Its Not the End of the World, Part 1

Luke 21:5-11

by Dennis Gunderson

This morning we reach what just might be the most controversial section in any of the gospels. There are no words of Jesus over which Bible scholars have debated more than this the section of Luke 21, Matt 24, and Mark 13 in which Jesus is speaking with His disciples, to answer their question of v 7:

Teacher, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?

Some of the reason its a puzzle is just because that's how prophecy always is: when you predict massive events in the future in just a few words, it tends to leave a lot of question marks and raises more questions than you had to begin with. And that's what Jesus does here: predicts the most important events of all future history, in just a few words.

Its also often a puzzle because prophecy is often fulfilled in multiple ways that is, more than once, fulfilled and then culminates in a major, final fulfillment too. In other words, even the final day of Gods judgment of the world is preceded by many judgments of God in the world.

All we know is that, for 2,000 years, Christians have disagreed and conflicted and found all sorts of knotty problems in interpreting this section. We should only enter into the study of it with a large does of humility and an admission that we do not have all the answers. Matt 24 is even knottier than Luke 21 the Luke edition is the easier one. Its sometimes called Jesus Olivet Discourse, because of Mark 13:3, that Jesus delivers a lot of this while seated on the grassy slope of the Mt. of Olives. For several days preceding this, Jesus has been teaching in the temple remember? Ever since marching into Jerusalem like the king He is, He has purged the whole temple area of those who are abusing it; He's taught the eagerly listening people for days on end; He's had several very uncomfortable debates with the religious leaders (uncomfortable for them) and embarrassed their socks off every time. They asked Him questions and always came away wishing they hadn't. Then He asked them questions which left them shaking their heads, just to show them who they were dealing with.

And finally, He tops it all off by going right where the most impressive givers of the nation show up to dump their biggest offerings, the big wheels whose money drives the engine of 1st-century Judaism, and who does He instead exalt but, a widow who offers up a cent, two of the cheapest coins of their economy.

Its probably the end of that same day that He was watching people do their offerings. He's done teaching in the temple for the day, and He's leaving, just as v 37 tells us He was doing often. Matthew and Marks version tell us this, Mark 13:1 and Matt 24:1, that as they're leaving, some of those with Him are talking about what a wonder the temple is! Luke 21:5: some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, but they were marveling about it, saying as they were heading out of it, Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!, Mark 13:1. Even though they'd been in and out of there for several days, still, it was an impressive building and they were impressed. What a magnificent building this is!

The temple in Jerusalem was considered one of the great wonders of the Roman empire. It was King David who at first conceived in his heart the idea of building the Lord a temple; but for His own reasons, God determined that David was not the appropriate man to see this through to reality, but his son Solomon would get to erect it. Cedar and cypress wood from Lebanon was brought in; white hard limestone was used as well. Over the centuries, it went through a troubled history: it was plundered, renovated, desecrated, purged, back and forth. In 586 BC, the Chaldean army absolutely destroyed Jerusalem, and they did not spare the temple.

But about 50 years later, when a small population a remnant of Jews came back to repopulate Jerusalem, an altar was built immediately, with hopes of a new temple in mind. And about 20 years later, serious work began on that temple and it would be a beautiful building again, but not as impressive as the first and original one. Some of the older folks, who'd seen the previous one, were saddened that the glory of the original could not be replicated, but their resources were not as great at the time and so that was not possible. Still, it was a glorious building. The in 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes both plundered it, robbing many holy items for himself, and desecrated it, making it a place where he demanded that people worship him. But in only 3 years it was recaptured by the heroic Judas Maccabeus, who set things in order and re-dedicated it.

Over and over it was put through trying times. Pompey captured the temple later that century but did not harm it. Crassus entered it in 54-53 BC, and again robbed it of many of its treasures. But for some reason, in 19 BC, an idea got into the heart of Herod the Great, of all people, to expand, beautify, and enlarge the whole temple reason so extensively that, the result really was like a whole new temple, of even greater magnitude and glory than Solomon's original. It was certainly much, much larger.

