The Weather Signs
In Luke 12:54-56, Jesus rebukes the crowd for their ability to interpret natural signs (weather patterns) but their inability to discern the "present time," referring to the significance of His coming and the unfolding of God's plan. Here's how the sensus plenior illuminates the deeper meanings of the symbols used in this passage:
- Cloud (ענן - "depravity of, eye, spring of, answer, humiliate, poor") symbolizes the cloud of humanity's depravity, obscuring the clarity of spiritual understanding. It represents the ignorance or failure to recognize Christ as the fulfillment of God's promises. The “cloud” can also symbolize judgment, as clouds often precede rain or storms in the Bible, signaling divine action.
- West (filthy time "Eden" - "filthy time") represents a time or state of moral and spiritual decline, contrasted with the idealized Eden, a place of purity. The west often symbolizes the direction where judgment and destruction come from in scripture, as it is the furthest point away from the sanctuary of the East.
- Rain (מטר - "water/word, general revelation, bitter marriage, teaching") represents the Word of God (general revelation), bringing judgment or blessing. Rain, as a symbol, refers to the flow of God’s Word or teachings, which are bitter for those who reject it but are a means of spiritual nourishment and renewal for those who receive it.
- South (נגב - "earth, bright revelation to man, hill of pursuit, son of man, cistern/grave") refers to a dry and desolate place, symbolizing the human condition without the living Word of God. It’s a place of death or judgment, as the south (desert) contrasts with the fertile land of the promised inheritance. It points to Christ’s pursuit of humanity (the hill of pursuit) and His death (the cistern/grave).
- Hot (חמם - "warm, finished work, understanding, blemish, waters/man") symbolizes the judgment or pressure that comes from God's work being completed, but it also suggests that when the people fail to recognize the truth, they become subject to the heat of divine correction. The warmth relates to the completion of the work (the final revelation of Christ) but also reflects the hardness or blemish of hearts that reject understanding.
- Wind (רוח - "revealing, clear understanding") represents the Holy Spirit, who brings clarity and revelation. It emphasizes that through the Spirit, understanding of spiritual truths can be granted, but only if the people are willing to listen and discern the signs of the times.
In this passage, the sensus plenior speaks to how the people are capable of reading physical signs, such as weather patterns, but fail to perceive the spiritual signs of their time, particularly the coming of Christ and His mission to redeem humanity. This failure reflects their blindness to the spiritual state of the world, and their rejection of the truth and teachings He is offering.
Luke 12:54-56
54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
- cloud, soothsayerת water? ענן - depravity of, eye, spring of, answer, humiliate, poor ענ cross ן, flesh ע of the fish, posterity ננ
- West - filthy time 'Eden' - filthy time
- rain מטר - water/word, general revelation, bitter מ()ר marriage, teaching ט
- South נגב - earth, bright נג revelation to man ב, hill נ()ב of pursuit ג, son of man נ cistern/grave גב
- hot חמם - warm חמ finished work ם, understanding ח blemish, waters/man מם
- wind, spirit ruwach רוח - ‘revealing ר a clear ו understanding ח
