He will swallow up death forever (Isaiah 25:6-8)

Isaiah 25:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8     he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

Isaiah’s apocalypse

According to the scholars Isaiah chapters 24-27 are called as Isaiah’ apocalypse. Apocalypse is a specular form of Israel literature. It is similar to music and art which has different expressing style such as the classical school, the romantic school, the impressionist and so for as well as in literature which has its own genre like poem, novel essay.

There is a historical background of Apocalypse author’s appearance. Israel was conquered by Babylon in B.C. 587. In ancient times, war was just like zero sum game. If they won and got everything otherwise lose everything. David’s palace and Jerusalem temple had destroyed and all national treasures were plundered by Babylon. Many were dead, wounded and lost their livelihood. Would women be harmed in the middle of such misery? After destruction of Jerusalem temple, the city of God, Jew’s leader were captured.

The prophets began to think the reason of Israel’s destruction. What kind of country Israel would be? They called themselves as the people of God. The God is the Creator. He led Abraham from Chaldean Ur and settled him in Canaan and made covenant with him to give descendant and land. He is the one who buried Pharaoh’s army, the most powerful army in those days, in the sea. God did the things no one could do. He gave the law at the Mount Sinai through Moses and promised to be God of Israel. However, they were now completely destroyed by Babylon. It shouldn't be happened. Did God tell lie? Does God is sleeping? Have God abandoned them? What was problem?

The answer Prophets found was that God didn't forsake Israel but Israel beforehand forsook God and God’s word. Israel broke God’s covenant. (Jer. 31:32) The problem was with Israel. They were not satisfied with God only. God’s covenant didn't come to them in real. They need a stronger excitement.  So they couldn't but worship idol. It was the very reason of Israel’s suffering and destruction. The prophets proclaimed to Israel people to come back to God. If they throw away idols and follow God’s word then God would renew his covenant and keep them. Such interpretation of history is rightly called as Deuteronomy view of history. Mostly prophets proclaimed God’s word base on this view of history.

There are other prophets who interpreted Israel’s history differently. There are rightly the authors of Apocalypse. They have two characteristics. One is historical category that their proclamation contains.  They were not limited in Israel’s history but foresaw the entire history of humankind. They interpreted history with universal view. There are some words like the Lord Almighty,all peoples, all nationsin In Isaiah 25:6,7 and it rightly point out universal level. The other is that they see this world and history much more pessimistically than other prophets. The Bible authors belonged to Apocalypse line thought they didn’t’ have any hope in this world and this world would be destroyed soon.

Isaiah chapter 24 says the Lord will destroy the earth. Verse 6 says, “Therefore a curse consumes the earth;its people must bear their guilt.Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,and very few are left.” The beginning of chapter 25 also such destruction. Verse 2 says, “You have made the city a heap of rubble,the fortified town a ruin,the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;it will never be rebuilt.” They thought this world was a completely ruined one and there was no way to be saved. Such world should be destroyed as earlier as possible.

At their view who watched Jerusalem’s destruction in B.C 587, it was natural to see the world in this way. A few years ago, the people of Afghanistan and Iraq attacked by America or Palestine people attacked by Israel might see the world in this point of view. The world a suicide farmer in Haryana due to debt experienced also might be the same. Paul’s account in his letter, “Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.”(Rom.  3:9) also a trace of Apocalypse. In here Paul quoted Psalm and said all were not afraid of God. Such pessimistic history interpretation of the author of Apocalypse makes sense.

If the author of Apocalypse ended with interpreting and describing this word pessimistically only then they were nothing but nihilist, a skeptic and pessimist. It has no relationship with God’s salvation history at all. The spirituality of the author of Apocalypse was different form it. They proclaimed much fundamental salvation. They foresaw much higher salvation in the deep pain and desperation. As Jesus’ saying, “Blessed are poor in spirit” pointing, those who fall into bottomless pit of life can experience totally different world of salvation which is completely different in its quality. The author of Isaiah proclaimed such salvation in 25:6-8.

