“the
powers of heaven shall be shaken” +
The Scriptures tell us here and elsewhere that just before Christ returns to Earth, there
will be signs in the heavens, even effecting the stars. Now, in
Jesus’ day people did not know how big space was, or how far away
the stars were. [Illustrate: At least 100 billion of galaxies in
observable universe, each with 100 billion stars or so, closest
Andromeda, 2 M l.yr. away. Light seven times around Earth in a
second.]
Nevertheless, God knew how
big the universe was, since he made it, and Jesus, God the Son,
through whom the Father made the universe, knew that at the end of
this world, the whole universe would be coming to an end. (Some
people think that God and the Big Bang or “Science” are
competitors for the title of Creator. This is to misunderstand
science completely. Science can explain much, even how one might get
from a quantum vacuum to all of this via a Big Bang, for example. In
other words it always must assume the existence of and start with
some sort of physical reality, no matter how basic early on, and a
set of physical laws. What it cannot do is tell us why any of this,
why anything at all, actually exists. The fundamental questions of
existence thus take us to a deeper level.)
The whole of Creation will
be transformed by God the Creator. It may be that the beginning of
that process is what will be seen by people then. And then, perhaps
almost straight away since Jesus tells us in other places that his
return will catch the human race by surprise, Jesus will arrive and
begin the final judgement.
Now even some Christians
have a hard time believing that such an end will come, that the whole
Creation will be subject to Death and Resurrection, so to speak. But,
if we are truly rational, we will understand that if God is the
Creator of everything, who brought the whole Cosmos into being,
undeniably he must be capable of such a final and complete
transformation of that Creation. And if he is capable, and has
promised repeatedly to do so, it is foolishness to doubt it, no
matter how much it beggars the imagination and stretches the
credulity of our human, limited common-sense. To accept God as
Creator but disbelieve as too extreme or outlandish the Apocalyptic
End makes no sense. (Let's not forget that there is much even in
modern physics that defies so-called common-sense as well. Indeed,
one speculative but quite possible range of scenarios modern physics
has worked out are “vacuum
metastability events”,
where the Universe can unexpectedly undergo “quantum tunnelling”
that leads to the destruction of the Universe as we know it, and
release of enormous energy. Not unlike some descriptions in the
Bible. Some of these scenarios would involve very little warning as
an expanding “bubble” travels almost as fast as the light
reaching us from its path of destruction. Others could have a more
extended period of frightening oscillations.
There is even a video
on Youtube simulating the spread of such a process.) In any case,
whatever method God uses to “dissolve” (2 Peter 3:12) the Old and
bring in the New Creation, it will involve visible astronomical
precursors and supernatural acts.
And the reaction to all of
this by those who have deliberately ignored or rejected Christ will
be fear, as mentioned
in today’s Gospel (“distress
of nations, with perplexity … men's hearts failing them for fear”).
In Revelation it says “all
kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him”.
Why? At first, the terror will be due to the approach of the end,
with everything that seemed so stable and reliable, the very fabric
of the Cosmos, “coming apart at the seams”, so to speak. But then
it will be because they realise judgement is coming as was predicted,
and that the hardness, self-deception and pride of their hearts,
along with the evil of their deeds, are to be exposed and given their
just reward.
But our response, if we
have followed Christ till the end, is not fear but joyful
expectation, the hope talked about in today’s Epistle. “Our
redemption draws near” as Jesus puts it.
Why the difference? Those
who have said yes to Jesus’ Gospel challenge in this world, who
have responded to the Christ-light by turning towards it and letting
it flood their souls will be able to welcome that fuller
showing/manifestation of the light when they see Him face to face.
But those who have avoided or rejected the light, who prefer to be
their own gods, will be terrified of the truth that is about to be
revealed.
You see, what finally
condemns humans in the end is not any of their particular sins,
because they have been dealt with potentially
at least on the Cross. What condemns them is that, despite the fact
God has done everything necessary to save them from themselves, even
given the life of His Son, they still refuse the forgiveness and love
offered. The divine mercy is spurned, despised, and so all that is
left, by their own choice, is divine judgement.
We don’t know when the
universe will be changed and Christ will return, but we do know that
if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, our death will happen first:
and we can’t be sure that won’t be today or tomorrow. At death
“particular judgement” occurs, before the final judgement.
[Expand: Cp. Parable of Lazarus and the rich man, with reward and
punishment before end.] Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler do not have
the same fate awaiting them on the other side! So, we all need to be
ready for judgement day today.
If we trust in Christ and follow him in love, we need
not fear what is coming, even if we see signs in the heavens.+
1 comment:
We know from the Book of Daniel that the powers of heaven shall be shaken, Fr Hart. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which Daniel interpreted, gives the course and end of "the time of the Gentiles," that is, of the Gentile world-empire. The "smiting Stone", or stone cut without hands (Daniel 2:34) is Christ, and He will destroy the Gentile world-system by a sudden and irremediable blow, not by a gradual process of conversion. This did not occur at the first Advent of Christ, but shall occur sometime in the future when Christ returns. When it happens the "kingdom of heaven" which John the Baptist spoke of in the third chapter of Matthew will be established.
Daniel continues the narrative of the end of Gentile world-dominion in chapter seven, where he speaks of a "little horn", Who is the "king of fierce countenance." This is Christ, the Messiah, Whom the Jews were waiting for but did not recognize upon his first Advent. Daniel goes on to refer, in night visions, of "one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given to him dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
Susan
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