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Saturday, February 6, 2021

If only the Father knows, then why do we keep guessing?

Over at Banned by HWA, NO2HWA and Dennis have been running a series of posts about David Pack's predictions regarding the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Of course, Pack is not the first to make such predictions. His mentor, Herbert W. Armstrong made a number of predictions along the same lines. Indeed, for Armstrong and his followers, the return of Christ has always been "just right around the corner."

And, as long-time commentator NEO has pointed out, "Critics typically give Christians a drubbing over the fact that the Apostles believed that Christ would return within a generation." Indeed, the writings known to us as the New Testament make clear that Paul and the other Christians of the First Century believed that Christ would return in their lifetimes. He didn't, of course, and the Christians of today are still awaiting that event.

Nevertheless, those same writings record that Christ said: "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." (see Matthew 24:36) And, just before his ascension into heaven, we read in the book of Acts that he told them: "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority." (see Acts 1:7)

Christians, however, continue to ignore these remarks by Christ and speculate about the "End Times" and Christ's return. A few years ago, David Niose wrote an article for Psychology Today about the impact that these beliefs exert on America's thinking and policy (see 'End Times' Beliefs Are Extreme, and Extremely Influential). Niose noted that "Apocalyptic views are shaping policy at the highest levels," and he cited Christian reaction to Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital as exhibit one in proving that thesis. In an earlier article for the same magazine, Christopher Lane spoke about the modern technology which Christian Doomsday preachers employ to spread their message, and how that message impacts society (see Preaching Doomsday: Living in the End Times). Lane wrote: "They're louder and their words carry farther and more rapidly. They add to the general stress and stoke the anger and dismay of people both here and continents away. They also frighten children, sap the nation's spirit, and agitate the nation's mood."

In short, Christians seem to be obsessed with apocalyptic thinking. From Armstrongism to QAnon, there is an element within the Christian community that loves conspiracy theories and titillating speculation about the "fulfillment" of prophecy. Never mind, that the New Testament tells us that Christ repeatedly sought to squelch/discourage such speculation. Jesus taught his disciples: "So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." (see Matthew 6:34)

Christians, however, are determined to "keep watch." They seem intent on turning Christ's instructions about being watchful and prepared into a command or permission to engage in worry, stress, fear and paranoia. Christian leaders use this preoccupation to bring in new followers, more money and spur their existing followers to greater devotion and excitement. Let's face it, there simply isn't much capital in patiently enduring until you draw your last breath!

Although the story is most likely apocryphal, there is a story about something that Martin Luther once said about the "End Times" that conveys an attitude towards the "End Times" which all Christians would do well to adopt. Luther was supposed to have remarked: "If I knew the world was to end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today." If he didn't say it, he should have! 

2 comments:

  1. Reg Killingley of Texas sent this observation of the topic:
    Watch does not mean watch

    For decades, many English-speaking Christians have watched world events, constantly trying to figure out how they fulfilled the signs Jesus said would precede His return (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). Their motivation in most cases has been the desire to obey Jesus’ exhortation in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (NKJV).

    But they’ve been wrong.

    You see, “watch” in Matthew 24:42 does not mean watch. At least, not in the commonest sense of the verb. To be more precise, “watch” in the Authorized/King James Version (AV/KJV) does not have the same meaning most people today assign to the verb watch.

    “Watch” today is used to mean “look at” or “observe,” as in “let’s watch a movie.”

    But “watch” in 1611 meant “stay awake,” not “look.” It didn’t mean “observe.” It meant, “stay awake and don’t go to sleep!” That’s all. And that’s plenty.

    Let’s review a little grammar. In English, we have two kinds of verbs. Some are transitive, meaning they require a direct object, and some are intransitive, meaning they do not.

    So, for instance, “to need” is transitive. It requires an object. You need something. You don’t just say “I need” without specifying what it is you need.

    “To snore,” on the other hand, is intransitive. It does not require an object. You don’t snore something. You just snore, period.

    In modern usage, “watch” is transitive. It requires an object. We watch something. So if someone tells us to watch, we will ask, “What do you want me to watch?”

