[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 17/May/2020]
Over the past many weeks, some of us have been trying to make sense of the flood of online prophecies about the times we’re in. Is this an enemy attack? Then why doesn’t our all-powerful, loving God just STOP IT? Maybe He’s working out His will in all this in ways we don’t understand! And all of these ‘prophets’ are finding scriptures to back their interpretation of events.
I’d like to re-read Matthew 24: 6-8 and 13-14. Here’s where different translations can open our eyes. For instance, some include ‘pestilences, plagues, or epidemics’ at the end of verse 7. But, even so, they all agree that ‘this is not the end’ it’s just ‘the beginning of birthpangs’.
What is about to be born? It must be something new, something full of hope and promise, something the Bridegroom and His bride have been passionately longing for!
Yes, this is a disruption, not just a ‘blip’! Everything that can be shaken is crumbling. World systems are breaking down – economies, social structures – even familiar church forms?
But … look at verses 13-14! I’ll use The Passion Translation: ‘But keep up your hope to the end and you will experience life and deliverance. Yet through it all, this joyful assurance of the realm of heaven’s kingdom will be proclaimed over all the world, providing every nation with a demonstration of the reality of God. And after this the end of this age will arrive.‘
We are living through the end of a passing age and the beginning of the next. Much of what we’re used to is disappearing – not just slightly disturbed – but something amazingly beautiful is being born. Can we see it? Zechariah did!!
~~~~~~~~
.
Return to weekly Reflections
Jump to Index of Bible Passages
Contributed by Dennis Ginter; © the Author
