SIGNS OF THE END OF AGE Entering Jerusalem, the Lord Christ, proclaiming His love for us, practically, through the Cross, He enters with us into His heavenly Jerusalem, and grants us His eternal glories. In the previous chapters, we experienced the works of the Lord Christ, who came to destroy the old man of dust, to establish in us the spiritual new man, who is according to the image of its Creator. By the same Spirit, speaking of His last Advent, He reveals the destruction of the old establishments, to let us enjoy an eternal one, not made by hand. As to the signs of the end of age included here, we have already dealt with, through the thoughts of the Church Fathers, in our interpretation of the Gospel according to St. Matthew (Chapter 24). Here they are paraded in the same sequence and sense: 1- Destruction of the old temple I-2. 2- Appearance of false christs 3-6. 3- Occurrences of wars and disasters 7-8. 4- Occurrences of afflictions 9-13. 5- Abomination of desolation 14. 6- Commandments for entering the kingdomof heaven 15-18. 7- The great tribulation 19-20. 8- Appearance of false prophets 21-23. 9- Collapse of nature 24-25. 10- Advent of the Son of Man 26-27. 11- Parable of the fig tree 28-29. 12- Confirming His advent 30-31. 13- Not knowing the day or hour 32. 14- Commandment to watch 33-37. INTRODUCTION This talk concerning the signs of the end of age, came in an intimate sitting of the Lord with His disciples alone; in a quiet encounter, after His entry into Jerusalem, His cleansing of the temple, and His cursing of the fig tree; especially that the events of the passions and crucifixion were very closely approaching. So what was the significance of that talk?We can realize the significance of that intimate talk, through the readings of the Holy (Paschal) Tuesday, in which the Church concentrated the vision of her children on the Last Advent of the Lord Christ. (1) What attracts our attention in the readings of the first hour of that day, is what God proclaimed in the book of Exodus (Chapter 19), that He bore His people as on eagles’ wings, not to bring them from the land of slavery to the promised land, but to bring them to Himself personally. Saying, “I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.” (Exodus 19:4) The disciples, having watched how firm the Lord Christ has been, as He cleansed the temple, and cursed the fig tree, were probably overcome by despair. Each of them feared lest he would have a similar destiny as that of the fig tree. His talk came, therefore, to put their hearts at ease. He is preparing for them, beforehand, His heavens; presenting the signs of His Last Advent; which although bitter, yet, they were comforting. If He bore 5 their fathers on eagles’ wings to bring them to Himself, He is sending them His Holy Spirit, to carry them above all incidents, to enjoy His ultimate encounter on the clouds. The Lord confirms to us, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (Jn. 8: 23)1 He is confirming to us, that, by ourselves, we are unable to rise up to meet Him on the clouds of heaven. But it is He who is capable, from high above, to embrace us to Him, to let us carry His mark “I am not of this world.” By Him our hearts will rise up; becoming not of this world, namely, carrying His mark, to enter with Him into the fellowship of His glories. Probably also, He intended, by proclaiming the signs of the bitter end of age, that He is allowing them to happen, in order to push us to set forth out of this world, that is to take off our love for the worldlies, and forsake any mark that indicates that we belong to it, to be capable of encountering Him, who is not of this world. Indeed, the signs which He presented to His disciples, are very frightening, but the prophet Isaiah says: “Unless the Lord of hosts, had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1: 9)2 It is as though, the disciples are that “small remnant,” that is incapable of getting saved by itself, if not for the mercy of the God of hosts. In other words, His heavenly kingdom is set for the small remnant, that is cared for by God Himself, as He says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Lk. 12:32) Thus, the readings have shown the care of God himself, for offering the kingdom. And probably the proclamation of the Lord Christ to His disciples, about the signs of Last Advent, with all the bitterness it involves, was intended to let them know, that He is aware of the narrowness and toughness of the way; yet, they are in the palm of His hand, where He keeps them until He passes over and sets forth with them, to Him! (2) Probably, the talk of the Lord Christ, of the signs of the end of age, to His disciples, was not only to confirm to them the role of God Himself, and His care for encountering them on the clouds, but also the role of the believers. These signs came to carry, in its wholeness, a complete destruction of the worldly life, and of nature, as a proclamation of a better eternal life. The readings of the third hour of the Holy Tuesday, carry a warning against eating to the full in this world, and caring for building beautiful houses to dwell in them (Deut. 8: 12); exhort us to chose the way of serving the Lord, where temptations await us (Sirach 2: 1); and confirm to us that, “not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Mt. 24:2). As though the Church, when presenting to us the signs of the end of age, is plotting for us the evangelic way to enjoy Christ, coming on the clouds, demanding from us not to fill our inner bellies with the drunkness of this world and its lusts, and not to preoccupy our minds with building earthly houses, and decorating them, as if we are to settle eternally on earth; but rather to hold the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, to bear temptations with a wide heart; and to destroy within us every stone, so that God would establish a new building, worthy of souls, that are setting forth to the higher Jerusalem, to unify with the heavenly bridegroom. (3) In the talk of the Lord Christ to His disciples about the signs of the end of age, despite what it involves of an extremely long and tough way, yet, through an authority of ق ا رءات الساعة الأولى من یوم الثلاثاء من البصخة المقدسة. 