Introduction First my thoughts and prayers are with you my readers who are in countries being severely affected by the coronavirus COVID-19 (i.e. SARS-COV-2) pandemic.
[Above (original)[2]: "Coronavirus (COVID-19) map" as at ~11:45 PM Perth time, 28 March (image not updated). Click here and hover your mouse over a country to see its current cases and deaths. As at 11:11 PM Perth time, 7 April, Australia has 5,908 cases and 48 deaths, while the United States has 376,754 cases (almost as many as the next three highest Spain 140,511, Italy 132,547 and Germany 104,199, combined 377,257) and 11,752 deaths.]
[Above (enlarge)[3]: Electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 viruses, showing the spikes on their outer edge which resemble a corona, hence their name[4].]
Where I live in Western Australia, as at 7 April, there have only been 470 case and 6 deaths. WA's geographic isolation, its low population density and it not being a major end destination of overseas travellers and cruise ships has spared it from the large number of cases in the Eastern States: New South Wales 2,686, Victoria 1,191 and Queensland 934.
We are living in Luke 21:24b-32 between "Jerusalem" no longer being "trampled underfoot by the Gentiles" [which happened in 1967]
[Above (enlarge): "Israeli paratroopers stand in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem" in June 1967[5].]
and "the Son of Man [Jesus] coming in a cloud with power and great glory":
"24They [the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem] will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on 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. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.' 29And he told them a parable: `Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. (Lk 21:24b-32)"I had been a Christian for less than 6 months when Israel stunningly won the Six-Day War in June 1967 against the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria[6]. And then captured the Old City of Jerusalem, enabling Israel to take control of all of Jerusalem[7], for the first time since AD 70.
I still remember the excitement among my fellow Christians from seeing a Biblical prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes! That made us a uniquely privileged generation. In that excitement then was written items like:
"There are many prophecies about the return of the Jews to their homeland. Frequently, it was expected that these events would be inaugurated by the Messiah himself, but it was also held that they would precede his return. At just about the time we have proposed for the end of the Chalcedonian era in theology, the fifteen-hundredth jubilee of 1951, the Jews finally did return to political power in the Holy Land. The state of Israel was established in 1948. Even more recently, in 1967, the Jewish people gained full possession of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. One prophecy of Jesus, unrealized for 1897 years, seems to have been fulfilled: `Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled' (Lk 21:24)"[8].
"In St. Luke's account of the Olivet discourse [Mt 24:3-25:46; Mk 13:3-37; Lk 21:5-36] there is a short but profound statement regarding the future of Jerusalem, which is taking on tremendous meaning: `And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled' (21:24). There are three time periods in this verse: the first is that of the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, occurring forty years after our Lord uttered these words: `They shall be led away captive into all nations.' The second period extends from then, and perhaps long before that, to the end of this age, to the end of `the times of the Gentiles.' Finally, there is that hour or day or year in which there comes to an end the times of the Gentiles, which must be a part of the last days of this age ... In other words, Jerusalem would be in the hands of Gentile nations, as it has been for centuries, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. That Jerusalem, of which our Lord spoke, is now, since 1967, for the first time in all these centuries, no longer under the rule of Gentile nations but in the absolute control of the Jews, in fact, in the control of the new nation, Israel! To me, this is one of the great prophetic factors of our generation. If the Jews can hold this city and maintain their sovereignty here, I cannot help but think that we are at the end of the age of the times of the Gentiles"[9].But over time that excitement has dissipated and the 1967 starting point of the generation which would see events which would culminate in Jesus' Second Coming has been largely forgotten.
My exegesis and interpretation of Lk 21:24b-32 (Luke's words are bold)
24"They The Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem (vs 20-23). will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, Which happened in the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and its aftermath[10]. and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, Which happened finally after the Bar Kokhba Revolt of AD 132[11]. until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. "The ... period of Gentile domination of Jerusalem"[12].
25And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, [parallel Mt 24:29 & Mk 13:24-25] Jesus now shifts His focus to His Second Coming. This is "vivid apocalyptic imagery ... of heavenly portents ... to denote sudden and violent change and the emergence of a new order[13]. And it might include Apophis (the Egyption "god of evil, chaos, darkness and destruction") a 370 metres (1,210 ft) diam-eter, 61 million tonnes, near-Earth asteroid, traveling at ~31 km/sec[14]. On
[Right (enlarge): "Asteroid" science fiction movie advert-isement, NASA. From my 24Feb07 post on this topic on another blog.]
