End Times

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” [Mark 13.3-4]

I am going to do something today that, as far as I can recall, I have never done before. I am going to write about end times.

From the three Gospels that address these end times events, the Synoptic Gospels, I noticed today that perhaps Jesus was speaking about two different timelines.

One of the timelines Jesus elaborated on was the immediate future of Israel and Jerusalem in particular. Jesus described increased phenomena in nature and social/political unrest, but more specifically, a terrible time of persecution upon His followers. This persecution would include beatings, imprisonment and familial betrayal.

Then Jesus described a "sacrilegious object that causes desecration" that Matthew and Mark both make an interesting note saying, "reader pay attention" as if this object might have been present at the time they each wrote their respective accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. As I understand it, Jerusalem indeed suffered the things Jesus described to this point and was destroyed (including the Temple) not long (as history goes) after Jesus' resurrection. It was concurrent with this event that Jesus basically advised "drop everything and run."

At this point,  Mark (and Matthew) recalled that Jesus said

For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. [Mark 13.19]

Never be so great again? This phrase might alert us that there is more following this time - another timeline...

“At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. [Mark 13.24-25]

These events (as of my writing this) have yet to happen. And, certainly the earth has yet to witness Jesus returning like lightening with great power and glory.

Something that intrigues me is that the Synoptic Gospels all three include Jesus's words, "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree" (or some variation thereof). Was Jesus speaking of "any fig tree" or could He have been referring the "the" fig tree He cursed not many hours before? Because this 'second' timeline appears to be the timeline of Christianity following Jerusalem's demise, this "fig tree" discussion would seem critical for us as modern Christians to understand! IF Jesus was referring to the fig tree He cursed (that withered and died), then it would make sense that time as we (as believers) know it will end shortly following the events depicted by "leaves budding on the fig tree."

The generation that witnesses the "leaves on the fig tree" will be the generation that witnesses the second coming of Christ. The "leaves" seem to me to be that which is described in Mark 13.24-25 above. It will be an unmistakably recognizable time for those who know these words of Jesus. Those however who do not know Jesus' words will probably dismiss these as "signs of the times" and instead ascribe them as the effect of 'human-induced climate change' or something to that effect.

There is much yet to be learned about all things "end times." I am thankful this year that, correct or incorrect, I am at least gaining some insight!

Father, thank You for beginning to open my understanding of end times events so that I might recognize the "leaves on the fig tree" as they bud.