The world without death

We can find out the author’s spiritual imagination power. “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will preparea feast of rich food for all peoples,a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” The Lord Almighty prepares a feast. There are two eatable materials, the best of meats and the finest of wines. Those who like wines can look forward to a banquet the Lord prepares. I read again. “…the Lord Almighty will prepare feast of rich food for all peoples,a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” To them whose life was completely destroyed due to war it can be imagined how much they missed such eatable stuffs. It contains their desperate heart for God’s salvation.

Verse 7 progress a step further. “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples,the sheet that covers all nations.” When people dies a sheet covers face of the demised. The meaning God destroys the sheet that covers all nations is to overcome grief of death. How can he do? Does it mean simply give a life to the dead? Though the dead alive the joy is temporal. In Greek myth, there is a river ‘Lethe’, a river of forgetfulness. Grief can be forgotten but it cannot be solved fundamentally. It is a pious fraud. The author of Isaiah suggests another answer.

Look at verse 8. It is a wonderful proclamation. “He will swallow up death forever.The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces.”The Lord the author of Apocalypse says is the one who swallow up death forever. When death is swallowed up the tears from all faces will be wiped away and shame of God’s people also will be removed. As death swallow up, sheet that covers face is no more necessary. The entire solution of human life is lied here.

If we understand Isaiah’s saying, “God will swallow up death forever” more correctly we need a question‘What is death?’ Nobody knows what death is. Death can be known only after death but a dead cannot be return and how can we say about death. Some says they went to the heaven after death and return to the world again but it is nonsense. We don’t know death itself. The clear fact is that death open its mouth widely before us. No one can escape from this. We have to lay down everything before death. We have to give up all our achievement. We have to depart from our relative and close friends. Then we can be freed from all laws.

The authors also don’t say about death directly. Instead they say why death began The Bible author thought death is a result of sin that man committed. Man didn't commit sin because of fundamental evil nature. Man were created in good even more any creature. According to Genesis’ fallen story there is an evil power to entice man. The fallen story described with the method of ancient myth exactly point out human existence, vulnerable to the temptation of evil. Man cannot overcome sin with personal and moral effort. There is no power to overcome sin to man. Eventually man cannot escape from death, the result of sin. This is man’s destiny and dilemma.

Dear brothers and sisters. Don’t be uncomfortable. I don’t say to you to be wrapped by sin consciousness. The Bible says man cannot overcome sin and death it is not the core of it. There is something more important than this. God is struggling with the power of death. We even would like to do it but cannot do. Rather as we can see the tale Adam and Cain there will be high possibility to be used by evil power. The ontological war against evilness and death is God’s part. Isaiah says it with the word of “God will swallow up death forever.

How do you accept this Apocalypse? The death the author said to be swallowed up hasn't yet. Tears and anger due to death still make human life despair. Even at this time of advanced medical science we are exposed to death helplessly. It is not merely a matter of death. All human desires and inhuman incidents caused by such desires hold the entire human life at the point of manifestation of unconsciousness for death. If the power of death become not weaker, Isaiah’s apocalypse was a daydream? Was it a psychological projection of Judean? Was it nothing but Utopian dream?

Jesus has risen

We know spiritual imagination that Isaiah saw has been realized in practical human history. It is Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus crucified on the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph from Arimathea. The life of Judean young man who proclaimed the kingdom of God would be ended in that way. May be many people said, “He was good man but so sorry to say but he die.” His followers all went back to their hometown. After sometime his disciple began to experience strange thing. Jesus appeared to them. It was unreasonable and illogical thing. To bury into tomb meant a confirmation of death. Dead man cannot meet a lived. Suppose a man is out while we have worship service and appears again though we locked door. Such thing cannot be happened unless it is magic. Magic is not reality but tricks.

Jesus’ disciples also clearly knew their experience is not general. They doubted they could see illusion. Thomas’ doubtful saying he couldn't believe unless and until he touch Jesus’ body in real is pointless words. Then it happened not even one disciple but to other disciples too. Sometimes individual and sometimes collectively. The disciples were in serious agony before such experiences. They began to read the Old Testament again. From there, they realized the Old Testament already prophesied Messiah’s resurrection and began to believe their experience is the very one. They stuck to this very fact only. The fact is that Jesus whom people crucified on the cross is the very Messiah the Old Testament prophesied.

