SIGNS THEN AND NOW

February 2009 article by David Thompson

Luke chapter 21 verse 1 tells of the Lord Jesus observing a poor widow giving all she had in the world – her last 2 mites (in value about two-thirds of an old English farthing). This was all she had but she gave all of it to God. He contrasts her with the rich, who of their wealth gave much more in value but not everything they had, like the poor widow.

In verses 3 and 4 the Lord responds to those who, observing the wondrous stones and gifts that adorned the newly-rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem saying how wonderful it all was, shocking them by stating that there was to come a day when “one stone shall not be left upon another”. (v 6). What an extraordinary statement this was as some of the foundation stones of the temple measured approximately 10 x 1.5 square metres and would have weighed about 13.5 tons. How could this be? After all, the temple had only recently been finished under Herod’s direction. His surprised disciples asked what sign there would be to indicate such a catastrophe. (v 7). He told them not to listen to unfounded claims from any who claimed to be the ‘Messiah’ (v 8) and not to be terrified by hearing about wars and commotions. He tells them that there will be wars between nations, earthquakes, famines, pestilences and fearful sights (vs 10 & 11). His believers would suffer many things. Jerusalem was to be laid siege to and destroyed by the Romans, which happened in AD 70, so fulfilling the Lord’s prophecy. The Temple was razed to the ground, just as He said. The city was destroyed and its people killed, or sold as slaves.

The Lord’s prophecy then takes a large jump in time and verses 25-28 speak of sun, moon and stars, symbols first of the Jesus and Israel (see Genesis 37 verses 9 and 10), and the ruling powers, relating also to the nations or our days. The great turmoil of our times is a sign to us in our Lord’s prophecy of the nearness of His second coming. He gives a further sign in verses 29-31 of the fig tree, a symbol of the nation of Israel.

Following the scattering of Israel in AD70 they had not existed as a nation until the State of Israel was reborn in May 1948. This part of our Lord’s prophecy could not be realised until after this time. Jesus links this national emergence with the birth of many new nations, described under the symbol of ‘all the trees’ in verse 29, another of the signs that would indicate to us the nearness of our Lord’s return. So as in the temple stones sign, given to those of our Lord’s day in verse 6, so also the sign of Israel and all the nations in verse 29, giving to us a warning of the nearness of the Kingdom of God (verses 31-33).

May we in our day and generation pay heed to the signs of our times as directed by the Lord Jesus, that we may be rich towards God, giving of ourselves in service, even all that we have, as did the poor widow in verse 2, responding like those of our Lord’s day who came early to hear Him (v 38).