He made it an entire campus, a complex. He added great halls and annexes, porches with 40 tall pillars lined up in rows, lengthy exterior walls (some almost 1,000 feet long that's a wall nearly 2/10ths of a mile, to make enclosed courtyards; limestone was overlaid with marble and the wood panels were overlaid with gold. It made a stunning impression on a visitor approaching the city some said it looked like a little mountain of gold and white, gleaming in the sun. Its walls were heavily decorated with beautiful, jeweled sculptures, such as the famous grapevine, bearing clusters the size of a man on them. Josephus writes this about it:

The exterior of the building wanted nothing that could astound either mind or eye. For, being covered on all sides with massive plates of gold, the sun was no sooner up than it radiated so fiery a flash that persons straining to look at it were compelled to avert their eyes, as from the solar rays. To approaching strangers it appeared from a distance like a snow-clad mountain; for all that was not overlaid with gold was of purest white. From its summit protruded sharp golden spikes to prevent birds from settling upon and polluting thereof. Some of the stones in the building were forty-five cubits in length, five in height and six in breadth.

Some of the foundation stones were immense! How they got those in place I don't know.

Herod elevated the entire structure so that, from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the Women, there were 14 steps to ascend; then from the court of the Women to the Court of Israel, 15 more steps; another dozen steps upward to get to the priests court; and then twelve more steps to the entrance to the sanctuary.

Herod's renovation plans and blueprints were so extensive that, long after his death, the project was far from complete. The immigrants who returned from Babylon and built the temple under Zechariahs ministry would scarcely have recognized the place. It was like turning Driller Park into Yankee Stadium. Remember when the Jews said to Jesus, Jn 2:20, its taken 46 years to build this temple? They were not referring to the original construction of the temple; that didn't take 46 years. They were referring to the present renovation going on. That had been going on 46 years and it still wasn't done.

So the Jews kept on at it. It ended up being a renovation project that lasted 81 years: starting in 19 BC and finished in 63 AD. And hearing that is probably appalling to many of you who know 1st century history, because you know this: in 70 AD, only 7 years after all this was done, guess what? It was flattened by the Roman army. Completely destroyed. It was part of a suppression of a Jewish rebellion that the Romans felt they just had to firmly put down to be a lesson. They went so far as to plow up some of the foundation stones.

What a beautiful, marvelous temple! When men are excited about the things in this world its structures, its accomplishments and opportunities sometimes that hands us our best opportunities to speak of how transitory this life and world is. How soon it will all be over. How the finest things in this world will all come crumbling down.

Jesus reply was unexpected. The disciples expected Him to no doubt say something supporting the national pride in this treasured edifice! Instead, He said v 6:

As for these things (these buildings) you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.

He predicted what Titus of Rome would do. All of it will be knocked down. They could hardly believe their ears. It was magnificent; it was costly; but it was still part of this world and so not destined to last. And this has been a reality with God from the beginning of time: He will not tolerate external facades that we build to honor Him, if our lives dishonor Him. And when cleansing the temple did not bring about repentance, they sealed their doom; it must be destroyed. The same is true of your life and mine.

But no wonder the disciples asked v 7:

Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? When will it happen? What will precede it so we know its about to happen?

Look at Matt 24:3-, which tells us they were all sitting up there on the Mt. of Olives when they asked Him this

And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?

Sitting there together on that hill, 150 feet above the streets of Jerusalem, a dramatic view of the temple complex, sparkling in the afternoon sun below them, the disciples asked Jesus the questions that led to the longest recorded answer Jesus ever gave to a question that someone asked Him in any of the four gospels. Words which explain not just when the temple would be destroyed, words about more than the ruin of Jerusalem, but since to them, nothing could be more like the end of the world than that, it was a fine time to talk about the end of the world. They thought of the end of Israel and the end of the world in one breath!

