The Glorious Return of Our Lord

Transcript

GRM 880
12/7/2003
The Glorious Return of our Lord
Matthew 24:16-45
Gil Rugh

What a different scene it will be when Jesus Christ returns to earth the next time, won’t be in the quietness and lowliness but in spectacular display for all on the earth to see. That’s what we’re looking at in Matthew chapter 24. We’re at the closing days of Jesus’ earthy ministry, two days from the crucifixion of Christ and He gives this extensive discourse relating to His Second Coming to earth. You remember the disciples at this time do not understand what is going to take place. In chapter 26 verse 2, following this discourse, Jesus said, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.” The disciples will be overwhelmed and shattered when that event occurs, even though Jesus has repeatedly told them of it. We can understand it’s inconceivable that here the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, the creator of all things is going to be crucified in Jerusalem. They did not understand that the glorious return and setting up of the kingdom was some 2000 years into the future, as we know from where we are today.

We’ve been talking about some of the events that Jesus said are going to be leading up to His return, and it’s going to be a time of terrible tribulation and terrible suffering. The nation Israel is going to undergo a time of purging. The book of Zechariah tells us that 2/3 of the Jews will die in that time and God will bring 1/3 through. Earlier in November U.S. News & World Report had an article, the cover story was The New Anti-Semitism. How many of you saw that? Well, I’ll share a little bit of it. Somehow, I’m a magazine person. Marilyn hates to have flat spaces around our house because I believe God created flat surfaces for my magazines, articles, newspapers, books and so forth. Why else do you need a flat space? You will often find Marilyn and me at the magazine counters in various stores. I get five magazines at home a week and two daily newspapers and go to the magazine…… Just can’t get enough of this.

Graffiti on History’s Walls is the cover story and it’s about the growth of anti-Semitism in the world and particularly in Europe. It starts out by referring to the article of the Malaysian prime minister who said, today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them. That underlying hatred, and we can see it in the Muslim world. Obviously, we expect this, that the Jews are the cause of the world’s problems. But this kind of thinking is growing. Such comments obscure a deeper truth about this new strain of anti-Semitism, which is not that it is directed at individual Jews or even at Judaism itself. It is directed rather against the Jewish collective, the modern state of Israel. Read you a newspaper article that dealt with similar kind of issues. Recent criticism of Israel has become perverse, so persistent, so divorced from reality that it can be seen only as emotional anti-Semitism hiding behind the insidious political mask of anti-Zionism. In other words, the move has shifted. We don’t criticize the Jews, we don’t have a problem with the Jews, but it’s Israel and all the problem that Israel is causing, and their determination to control things in Palestine and keep the Palestinians out of their land and not allow them to….This vehemence is directed toward that nation instead of speaking evil of individual Jews. But this writer notes, really what lies behind it is that anti-Semitism that is hiding behind an anti-Zionism mask.

I’m just jumping through the article. Instead in Europe and the Muslim world, even in Asia, traditional anti-Semitism has lately reemerged as anti-Zionism, focused on the Jews of Israel, the role of Israel, and for some on Jews in the United States who support Israel. He traces this back to the 1967 Arab/Israeli war and when Israel so decisively won that war all of a sudden, they weren’t these poor, persecuted people, but they were a military power to be reckoned with in their part of the world. Instead of the Jews being a people we need to take care of, now they are a people that cause problems. In the Muslim world the culture of hatred of Jews permeates all forms of public communication—newspapers, video cassettes, sermons, books, the internet, television, radio. The intensity of the anti-Jewish invective equals or surpasses that of Nazi Germany in its heyday. Tragically the growth of international hostility to Israel has found its most prominent expression in the operations of the UN. The UN today is a regular forum for vicious anti-Israel attacks, conferring on the spurious and the hateful the false cloak of reason and legitimacy. And thus, has become an organization for the conservation, not the reduction, of Middle East conflict. Some UN actions simply deny belief. At the World Conference against Racism held in Durbin, South Africa, Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East committed to civil rights, the rule of law and Arab participation in democratic government, was attacked by Arab and third world nations and accused of genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. Then there’s the 4th Geneva Convention drafted originally in response to the atrocities of the Nazi regime to protect people like diplomats and visitors subjected to a military occupation. Last year UN conferees met and for the first time in 52 years since its adoption condemned one country, Israel, for its alleged violations. Not Cambodia, not Rwanda, not their well documented records of genocide, not Zimbabwe with its racist economic policies, not the Balkan states with their ethnic cleansing, not even China with its dismal record on Tibet. Only Israel was singled out.

