Time will tell (Thursday, Week 34, Year 2)

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Open remarks 

Someone wrote that the difference between the words, “HERE” and “THERE”, is the letter T (which stands for “time”). 

Within the context of Revelation 18:1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9a, why was the Book of Revelation written?

The Book of Revelation was written in order to link “time” with “eternity”. Within the context of Revelation 18:1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9a, the Book of Revelation has this message for Christians of all time: in TIME, you will suffer; in ETERNITY, you will rejoice. As we have learnt earlier, it was written primarily for the consolation of those Christians who underwent terrific persecutions in the ancient Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was metaphorically described as “Babylon the great harlot” in the early years of Christianity under successive emperors. The most fiendish, barbarous and ruthless of them all was Emperor Nero who was even code-named and described as the “Anti-Christ” by Christians of that time. 

How did those early Christians respond to the message of the Book of Revelation?

During those tumultuous times, attentive to the consolatory tone of the Book of Revelation, many Christians were able to stand firm because they became strongly convinced that a time would come when there would be peace and tranquility, when there would be no “Nero” or any other form or agent of cruelty or persecution; a time would come when “Babylon the harlot” (symbolic of the oppressive Roman Empire and all citadels or agents of evil and persecution) will be overthrown. Between their situation of pains and tears and their future situation of victory and joy, the difference was just time. “Time would tell” as it is usually said. 

How does the gospel (Luke 21:20-28) connect with the first reading (Rev. 18:1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9a)?

The first reading reminds suffering/persecuted Christians that “time will tell”; and that “Babylon the harlot” will be overthrown. Christ tells his disciples in the gospel (cf. Luke 21:20-28) that “Jerusalem” which was emblematic (or symbolic) of Jewish religious arrogance, oppression and structural injustice shall be thrown down by the Gentiles. When it is about to happen, those who are inside the “Jerusalem” city of should depart. When it eventually begins to happen, the disciples should look up and raise their heads, because their redemption is near. All in all, the message of Jesus in this gospel passage just as that of John in the Book of Revelation is that every structure of evil (symbolized by the “Jerusalem city” and the “great city of Babylon” respectively) must be overthrown. 

What should be our response to the scriptural readings of today?

Propelled by such hope of future redemption as expressed in the Book of Revelation, we must develop an attitude of “active” patience or endurance as described in Luke 21:19. As recorded in Revelation, after that monumental defeat and destruction of Babylon the great harlot (cf. Rev. 18:21), there would be feasting and shouting of Hallelujah (cf. Rev. 19:1); a marriage supper of the Lamb would become the celebration and those at the feast would be regarded as “blessed” (cf. Rev. 19:9a). This takes my mind back to the Parable of the Marriage Feast as narrated by Jesus in Matt. 22. What was the problem of that man who was thrown out of that marriage banquet hall? He was not wearing the “wedding garment”: the garment of righteousness. Can you still remember the Parable of the Virgins (the wise and foolish virgins) in Matt. 25? Why were the five foolish virgins shut out of the banquet hall? Because they were not well prepared for the feast, they did not have enough “oil” for their lamps. 

The period of waiting for the end of evil, the period of waiting for the triumph of goodness, the period of waiting for the feast of the Lamb should be a period we should actively strive to get and be in the right wedding garment. It should be a period we must strive to fill our moral lamps and carry extra oils of virtue to the banquet hall. One thing is clear: You see all these monumental “Babylonian” structures of wickedness and evil in our world! They shall surely come down one day. You see all these earthly “Jerusalem” structures of oppression! They will be dismantled one day. My appeal and our prayer should be: may we not be found in those structures of evil, or else we would be suffocated in them and destroyed with them.       




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