Paul who didn't meet Jesus in Jesus’ public life also experienced the risen Jesus. Different from the authors of gospel he explained this fact logically. According to his testimony, Jesus who buried and raised after three days according to the scriptures appeared to Peter, the Twelve, 500 hundred at the same time and to him also. He says, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”(1 Cor. 15:14) It means all of Christianity belief lied on Jesus’ resurrection. It is because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very God’s salvation incident to destroy the power of death.

Don’t seem death destroy today as power of death mightily work even after Isaiah proclaimed the fact of swallowing up of death. The eyes of faith recognizes and penetrates resurrection life in this reality. I don’t urge you forcefully and unconditionally to believe unreasonable thing. Neither to make mystery of it or deal it in psychological way. It mean to enter into Christian faith’ unique life experience. It is neither fanaticism nor superstition. Moreover it neither self-intoxication. It is to open spiritual eyes on life incident God raised.

For this a necessary religious attitude to you is not to be tamed by typical life form. The reason we cannot enter into a spirituality of resurrection is that we accept the life we experience now as an absolute one. Resurrection is total different one. It is the incident to change into new life completely. It is a unique change into life that humankind never experienced. It is not the thing to produce or prove repeatedly in a lab. Though the bioethicists make a man with handsome feature with intelligence and health it is merely coarse life. Such thing is, though it may produce nicely, eventually it is limited. Other life cannot be contained in it. It is nothing but a life in an egg. The outside and inside is totally different world. Resurrection will come beyond our prejudice.

The proclamation of the author of Isaiah Apocalypse has fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection. We who know it and believe it are the people to participate to the victory of life though we live in this world where a shadow of death roaming around. Dears, remember Jesus has risen and the power of death swallowed up forever.

WISDOM AND PEACE (James 3:13-4:3)

(James 3:13-4:3)

What is the most important word in the New Testament? It would vary, as per people’s own views. Some may say faith, hope, love or the kingdom of God, among them we cannot leave out ‘peace’. It is evident from Luke’s gospel that the peace prevails even during Jesus’ birth. When Jesus was born to Mary, the shepherds heard this news from angels in the field. The angels of the heaven sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.”(Luke 2:14) Among the Beatitude, the seventh is peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:9) The gospel authors testify Jesus as the king of peace with one voice. Apostle Paul also delivered the greeting of peace. “Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:2, Phil. 1:2) Through this material we can confirm how peace was important fact in the early Christianity.

Not only early Christians but even Jews greet each other saying ‘Shalom’ which means ‘peace to you.’ In Arabic, it is ‘Salam’. Most of the yogis or gurus in India repeatedly say ‘Om Shanti’. Even there is a movie called “Om Shanti Om”. Human kinds have always used these kinds of greetings for they think and believe in maintaining peace is the best way of life. However, despite mankind cries out to keep peace again and again we cannot find out newspaper without wars in the world. Peace is far away in India. People and countries are fighting with each other to get their own peace but it is destroying communities and countries. It is important for all political leaders and religious leaders to recognize peace as a reality of life so that the direction of policy and mission will be different accordingly.

                                                

Today many Christians don’t realize it practically though they hear the sound of peace from the Bible. Not only peace but they also accept all the teachings of the Bible vaguely or distantly. Jesus’ teaching, “The kingdom of God is near” as any other stories. The teaching, “do not worry about eating, drinking and clothing but first seek the kingdom of God” has an advice of a principal. For some these teachings are mere words but for some these are priceless. Although Jesus’ teachings are repeated so often to us but still it seems as if the Bible is far away from us and so as God. All our faith falls into platitude level. Despite entire religious life there is no content of faith but struggle with form.

