by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy Shavuot\/Pentecost! I am fast recovering from the \u201clatest version\u201d of Omicron XBB (I suppose). The symptoms are quite mild compared to my bout with another Omicron strain last January 2022. By God\u2019s grace I will be fit for our Oplan UPCAT this coming June 3 and 4. See you there in our Palma Hall Station or in CRL! In the meantime, we will continue with our study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The heavenly signs of \u1f21 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03af\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c5\u1f31\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5<\/mark><\/em> (\u201cthe coming of the Son of Man\u201d) found in Matthew 24:29-31 have its parallels in Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:25-28. We can compare the texts of Matthew 24:29-31 verse-by-verse with Mark 13:24-27 (with my formal translation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 24:29<\/sup>\u0395\u1f50\u03b8\u03ad\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b4\u1f72 <\/mark>\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03b8\u03bb\u1fd6\u03c8\u03b9\u03bd<\/mark> \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f21\u03bc\u03b5\u03c1\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f10\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd <\/mark>\u1f41 \u1f25\u03bb\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03c4\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f21 \u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03ae\u03bd\u03b7 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c6\u03ad\u03b3\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2,<\/mark> <\/mark>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f31 \u1f00\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c0\u03b5\u03c3\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6, <\/mark>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b1\u1f31 \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u1ff6\u03bd <\/mark>\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9<\/mark>.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But immediately after the tribulation<\/mark> of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,<\/mark> and the stars<\/mark> will fall from the sky, and the powers<\/mark> of the heavens will be shaken<\/mark>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 13:24<\/sup>\u1f08\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 \u1f10\u03bd \u1f10\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f21\u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 <\/mark>\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03b8\u03bb\u1fd6\u03c8\u03b9\u03bd<\/mark> \u1f10\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b7\u03bd <\/mark>\u1f41 \u1f25\u03bb\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03c4\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f21 \u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03ae\u03bd\u03b7 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c6\u03ad\u03b3\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2,<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But in those days after<\/mark> that tribulation<\/mark> the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 13:25<\/sup>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f31 \u1f00\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03c2<\/mark> \u1f14\u03c3\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f10\u03ba \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c0\u03af\u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2, <\/mark>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b1\u1f31 \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/mark> \u03b1\u1f31 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 <\/mark>\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03b8\u03ae\u03c3\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9<\/mark>.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And the stars<\/mark> will be out of the sky falling, and the powers<\/mark>, those in the heavens will be shaken<\/mark>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 24:30<\/sup>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c3\u03b7\u03bc\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c5\u1f31\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff7 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u1ff7, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5 \u03ba\u03cc\u03c8\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u1fb6\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b1\u1f31 \u03c6\u03c5\u03bb\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03b3\u1fc6\u03c2 <\/mark>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76<\/mark> <\/mark>\u1f44\u03c8\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c5\u1f31\u1f78\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f10\u03c1\u03c7\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd<\/mark> \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03bd\u03b5\u03c6\u03b5\u03bb\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6 <\/mark>\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u03cc\u03be\u03b7\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1fc6\u03c2\u00b7<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming<\/mark> on the clouds of heaven with power and<\/mark> great glory<\/mark>;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 13:26<\/sup>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76<\/mark> \u03c4\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5 <\/mark>\u1f44\u03c8\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c5\u1f31\u1f78\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f10\u03c1\u03c7\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd<\/mark> \u1f10\u03bd \u03bd\u03b5\u03c6\u03ad\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 <\/mark>\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1fc6\u03c2 <\/mark>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u03cc\u03be\u03b7\u03c2<\/mark>\u00b7<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And<\/mark> then they will see the Son of Man coming<\/mark> in clouds with<\/mark> great power and glory<\/mark>;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 24:31<\/sup>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76<\/mark> <\/mark>\u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f00\u03b3\u03b3\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark> \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03c3\u03ac\u03bb\u03c0\u03b9\u03b3\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03b3\u03ac\u03bb\u03b7\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03be\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd <\/mark>\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03bb\u03b5\u03ba\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2<\/mark> \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 <\/mark>\u1f10\u03ba \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03ac\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd<\/mark> \u1f00\u03bd\u03ad\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u2019 \u1f04\u03ba\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f04\u03ba\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And he will send forth<\/mark> his angels<\/mark> with a great trumpet (sound), and they will gather his elect from the four winds<\/mark> from the ends of the heavens until its farthest ends.