The Great Tribulation

Today's Reflections

                                                                                   

 

The Great Tribulation

Lk 21:20-28

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ²⁰“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. ²¹Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, ²²for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. ²³Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. ²⁴They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

YOUR REDEMPTION IS AT HAND. As the Church year draws to a close and Advent approaches, the liturgical readings increasingly refer to the end times or to what theologians usually call eschatology. While including the meaning of end times, the word eschatology, says John O’Keefe, “captures the full spectrum of the Christian hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises both in the here and now and in the age to come.”

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem (and of its temple) and the coming of the Son of Man. Jerusalem will be devastated by the Romans in 70 AD. Jesus pictures the siege of Jerusalem as a portent of his return in glory to judge humankind. Cosmic signs will attend the coming of Jesus as the Son of Man, and these will cause anxiety and fear in the hearts of people. To Christian disciples, however, Jesus’ coming will be a day of liberation. Those who have suffered for their faith will hold their heads high in joyful expectation.

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

(Rom 8:31).