What is the reason that peace which the Bible emphasizes, doesn’t appeal to us? The important answer we feel is that the peace doesn’t have relationship with our lives. It can also be said that, World peace is not the matter of petite bourgeoisie. We cannot involve directly in the matter of the peace between India and Pakistan also. Though we have concern on it but we can participate passively only. So we think peace as a sort of psychological operation in an individual mind saying peace in our heart comes when we believe in Jesus. In fact, it is not easy in practical. Even Christian also cannot accomplish peace in their hearts like any other in the world. Frankly speaking, we don’t have spiritual peace individually or peace in the world. It is so remorseful. The way to overcome such thing is to begin to accept the teaching of peace in the Bible as life’s reality, that is, the reality of salvation.

People who destroy church community:

I quoted ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ among the Beatitude in the Matthew’s gospel. This verse is similar to James 3:18, in today’s content. James says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” We roughly understand the meaning of this content. It might mean those who seek peace finally establish righteousness. Generally, it is true. However, we fall into such generality that the peace which James says, cannot come to our lives in real. We have to know a detailed situation why James had said like this.

Church communities, as James watches now, face a great crisis due to the power struggle between the two groups, the legalist and the non-legalist. The legalist mainly belongs to Judean Christianity in Jerusalem and non-legalist Gentile Christianity of the Greek. Though they were all Christians who confessed Jesus as Christ but the idea for the law was totally different. The former insisted to keep Torah and the tradition of circumcision but the latter refused. For us such matter doesn’t seem to be serious. It would be better to explain by comparing it with the present situation.

October 31, 1517 was the day Martin Luther attached the Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences on the wall of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany, in the Holy Roman Empire. We generally call this day as Reformation day. One of Luther’s statements is that salvation is done only by faith. Contrary to this, Roman Catholic Church insisted that the believer’s achievement also is required together with grace. Outsiders of church may not feel much difference between Roman Catholic and Protestants. However, it was unpardonable matter in those days between people in the Holy Roman Empire and Luther. Finally the Holy Roman Empire expelled Luther out and he positively confronted them with his followers and co-workers.

Such struggle among Christians had happened in the Early Christianity. It was more serious in those days. It was because there was no formation of Christianity. Corinthian church, where Paul preached gospel also was the same. They divided into the followers of Paul, Apollos, Cephas and Christ. (1 Cor. 1:12) Paul and Barnabas together worked in the Antioch church, were divided from the second mission journey. We cannot understand such situation with our point of view today. It is strange that such division and struggle existed even in the period of Jesus’ disciples who directly worked as the church leaders. Don’t think it strangely. It was the church’s reality.

It was unthinkable that differentiation existed even among the followers of Jesus. Believers’ experiences are different and present situation also different. Some people think conservatively and others progressively. Politically some people are close to the ruling party while others with the opposition party. Some people think other religion negatively but some the object of sharing dialogue together. Some people completely hate Pakistan while some try to understand. It is impossible to gather all different ideas into one in Jesus Christ.

James saw danger of non-legalist who extremely denied the law. They were Nicolaitans. According to their saying, those who are saved don’t require any action. I explained it a few weeks ago. It was the situation that James should emphasize action criticizing fruitless dead faith. Do not misunderstand. It doesn’t mean that James was a stubborn legalist or mere activist. Why didn’t he know the secret of grace and gospel through Jesus Christ? It is already premised story. The matter was he saw a danger of breaking of church community by the extreme non-legalists. The thing to destroy the peace of church community was happening in the name of gospel.

Wisdom on the earth

So James was warning their reality. James’ point of view was that the group who destroys the peace of church was teachers or wise men. James asked them, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”(13) They speak well and talk much. They thought they were wise people. Others also recognized their ability. Of course wisdom is required in the church. Theology also is wisdom. Preaching also is wisdom. The ability to preach gospel logically also is clearly wisdom. If church teachers have no wisdom Christian faith cannot escape from maenadism. Paradoxically such many words can destroy church. James says it in detail from 3:1. “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know we who teach will be judged more strictly.” It means those who teach something should have a greater responsibility before God. So he emphasized to tame their tongue.

