Apocalyptic Times

Scripture:

Luke 21:9   “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹ there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

Luke 21:12   “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³ This will give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; ¹⁵ for I will give you words^a and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Luke 21:20   “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.^{a  21} Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; ²² for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; ²⁴ they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:25   “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶ People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Observation:

Jesus continues with his address from the Mount of Olives. He is mentoring his disciples who are going to face very difficult times in the days ahead. This is, of course, being written by Luke, after the fall of Jerusalem. He has the gift of hind-sight into understanding what Jesus is saying. Neale puts it this way, “Luke writes after the destruction of Jerusalem has already occurred and the depopulation of Jews from the city is a reality. He sees the words of Jesus in the context of the near-term social/historical reality he knows. History did not end with the destruction of the temple. It was an indication of the beginning of the age of the church, which would continue in its mission for the foreseeable future” (NBBC). 

The language used here is apocalyptic. All one can see is destruction, on both a geo-political and natural scale. It brings about a sense of overwhelming doom about the future. However, as Strauss notes, “Jesus responds against overzealous apocalyptic fervor by pointing out that these events are typical of human history and should not be confused with the end” (ZIBBNCT).  

Therefore, when there are apocalyptic seasons, the disciples are to lift up their heads and be encouraged, for the time of redemption is coming. 

Application:

If you spend any time on social media or in the news, you might describe our times as apocalyptic. We have it all; political turmoil (at home and abroad), economic insecurity by way of inflation, fear of a virus that is burning through our world, more acquaintances dying than I’ve ever experienced, earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas, and a terrible volcano off of Tonga. Let’s just add to that a few snowstorms and it feels a bit apocalyptic. When will things ever get back to “normal?”

While this passage is difficult, it should also be comforting. God’s people have often had to live through apocalyptic times. The first century Christians faced horrible situations and persecution. But this apocalyptic vision wasn’t just for the disciples, it was a reality that the world would face. The difference for the disciples was that they could always stand up, and raise their heads, for redemption would come through Jesus. 

This is the same promise we have today. We may be living through apocalyptic times, but Jesus remains the same. We don’t have to be brow-beaten by the things of this world. We are now living in the era of the church. Even when the church is being battered, we hang onto this promise. When we build our lives upon the cornerstone of Jesus Christ, we are invited to stand tall. All that is happening around us is a distraction from truly knowing Christ. As we raise our heads, we focus our gaze, not on the surrounding turmoil, but upon our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Prayer:

Lord, each day I seek your face. May you lead me, one day, and one step at a time. I trust in you who is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Amen.