It is clear that the disciples assumed that when Jesus talked about the end of Jerusalem and the ruin of the temple, that had to mean the end of the world! And Jesus did not lead them to think otherwise. The first end was a type of the second end. But imagine the world endured almost another 1,900 years after the ruin of Israel. Too often we think that the collapse of the world order around us has to signal the end. Clearly, it does not.

But to rightly interpret this chapter, we have to keep before us what questions they asked as the prompt of the whole answer. Their two central questions were about, when will the temple be torn down? And when will you come when will you return? Indicating that evidently, some of them were starting to catch on that He was in fact leaving for a time, as He had told them several times. When will the temple come down? When will the end of this age come? the end of the world.

Just like Christians today, I'm sure that they didn't even know how to ask the right questions when it came to matters of the future. They had very little idea what they were asking about. Its a blessing that our learning from God doesn't depend upon us asking precisely the right questions, but on His graciousness in giving us the answers we need.

And far more off-base than the early disciples, Christians have for centuries persisted in asking all the wrong questions when they look at this chapter! Searching it for hints about timing which aren't there; scanning it carefully to find dates we can set, which arent given. Signs of what will come just before the end. Put all that baggage out of mind and look at it with me and see if you don't see something else. What is primarily here? Survey it with me and see if you don't agree all the way down to v 24, for today at least. What does he tell them? He tells them:
 

Don't be misled by fake saviors, v 8
Don't be terrified over news of wars and disturbances (riots, overthrows), vv 9-10
Don't be overwhelmed by earthquakes, plagues, famines; even heavenly signs, v 11
Don't be intimidated or surprised by persecutors, v 12 in fact,
be encouraged! Because it will give you an opportunity to testify, v 13
Don't even feel you have to be perfectly prepared for such confrontations, but
count on God imparting wisdom, v 15
Be prepared to endure hatred and opposition from all people, even relatives, vv 16-18
You'll be treated like criminals! But press on and endure, v 19

By the time He reaches v 20, He is becoming very specific about what they will face in 70 AD: when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand and that is precisely what took place. The Romans did a gradual encirclement of Jerusalem that took several weeks. It was a warning to tell them, get this revolt under control, or were coming in but they didn't heed it; God gave them over to stubbornness. Know that when He does that, He often means to destroy a person.

And He urges them to be wise to know how to preserve their own lives in trying times, vv 20-21. Get out of the city; flee to the mountains; if you're outside the city, don't come in it wont be a good time to be there, because these are days of vengeance v 22. It will be a terrible place to be a woman with a child; because there wont be mercy for anyone, v 23. The whole population will die by the edge of the sword and taken captive to go off into the nations.

Can't you see that none of this thus far is about the end of the world? Because at the end of the world, Jews wont be taken captive and sold off into other nations. Jerusalem wont be getting trampled by the Gentiles for their time. If He was talking about the final judgment day, He would have said that God was trampling both Jews and Gentiles, one last time. But no: this was the beginning of the time when the Jews would live, for almost 20 centuries, at the mercy of the Gentile world. The times of the Gentiles until that is fulfilled until God says that's enough of that, which will be the time of the end.

So, back up to v 6: He predicts the tearing down of the temple. You say the temple is coming down? What a total nightmare! Were just getting near to having it finished! Why would the Lord let it be torn down? When is this going to happen? Why would God surprise His people by making that which we thought would last, quite temporary. Jesus concern is not over the sustaining of the temple. He is concerned that His people, the real temple of God, be pure and holy unto the Lord, and that's what He's going to teach them to do.

This is our Saviors thoughtful counsel to His Own for the most turbulent of possible times.

Think of how deeply we were moved by the event of the World Trade Center being knocked down; knowing that three major locations in our land were being attacked all at once the Pentagon, WTC, and probably the White House by that 3rd plane. Well, imagine a time when, its not the WTC knocked down by two planes. Imagine a time in which your entire nation is taken over, and your capitol subdued, and every building of significance flattened. Not just a couple of really big ones. The whole place turned to rubble. Your world is ended.