Do not misunderstand. It doesn’t mean to say do not say any opposite opinion. An opposition is necessary. Sometimes a sharp dispute also is necessary. Church’s judge wasn’t always right. Luther’s case also was the same. He said to many against the Holy Roman Empire. Would the Holy Roman Empire expel Luther out? I say again. The dispute between right and wrong is necessary in the church for church is the truth community. The matter is such an argument that follows desire. Such desire is moved not by truth but their own selfish interests and desires. They enjoy dispute and struggle itself rather than seeking truth. They don’t care but indulge to extend their own power. Church becomes the playground of faction and political strategy.

It is not easy to distinguish between the dispute for truth and self-assertion to follow own desire. Self-assertion from own desire also can keep plausible form for a while. However, it is really temporary. At the nature of desire, it cannot be hidden long time. Finally it reveals its own shape. Such wisdom belongs to the earth and it occurs as envy, selfish ambition, disorder and every evil practice. (16) Such fruit of desire were appeared in the James’ community. Faith had disappeared and there was full of human struggle and dispute in the community. According to James fights and quarrels come from their desires. (4:1) Here desire is Hedonai, the evil spirit against reason, love, and conscience, the right insight. Such phenomena are revealed in verse 2 well. “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

We can see such things from Indian Christianity. When they elect church leaders we often see such struggle. It is not the fight for seeking the truth but catching religious power. Once they feel getting behind they go to the court in the world. All these things are nothing but the wisdom out of desire, only form is from faith.

Wisdom from the above

Different from this, James explains the wisdom from heaven. Such wisdom is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (17) James narrated seven items, five positive and two passive. It is the standards of distinguishing whether church leader, church workers are from heaven or earth. James explained peace-loving, the second item among this again in verse 18. “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

He warns fights and quarrels among them in verses 4:1-3. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”The theme he would like to deliver is here. It means those who know wisdom from heaven, and those who are working with such wisdom plants the seed of peace.

What does the meaning of planting the seed of peace in detail? If we keep our faith life well then can we live peacefully? It is difficult to answer for such question. If we say to aim peace but keep silent before unrighteousness then it is the very dead faith. Mere non-dispute is not peace. Jesus said the other way. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”(Luke 12:51) The incident of crucifixion signifies the dispute with the world. It is not easy to distinguish when we have to keep peace relationship with world and when struggle with. Though we live friendly with others and live without dispute we cannot boldly say we are planting the seed of peace. Hedonai, the power of desire always is working in us.

Though we don’t have the power to recognize the ultimate peace and don’t have ability to practice it, we have to choose one of them in a certain concrete situation between directing peace comes from heaven and fighting and struggling belongs to earthly desire. The people James warned were the latter. They followed desires with plausible talk. They called themselves teachers and wise man. They continually made Christian fight, dividing and falling into animosity.

Dear brothers and sisters, Seek, wisdom comes from heaven. It is a true wisdom. The fact is, true wisdom can be known with its fruit. According to James, the most important fruit is to plant the seed of peace. Yes. If your wisdom comes from heaven, you can plant the seed of peace in church, family and world. On the contrary, if you live peace-oriented life in church, family and world, your wisdom came from heaven.

                                                                                                                                                                    

THAT DAY WILL CLOSE ON YOU SUDDENLY

Luke 21:25-36

Today's content is consist of three parts, a apocalyptic declaration that the Son of Man will come in 21:25-36, the parable of fig tree which explains that it's sign is very clear in 29-33 and finally the teaching we have to prepare for it in 34-36. Though each paragraph seems to say different content it is the same in the point of 'the last time' is coming. Regarding the last time is described as 'the Son of Man' in the first paragraph, ' the kingdom of God' the second and finally 'that day' in third. What does the last time mean? What would the author who delivers Jesus' saying of 2000 years ago would like to say?

