Not long ago, I read a post about some verses of Scripture that was on the Yahoo News list. As surprising as that was, I thought it interesting that a religious opinion article got such mass online recognition. I clicked on it, and (alas) was disappointed.
The article seemed as if some woman was selling Christian fluff and knew that online magazines were willing to pay for, IF: A. It met their guideline of 500 words or less; and B. Had nothing serious to offer. The woman wrote exactly 400 words, or less than a page of text, which was supposedly saying something of importance about a prophecy told by Jesus.
The title of the article was, “The Son of Man will come again in a cloud of glory.” It was published by Examiner.com, on June 10, 2014 and categorized as “Bible Study/Bible Commentary.” The article gave the impression that the article was part of a series of daily Bible studies.
The verses she quoted come in Luke’s Gospel, in chapter 21, verses 25-28. There, Luke wrote:
(25) “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. (26) People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (27) At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (28) When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (NIV)
According to the author, Sharon Steimle (Columbia Biblical Studies Examiner), this picture was painted:
“Can you imagine the sun, the moon and the stars changing their size, shape, color or location? Can you even conceive of the sum hurtling toward earth and the moon leaving its orbit to drift off to the unknown reaches of the universe? Dare we imagine the sea tossing in a manner that surpasses even the most violent Tsunami we have ever known and people fainting en masse from terror? This is a very frightening scene that Luke portrays.”
Actually, Luke was not there, as he was the physician friend of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke wrote his Gospel based on Mary’s recall of a sermon given by Jesus. This part of chapter 21 was said by Jesus just prior to his final Passover Festival. He spoke this from the Mount of Olives, where crowds came to hear him speak. His words can only portray a “frightening scene” if one has no faith in God.
Since this is only four verses, I thought I would explain what Jesus meant when he said this. I actually tried to respond to the article, using the thread for comments that was available. However, after I typed in my explanation, because I was not a registered user, everything I wrote was lost by my trying to register. At the time it was realized all I had written was lost, it was too late to stay on the computer (other things to do). When I went back later, the article was no longer linked to the Yahoo page. I saw that as a sign to stop heading in that direction.
So, I will start over now, here. But here means I can add more. 🙂
Verse 25 says, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” When it says “there will be signs,” this is a statement about the news of the day. That news will be about verses 20-24, where Jesus warned the people that Jerusalem will be “surrounded by armies,” saying, “you will know that its desolation is near.” So, the “signs” will be of the time when the “Gentiles” will trample Jerusalem, such that “the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Rather than read “Gentile” as all non-Jews, it will make more sense today if we read “Arab” and “Christian” as being the meaning of “Gentiles.”
Seeing that, it is easy to read about the “sun” and the “moon” as not showing “signs” of spinning wildly out of control (against all laws of physics), but as the symbolic representations of “light” and “darkness.” Jesus, as the “light,” represents the “Day star,” while Mohammed represents a pale reflection of that light, as a dim light in “Darkness” (when not altogether absent from night and hanging out with the sun).
When you read Genesis 1:16, “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night,” you can see how Jesus is quoting knowledge possessed by all Jews as being relevant in future times. The “sun” came to represent Christianity (worship on Sundays) and the “moon” came to represent Islam (which, along with Venus, is highly symbolic to them). Thus, the news of the day (the “signs”) can be expected to be when Christianity and Islam (neither of which existed prior to the Apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit) will be Gentiles trying to trample Jerusalem, along with Jews.
When you get to the part about “stars,” this is how there will be “signs” of the times, about Christianity and Islam fighting, confirmed by astrological horoscopes. The symbolic essence of planetary alignments will reflect how a time when warfare will be possible, if not probable, and if not already ongoing. Thus, all that will confirm that “nations will be in anguish and perplexity” when Jerusalem is going down. When it is translated to state, “roaring and tossing of the sea,” it is best seen as, “report of sea swell.” This can be read as prophesying a naval invasion, with Gentile ships being involved. They will cause “roaring and tossing.”
Verse 26 then says, “People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Notice the use of “terror,” which strikes “fear” in the hearts of “people.” The word written, “phobos,” means both “fear” and “terror.” We are in a War on Fear/Terror, which is a “sign” that we have lost our religious connection with God. Look away from God and all “fear” breaks loose.
