The Second Coming of Christ

Transcript

GR 729
11/27/1985
The Second Coming of Christ
Matthew 24:32-51
Gil Rugh

Turn to Matthew chapter 24 in your Bibles. In Matthew chapter 24 through the first portion of this chapter, Christ has surveyed events leading up to His Second Coming. He has made clear that that period of time which we know from the rest of Scripture is a 7-year period follows the Rapture of the Church, the time when all believers are bodily removed from the earth to meet Christ in the air. Then for a period of approximately 7 years there will be tribulation and turmoil and judgment on the earth as God pours out His wrath on an unbelieving world. That will be climaxed by the spectacular return of Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom. That return will be visible and open in the heavens for the entire world to see. We're told that every eye shall behold Him, and He'll return to destroy His enemies and set up His kingdom.

Now any time we're studying prophecy, particularly an intense section like Matthew chapters 24 and 25, which is extensive, it is good to remind ourselves why we're doing it. Some people have the idea, Well, God has control of the future and whatever He does with it is fine with me. I want to study about today, not tomorrow. 'We can see the flaw in that-- #1, God hasn't revealed anything in His Word He doesn't intend for us to know, and He has revealed much about His plans for the future. So it's important for us to know it. Two basic reasons at least for studying prophecy: 1) the Book of Revelation, chapter 19 and verse 10 tells us, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." What prophecy does is witness or testify concerning Jesus Christ.

That's at the heart of prophecy. That's what prophecy is all about. So we study prophecy so we can know more about Jesus Christ so that we can know Him better and understand His work more. And we've seen in chapter 24 we're studying about Jesus Christ, about judgment coming on the world that has rejected Him, about God's plan for unveiling Him in the future as His holy, righteous Son who will rule and reign in glory. To the extent that you do not understand biblical prophecy, your knowledge of Jesus Christ is deficient. You do not have a proper perspective or appreciation of Him. A second reason given in Scripture for studying prophecy is the knowledge and understanding of God's future plan as they revolve around the coming of Christ ought to have a dramatic impact on the way that we live our lives today. Our lives are to be controlled and dominated by an understanding of the return of Jesus Christ, and that's the purpose Christ is going to focus on now in the last part of Matthew chapter 24--How we are to live in light of the facts related to His coming. We find that those who believe in Jesus Christ understand something of the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again are to be living lives that are different and set apart from the lives and lifestyle from the people of the world who do not believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The whole goal, direction and conduct of our lives are different. We live Godly lives because we believe and know that Christ is coming.

Look at two passages of Scripture with me before we look into Matthew 24. The first is in 2 Peter, a passage that we'll look at again in our study of chapter 24. We come to 2 Peter chapter 3, a great prophetic chapter in the Word of God. Now let me refresh your mind, and please keep this straight in our study today. In Matthew 24 the Rapture of the Church has already occurred. The events of Matthew 24 and of 25 happen after the Rapture of the Church when all true believers are caught up to meet Jesus Christ in the air. So what we'll be talking about in Matthew chapter 24 has to do with the Jews particularly in the 7 -year Tribulation as they anticipate the Second Coming of Christ to earth. However, there are principles there that are applicable to us today. We living today are not anticipating the coming of Christ to earth as the next prophetic event. We are anticipating His coming in the air to take us to be with Him. But we are living in anticipation of the Coming of Christ, even as the Jews living in the Tribulation will be living in anticipation of the Coming of Christ. So there are certain things that should characterize us as those who live expecting Christ.

In 2 Peter 3, Peter talks about the coming of Christ, those who don't believe in the coming of Christ. Then he talks about the destruction of this world and this world system; the earth and the heavens around the earth are going to be destroyed by God with fire, and there will be new heavens and a new earth created. Recognizing those truths is to affect our lives and the way we live. Note verse 14, "Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things"--these things he's been talking about climaxing with the destruction of this earth and heavens around the earth. "Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless. Up in verse 11 he has said, "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." You see something of understanding God's plan for the future, events connected with the Second Coming of Christ, His reign and the ultimate destruction of this earth ought to have a marked impact on the way we live our lives. I don't want to be one whose life is invested in this world and the things of this world. You know why? Everything in this world is going to be destroyed and wiped out by God! You think I want the investment of my life to be such that he will destroy it in an instant of time? We are called to invest in eternity, live godly lives, and thus have that which will endure for eternity.

