In
my last forum article, I talked about the signs of Christ’s coming
which are mentioned in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 24, in the last part of
verse 7. The signs mentioned here are all signs of Christ’s coming
found in the creation. You remember that the signs of Christ’s coming
can be divided into three groups: signs in the church, signs in
creation, and signs in the history of the world.
Jesus
does not mention many signs in the creation, but speaks only of
famines, pestilences and earthquakes, which Jesus calls “the beginning
of sorrows.” In our world today, all three of them are frequent. I
read only recently that every year there are over 200 earthquakes in the
world. Not all of them – not even most of them – are destructive. But
a number of them are so destructive that the results are still with us.
Think only of the earthquake in the waters off Japan’s coast that
created a tsunami that, in turn, destroyed a nuclear electric-generating
plant. The Japanese are still battling radioactive water and ground.
Hundreds are killed every year, and sometimes thousands, by
earthquakes in China, South America and other parts of the world.
Included
in such earthquakes are volcanic eruptions, tsunami waves, mudslides,
fires, destroyed villages and ruined lives. And famine and pestilences
are endemic in many places. The vast gulf between the prosperous
nations (United States, Europe, Singapore) and other countries
(Philippines, Africa’s countries, Myanmar, India with its starving
hordes) is growing wider every year in spite of men’s best efforts to
raise the economic level of the poor.
It
is good to remind ourselves that Christ, from His throne in heaven,
causes these things to happen. They do not come about by global
warming, the movement of tectonic plates deep in the earth, the
exploding hot interior of our planet, etc. – although Christ may surely
use these means; but they come about because Christ brings fiery lava
from the heart of the earth and God says, “Behold, a little while, and I
will shake the heavens and the earth and all nations” (Haggai 2:6, 20).
And Christ does all these things because this old world must be
destroyed to make room for the new heavens and the new earth.
We
can hide these things from our consciousness so easily: “It rained so
hard in New England that there was a terrible flood;” “China had an
earthquake in a northern province that killed over 1500 people;” “A
hurricane swept up into Louisiana that destroyed over half of New
Orleans.” Yes, I suppose that this is all true, but we ought to be
saying to one another: “Christ sent such heavy rains upon New England
that He used these rains to bring destructive floods.” “Christ sent a
strong earthquake to northern China that destroyed whole villages.”
“Christ formed a hurricane in the Atlantic that He guided through the
Gulf of Mexico and by which He destroyed a large part of the wicked city
of New Orleans.” And we ought to add, “Our Lord is coming in judgment
on a wicked world and in salvation of His beloved church. Come, Lord
Jesus, come quickly.” That’s what we ought to be saying – to ourselves
and to one another.
It
is easy to block out of our minds the coming of our Lord by using
natural law, natural events and simply giving these laws a certain power
of their own: “It is raining --.” “It” is raining? What is “It?” Is
that some mysterious and unidentifiable something out there that does
terrible things? I do not know who or what “It” is. But you and I know
Christ, exalted on high at God’s right hand, Who holds the universe in
His hands and does with it what He pleases.” You and I know Christ, Who
is our Savior and Redeemer and Who is coming again. And Who takes with
Him fierce judgments upon a wicked world (that start now already) to
destroy it; but Who comes with salvation to His own for whom He shed his
blood.
Thy church rejoices to behold
Thy judgments in the earth, O Lord . . .
[Psalter Number 260.]
Jesus
says, “These things must come to pass.” They “must” come to pass
because they are ‘the beginning of sorrows.” The beginning of sorrows
is, more literally in the Greek, “the beginning of birth pangs.” A
mother has pain when she brings forth a new child. The earth has birth
pangs, for it is about to bring forth a new creation. The earthquakes
and pestilences are the birth pains. Presently the old earth will bring
forth the new earth, and the old heavens, when they are rolled back
like a scroll, will bring forth a new heavens.
Pains
that accompany cancer are pains that are the result of disease and
death. They are pains of the hopelessness and vanity of life. But
birth pains when they come on a mother, bring joy and hope. A new baby
is about to be born. The pains mean that all is well; that things are
moving along as they should; that soon the hurt of the pains will be
forgotten in the joy of a new baby.
Are
there earthquakes, tornados, typhoons, volcanic eruptions? Don’t be
afraid. All is well in God’s world! Things are moving along just as
God wants them to move along. The pains of destructive forces are good
news, for Christ is coming again!
Let
us pray earnestly, “Come, Lord Jesus; yea, come quickly. Come quickly
even though it means that we must first endure the “beginning of
sorrows.” Come to save thy people!
With warmest regards,
Prof. Hanko.
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