When and Where?
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When and Where?
When and Where?
Back when people read books instead of watching youtube.com, you could choose from different genres.
Non-Fiction, Biography, Guides, Reference, Fiction (Romance, Thriller, Crime, etc.), and Poetry.
Scripture has different genres of writings.
Wisdom, Narrative, Poetry, Prophetic, Law, and Apocalyptic.
Each of these types of writings have their own type of vocabulary, arrangement of words, and idioms.
Of those, the most challenging is apocalyptic.
Which most people confuse with prophetic.
Apocalyptic versus Prophetic
End times preachers have not done us any favors.
Some are genuinely concerned and doing their best to share truth
Some are genuinely concerned with filling their pocket and gaining fame.
Few have taken the time to learn how to discern the text in a helpful and meaningful way.
Prophets are covenant watchdogs. When they see the people of God veering away from their purpose, they call them to repentance.
If they don’t repent, the prophet may give information on what will happen if they don’t.
And if the people of God find themselves exiled or under judgment, the prophet will explain why with an eye to hopeful restoration with God.
Apocalyptic literature has to do with a revealing of something unseen or unknown.
So, when the Pharisees (religious leaders) ask Jesus...
Luke 17:20–21 (BE:NT)
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming.
‘God’s kingdom’, replied Jesus, ‘isn’t the sort of thing you can watch for and see coming. People won’t say “Look, here it is”, or “Look, over there!” No: God’s kingdom is within your grasp.’
What kind of question is this? What Genre?
Feels like prophetic. Is the question concerning how they should live and what will happen if they disobey?
Or are they asking when something will be revealed?
The latter, so we are in apocalyptic.
Now, what kind of kingdom are they looking for?
One with a king on earth that will rout all Israel’s enemies and establish God’s rule on earth through Israel.
And that would not fall out of the sky, it would require forming an army, massing weapons, organizing the people, stockpiling food, etc.
And Jesus is not doing any of that.
******* NEXT *******
Jesus puts all that to bed with his answer.
And he leaves a huge question with them.
“The kingdom is within your grasp.”
How is that possible if we are expecting a great war in the land of Israel where all the enemies are aligned against her?
How is it the Kingdom is right there when Rome rules?
He has a warning to his disciples too.
Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the son of man, and you won’t see it. They will say to you, “Look, there!” or “Look, here!” Don’t go off or follow them. The son of man in his day will be like lightning that shines from one end of the sky to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
In other words, I am here with you now, but there are days coming when I won’t be here.
And you will LONG for just a single day like today.
But, you won’t see it.
Some will try to trick you, or they might actually believe they see me, but they did not. Don’t believe them.
Because when I return, you will certainly know it. There will be no doubt.
But I have to go somewhere first in order to come back. I will suffer and be rejected by this generation.
And what will it be like when I return?
‘What will it be like in the days of the son of man? It will be like the days of Noah. People were eating and drinking, they were getting married and giving wedding parties, until the day when Noah went into the ark—and that day the flood came and swept them all away. And it will be like the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking, they were buying and selling, they were planting and building. But on the day when Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from the sky and they were all destroyed. That’s what it will be like on the day when the son of man is revealed.
Notice that last word…Revealed.
Do you know what that word is in greek?
Apocalypto. Apocalypse. This is the type of literature we are reading.
You won’t know it was coming.
People will try and make something out of the days of Noah and Sodom but it is unwise to do that in these verses, because you miss the point.
People are just going about their business.
Some are concerned with what they have and some are not.
‘On that day anyone up on the roof, with all their possessions in the house, shouldn’t go down to get them. Anyone out in the field shouldn’t go back to get anything. Remember Lot’s wife. If you try to save your life you’ll lose it, but anyone who loses it will keep it.
Anyone who leaves their life behind will keep it.
‘Let me tell you, in that night there will be two people sleeping side by side: one will be taken, and the other left behind. There will be two women working side by side grinding corn: one will be taken, and the other left behind.’
What can we make of this?
Can we determine that half go somewhere and half don’t?
Or, is the message here that you cannot know who will go and who will stay?
Let’s look at the structure of this:
Night - Day
Resting - Working
One - Another
Now, do you have questions about this?
Me too!
What question do you think the disciples will ask him about this?
‘Where will this be, master?’ they asked him.
‘Where the body is,’ replied Jesus, ‘there the vultures will gather.’
Their question is WHERE.
Why would they ask this?
If you have been taught your whole life that you are the chosen people, that Messiah is coming for you, to rule the world from Jerusalem, then this cannot happen in Jerusalem, right?
Jesus is talking like his return will affect Jerusalem too, like those on rooftops will need to flee. How can that be?
The return will be like lightning that is seen in the whole earth.
******* SLIDE *******
And we get this strange verse as an answer to their question.
Here is what we know about apocalyptic literature in scripture.
Birds are used as imagery for judgement.
These events are hinged to the judgement of Israel.
By the way, that word for Vulture is the same word for Eagle.
The Roman standard (ensign or sign) is the Eagle.
Here is the short version of what this proverb would mean:
You know how vultures gather where there is a dead carcass?
Well, it will be like that.
That is where this will happen.
Apocalyptic versus Prophetic
This is where we started.
Jesus gives us no answers to the when or where question.
It is not relevant.
What is relevant is this...
Would you leave your life to save it?
Here is what Jesus knows...
If he tells us when...
And he tells us where....
Then we will not take it seriously until the date is here!
So, like everything else, his question hits right at the heart of the matter.
Will you be more concerned with your life now or you life later?
Isn’t that the root of the When and Where question?
Take care of what you need to take care of now.
Don’t delay.