Two examples of what lies ahead that we would do better to learn from. By Alberto Treiyer.

Reading time: 19 minutes

The day had been long and very tiring. The biggest showdown between Jesus and the religious leaders of the city of Jerusalem was over. With the withdrawal of God's glory, which was no longer hidden in a cloud as it once was, but now in human flesh (John 1,9.14:23,38, 39), the heavenly presence had finally departed from God's house in Jerusalem (Matthew XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX). But as the disciples slowly climbed the Mount of Olives and turned around, they were once again confronted with the magnificent sight of the Jerusalem Temple.

»For more than forty years, wealth, work and architectural art had lent this temple ever-increasing splendor. Herod the Great contributed to the splendor of this breathtaking building from the riches of the Romans and the treasury of the Jews; Even the emperor of the world empire had donated for it: massive blocks of white marble, the size of which seemed almost fairytale-like, were imported from Rome." (great controversy, 24) No wonder that the disciples were also proud of this building. Their dreams revolved around this city and Jesus as the future King of Jerusalem anyway.

»Master, just look! What stones! And what kind of buildings are they?« (Mark 13,1:21,5) “decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts” (Luke XNUMX:XNUMX), said one of them. But the Lord's feelings were anything but characterized by the human vanity to which all mortals are so prone. To everyone’s surprise, Jesus answered, “Don’t you see all this? Verily I say to you, here will be no stone is left unturned remain who will not be cut off!” (Matthew 24,2:XNUMX)

Microcosms of antiquity

The shocking words of Jesus about God's temple and his city rounded off the numerous prophetic warnings to Israel that God had given to Israel before the "Day of the LORD." The prophets had already announced this day of judgment to the cities of their time whose sins had exceeded the measure of divine patience. Their wreckage was graphic Microcosms of the judgment that will take place at the end of the world as a global and planetary one Macrocosm is inevitable. Then the same sins that laid those cities in ruins will have become the tone of the whole world.

Jesus’ disciples also understood this. As witnesses of the coming of the promised Messiah, they thought... day of the LordThe day on which he would come and destroy Jerusalem must be the day on which Jesus comes from heaven and puts an end to this world of sin. So just a few moments later they asked, "When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your return and the end of the age?" (Matthew 24,3:1,6). And when Jesus later ascended to heaven and repeated the promise of his return, they asked them again: "Lord, are you restoring kingship to Israel at this time?" (Acts XNUMX:XNUMX)

The day of the LORD

What did the ancient prophets say about the “day of the LORD”? Let it be a bitter day

• a day of wrath" (Ezekiel 22,24:2,22; Lamentations 1,15:XNUMX; Zephaniah XNUMX:XNUMX),
• a day of fear and distress" (Zephaniah 1,15:13,6; Isaiah 19,16:30,5ff; 7:1,15; Jeremiah 16:12-15; Joel XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX; Obadiah XNUMX-XNUMX),
• a "day of vengeance", "retribution", "ruin and destruction" (Isaiah 34,8:63,4; 46,10:47,4; Jeremiah 50,27:28; 1,15:XNUMX; XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX; Zephaniah XNUMX:XNUMX),
• a day of darkness and gloom" (Ezekiel 30,2:3-1,14; Zephaniah 15:5,18-20; Amos XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX),
• a day of Shopharschall and of sounding the alarm against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.” (Zephaniah 1,16:XNUMX).

In this dramatic context, should we assume that God is arbitrarily going overboard, as is common among humans? No. In order that there may be no doubt as to the justice of his judgments, we see him calling a heavenly court of inquiry. Only after his judgment does he intervene (Genesis 1:18,20ff; Zephaniah 1,12:7,9; Daniel 10:XNUMX-XNUMX).

What's more, not only the angels should be informed about the trial that God has begun against the accused nation. The residents of the cities that are threatened with destruction must also be informed. That is why the messengers that God sends to announce the judgment, in turn act as judges (Hosea 7,1:2-8,13; 9,9:10,2; 13:12; 1,12:XNUMX; XNUMX, XNUMX). Despite God's warnings, the disastrous day continued to surprise unbelievers "who lie on their feet, saying in their hearts, 'The LORD will do neither good nor evil!'" (Zephaniah XNUMX:XNUMX).

What did God actually punish people for in those little prototypes of the Last Day? According to Isaiah, this humiliates Eternal Day “the proud eyes of the people” and humiliates “the pride of men,” that only the LORD may be exalted (Isaiah 2,11:12-14,12; 13:50,29-32; Jeremiah XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX). That is why the destruction comes primarily through human symbols arrogance, for example »about everyone high tower and about each solid wall« of the cities (Isaiah 2,15:27,5). How useless are all the protective shields behind which man tries to hide without taking refuge in the only safe place that God offers! (Psalm 31,19:23; 36,7:8-91; XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX; XNUMX).

