# Today’s lecturer is the co-pastor Mizuguchi.

1. Message about the end of the world

We are reading the Gospel by Mark following the church lecturing program and today’s passage of the chapter 13 is the last session. From next Sunday we begin a new series as the preparation of the Advent and Christmas. Its principal texts will be the Gospel according to Luke.Christmas is the time when we await the bright light which come will through dark sky. Those who long for the light must recognize the darkness of the earthy world. Today’s lecturing portion is about the end of the world*, which symbolizes chaotic human universe.

At the beginning of the chapter 13 Mark tells us how Jesus commenced the teaching ; - As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"(Mark 13:1)-

Jesus’ disciples, coming from Galilee, was impressed by sumptuous appearance of the Temple buildings in Jerusalem. They might thought that those buildings were extremely substantial and everlasting monuments. But ; - “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."(Mark 13:2)-

In that time the Temple of Jerusalem was the core of the faith of the Jewish people. They could not even imagine that it would be thrown down someday. They must think that destruction of the Temple signified the end of the world. So much so the disciples were upset and asked Jesus ;-"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"(Mark 13:4)

Today’s passage represents Jesus’ answer to them as the prediction of calamities which must precede the end of the world. ; -” ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’(see Mark13:24-25)-

Mark wrote those descriptions by referring to Isaiah 13:10 ; - The stars of heaven and their constellations 
will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.-

Isaiah is telling about the judgement of God. And Mark’s following verse ; - “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.(mark 13:26)- is based on the Book of Daniel ; -"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.(Daniel 7:13-14)-

The expression “a son of man” meant originally a human in general but that writing in Daniel gave it a particular sense, ” the ultimate Judge sent by God.”

Thus Mark called Jesus ” the Son of Man” as the glorious Christ after the Resurrection in accordance with that Jewish common understanding

2. Background of the prediction

Behind descriptions of the end of the world we see the threats of persecution. The Book of Daniel is one of examples. The book was written in the 2nd century during which Hellenistic kingdoms dominated the Palestine. Israel has been menaced by their hegemonies, especially under the rule of the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The king persecuted Jewish people for their religious belief. He brought and placed in the Temple of Jerusalem idols of Greek gods and Jewish traditional rites were prohibited meanwhile. Besides uncompromising believers of Judaism were martyred.
The more they wished to be faithful the more they suffered. The book of Daniel tried to encourage the people under such circumstances. It emphasizes that evil of the earthy world must pass away and the kingdom of God would be established to save righteous persons. And the last message of it underlines the hope in future by saying that absurd and inadmissible circumstances of the time must vanish and God’s would overcome ultimately.

And Mark was experiencing similar calamities to Daniel’s time, like wars, natural disasters, destruction of the Temple and false Christs, as Jesus’ had prediction. Jesus predicts also the soon arrival of the salvation day in the parable of the fig tree. ; - “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.(Mark 13:28-29)-

We find also correlating verses in the following part ;- “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.(Mark 13:32-33)

It is stressed as an alert there that the time of its arrival is not known. If we think that the end of the world comes in a far future we lose vigilance and might live in pleasure-seeking way. Indeed majority of us have that tendency. But that the ultimate judgement of God comes suddenly, as Jesus taught. Therefore we must live always in accordance with God’s will. Moreover Jesus told his disciples that ; - ” Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."(Mark 13:31)-

The words are compelling them, and us too, to focus on only what is eternal.

3. How to understand the prophecy

We chose 1 Corinthians 13:13 for today’s invocation verse ;- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As we saw previously the contents of Mark chapter 13 is Jesus’ prediction of destruction of the Temple, which must precede the end of the world. Mark interpreted Jesus’ words in line with his living surroundings. The Gospel was written under chaotic circumstances of the first Jewish revolt around 70 CE. In Jesus’ life time, many Jewish uprisings against Roman domination occurred all over the Palestine. The region was in a menacing atmosphere. Indeed, Jesus himself was arrested and executed as a revolutionary rebel. The movements developed to break the first Jewish war of the independence from Rome.* Revolutionaries cried out slogans, ” Fight against and defeat Roman Empire with military arms ! Make the Temple of Jerusalem the summit of the world!” and such. They believed that God, by using his miraculous power, must make Israel the ruler of the whole world. They also thought that when it achieved God would accord them mannas from heaven. And the majority of the people agreed with them and participated the movements.
Though they arrived to establish an independent government by defeating a roman legion, after ultimate winner was Roman army. As the result of the war, the Temple was burned and Jerusalem was completely destroyed.
Mark was warning them of the siege of Jerusalem by Romans through Jesus’ words.; –"When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ” (Mark 13:14 ) –
Luke describes the parallel passage more directly. ; – ” When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.(Luke 21:20-21) –

Mark thought that the real cause of desolation was unfaithfulness of Jewish people, which let zealots mislead them.

Mark appeals christians not to follow such fanatical agitators in Jerusalem till death in the following verses ;- At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ !’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; (Mark 13:21-23)

Mark understood that it was not yet the time of the end of the world. Therefore he tried to send his own message through Jesus’ words to escape from disasters. And many christians obeyed to Mark and set out from Jerusalem to go to Pella*, a city on the east bank of the Jordan River. Thus they could avoid the catastrophe, as Matthew reported ;- “All who draw the sword will die by the sword.(see Matthew 26:52)

Christians who escaped from Jerusalem were blamed by other Jewish persons for being cowards or betrayers. But thanks to Jesus’ prediction they were saved. The real history reveals the truth ;- Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(Mark 13:31)-

I think that the Gospels are not simply literal records of Jesus’ life. They contain also its interpretations by Gospel writers. They wrote them as confessions of the faith in Christ.

In similar way we should understand Jesus’ words as messages addressed directly to us. For example, a person who is diagnosed with cancer at the latest phase and has a short timelife should read this passage ; -"Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.(see Mark 13;7)- as consolation for him.

Or those who are facing financial deficits and menaced by creditors would listen this teaching as personal encouragement to have guts. ; –These are the beginning of birth pains.(see Mark 13:8)-

Persons who overcame difficulties might hear Jesus’ congratulations from this verse.;- All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.(Mark 13:13)-

Faith in the end of the world, or eschatology, is not a belief that the world will end at a fixed date. Rather we take it as a belief that all secular values are temporary, which allows us to relativise earthy events. Following the time social status or human hegemonies should change and be turned over. Business failure, unemployment, or even sad incidents inside family caused by divorce, or severe illness do not signify the end of the world. We should think that they are “the beginning of birth pains” which lead us to the blessing of newly born life.

Behind them we can hear Jesus’s declaration “my words will never pass away.” Those who trust their lives in hands of Lord will receive God’s mercy. We will always keep in our mind, ” And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love ,” which save us from despair. We owe totally our peaceful future to God.
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* Christian eschatology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_eschatology
* First Jewish-Roman War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish-Roman_War
* Pella http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pella,_Jordan