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Viewed from this perspective, Christ's prophecies about catastrophes are not primarily concerned with natural phenomena but with the spiritual life of the believer. He uses the outward world to symbolize the turmoil that occurs within. Outward, actual earthquakes and disasters serve to remind and awaken people to the spiritual truths they symbolize. (49:3) This symbolism the shaking down and destruction of religious institutions - is closer to the world of the soul than those things that happen within the limits of the physical world. Christ's words, 'see that ye be not troubled', are a counsel to rise above these difficulties and to hold on to one's faith. Many people abandon their faith because they become troubled by the corruption in the Church, the disputes over the interpretation of the text, and the denominational divisions that have progressively worsened in the course of Church history. Such people have fallen short of Jesus' assurance that 'he who endures to the end shall be saved' (Matt. 24:13). (49:4) When such dramatic problems arose in the Church they were not the sign of the end but, as Jesus clearly states, 'the beginning of sorrows'. This view is further supported by the following verses.
(49:5)
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