The relevant passage is Luke 21:5-28, which in the NIV Study Bible is headed "Signs of the End of the Age". Let's have a look at what thing we are supposed to see so that we "look up, for [your] redemption draweth nigh" (incidentally, from the spelling I'm guessing these people used the King James version, which is one of the least accurate translations of God's Word).
This starts with Jesus predicting the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (Lk 21:6). Gosh, when did that happen? Only 1,950 years ago!
Jesus says, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places" (Lk 21:10-11). There is no time in history when these things have NOT been true!
Jesus says, "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name." (Lk 21:12) And indeed, this did happen to many of the disciples under Roman rule. It really cannot be said to be happening much to Christians in the modern era, though!
Jesus says, "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near" (Lk 21:20) Again, that already happened in 70CE. If people point to the wars between Israel and the Arab nations, it should be pointed out that Israel won those wars; Jerusalem's desolation was by no means "near" when that happened!
Jesus says, "There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations." (Lk 21:23-24) That actually happened as well - the Jewish diaspora!
Jesus says, "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and the tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." (Lk 21:25-26) Now, the first reference here might be astrological rather than astronomical (it's reckoned that the signs followed by the Magi were astrological, not astronomical) but the second must have an astronomical reference: if the heavenly bodies are to be "shaken" in astrological terms, it implies they have left their predictable paths - that can only happen if something has perturbed their orbits in astronomical observations as well. Arguably, the only time that has been the case has been in the 19th and early 20th century, when first Neptune and then Pluto were discovered by deducing their existence from irregularities in the orbits of (respectively) Uranus and Neptune.
I think we would have noticed by now if there were signs in the sun and moon of impending doom!
Finally, Jesus says, "At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Lk 21:27) It doesn't seem to me that any such cloud has been sighted recently!
So, whatever Luke 21:28 means, it definitely does not mean that the disaster in Haiti signals the coming of the End of the Age - mainly because most of the signs of that happened in 70CE!
0 things wot people said:
Post a Comment
Comments Moderation Policy
This blog is intended to be a place where I can develop my thoughts freely and get free and honest responses. Essentially, it is my safe space, and for that reason I have elected to maintain this blog as a moderated space. However, I am opposed in general to censorship and believe that usually the best way to kill a bad idea is with a better one, so very few comments will be rejected. Comments designed to cause offence for the sake of it (e.g. abusive or inflammatory remarks with no other content), or else those that I feel cross a boundary of human decency, are most likely to be rejected.