Jerusalem had been given a chance to recognize her promised Messiah, come to her in the person of Jesus Christ. But she did not recognize the time of her visitation (see Luke 19:44). Jesus himself wept over the hardness of heart he encountered in Jerusalem and the desolation that would necessarily follow.
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Although Jerusalem as a whole did not embrace Jesus and his message, although he was rejected by the corrupt majority of the Jewish and Roman leadership, there were still those who did recognize him, those who embraced his message, and chose to follow him. However, their position was still precarious, and not guaranteed because of that initial choice. They still might choose to throw in their lot with the corrupt and decadent Jerusalem and perish together with it. Or they could place higher trust in the rescue mission of Jesus, and follow his words to salvation.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Those who listened to and trusted in the words of Jesus would be like Lot when he escaped the divine judgement on Sodom. To even look back in such a situation was dangerous. One needed to trust entirely on God's words and cut off completely the affection for the city of sin from one's heart.
Although this pointed historically toward the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD it probably also points forward to the end of history when Jesus will come again. And in doing so it also provides wisdom for each of us whether or not we live to see the end times. For we too are called to come out from the world insofar as it is defined by corruption and sin, and to not only come out from it, but to even cut off our affection for it, learning that even looking back is a dangerous temptation. We want to be able to rely upon the instructions Jesus gave us to ensure that his rescue mission avails for us. But if we insist on participating in the life of Sodom we will fall with Sodom. If we are so preoccupied that we miss the ark of salvation being built for our sakes it is likely that the flood will sweep us away. A status quo mindset is dangerous in a city and in a world that is under judgement. It is a false belief that this present reality is permanent. It is to alleviate this danger that God desires to shake us from complacency.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
People without hope may die of fright, but Christians need not. When the things around us seem to be shaking this is only permitted so that what cannot be shaken remains (see Hebrews 12:27). We are called to be especially on the lookout for the Son of Man when such signs appear. For it is then especially that we need to trust in him and to believe that, however much the chaos around us, the Lord can make it work for the good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose (see Romans 8:28). The Lord's coming only represents fearful judgement for those who obstinately refuse his mercy until the end. This need not be us, if we hold fast to our confession of faith. However, even if we have good hope that such will not be our destiny it does indicate the urgency of our mission to share the Good News of this rescue with all around us.
We are thankful that fearful judgement need not be our lot. But we are even more grateful for the gift of salvation, which is more than a mere absence of judgement. We are given the Holy Spirit to live within us, grace to give us life and strength. In Jesus we are even made sons and daughters of the Most High. We are not only called away from destruction but also and especially toward a marriage feast.
“Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
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