Lift Up Your Heads
GOD KNEW THAT THE Conditions and events of the last few years of this age would be very terrible, so He has provided many scriptures to encourage us as we find ourselves in the final, titanic death‑struggle between good and evil.
The scriptures tell us plainly that the awful events we see are marks of the end of the Age and therefore mean that our Savior Jesus Christ will soon thereafter return. If they did not reveal our position in history, they would be of no comfort: what good are mere platitudes to a person who is wondering if his family is about to be fried in an atom‑bomb explosion? But these scriptures bring hope because they show that we have reached almost the very end of our troubles.
Unfortunately, much of this is lost by mistranslation out of the Hebrew and Greek in which the Bible was written. Passages of clear, specific meaning in the original languages are mistranslated into vague uncertainty. One of these is found in Luke 21:25-26, where Jesus Christ is giving the signs by which we may recognize the end of the Age. As found in your King James Version, it reads thus:
"And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."
While this sounds vaguely foreboding, just what does it mean? Can you find in it anything which people in any century could recognize? But let us examine the meaning of the Greek words which have been mistranslated in this passage.
In the first place, the Greek word "sunoche" (soonokh‑ay) which was mistranslated "distress" is derived from "sunecho" (soonekho), meaning to hold together," as in a group or organization. And the Greek word aporia " (aporeea) mistranslated perplexity," is derived from "aporeo" (apor‑eho), meaning "to have no way out," or to be in "impassible straits."
The Greek word here translated "the earth" is "ikumene" (oy‑koomcnay), and refers more particularly to the civilized parts of the earth. Then this passage speaks of "the powers of heaven;" where the same statement is recorded in Mark 13:25, it says "the powers that are in heaven" shall be shaken.
Now the Greek word here translated "heaven" is "ouranos" (oo,ran,os), a word of particular interest to us in the last twenty years, for the name of the metal which made possible the atom bomb, uranium, is derived from this same Greek word, ouranos," which was merely ended with the letters, i‑um, always used to designate a metal.
The history of this metal is interesting. Before it had been discovered on the earth it had been found to exist in the sun, being found by its characteristic lines in the spectrum of sunlight examined with a spectroscope in a great astronomical observatory. Since this metal had been found "in the heavens" before it was found on earth, it was decided to call it by the name which means "the heavenly metal," so they called it "uranium."
There seems to be much more than mere, coincidence in the relation between "ouranos" in this Bible passage and "uranium," in view of what uranium has done to bring about exactly the, conditions of which the Bible is here speaking. And finally, the Greek word "salcuo" (sal‑yooo), translated "shaken," means also to agitate or stir up.
Now let us retranslate our brief little passage. Remember, your King James version of the Bible reads this way: And upon the earth, distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
But correctly translated, it will read thus...and on earth, the nations banding together, in impassible straits and roaring storms, men's hearts failing them for fear and expectation of those things which are coming upon civilization, because the power that is in uranium shall be stirred up.
Now, isn't it a true picture of this present time? The nations banding together in the so‑called "United Nations" (not really united in anything but schemes to fleece the American taxpayer) but entangled in an organization which serves only to frustrate all good plans and finally force compromises with evil, compromises which need never be made if the nations were not in this unholy association with Zionism.
Because they have violated God's warning to have nothing to do with evil, pagan nations and the race who hate our Christ, the nations now find themselves "in impassible straits;" no way through, no way around, no way out at all, and this in the increasing tumult and danger of international storms of diplomacy and recurring wars.
By abandoning Christian principle to compromise with wickedness and to avoid discrimination against the groups who seek to destroy us, even the Western, Christian nations have maneuvered themselves into impassible straits and desperate circumstances. And now, as they see the consequences of their own misdeeds approaching, many are disheartened with fear and expectation of the disasters which threaten the civilized nations.
Again, note the peculiar accuracy of Scripture, for it is only the civilized nations which are threatened, as we are only in this position because we lack the moral courage to turn the great weapons against our barbarous enemies until they surrender unconditionally to civilized rule.
We have even helped to arm them with the weapons which they now prepare to use against us. And what is the cause of this abject terror which affects so many? The power which is in uranium the atom bomb is about to be stirred up and released against us.
Well, what shall we do about it, now that we recognize the picture as a true one? Fall unto despair with the others? No, just go back to the Bible for the answer. The next two verses give it. First, what follows immediately; after the atomic warfare? Luke 21:27 reads:
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory (the second coming of Jesus Christ, the event the world has waited two thousand years to see. Shall we be downhearted at this prospect? What greater event can life offer you? So the following verse says), And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads: for our redemption draweth nigh.”
Now do you recognize your place in history? When these things begin to come to pass. They have already begun; the nations have banded together in an organization they are already amid the storms which threaten to swamp all civilization; they are already trapped in impassible straits though many people still lack the courage to see it. These things have begun to come to pass. Therefore, it is time, not for craven despair, but to look up, and lift up our heads.
This is the very thing our God spoke of, telling us more than 1900 years in advance, so we could recognize it when it happened. As He tells us in Isaiah,
“Have Ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?” (Isaiah 40:21)
“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:9)
So He has told us, when these things begin to come to pass, then your redemption draweth nigh.
Everything you have ever dared to hope is included in that redemption. It is the restoration of all that was lost in the fall of Adam. It is the restoration of our immortality as the sons and daughters of God; it is freedom from the crushing pressures of the Satanic world order; it is the leisure to live in peace and dignity in a world where the wicked dare not raise their heads; it is an age in which righteousness never has to yield to evil in which poverty, sin and tragedy are banished from the earth. With this ahead of us, shall we fear the end of the old, to begin the new? We welcome it!
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads: for your redemption (deliverance) draweth nigh. (Taken, in part, from a sermon By Dr. Bertrand Comparet)