Mark 13:19-23 "For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning...

"For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. And if anyone says to you at that time 'Look! Here is the Messiah!' or 'Look! There he is!'—do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything" (Mark 13:19-23).

Question:

Does God say time of tribulation end of the world?

Comment:

One of the challenges Jesus faced as his earthly ministry began to draw to a close was the assumption on the part of many followers that with his presence, and with the Power he was demonstrating, and the assurances he was teaching, everything would be a lot easier from then on. Jesus, in all three synoptic Gospels—Mark, Matthew, Luke—goes to great lengths in his final discourses to make his disciples aware that following his path would not be easy, and that there was much struggle ahead. It is scientifically true that the brighter the light, the darker the shadows. The more divine Light we allow to flow through us into our shared human experience, the stronger the fear-based resistance to that Light will be. The entire Revelation to John expands on this simple fact.

What Jesus is describing is not the end of the world. What he is describing is the coming of the kingdom of heaven—that new, higher level of consciousness in which we will innately know and express the Truth of our Oneness with God. Our mistaken beliefs in punishment and separation—our sense of unworthiness—has engendered a strong reactive energy based in fear. That energy believes its role is to resist the coming of the kingdom, forcing people back into a false relationship with God based on fear, judgment and negativity.   The outcome, of course, is never in doubt. "After that suffering ... they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds" (Mark 13:24). We will ultimately remember, reclaim and express our innate Christ spirit. Jesus' point is that we must not become discouraged by the shadows and resistance we encounter. If we allow the shadows to turn us away from our faith and our purpose, we will only prolong the painful process. If we hang on firmly to our faith in the spiritual Truth that Jesus teaches and demonstrates, the dawn will break and the kingdom will truly be at hand.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed