For persons in the northern hemisphere December seems like winter even though it is not the coldest month of the year. In the southern hemisphere it ushers in summer, the warmest season. Even in the differences of the hemispheres there is a broad belt on either side of the equator that is fairly mild in winter, not encountering much interference with snow and cold, except on the highest elevations. December in the northern climes is related to shorter daylight hours, weather that periodically limits human activity, and broken cycles for flora and fauna. To these natural wonders is added a bleak winter psychology that is partly muted by the rather universal acceptance of a Merry Christmas as a successor for the pagan solstice. The main point of Zechariah’s statement is that weather and time will end. Eternity will take over.
The evidence for the birth of Jesus indicates more for Spring or early Fall than December, but the recognition of the birth date was moved to December, perhaps accomplished by northerners dealing with conflicts related to solstice (pagan) and Christian (religious) practices. Arrival of each New Year adds some melodrama to the history of mankind. Rituals and holidays are formed to fit our cycles. We experience the seasons of the year, have measured time with clocks and calendars, and by this order find life patterned and somewhat exciting. We are occupied with that pattern so have little interest for speculation about any other system for noting nature’s cycles.
Scripture notes that there will be quite another kind of future creation than that which is current. Isaiah suggests the present one will be forgotten. Zechariah’s statement is remarkable. There will be a day in which there will be no light. There will be no light, but no darkness either. There will be no weather – cold or frost. It will be a unique day which is to say the only one of its kind. We go back to the opening chapter of Genesis when light and darkness were introduced, before the Sun was created to govern earth’s light and darkness. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, offers obvious day, but neither day nor night as we know them. We learn that God will be the light of the new creation – as a constant. For mankind, all this may be taken as true or false – or partly so. If false, why did so many devout persons of great integrity write similar essays? Why, over so many centuries, was there a consistent agreement among biblical authors about what the ultimate future will be? If true, what is the value of the information?
The value is primarily related to the need for mankind to know something about God, and the purpose of life if we are His creation. We need to know that there is reason to exist, to work, to pray, to believe and have some idea, even if limited and paradoxical, about the end. If we have hope that there is something futuristic with immortality in it, we will act differently than if we have nature alone, which researchers also predict will end. Jesus made clear that without faith we might reason to eat, drink and be merry, and, this night thy soul may be required of thee. (Luke 12:19-20) Christian biblical faith holds that all will be lasting and different. We know enough to sustain faith and love. Faith, hope and love, but we are so taken with faith and love, we may forget immortal hope. All this sounds fanciful, if we are tied to human terms and mortality. There is no measure for the spiritual factors we discuss. If someone were to offer a measure that would pass muster to the natural mind we would have greater reason to doubt life beyond the grave. So varied is the spiritual from the natural that human measure of that beyond the natural context would not only be futile but a distortion of God and mankind. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020