LUKE 21:5-19. This passage is part of an edited version taken from Mark 13 known as "The Little Apocalypse." It appears to quote Jesus as predicting the destruction of the temple and the end of the present age. Many scholars believe that it was originally a Jewish document adapted for use in the Christian mission, but also incorporating some genuine words of Jesus. Its essential message is that Jesus changed all of history.

A MORE COMPLETE ANALYSIS

ISAIAH 65:17-25. Isaiah 56-66 can no longer be viewed simplistically as the work of a Third Isaiah, although this segment has some claim to being different from Isaiah 1-39 (First Isaiah - 8^th century BCE) and Isaiah 40-55 (Second or Deutero-Isaiah - 6^th century BCE). The main themes in Isaiah 56-66 are the many visions of the restoration of Israel and of the new Jerusalem where social justice and peace are established and the temple is open to worshipers from all nations. This goes much farther into what is known as eschatology than most other parts of the Book of Isaiah. It deals with life in a new age when Yahweh’s attitude toward Israel has turned from judgment to a promise of joy and peace. Scholars date from the period immediately after the return from exile in Babylon (538-520 BCE) and before the rebuilding of the temple.

This reading contains one such vision with emphasis on tranquility and prosperity. It consists of the two closing strophes of the ten in the poem contained in 65:1-25. As a whole, the poem expresses a traditional eschatological view of judgement and restoration. The closing strophes emphasize the latter state when new heavens and a new earth come into being. The poet/prophet wrote as if God spoke through him, as evidenced by the use of the pronoun I and the typical prophetic phrase, “...says the Lord” (vss. 7, 8, 13, 25).

The felicitous new age will be centred in Jerusalem, the symbol of divine intervention in the nation’s history (vss.18-19). Since the creation of the newly independent state of Israel in 1948, Jerusalem has again become the sacred symbol of Jewish identity in both the religious and the secular context. The promised redemption will be marked by long life (vs. 20), the rebuilding of homes and planting of fruitful vineyards in which to dwell enjoyably (vss. 21-23).

The final strophe of the poem begins by reiterating the divine initiative before being sought as first stated in vs. 1-2. It ends with a vision of wild and domestic animals “red in tooth and claw” completely transformed into peaceful co-habitation in God’s holy mountain. This vision subsequently became a symbol of the messianic age (cf. 11:6-9, Ezekiel 34:25, 28) and frequently appeared in art depicting that redemptive ideal.

What a powerful lesson to be read in this particular year as destructive wars set their death grip on the helpless people of several countries.

ISAIAH 12. The Book of Psalms does not contain all the psalms in the Bible. Here we find two brief hymns of thanksgiving (vss. 1-2 and 3-6) of unknown origin and date which seem to provide a conclusion to the messianic visions of chapter 11. Similar psalms were included in other prophetic books, e.g. Jonah 2 and Habakkuk 3. Each of these two psalms has an introductory rubric, “You will say in that day ...” similar to those found in Deuteronomy 26:5a, Isaiah 25:9a and 26:1a.

Other parallels to the wording of the both psalms appear elsewhere in the Hebrew scriptures. For example, the second part of vs. 2 appears in Exodus 15:2 and Ps. 118:14. Several phrases of the second psalm (vss. 3-6) can be found in Pss. 105:1, 148:13, 66:2, 67:2 (vs. 4-5); while Zechariah 2:10 compares with vs. 6.

This cannot be considered unusual since thanksgiving hymns of temple liturgies always reflected two significant aspects of ancient Israelite life: the saving covenant relationship with Yahweh and the ordinary experiences of daily life. In this instance, vs. 3a reflects the communal well to be found in every village which becomes the symbol of Yahweh’s saving acts as in Numbers 21:16-17. John’s Gospel echoes this same metaphor in 4.13-14. For most Israelites, religious practices were not centred in the sacred precincts of the temple in Jerusalem, but in their village homes and the institutions which sustained their daily life. Celebrations relating to the simple acts of drawing water and gathering the harvest offered them a direct means of expressing their joy and trust in divine providence.