Similarly, the UN Commission on Human Rights chaired on occasion by such notably enlightened states as Libya has followed the same pattern, devoting much of its time, energy and efforts to attacking Israel. The commission went so far as to affirm last April 15th the legitimacy of suicide bombing against Israelis, or in judgment-free UN speak, all available means including armed struggle. On it goes, page after page. Down toward the end. The issue is Palestinian refusal to grant Israel the right to exist as a Jewish state. Israel’s battle is not the battle of Jew against Muslim, it is a battle against the hatred of the Jews and their connection to the land of Israel. Inside of Amos Oz the liberal Israeli writer is pertinent. He is haunted, he said, by the observation that before the Holocaust, European graffiti read Jews to Palestine, while today it has been changed to Jews out of Palestine. The message to Jews, he says, is simple—don’t be here and don’t be there, that is, don’t be.

Now this whole pervasive anti-Jewishness. We remember that the problem that Israel has in the world is going to come to a seeming resolution, when out of the revived Roman Empire is going to come a figure who will emerge, who will lead the European nations in signing an agreement with Israel that will guarantee their peace and security. These articles are of interest to me for two reasons. Number 1 they show that there needs to be some kind of resolution to this problem, and Number 2, they show how the hatred of the Jews as God’s people permeates our world. It transcends national boundaries. So that when peace does come and Israel is so relieved that they now have the protection and the peace that they so desperately want, they can turn their energies to development. We see what is happening in Israel as different individuals now within the nation begin to speak against what? The actions of Israel in opposing those who attack them and so on. It is all preparing the way for the arising of the figure that we have looked at in Matthew chapter 24, Daniel chapter 7 and Revelation chapter 13. He is going to come on the scene at the beginning of the 7-year tribulation. He will not be revealed until after the rapture of the church, II Thessalonians 2; and the tribulation begins after the rapture when he signs the agreement with Israel.

That 7-year period is going to be characterized by turmoil, by wars, by famines, and by deaths on a wide scale. Billions of people dying. But for the first 3½ years Israel is going to have peace. They are going to have, for the first time, a protector that guarantees their security. They are going to have a rebuilt temple; sacrifices will be reinstituted in Israel. We’ve noted articles that have appeared in news magazines of Israel’s preparation for those very days. Jesus said this is going to be a time of trouble and turmoil in the world. In verse 15 we noted that He said, “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let the reader understand.” We went back and looked in the book of Daniel where three times there is a reference to the abomination of desolation. That will be set up in the temple, in the holy place, in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel, 3½ years after the western world ruler signs a covenant with Israel. There is a major change. We’ve looked at some of those changes. War in heaven with Michael and his angels warring against satan and his followers, and satan and his followers are cast to earth, and they know they have a short time, so they begin a mass persecution of the Jews. There is the abomination of desolation. This is that which is abominable, which brings desolation to the temple, to the Jews, is established. II Thessalonians 2 says that this western world ruler will set himself up in the temple declaring himself to be God. It is at that point that all worship in the world is canceled except the worship of the antichrist. Remember Revelation 13, it’s at that time people are required to have an identifying mark in the back of their hand or on their forehead without that no one will be able to buy or to sell; and that identifies you as a worshipper and follower of the antichrist.

The abomination is set up and there’s that word of warning at the end of verse 15, “Let the reader understand, and it’s awesome to think there will be times in that future time when there will be people, particularly Jews, that will be reading this. They’ll say let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Whoa to those who are pregnant, to those who are nursing babies in those days. Pray that your flight will not be in the winter or on a Sabbath.” I mean certain things, very small children, that becomes a hindrance to flight, to hardship. Pregnant women, how can they endure the rigors of fleeing to desert regions to hide and so on. So, any of these kinds of things will be a hindrance and the weather. I mean if it’s cold, that inhibits your travel and abilities. “For then there will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be,” and that’s the greatest there will ever be. We look back on the horrors sometimes on news programs and so on, they’ll do a review of the past, and you say, how could people do that? The worst is yet to come for this world as God will pour out His wrath on Israel. A great tribulation.

