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Apocalypse… now????

Apocalypse… now????. Paul and his Understanding of the End of the World. Henry Purcell. The Apocalypse Today. What we mean when we think of the end of the world. The Apocalypse. On December 21, 2012, the World is going to end, or so says people citing the Mayan Calendar.

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Apocalypse… now????

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  1. Apocalypse…now???? Paul and his Understanding of the End of the World Henry Purcell

  2. The Apocalypse Today What we mean when we think of the end of the world.

  3. The Apocalypse • On December 21, 2012, the World is going to end, or so says people citing the Mayan Calendar. • The World was supposed to end in the year 2000, it being significant that it was a millennial anniversary since the birth of Christ (even though this would technically be 2001). • Many thought the same thing in A.D. 1000. • Many people on the street corners think it’s coming tomorrow (or the next day if not tomorrow).

  4. The Apocalypse • But what is the apocalypse? • What does the Church say about it? • What do these fascinating stories in the Bible tell us about it? www.merryswankster.com

  5. Today • Today when people hear the word, ‘apocalypse,’ they think of complete and total destruction, possibly leaving a remnant few who must struggle for their lives. • Movies like, Apocalypse Now, Deep Impact, and Armageddon support this view.

  6. Is this biblical? • Our understanding today, though, is not what Jesus was talking about, nor is it what St. Paul meant. • While our view has something to do with that context, it overlooks many things that they would have considered as part of the Apocalypse.

  7. The Old Testament Prophets And the progression of thought through pre-Christian times.

  8. A Response to Sin • In response to idolatry and injustice, prophets spoke of a “new” exodus, creation, and covenant—a future time of true worship, of justice in Israel, and peace and security. Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin

  9. The Apocalyptic Event • When these failed to materialize, apocalyptic views saw a radical disjunction between the present age and the age to come with great upheavals in the cosmos. God would then intervene and institute the new. • This thinking is ‘dualistic’. www.dealingwithheadaches.com

  10. Nota Bene • Note that we today many have retained the former idea but not the latter. We think of destruction when we think of the apocalypse but our materialistic culture has stripped the divine purpose out of these visions.

  11. The Teaching of Jesus What did the boss have to say?

  12. Apocalyptic Signs • “When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.’” (Mt 11:2-6, NAB)

  13. Signs of the Kingdom • The reign of God is breaking into history now. Jesus has many signs, including • reconstituting Israel in the apostles; • defeating Satan; • forgiving sins; • liberating the oppressed; • and rising from the dead. • “For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:21). • He proclaims the new age has begun. www.wmcwels.com

  14. St. Paul and the Apocalypse Transmitting the truth of Christ’s message

  15. Reconciliation • Paul had to reconcile two seemingly contradictory things for those to whom he was preaching. • First, the Kingdom of God is upon us, as Christ said. • Second, it’s obviously not here yet because people still die, not everyone is worshipping the true God, and we still are pulled towards sin.

  16. The Fullness of Time • “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption” (Gal 4:4-5). • Paul preached consistently that the great even has happened, the ransoming having occurred through the power of the Cross. realcatholic.com

  17. There is still more to come… • “For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good” (Tit 2:11-14). • We are still waiting for Jesus to come, though.

  18. How does Paul reconcile these? • “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old thing have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17). diocese.sitepreview.co.uk

  19. How does Paul reconcile these? • There is present in Paul’s message, faithfully transmitting the message of Christ, the idea of the ‘overlap of the ages.’ • “Paul saw the apocalyptic event occurring In two parts—commonly referred to as the first and second comings of Christ—with an intervening era in which the two ages overlap” (Gorman, 59).

  20. Gorman’s Presentation of the Overlap of the Ages First Coming Second Coming First Age The Overlap of the Ages Eschatological Age

  21. Implications of the Overlap What does this look like, anyway?

  22. Already… but not yet The Old Age The New Age • Marriage • Pull of the Flesh • Death • Living in the World • Celibacy • Life in the Spirit • New Life in Christ • Living not of the world • We thus live in both ages simultaneously, and must live accordingly.

