There are several very troubling passages in the gospels about the end times that seem to indicate a time of overwhelming evil. I'm not going to mince words here: They seem to indicate a time when there is literally no one (maybe only a few) righteous left on the planet. Consider:
" 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." Lu. 17:26-30 (NRSV)
Now the usual interpretation here is that Christ is talking about the suddenness of the return, and that is true. But there is another aspect here which Christ leaves unmentioned. Could it be that Christ is also referring to the wickedness of both of these generations? The fact that in each of them, there was only one righteous man?
The point is solidified if we look at what Christ says directly after:
"And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Lu. 18:8b (NRSV)
The answer to this question is meant to be "no." This is troubling, indeed, as it supports our deductions from Luke 17. But there are other passages as well:
"12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Mt. 24:12-13 (NRSV)
Here Christ predicts an increase in lawlessness at the time of the end. There is another very troubling passage in 2 Tim. 3 where the Apostle Paul excorciates both those inside and outside of Christianity:
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Tim. 3:1-5 (NIV)
I like the NIV translation best here because I think it captures the essence of v.1 more than most other translations (it translates "chalepos" as "terrible" which I think is a much more accurate translation than other versions). The word translated "terrible" above is as follows:
Greek Lexicon :: G5467 (KJV)
The word chalepos is Strong's #5467 and means "hard to do, take or approach; hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous; harsh, fierce, savage."
The interesting thing about the word is that it is only used one other time in the NT, and that of demoniacs:
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, G5467 so that no man might pass by that way." Mt. 8:28
This picture combined with the picture given us in the book of Revelation paints a very bleak outlook for the last days indeed. A few examples will suffice:
"5 They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them." Rev. 9:5-6 (NRSV)
Notice the length of time they are allowed to torture them - 5 months - quite a long time. That's a long time to induce repentance, but evidently nothing happens. Indeed, at the end of Revelation 9 we read:
"20 The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts." Rev. 9:20-21 (NRSV)
"8 The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire; 9 they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory." Rev. 16:8-9 (NRSV)
"10 The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness; people gnawed their tongues in agony, 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds." Rev. 16:10-11 (NRSV)
Overall, the picture is bleak. Does Christ wait until a time when there is practically no-one righteous left on planet earth to begin the book of Revelation? Based on the above passages, I'd have to say the case is extremely strong. There is also a philosophical question - Why does God allow things to get so bad before he intervenes? He doesn't seem interested in nipping anything in the bud. Just sort of an interesting observation.
Any ideas on the above thoughts?
" 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." Lu. 17:26-30 (NRSV)
Now the usual interpretation here is that Christ is talking about the suddenness of the return, and that is true. But there is another aspect here which Christ leaves unmentioned. Could it be that Christ is also referring to the wickedness of both of these generations? The fact that in each of them, there was only one righteous man?
The point is solidified if we look at what Christ says directly after:
"And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Lu. 18:8b (NRSV)
The answer to this question is meant to be "no." This is troubling, indeed, as it supports our deductions from Luke 17. But there are other passages as well:
"12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Mt. 24:12-13 (NRSV)
Here Christ predicts an increase in lawlessness at the time of the end. There is another very troubling passage in 2 Tim. 3 where the Apostle Paul excorciates both those inside and outside of Christianity:
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Tim. 3:1-5 (NIV)
I like the NIV translation best here because I think it captures the essence of v.1 more than most other translations (it translates "chalepos" as "terrible" which I think is a much more accurate translation than other versions). The word translated "terrible" above is as follows:
Greek Lexicon :: G5467 (KJV)
The word chalepos is Strong's #5467 and means "hard to do, take or approach; hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous; harsh, fierce, savage."
The interesting thing about the word is that it is only used one other time in the NT, and that of demoniacs:
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, G5467 so that no man might pass by that way." Mt. 8:28
This picture combined with the picture given us in the book of Revelation paints a very bleak outlook for the last days indeed. A few examples will suffice:
"5 They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them." Rev. 9:5-6 (NRSV)
Notice the length of time they are allowed to torture them - 5 months - quite a long time. That's a long time to induce repentance, but evidently nothing happens. Indeed, at the end of Revelation 9 we read:
"20 The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts." Rev. 9:20-21 (NRSV)
"8 The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire; 9 they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory." Rev. 16:8-9 (NRSV)
"10 The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness; people gnawed their tongues in agony, 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds." Rev. 16:10-11 (NRSV)
Overall, the picture is bleak. Does Christ wait until a time when there is practically no-one righteous left on planet earth to begin the book of Revelation? Based on the above passages, I'd have to say the case is extremely strong. There is also a philosophical question - Why does God allow things to get so bad before he intervenes? He doesn't seem interested in nipping anything in the bud. Just sort of an interesting observation.
Any ideas on the above thoughts?