Turn back to Daniel 12:1, just to refresh your mind. Daniel chapter 12 verse 1, “Now at that time Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.” So that’s what we’re talking about. You can read the rest of the chapter; we’ve been through some of this. Down in verse 7 he says this will last for a time, 2 times and a half time, that 3½ period of time which is 3½ years, 1260 days and so on. So that breaking out of that great tribulation, such as has never occurred.

Now you’re in Daniel, turn to the book of Zechariah, toward the back of your Old Testament now, the next to the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Zechariah chapter 13. I mentioned 2/3 of the Jews are going to die. Verse 8 of Zechariah 13, “And it will come about in all the land declares the Lord, that two parts in it will be cut off and perish, but the third will be left in it. I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, I will answer them. I will say they are my people; they will say the Lord is my God.” We talk about a national conversion of Israel, Revelation 11, thus all Israel will be saved. We understand. But that doesn’t mean the Jews are guaranteed salvation, so while they don’t believe in Christ now, they go into the tribulation and they’re suffering, but then they’ll all get saved. Most of them are going to die. In the land of Israel 2/3 of them will die and 1/3 will be brought through the tribulation to be the remnant, in which God will fulfill His promises in the kingdom.

Back to Matthew. If Jesus Christ did not intervene at the end of seven years, verse 22, “And unless those days have been cut short, no life would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” We see the sovereign control of God. Now some people have said we would know the tribulation is seven years long, except verse 22 says it’s cut short. That’s not what it says. In other words, this time is not allowed to go on beyond the seven years because if it did everyone would be destroyed. I think people are dying at unbelievable rates. I think I may have shared with you in one of the news magazines in the last few weeks—35-40 million people died of AIDS and that many have the HIV virus now. We talk about multiplied millions of people infected with one particular disease, which is a disease related to morality. But you note the world doesn’t change. We think that’s awful, but we don’t have a crusade to reinstitute morality in the world, we have to spend more money on a cure. It’s been several years, but the statistics I read then were like 92% of the people with AIDS either got it through illicit sexual activity outside of marriage, or intravenous drug usage. You say well we could have put this to rest quite quickly. But no, that would imply we would have to do something moral. We can see people are willing to die for their convictions, and they are. In the tribulation they’ll be dying not only by the millions, but by the billions. If Jesus Christ did not return to earth at the end of the seven years, if it were allowed to go on like that, the world would destroy itself. It would be destroyed in the judgments and the wars and the famines and the pestilences and so on.

Why does God intervene? Because he has elect on this earth. He has a purpose, that purpose is not only to destroy the wicked, but it is to bring to salvation the elect. It’s going to take this to bring the nation Israel to its knees to say blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. There’s mercy in the midst of judgment. How could God do this? Can you imagine? Billions of people dying, horrible judgments, and in the midst there’s mercy as God is preserving His elect and bringing them to salvation.

“If anyone says to you behold here is the Christ, there He is, do not believe him. False Christs, false prophets will arise, will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold I have told you in advance, so if they say to you.” Remember He’s giving this to His disciples as representatives of the nation Israel, and through them addressing that generation that will be alive then. “If they say to you behold, he is in the wilderness, do not go out. Or behold he is in the inner room, do not believe them.” Why? “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, even so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” The antichrist is going to be the leading figure, but there are going to be all kind of false prophets and false religious figures. There are going to be all kind of rumors that Christ is coming, that He has come, the deliverer is here. Don’t believe any of it. When Christ returns to earth the second time, now at the rapture He doesn’t come to earth remember. He comes in the air and the church is caught up to meet Him in the air. But when He returns to earth the next time, nobody will have to be told. You won’t have to see it on the news, you won’t have to read about it in the newspaper, you won’t have to have someone pass the information on to you. Why? Verse 27, “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” You can’t miss it; it will be open for all to see. What a contrast. He was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Wise men come from the east and inquire in Jerusalem, where is the one born king of the Jews? Hm, don’t know. Let’s see, supposed to be born in Bethlehem. If He was born, he must be in Bethlehem. Off they trudge. It won’t be anything like that.