1 نبوات الساعة السادسة من یوم الثلاثاء من البصخة المقدسة. 2 6 love, He kindled their hearts with zeal to enter it. That is why the Church presents to us in the readings of the Holy Tuesday, two very important stories: Elijah’s encounter with God and hearing His divine voice, not through the great and strong wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire, but through the mild and gentle breathe (1 Kings 19). And how Noah enjoyed salvation and was delivered from the flood in the ark. The story of Elijah represents the need for a holy zeal to encounter God; although an inner kindled zeal, yet, coming through a peaceful soul in the Lord, carrying His marks, He, who, “Will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.” (Isaiah 42:2; Mt. 12:19) As to the ark of Noah, it melds with the zeal of Elijah, to interpret our inner depths and our heartly yearning to encounter the Lord, in serious work; to receive the Lord’s Cross practically, as someone who enters the ark, together with his family, beasts, and birds, to enjoy the encountering the Lord, amid the great chaos of the world, and the flood that destroyed many. That ark represents the new home in which we dwell here, that carry us above the waters. That is why the readings on that day of the holy Pasch, tell us about ‘the house of wisdom” (Prov. 9:1-11), built on seven pillars, that are the works of the Holy Spirit. In other words, in order to encounter our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come over the clouds, it is fitting for us, while we are here on earth, to train ourselves, through the Holy Spirit in us, to dwell in the ark that elevates us up, and on the high mountains(Isaiah 40: 9), according to Isaiah’s prophesies of that day. Then we would enjoy with Daniel (7), to behold the Lord coming over the clouds. (4) Finally, in order to kindle our longing to enjoy that eternal encounter, the Church tells us about the splendor of the glory, that we shall, then, enjoy. We quote of its readings, the words of Isaiah: “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun.” (Isaiah 30:26) As well as what the Lord, Himself, says: “For to everyone who has, more will be given.” (Mt. 25:29) In other words, the inner splendor that we are granted here, will be a pledge for a greater eternal splendor. If we, by the Lord, become a moon; there we will become a sun; the inner reward we get here, will be increased there. Besides this ecclesiastical thought, concerning what came in this chapter, we should like to clarify some other features of that essay: (1) What came in this chapter is considered as one of two long essays by the Lord Christ in the present Gospel. The first came in the fourth chapter (1-34). Some scholars noticed, that the essay we have here, differs in its nature, from the other talks of the Lord. Some called it “the little Apocalypse,” a name flatly rejected by others, who claim that that essay was not based on a particular revelation, but constituted an open talk between the Lord Christ, aware of all the secrets, and His disciples. (2) No contemporary reader - whatever his readings and knowledge are - can appreciate the effect of that talk of the destruction of the temple, on a Jew living at that time. The temple constituted everything in his life; representing the kingdom of God, and the sign of His presence in the midst of His people. The Jew was so attached to the temple, to consider any harm done to it as a sign of a great displeasure on God’s part, with His people! That is why, it was fitting, for the Lord, to reveal the destruction of the materialistic world as a whole, as a preparatory way for the Last Advent of Christ over the clouds, and the destruction of the material temple, to establish the spiritual temple of the Lord. (3) That essay, as a matter of fact, was not presented by the Lord, with the 7 intention of recognizing the times and hours, nor as a prophetical act, to follow up events; but, through that revelation of future secrets. He intended to provoke His Church to persistent strife, and to overcome expected obstacles until His coming; also warning against false christs and prophets; and exhorting it to continuous watch, in anticipation of His advent! (4) Finally, several scholars see in it, a ‘final speech,’ or a ‘farewell speech,’ that was presented by the Lord to four of His own, as was the custom of some Patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament, just before their death, as for instance, that of Isaac (Genesis 27), Jacob (Genesis 49), Moses (Deut. 31:28; 32), Joshua (Josh. 24), Samuel (1 Sam. 12), David (1 Chron. 28, 29), and Tobia (Tob. 14). That farewell speech, besides His general farewell speech to His disciples (Jn. 14- 16) is totally different from any farewell speech that was given by a father or prophet, before his death. Isaac, in his old age, bid farewell to his two sons, while blind, unable to discern between Jacob and Esau. While Lord Jesus, speaks with His disciples, prior to crucifixion, strongly proclaiming that the powers of darkness would never destroy His plan to save humanity; thus opening their inner vision to behold Him, coming over the clouds to carry them to His glory. Jacob, spoke to his sons, concerning establishing God’s people on earth; while the Lord of glory, is proclaiming the establishing of His eternal kingdom. Moses commended his people, after being denied entrance with them into the Promise Land; while Jesus Christ is coming to carry them to his exalted glory; and so forth, with other Patriarchs and prophets, what they could not achieve for themselves, they desired their brothers, children, and people to realize. While the Lord Christ, is the