When we read, “apprehensive of what is coming on the world,” this means the world is “waiting” for something to come to our little Earth (due to the Greek word prosdokia meaning “expectation” or “waiting”). Guess what “signs” there are of that “fear,” as far as what could come from the “heavenly bodies” that pass by regularly. Can you say, “Asteroids” or “Comets”?
We have Hollywood promoting our anticipation about an asteroid strike that it almost seems to be more certain than another nuclear bomb being used in anger. We are waiting for the scientists to be proved, not God. This is so commonplace that NASA is trying to keep some funding going their way, by regularly letting everyone know just how close a piece of rock came to Earth this week. When that actually does happen, we will most assuredly “be shaken,” while also be filled with “fear.”
Verse 27 then says, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Guess how many ‘God-fearing Christians’ (or ‘Allah-fearing Muslims’) will be standing about, watching the skies … after an asteroid has hit the Earth? Only those not immediately vaporized would stand any chance (in Hell) of watching clouds; but according to the science fear mongers, we will all be experiencing either a greenhouse effect of very high temperatures, or a nuclear winter, or a toxic and deadly atmosphere, blah blah blah, so not too many will be left alive outside.
In short, all the God-fearing religious people will immediately realize they should have done more believing God before that ‘rapture’ day. They will suddenly see how God and Christ wanted them to stop all the anguish and perplexity that they had to step over or drive past, on the way to the spa and religious conventions. They will understand how that had a responsibility towards doing something that would have avoided all the naval invasions and the roaring of nuclear weapons. By doing all those earth-saving deeds (acts of faith), God would have been flicking away all the space debris targeting Earth. We would never know God has been saving us from asteroids and comets for millennia.
That means when Jesus is seen as “coming in a cloud with power,” that will be stuff from The Revelation of John. That is when Jesus will be dropping by, after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will have left a deadly cloud in which no human being can survive. When Luke wrote, “great glory,” think of that in human terms, as the result “great” nations will have had upon the world. The “glory” they will have placed upon themselves (and us too) will only have left a world full of dead. Only God has “great glory,” not Man; but Man keeps trying to act like he is great, so Jesus pointed that out. Thus, Jesus will not return as the “Son,” as a “man.” Jesus will return as a “cloud of great glory” from the LORD.
When we read verse 28 we have to see there is a way to avert all this Hell that mankind will bring upon itself. Luke wrote, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” We see the problem of Gentiles arguing over who owns the land that once was called Palestine. We see Jews admitting they stole Palestine (a sin against the Laws brought to them by Moses) to squat there. We let them stay there because it profits our great nation (Israel guards our oil). We see navies preparing to land soldiers, send planes and drones, all in the name of “terror” and “fear.” We see Islam and Christianity at each other’s throats. Gosh, we see a whole lotta “signs.” Haven’t we seen enough to realize the “signs” are telling us the point of “redemption is drawing near?”
We need not be frightened, but thankful we were alerted (awakened) soon enough to save our sorry souls. Stand up! Lift your heads to the LORD! Pray for forgiveness; and then go do something to stop all the madness. Sitting in front of your TV, computer, or cell phone, doing nothing but bad-mouthing what others are doing (or not doing), will not get you passing through a cloud on your way to Heaven. You need to get right, becoming filled with the Holy Spirit so you become the Son of Man reincarnated on Earth (works for females too). Use that “great power” of the Spirit to convert as many people around you as you can. Fill them with God’s gift too.
Otherwise, be prepared to find out just how wrong you were. You thought being a do-nothing Christian was going to get you to Heaven? Ask the Jews of Jerusalem just how much them thinking they are God’s chosen people will do for them, when the future hits the fan. They still call themselves Jews because they reject being Christians. Seems they never served God all those historic times in the Bible, when called. Don’t they run Hollywood?
Everyone is in the same boat, which is why Jesus told the disciples to include the Gentiles as they went to spread the Good News. Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians – or The harvest is plenty, but not enough laborers. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. On and on it goes. To avoid more pain and suffering, the world needs upright souls, heads facing God. If you choose a path of least activity for saving the world (and say Christ says it is okay), then you best be frightened about what Luke wrote that Jesus said.
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