These Jews in the tribulation, they read this, stay hidden, the Messiah is not here. When the Messiah is here, you’ll know and everybody else will. That verse, verse 28, a little bit of an enigma. “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” It seems to be a reference to the mass destruction of the armies of the world that take place at Armageddon in connection with the return of Christ to earth. A place where the vultures are gathered as the corpses are everywhere. Remember, the blood comes to the horses’ bridles.

Come to Revelation chapter 16. Here John sees demonic spirits in verse 14 performing signs. “They go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty. Behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked. Men will not see his shame.” They gathered them together to the place which in the Hebrew is called Har-Magedon, Har-Magedon, the Mount of Megiddo, where this final climactic battle is. The details are over in Revelation chapter 19, and this fits where the corpses are the vultures will gather together. Verse 17, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven. Come assemble for the great supper of God so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, those who sit on them, the flesh of all men both free men and slave, small and great. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies assembled to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army.”

Awesome scene as Christ returns to earth. What happens is you move through the seven-year tribulation and the antichrist has asserted his worldwide authority in the middle of the 70th week. Toward the end of that 70th week, according to Daniel chapter 11 beginning with verse 36, there are tidings out of the north and out of the south that trouble him. There is rebellion in his empire. Then as the antichrist has moved his armies into the Middle East and set up his throne there. You get to the end of the tribulation; the armies of the world gather for the final conflict. You’ll note this is a spiritually motivated thing. Demonic spirits are gathering with the armies of the world. God is preparing the world for the final conflict. As Christ returns the armies of the world stand and do battle with Him. You say what foolishness. How could men be so utterly foolish? Here’s the Lord of glory coming and you’re going to do battle with Him? That shows the stubborn sinfulness of the human heart. The devil is going to give it one last try, one next to the last try because he’ll give it another try 1000 years later after the first phase of the kingdom.

That’s what we’re talking about when Christ will come in glory and the vultures, the birds of the air are gathered together. Why? Because in association with His spectacular coming there is mass destruction as the armies of the world suffer destruction everywhere. Then Christ will come and set up His throne and the final groups of unbelievers will be sifted out. Remember the end of Daniel, chapter 12, we have a period of 75 days there and by the end of that all the judgments have taken place, the earth has been cleansed and we move into the kingdom itself.

Come back to Matthew 24. Look at verse 29, “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” Let’s get some more details, if you will, and wrap this up, Christ gives them. “The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky. The powers of the heavens will be shaken.” There are going to be dramatic signs in the heavens; and the very heavenly bodies begin to collapse and disappear. Awesome scene. Now we see people with terror when an earthquake occurs, or a volcano occurs, and you know all of a sudden, all their composure, all their calm is shattered. You see people running in terror. Well, here you are going to have tremendous heavenly signs and activity, and these are drawn from a number of Old Testament passages—Isaiah 13:9-10, Isaiah 34:4, Joel 2:30-32, Joel 3:15. For these Jews the Old Testament background prophesied and promised these heavenly events. The book of Revelation unfolds them as well. You’re going to have all this heavenly activity, the heavenly bodies falling out of the sky. The attention of the world is going to be riveted here. Now we’re at the end of the tribulation.

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” We’re not told what the sign of the appearing of the Son of Man is. It just says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. We’re not told what that is. But when it appears everybody on the earth will know what it means. They’ll immediately mourn because now comes the one who is the King and the Judge. In this connection there may be a reference to the mourning that will take place in the salvation of Israel. Remember the beatitudes back in Matthew chapter 5, early in the ministry of Christ? Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Israel will mourn at this time over their grievous sin in rejecting and crucifying their Messiah and for them there will be salvation.