Head setting forth to His glories, carrying all those who believe in Him to the bosom of His Father, in power. Now, I resume our study of the gospel text, begging my readers to refer to my interpretation of the gospel according to St. Matthew the evangelist, to avoid repetition, praying to God, to kindle in our depths, the desire to encounter Him, on His coming on the great day. 1- DESTRUCTION OF THE OLD TEMPLE “As He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, see what massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down’” (1, 2) That question was posed by one of His disciples, while the Lord Christ was going out of the temple; the great buildings of the temple were then preoccupying the minds of the Jews, as a sign of God’s pleasure with them. The building of the second temple began at the time of Zerubbabel, with permission of Cyrus, king of Persia, who allowed the Jews to return from captivity, and to rebuild the temple, during the sixth century B.C. The new temple was greater, although not as magnificent as the old one. At the time of Herod, before the birth of the Lord Christ, about the year 20 B.C., an extensive project of reconstruction and restoration started, and went on up till the year 60 A.D., seven years prior to its ultimate devastation, as stated by the Jewish historian Josephus1. Its location is the Mosque or the Dome of the Rock in the Old Jerusalem. That question came, while the Lord was “going out” of the temple. Its motive 1 Jewish War 5: 5: 1-6, Antiq 15: 11: 1-3. 8 probably has been, a wish by that disciple to hear from the Lord’s mouth, what was going on in the minds of all of them, that the Lord cleansed the temple, in order to prepare it, as the center of His kingdom, and as His royal palace, from which He is going to reign over the world. The Lord’s response came to completely destroy their materialistic thoughts, contrary to what they expected. The Lord Christ used that chance to proclaim to His disciples the total abolishment of the temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the material world as a whole, in order to draw their hearts to the spiritual kingdom, and the heavenly glory. St. Cyril the Great says: [The disciples expected Him to admire what He was seeing; but He, whose throne is in heaven, did not give any impotence to earthly establishments, considering them worth nothing, if compared to exalted ones. He halted the conversation concerning these structures, directing it to what is of benefit to them. That temple, the subject of their pride and admiration, will, in the right time, be devastated, by the Romans, who will also burn up Jerusalem, so that Israel would get what it deserves for killing the Lord; all of which happened after the crucifixion of the Savior1.] Yet, the Lord, while uttering that, was not seeking revenge, nor desiring the devastation of His adversaries, but, being the Word of God, was revealing to His disciples the true way. On one side, He is committing them to refrain from binding their hearts to stones and buildings, but to bind them to an inner spiritual temple, where the Lord would dwell and establish His kingdom. On the other side, He is proclaiming the necessity of destroying those stones of literal thoughts, in order not to walk the way of the Law literally, but to enjoy it spiritually. Finally, we should have the temple of our old man completely destroyed, with no one stone left upon another, not thrown down. This is our experience concerning what occurs in the water of Baptism, in which the Holy Spirit destroys our old man, to leave no trace of him in our life. If we walk according to God’s Spirit, a new spiritual building, a free grace of God, would be set within us; But, if our hearts get back to seek what was behind, we shall, again, have inside us the old temple of sin, and our life would be turned into a pillar of salt, like Lot’s wife, losing the splendor of God’s kingdom and His exalted glories in us. St. Ambrose says: [These words refer to the temple of Solomon, and its destruction by the enemies before the time of judgment; as there would be no work of our hands, that would not be destroyed and consumed by fire. They also refer to the synagogue of Jews... when the visible material temple of the material Law, would be destroyed, so also would be the visible material Passover...; the temple would be spiritual, the Law would be spiritual, and the Passover would also be spiritual2.] 2- APPEARANCE OF FALSE CHRISTS “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled? ‘ And Jesus, answering them, began to say, ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many” (3-6) The Lord Christ’s talk about the destruction of the temple, was a chance for Him 1 In Luc. Ser. 149. 2 In Luc 21: 5-36. 9 to have a private talk with four of His disciples. These were the first four, the Lord chose and invited to follow Him as His disciples. As we have seen1, He called them two by two. They represent the team of horses set forth with the divine chariot towards heaven; carrying the Church, as a chariot of fire, from glory to glory, towards the divine bosom. They also represent the four living stones set by the Lord for the building of His living Church. They may also represent the four virtues, necessary for the Church, in order to enjoy the knowledge of the secrets of His Last Advent: Peter, refers to the ‘Rock of faith;’ Jacob, or ‘Chase,’ refers to ‘persistent strife or wrestling;’ John, that is to say, ‘God is compassionate,’ refers to the ‘grace and compassion of God;’ and Andrew, that means ‘seriousness or manhood,’ refers to ‘setting forth towards eternity, seriously and without delay.’ In other words, these four disciples enjoyed that private divine talk, concerning His advent, so that we, would also enjoy it, if we have inside us, these four: the faith, that raises us over the earthlies, towards Christ the Savior; the practical strife, springing from our faith in Him who loved us; the grace of God, on which we lean, to take us away from the earthlies, raising us to eternities; and finally, seriousness on the way, as God would never work in negligent. That talk happened while the Lord Christ was sitting on the Mount of Olives, facing the temple. That was not without meaning; as on the Mount of Olives the Lord, on His day, will stand with His feet, to abolish evil (Zech. 14:4). It is the mountain, east of the city, on which the cherubim lifted up their wings, to set forth with the divine chariot, not to depart from the temple alone, but from the whole city of Jerusalem (Ezek. 11:22, 23). On that mountain, the Lord proclaimed His departure from the old temple, raising our sight towards a new temple, He would, Himself, build within us, setting His heavenly kingdom in us. The Mount of Olives, is likewise the Holy Church of God, in which believers are planted, as olive trees, in the house of God. In it, God, Himself, sits with His believers, to carry them over to His exalted divine secrets, to proclaim to them the destruction of the old temple, and set a new one within them, that would never get old, but would always be renewed by His Holy Spirit. The first sign of His advent, would be the appearance of false christs and prophets, to deceive humanity, and to set the kingdom of the devil; pretending to do that in the name of God. It might be that the Lord started by it because of its importance; as, in every generation, the evil one does his best to deceive men, to draw them away from the kingdom of God, and from enjoying His salvation. He presented them, at the beginning of His talk, with that sign of the end of age, and proclamation of His eternal kingdom, in order to reveal to them, that the way to the kingdom, is a very narrow one, that requires persistent strife against the powers of darkness. The disciples became sad, hearing about the utter destruction of the temple, and started to inquire about the time of realization of those things, with the hope that they would enjoy with the Lord, His kingdom, or that they would have a share with Him in the temple, before its utter destruction. Now, the Lord Christ drew their hearts, from sadness over the destruction of stones and buildings, to getting ready to oppose the evil one himself, who seeks the destruction of the kingdom of God within every soul. That is why, St. Paul, the apostle, says: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the 1 See the commentary on Mark 1:16. 10 wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephes. 6:10-12) It is as though, the Lord Christ, is warning His disciples, not to preoccupy themselves with the destruction of the temple, but rather with getting aware of the deceits of the devil, who is opposing them, using the name of Christ Himself, confirming: “Take heed that no one deceives you; for many will come in my name, saying: ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.” The Jewish historian Josephus mentioned, that several magicians and swindlers have drawn many people to the wilderness, some of whom lost their minds, and many others were condemned by ‘Felix’ the governor, like that Egyptian whom the prince mentioned as he said to St. Paul: “Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago raised an insurrection and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” (Acts 21:38) If the Word of God is offering all practical love, to draw souls to Him with truth, in order to enjoy union with Him, the evil one, on his part, is deceiving many, dispatching his accomplices, to pretend piety, to lead people astray; sometimes even working under the name of Christ Himself. The martyr St. Cyprian warns us, not only from the devil who hides behind the name of Christ, but even from ourselves, lest we may bear the name of Christ, and not His power, saying: [The same way the devil deceives, through falsely using the name of Christ, so also the one who bears the blessed name, but does not abide in the truth of His Gospel and faith in Him, would not be truthfully called a Christian.] 3- OCCURRENCES OF WARS AND DISASTERS “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled, for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” ( 8) That sign would precede the destruction of the temple, on the hand of the Roman leader Titus. The Roman empire was aflame with wars, all along the interval between the ascension of the Lord Christ and the destruction of the temple; like that war which took place in Alexandria at about the year 38 A.M., between the Egyptians and the resident Jews; and the war in Seleucia, in which 50,000 Jews were killed; as well as the great tension between the Jews and the Samaritans; the famines like the one prophesied by the prophet Agabus (Acts 11:28), that occurred in the year 49 A.D.; the plague that took place in Rome with its 30,000 victims; and the earthquakes in Crete, 46 A.D.; in Rome, 51 A.D.; in Aphamia, 53 AD; in Laodicea Phrygia, 60 A.D.; and in Jerusalem, 67 A.D. That sign, of the occurrences of wars, troubles, earthquakes, and famines, will also precede the end of the world, and the second advent of the Lord Christ. As the last day approaches, the devil feeling the collapse of his kingdom, and the setting up of the eternal kingdom of God in His heavenly Church, will exert all his energies to draw souls to him, away from the Lord Christ, confusing them with human concerns, that would disturb man, like wars, natural catastrophes, as earthquakes and famines. But the soul, steadfast in Christ, would not be disturbed, but would rise above all events, to get to enjoy His kingdom and exalted peace. In the same way, the evil one, would not stand to watch you encounter your Savior; so he surrounds you with troubles to preoccupy you and deprive you of His 11 transfiguration within your heart. I wish you do not get concerned with the wars within you, nor with the famines or earthquakes, but put your trust in the Lord Christ, the Giver of peace, satisfaction, and real comfort. St. Ambrose says: [Beside wars, plagues, and famines, we find other wars that may confront the Christian, wars of lusts and conflicts of various desires...; fear of, “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephes. 