Scary word alert… Scary word alert… Scary word alert…
It’s no big thing…just another 50 cent “big churchy word” that people do not understand, stumble over and tend to turn off to – when heard.
Apocalypticism
Apocrypha
Apocalyptic
Yeah, it’s one of those strange Greek words that sneaks into someone’s vocabulary…that they use to “impress.”
I am not trying to impress anyone, but rather to educate. It is talking about “the end of times.” Literally, we are talking about the end of “all time.”
If you are interested in the word itself, it means to “take the lid off.” Apos in Greek means lid. Calyptic means off.
Picture, if you will, a pot boiling something on the stove. To see what’s inside, you have to take the top off.
Apocalypticism means “looking at” or “into the end of times,” to see what is going to happen … what is going to occur…
Apocalyptic literature usually arises in the “worst of times” – when things are really at a low ebb. When all hope is abandoned…when things are really, really bleak…when everything seems horrible…with no light in sight…
It’s not such a scary, big word after all…when you take the lid off!
So, chapter 13 of Mark’s gospel is called the “little apocalypse” – the book of Revelation is known as being the “BIG Apocalypse.”
Both works are talking about the anticipated, expected, maybe even longed for, sought after – end-of-times.
Things are awful. They will not get better. People are more than devastated. Apocalyptic literature is for “tough times.” There was a 400 year period when things were so dark, so drear that apocalyptic literature flourished.
These were some of the most difficult years in all of Hebrew history.
Apocalyptic literature is all about “warning people” about what lies ahead. Maybe it is about preparing them…
Therefore, the words of Advent – like “stay alert,” “watch,” “prepare”…be “on guard…” are all appropriate!
So, Jesus sat down with Peter, James, John and Andrew and talked about these things…
The Temple would be destroyed.
And the disciples asked the question, when will these things be…We always want to know – don’t we? We want details. We want to be “in the know.” We want precise information. We want to be the first-to-know.
We know about wars and rumors of wars, we know about earthquakes in various places…we know about kingdom against kingdom and nation against nation, these are everyday happenstances…they are pretty much routine occurrences…
Famines will certainly happen…famines are constant. Bad stuff happens, even to good people, good nations, good countries.
Expect it. Anticipate it.
But being Christian. Being a believer… is all about “holding out to the end.”
It is about “hanging in there.”
It is about “going against the flow.”
The actual verbiage is “patient endurance.”
“Stuff” is going to happen; it is called “life.” Unpleasantness is a reality. Not everything is wonderful and sweet.
Suffering happens in this life. It is a truism that the longer a person lives….the more you realize “the depth of suffering” that is a part of everyday life!
Suffering on some level, happens…it happens literally around the world.
But the point is…no matter what happens…no matter what occurs…God is with you. He is with you always, even to the end of time…
So governments will rise and fall. Politics and politicking will go on…nations will war and nations will be at peace. Tsunamis will happen. The earth will shake and smoke. Earthquakes will bring death and destruction. And harvest time will come and go, with some years being better than others…starvation and disease are also realities…dark moments and dark times will happen…
But where will you be? Where will your faith be? Will your faith see you through? Are you strong in your faith? Or weak in your faith?
The good news is God is with you…you are not alone, nor will you ever be…and it is possible for you to grow in your life of faithfulness…and trust.
And, it all starts…by simply calling upon Him.