Debre Zeit - ደብረ ዘይት - Mount of Olives
In The Name of The Father, The Son And The Holy Spirit, one God Amen
The fifth Sunday of the Great Fast (Abiy Tsom) is called “Debre Zeite”, which is a Ge’ez name meaning Mount of Olives taken from the hymnbook of Saint Yared known as “Tsome Digua” (Hymn of Fast). On this date we remember the second coming of Our Lord Eyesus Kristos and the final judgment.
Matthew 24:3-9
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake”.
All the signs of the end times spoken by Our Lord Eyesus Kristos will be fulfilled before the final judgment and the resurrection of the dead, believers and unbelievers, righteous and sinners will follow. In the knowledge of this truth of the second coming of Our Lord that all people must repent, believe and be baptized in preparation for the arrival of God’s Kingdom.
The bible advises us to be spiritually prepared for salvation and judgment today, not tomorrow, and to put our trust in God's grace and forgiveness.
2 Corinthians 6
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have Isuccoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
The fifth week of the Great lent also reminds us that all of us will face judgment. Eyesus Kristos will examine each of us and as a result some will gain eternal life with Him in Heaven and some will gain eternal punishment in Hell.
John 5:25-30
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church also teaches that Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos will come back on a Sunday, on the day of Debre Zeit, in the year of St. John, at midnight but we don't know which year.
Thy Word we have read, let God allow us to treasure it in our hearts and grant us to see the light of his resurrection in peace, Amen! የአነበብነውን ቃል በልቦናችን ያሳድርልን አሜን!