6:12) A brave Christian, however, will say with the Psalmist: “Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear”(Psalm 27:3) He will stand firm, even if faced by the giant Goliath; will be like David who, in the midst of the fear of others, cast away the weapons and equipments of the king (1 Sam. 17), held the sling of true faith, and placed in it the stone of pure faith. With it he broke the arrogance of the oppressor, to be worthy of being mentioned by the Lord Christ... Before that conqueror of Goliath, the Philistines escaped, to make the girls sing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:7) Which proves that those who overcome this world, would surely, precede even kings1.] 4- OCCURRENCE OF AFFLICTIONS The signs will not stop at outer and general troubles, like wars, famines, plagues, and earthquakes, but will proceed further to personal affliction, concerning the believer himself; to let him bear the Cross of the Lord; as is said: “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. And you will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations. But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Now, brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (9-13) ‘Afflictions,’ as far as a believer is concerned, is not just a sign among several others for the advent of the Lord, but it is the living atmosphere in which the Crucified Lord is transfigured within the heart. Affliction is the acceptance of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order for His kingdom to be proclaimed within us. Affliction is not just a passing matter in the believer’s life, but it attaches itself to him permanently, until he comes out of this world, as from the great tribulation (Rev. 7:14). That is what the Lord clearly proclaimed to us. And as Fr. Theophlactius says: [He uttered that, so that by hearing it, they would be ready to face persecutions and evils with great resilience and patience. In that divine proclamation we notice the following: (1) The Lord says, “Watch out for yourselves.” In other words, Whatever severe the affliction is, and whoever its source may be, people of authority, as kings or governors, or close relatives, as fathers, brothers, or children, the source of strength or weakness, depends on the inner depths of the soul. If we watch through faith, into our inner souls, to behold the Lord reigning in them, with glory and splendor, any affliction will not be able to pass through to our souls, but will stay outside! We can say that, if our insight is opened to the inner heaven, earth with all its deceits and capabilities will not be 1In Luc 21: 5-36. 12 able to catch up with us. But, the Holy Spirit will lift us from the dust, and carry us above worldly currents, and keep us in an exalted divine peace. (2) Even if affliction is inevitable, yet, preaching of the Gospel will never cease. The Lord Christ is assuring us that although the work of God is always opposed, yet, through opposition, it increases in strength, and splendor. (3) Affliction is transformed into a testimony to the afflicted believers themselves. When they assume that they are capable of suppressing the voice of truth by worldly authority and violence, the truth comes to transfigure before them, with a voice much more clear and obvious in their thoughts. That was what we saw, when Herod killed John the Baptist, with the intention to suppressing the voice of truth. But that voice kept on screaming in his ears, even after John was martyred. (4) The real source of affliction is not humans, but the war between God and the devil. Therefore it is fitting for us, not to worry beforehand what we will speak, but, as the Lord says, “It is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit of God is the Leader of the Church, sent by the Son, who ascended to heaven, from His Father, to take over the leadership of the Church. 5- ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION The Lord Christ presents to us the “Abomination of desolation” of which the prophet Daniel spoke (Dan. 12:11; 9:27; 11:31), as a sign of the devastation of the temple, and also a sign of the end of age, and the Last Advent of the Lord Christ. We can summarize the views concerning that abomination of desolation as follows: (1) Some Church Fathers and scholars see that that abomination of desolation refers to the entrance of enemy soldiers into the temple and defiling it, before destroying it and burning up the city. Fr. Theophlactius says: [He probably means by that abomination of desolation, the forced entrance of the enemy into the city.] (2) In the first Book of the Maccabees (1:54)1, that abomination of desolation was realized, when Antiochus Epiphanius set the statue of Zeus Olympus upon the altar of sacrifice in the temple, in the year 167 B.C. (see also 2 Mac. 6:2). Some scholars believe that that abomination was repeated, when Pilate set the statue of Caesar in the temple, and when Caligula tried to set for himself a statue in the temple of Jerusalem in the year 40 A. D. approximately; and there was also a statue of Adrian that was set in the Holy of Holiness, itself, for a long time. (3) A group of scholars rejected the two previous views, seeing that the Greek text does not refer to an abomination of desolation through the setting of a statue, or the entrance of pagan soldiers into the temple, but rather through the appearance of a real Antichrist, who sets himself a god in the temple, as said by the apostle Paul in his second epistle to the Thessalonians. 