Since many people, out of concern and fear of the future, only think about themselves and no longer about the poor, the judgment of that day is also directed against »big and beautiful« Possessions that they have unjustly appropriated. "Woe to those who add one house to another, one field to another, until there is no room left and you live alone in the middle of the land!" (Isaiah 5,8.9:2,13) The moral apostasy and the spiritual hypocrisy that is intended to cover it up does not escape the eyes of the prophets even under the elegant veneer of material abundance (Isaiah 14:4,12-14; Hosea XNUMX:XNUMX-XNUMX).

Yet all is not darkness and desolation in the day of the LORD. When he pours out his judgment on the wicked cities, God will never forget to save his faithful remnant (Isaiah 1,11:12ff; 30,26.29; 3,16:12,17, 14,12; Joel 15,1:16ff). Likewise, at the end of the world, when, according to Revelation, He pours out the plagues of His wrath upon all the earth, He will not forget the remnant who keep His commandments (Revelation 17,14:XNUMX; XNUMX:XNUMX; XNUMX:XNUMX; XNUMX; XNUMX:XNUMX ). In other words: both in the Microcosms of the ancient peoples as well as on the planetary level Macrocosm Today, the Day of the LORD is a day of contrasts: calamity for the world, but deliverance and redemption for God's people.

The microcosmic judgments point to a total and final judgment.

The Bible only speaks of two total judgments: the flood about 4000 years ago (Genesis 1-6) and the imminent end of the world by fire (8 Peter 2:3,6-7,10). Other than the 120 years of Noah's proclamation, we don't learn much about how God warned the antediluvian world of the great catastrophe that occurred. Nevertheless, as to the second universal tragedy toward which we are heading, we have not only the announcement of the prophets, but also the small advance judgments with which God visited the nations in the past. Instead of passively watching men and letting them race toward great final destruction, we see God intervening again and again to stop the wickedness and prevent man's rebellion from spreading everywhere before its time.

Since he limits his judgments to certain places and spares other peoples, they are also called merciful judgments. They are intended to make people aware of the danger they are in and what awaits them. This prompted the prophet to say: "As soon as your judgments strike the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (Isaiah 26,9:XNUMX) The houses of worship are filling up again, people are asking many questions and are becoming more open to the gospel.

But which rods of discipline does God use? Are there always droughts, storms and plagues? Does he always intervene directly? No. In order not to trigger a general and global conflagration, as is to be expected at the end of the world, God often uses other peoples who do not know him to punish cruel cities, but whose sins have not yet reached the level of divine patience.

In this way, the empire of Assyria became a “stock” of his “wrath,” even though its king had no idea of ​​it (Isaiah 10,5:7-4,17). As soon as such evil disciplines have fulfilled the plan of the one who sets up and removes kings (Daniel 6,20:21; 10,10:14-15), God immediately proceeds to destroy "the pride" and the "proud eyes" (Isaiah XNUMX:XNUMX). -XNUMX) to punish this people too. “Does the ax also boast against him who strikes with it? Or does the saw boast against the one who wields it? As if the stick were to swing the one who lifts it up, as if the rod were to lift up the one who is not a tree!” (verse XNUMX)

If God's judgments are carried out by cruel disciplinarians who are unaware that they are fulfilling God's will, the deity is simply playing the role of arbiter of fate. As the creator of this world, she withdraws her protection from the condemned city and thereby gives the destroyer and enemy access. So will it happen throughout the world when the winds of human passions are unleashed by the four angels God has placed at the four corners of the earth to check global wickedness and stop final destruction (Revelation 7,1: 3-7,2; cf. Daniel XNUMX:XNUMX).

Are there still microcosms of the final judgment today?

An end of the world without the nation of Israel and without its temple? That wasn't in the minds of the disciples. Since in the past the Day of the Eternal had come upon both the pagan nations and their own people, they thought that the ruins of Jerusalem would arise at the destruction of the world. In this way they mixed the microcosm of their day with the macrocosm of the end. But Jesus took into account their national prejudices and sensitively mixed the two events. If their eyes were opened, they would also realize that the imminent destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans would not be the end, but just another example of the destruction of the world (1 Corinthians 10,6.11:XNUMX, XNUMX).