  23. Why doesn’t God just hurry up? • We can look to Peter for the answer to this question because we must treat the bible as a unity, and both Peter and Paul preserved the message of Christ wholly. He even cites Paul as supporting this statement. • “And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you” (2 Pet 3:15). • So, the delay on God’s part is for our good.

  24. When is the final age coming? • “We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man nor the way the universe will be transformed.” • “Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come.” • “Here on earth the kingdom is mysteriously present; when the Lord comes it will enter into its perfection” (GS 39).

  25. Pauline Indications • “We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a ‘spirit’ or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way” (2 Thess 2:1-3a). • Paul did not know when the Lord was coming, but still recognized the need to be ready at any time.

  26. What we can look for… • “For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, who opposed and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god…” (2 Thess 2:3b-4) • “But the one who restrains is to do so only for the present, until he is removed from the scene” (2 Thess 2:7b).

  27. What we can look for… • Paul here indicates three signs of the coming: • The apostasy (avpostasi,a) • The anti-Christ (o` a;nqrwpojthjavnomi,aj) • The ‘restrainer’ (kate,con)

  28. Sidenote: the Rapture • The rapture is a theory proposed by a small group of Christians who believe that before the second coming will be a great trial; however, because the members of the Church cannot be a part of it, Jesus will ‘snatch up’ those members so they do not undergo the trial. observers.france24.com

  29. Sidenote: the Rapture • It is important to note that no bible verse discusses the rapture; a few are used as ‘evidence,’ but are interpreted towards the view. • The Catholic Church does not believe in this sort of ‘rapture.’ Such a belief did not exist until the 1800s and has never been a part of her tradition. • Because the Magisterium is the authoritative interpreter of scripture, we can look to her for the proper understanding of the passages.

  30. Sidenote: the Rapture • “For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. The we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord…” (1 Thess 4:16-17). • This passage, talking about being ‘caught up,’ is used in support of the theory. The Church interprets this event as not ‘splitting up’ the second coming, but talking about the second coming itself.

  31. Sidenote: the Rapture • We cannot spend any more time discussing the details of the rapture, except to note that most Churches who subscribe to the theory believe in a sharp distinction between the church and Israel; the Church must be snatched up before the beginning of the trials according to them. • The Catholic Church has consistently maintained the teaching, which has been handed down since the apostles, that she is the New Israel and the seed of the Kingdom of God, not subscribing to such a division.

  32. How do we live in the overlap of the ages? So what if he’s coming again?

  33. Effects on the World • Relativization of things of this world • Politics • Tension between the old and the new: the new economy in the old world • Proper ordering of the old subjected to the new

  34. Effects on Us • We must cooperate with the grace of God to enter heaven. • The Cross is both the entrance into this overlapping age and the path we must take into the next age. • We must act with view to our fulfillment. • Consecration of the world to the Father- the vocation of the laity. • Evangelization: allowing God to use us to bring others to himself. www.norprov.org

  35. Effects on our Worldview • Elevation of old goods to higher ones • Marriage is now a sacrament; even though it is passing away and will not be in the world to come, it still is a symbol of that world and brings about grace. • Those virtues we could develop are now elevated so that we can work with the prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance of Christ. • We have new virtues given so that we can cooperate with God and live the economy of the new kingdom now: faith, hope and charity.

  36. The Apocalypse… now? So what can we say now?

  37. Maybe… • Maybe that guy you thought was crazy on the street corner is not so crazy… Jesus might just come back tomorrow. • We need to be prepared so that he does not catch us off guard. He warned us about this when he told the parable of the ten virgins. • But, maybe in fact the second coming will not occur for a long time. • We still need to work for the salvation of all men, including ourselves. Its coming must spur our evangelical zeal.

  38. Live by the Spirit • “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old thing have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5: 17). • If you have lived according to the spirit, you will have already been prepared to enter the new kingdom when it comes in its fullness. • Remember, the kingdom’s already here… it’s consummation is still on the way. upload.wikimedia.org

  39. “Ecce enim regnum Dei intra vosest!” ait Dominus.

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