MALACHI 4:1-2A. (Alternate) The name Malachi literally means “my messenger,” but we do not know whether this was the name of the prophet or a description of his office. The rebuilding of the temple had already been completed (circa 515 BCE). The keeping of the covenant relationship with God was the great concern of this little known prophet of the period soon after the return of the exiles from Babylon. To maintain the sanctity of the temple and its sacrificial rituals has become the chief expression of this relationship. To achieve this had become the chief role of the priesthood in difficult times during the first hundred years or so after the exile. In fact, the priests had replaced the monarchy as the chief authorities and representatives of the nation as well as serving a strictly religious function.

In this passage, speaking for Yahweh, the prophet utters a grave warning that all unfaithful Israelites would be destroyed like the stubble left and burned after the harvest. The season of harvest in Palestine comes in the late spring or early summer. In the intense heat of summer may indeed feel like the oven metaphorically describing what awaits those unworthy of the covenant relationship. The colourful phrase “root and branch” has come into the English language to describe the total destruction envisaged.

In vs. 2, the threat to the unfaithful vanishes as a totally different set of metaphors describes how the faithful will be rewarded for their righteousness. They will receive the welcome refreshment and healing the rising sun of the early morning brings.

Christians have interpreted this promise that for those who revere God’s name “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing on its wings” as a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. Charles Wesley used the metaphor in verse 3 of his famous exultation of the coming of Christ set to Felix Mendelsshon Bartoldy’s tune, Hark! the herald angels sing.

PSALM 98. (Alternate) This is one of a series of six so-called “enthronement psalms” psalms probably used in celebrating the sovereignty of Yahweh at the New Year festival. It uses different sounds in nature as well as the human voice and musical instruments as the means of praise. (See Pss. 47, 93, 96-99) The reason for such an outburst of rejoicing lay in the mighty saving acts of Yahweh extending in mercy to Israel. Their purpose was to draw the attention of the whole world and thus inform all peoples of what Yahweh was doing through this specially favoured people.

Vs. 4 identifies the songs of praise as worshipers parade into the temple.

In vss. 5-6, musical instruments add to joyous cacophony. Finally, all nature and all creatures are summoned to support the noisy disharmony.

The idea of Yahweh as a monarch to be enthroned each new year conveyed the spiritual truth of a supreme being to whose will the people owed obedience. This concept went as far back as the times of Gideon (Judges 8:23) and presumably also reflected the double roles of an ancient Middle Eastern monarch as ruler and chief religious figurehead or priest. The Israelites had adopted this concept after their settlement in Canaan. Yahweh was their King-God similar to the monarchs of other cultures. In the post-exilic period when there were no reigning monarchs, the annual ritual of the enthronement of Yahweh has taken the place of royal coronations. Ps. 72 refers to a coronation when the monarch ascended Israel’s throne as the representative and “son” of Yahweh. From these customs and practices came the concept of the saving messiah so familiar to Christians in the gospel depictions of Jesus as the Messiah and King of the Jews.

2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-13. Commenting on last week’s reading, we saw that the second Thessalonian letter came quickly after the first to correct certain misinterpretations of Paul’s teaching about the Parousia. This reading amplifies that analysis. Apparently some of the Thessalonian converts had decided that since Christ would soon return, there should be no further need to work, but depended on other members of the community to support them in idleness. Paul here gives specific instructions that they continue to support themselves as he had done while he had lived among them. Being a craftsman himself, he repeated what may well have been a common workshop proverb that gave moral meaning to ordinary labor: “Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” (vs. 10b)

This proverb does not imply that those unable to work due to physical or mental disabilities should not be provided with support. Nor does it mean that the indigent should be neglected. During recent economic recessions, many people have been thrown out of work through no fault of their own. There is no work for them to do; they are redundant, to use a term common in Great Britain. In a feverish drive to reduce taxes, governments have drastically contracted the social safety net leaving some vulnerable people destitute. These were not the people Paul had in mind, although we have heard this proverb carelessly thrown out at some of the poor forced to live on the streets. Rather, Paul was thinking of those who deliberately dropped out of normal ways of providing for themselves in anticipation of the imminent return of Christ and the establishing of the messianic kingdom

on earth.

