consequence of the cause. One might go to far as to say it is the only possible result of such causes.
However, in light of Who is speaking and in light of the subject matter on which He speaks, I am more inclined to lean toward another explanation of why these things must transpire. It goes beyond even the idea of there being some “unavoidable, urgent compulsory necessity” to the matter. My thoughts turn to the nature of God, particularly as relates to His creation. He is the Potter of our clay. He is the King of our kings. He is the one, and the only one, with the power and authority to declare what must be. In that sense, when Jesus says these things must happen, it is because God has already determined that they must happen. They are as certain and necessary as His own impending death. They are also as certain and necessary as His own impending resurrection and victory over death. They must happen because God has ordained it so.
That, in the end, is the only fundamental reason for any must. Any other reason given must either resort to His decree for backing or prove a false claim of necessity. This point is central to what Jesus says to His own: See to it that you are not frightened by these things. “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you” (Ps 91:7). “He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:11). Indeed, He has already done so. Let the record show that this is not some sort of guarantee against pain and suffering, nor even against death. It is an assurance of final outcome.
What must come about, must come about because it does so by His decree. It cannot come about in opposition to His decree. For one who came to the Lord largely on the basis of discerning that, as He claims, there is no such thing as coincidence, this carries a great deal of weight. That was one of the central premises that I was asked to accept when God chose to make Himself known to me, and it was one He swiftly proved to my satisfaction – as sure an evidence of His grace as could be needed, that He should stoop down to prove Himself to me! It was years later that I came to understand that what He had been proving to me was His own Providence, and there have been other occasions since when He again reminded me of His Providential management of my world in most astounding fashion.
It is good to be reminded of that once again. Current events in my life leave me occasionally shaken and often concerned as to how I and my family will ride through. But, this thing has not changed. God is in control! God has set our course, each one of us. I pray that there might be some major changes in our several courses ahead, that my wife’s health might turn around for the better, that my daughter’s interest in the God of creation might be of greater concern to her than it has been of late. But, God is in control. If my finances seem tighter than I like to see them, I needn’t let that overwhelm me. He owns the cattle on a thousand hillsides, and He has already told me long since that He will see to my needs. My only problem is my desires, which so often outpace my needs, and really are nothing but distractions to the central purpose of my life.
But, these things play out on the national scale as well, and on the global scale. Do I look at our nation and find cause for deep concern? Yes. But, God is in control. If He has determined beyond the possibility of change that our time is up, then no amount of prayer or consternation on my part is going to shift Him from His decree. If it has come to the state of must, if the actions we as a nation have taken to date are such as render the outcome certain and required (in this case, by the absolute necessity of the God of Justice being Just), then it ill behooves me to cry against His Righteousness.
I think back to Aaron when his own sons were to bear the weight of God’s Justice for having abused the privilege of serving in His priesthood. It may have been his own flesh and blood, but Aaron was forbidden to mourn and weep for them. Why? Because God was glorified by the execution of His Justice, and how can the one who serves Him find His glorification a cause for sorrow? It is an affront to the very God we claim to serve! May we never be found thus opposing the hand of God in the course of history!
When Jesus instructs His disciples not to become fearful because of events, this is the foundation for His command. We are returned to, “Be still and know that I am God, and I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps 46:10). Therein lies our every confidence. We who are His are in His hand, whatever may come. We who are His are secured though He slay us (Job 13:15). We must come to that place Paul points us to. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:38-39). Truly! Read through that whole chapter again, even through the preceding two. Go back and reread the Sermon on the Mount. God not only has your back, He’s got your front, He’s got your sides. He’s got it all under control. Fear not, little one! The Lord your God is with you yet, and He is ever your stronghold (Ps 46:7).
We need to be clear on this point. At least as far as concerns the matter of wars, Jesus specifically says that they are not signs of the end. We might debate whether He intends us to see them as related to the end. The Message, in this case attempts a complete separation. “This is routine history, and no sign of the end.” I’m not sure I would go quite so far as that. If they are scenes of routine history, it is solely because of the fall of man, because we dwell in a fallen world, and a fallen world cannot but pursue the habits of the fallen. To borrow Paul’s phrase, ‘and we were just like them.’ It is, perhaps, routine history that we seem to always have at last one war running somewhere in the world, but it is not the routine of the righteous. Understand that there is certainly a proper conception of a righteous war. God Himself wages war, so it is not so much that war is sinful in and of itself. In practice, however, it can be assumed that at least one party to the war, if not both, enters into battle for sinful purposes.
I want to move on, though, to the next point that is made by our Lord. Here, again, it seems to me that The Message has overstepped the message. “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over.” This seemed to me to be so far from other translations as to require a bit of attention to syntax. Was there something there in Greek that was being lost in the more literal translations, some nuance of verbal tense that simply fails to parse well in English? I cannot find any signs of such an issue. What is translated as ‘will rise’ is a Future Indicative verb. It’s marking the events as certain although yet to transpire. That just puts the thought in parallel with the preceding ‘must take place’. Perhaps the author is taking his ‘over and over’ from the formula ‘nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom’. I suppose that would be a reasonable rendition, then.