Then they’ll see, really following the sign of His coming in the sky, whatever it is, and we can be sure it will be spectacular. Christ Himself descends on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Remember how He ascended to heaven in Acts chapter 1? “And the angel told the disciples, this same Jesus will return in the same way you’ve seen Him go.” Here He comes with a full display of His glory and power in an awesome scene. Drawn from two Old Testament passages, we won’t take time to go back there, Zechariah 12:10, Daniel 7:13, speak of seeing the Son of Man coming in power and glory. Here Jesus refers to that very event. Look at verse 31, there are a number of passages we could go to—Revelation 6:12-16, Revelation 19:11. We were just in Revelation and in the last part of that, but the full display of the heavens opening and Christ descending with the armies of heaven. I take it you and I who are raptured seven years earlier and now are clothed in white garments will be descending with Him. What an awesome scene, you know, that we are going to be there as part of it as the heavens roll back and the Son of Man descends and the angels of heaven and we with Him. Verse 31, “He’ll send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” He gathers all His elect together and they will meet with Him in Jerusalem. Now note this is not the rapture of the church. The rapture of the church occurred seven years earlier. The rapture of the church is not discussed at all anywhere in Matthew chapter 24. We’re talking about that seven-year period following the rapture of the church in preparation for Christ’s return to earth as God has brought to completion His program for the nation Israel. On both occasions, at the rapture of the church and here at the gathering of the elect, they are summoned with a great trumpet. But that doesn’t mean it’s the same event. But when God gathers the elect at the rapture of the church, the members of the church, they will be summoned together with the blast of the trumpet from heaven. When God gathers the elect, particularly of Israel, at His Second Coming it will be with the blast of the trumpet as well. The elect will be gathered, and the wicked will be gathered also. And that will come in subsequent passages.

Let’s move down and just look now at what Jesus says this means. We study prophecy because we want to know more about Jesus Christ. People say look that’s all future, whatever happens I’ll be excited about. I would just like to know what am I supposed to do today. How can I get by today, how can I face the problems of today. Well one of the ways you can is to want to know Jesus Christ better, to know more of Him. In Revelation chapter 19 verse 10 we are told, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” In other words, prophecy is all about Jesus Christ. That’s what the heart of prophecy is. It reveals to you Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us that the study of future things encourages us and motivates us to live holy and godly lives. In I John chapter 3 it says, “And everyone who has their hope fixed upon Him and His coming purifies himself just as He is pure.” We are to be living with our hope fixed on the return of the Lord, the rapture for the church and the Second Coming to earth for those who are saved after the rapture. That’s what Christ does now in Matthew chapter 24. He turns attention from the events related to His Second Coming to emphasize how people should live in light of His Second Coming. He says in verse 32, “Now learn a parable from the fig tree. When its branches already become tender and put forth its leaves you know that summer is near. So you too when you see all these things recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Look around. You can tell the seasons by looking at the trees. As we are entered into the winter season as we have here, we talk about well soon the leaves will be falling off the trees. We see the color changing and we know we’re moving toward a season; learn from the fig tree. They could tell when summer is near because you look and see the changes in the tree. Now some say the fig tree refers to Israel and it was the return to the land in Israel in 1948 and that’s when the fig tree began to put forth its leaves. I think it’s really just an illustration. In fact, in the parallel account in Luke chapter 21 verse 29-30 Jesus indicates He’s just using illustrations of nature to make a point. The account in Luke shows it’s not just the fig tree that shows this, it’s a general principle of nature that we’ll be able to tell spring is coming to be followed by summer. Why? We’ll all of a sudden see buds coming out on the trees. Then we’ll see the leaves, and we say what? Before we know it, summer is going to be here. That’s the illustration He’s giving.

Learn a parable from the fig tree. “So, too, when you see all these things recognize that He is near, at the door.: All these things are the things He’s just discussed in verses 4-28, all the signs and evidence. When will these things be? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? All right, let me talk to you about the end of the age, and that carries us to that seven-year period leading up to the end of the age, the return of Christ to the earth. When the Jews in the tribulation see these things then they’ll know that the return of the Lord and the establishing of the kingdom is near.

