The Scriptural passage you cite is found in Luke 21:28, part of the "Mini Apocalypse" of Luke 21, with paralles in Matthew 24-25 and Mark 13, along, of course, with relevant parts of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) itself.
I think it is interesting to contemplate a "duelist" utility to these apocalypses. They have a first instance of relevance in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD; but, this, in turn, according to one school of scritural exegesis, is but a harbinger or scale-model exposition of the "real" end of the world in the future. As the destruction was complet in Jerusalem ("not one stone left upon another"), so will it seem to be at the end of the age.
Serious stuff to think about! And extremely serious to deal with for the Christian generation whose fate it will be to live through the time. Therefore, Jesus gives that generation many clues, both in the physical calamities and the spiritual ones, that the time for alertness is near.
Are WE that generation? Perhaps. It is too early within the series of *potential* warning signs to be clear about this. But God doubtless made the signs sufficiently fuzzy in their early stages so that Christians will *commonly* see a potenitality of The End that they reform their lives and their cultures. Indeed, who can know how many times The End has already been forstalled?
At any rate, there is clearly a purpose for end-generation Christians to be on guard, otherwise, Christ would never have said these things in the context that He did. And clearly, from the context, there will be a "tipping point" where the signs are no longer preliminary but unmistakable, and their usefulness for the Christians of the time will be also unmistakable. As the Jerusalem Christians saw these same kinds of signs beforehand, and escaped from Jerusalem to Petra, perhaps at least some Christians will similarly benefit.
I think it is very possible that the current geological, meteorological, astronomical and spiritual "anomalies" are the very early precursor signs to the real thing to shortly follow. BUT, it is definitely too early to be sure of this. The signs we can discern now may be merely a warning to get our act together, with a fork in the road ahead of us. If we turn back to God, we pass down the fork in the road which leads to the "new springtime" and "restoration" often spoken about of late. If we do not turn back to God, well...
The key is discernment. Let's not, like some televangelists and their followers, make a cottage industry of this sort of thing, running after every little disaster (which always happen!) and assigning them a portent they don't deserve. Between that tendency and another, of some of our Catholics, called "apparition chasing," we focus on morbid fascinations, and lose sight of the very God we should be prostrate before when signs first appear! Let us pray and be ready. We need to anyway; the End of the Age may not come for another thousand years, but our own "end" will come soon enough, regardless. That, rather than overwrought concern for the mere *potential* of the End of the World in our natural lifetimes, should be the focus of the greater part of our prayers and attention.
---That, rather than overwrought concern for the mere *potential* of the End of the World in our natural lifetimes, should be the focus of the greater part of our prayers and attention.---
Absolutely...and if we have our suspicions about the signs of the times, it ought to make us want to do what we ought to even more...
***The key is discernment. Let's not, like some televangelists and their followers, make a cottage industry of this sort of thing, running after every little disaster (which always happen!) and assigning them a portent they don't deserve.***
At last! Someone with common sense! Great post!