Jesus and His Bible, Part 16

 Apocalypse and the Kingdom

Facing into his own oncoming murder by the Jewish and Roman authorities, Jesus continued his apocalyptic mood and prophecy. He predicted false Christs who would lead even the chosen ones astray, if that were possible. Then, as it seems to me, he spoke about the end of the world, as, perhaps, does Daniel. He reminded his hearers to remember the fig tree, and to learn to watch the signs as they watch for leaves and buds, so they can know that the end is near. He said that “this race” will not pass away before the end occurs, and that his words are eternal. He also said that no one knows the exact time, except his Father, so stay alert.  

“The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken, and then they shall see the son of man coming in clouds, and he will gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven” (Mark 13: 24-27).

Here Jesus alluded to the prophetic words of Isaiah: 

“Behold the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and he will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light. Thus will I punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:10).

This passage in Isaiah is first to be understood as an oracle concerning Babylon, in which God calls his warriors to do battle against Babylon. Isaiah foresees that God will raise up the Medes against Babylon, destroying them completely. The fact that Jesus quoted a passage reminding his hearers of deliverance from captivity spoke to the crowd’s hope of deliverance from Rome, and must have made the leaders of the nation more uneasy, as they already feared retribution from Rome if anything like a political uprising occurred.  But Jesus also included the leaders of his own people among the wicked, arrogant, haughty, and ruthless. They might have called his diatribes against them to mind as he quoted Isaiah.

Next, Jesus referenced a prophecy where Isaiah names Edom (Isaiah 33) as a target for wrath, and prays for and celebrates Zion’s survival. Then Isaiah shifts to God’s indignation against all the nations, all their armies.

Isaiah 34:4 “And all the host of heaven will wear away, and the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; and their hosts will also wither away as a leaf withers from the vine, or as one withers from the fig tree.” 

When Jesus quoted from this passage, he put both Herod (who was Idumean, or of the Edomite people) and then all nations on notice that the time will come when all their military and political might will wither away.  Additionally, the fig tree and the vine specifically reminded his hearers of the frequent use of these plants to symbolize Israel itself.  There was nothing reassuring in any of this for his immediate hearers.

Still in an apocalyptic vein, Jesus invoked Daniel’s vision of “the Ancient of Days.” This vision is set within the reign of Belshazzar of Babylon. Daniel sees “The Ancient of Days” on a throne, surrounded by thousands and thousands, and the books were opened. The boasting beast is slain and thrown on the fire.

Daniel 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming. And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Daniel asks for an explanation, which is more of a reiteration of what he has seen than an explanation.

When Jesus quoted from this passage, it is easy to hear him repeating his self-identifying as the Son of Humanity to whom God will give everlasting dominion, whom all peoples, nations, and languages will serve. I think Jesus’s use of this passage underlies the Christian understanding that aspects of Daniel’s apocalypse point toward Jesus. 

The vision cited here in Daniel 7 foresees that all peoples will serve the Son of Humanity, and emphasizes the grace and inclusive nature of God's Kingdom even as the political powers and rulers of nations are defeated. This speaks against nationalism and political partisinship: our primary loyalty is to the kingdom where Jesus rules.