Verse 34, “Truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” Now some prophetic writers I think have gotten into trouble by trying to become specific with these things when they can. Some took the founding of Israel in 1948 to be the beginning of the blossoming of the fig tree. So that meant that Christ should return within a generation, which was taken then to be 40 years, which would have meant Christ should return in 1988. We have a problem. This is 2003 and we’re rolling on to 2004. So, they missed it. Well maybe a generation is longer, maybe a generation is 60 years instead of the 40 years we took it to be from other passages. The problem is they misunderstood what He was saying in verse 32. If you compare it to Luke 21 you understand He is just giving an illustration from nature; and it really isn’t a prophecy of the restoration of the nation Israel. Israel will be restored in the latter times; I’m not saying that it’s not really significant that Israel became a nation in 1948 and is back in the land and all that’s taking place. What I’m saying is verse 32 of Matthew 24 is not prophesying that. When He says this generation will not pass away, He’s not talking about the generation that saw Israel established as a nation in 1948. He’s talking about the generation that sees all these things. He’s talked about in the first 28 verses of this chapter. This generation. Which generation? You who see all these things. The generation alive in the seven-year tribulation is the generation that’s going to see the return of Christ to earth. That’s the point. This generation shall not pass away until all these things take place and it’s a settled thing. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away. That establishes the certainty. Jesus said a similar thing in Matthew chapter 5 verse 18, connected with the Sermon on the Mount. So, at that beginning sermon and here at this ending sermon, same declaration from Isaiah chapter 40 verses 6-8. Everything else passes away, but God’s Word endures forever.

It’s going to happen. Now we just need to be careful. People who see the rapture in Matthew 24 now are trying to put these things together and it creates difficulty and problems. The problem is not with the text of scripture, the problem is we didn’t handle the text of scripture accurately. So, we just take this generation in proper context. Some we refer to as preterists who believe all these things are fulfilled in the past, particularly in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., want to argue on the basis of verse 34. That generation had to be the one Jesus was addressing right there, the generation when the destruction of Jerusalem occurred in 70 A.D., and everything was fulfilled then. How in the world you can make sense of Matthew 24 with that, I have no idea. To say that then is when we had the greatest tribulation that had ever been or ever will be. That’s when Christ came like the lightning that flashes from the east to the west, that’s when the sign of the Son of Man appeared, and all the nations of the earth mourned. We’re back to the kind of problem—we just don’t study the Bible and allow it to speak for itself. We study the Bible to determine what we want it to say and then see if we’re clever enough to massage it so we can make it say what we want it to say. It’s not complicated. This generation, the generation that sees all these things in the previous verses. Look at the illustration in verse 32. Didn’t Jesus warn about false Christs and false prophets in verse 24 and tell them you won’t need that because when the Son of Man comes to earth to establish His kingdom everyone will know it, everyone will see Him. How can we spiritualize this into some event associated with something in 70 A.D.? I mean, I just can’t make heads or tails out of that kind of thinking. You can make the Bible say almost anything you’d like it to say. “Heaven and earth will pass away; my words will not pass away.”

Turn back to II Peter chapter 3, all the way back toward the back of your New Testament. Just note, in the end times that will be true I take it toward the end times in the church, toward the end times for Israel. Verse 7 of II Peter 3, “By His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire kept from the day of judgment and destruction among godly men,” that’s looking for the time that is yet future. “But let not this one fact escape your notice, one day with the Lord is as 1000 years, 1000 years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be destroyed with intense heat. The earth and its works will be burned up. Since all of these things will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in all holy conduct and godliness.” We are looking for this time. We are looking, verse 13, for a new heaven and a new earth. We’re looking on into the future. But there are going to be some who will say well, I don’t know, where’s the coming of the Lord. You know what happens? We mire down. We think oh boy we’ve talked about this so long and so much; I think we have to get on to other things. There are no other things to get onto, this is what I am living for, this is what God’s people are looking for. This earth isn’t our home, we’re strangers and pilgrims here. We worry, we fret, we get discouraged. We should fix our attention on the blessed hope and everyone who has that hope fixed on Him purifies himself. Puts things in perspective, keeps me from getting distracted.