However, when I went looking at the nature of the verb in question, what struck me was that it is in the Passive voice. Nothing in the any of the translations manages to relay that fact. And, it strikes me as an important one.
Let me just interject here that I rather doubt any of the disciples were listening with so keen an attentiveness to the finer points of grammar. We, ourselves, do not tend to so actively parse our conversations, do we? We are not listening to those speaking to us with a keen ear for word choice, or a careful analysis of tense. In certain forms of documentation we might be a bit more analytical as to the phrasing used. But, for the most part, we gave up on syntax as soon as our schooling would allow it. Where’s the subject and what is the predicate? We stopped caring about that as soon as the last test was taken on the subject! Yet, we come to Scripture, and suddenly we care greatly. And we should! This is, after all, the Word of God. It is not just a fine example of classical literature, or Hebraic poesy. It is not, in the end, just the recorded remembrances of those who walked with Jesus for those few years. It is the inspired Word of God, His most careful exposition as to His person and purpose. We do well, then, to pay heed to the choices He has made or caused to be made in the recording of His revelation of Self.
As I say, then, in this matter of uprisings and battles, the action is not taken by the subject, but rather applied to the subject. The subject receives the action of the verb. Isn’t that interesting? Nation rises up against nation, but not of its own volition. That uprising nation does not do so simply out of self interest. To be sure, they act on what they suppose to be their self interest, but they act as being acted upon. It’s sort of the spiritual equivalent of the Law of Inertia worked out at the billiards table. The cue ball moves because an outside force has caused it to move. That ball, hitting another, imparts to that other ball from its own energy, causing said ball to move.
In the case of God and man, there is somewhat of an analogous case to be made, although there are obvious differences. There is the theological conception that man, although operating in accord with his own free will, yet operates in accord with God’s purpose. And, it must be stressed that this holds even when those two objectives are at odds. God is in control! So it is with these nations at war. They go to war on their own volition, with their own ends in mind. Yet, they are caused to go to war, because in one way or another these wars further the purposes of God.
If there is any doubt as to this being part of what Jesus is relaying in His message, consider one or two far older messages delivered to God’s people. “Nation crushed nation, city crushed city. For God troubled them with all manner of distress” (2Chr 15:6). Notice who’s in charge there. The nations battled, but why? They battled because God troubled them. God stirred them up one against another. He did so, in this instance, by ‘all manner of distress’.
I was reading earlier this morning of concerns over what might come of a water supply no longer able to support all those who draw upon the supply. We know, for instance, that in the western reaches of our nation, there are already conflicts over water. I recall, when I lived in Austin, that water use, particularly for such things as lawn care or car washing, was strictly regulated. In part, that was because they had sold their water rights downstream to Houston. But, up here in New England, we also run into usage restrictions, at least those of us on town supply. And those not on town supply feel it necessary to post signs indicating that they are off grid, as it were, so as not to rankle their neighbors by their profligate watering habits. Now, in our case, I think much of the shortage is induced by regulatory foolishness rather than any real lack of water. But, imagine! If it’s already so touchy a matter that neighbors fear being turned in by their neighbors, what happens when it’s really in short supply? City against city, fighting for their share of diminishing resources.
Isn’t that what is standard fare in this time of a shrinking economy? For us, money is perhaps the main resource, and government money in particular has become the lifeblood of the states. So, when the Feds start cutting off the flow of dollars, state fights state for a greater share of what still flows, and downstream from the states, municipality vies with municipality for its piece of the largess.
Or, we could look to doings in Europe, where things are particularly volatile of late. Why? Because they have set themselves on an unsustainable path for many years now, and the bill having come due, those who were benefiting from that system are seeing their benefits cut off. Never mind whether they deserved such benefits. Never mind whether there was ever any reason why they should be living on the sweat of others. These things don’t matter to the addict. All that matters is the supply line’s been cut, and somebody must be harassed into turning it back on.
As we look at all these sorts of things, it is natural that we question why they are happening. There are plenty of analysts willing to expound on cause and effect. The social engineers will seek out whole new categories of victimization to blame for the indigence of their fellows, and then seek out some new sources they can leech to keep things just as bad as they are. Those being bled of their livelihood to support things they don’t find acceptable will seek ways to thwart the system or overthrow it. Some will look at severe weather patterns and look for ways to take the blame, look for ways to impose regulations to assuage their self-induced guilt trip (or for more nefarious reasons). Some will simply dismiss the whole business as nothing more than an act of nature. Some few may dare to suggest that these various doings are God’s attempt to get our attention, and they will be mocked, scorned and derided as nutcases for doing so.
