Tag Archives: end times

James Tissot - Jesus Speaks Near the Treasury, 1886 - 94

Luke 21 – Signs of the End

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Chapter 21 begins with Jesus again, teaching at the temple. As he is sitting there with the disciples, they are watching people place their gifts into the treasury. One after another, rich people continue to drop in their gifts. While they are watching, they see a poor widow step up and drop in two small copper coins.  Jesus, who is clearly moved by what he has seen, turns to the others and tells them that, “this poor widow put in more than all of them.” (v 3, NASB)

I am sure that those listening were quite confused by this, but Jesus explains what he means. He points out that yes, the rich people had given a greater monetary value than the widow woman, but that monetary value was just a fraction of what they had. The widow woman, on the other, gave all she had to God.  While they were talking, it became evident that many of his followers were distracted looking a the temple. They were talking about how beautiful it was

Jesus knew what they were talking about and seized the opportunity to speak about the end times. He tells them that the day is coming when not even one of the stones will continue standing.

He then talks about the signs to look for that will indicate the end is upon them. There will be wars between nations, earthquakes, and famine, as well as “terrors and great signs from heaven.” (v 11) Jesus tells them that even before then, those who follow him will find themselves persecuted and brought before rulers on charges. But there is a positive way to look at this. He tells them that it will lead to opportunities to share their testimonies.

Now Jesus realizes that it is natural in this situation to be concerned about preparing for this. But Jesus tells them, “I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.” (v 15) Now I do not think that Jesus is telling them to do nothing, but His point is that they should not obsess over these things. He just wants them to understand what is to come.

Jesus then points out that they will be betrayed by “by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] will put … to death, and [they will] be hated.” (Vv 16 – 17) But then he follows this with an unusual statement. He says, “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives.” (Vv 18 – 19) How is it in one breath he says, some of you will die, and in the next breath he says, you will gain your lives? I think we need to understand that the lives gained are eternal and can not be taken away when they have put their faith in Christ. 

Jesus then tells them that “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.” (v 20) He tells them that when they see this, they need to flee to the mountains. He also makes the statement, “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land.” (v 23) I think the point is that those who are in such a condition are not in a place where they can quickly pack up and run.

He continues on with the signs saying they will be “in sun and moon and stars” as well as “dismay among nations.” (v 25) When these things are seen, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (v 27) Once again, Jesus points out that for those who know him, it is not a time for fear, but of hope as their “redemption is drawing near.” (v 28)

Jesus tells them that just as they see the leave appear on a tree tells you that summer is near, so to these signs tell you that the end is near. Jesus then gives them the warning to remain sober and alert. This way, they will not be taken by surprise in the same way others will. But be sure to pray for strength to endure what is to come so that in the end, they will be able to “to stand before the Son of Man.” (v 36)

Finally, once again, Luke reminds us that Jesus was spending his days teaching in the temple. This time he also mentions that he withdrew from the city for the night but would once again return to the temple in the morning where the people would wait to hear him teach.

My takeaways from the chapters are 1) God honors those who give sacrificially. 2) While we may not know the exact time of Christ’s return, we are told to watch for the signs and be prepared. And 3) we need to pray for the strength to persevere.

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

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When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

Words and Music by James M Black, 1893

 

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 18

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24:30 – 31

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55 – 57

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

 

 

The practice of using a trumpet or bugle to communicate to large groups or over a distance, especially when it comes to military application, traces its history back to ancient times.  One clear example is that God commanded Israel to use trumpets when they marched around Jericho in Joshua 6.  Trumpets were used to announce celebration of victory, to sound an attack  and to signal a retreat.  As the use continued and developed they began to us it to signal the start of the morning, the roll call and the end of the day in military camps.  Traditionally in an american military setting “Taps” signaled the end of the day and “Reveille” signaled the start of the day and roll call. This is the image that James Black draws upon in his hymn, “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder.”

Black writes, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more.”  The Trumpet is used as a signal of the end times in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where we read, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.”  The blast of the trumpet signals something is happening.  In this case, the apostle Paul is speaking of a day all Christians await.  The day Jesus will fulfill the promise of Acts 1:10 – 11 and return.

The hymn continues “When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” This time Black draws our minds to a second passage that references the sound of the trumpet signalling the end of time.  In Matthew 24:31 we read, “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

The hymn continues by saying, “On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, And the glory of His resurrection share; When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies.”  Again, we are brought back to the 1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 17 where Paul tells us, “and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” The glorious news is there.  Death has no final power over those who believe in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55) For as Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In light of this truth, the hymn declares what our response should be.  It says, “Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care.” If the gift of God is eternal life, if we can know with confidence that we will one day share in his glorious resurrection, then our response can be nothing else.  We are compelled to give our all for Him knowing what we have been given.  “Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”

 

 

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