Come back to Matthew 24. Now with all this said He wants to warn you. You can’t figure out the exact time when the Messiah will return. Verse 36, “But of that day and hour knows no one, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Not even Christ knew that time. I take it this refers to the self limitation He has imposed upon Himself in His earthly ministry. Philippians chapter 2 verse 7 where “He emptied Himself,” He didn’t cease to be God, but He ceased to independently use the attributes that were His as God. Do I understand all that? No. Do I understand how God can take to Himself humanity and be one person with two natures? I don’t. But it’s true. Doesn’t surprise me, I don’t understand it because I’m not God. It gets into things I know it’s true, but do I understand it? No. But He imposed upon Himself when He took to Himself humanity limitations. Even the Son does not know the exact time and hour. The angels of heaven don’t know, the Father is the only one who knows it. That means it’s not God’s intention for us to discern that exact time. Now He’s given this general description, they can know it’s soon. We say well won’t they be able to figure it out and say from this day to this day to this day. Evidently not. Because you know it’s like anything. When you’re living it out you’re caught up in the events. All we know is no one knows that day or hour. That’s true for that coming, that’s true for the rapture of the church as well. That’s why there are warnings in scripture that He comes as a thief in the night, He comes unexpectedly.
Verse 36, “But of that day and hour knows no one, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man. There will be two men in the field, one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, be on the alert, you don’t know which day your Lord is coming.” So, you see they are responsible. He said in verse 32, “learn from nature.” You see the things happening on the trees you know summer is coming. Well, you see these things happening, you know the coming of the Lord is drawing near. You don’t know when it is. You can’t specify which day, which hour. But you ought to be alert because obviously you can tell we are in that time period. It’s like the days of Noah. You know here is Noah, that preacher of righteousness, as Peter refers to him in II Peter chapter 2 verse 5. He spent 120 years building a boat. What’s he doing? Preaching, preaching, preaching. He hadn’t learned some of our effective methods so when he got done, he only had his family who got on the boat with him. You know what the people of the world were doing? They were marrying, giving in marriage, eating, drinking, life goes on. You know what they are going to be doing in the seven-year tribulation? Eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. With all the destruction going on in the world that’s hard to believe. It is, isn’t it? But with millions of people dying in the continent of Africa and millions of people starving, you know what? I ate more than I should have for lunch. You know what? I’m planning my week, not around the fact that millions of people are dying of diseases in other places in the world. Because why? Life goes on. That’s the way it’s going to be going on in the world. There are going to be people dying at unbelievable rates. But you know what? If it’s not happening to me and my family, not happening on my street, what can I do? We’re just going on. You know what the people in the world are going to be doing? Going about life as normal. You know what they did in the days of Noah right up until the coming of the flood? They didn’t understand, verse 39, “they didn’t understand until the flood came and swept them away.” You know what? Except for the elect who turn to Christ, the world won’t understand. It’s a terrible time, we’ve had terrible times before. This may be the worst of those times, but you know it’s like people interviewed after the tragedy of 9/11 in New York. They say we’re tough, we’ll pull through. These people whose city or town has been destroyed by a tornado or earthquake; that’s all right, we’re resilient, we’re going to pull together, we’ll get through. You say, do you ever stop to think there’s a living God before whom you’re accountable? No, they don’t think about that. So here they go.

You get to verses 40-41, some take this to be the rapture of the church. I take it that the rapture of the church is not in Matthew 24. I will take it in the context here. We’ve noted there was a gathering in verse 31 of all the elect. There is also going to be a gathering in the world of all the non-elect. The elect are gathered together to be with Christ at Jerusalem, the non-elect are gathered out of the world to face judgment because they are going to be destroyed. So, the one taken, I take it, in verse 40 at this return is going to be taken in judgment. The one left will go into the kingdom. Two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken one will be left. The point is what? Be on the alert, be ready. The Jews understood this about the kingdom. When Messiah comes, He’s going to root out all that’s offensive, all that’s wicked so He can establish His kingdom in righteousness.

You know we oughtn’t to be surprised, should we. We talk about that the Lord is coming soon, we look for the rapture. The people of the world are not really interested. In fact, they become more open and flagrant in their sin. I mean we get our courts taken up with whether we should allow two people of the same sex to get married. I mean those are the really important issues of the day. People have no fear of God, no issue of morality, no concern. I turned on the news the other day and they’re talking about this Hollywood actress is going to have a baby with her boyfriend. Well, you know any shame that might have happened, even in Hollywood many years ago with these kinds of things would have been frowned upon. Now it’s just open. Don’t know whether they’ll get married or not, but this is an exciting event, and everybody is talking about it and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Any concept of morality? Any concern that in marriage the bed is honorable, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge? Anybody looking around in the world and concerned? No. The world keeps going on and getting worse, and it’s going to continue to get worse.