But, here’s the thing: If God is in control, we ought surely to be looking at events in exactly that light. Our problem is we don’t want to see God behind what we think is bad. We will seek to cover our mental trail by supposing that such things ought not be attributed to a good God. Indeed, there will be those who insist that a God who allows such things to occur cannot possibly be good. But, that is rather begging the question, isn’t it? After all, who is more in position to discern what is truly good? Is our experience of comfort or trial the defining factor? Or, is there a more fundamental basis for establishing what is good? If we suppose our experience the defining factor, what is to be made of the issue when our view contradicts our neighbor’s? Who gets do decide what’s good when cultural clashes over those definitions lead to war or conflict?
Go back to that issue of water rights. To the citizen of the upstream community, the greatest good is to have sufficient water locally as would require no restrictions on usage. To the downstream community, the greatest good is much the same, except that the locality has changed. When supply is insufficient to satisfy the defined good of both groups, whose definition of good is binding, and whose is deemed invalid? After all, the definitions are the same. For good to have any meaning, then, demands that there is some deeper basis for establishing what is good and what is evil. But, by and large, we do not wish to have that deeper basis, because it might cause us to face judgment for our own actions. If I define what is good for me, then by definition, everything I do must be good, right? Why would I ever do evil to myself? The fact of the matter is that we are no more fit to judge the good of things than we are to judge the true motivations of our fellow man. We do not have sufficient of the facts in front of us to render an accurate assessment. God does.
If, then, we are going to search out causes for these events that trouble us so, whether acts of man, acts of nature, or acts of nations, we do well to look beyond physical and emotional reasons, and seek out what God is doing and why. Any answer that falls short of perceiving God’s purpose in events is no answer. God is in control, and He is by no means capricious in His actions. His purpose has stood since the foundations of the universe. His purpose has encompassed every movement of that universe from the course of galaxies to the vibrations of the least sub-atomic particle. All is within the scope of His control and all is within the scope of His understanding. All submits to His purpose, whether willingly and knowingly or as being turned to His advantage. Nation will rise up against nation because He has determined that it will be so.
Let me take one more example from Scripture. “I will incite Egyptians against each other, and each will fight his brother and neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom” (Isa 19:2). In the ears of His listeners on this occasion, the justness of Egypt suffering so at His hand would be plainly obvious. Here was a nation that had welcomed the Jews with open arms at one time, only to seek to wipe them out utterly at another. Here was a nation that had been blessed because they honored Joseph, but who forgot God’s benefit upon them and sought instead to enslave His people, refusing Him when He called upon them to allow His people to depart.
The roots of conflict, of course, go back much farther, reaching to the first dividing of the clans into what Augustine spoke of as the city of God and the city of man. These two clans have forever been at odds, and ever shall be, so long as earth remains. But, “all of this is but the beginning.” If they are signs of the end, then the end has been nigh since the beginning, which renders any effort to mark it out as nearer today than yesterday pretty meaningless.
There was a coworker of mine, a great guy to work with, whose status week by week was generally along the lines of, “closer to done than ever before.” He could not, of course, be accused of lying. Given that the end date would come when it would, each week was clearly nearer that date (whatever it might turn out to be) than the preceding week had been. But, as status, as a means of determining when that end date might be, it was of no value whatsoever. Arguably, that is true of all such attempts to provide status and predict a date certain. Face it. If we can’t manage to accurately predict relatively simple matters like when a design project might actually be done and ready for delivery to the customer, if we can’t reliably predict what the weather will be seven days hence, how can we possibly suppose ourselves capable of predicting the end of the age? How can we give any credence to those who think they can?
People have looked that this passage and jumped to the supposition that these are the signs we ought to look for. As such, as we get news of these earthquakes around the Pacific basin, or the unusual one we had on the east coast this last month, people are looking for the end. It’s a sign! It’s a sign! Indeed, we hear of famines so often that they frankly cease to register on us, unless we happen to be in the midst of it. Those living in drought conditions sense the dire straits they’re in. But, beyond that locality, we may very well be complaining of the rain. At the same time, though, we will find those who are looking at the compiled list of calamities and moving straight to, “the time is at hand.”
But, from what I am reading here, these are not the signs we are called to look for. These are the signs (amongst others) by which we ought not be shaken. These are but the necessary flow of events. At most, they are the beginning. Consider, for just a moment, how much time transpired between the first declaration of the Gospel outside Eden to the concluding act of Salvation outside Jerusalem. The expelling of Adam and Eve from Eden was, in that set of events, “just the beginning.” If these things; war, famine, earthquake and the like, are just the beginning, then as precursors of the end, they are all but worthless. It is not that they signify nothing, but they do not signify the immediate return of the King. Remain in the words of our Lord. They will say, “Look there! Look here!” But don’t follow them. Don’t run after them (Lk 17:23).
By all means, let us consider the why of events. Let us seek by prayer and by study and by such wisdom as God chooses to impart, to know what it is He is purposing in the events around us. Let us absolutely commit ourselves to recognizing our place in His purpose in the midst of these events and having recognized our place, actively take our place and fulfill His purpose. But, let us do so with the joy of serving the God of Creation, God Who truly is Good even when we fail to grasp His Good Purpose. Let us do so for the love of Christ, not for fear of events.
