August 25th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

The End of Time

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord, You are the righteous Judge of my words and decisions. May I seek Your will in all things today.

Read Luke 21:5-19

[5] Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, [6] “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” [7] “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” [8] He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. [9] When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” [10] Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. [11] There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. [12] “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. [13] And so you will bear testimony to me. [14] But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. [15] For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. [16] You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. [17] Everyone will hate you because of me. [18] But not a hair of your head will perish. [19] Stand firm, and you will win life.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

Meditate on Christ as Alpha and Omega: there at the beginning, sitting in judgment at the end. What does this mean to you?

Think Further

We know now that the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by a Roman army in 70 AD, not even 40 years after Jesus spoke these prophetic words. It was a dreadful event, with thousands dead. The world didn’t come to an end, but it marked the beginning of a long and agonizing scattering of the Jewish people.

The persecution of Christians had already begun. The prophecy about the end of the world, which seemed so immediate to the early Christians, still stands. Do we still live with that possibility, or has the immediacy of it totally vanished? How many times have you heard that the signs of the end are here, and yet it hasn’t happened the following week, or month? What can we take from this reading that will help us live for that day, while not abandoning the long view? There are some people reading these notes who may face real and dangerous persecution; for others the hostility may be strongly felt, but it won’t result in physical harm, and probably no more than a little social awkwardness. 

In both situations we need to testify and, as we have seen with Paul’s story, there will be opportunities, sometimes in influential circles. The advice of Jesus is to trust the Holy Spirit. The promise of v. 15 is that the Spirit will give wisdom, the kind of wisdom that expresses itself with an authority and coherence that will transcend the results of any effort that we might have put in. This is not advice to give up on sermon or lesson preparation! But we can and should take comfort in recognizing that in extreme situations we are strengthened by an omnipotent God.

Apply

Pray for Christians in prison or under physical attack for their faith; ask for the Spirit to give them the words to say that will convince and convert their attackers.

Closing prayer

Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters who live and serve in tough places. Fortify and use them, and may their courage challenge me to greater devotion to You.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store