PROPHECY OF THE FALL OF THE WORLD

THURSDAY, THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Apoc 18:1-2,21-23,19:1-3,9; Ps 100:2-5; Lk 21:20-28

Happy those invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb

In his speech to his disciples in the Gospel, the Lord switches from talking about Jerusalem in particular to the world in general. As we noted yesterday, by this seamless switch from the specific events of Jerusalem to the general and cosmic events of the world, the Lord intends us to take a lesson from the case of Jerusalem to keep reminding ourselves that whatever the Lord said must come to pass. God chose Jerusalem to be his dwelling place and bride, but she was fascinated by her wealth and fame. She removed her attention from Yahweh to herself, her riches, and the fame that came to her because of the blessings of God. Her lack of attention caused her to miss the opportunity of her visitation from God. She rejected and mistreated the Holy One that came in her midst. The vengeance the Lord exerted on her for mistreating the Saviour is what the Lord prophesied in the passage today. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!” These are grave statements from our Lord describing what will happen to Jerusalem for rejecting the Messiah. The prophecy was fulfilled to the last dot.

What was prophesied and fulfilled in the case of Jerusalem holds for every soul and the world in general. The prophecy and warning the Lord gave to the disciples in Jerusalem applies to every soul, in Jerusalem then and everywhere in the world now. The sign he gave the disciples was the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies. When they see this sign, they must all escape from Judea to the mountains and flee the city of Jerusalem to be trampled by pagans and destroyed. He gave a similar sign to the world at large. The disciples fleeing from Jerusalem and her destruction provided an opportunity for the world to receive the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the destruction of Jerusalem provided a time of visitation for the world at large. The Father has allotted a time for the visitation of the world when Christians will preach the Gospel freely in the world. Just as the lost sheep of Israel had their time to hear the voice of the Shepherd and come back to the fold, the lost sheep of the world will have their own time to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and come back to the fold. These souls constitute the other fold our Lord spoke of, separate from the fold of Israel. Jesus, in his human nature, ministered to the fold of Israel, but he ministers to the fold of the world in his mystical nature. The visions of John we have been reading through the week confirm this understanding.

Subsequently, we have noted the switch from the particular case of Jerusalem to the general case of the world in the prophetic message in the Gospel. The signs he gave us for the imminent destruction of the world are in the passage. “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” As in the case of Jerusalem, God has permitted the dark forces to surround the world to trample upon it as the pagans were allowed to trample on Jerusalem. We have seen changes or signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and the agonies of nations under what we thought to be natural and human disasters are evident, which are a result of the forces of darkness God has allowed to lay a siege on the world. We are experiencing the death of many due to fear, anxiety, and trepidation. Jesus himself confirms that these large-scale troubles are caused by God unleashing the power of heaven.

The cause of these cosmic upheavals and the subsequent destruction of the world are the same as the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem, the rejection of God’s visitation to the world in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. He would exert vengeance on the world for persecuting and shedding the blood of his Son in the saints. John heard of this fall through the angel shouting: “Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird.” The Lord counselled us to flee the city to the mountains; that is, we must take recourse in prayer, meditation, and contemplation of the word of God. “When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” It is dangerous to nurse a baby now; that is, do not be attached to anything in the world.

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, the graces we need to stay awake and watching prayer, to understand the signs of the time you send to warn us, that contemplating your word, we may ready ourselves in mind, heart, soul, and body for the coming wedding-feast of the Lamb, to which you have invited us in your divine benevolence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.