Imagine the end

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010818.cfm
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Mark 1:7-11

How will Jesus return? 

We can know “why” Jesus returns, and generally “when” it will happen. He returns to claim his Kingship over creation, and therefore establish, or better, fully realize his Kingdom. This happens at the barely conceivable “end of the age.” The "why," then is a cosmic restoration. The “when” is, apparently, defined but incalculable.

We can document “who” Jesus is and therefore surmise who we are. He is God incarnated as one of us, and he draws us to himself in order that we will be so much like him as to be one with him. All of this information, therefore, tells us “what” his return means, in something like a formula or mathematical explanation — the restoration of creation and glorification of God in complete, full dimensional presence of the Trinity, and resurrection of humanity to its purpose. 

A bit dry, isn’t it? Probably because it sounds purely theological, and almost manufactured.

Whether at the beginning of an exercise in describing the return of Jesus, or even at the end, we always need set the scene of “how” Jesus returns. The discovery of Jesus’ return needs a picture. How Jesus returns at the Second Coming will properly unpack all the other information. It’s journalism 101. Get the who, what, when, where, and why by stating “how” something happened, or how something will take place.

Investigators use the same methodology. “Ok, lieutenant, let’s recreate the scene of the crime. How did this happen?” The how is also a lot more fun, because the theatrics of visualizing an event, a process, or an end result speaks to everyone. 

We can imagine the return of Jesus — those of us who expect such an incredible thing to happen, that is — from the resources of Scripture. The skies will open up revealing a portal between our world and heaven. Angels will fly in ahead of a flock of saints, and with Jesus wielding a staff and sword the entourage will overpower the nations and corporations and cults and terrorists ruled by Satan, eventually bringing everlasting peace to earth. Drum roll, and shazam!

We’re not exactly sure how we get from this alien-like invasion through the clouds — led by the Son of God — to peace on earth. Angels and saints probably will appear alien, I am suggesting. After the grand entrance and before the end game, quite a bit of renovation, reorganization, and redecoration needs to take place. Otherwise, how do we get to a global, rural aesthetically pleasing landscape flowing from an immense megalopolis called New Jerusalem where everyone has their own apartment? Somehow nations will remain, too. A whole bunch of stuff, then, has to happen in between the entrance scene and the final open house. This visualization involves a tremendous amount of data gathering, gleaning tidbits from each of the 66 plus books of scripture.

Maybe this whole thing will happen in waves, as the Book of Revelation presents it, including rivers of blood from the failed battles between good and evil. Even scripture is scant on the process, almost magically turning devastation into fresh water brooks feeding a bunch of beautiful fruit trees.

Popular movies fall back on the cosmic and awe-inspiring images of the initial raid of earth. “Raid” is largely how story-tellers see the opening scene of Jesus’ return, vestigial interpretations primarily from their foundation of principles based upon  ideologies and “isms,” driven by philosophies, sciences, and politics. Technical wonders of Hollywood cinematography eat this stuff up.  The lead character of Jesus, though? Not so much. 

Cinematic moguls and their ilk remain uncertain how they should portray Jesus in the second coming. It’s rather difficult to take the meek, hippie-like Jesus that they see (because they don't know him) and turn that charicature into a global Che Guevara on the warpath against the wealthy, warlords, and super powerful, a required presumption before a proper world-wide renovation. Even worse, how do you translate this warrior God-man into King of the universe? Screenwriters and novelists don’t get much farther than the opening scenes, because they can’t grasp the end game. They get wrapped up in the destruction element which surely will be inevitable, and they resort to Mad Max renditions of earth’s end without any restoration. None at all.

Without exception, every end times story simply leaves Jesus out of the story altogether. Jesus’ return, subsequently, seldom takes root in popular imaginations because our imaginations rely upon the storytellers. 

Storytelling is forced, due to it’s unbelief, to settle upon the perspective of non-believers, angst-ridden and fatalist, flailing away at God’s seemingly unfair wrath, or deciding that God is pure myth. Believers, if they have a role in the story, always disappear from view. Any reappearance of Jesus’ followers, or saints, and certainly the holy angels, show up in a short commercialized ending, which looks either like a celebrity gala or a desert scene with a single tree. A restored creation, with Jesus at the helm, hasn’t make the final cut of any top selling book, either. C.S. Lewis, Tolkein, or Chesterton stopped way short of Jesus as the God of the universe.