Friday the 13th of April 2029 (in only 9 years' time), Apophis will pass by Earth only 31,200 km (19,400 mi) above its surface (less than 3 times Earth's diameter of 12,756 km or 7926 mi)[15]. I expect there will be widespread panic, despite astronomers' assurance that Apophis is going to pass by Earth, when the public realise that this huge asteroid is coming towards Earth. Apophis will return on 23 March 2036[16] and although by current calculations it will pass no closer than 8.4 million km or 5.2 million mi, its approach that close to Earth in 2029 will alter its orbit[17]. So it may be that Apophis' 2029 pass will alter its orbit such that astronomers will be unable to rule out it impacting Earth in 2036?
and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, "This is not to be understood literally, but as an image of great distress"[18].
26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. This could have been on the front page of today's newspaper! The current coronavirus pandemic is only part of that "fear and ... foreboding" and it will only get worse (see Rev 15:1-16:21) in this The Great Tribulation (Mt 24:21 & Mk 13:19). For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. The ESV Study Bible's comment on the parallel passage Mt 24:29 is:
"24:29 sun ... moon ... stars ... powers. It is possible that this is entirely literal language (with "stars" perhaps referring to a large, meteor shower). Others take it as a mixture of literal and figurative language, and still others take it as entirely figurative, pointing to political judgment on nations and governments. The argument in favor of a figurative interpretation is that this verse echoes possibly figurative language about heavenly disturbances in the OT prophets, such as Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10; and Amos 8:9"[19].So this could refer to Apophis heading for Earth in 2036 (see above), just before Jesus returns? (see next).
27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [parallel Mt 24:30 & Mk 13:26].
"In the midst of these circumstances of utmost distress the Son of Man, the exalted Christ, will come in His divine power and majesty, and in such a manner that every eye will see Him"[20].
28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
"... the onset of the great oppression of the Last Days ... will be to believers the signal that their full redemption (in soul and body) is at hand. So Jesus commands His followers (He addresses the disciples as representing the faithful of all ages, including those of the Last Days), when they see the beginning of these predicted things, to be inspired with courage and faith in the knowledge that His second advent, and with it their redemption, are at hand. Although they do not know the precise day and hour of His coming, they will know that His coming is no longer far off"[21].My fellow Christians. This is a command of our Lord Jesus that in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, we are to straighten up and raise our heads, because our redemption is drawing near!
29 And he told them a parable: `Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. [parallel Mt 24:32-34 & Mk 13:28-30]. 30As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
"29-31 Just as, when the trees in nature begin to bud, one knows that spring is near, so assuredly Christ's followers must know that when the prophesied events begin to occur His second advent and likewise the visible and full revelation of the sovereign dominion of God are close at hand. His coming will indeed be like a thief in the night (xii. 40) and no one will be able to determine beforehand when it will be, and unbelieving mankind will indeed be engaged in their ordinary secular activities in spite of all the portents of His coming (xvii. 26-30), but none the less the predicted events will be a sign to the faithful believers when His coming is at hand, so that they will not be taken unawares by that day (xxi. 34)"[22].32Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place."
"21:32 this generation. If the reference is to the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred about 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, `generation' [Greek genea "race, family, generation"] is used in its ordinary sense of a normal life span. All these things were fulfilled in a preliminary sense in the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem. If the reference is to the second coming of Christ, `generation' might indicate the Jewish people as a race ... who were promised existence to the very end. Or it might refer to the future generation alive at the beginning of these things"[23].The middle meaning of "generation" above, "the Jewish people as a race" can be eliminated. There would have been no threat to the existence of "the Jewish people as a race" in the destruction of Jerusalem. Acts 2:5 says that 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, there were Jews living in "every nation" of the known world. And Jesus had already predicted in v.24 that even of the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem, some would not be killed but would "be led captive among all nations."
