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Tasmanian Anglican

November 2004

 

A Quick Word - Everything Comes to an End

by Paul Grayston

 

 

Pilgrims approaching the Holy City could see the Temple from a day away. Pure white marble and silver and gold caught the sun and shone out beckoningly.

Around the imposing building were marble-columned cloisters - ten metres high and one kilometre long, surrounding the courtyards. No wonder Herod's magnificent Temple overwhelmed Jesus' disciples.

So impressive, so glorious, so permanent! And yet it was all gone only forty years later.

To Jesus' disciples, the Temple must have seemed to be the centre of the world, the place where God meets his people, and surely the place to inaugurate Jesus' Kingdom. In Jesus' day the splendid complex was still being completed. Did it seem timely perhaps - that it was being made ready just in time for the Messiah to begin his reign? And yet it was all gone forty years later.

Ultimate

Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple in striking detail: wars, rumours of wars, Gentile armies, devastation and every stone torn down (Luke 21:10f; 20f). 70AD saw the end of the Temple, and with it the Jewish nation as a political entity. Titus' Roman armies surrounded, starved and sacked the city. Amid the appalling loss of life, it is recorded that the early Christians, presumably alerted by Jesus' prophecy, escaped from Jerusalem to Pella, safely across the Jordan.

Jesus goes on to speak of the ultimate ending which will be brought about by his promised return 'in a cloud with power and great glory...' (21:27) He declares that he alone will bring about the final end of everything, and it will be an ending with a wonderful new beginning, of life with God in his heavenly kingdom.

Everything falls apart

The tragic destruction of the Temple presents us with a living parable - a warning against our devotion to ultimately impermanent things. Everything falls apart and comes to an end, even the splendid Temple where God dwelt among his people. Religious places and monuments, dioceses and denominations, all are going to disappear one day. All will come to an end.

When Jesus returns we will be called to account for what really matters - how we have used everything at our disposal to love and serve the Lord. Jesus warns his followers to be ready to receive him: 'Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.' (21:36)

We would do well to heed his words.

On the subject of endings, my time of writing this column needs to come to an end to make way for other responsibilities. Thank you to the Editor for this opportunity, to you for reading, and special thanks to readers who have expressed their appreciation for A Quick Word from time to time. It has been a pleasure, but as we know, all things must come to an end! PG