Doves, gazelles and deer on the mountains and the coming of Jesus in the clouds

November 22, 2:21 AMReno Catholic ExaminerCharles Gill

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Maggie calls to us to listen to God in our lives

In the article, 2012 or predicting the end of the age again it states: in the article Of bent over women fig trees mustard seeds yeast and life it points out that the fig tree pre-figures the coming of the Messiah in Jewish thought. Quoted is Midrash Rabbah II 13: 44 which states, "The rain is over and gone: this refers to the subjugation of Eretz Israel. The flowers appear on the earth. This refers to the 4 craftsmen, Elijah (John the Baptist) the Messiah (Messiah Ben David) Melchizedek, and Messiah Ben Joseph.) The time of the Zamir (song) has come: the time for Eretz Israel to be delivered."

In today’s reading fromLuke 21 we are given more detail about the time Jesus has in mind. Those who believe they can prove these are the end times will be greatly disappointed. Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies. This happened in AD 70. Those in Judea are to flee to the mountains. This does little good with nuclear weapons. It was grand advice for citizens fleeing the Roman armies of the first century. The people will fall by the edge of the sword. Most soldiers no longer carry swords; they did in the first century. They will be taken as captives to the nations? Not likely in today’s warfare. It was commonplace in the first century.

The fig tree prefigures the Messiah as stated above. When we read Song of Songs Rabbah we are given more details. There are the doves which point to Jesus’ baptism. There is Jesus coming in the cloud which is prefigured in the quote from Isaiah as interpreted in Song of Songs Rabbah. There is even the persecution of the Saints of the first century and all they did to preach Jesus. There is a sense in which these passages talk about today and the second coming. Advent comes in a few days. When we look at Deuteronomy 5: 1-7 we read:
 

The squirrels tell us that Advent is upon us

Moses summoned all Israel and told them, "Hear, Israel, the customs and judicial precedents which I proclaim in your hearing this day, that you may learn them and take care to guard them. The Personal Name, our Mighty Judge, made a covenant with us at Horeb Mt. Sword; not with our fathers did he make this covenant, but with us, all of us who are alive here this day. The Personal Name spoke with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. Since you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain, I stood between the Personal Name and you at that time, to announce to you these words of the Personal Name: Remember, 'I, the Personal Name, am your Mighty Judge, who brought you out of the land of Egypt/ Oppression, that place of Menial Labor. You will have no other saviors besides me.

In is part of Jewish tradition to this day at Passover to remember this passage. “It is not to our fathers that I give these customs and judicial precedents.” Each generation relives the Exodus from Egypt in present time. We see this reflected in Song of Songs Rabbah. It mentions Sukkoth, the feast of booths which remembers Israel wondering in the desrt. It also remembers the cloud of the Divine Presence when he states he will be coming in the clouds. As Catholics we have the same tradition, but instead of the Exodus from Egypt it is our rescue from ourselves, our sins, and our departure from the will of God. We do this in the Mass in the Eucharist. We also do this through Advent and Lent. Through advent we relive the expectation that Jesus is coming, for the first time. In Lent we relive the expectation of the Passion as it comes at Easter.

Jesus is coming, and the second coming may be sooner than we think. We look for Jesus’ coming into our lives every day in the Eucharist and each new year at Advent. We need to look at the four petitions: God petitioned Israel that they not rebel against the governments, that they should not seek to hasten the end, that they should not reveal their mysteries to the other nations, and that they should not attempt to go up from the diaspora by force. If they do, why should the kind Messiah come to gather the exiles: Also, we need to know that in Hebrew, the word for cloud as in the cloud of Jesus coming stands for the Divine Presence on Mt. Horeb, which means sword and that in Hebrew "Cloud" and "Poor" are the same word. Jesus comes with the poor and with the Divine Presence. As we treat the poor we treat God, Matthew 25: 31-46.

If we rescue ourselves, through our own efforts, why should Jesus coming back to rescue us? If we can rescue ourselves, we do not need him. The answer to our persecution is not violence. God tells us not to rebel against the government, whether our gripe is taxes, or the way it caters to the wealthy. We should not be pushing to bring the end about sooner. God sets the date, not us. Our salvation is Messiah, not ourselves, our military might or our wealth. There is nothing for us to do but to be ready, see the figs are in bloom, the winter is past, our day of salvation is at hand, and then it will be. Let us remember that this Advent season. Let us also remember that together we are the bride of Christ and that what comes at Christmas and the second coming is a wedding. Let us be in love with God, because that is what Holy means.

Song of Songs 2: 4-22: He brings me into the banquet hall and his emblem over me is love. Strengthen me with cakes; refresh me with apples; I am faint with love. His left hand is under my head; his right arm embraces me. I implore you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and hinds of the field, do not arouse, do not stir up love before its own time. My lover-here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle, a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover speaks; he tells me, "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, come! See, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come; the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs; the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

Luke 21: 25-38: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know its desolation is at hand. Those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it. Let those in the countryside not enter the city; for these days are the time of punishment when all the writings are fulfilled. I pity the pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword. They will be taken as captives to all the Goim. Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Goim until the times of the Goim are fulfilled.

The Nativity of God starts with Advent the Advent of Jesus in our lives

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. They will see Ben Adam coming in a cloud with power and great weight. When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." He taught them a lesson. "Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
 

This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life or that day catch you by surprise like a trap. That day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times. Pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before Ben Adam." 

Isaiah 60: 14-22: The children of your oppressors shall come, bowing low before you; All those who despised you will fall bowing at your feet. They will call you "City of the Personal Name," "Zion of the Dedicated One of Israel." Once you were forsaken, had teeth shown at you and were unvisited, I will make you the pride of the ages, a joy to generation after generation. You will suck the milk of nations, and be nursed at royal breasts; you shall know that I, the Personal Name, am your savior, your redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. In place of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron, silver; In place of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron; I will appoint peace your governor, and charity your ruler.

No longer will you hear violence in your land, or plunder and ruin within your boundaries. You will call your walls "Salvation" and your gates "Praise." No longer will the sun be your light by day, Nor the brightness of the moon shine upon you at night; The Personal Name will be your light forever, your God will be your Weighty One. No longer shall your sun go down, or your moon be withdraw, For the Personal Name will be your light forever. The days of your mourning will be at an end. Your people will all be all charitable; they will always possess the land, they, the bud of my planting, the work of my hand to show my weight. The smallest will become a thousand, the youngest, a mighty nation; I, the Personal Name, will complete these things when their time comes.

The Song of Songs Rabbah: II 6: 1: Let his left Hand be under my head: this refers to the Sukkoth. His right hand embraces me: this refers to the cloud of the Divine Presence in the time to come, as it says, The sun will be no more, your light by day, neither for brightness will the moon give light to you.

The Song of Songs Rabbah II 7: 1: He adjured them by the generation of the great persecution. They are called gazelles (zeboath), because they carried out my will (Zibyoni) in the world and through them my will was executed; and hind of the field because they poured out their blood for the dedication of my Name like the blood of the deer and the blood of the hind…

Four petitions are mentioned here. God petitioned Israel that they should not rebel against the governments, that they should not seek to hasten the end, that they should not reveal their mysteries to the other nations, and that they should not attempt to go up from the diaspora by force. If they do, why should the kind Messiah come to gather the exiles:

Song of Songs Rabbah II 8: 1: Since God desires to deliver you, He takes no heed of your idolatry, but leaps over the mountains, “mountains” being only a name for idolatry as it says, They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and offer upon the hills (Hosea 4: 13.)