The first meaning of "generation" above, the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem, can also be eliminated. While the earlier part of Jesus' Olivet discourse (Lk 21:5-24a) applies to the destruction of Jerusalem, the events in the later part (Lk 21:24b-32) do not. In particular "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (v.24b) and "they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (v.27) do not apply to the generation, used in its ordinary sense of a normal human life span, which experienced the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
So that leaves the third meaning of "generation," "the future generation alive at the beginning of these things." And that is the generation which in 1967, first saw Jerusalem no longer under Gentile rule. The generation, of which Jesus said, it "will not pass away until all has taken place" (v.32), including seeing "the Son of Man [Jesus] coming in a cloud with power and great glory"(v.27)! My generation!
Since the Biblical span of a normal human life is 70 years (Ps 90:10; Isa 23:15)[24], I expect that Jesus will return before the bulk of the generation that was alive in 1967 passes away, that is, before 2037! See my posts on my now closed CreationEvolutionDesign blog: 11Nov06, 12Jul08 & 30Nov08. See also above on Apophis returning in 2036.
Resurrection of Jesus All four Gospels affirm that Jesus was raised from the dead (Mt 28:1-6; Mk 16:1-6; Lk 23:55-24:7; Jn 20:1-9). Unless Jesus was raised from the dead, Christianity is utterly false:
"It is the witness of the NT that the resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal point of Christian theology and apologetics. Paul reports an early creed in I Cor. 15:3ff. which both includes the resurrection as an integral part of the gospel and reports several eyewitness appearances.Then Paul relates the importance of this event, for if Jesus did not literally rise from the dead, then the entire Christian faith is fallacious (vs. 14) and ineffective (vs. 17). Additionally, preaching is valueless (vs. 14), Christian testimony is false (vs. 15), no sins have been forgiven (vs. 17), and believers have perished without any Christian hope (vs. 18)"[25].Jesus' prediction that He will return "in a cloud with power and great glory" (v.27), as well as His other predictions in Lk 21:24b-32, depends on Him having been raised from the dead:
"Jesus' resurrection ... verifies the future judgment of the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31)"[26].Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus I was going to list these from my books but I realised it would take me too long. I will eventually do this when I get to "Resurrection" in my Turin Shroud Encyclopedia [Today (7 April 2020) it occurred to me to provide interim links from my Encyclopedia to posts where I have covered a topic, e.g. this one.], but I will instead provide the following links: "The Resurrection of Jesus by William Lane Craig; "Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli" and "Historical Evidence for the Resurrection by Matt Perman."
The Shroud as evidence for the resurrection of Jesus! For ease of comparison I will present this in the following table:
| Jesus' resurrection | The Shroud |
| Jesus was buried in a linen shroud (Mt 27:59; Mk 15:46 & Lk 23:53). | The existence of the Shroud is itself evidence that the Shroudman's body separated from it within a few days, since all other shrouds have disintegrated with their decomposing bodies[27]. |
| Jesus' body did not decompose (Acts 2:22-31; 13:32-37; Ps 16:10). | There is no evidence of decomposition on the Shroudman's body image[28]. |
| Jesus' resurrected body could pass through walls (Jn 20:19-20, 26-27). | The blood clots on the Shroud are intact, therefore the Shroudman's body passed through the Cloth[29]. |
| In Jesus' Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-9; Lk 9:28-9), His body was "transfigured" [Gk metamorphoĊ (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2), such that His "face shone like the sun" (Mt 17:2); and his clothes "became white as light" (Mt 17:2), "became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them" (Mk 9:3) and "dazzling white" (Lk 9:29)[30]. | The Transfiguration was "a preview and an anticipation of the resurrection" of Jesus[31]. In the Transfiguration, Jesus' body "turned briefly into light"[32]. A short and intense burst of ultraviolet light from an excimer laser has produced the closest match to the body image on the Shroud[33]. |
Notes