Look back in Matthew chapter 13 and we’ll wrap this up tonight. We won’t be in our studies on Sunday night for the next few weeks as we have our special programs. Matthew chapter 13 verse 41. There you see the coming of the Son of Man, same thing we’re talking about in Matthew 24. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, those who commit lawlessness and throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sons in the kingdom of their Father.” You see the ones taken are taken in judgment, the ones left are left to go into the kingdom. Down in verse 49 of Matthew 13, “So it will be at the end of the age the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous and will throw them into the furnace of fire in that place. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” So, we come to Matthew 24 verses 40-41 and the one taken. Well, they’re gathered out of the kingdom. Christ is ready to set up the kingdom, all the wicked have to go. They are gathered out, judged, cast into the lake of fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Verse 42, “Therefore, be on the alert, you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Be sure of this, that if the head of the house would have known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert, would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” That analogy of Christ as the thief means He is coming unexpectedly. He comes and people aren’t prepared. Verse 44, “For this reason, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” The analogy of being a faithful slave. You see readiness implies faithfulness. To be ready for the coming of the Lord is to be living faithfully.

Verse 45, “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household. Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. He will put him in charge of all his possessions.” The evil slave is punished severely. Verse 51, “they cut him in pieces, assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” These things refer to the Second Coming of Christ to earth, but there are principles that are the same as we anticipate the first phase of that coming.

One more passage and we’re done with the passages. Romans chapter 13. We say this applies to the Jews and in the tribulation period, and it does. But you’ll note what is the same. We as God’s people today are looking for the coming of the Lord, the coming of the Lord in glory to take us up to glory. But we are waiting for the coming of our Lord for us, just as believers in that tribulation period are going to be waiting for the coming of their Lord. In Romans chapter 13, he’s talking about the conduct of believers in this chapter. Then in verse 11, “do this, conduct yourself as you should, knowing the time, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep. For now, salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” We are closer to the coming of the Lord than we’ve ever been. If that were true when Paul wrote to the Romans, where are we today. “The night is almost gone; the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness, put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, sensuality, strife, jealousy. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” You see how awareness of the coming of the Lord is to shape our conduct and our behavior. Wake up, he says. Verse 11, “it’s time for you to wake up.” You know you look around and you see people who profess to be believers and it’s like they are spiritually lethargic, they’re in a sleep, like they don’t know what’s going on. They’re caught up in things that are nothing and life is overwhelming them and they’re all things that will be burned up, as Peter says. “The night is almost gone, the day is near,” verse 12.

Is that what drives your thinking? Do I wake up in the morning and say you know what? I’m another day closer to the coming of the Lord. If the coming of the Lord was close five years ago and I’m going to be living on the brink of that return, where am I today? All of a sudden, my thinking for this day is shaped about Jesus Christ may be coming today and I’m a faithful servant. I can’t say it will be today, but you know what? If it is today, I won’t be surprised. I won’t be caught off guard. I won’t be like one of those servants who wasn’t doing what his master wanted him to and got caught unprepared. No. Oh, you’re going to say oh the Lord’s coming on Monday, huh? I expect it, I’m looking forward to it, I’m going to live like it. If he doesn’t, I’ll live like that on Tuesday. If he does, I won’t be surprised. Let’s face it, all of our conduct if it’s lived like that, what? We live expectantly. You know it’s like our kids. You tell them to do something and then you leave. What happens? When it’s getting time for you to return everything shapes up. Sometimes they even have a brother or sister watching at the window. Why? We’re expecting, and we want to be doing the right thing.

So, it is. Our Lord is coming. What a blessed event. The world is in turmoil, the world’s falling apart, the world is becoming more wicked and vile. But you know what? I’m not looking for this world to improve, I’m looking for the coming of the Lord. The world will be improved when He returns, and I will return with Him at a future date. What a hope you and I have, and I believe we, too, ought to be looking around and seeing what’s going on around us. We can tell the seasons of the year. We ought to be looking around, look at all that’s going on in the world. We’re celebrating the first coming of Christ and His Second Coming for us as a church could occur at any moment.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, that we have a Savior who loved us and died for us, who’s returned to glory that He might prepare a place for us and then fulfill His promise that if He goes and prepares a place for us, He will come again to receive us to Himself so that where He is there we may be also. Lord, may we live every day that we have in expectation and anticipation of the return of our Lord to take us to the glory of your presence. We praise you for such a blessed hope. In Christ’s name. Amen.