Most end of times authors accentuate the destruction. It’s certainly compelling. The essence of scripture, which calls for the willing and faithful harmony of humanity living in glory with the Father, Son and Spirit, jars the storyteller. They either can’t accept submission to God as genuine or advisable; or, they find a representation of God’s presence and restoration too incredible. It’s best to go for reincarnation and just send everybody back to earth, hopefully doing a better job than before. Earth-borne revolutions make more sense than heaven’s reign. Indignation at Jesus’ return, which to a believer sounds insane, better meets the goals of humanity’s populist agenda — humans are charged with fixing the earth, eradicating interlopers, establishing order, and ruling our own lives. God is busy doing something else, or is just a totem that reminds us to do a better job.

In a weird paradox, the agenda of non-believers also insists upon, hell-bent and spiteful, the removal of our own footprint. Our very existence, reduced to farty fattened carbon activity, causes caustic interference with creation. Humanity itself is the interloper. Earth, and indeed the universe, will be much better if we go the way of the dinosaur. 

Jesus can’t come back and reinstate humanity as stewards, and make us to be like sons and daughters of God, intimate and holy, since most end of times tales stick with the destruction part of the story. Consequently, the visuals prepared for folks regarding the end times concentrates on the indignant anger of mob-style crowds filling the streets with signs, some foolishly welcoming alien demons, and others railing against the rise of two nefarious forces — artificially intelligent computers or monopolistic corporate profiteers.

This presents a problem for believers envisioning Jesus’ return, because most of the world sees the end times as a failed series of revolts. In effect, they are right. The world will not be the same upon Jesus’ return. The status quo, and any imagined national, corporate, or alien invasion — built from our memories of Nazi’s, Roman and Greek wars, and financial devastation — will end. Anyone attempting to thwart the return of the King will be vanquished. Hollywood understand vanquish and wrath, but not divine love. 

Angels can reduce armies to dust. The Saints have been restored to immortality. Nothing can kill them. Upon an accomplished victory over evil, scriptwriters and storytellers are left with no concept of eternal love, where faith and hope are no longer necessary. They have been fulfilled. No wrath for the protagonist, and no mission for the oppressed antagonist?

These non-believing storytellers correctly see the impending implosion of evil’s rule, because they live under its power. They cannot imagine a goodness, though, capable of overcoming the insidious nature of doom. Jesus Christ does not appeal to them as the one with the plan, foresight and the hutzpah, the mojo, and forces to eliminate evil from control of creation. Why? Because they do not imagine Jesus for who he is.

The true hero of both our time and the end time is Jesus the Christ. There is no other. Prophesied by Isaiah as a warrior. The LORD goes forth like a warrior, like a man of war he stirs up his fury; He shouts out his battle cry, against his enemies he shows his might (Isaiah 42:13). The tales that do speak to believers about Jesus, however, almost in hesitant confusion do not properly envision Jesus’ character after the silencing of evil.

In verses 42:1-9 the full tale is told. After the initial mopping up of those who refuse to allow Jesus his due, finished with the aftermath of harvesting presented by the apocalypse analogies of Revelation, here is how Jesus will deal with us.

… He shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

The springing forth of creation following the final battle should be where our hearts and imaginations go. We will not be party to the revolt. Indignation toward God is absurd. Retreat is futile, because there will be no place to gather forces, accumulate weapons, or to incite crowds. 

Considering that the end of time as Jesus’ holy victory fits both our own end of life and the end of this age. In each, this life and this age, evil freely travels and gathers together, bothering and harassing us. At the end of our lives and the end of this age evil will bother us no more.

For believers this imagining makes sense. For non-believers, Jesus’ return looks much like our death. A ravaging end of a life punctured and ultimately punctuated by evil. Not so. Evil already fades. It strikes out in venomous anger as the time nears, cornering it under rocks and herding it into the caves. Its poison cannot pierce our immortality under the wings of the Holy Spirit, in the company of Jesus, and among the angels and saints who glorify the Father. 

The who, what, when and why of Jesus Christ's return list from the how of his second coming.

The brutality of evil will increase, most assuredly, as the end nears. Do not be afraid of Jesus who comes to you, nor Jesus’ angels if he has an announcement, nor the Saints who pray for your faithful, steady way. Evil’s day is almost done.

Tell others that the spits and fits of evil simply and loudly announce the goodness to come. 

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11)

Oooh. Aaah. There are many stories yet to be told.