He goes even further to advise other members of the Christian community to avoid those who had taken to idleness. One can envision them standing around waiting for something to happen and passing the time gossiping. In the background of vss.11-12 lies an insightful juxtaposition of the chattering busybodies gathered in the marketplace and the quiet industry of those earning their own living in the many small shops around the periphery.

Avoiding these shirkers, as Paul urges, would shame and warn them rather than create open hostility. Or so he hoped. Yet he recognized that such an attitude involved certain dangers. His closing benediction emphasizes peace - the peace of the Christ himself - which Paul prayed would exist among the Thessalonians “at all times in all ways.” Like a devout Jew who knew the writings of the great prophets, Paul recognized that communal justice is a significant part of salvation.

LUKE 21: 5-19. Long before Jesus’ ministry, a rich eschatological tradition existed in Judaism. The apostolic church took over this tradition and reinterpreted it as being fulfilled is the messianic age Jesus inaugurated. After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem about 40 years after the resurrection, Mark expressed this tradition in words of prophecy ostensibly spoken by Jesus himself (Mark 13). Parts of this passage in Luke 21 had their source in Mark’s gospel; other parts came from Luke’s own source, known to scholars as *L.* Vss. 5-11 and 16-17 belong to Mark, while 12-15 and 18-19 are from *L.* The two are so cleverly fused as to be almost indistinguishable. The fusion extends to the end of the chapter.

The late Professor George Caird, of Oxford, commented that in doing so, Luke made his own special contribution to New Testament eschatology. He distinguished those parts of the Church’s expectation which had already been fulfilled in his day from those that remained to be accomplished. (p.229, Caird, George B. “The Pelican New Testament Commentaries: St. Luke.” Penguin Books, 1963.) Writing about 50 years after the resurrection, this reading includes only already fulfilled events.

Luke has Jesus predict the persecutions which his disciples would encounter, even to betrayal by members of their own families. This may well have been happening in Luke’s audience. Jesus had also promised that they would be given the words with which to defend themselves before their persecutors (cf. Acts 4:8ff). Despite this, they would not be harmed (vs. 18). Luke surely knew that this promise, if Jesus in fact made it in so many words, did not hold true. For instance, he obviously knew of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:54ff) and he also recorded that James the Apostle had been executed by Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2). Why, then, would he report these reputed words of Jesus in such a contradictory promise. Was this merely hyperbole?

By its very nature, eschatology is hyperbolic. It can never be literally interpreted. Its purpose was to warn of judgment to come and to encourage the faithful that, come what may, God is still in control of historical events. Instead of predicting what would inevitably happen in coming troubles and persecutions, he was warning that things would get worse before they got better.

There have been many attempts to interpret current events eschatologically. Some preachers may be tempted to seize on New Testament eschatology as a means of predicting (and condoning!) what will be the outcome of the present warfare instigated by criminally irresponsible terrorism or American assertive self-defense. Biblical scholarship has never had complete consensus on what passages such as this one really mean for a modern audience. Exactly what it meant for Luke’s audience in similarly uncertain.

The core of Christian eschatology is that God as revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is sovereign in love over all historical events. This does not mean that God intervenes in the outcome of specific historical processes such as the way a particular battle or war will be won or lost. God is not a mechanic customizing history like an antique car fancier with expert skill. Nor is God an artist painting a canvas and changing the appearance of her work by a simple sweep of a brush. At the same time, we do put our trust in divine providence.

As with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has a purpose in which all events of human time and place are being gathered up. In the end God’s reign will come to pass as God determined from the beginning. In the coming of Jesus as a human being into the world where human history takes place, God has inaugurated this reign of sovereign love. The Spirit of God is now at work within human beings and all our myriad relationships, good and bad, to bring about what God ultimately intends for creation.

Human history is still unfinished business, but it also is the place where God is at work. The full consummation of God’s purpose is yet to come. Eschatology attempts to describe what this consummation will be like as the writer imagined it. To reiterate, no eschatological passage in the New Testament can be read literally. To do so is to destroy the kaleidoscope of changing patterns and images so vividly described in words heavily dependent on Jewish antecedents. What is literally true is that God reigns.

We live in God’s world, the God who came in Jesus and is coming to complete God’s historical purpose of reconciling all creation to God’s eternal love.

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