This leads to the following question: We live in a world in which the universal signs to which the prophets and apostles of antiquity and also the Son of God pointed out are being fulfilled. Can we expect new little examples of the final destruction? Yes. This is exactly what Jesus spoke about at the time of the end: “But you will hear about wars and rumors of wars,” he announced. But he also warned: “Be careful, do not be alarmed; for all this must happen; but it is not the end yet.” (Matthew 24,6:XNUMX)

In the 20th century, when the two world wars occurred, many believed that the end itself had begun. They forgot these very words of the Lord Jesus. The armies of the nations united again at the end of the same century against Iraq, and once again the rumor spread that Armageddon had arrived, the final world battle spoken of in the Apocalypse (Revelation 16,16:XNUMX). But the end is not yet here. “For one nation will rise against another, and one kingdom against another,” the Lord Jesus continued, “and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes here and there. All of this is the Beginning of labor.' That is to say, these are premature judgments. Even if these are larger in scale than the courts of antiquity, they are still not yet the end itself.

When God's judgments are carried out by evil forces, both the righteous and the unrighteous often suffer. So, according to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah died because he was stoned for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Daniel and his three friends were taken as prisoners along with others who survived the destruction. The following words of the Savior apply to the innocent who have to suffer under such circumstances: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; Rather, fear him who can destroy soul and body in hell!” (Matthew 10,28:XNUMX).

With these limited judgments, the LORD seeks to awaken the peoples and nations to the fact that the right judgment is imminent, in which no mercy can be found (Revelation 16).

“The Savior's prophecy of the judgment that would come to Jerusalem will have yet another fulfillment. The terrible destruction of the first was only a faint reflection of the second. What befell the chosen city shows what judgment the world will receive that rejects God's mercy and tramples on His law... the consequences of rejecting the authority of heaven … The history of the past, the endless series of uprisings, battles and revolutions, “every boot of those who trod along in the thick of battle, and every cloak that was dragged through the blood” (Isaiah 9,4:XNUMX) – what are they compared to the terror of that day when the moderating Spirit of God will be entirely withdrawn from the ungodly, and will no longer restrain the outbursts of human passions and satanic rage! Then the world will see, as never before, the terrible consequences of Satan's rule." (great controversy, 36)

As in antiquity and “with infallible accuracy, the Infinite keeps records of the peoples. As long as he offers his grace and calls to repentance, the account will not be closed. But when the numbers reach a certain amount that God has set, His wrath begins. Then a balance is drawn. Divine patience is at an end. Grace no longer intercedes for men."(Prophets and Kings, 364)

“Great is the mercy which he shows them by calling for repentance; but when their guilt reaches a certain limit set by God, Mercy ceases its intercession and wrath begins."(Life of Paul, 318)

The prophetic prediction of the destruction of the World Trade Center

About a hundred years before what were once the most impressive buildings in the world collapsed in New York on September 11, 2001, an Adventist visionary saw this event and explained the reasons why God allowed this calamity to occur. She did this in the same way as the messengers of God in antiquity had done. Their prophecies do not resemble those of Nostradamus or any other soothsayer or futurist to whom people turn today without any real orientation about the events.

Three years before the destruction of the city of San Francisco by an earthquake in 1906, Ellen White declared that the city would soon be visited by divine judgment (Last day event, 114). She also announced that “the events of the San Francisco disaster will be repeated in other places... The courts that have already come,” she explained, “are a warning of punishmentthat will come upon the evil cities, but not the finishing touch.” (ibid.)

The following statement in 1901 shows that there would be other microcosms with global impact: “The flattering monuments human size will crumble into dust even before the last great destruction comes upon the world." (Last day event, 111) The daily newspapers used the same expression to describe the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. See Clarín from October 17, 2001: “The greatest landmark of world capitalism has crumbled to dust” (http://edant.clarin.com/diario/2001/10/17/i-311171.htm)

»These proud buildings will turn to ashes« (Last day event, 111) »Expensive residences, Marvels of architectural art will from now on equal will be destroyed when the LORD sees that the owners have exceeded the limit of forgiveness...[as] a picture of how shortly the architecture of the earth will also be in ruins." (ibid., 112)

“People will continue to build costly buildings that cost millions,” she said, “particular attention will be given to their architectural beauty and solid construction, but the LORD has informed me that despite the extraordinary stability and cost of these buildings will share the fate of the former Temple of Jerusalem.” (Christ is coming soon, 81; see. Last Day Events 112) In other words: here too, no stone will be left unturned.

In this regard, it should be remembered that after the destruction of Jerusalem, the people sought the gold that had melted from the fire and flowed into the cracks between the stones. In doing so, they turned over every stone that would otherwise have remained in its place, literally fulfilling what the Lord Jesus had predicted. Tons of gold were also buried when the buildings in New York collapsed. Everything is ransacked again, not just to clean the place, but also to recover these impressive treasures.