‘The Son of Man’ points out the Almighty, Messiah who will judge the world and redeem God's people. The last time is the time of new beginning. The Son of Man will take a decisive role in that day. The story of the Son of Man often comes in the Old Testament. A detailed story of the Son of Man comes in Ezekiel chapter. “He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” (Eze. 2:1, 3,6,8) It comes in Daniel. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven .He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”(Dan. 7:13) It says his power never destroys and will be forever. Such conception of 'a Son of Man' of the Old Testament is the same as it of today's content. “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”(28) The core of such idea of a Son of Man is 'the last day and judgment'. It means the last day of the world will come and a Son of Man will judge this world at that time.

The last time and judgment

Regarding the last time, Luke describes as following. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.(25-27) In the Revelation we can see the similar content. "...and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. “ (Rev. 6:13,14) Such verses means the entire universe including the earth will be dismantled.

Will really such thing be happened? In the past human history there were many people who prophesied the end of human kind and the last of universe. Nostradamus (1503-1566), a doctor of France and a mystic thinker exactly prophesied will-be-pop and Henry II's death caused by horseback game. Might be it was right his another prophesy that the great king of fear come from heaven on July 1999 became a great issue.

There are many movies which deal with the end of mankind and the earth. '2012' is one of them. The scientists concludes a prophesy, the year of 2012 is the year of humankind destruction which was known from the time of ancient Mayan Civilization after long study. It says the entire humankind will be destroyed by earthquake, volcanic eruption and tsunami. The scientists make a spaceship to save the descendants of mankind.

Will the time of the entire universe destruction come? Let's think the earth only and especially humankind. Will the moment humankind live in the earth no more come? It is not a groundless story, possible in the movie only. We can find out an answer in common sense. The earth can be son of the Sun floating at the corner of the universe. The earth never can be the center of the universe. And the earth continually moves. You don't feel it. Feeling itself it not only sure. There are many planets, comets and meteors in the solar system. It moves according to its orbit or randomly. If a comet with 1 Km diameter hit the earth the entire life on the earth are finished. An ant can survive? An ant also finally will be disappeared. And a glacial epoch begins in full scale humankind cannot be survived in the earth. The time now human civilization are blooming it falls under an interglacial period between the old glacial epoch ended ten thousand years ago and new glacial epoch. Not only by this natural disaster but human's consumption civilization the ecological balance of the earth will be suddenly destroyed.

Is the same end of the world, the testimony of the Bible for the last as a Son of Man comes and the above explanation? It is quite similar story outwardly. It all says a dismantlement of the universe. However, it is different story fundamentally. The Bible basically regards this world as God's creation. God is good and righteous. Then his creative activity also good and righteous. The author of Genesis testifies God also had said of the beauty of creation after creation. (Gen. 1:31) In Noah's time, God judged the world with flood due to their sin but promised with Noah no more disaster with water. It says, "I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life."(Gen. 9:15) According to the Bible and Christian faith there will be no futile destruction of the earth. The earth you are standing is strong. Though flood, earthquake and tsunami happens the foundation of God created world never moves. Don't be afraid of it.

Then why today's content says all the sun, moon and stars will be distorted and o the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea? Is it the same with humankind destruction that worldly prophet says? The end the Bible says is not a dismantlement and a destruction but establishment and lift. It is not killing but saving. It is not a stop but a completion. Luke described it in verse 27 in this way. "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (27) And it is the time of redemption. Yes. the time of Son of Man's coming is the time of redemption, the time of completion of life.

Look into what the two verses quoted in above say? It contains the future and hope of Christianity. The Son of Man has power and glory. He saves the world. It means the Son of Man who has power and glory only can save us. There is no one who has such power and glory to save human and world. A wonderful science of 21 century can help us to live conveniently but doesn't have power and glory. Human and science have no foresight. It is very helpless. Is this word sound strange? No strange at all. The power of science only can excise it's power in this world only but helpless in the world completed by the Son of Man. It is completely different., not by partially but totally, not by quantity but by quality. It is not improve the world but overturning. Everything can be changed. We cannot imagine its scale. It is similar that we cannot imagine the shape of alien.

