 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2008-03-01 09:38:00
Destruction of the world or the temple?
Question: Luke 21: 5-19 talks about the destruction of the temple and the persecution that will take place. How do we know that our Lord wasn’t talking about what happened in 70 A. D. instead of the end of the world? (all answer the same question).
Answer: This is a very powerful passage that has been disputed by scholars for years. The questions that are asked by the disciples are three: When would the temple be destroyed? What would be the sign of His coming? What would be the signs of the end of the age? They all were asked by the disciples who thought they were simultaneous events. That is why some serious commentators have held the belief that this was a message for Jews and was locked into the age in which Jesus lived and was mostly fulfilled in 70 AD. This school of thought called Amillennialist, feel that His prophecy of the temple and the rest was for His present age and His immediate future especially pointing to verse 32.
They also regulate some of His prophet language as not literal but allegorical. Others have taken it in a split up form in which Jesus was foretelling the temple being destroyed in 70 AD and the rest as still to come at the end of the age. Premillionals and postmillenials have more of this type of point of view. Others view that prophecy has its own nature. When one foretells, it not only tells of the present but also can have meaning in the distant future to another generation. In my own reading of the passage I find that Jesus of course is definitely speaking to His present future with the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. No doubt about it. But I find some of the cataclysmic events that He fore tells, are hard to say they are allegorical or have already taken place. There is too much in the passage with earthquakes, plagues and famines and the like to relegate it to allegory (v10,26). However, one recognizes that the church is not spoken about. Only the Jews are mentioned. It is complicated and challenging especially to our generation who want time lines, maps and graphics with specifics. But Jesus doesn’t give us that, instead, he wants us to live by faith and trust in our Lord not only as to the matter of timing, but also what and how it will all take place. It is interesting that it all seems to weave together. I think He does this purposefully. A key to this passage is not for us to depend on these things, especially like the Jews, who thought the temple was a symbol of privilege and special blessing.
Jesus wanted them to get the message, it wasn’t going to last and only their relationship with God through the Messiah would mean anything. He draws attention to this in verse 1-4 of this passage. The key to it all is what are we depending? Is it outward signs of religious life and activity or an inward experience of God in our lives? Then notice Jesus’ emphasis in the parable connected to it (21:29ff) was to recognize the signs of its nearness. That we are to be on our guard (34), on the alert (36), ready for His return whether today or tomorrow, making a difference everyday and ready for even possible harsh times (36). This is the way we as Christians should live everyday, expecting His return possibly today, being and doing the will of God in our lives.