In 1904, the same author wrote: “One night I was shown the buildings [in New York] that... Floor by floor into the sky grew. These buildings were considered guaranteed fireproof and were built to To glorify the owner and builder. Higher and higher the buildings piled up; the most expensive material was used in construction. But the owners did not ask themselves the question: “How can we glorify God better?” They did not think about the LORD. I said to myself, “Oh, if only everyone who invests their money like this could see their actions through God’s eyes! They may build magnificent buildings, but how foolish their plans and inventions are in the eyes of the One who rules the entire universe! They do not search with all their hearts and minds for ways to glorify God. Unfortunately, they have lost sight of this highest duty of man. As these high-rises rose, the owners took bold pride in having the money to satisfy their desires and arouse the envy of their neighbors. Much of the money they invested here was obtained through extortion, through the oppression of the poor. They had forgotten that every business transaction is recorded in heaven and that every unjust transaction and every fraudulent act is recorded there. The time will come when people's deceit and impudence will reach a limit that they must not cross; then they will see that the LORD's forbearance is also measured.

The next scene that passed before me was a fire alarm. People looked at the high ones and supposedly fireproof buildings and said: "They are completely safe." [Many died because they were told to return to their seats, that the buildings were safe.] But the
Buildings were consumed as if they were made of bad luck. The fire engines were powerless to deal with the destruction and the firefighters could not use them. I saw, that proud, ambitious people with permanently unconverted heartsWhen the time of the LORD comes, we will find that the hand that saved with mighty power will also destroy with mighty power. No power on earth can stop God's hand. No material used to build structures today will withstand destruction when God's appointed time comes people will be repaid for their disregard for his law and their selfish ambition.” (Testimonies to the Church 9, 12-13)

In 1906, Ellen White had another vision of terror. But there she was not told the name of the city she saw. Perhaps because some preachers, after describing New York, suddenly claimed that this city would be destroyed by a seaquake, thereby distorting their statements (Letter 176, 1903). Today, almost a century later, we are struck by the similarity of this vision to the events of the destruction of the World Trade Center.

"I was in a cityI don't know where, and I heard explosion after explosion. I quickly sat up in bed, looked out the window and saw large balls of fire. From this Sparks shot out in the form of arrows and whole blocks of buildings collapsed. In a few minutes the entire building block collapsed and I could clearly hear the screaming and groaning. Sitting upright, I called out loud to find out what was going on: Where am I? Where is our family? Then I woke up but again couldn't tell where I was. Because I wasn't at home. « (Manuscript release 11, 918)

Inevitable reflections

The daily newspapers described the twin towers, which collapsed along with other high-rise buildings, as a symbol of "human power" and "economic power" that had been humiliated. It happened in the heart of the world economic center and severely affected world markets. »Our economic future is at stake. By attacking two great symbols of the financial world, the Twin Towers, the terrorists are trying to shake our trust in the global economic system.« (Clarín, October 21, 2001; see http://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/ 69179.html)

New York, everyone agreed, would never be the same city again. Although perverted and murderous hands caused the destruction, anyone who truly believes in God must ask themselves why God allowed such a barbaric act.

More than 100.000 homosexuals parade through New York every year. 434.000 people die every year in the USA from smoking (1.200 every day) without adequate measures being taken to stop it. Hundreds of thousands more die from poverty in the rest of the world, while a few people are by far the richest people on the planet and live in luxury. Will God forever hold his protective hand over this state of violence and rebellion as it manifests itself in this global economic metropolis?

It also makes us sit up and take notice that almost a year before the attacks, the highest representatives of all countries gathered in the same city in unprecedented numbers. 150 presidents of major countries posed for a photo and declared peace the main goal of the United Nations. With the same goal, an initiative was founded that also met in New York and was called United Religions. Everyone talks about world peace, which they strive for. A new millennium has begun, which will finally - thanks to the progress of civilization and globalization - be a millennium of peace. But instead of peace, the scourge of war and destruction suddenly returns.

Couldn't this be the moment the Apostle Paul is talking about, when at the end of the world everything takes on a universal dimension? Even if the end is not yet here, it cannot be denied that this could be the prelude to the final events. “For you know well,” declares the apostle, “that the day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night. For if they will say: 'Peace and security', then disaster will suddenly attack them like the travails of a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day may overtake you like a thief... So let us not sleep like others, but let us be awake and sober. …For God has not destined us for wrath, but for the possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5,2:9-XNUMX)

“And because lawlessness abounds,” Jesus prophesied to his astonished disciples that evening, “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24,12:21,25). “On the earth there will be fear among the Gentile nations because of perplexity... as people will faint for fear and anticipation of what is to come upon the face of the earth” (Luke 26:28-XNUMX). But you, “when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand” (verse XNUMX).

Microcosm of Fin, distinctivemessages.com