Living in the Last Days

People often have one of two reactions to eschatology which is the fancy name for the study of end times, or final things. Either, eyes widen with excitement, jumping in feet first, eager to understand the smallest detail. Or, eyes get scrunched up in blissful ignorance. Both reactions come from an unhealthy view of the end times.

I remember growing up as a kid in church where there was this big chart outlining the exact way things were going to go down. I don’t know if this is much of a thing among Anglicans, but all I recall was it was mostly black and red and there were lots of flames. This chart was an example of the eyes wide reaction. As a result, though, I became very fearful of being left behind, of missing out on the rapture and having to endure the painful tribulation. My reaction mostly since has been one of eyes scrunched in favour of thing about other things. Theologically, I’d rather just view the whole thing as one big metaphor.

Wherever you fall on this spectrum, Scripture offers a healthier, more hope-filled view of the End Times.

The Already, and Not Yet

In our readings today we hear to prophetic voices, one from Christ foretelling of the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., and the other from Isaiah foretelling of the New Heavens and Earth. These two voices for the bookends of the Christian story. Between them is what Luke calls “the time of the Gentiles,” where the Kingdom of God has arrived, but is not yet fully realised.

These are the Last Days, our fellowship with God testifies to that.

But the Last Days are not like the helpful chart pinned up in my childhood church, a nice sequence of events, tying up all of history like the last paragraph in a book. No, these last days are like the final chapter of a book, it is the last stage where everything becomes revealed. These passages are like the first and last paragraphs in the final chapter.

Revelation 21 gives us a greater glimpse at that final page. Isaiah’s new creation, the New Jerusalem, the city of God, His Temple and Dwelling place, descending from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband,

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” m for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And in verses 9-14,

Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

This is not just an image of city, but of God’s people, of you and I! Redeemed, perfected, and made holy. This is not just something in the future, but Scripture calls us the Holy Temple of God now.

There’s a sense then that we live in an already/not yet tension. The Last Days are upon us, and yet, they haven’t fully come to their ultimate end. The New Jerusalem is sometihngn we will enter into but is also something God is forming us into now. As we gather each week to participate in the Word and the Table, we reflect our heavenly dwelling.

We are God’s dwelling place, brought and sustained by the blood of Christ, pure and holy. And yet there is still a hope of a greater reality to come. Each of you has this promise and this reality. All who call upon the name of Christ are the people of God.

So, what, then, are we called to do in light of all this? This is the deeper invitation the Gospel holds out to us. Christ’s answer is simple, it is not charts and tables, but character. The marks of the Christian in the last days which draw us to fix our eyes on Christ are that we are watchful, hopeful, and humble.

Watchful

In Luke 21:8 and 34 Jesus commands us to be watchful.

He says this out of love and compassion for us. He knows how easily our hearts are led astray and so He says to His disciples and to us, “watch that you are not deceived.” The destruction of the temple in 70A.D. is like the that first sentence in the final chapter, the last days are upon us.

We live in a world which clamours for our attention, which offers us false security, and false hope. Many proclaim, “I am he,” offering false assurance in a worldly kingdom. Christ calls us to be watchful, not of signs of the end, but of our hearts, that we would not be led astray.

Jesus remind us: His Kingdom is not of this world and so as citizens of heaven and resident aliens in this world we are to not be led astray. Christ’s kingdom is not found in might but weakness.

Watchfulness also means refusing discouragement. The apparent weakness of the kingdom here on earth may feel discouraging at times.

Jesus shows His compassion by addressing this, He knows the worry and fear we feel in these last days. Rather than giving up, He encourages us,

            But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

We don’t endure by muscle, but by falling upon the grace and mercy of God. He will sustain and deliver us blameless before the throne of Christ.

Hopeful

Christians are to be a people of deep and certain hope. God’s promises are sure and steadfast. God’s speaking is His doing. Christian hope is not vague optimism, but confident assurance that God will work all things and will make all things new.

Isaiah 65 promises the creation of the New Heavens and New Earth. Revelation 21 shows its fulfilment. Here there is no sin, or remembrance of sin, we will be washed clean and transformed into perfect holiness and light as our God is. This is no fantasy. It is our future.

We can be hopeful of this because God promises to bring us to this. Jesus comforts us amidst trials and temptations saying,

            You will be hated for my names sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The One who knows the number of hairs on our head will surely deliver us to His Goodness. Therefore, do not be anxious, but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He will bring us to the fulness of His Kingdom, and our hope is not in vain because it is God who delivers our hope.

Humble

Finally, Jesus calls us to humility.

The chapter opens with Jesus and the disciples at the temple when Jesus notices a widow giving her offering. He says,

Read vs 3-4

While the disciples were distracted by the beauty of the temple, and the grandeur of its presence, Jesus was taken with the beauty of the humility of widow’s offering. False Christ’s boast of power and splendour of their kingdoms, but our Lord is meek and lowly and loves what is meek and lowly.

The religion that the temple stood for is of the Scribes and Pharisees who devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They boasted of the power of their kingdom. It is this outward religion which will be destroyed and pass away.

The widow’s offering is the pattern of true religion. True beauty is not found in our adorning, but in the humility of our hearts. Christ’s self-offering is the pattern of His Kingdom. The New Jerusalem is adorned like a bride, not from her own achievement but because Christ has made her beautiful.

The widow’s offering shows us the heart which reflects the Kingdom: a heart that knows everything comes from God and offers it back in gratitude. Humility doesn’t gain us entrance, only Christ does that. But humility is the fragrance of the offering of our lives touched by grace.

Living between the bookends

We live between the two bookends, between Christ’s first and second comings. Between what has passed away, and what will be made new. In this time, Christ calls us to be watchful, hopeful, and humble. To guard our hearts, trusting in God’s promise and reflecting the character of Christ.

The New Jerusalem is coming. Through Christ it is coming through us. He calls us to be His priests to the world, to proclaim His excellencies and grace. And Christ prepares us and sustains us for that, He gives Himself here in Word, and in Sacrament. It is through this that we are being made into the New Creation, a people God delights in.

So let us live now in light of who we will be.

Let us pray.

Lord, we ask you to keep your household, the Church in continual godliness, that through your protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve you in good works, to the glory of your name, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.