Church of the Holy City

The Apocalyptic Kingdom

The Apocalyptic Kingdom
Rev. Dr. David J. Fekete
April 1, 2012

Zechariah 9:9-17 Mark 11:1-11 Psalm 118

Our Bible readings this morning deal with the subject of apocalypticism. This big word refers to a vision of the world that comes in the late prophets. Much of the apocalyptic writings are vast and sometimes terrifying visions. One large group of apocalyptic writings is the whole book of Revelation. The visions in Revelation are all apocalyptic. Apocalyptic writings speak of a whole new world order. They see the world as absolutely devastated of justice and God’s peace. They envision a time when God Himself will come into the world and set things right. Much apocalyptic writing refers to a grand cosmic battle between God’s angels of light and the angels of darkness. We find such an apocalyptic vision in our reading from Zechariah 9 this morning minus the angels of darkness and light. We first hear about God coming and destroying the world:
Then Yahweh will appear over them
and His arrow go forth like lightning;
The Lord God will sound the trumpet,
and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
The Lord of hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour and tread down the sling stones;
and they shall drink their blood like wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar (Zechariah 9:14-15).
Then God ushers in a time of peace,
On that day the Lord their God will save them
for they are the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
Yes, how good and how fair it shall be!
Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the maidens (16-17).
The apocalyptic time in Zechariah is associated with the coming of the Messiah, as are many prophesies about the end of days. And the prophesy about the Messiah is how the Jews interpreted Jesus’ triumphant arrival in Jerusalem. So the Gospel writers reference Zechariah 9 when they describe the Palm Sunday arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. Zechariah reads,
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
Humble and riding on an ass,
on the colt the foal of an ass (9:9).
According to Zechariah, when the Messiah comes, he will rule over the whole world, bringing peace, “from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (9:10).
Apocalyptic prophesies like this appear in several places in the Old Testament. They are in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zephaniah, and other books. We find them also in the Dead Sea Scrolls. One notable text is called The Scroll of the War Rule. In it, we find expectations of a cosmic battle between the sons of light and the sons of darkness.
These apocalyptic expectations were very much in the air at the time of Jesus. In fact, the Essenes, a monastic group of Jesus’ time, were waiting for this battle in war readiness so that they could fight alongside the sons of light. And these apocalyptic expectations were all bound up in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus Himself talked much about the nearness of the kingdom, and of the coming of the kingdom. Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem was seen as the arrival of the very Messiah of the prophesies. That is why the Gospels reference the passage from Zechariah that we heard this morning,
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
Humble and riding on an ass,
on the colt the foal of an ass (9:9).
And because of the way that the Jews understood the apocalyptic prophesies, they did not understand how Jesus could have died. Even if He did rise from the grave on Easter. Last Sunday we heard Jesus predict His death. He compared His death and resurrection to a grain of wheat falling to the ground. But John tells us that the Jews questioned Jesus about this. They asked,
We have heard from the law that the Christ [Messiah] remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?” (John 12:33).
The crucifixion of Jesus was a crushing blow to those who were hoping for the final days and a restored earth.
The Jews of Jesus’ time were not alone in their belief that the final battle and the coming of the kingdom would happen physically on the earth. Paul thought that these events would happen very soon–probably in his own lifetime. Therefore he urges people not to make any major changes in their life. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul advises the churches,
Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called . . . Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. . . . What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. . . . For this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:20, 26, 29, 31).
And at the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon” (22:20). And an even more mystifying statement is in Luke 21, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place” (21:32).
So here we are 2,000 years later and the great cosmic battle hasn’t come. A look around us will tell us that God hasn’t set the world right. What are we to say? How do we reconcile these prophesies?
There are people today who, as did those in Jesus’ day, are still waiting for the end times. It is my belief that the end days will not come in the form of a great cosmic upheaval in the physical world. I read these prophesies in the light of Luke 17:20-21. There, Jesus says,
The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, “Lo, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
The battle of darkness against light happens inside our souls. The coming of God, with God’s reign of peace happens in our souls. The world to be restored is the inner world of our hearts and minds which need to be reformed and regenerated.
When we go through difficulties and trials; when we go through soul shaking temptations, when we are confronted with hardships that threaten to overwhelm us; when these inner battles take place in our souls, we welcome with great rejoicing and cheer the coming of Jesus into our lives and the peace He brings. We are going to have difficulties in this world. Jesus tells us that we will:
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The mountains of our self-interest will be shaken and toppled. Earthquakes will shake our complacency. And our understanding of reality will be darkened as we are brought from false views of the world into more enlightened views of it and our place in it.
When we read the prophesies about the end times, how can we understand them except as archetypical symbols of the great tribulations of our souls. Consider the following passage from Matthew 24:
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory (24:29-30).
It seems to me that if we read these symbols as referring to physical events, we rob them of their spirituality. Does not the sun and moon darkening mean more than an eclipse? And when the stars fall from heaven, where will they go? We now know that the stars are spread through the whole universe and are not pinpoints of light above the earth. And what is meant by the power of the heavens shaken? The sky can’t shake. That line has to mean something inside us, even as heaven and hell reside within the human consciousness.
After these trials and psychic calamities, we will see the risen and glorified Christ appear to us. Jesus will shine through the broken up shards of our worldliness and proprium. This is a time after temptation, when we are receptive to Christ’s peace. We will gratefully welcome the appearance of our Savior and God and let Him into our hearts and minds. As did the joyful residents of Jerusalem, when Jesus comes to us we will welcome Him with song and rejoicing. And we will sing with the Psalmist,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. . . .
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever (Psalm 118).

PRAYER

Lord we ask for your love and mercy to descend upon all sorts and conditions of humanity. May the whole human race welcome you into their hearts, as the joyful residents of Jerusalem did in ages past. May we face the tribulations of this life with patience and courage. May we see your face shine through all sorts of adversities and may we be filled with your peace as we pass through the difficulties that will come to us in this fallen world. Lord, send us your love and peace and make us willing to receive the spiritual gifts you would freely give us.

Lord, we ask for your peace to descend upon this troubled world. Where there is conflict and war, let there be understanding and peace. Inspire our leaders, and the leaders of other nations to govern their people with compassion and with your Holy Love. Where there is famine and thirst send your generosity. Where there are natural disasters, may help come from good neighbors and from compassionate governments. Where there is want and unemployment, lend your patience and hope.

Lord, send your healing love to all those suffering in body and soul. We ask you to give the gift of health to all in need.