Though it says the world qualitatively different world, do not think awkward world. It would better to explain with example. Suppose here is a cosmos seed with 1 mm diameter and 1 Cm length. It planted in the spring. A little time passes and there blooms a beautiful cosmos flower. It is a magnificent phenomena that cannot explain with a seed only. It is different world in quality. If we see it separately it is completely different world. However, a seed and flower are connected to each other in a mysterious way. This world is like a seed. As a seed blossom on its time the world God created will blossom with a qualitatively different new life world. The Son of Man with power and glory is the very one who completes it. The Son of Man only has the power and the new word is his glory.

What do you think about this teaching of the Bible? You may believe it as it is but something might be not clear in your heart. No matter how the world the Son of Man establish is new we cannot feel it in real for it is quite a far from us. We think here now well eat and living and further more having peaceful life with neighbors is more important. It is not wrong. Christian faith can lost a real world with thrown into dualism, transcendental eschatology and history nihilism. Such things had happened in the past Christianity history. On October 28, 1992 the people of Dami mission insisted it is the day of judgment and they only will be ruptured. They stopped their job, school and indulged only in a religious meeting. Such faith is clearly wrong. Christianity faith should stand on the history of a real world. We have to pray God's will be done on the earth as it is in the heaven.

Problem is that the world we are standing with two feet is not yet completed. It is incomplete. The creation is not completed yet. We cannot be satisfied with this world. No true peace is possible in this world. Would the apocalyptic literature say death is eternal rest? See. All the things we have experienced is passing. See your youth. It passes in a moment. All the possession we had slip through as sand does our fingers. Nothing is remained of us. Anything we experience in this world can complete life. The fact that the end station of our life is death is a decisive proof for it. Here is the reason Buddhism, our native religion says nirvana. It says we can reach nirvana after getting complete freedom from the entire obsession of human in the world. The nirvana is salvation or the kingdom of God in Christianity term. They are different from us in many point, but we are not different at the point of thinking this world and the life in it is not completed one.


Be always on the watch

When can be the exact day this incomplete world can change into a complete one qualitatively? Nobody know it. Jesus also doesn't know it. God the creator only knows it. However, there will be sign. In today's content Jesus explains it with the parable of fig tree. He says, "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near." When pseudo eschatology was rampant, they used to explain the time of the end of world by connecting the numbers 666 or 144,000 in Revelation and a big incident in the world history. They exampled EU and bar code of the product. They also exampled a natural disaster. Such insistent are vague. It is a behavior to call a religious passion by giving them unnecessary fear. You do not need to pay attention on it.

Today's content says the last day is coming like trap. It means it happens unexpected time with unexpected way. It sounds contradictory One-sidedly it says we will know the sign of the end of the world and the other side we don't expect it. It is not a contradictory word. A sign will be visible to someone and someone not. Who will be an invisible one? The content clearly points out. They are people with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life. Their heart are completely weighed worldly things. It doesn't mean a will for life and its passion. It says to indulge in self-achievement and self-satisfactory. The word praise them. However, eventually such life make our heart dull.

Who will be the one who can see the sign of the day? According to verse 36 they are "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” To pray and be watch means to connect to the center of life. It means to sensibly resonance with the Holy Spirit who gives us life. Such people can see the sing of the last day. More fundamentally the last day doesn't have much meaning whether it is tomorrow or after 10 or 100 or 100 million years. It is because he vividly conceives and experiences that the last days is happening at the very this moment.

Dear brothers and sisters. Today is the first Sunday of Advent the beginning of church calendar. It is the beginning of the season to remember Jesus' first coming and waiting for his second coming. The reason we are waiting for Jesus is that Jesus is the very the Son of Man that today's content says. Jesus promised to come again. He will come as the Lord of Judgment. It means Jesus is the unique standard to divide between life and not life. Do not be doubt or feel uneasy for his promise for he didn't come even after 2000 years waiting. For him 2 thousand years are like a night. When all the life reveals its reality the mystery of time also will be brightened. Do not fear for the last day unnecessarily. It is the moment of redeeming into eternal life. Do not be weighed on your heart with wariness of life and do not forget. The day of redemption will come soon. It has come already in Nazarene Jesus Christ two thousand years ago!