Look over in 1 John chapter 3, verse 3. Verse 2, "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself just as He is pure." The recognition that I am going to see Jesus Christ face to face; I am going to be transformed, be glorified, to be like Him controls, then, what I do with my life here and now. It calls me to godliness and purity of life. So I study prophecy because the recognition of God's plan for the future, God's plans for the coning of His Son and how I am involved in that is to control the way I live my life every moment of every day. That's different than the way the person who does not believe in the coming of Christ lives his life. He'll invest his life in the here and now as all he can get right now. His concern will be with what he has or doesn't have; how he can have more and have more security in this system. But for me as a believer, I recognize that's futile and that's empty because this is all going to be wiped out. I'm concerned that when I stand before Christ transformed into His image that my life on this earth would have been pleasing to Him.

Now come back to Matthew chapter 24. That's where Christ is going to focus attention right now--on how we are to live in light of the fact Jesus Christ is coming again. For believers, the Church, at the Rapture; then the 7-year Tribulation; then He is coming to set up His kingdom on the earth.

He's going to start out with an illustration from nature, talking about the trees in the springtime. Now I want you to follow closely, because there is much misunderstanding about present-day events because of some incorrect interpretation of what is said in this section in Matthew 24. Verse 32, "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; . . ." Now when the branches get tender and the leaves come out, you know it's springtime and summer's just around the corner. We say this--Isn't it nice to see the warm weather coming. The branches get tender as the sap returns to the trees. Then you can go out and prick a branch with your fingernail; it softens. The buds come out and the leaves come out. That's telling you summer is coming. Now some have taken the fig tree here and say it's a reference to Israel. The Old Testament, the figs at least if not the fig tree do refer to the nation Israel on occasion--in Matthew 21 the fig tree seems to be a representation of the nation Israel. However, that does not seem to be the case here in Matthew, and that's clarified because of the parallel account in the Gospel of Luke. Turn over to Luke chapter 21.

Luke chapter 21, and in verse 29 in Luke's account of what Matthew recorded, "And He told them a parable: 'Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that the summer is now near.'" So it's not just the fig tree but all the trees testify of the same thing. Now I say this because those who are going to identify the fig tree as Israel say the blossoming of the fig tree was the establishing of the nation in 1948 as a nation. So you'll read in many writings on Matthew 24 or books on prophecy that Israel blossomed as a nation in 1948 when it was reestablished in the Land of Palestine and that's a fulfillment of Matthew chapter 24 which will lead to some other errors in interpretation, as we'll see in a moment. But the point from Luke 21 is that it's just an illustration from nature. It's not only true of the fig trees; it's true of all the trees. You can't say this is true of all the nations, then it wouldn't make any sense. So the point is, this is just an illustration from nature, not particularly identifying the tree with any nation or Israel particularly.

Alright. Come back to Matthew 24. When you see the blossoming of the leaves, then you know summer is near. Verse 33, "Even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door." "All these things" refers to what? What has He just been talking about through Matthew 24, beginning back with verse 4 all the way down through verse 28? Events leading up to His Second Coming. 'As you see these things that will be taking place during the 70th week of Daniel, recognize that His coming to earth is very near. That's the point. The "these things" is a reference to the many things that will be going on in the 7-year's Tribulation, and you see that when you see "all these things"--we have various things happening today that would vie, kingdom rises against nation or we have earthquakes or famine. But in the 7 Year Tribulation, there will be a gathering up of all these things going on at one time--the judgments of Revelation chapter 6 to 19 dealing with that. "When you see these things," you know "He is near, right at the door." So the Jews living in the 7-year Tribulation after the Rapture, as they see all of these things happening, they'll know the coming of Christ is very near and will be very soon.

