Introduction

An apocalypse is a disclosure to God’s people of his heavenly plan[1]amidst mass spiritual decline and great physical tribulations[2]. We are in the midst of such a time, when the traditional Christian nations of the West have abandoned God and vast swathes of humanity are in deep distress. I began this article in the wake of recent fires, floods and cyclones which have struck Australia from east to west, but in the last few days the Middle East has erupted into unprecedented political violence and the devastating news of the Christchurch earthquake has broken upon us. We are in dire need of an apocalyptic vision.

Jesus prophetic words are coming true, ““And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21:25-26). Yet Christ’s next words require a level of insight that seems rare in our time, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (21:27-28).

Generally, the church of God is lacking a penetrating revelation from heaven about what God is doing in the world today. On the one hand we have sincere believers reticent to relate natural and political catastrophes to the hand of God, lest they create an impression of a deity without mercy[3]. On the other side, we have those ready to engage in scare-mongering by the use of scriptural texts without depth of understanding of their wider context. This article is written as a challenge to the standard of spirituality and biblical impoverishment in our time.

A Long Way From Heaven

Here is my summary of Western culture’s spiritual state: “The absence of the experience of God in an environment filled with immediate sensory pleasures is a sign of the ‘the wrath of God revealed from heaven’.” Whilst many Christians are upset at the moral decline of our nation, few seem to discern the significance of the upsurge of hedonistic trends from a heavenly perspective. Western Christians generally struggle to see God’s hand in contemporary events because they share the blinded mindset of the surrounding secular culture.

This blindness is perfectly illustrated by the majority Christian response to the increasingly vocal attempts to promote gay marriage in our country. Few voices are engaging with this issue in a prophetic way that expounds Paul’s teaching that sees the multiplication of social sin in general and homosexuality in particular is an apocalyptic sign from heaven.“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom 1:18). Paul highlights male and female homosexuality as a manifestation of the divine displeasure (1:26-27) directed against idolaters (1:21-23). In the public promotion of gay marriage and its growing political support we hear God hearing speaking from heaven[4]. Society’s acceptance of a host of moral vices[5] is a sign from heaven in our midst that can only be “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14) as a temporal manifestation of threatened eternal punishment. God’s wrath is the withdrawal of his manifest presence into heaven (Hos 5:15) leaving a nation devoid of spiritual consciousness. This makes Australia, “The Land of the Distant King.”

Jesus told a parable about a nobleman who left his homeland for “a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return”. Before departing he entrusted 10 servants with resources to serve his purposes. While absent his citizens rebelled and rejected his kingship. Open his triumphant return two of his servants are rewarded for their faithfulness, a third is condemned as lazy and wicked. Finally, the enemies of the king are put to the slaughter (19:13-27). The message is that whilst Jesus is in heaven believers are to be occupied expanding his kingdom. At the Second Coming we will give an account of our faithfulness and unbelievers will be punished. In the light of our Romans text these rebels are average lifestyle Australians for whom heaven is so far away as to be deemed irrelevant to daily life. The only hope we have of seeing our beloved kinsmen delivered “from the coming wrath” (2 Thess 1:10) is to pray a for a manifestation from heaven that will open the eyes of the spiritually blind. This brings us back to Jesus’ puzzling words, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:27-28)

Heaven Opened

Such language reappears in contexts which apply to manifestations of Jesus as Lord and Judge before his Return. In Mark, Jesus is charged by the High Priest, ““Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”” (14:61), to which he replies, ““I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven[6].”” (14:62)[7]. Apparently, even such a person will be confronted in his lifetime with a sign from heaven that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed” (14:61). Only a close examination of layers of scripture will unveil what Jesus actually meant by this prediction.

The first stage of God revealing from heaven Christ’s true identity comes at his crucifixion. John records, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness….And again …Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”” (John 19:34-35, 37). Luke describes the impact of this scene, “And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.” (Luke 23:48). These narratives are a fulfilment of a remarkable prophecy in Zechariah. ““And I will pour out on … the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him…” (Zech 12:10). This text predicts that Israel will pierce Yahweh himself, and in seeing that they have wounded their God will turn in genuine heartfelt repentance. Their contrition is a fruit of the atonement and the ministry of the Spirit as described in John’s image of the pierced Christ (19:34). The blood that pours from the cross stands for redemption (Eph 1:7; Heb 9:12), and the water that flows from Christ’s pierced side points to the pouring out of the Spirit in the End Days (John 7:37-39) turning people back to God.

An even more profound spiritual application of Zechariah’s prophecy is the conversion of Roman crucifier who testifies of Jesus, ““Truly this man was the Son of God!”” (Mark 15:39). The highest spiritual ruler of the land had Jesus put to death for claiming Sonship, but God gives a revelation from heaven of Jesus’ End Time identity to a pagan![8]. The wrath of God on idol worshippers (Rom 1:18ff.) can be turned away. The power of the blood that flows from the pierced Christ and the Spirit that he imparts are heavenly gifts that go on inducing repentance. They generate the apocalyptic atmosphere on the Day of Pentecost.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting…. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven….“and I will show wonders in the heavens above…”” (Acts 2:1-2, 5, 19). The sign to all that heaven is now open is the End Time gift of the Spirit, ““‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…. before the Day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day”” (2:17, 20). Peter represents the gift of the Spirit as coming from the pierced and exalted Lord, “this Jesus…you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men….This Jesus God raised up. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing ….God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”” (2:23, 32-36).

