It’s the end of the world as they knew it! Matthew 24 speaks of a particular timeframe in history. It will not be repeated again. At this point, we might be tempted to delve into a conversation about what the future looks like from a perspective of a past Great Tribulation. But the point in this series is not to consider the future of the future but to consider what the Bible does not say about the future.
In the affirmative, we could say, “The Olivet Discourse is a prophecy about things shortly going to take place.” It is attractive to specialize in modern events comparing notes with the Bible. But history makes clear that this habit leads to bad Christian practices and expectations.
Summary of Interpretive Principles
In a previous article, I argued that the two key principles to understanding Matthew 24 are context and the language of the Bible. When we distance the Bible from its immediate context and language, we can make it say whatever we want. And much of this is happening now with speculations about the role of the Coronavirus in the prophetic calendar.
The faithful interpreter, however, will see this present crisis in our culture as an opportunity for the work of God in history. Israel wandered in the wilderness and learned lessons that guided the remnant to green pastures. We, too, have an opportunity to see this event as an opportunity to learn and disciple one another in the ways of Yahweh. But before we do that, we need to understand the Bible.
Coronavirus, Tribulation and Falling Stars, oh my!
Towards the end of the first section of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus says,
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
There is no gap between this verse and the previous one. Remember that the disciples’ questions were not about the end of the world as we know it, but about the end of their world as they knew it. Assume for a moment that Jesus was living today and we asked him the same questions from the opening verses of Matthew 24. Now, 2,000 years from now people were reading a record of our questions. Would they say, “Wow, these questions referred to our world!” or would they say, “These questions referred to their world.” The latter seems most likely especially since Jesus uses the same language to speak of imminent destruction as the prophets used to speak of the destruction of their world.
I deliberately chose to discuss the prophecy of “falling stars” because modern prophetic voices envision such descriptions to be only true if they happen literally. They will say, “Since we have never witnessed a literal star falling and shaking the heavens, therefore this is still in the future.” But before we look at how the language of “falling stars” is dealt with in the Old Testament, let me raise a simple question. “How can stars fall to the Earth and the Earth survive?” Think of the sun, which is far from the biggest star. You can fit 1,3 million planet earths into the sun. If we take this literally, the descent of any star to this world will destroy the earth as we know it. So, for many reasons, we are dealing here with symbolic language.a
Twinkle, Twinkle!
Have you ever looked at the flags of nations? It’s a remarkable thing to see how beautiful and diverse they are in color and symbols. Do you ever notice how many of these flags include stars—a solitary star or multiple stars? The U.S. flag, Brazil, Papua-New Guinea, and many others all contain multiple stars. These flags with all their stars represent the people who live in it. In Genesis 22, Yahweh promises to bless Abraham’s offspring and what does he use as an analogy? The stars of heaven. In Deuteronomy, people are again associated with the stars. Historians, exegetes, and even modern scholars who would take a different interpretation would agree that St. Matthew uses the imagery of “falling stars” to refer to the destruction of a group, people, or nation. A perfect example of this is found in Judges 5, which says:
“The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.”
This is war language! Whether the sun, moon, or stars, the heavenly body is used in the Bible to refer to judgment, almost in every case. It indicates that something new is about to happen in history. Even the star which guides the magi is an indication that a war is coming between the new king and Herod, the false king.
In sum, Matthew 24:29 in its context, speaks of “Israel in decline as the nation that rejected her Messiah.” Eschatology scholar, Gary Demar, says the following:
“The allusion in Matthew 24:29 is unmistakable: “Israel’s judgment was to take place before that generation passed away.” ((Last Days Madness, 147.))
Falling Stars and Falling on Our Knees
Often we isolate such passages from its context, but more importantly, we isolate such passages from the act of worship of the True Messiah. When the earthly powers are shaken, stars are falling, the sun is darkened and the moon will not give its light, the Christian must respond in worship.
However you take this imagery, one thing is clear: God changes the world’s systems. He doesn’t allow unrighteousness to carry on forever. He doesn’t allow his name to be mocked forever. He does not permit the kingdoms of this world to continue spilling lies against the Lord and his anointed. Everything, every nation, every system, every kingdom that opposes God will be shaken and torn. The Coronavirus will pass away, but the righteousness of God does not have an expiration date. His kingdom will not be shaken. As Hebrews says,
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…”
The unshakable kingdom of God ought to lead you to offer acceptable worship before God (Rom. 12:1-2). If we think about it, our view of the kingdom is miserably small. We have not because we ask not. We have so individualized our prayer life that even our petitions are small. We pray small because our view of the kingdom is small. We pray small because we live as if the kingdom can be easily shaken like a tree in the midst of the storm.
While we quarantine ourselves in one way or another, imagine if an angel came to your front door and gave you a manuscript of your prayers in the last 12 months. What would they reveal? Would it reveal that the manuscript is a one pager? Would it reveal that your prayers are entirely self-centered? Would it reveal prayers that ask for too little? Would it reveal a powerless view of the kingdom; one that can be shaken at any moment? More directly, what kind of worship would your prayers reveal? Worship of a small Christ? A convenient Christ or worship diminished because of our fears of sickness?
The author of Hebrews says the kingdom of God cannot be shaken, therefore, let us worship! Can you ask God as Augustine did: “Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run.” Can you pray that?
What will it take for you to worship this God whose kingdom cannot be shaken? What will God have to do in your life for you to change your view of God’s kingdom? This is ultimately the end-times question. For the kingdom of God to be as great in your life, your reverence and awe of God need to be just as great. The unshakability of the kingdom is connected to the unshakability of God. The Coronavirus cannot dictate how a Christian worships.
The End Times…for this Series.
We will always be tempted to bring our assumptions into the text. We let the assumptions that the kingdom of God works according to our plans, or that it can be managed by the works we do, or that it can be manipulated to fit our schedule or that the kingdom works in accordance to our will and want or that a virus will pause its movement. It’s time to let these assumptions die! Jesus changed Israel’s assumptions through destruction. May he change our assumptions by his grace and truth. And should some of our kingdoms have to crumble in the process, let it be so! Whatever it takes for us to bow down in reverence and awe of our Lord and Savior will be what we need to exalt Christ and his unshakable kingdom. Let it be the end of our world of sin and the beginning of a new world where worship regulates all we do.
- See Gary Demar, 142, Last Days Madness. (back)
Great article. Love
it
Great!