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 13:27<\/sup>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76<\/mark> \u03c4\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5 <\/mark>\u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f00\u03b3\u03b3\u03ad\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark> \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03be\u03b5\u03b9 <\/mark>\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03bb\u03b5\u03ba\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03ac\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd \u1f00\u03bd\u03ad\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd<\/mark> \u1f00\u03c0\u2019 \u1f04\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b3\u1fc6\u03c2 \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u1f04\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bf\u1f50\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf<\/mark>\u1fe6.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And<\/mark> then he will send forth the angels<\/mark> and he will gather the elect from the four winds<\/mark> from the end of earth until the end of heaven.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The highlighted words\/phrases show exactly the same Greek words are used by the different gospel writers to express the same ideas. If we add the common roots of the other words that are in their different inflected forms, as nouns and verbs; the parallels and its intended meanings become even tighter. For example, the Greek word for \u201csky\u201d or \u201cheaven\u201d is found in different inflections, but have the same root: \u03bf<\/em>\u1f50<\/em>\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf<\/em>\u1fe6<\/em> and \u03bf<\/em>\u1f50<\/em>\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd<\/em>\u1ff6<\/em>\u03bd<\/em> in Matthew 24:29; \u03bf<\/em>\u1f50<\/em>\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf<\/em>\u1fe6<\/em> and \u03bf<\/em>\u1f50<\/em>\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf<\/em>\u1fd6<\/em>\u03c2<\/em> in Mark 13:25. Also \u03bd\u03b5\u03c6\u03b5\u03bb<\/em>\u1ff6<\/em>\u03bd<\/em> in Matthew 24:30 and \u03bd\u03b5\u03c6\u03ad\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2<\/em> in Mark 13:26 for \u201cclouds.\u201d Another is \u1f10<\/em>\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03be\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd<\/em> in Matthew 24:31 and its Mark 13:27 counterpart \u1f10<\/em>\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03be\u03b5\u03b9<\/em> for \u201cgather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is obvious in the Greek as well as in English that Matthew 24:29-31 and Mark 13:24-27 communicate the same things. The major ideas (8) are identical: the heavenly signs come after the tribulation; the sun will be obscured or darkened; the moon will not give its light; stars will fall from the sky; \u201cpowers of heaven\u201d are shaken; the Son of Man will be seen coming from above with the clouds of heaven in great power and glory; angels will be sent forth; and the elect will be gathered from the ends of the earth and the heavens. It may be of interest to note that there may be a double intended meaning for the phrase \u201cstars will fall from the sky (or heaven).\u201d It could be another (metaphorical) way of saying the \u201cpowers of heaven will be shaken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also some unique phrases and ideas (5) in the same verses of Matthew which are not present in Mark: Matthew says the signs will come \u201cimmediately\u201d after the tribulation; the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; then all the tribes of Israel will mourn; and there will be an accompanying trumpet sound when the elect are gathered; also, the angels do the gathering of the elect while in Mark, the singular subject of the verb (the Son of Man) will do the gathering himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we take up the parallel in Luke 21:25-28, we will examine a few more prophesies from the Old Testament (OT) actually quoted or alluded to by the Lord Jesus as part of the mesh of eschatological ideas and images. It was already cited that Joel 2:30-31 conveyed essentially the same Day of the Lord heavenly signs mentioned in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 (and also Acts 2). Daniel 7:13-14 narrated the vision about the cloud-riding Son of Man and this motif is found in both Matthew and Mark. The prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 about the Israelite tribes mourning (as they stare up at the One they had pierced), was also partly quoted by the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah 13:9-13 is interesting. Its original context was about the judgment of Babylon. In Isaiah\u2019s time in the 8th<\/sup> century B.C., the Assyrians were the regional power bent on annihilating Israel, the northern kingdom. Babylon was not yet in the picture. But the prophet Isaiah already uttered an oracle about its ultimate destruction. Also, the prophet connected the judgment of Babylon to the eschatological Day of the Lord. In Isaiah 13:10, the prophet says that the stars of heaven and their constellations will not shine their light; the sun will be darkened when it rises; and the moon will not cause its light to shine. These images are very close to what we have just seen in Matthew\u2019s and Mark\u2019s Olivet Discourse account in this section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ezekiel 32:7-8 is another prophecy that the Lord may have alluded to. Its context is an oracle of judgment against Pharaoh and Egypt. The prophet Ezekiel says that when the LORD God extinguishes Egypt; the heavens will be covered and their stars darkened; the sun covered with a cloud; and the moon will not give its light. The heavens\u2019 lights and the land itself will be darkened. This imagery is clearly mirrored in Isaiah and in Matthew and Mark as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Lord Jesus mentioned these heavenly signs, it must have resonated in the hearts and minds of his disciples who knew their prophets. They had heard or read it before. Now the Master was telling them about these heavenly signs of the Last Days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue with the parallels in Luke 21 and Revelation 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Happy Shavuot\/Pentecost! I am fast recovering from the \u201clatest version\u201d of Omicron XBB (I suppose). The symptoms are quite mild compared to my bout with another Omicron strain last January 2022. By God\u2019s grace I will be fit for our Oplan UPCAT this coming June 3 and 4. See you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}