    But in the AV/KJV, the verb “watch” is intransitive. It does not take an object. That’s because it means “stay awake.” You don’t “stay awake” something. You just “stay awake,” period.

    Staying awake doesn’t require you to watch (look at, observe) anything. Maybe you’ll need some coffee. But the only thing staying awake requires is not falling asleep.

    In the first century there was no Internet. No Twitter. No Facebook. Neither was there any TV. Or newspapers. Or magazines. All of these tools are modern inventions. So, English-speaking Christians in, say, the 16th or 17th centuries who heard the exhortation to watch would not have—could not have!—interpreted it to mean “keep up with the news and see how it fulfills prophecy!”

    The Greek word translated watch is gregoreo (γρηγορεω). It means “stay awake,” “be alert,” and is always translated as an intransitive verb in English. You don’t stay awake or be alert something. You just stay awake. You don’t have to follow the news. You don’t have to delve into prophecy. You just stay awake.

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  2. continued:
    We see gregoreo used in I Maccabees 12:27 in the same sense that it is used in Matthew 24:42, written well over a century later.

    In the New English Bible, I Maccabees 12:27 reads, “At sunset Jonathan gave orders to his men to stay awake and stand to arms all night, ready for battle.”

    In the RSV translation, the same verse reads, “So when the sun set, Jonathan commanded his men to be alert and to keep their arms at hand so as to be ready all night for battle.”

    “Stay awake.” “Be alert.” Period.

    Perhaps one more example of how an English word from 1611 can be misunderstood will help us see how easy it can be to reach a misleading conclusion about what a Bible verse means.

    In Matthew 7:13-14 we read: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

    Verse 14 is the origin of the expression “strait and narrow.” And because many English speakers heard this as “straight and narrow,” the idiom for many has come to mean a narrow path that follows a straight line.

    But “strait” does not mean “straight.” “Strait” is just a parallel construction synonymous with “narrow,” just as “wide” is a parallel construction synonymous with “broad.”

    In reality, many paths are strait (that is to say, narrow) because the terrain is unsuited to a wide one. They may follow the edge of a hill or zigzag up a mountain. Because of that, strait paths are likely to be crooked rather than straight.

    So, sincere people have long confused strait with straight. And sincere people have likewise confused an intransitive verb that exhorts Christians to stay awake with a transitive verb that they think means they have been commanded to follow the news and speculate on how the news fulfills Bible prophecies.

    Right after Jesus (in Matthew 24:42) told his disciples to watch, meaning, to stay awake, he told them the parable of 10 virgins who all fall asleep. He understood that, as human beings, we cannot remain permanently alert. We all get tired and fall asleep every day! Yet we have to be ready to wake up at a moment’s notice.

    In Matthew 25:7 we read that once the Bridegroom arrived, “all the virgins woke up” (NIV). The Greek word translated “woke up” is egeiro (εγειρω), from which gregoreo (“stay awake”) is derived. It is the same word used in Romans 13:11: “It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord” (CEV).

    If we are fully awake, then we will be alert to the urgent needs of others in this world. We will be aware of those who are hungry or thirsty or needy or sick or in prison and do what we can to help (Matthew 25:39-40. That’s what Jesus praises. He does not extol the sheep for having been news junkies or prophecy buffs. He lauds them for being awake and alert to the needs of other people.

    This awareness prompts our heartfelt daily plea: "Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10). All Christians pray for Jesus to come quickly (Revelation 22:20).

    It is not wrong to be interested in keeping up with world events and trying to discern their significance. There are certainly other less productive ways of spending our time. But we should understand clearly that we do it from personal choice. To do it because we think Jesus commands us to is a misunderstanding and a mistake.

    One final note: even though a misunderstanding can be hard to abandon once it becomes well established, it is well worth the effort. And one simple practice that can help us avoid some of these linguistic misapprehensions is to use a modern translation of the Bible. The English language has changed much in 400 years. Let’s not stay mired in English expressions or usages that are no longer current that can easily mislead us into the temptation of misapplying Jesus’ instructions and exhortations.

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