Verse 34. "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." Now those who have taken the fig tree as Israel in verse 32, the blossoming of the fig tree a reference to the establishing of the nation in Palestine in 1948, say therefore verse 34, "I say to you, this generation,"-- what generation? This generation that sees Israel established as a nation in Palestine "will not pass away until all these things take place." So, the conclusion is that the generation that sees Israel become a nation will see the Second Coming of Christ to earth, a generation being about 40 years. So we can say that somewhere around or within 40 years of the establishing of the nation Israel in Palestine in 1948, Jesus Christ will come to earth.

Now that's dramatic! That makes good preaching, and that gets people on the edge of their seats, but I'm not sure it’s a very good Bible interpretation. #1 I've shared with you what I think the flaw of the fig tree is in verse 32, and you would have a hard time in the context of chapter 24 of Matthew even if the fig tree were Israel identifying it with 1948 since all of the events of chapter 24 are happening within the 7-year Tribulation. I think the point is, verse 34, "this generation"--which generation? The generation that sees all these things in verse 33 will be the generation that sees the coming of the Lord. In other words, that generation living in the 7-year Tribulation will be the generation that sees the coming of Christ. That's the point. Those Jews living in the Tribulation can be assured as they see all these things happening that they are the generation that is going to witness the Second Coming. Many of them will die but nonetheless it will be that generation witnessing the events of the 7-year Tribulation that are guaranteed seeing the coming of Christ to earth. We need to be very careful about misinterpreting and misapplying this biblical prophecy. So we have people today who are living expecting Christ is going to come in the 80's. Why? Well, a generation away from the 40's! Got to be within our lifetime! It may well be, but it may well not be; and if it is, it won't be because of the interpretation of Matthew 24! Which is referring to something totally different. So if you keep the context of chapter 24 in view, that helps correct a lot of things.

Then He goes to verse 35. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away." Important as He has talked about what is going to transpire and events leading up to His coming, they can be sure it is going to happen just as He said. In fact, the Word of God is more durable than earth and the heavens around the earth, because this earth and all the heavens around this earth are going to be destroyed by God! But you know what? The Word of God is eternal. The Word of God is permanent. It will be fulfilled exactly as God said. There is not one little minute detail in the Word of God that when we get to eternity we're going to find out God decided just to wipe that out and forget about that, it wasn't important anyway. Every little single minute detail! Christ has already alluded to this back in Matthew 5:18.

We're going to see in a moment how important it is for us as believers to be firmly rooted and grounded on and in the Word of God, unshakeable that the Word of God is true! And I can depend upon it in this life and in eternity! And in Matthew 5:18 Jesus said, "For truly I say to you, 'until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished." Not the smallest stroke or letter, not a jot or a tittle, not even a little wee squiggle or dot is going to go by unfulfilled in God's Word!

One other passage on this particular idea. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 6, "A voice says, 'Call out.' Then he answered, 'What shall I call out?' All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." All of man, all mankind and all the glory of mankind are passing.

We were looking at some pictures from a trip we took, and we were where was the center of the Roman Empire in Rome, and we were reminded as we looked at the ruins of that area--Could you believe that was once the heart of the greatest empire the world has ever known? Now we walk over the rubble and take pictures of the ruins. A reminder that all the glory and all the splendor of that greatest of empires, God blows on it and it's gone! Now people tour there to see the ruins and the remains of the glory and the splendor, but the Word of God? It goes on! An empire that set itself against the Word of God; it's long history. The Word of God goes on.

Peter writes, quoting this section in Isaiah, in his first epistle, chapter 1, and says, "We have been born again by the living and abiding word of God," and he goes on to quote Isaiah, "for all flesh is like grass." A reminder, the Word of God is permanent and eternal, so you can base life and eternity on your faith in the Word of God.