What are you going to need then? Well, a calendar that tells you when exactly the Lord is coming back is probably not one of them. You will need well-thought out encouragement that helps you know what to do with your fears. You need rock-solid words to give you good reasons to endure. Because there will be plenty of time that you have to endure through still. For the clear inference of His words is: Not everything that seems to be a sign of the end of the world is, in fact, that. Its not the end of the world. Even when life as you have known it completely unravels and collapses, that's not meaning God is about to end the world and you don't have to persevere for very long; it means that you're going to have to learn a lot about persevering, even when He changes everything in life.

And one of the things you're prone to do at such times is, to look for someone to lean on for hope. To find somebody who can give you a reason to take heart.

1) Don't be Misled by Fake Saviors (false Christs) v 8

And He said, See to it that you not be misled (deceived); for many will come in My name, saying, I am He, and The time is at hand. Do not go after them!

If you're ever vulnerable to a false religious teacher, its when events happen that you never thought would happen. Too often then, in desperation, people become receptive to some new teacher; they get gullible; willing to listen to new ideas, religious novelties, supposing that maybe there's some idea or truth or teaching we haven't heard yet, that's going to make a difference for you. But don't be deceived at such times.

Many will come in My name. What does that mean exactly, that they come in My name? That can mean, but is not limited to mean, that they will claim to be Jesus or represent Jesus. There are a lot more ways than that to come in Jesus name. Some may claim to actually be Jesus. But they need not do that to come in His name they may claim to be what He is, even if not claiming to be Who He is.

They will use the claim of Divine revelation as the basis for their lying, deceptive claims.

Some are out for the respect. Some are out for the money. Some are wanting to be relied upon as heroes in their times. And multitudes of people are swayed by them, because many yield to such false teachers eagerly.

2) Don't be Terrified by Wars and Disturbances (International Incidents, Riots, Overthrows) vv 9-10

And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.

These do not signal the end.

When Jesus spoke these words, the Roman empire has been enjoying a long era of peace. But about 4 decades later, political turmoil would break out and upset that peace, and the worlds most powerful and grandest realm would be going through a shaking from one end to the other, causing great fear among the citizens as to whether the kingdom was going to hold together. Rome would see a change of 4 emperors at one point in a single year! Right after Nero. There was Galba. Otho. Vitellus. Vespasian.

Once Nero was dead, Galba of Spain made himself emperor. But almost immediately, in January 69 AD, the governor of Upper Germany, named Vittelus, rebelled, and marched on Rome. At about the same time, one of Galba's supporters, Otho, turned on him and killed him.So Otho briefly became emperor. He fought Vitellius, but he lost and was killed, and Vitellius became emperor.

All three of these emperors had come from the West, and by this time the army in the East, in Asia, was starting to feel that they should have an emperor who would pay more attention to them. So they chose their own general, Vespasian, to be emperor. In the fall of 69 AD, one of Vespasian's friends fought Vitellius, and Vitellius was killed, so Vespasian became emperor. Four emperors in one year! People were really afraid the old civil war time was coming back again. So they were glad to settle down with Vespasian as emperor.

And it was Vespasian who was ruling the empire when Titus, his military general, made the decision to raze Jerusalem to the ground. Can you imagine how easily one would have come to the conclusion that this was the end of the world? But it wasn't.

In spite of Jesus clear words to His disciples that these things are not the end, multitudes of present-day church members are awed and overwhelmed with admiration of the evangelist who speaks knowledgeably and with learning about the signs of the times and strives to show his audience that this or that war, earthquake, battle or famine, or comet based on prophecy! is a sign that Christ is on the verge of coming. Its as though they read what He said and determine to believe precisely the opposite.

Wars, revolutions, natural disasters, calamities, even in the skies, are not the sign that the end of history is upon us as is commonly supposed today.

When your world is coming apart, don't conclude that God is about to deliver you by changing it all and stopping the madness. Conclude that its necessary for you to persevere and endure for the long haul.