1. This post is copyright. I grant permission to quote from any part of this post (but not the whole post), provided it includes a reference citing my name, its subject heading, its date, and a hyperlink back to this page. [return]
2. "Coronavirus (COVID-19) map," Google.com, 2020. [return]
3. "File:Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.jpg," Wikimedia Commons, 27 March 2020. [return]
4. "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2," Wikipedia, 29 March 2020. [return]
5. "1967: The Six-Day War and the historic reunification of Jerusalem," Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2017. [return]
6. "Six-Day War," Wikipedia, 18 March 2020. [return]
7. "Old City (Jerusalem): Political status," Wikipedia, 24 February 2020. [return]
8. Brown H.O.J., 1984, "Heresies: The Image of Christ in the Mirror of Heresy and Orthodoxy from the Apostles to the Present," Doubleday & Co: New York, p.448. [return]
9. Smith, W.M., "Signs of the Second Advent of Christ," in C.F.H., ed., 1971, "Prophecy in the Making: The Jerusalem Conference on Biblical Prophecy," Creation House: Carol Stream IL, pp.207-208). [return]
10. Geldenhuys, J.N., 1950, "Commentary on the Gospel of Luke," Marshall Morgan & Scott: London, Reprinted, 1961, pp.528-529; "Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE): Aftermath," Wikipedia, 26 March 2020. [return]
11. "Bar Kokhba revolt: Aftermath," Wikipedia, 26 March 2020. [return]
12. Marshall, I.H., "Luke," in Guthrie, D., et al., eds., 1970, "New Bible Commentary," [1953], Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester, Third Edition, Reprinted, 1987, p.919. [return]
13. Morris, L., 1974, "The Gospel According to Luke: An Introduction and Commentary," The Tyndale New Testament commentaries, Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester UK, Reprinted, 1986, p.210. [return]
14. "99942 Apophis," Wikipedia, 26 March 2020. [return]
15. Ibid. [return]
16. Beatty , K., 2013, "Asteroid Apophis Takes a Pass in 2036," Sky & Telescope, January 9. [return]
17. "99942 Apophis," Wikipedia, 26 March 2020. [return]
18. Barnes, A. & Cobbin, I., ed., 1962, "Barnes' Notes on the New Testament," [1832], Kregel: Grand Rapids MI, 1962, Fifth printing, 1970, p.248. [return]
19. Wilkins, M.J., "Matthew," in The ESV Study Bible, Crossway Bibles: Wheaton IL, 2007, p.1874. [return]
20. Geldenhuys, 1950, p.538. [return]
21. Ibid. [return]
22. Ibid. [return]
23. Barker, K., ed., 1985, The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.1581. [return]
24. Collins, C.J., "Psalms," in The ESV Study Bible, 2007, p.1053. [return]
25. Habermas, G.R., 1984a, "Resurrection of Christ," in Elwell W.A., ed., "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology," Baker Book House: Grand Rapids MI., 1990, Seventh printing, p.938. [return]
26. Macleod, D.M., "Resurrection of Christ," in Ferguson, S.B., Wright, D.F. & Packer, J.I., eds., 1988, "New Dictionary of heology," Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester UK, p.582. [return]
27. Scavone, D.C., 1989, "The Shroud of Turin: Opposing Viewpoints," Greenhaven Press: San Diego CA, p.65. [return]
28. Habermas, 1984b, pp.158-159; Antonacci, M., 2000, "Resurrection of the Shroud: New Scientific, Medical, and Archeological Evidence," M. Evans & Co: New York NY, pp.33, 121. [return]
29. Wuenschel, E.A., 1954, "Self-Portrait of Christ: The Holy Shroud of Turin," Holy Shroud Guild: Esopus NY, Third printing, 1961, pp.51-52; Bulst, W., 1957, "The Shroud of Turin," McKenna, S. & Galvin, J.J., transl., Bruce Publishing Co: Milwaukee WI, p.144; Stevenson, K.E. & Habermas, G.R., 1981, "Verdict on the Shroud: Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ," Servant Books: Ann Arbor MI, p.156; Habermas, G.R., 1984a, "Ancient Evidence for the Life of Jesus," Thomas Nelson: Nashville TN, pp.158-159; Habermas, G.R., 1984, "Turin, Shroud of ," in Elwell, W.A., ed., "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology," Baker Book House: Grand Rapids MI., 1990, Seventh printing, pp.1115-1116; Antonacci, 2000, p.235. [return]
30. Iannone, J.C., 2010, "The Three Cloths of Christ: The Emerging Treasures of Christianity," NorthStar Production Studios & Lulu Press: Kissimmee FL, p.102. [return]
31. "Transfiguration of Jesus: Transfiguration and resurrection," Wikipedia, 16 March 2020. [return]
32. Martindale, S., 2007, "H.B. doctor submits Shroud of Turin to scientific method," The Orange County Register, October 19. [return]
33. Tosatti, M., 2011, "The Shroud is not a fake," Vatican Insider, 12 December. [return]
Posted: 28 March 2020. Updated: 15 April 2020.
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