6- COMMANDMENTS FOR ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Having presented to His Church the signs of the end of age, from general tribulations, as wars, famines, plagues and earthquakes; to personal afflictions for the sake of Gospel preaching; and proclaimed the appearance of false christs and prophets, particularly the Antichrist, the Lord Christ presented to His Church certain private 1 Jerom Bib. Comm. 51. 13 commandments, to support it in that difficult atmosphere, until it passes through the persistent tribulation, and crosses over to His kingdom. We have already talked about these commandments in our study of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 24. Here we say, that that text carry two meanings: (1) The literal meaning; as it is claimed that Christians, seeing the signs of the nearness of the desolation of the temple, escaped from Judea, and headed to the mountains, according to the commandment of their Master; and thus, they were spared the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, and the tribulation, that the Jews went through. (2) As to the symbolic meaning, in order to encounter the Lord Christ, coming to our hearts, to transfigure as if on the clouds of heaven, we have to set forth, out of the ‘Judaism’ of fatal literalism, to the mountains of the Spirit, in order to live the freedom of the Gospel, not the servitude of the letter of the Law. Thus, if the Lord is proclaiming to His disciples the futility of resisting the Romans, or coexisting with them; being impossible to hide from them in a city, it is likewise, fitting, as our fight with the devil grows more fierce, not to face him, nor to coexist with him, but should rather escape to the Lord Himself, being the Holy mountain who bear us inside Him. In a text, attributed to St. Jerome, he says: [Our escape to the mountains, means ascension to the heights of virtue, in order not to descend to the depths of sin.] Whoever ascends to the roof, namely, climbs up the staircase of virtue, he would be able to see, with the apostle St. Peter, the sheet descending from heaven (Acts 10:11); and would never again descend to lower levels, or seek lower things. In other words, whoever ascends above bodily works, and lives in spirituals, inhaling the pure breath of freedom, and seeing heavens open before his eyes, would never descend again to his old arguments, nor seek the lusts of flesh, and things of this world. Likewise, whoever set forth along the path of preaching, will not retreat from ministry, and will not care again for his garment, that is to say, for things of the flesh. As to His saying, “Woe to those who are pregnant, and to those who with nursing babies in those days” ( 17), this refers, according to Fr. Theophlactius, to what the Jewish women did at that time, cooking and eating their babies, out of hunger. Likewise, those who are pregnant, and those with nursing babies, probably, may refer to souls, not yet mature, and having not yet delivered fruits of the spirit, that would not be able to stand affliction, nor escape, being as heavy as a pregnant or a nursing woman. He demands from us to pray that our flight would not be in winter; and as Fr. Theophlactius says, [We should avoid sin fervently, not reluctantly and coldly.] 7- THE GREAT TRIBULATION “For in those days, there would be tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (19, 20) Indeed it is the great tribulation, that occurs through the appearance of the Antichrist, opposing the Church in the world. But it is a short one, permitted by God, and within His care, shortened by Him for the sake of His elects, to keep them from despair. At the time of the Old Testament, God allowed for severe tribulations for the sake of repentance on the part of the fallen. But He would again have compassion, to spare the remnants, attached to God amid a twisted generation and thick-necked people. At the time of the desolation of the temple - bitterly described by Josephus, a contemporary 14 historian - the Romans mockingly crucified hundreds of Jews, until the arenas were crowded with crosses. The famine was so severe, that women cooked and ate their children. They used to feed voracious beasts with naked priests covered with mud. God shortened these days for the sake of sparing the Christians who fled to the mountains. But, at the end of age, when the Antichrist comes to prosecute the Church everywhere, and to prevent believers from buying or selling, unless they have the mark of the beast on their foreheads or right hands. These days also, will be shortened for the sake of the elects. With the same spirit, in the life of each one of us, God allows afflictions to get stronger up till the last watch of the night, when we think that there is no more chance for being saved, He will come over the water, abolishing the waves, to proclaim Himself to us, as the Savior of both the souls and the bodies. 8- APPEARANCE OF FALSE PROPHETS “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is Christ!,’ or “Look, He is there!,’ do not believe it. For false Christ and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.” (21-23) The evil one will not stop, along the times, to strongly oppose the kingdom of God, especially in the last days, using every way of deceit, as did the magicians at the time of Moses. But God keeps His elect. There are many, who claim to bear the name of Christ, in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Fr. Theophlactius Then, the devil will be released, to act with all his strength against Christ; He may perform real wonders, to lead people astray from the truth, on the assumption that they are divine power1. St. Augustine Why does He say, “if possible,” as though, He doubts it; although God knows beforehand, what will happen? It would be one of two things: If they are really ‘elect,’ they would never be deceived; and if it is possible for them to get deceived, they are, therefore, not of the elect. (He said that, to draw attention to how far the deceit of those false prophets is)2. Fr. Gregory, the Great 9- COLLAPSE OF NATURE “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in heaven will be shaken.” (24, 25) Many Church Fathers believe that these things are going to happen literally, before the advent of the Lord Christ over the clouds. The material world, will totally collapse, in order for the eternal heavenly kingdom to appear. This scene is portrayed in the book of the prophet Isaiah (13:9-13), to proclaim the day of the Lord to be cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to destroy everything earthy 1 City of God 29: 19. 