One of my favorite pieces of literature from the library – that is, church history – was supposedly penned by a hymn writer named Ephraim the Syrian. A sermon attributed to him, On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, testifies to an important truth first revealed in God’s inspired Word:
“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment” (1 Chronicles 12:32 KJV; emphasis added).
For context, 1 Chronicles 12 is a record of the men who flocked to join David’s army and support him as the rightful king of Israel. The children of Issachar were noted as being men who had understanding of the times, a quality that the Lord Jesus taught believers to have as well:
“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36 KJV).
While the sons of Issachar possessed a right understanding of the political and spiritual climate of Israel, we have been commanded by the Lord to watch for His imminent return.
Ephraim the Syrian (or perhaps someone writing in his name) understood this biblical teaching. In that aforementioned sermon, we read the following exhortation:
“And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord.”
Clearly, Ephraim believed that the Lord’s coming was near. The imagery he used demonstrated such knowledge. But this wasn’t intended to just be information that stuck in his listeners’ heads without moving their hearts, hands, and feet:
“Why therefore do we not reject every care of worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world?”
My brothers and sisters, it can be easy to fix our minds on worldly business and the anxieties that affect us on a daily basis. It’s not sinful to be concerned about matters that affect our lives and the lives of our families. We mustn’t lose sight of what is on the horizon, however.
As Ephraim stated, we should be concerned most of all with preparing ourselves to meet the One who made us and saved us. I hope and pray that these words from our forefather in the faith will challenge and encourage us to live in light of what is to come!
Source:
https://orthochristian.com/101157.html
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