Massive repentance follows such proclamation, “when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said…, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent” (2:37-38), and “three thousand souls” (2:41) were saved. The spiritual cause of such turning back to God was that, again fulfilling Zechariah 12:10, men and women were given a revelation from heaven that Jesus was the pierced Son of God. The Early Church was born with a clear consciousness that it lived, moved and had its being under an open heaven awaiting the soon return of its crucified Lord. Pentecost created an awareness that formed a pervasive sense of the church’s End Time identity. The anticipated Return of Christ bringing heaven to earth permeated everything and moved the first Christians to pray as one, “Maranatha” = “Our Lord Come” (1 Cor 16:22). Such enthusiastic expectations for The Second Coming are rare in our time, but a series of passages in Revelation can expand our vision and change our minds about the End.

The End is At Hand

Revelation is an apocalyptic book written to comfort those suffering for Christ (1:2) by lifting up their heads to see God’s final act of redemption, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will mourn on account of him. Even so. Amen[9].” (1:7). The mourning of the “tribes of the earth” is a prophecy of mass turning to God. Expounding Zechariah’s vision of the pierced God once more, Revelation holds up the vision that the sight of the pierced one provokes genuine heartfelt repentance across the world. This is the great news of the redemption of many for which true believers suffer and die. One remaining apocalyptic passage pertaining to Christ’s Coming remains.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war…13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Rev 19:11, 12-15).

John’s description of the triumphant Return of Christ draws on a dramatic prophetic scene of a wrathful warrior dripping in the blood of his enemies[10]. Isaiah’s image terminates in the words of the Warrior (Christ), which sound strange to our eyes, ““For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.” ” (Isa 63:1-4). Like the picture of the king returning from a far country, the prophet interprets the divine action in terms of terrible wrath partnered with climactic redemption. This is the exact set of circumstances described by Jesus, terrible and fearful signs of divine wrath in the world should stimulate us to “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (21:27-28). The new testament breathes an apocalyptic atmosphere of where eternal blessings and eternal loss are felt close at hand and indifference is accursed (1 Cor 16:22).

Our Present Heavenly Witness

We are not left as passive observers of an End Time scenario. Like Peter at Pentecost we are to preach Christ crucified in the power of the Spirit. Like John we are to speak words of comfort to those faithful witnesses persecuted for righteousness sake. But finally, like the pierced one at the cross we are to suffer for the sake of revelation from heaven. Our obedience in Christ creates an awareness of final things.

Revelation 11 records an extraordinary scene where two witnesses minister in the prophetic gifts of Moses and Elijah (11:3-6)[11]. Hated by the forces of evil they are slaughtered and “the peoples and tribes and languages and nations” rejoice over their death for 3 days (11:9-10). Suddenly a loud voice calls to them from heaven, ““Come up here!”” (11:12), and they ascend into “heaven in a cloud” (11:13). A great apocalyptic judgment follows, but then the rebellious survivors “were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (11:13). The course of the lives of these witnesses parallels that of Jesus: miraculous ministry, persecution and death, resurrection and ascension. Most significantly, the outcome of their lives is the same as that of their pierced Lord, the rebellious nations turn to God in repentance.

The secret of how the nations are discipled (Matt 28:18-20) has been unveiled; it is the suffering and reinvigoration of the church that provokes a general spiritual mourning as their persecutors are convicted of sin. In her fearless prophetic witness the church images Christ’s afflictions and unveils the indwelling power of his resurrection triumph (Col 1:24, Phil 3:10). In their victory over every affliction God reveals from heaven the true identity of Jesus as his Son (2 Cor 6:7; 13:4). The apocalyptic message is clear, suffering for the sake of Jesus opens heaven and provokes an awareness of the reality of God’s judgement upon the earth NOW. In the light of the testimony of the suffering church to the sovereignty of Christ over all things, the natural disasters and moral confusion of our world are suddenly unveiled as heavenly messages full of meaning to a society that has lost all purpose. In such a field of meaning repentance must come to multitudes of Australians.

It is the perspective of the New Testament writers that when the church globally is a martyr witness[12] the heavens themselves will be rolled back (Heb 1:12; Rev 6:14) and Jesus will appear to everyone, bringing this present evil age (Gal 1:4) to an end by fiery judgement (2 Pet 3:10). In this way the day of wrath and the day of hoped for redemption are one.

Conclusion

Past generations of believers sung expectantly of the actions of the Returning King in the midst of history[13], but we have become creatures of comfort. The affluent church of today has lost its spiritual nerve. But God is not mocked for he is shaking the heavens and the earth in our time (Heb 12:25-29) and will not allow us to stay in our pitiful slumber! Through great stirrings the Lord is building a church that possesses End-time wisdom[14] and which prays, “Jesus come again!” “Jesus come again for me!” “Jesus come back to judge and redeem the earth!”” Let us echo the prophetic cry, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Isa 64:1). As a Christian cry this is a prayer for the full and final visible manifestation of God from heaven. The Return of Christ is our great awaited hope (1 Thess 1:10; Tit 2:13; Heb 9:28; Js 5:7; 2 Pet 3:12-14; Jude 21). Yet a warning remains.

Jesus warned, ““When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.””(Matt 16:1-3). God forbid that we share this terrible state of blindness about what He is doing in the world. Let us hearken seriously to the voice of Jesus as he addresses a church like ours, ““I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”” (Rev 3:18)