2 In Ezek. lib. 1: 9. 15 and material! In connecting the desolation of earth, with the shaking of heavens, and loss of light of its stars, he probably wishes to proclaim, that those, in their glory, who thought of themselves, as becoming like a sun, a moon, or a twinkling star, will not escape God’s anger and condemnation. That portrait, is not only clear, in the book of Isaiah, but in those of several other prophets as well: “For the stars of heaven and their constellations, will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth; and the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible... Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.” (Isaiah 13:10-13) “And the host of heaven shall be dissolved; And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll. All their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls from the vine.” (Isaiah 34:4) “When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light; and the bright lights of the heavens, I will make dark over you; and bring darkness upon your land; Says the Lord God.” (Ezek. 32:7, 8) [He may refer here, to the believer, rejecting God’s grace, persisting on evil, and accepting the deceits of the evil one, would not be any more worthy to enjoy the light of the sun of justification, namely - the work of Christ in him; and would be deprived of enjoying the light of the moon, namely - the blessing of the Church; as well as that of the stars of heaven, namely, - the fellowship of the heavenly hosts and the saints. Thus, losing every blessing, and every enlightenment; His depths would transform, as though, into a darkened land, that does not see a glimpse of heavenly light.] “And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord God,..., I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.” (Amos 8: 9, 10) “The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble; The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness.” (Joel 2: 10) As the Lord Christ, the Sun of justification appears; together with the Church - His bride, the heavenly moon, and the believers, the eternal stars; the sun will disappear, the moon will darken, and the stars will lose their brightness, before that new eternal heavenly scenery. According to a text attributed to St. Jerome, he sees the collapse of nature here, as a spiritual collapse of souls that will accept the Antichrist and will fall under his evil authority, thus losing, in their life, every inner enlightenment, saying: [At that time, the sun will be darkened because of the coldness of their hearts, as in winter; and the moon and the stars will not give their bright light; when all descendants of Abraham, likened to the stars of heaven (Genesis 22:17), would disappear, and when the hosts of heaven, accompanying the Son of Man in His coming, would rise for revenge.] 10- ADVENT OF THE SON OF MAN “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.” (26, 27) As the visible world deteriorates, the new invisible, heavenly world will be proclaimed, through the advent of the incarnated Word of God, in clouds, in power and 16 glory. St. Augustine1 believes that His coming in clouds means His coming in His Church every day, having carried the heavenly mark, and rose above worldly thought, thus turning into a heavenly cloud. The Lord comes born on a cloud of saints, spoken of by the apostle Paul, saying, “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” (Heb. 12:1) The Lord of glory will come with His angels, as reapers, to gather fruits from all parts of the world. St. Augustine sees that the Lord gathers, by His angels, Adam, who, previously, had been dispersed all over the world, east, west, north and south. The word ‘Adam,’ in Greek is formed of the first four letters of the four directions of the universe: ‘Amatole’ or east; ‘Dysis,’ or west; ‘Arctos,’ or north; and ‘Mesembria,’ or south. It is as though, God, seeing Adam dispersed among all parts of the world, gathers him, to get him back, not to the garden of Eden, but to the eternal kingdom of heaven2. Of the sayings of the Church Fathers in this concern: We truly believe that He will come, not only in the same body, but on the clouds; in a way similar to that, when He ascended (Acts 1:11)3. The vision of Christ as the Son of Man (Manhood), is for the evil ones; while that of Divinity, is only for the pure in heart, those who see God (Mt. 5:8). The evil ones can not see the Son of God, being equal to God the Father; But He can be seen by all, evil and good, as He comes to judge the living and the dead4. St. Augustine Christ, does not come secretly nor in a vague way, but as the Lord God; He comes in glory, that is fit for divinity, to turn everything to the better; renewing the creation and reconstructing the nature of man5. St. Cyril the Great 11- PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE Presenting to us the signs concerning His advent, He likened it to the fig tree, which, when it puts forth leaves, we know that summer is near ( 28). What is that summer that is nearing to us, but eternity that is kindled to divine love, with no place in it for spiritual coolness. Many scholars, from early times, believed that, that tree, which, when its branches has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, we know that summer is near, that tree is the Jewish people, who became like the fig tree, that fell under curse because of their denial. For once it comes back to life, through regaining faith at the end of age, we know that the time is near. That interpretation was according to St. Paul: “Hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.” (Rom. 11:25, 26) Several events and texts in the Holy Bible, proclaimed the return of the Jews at the end of age, to accept the Lord Christ, after recognizing their transgression of rejecting and crucifying Him. Of these events, was the return of Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, cured, after getting infected with Leprosy and staying for seven days outside the 1 Ep. 199: 11. 2 In loan tr 10: 12. 3 Ep. 199: 11. 4 De trin. 1: 13. 5 In Luc. Ser. 139. 17 camp; “And the people did not journey on, till Miriam was brought in again” (Num. 12:15). According to Origen, that Miriam, refers to the Jewish people who were infected with the leprosy of disbelief, and were cast out of the camp; until they would again return, at the end of age, to the camp, to join the Church of the Gentiles of the whole world! 12- CONFIRMING HIS ADVENT The Lord confirmed His advent by saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words by no means pass away” (30, 31) That saying by the Lord had been literally realized; when some, if not all those listening have witnessed the events of the desolation of the temple and destruction of Jerusalem. As to the rest of events, they were all actually realized, when the Gentiles accepted the Lord Christ in their lives, as though He came to proclaim His glory within them. Those words of Christ, have inflamed the Church, in the time of the apostles; assuming that they were living the end of age, and that they are going to see His advent on the clouds. That feeling had its impact on their lives, their behavior, and their worshipping; The majority lived with eschatological minds; with their bodies on earth, while their hearts were in heaven. 13- NOT KNOWING THE DAY OR HOUR Before ending His talk by persuading them to watch, He intended to exhort His disciples to avoid preoccupying themselves with knowing the day and hour, but rather with getting ready through persistent watching and anticipating His advent, saying, “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” ( 32) Is it possible for the Son, not to know the hour?! (1) St. Ambrose1 says, that the Lord Christ, the Judge, who presented the signs of His advent, could not be unaware of that knowledge. If the day of His advent, is the true ‘Sabbath,’ in which God and His saints would rest, so how could He, being “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt. 12: 8) be unaware of it?! (2) St. Augustine believes that the Lord Christ knows the day, yet, proclaims otherwise; in the sense, that He does not know it, in a way to reveal it. He may mean by that, what a teacher does, if asked to reveal the questions of his examination, his response would be that he does not know; in other words, it is a secret that he could not reveal. Likewise, if a father of confession was questioned about the confession of someone, he would pretend not to know it. St. Augustine says: [Indeed, the Father does not know anything that the Son does not know; as the Son is the Knowledge, the Word, and Wisdom of the Father Himself. But it would not be for our own interest, to know what is not good for us to know... He, as a Teacher, teaches us certain things, but not other things, that would harm us to know of2.] And he says: [That was said, in a sense, that humans are not to know it through the Son, and not that He Himself does not know it. That is similar to the expression: “For 1 Of Christian Faith 5: 4. 2 On Ps. 37. 18 the Lord Your God is testing you to know...” (Deut. 13: 3); namely, that “He let you know.” And to saying, “Arise O Lord” (Psalm 3: 7), namely, “Make us arise.” Thus, when it is said that the Son does not know that day, it is not that he does not know it, but He would not reveal it1.] St. John Chrysostom says, along the same line of thinking: [By saying, “Neither the angels,” He is keeping from them what even the angels themselves do not know; and by saying, “Nor the Son,” He is not only forbidding them to know, but also, even to ask2.] Also Fr. Theophlactius says: [If He told them, He knows the day and hour, but He would not disclose them, He would have distressed them; but he, wisely, kept them from asking about it.] St. Hilary of Poitiers also says: [The Lord Christ has treasures of knowledge. So saying, that He does not know the hour, would only mean that He is not revealing the treasures of wisdom in Him3.] (3) St. Irenaeus sees, that if the Lord Christ, who knows everything was not embarrassed to refer the knowledge of the day of the Lord, to God the Father alone, as though He does not know it Himself, is it not fitting for us, in the spirit of humility, to follow His example, when we are asked about certain exalted things, as for example, the way the Son is begotten from the Father; to proclaim that it is something beyond our comprehension to talk about. 14- COMMANDMENT TO WATCH The Lord Christ ended His talk about His Last Advent, by commanding His disciples to lead a life of watching, in anticipation of encountering Him. “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming - in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning - lest coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping.” (33-36) Fr. Theophlactius says: [He teaches us two things: watching and praying; as many of those who watch, spend the night in evildoings.] The Lord commands us to watch the whole night, lest the Master would come to find us asleep. Here, he divides the night into four watches, each of three hours (evening, midnight, rooster crowing, and morning); although Jews in Palestine prefer to divide it into three watches (Lk. 12: 38)4. Anyhow, it is obvious that the watching, that the Lord is commanding us to follow, means the wake-up of the inner heart; for the believer to say, “I am asleep, yet my heart is awake.”
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