Come over to 1 Peter 3 again. Now this unshakeable confidence--that's 2 Peter 3, not I Peter 3--in the Word of God is necessary because with the passing of time, people become more and more skeptical about what God has prophesied in His Word. So Peter writes in verse 3, of 2 Peter 3, "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.'" You know what it says? 'It's been like this for millenniums. People have been talking about a coming judgment, about a coming Savior. Hogwash! This has been this way for centuries. In fact, if you believe evolution they'll tell you it's been like this going back millions of years! We've just had a uniform, rather regular development with no intervention from God that's brought us down 'til today. All this talk about intervention of God and judgment and the coming of His Son. Look, how long are you going to believe that? There have been religious fanatics running around prophesying the coming of a Savior for millenniums. People have been proclaiming the end of the world; the world is near, for as long as we have writing. Let's face it, the world just goes on.' God says, 'you know what? They're willfully ignorant.' It escapes their notice that God did intervene on one other occasion in a worldwide catastrophe--the flood of Noah, and He wiped out the human race with 8 exceptions. And how they fail to recognize that God is simply patiently giving men and women and young people an opportunity to come to His salvation before He comes in judgment. So down to verse 10, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat," and then we are to be looking for a new heaven and the new earth.

So back in Matthew 24 when Christ says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away,"--heaven and earth will pass away. Peter talks about that, Revelation 21 talks about a new heaven and a new earth. We're also reminded that people will deny the credibility of the Word of God, but you and I was believers had better be unshakably planted on the Word as the foundation for our life.

Verse 36 of Matthew 24. Now this is a reminder, since there are going to be indicators in the 7-year Tribulation that the coming of Christ is near, you can stake eternity on that truth, there is the danger therefore that the next step will be that some people will try to identify specifically what will be the exact time. You know, you swing from one extreme to the other. On one side there will be those denying that He's coming back; on the other side, there will be those giving you the minute and the hour of the day. So Jesus sets that straight in verse 36 when He says, "But of that day and hour no one knows." No one knows the day and the hour. So within the framework of the 7-year Tribulation there will be indicators that the coming is soon, but the precise time of His coming, no one knows. Now when He says no one, He means no one! That includes, He says, "not even the angels of heaven!" The angels that serve in the presence of God--Michael the Archangel! Gabriel, the messenger from the presence of God! They don't know the time of the return of the Lord! Now when Satan is cast out of heaven in the middle of the tribulation, in Revelation 12 we're told he knows he has a short time but he doesn't know the exact time. He knows of these events that will lead up to the climax of the coming of Christ, but he doesn't know the time! And you know what? Christ Himself doesn't know. That's the statement at the end of verse 36, "Nor the Son, but the Father alone." The Father alone. Even Jesus Christ could not tell you the day and the hour. The Father alone. Now that ought to put to rest any speculation about someone who wanted to prophesy when Christ was going to return. This happens down through the centuries. People have an idea when the coming of Christ will be. Both His coming at the Rapture, and then the Second Coming to earth, which is in view here. People want to get absorbed and try to figure out when He's going to come. Now some people get upset when He says, "The Son doesn't even know." Now the King James Version leaves out not the Son here but Mark chapter 10, verse 32 in his account, it does include it so whether it was included by Matthew or not, it is biblically true that Christ said He didn't know. How could He be God in the flesh and not know something? Very simple explanation in Philippians chapter 2, remember, verse 7? "But He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant. When He emptied Himself, the great kenosis, what He did was set aside the independent use of the attributes that were His as Deity to become a man. Now He didn't do away with His attributes as Deity because He would have ceased to be God. But that use of those attributes independently as God was set aside. So He did not use His Omniscience. He did not use His Omnipresence, etc. So what He is saying here is that, as the Son of Man He did not know. Now there's only one person, the God- Man Christ Jesus; so I take it you don't say, 'Well, He knew in His Deity but He didn't know in His humanity. They are not two different persons there. There is only one person who is the God-Man, and that one person has set aside the use of these attributes so that that person, Jesus Christ, the God-Man, did not know the time. That's consistent with His Deity in light of His incarnation. Now how we understand that all and how the incarnation works, what is called Theanthropic Union--the God-Man union-- goes beyond complete understanding with our minds, I recognize. But nonetheless, the truth is clear here, isn't it? Christ is saying He didn't know the time.

I want to stress that because there's been much speculation on the return of Christ, and if you can't set the time in the Tribulation of the Second Coming of Christ to earth, there is no hope of setting the time of the Rapture of the Church. Because at least in the Tribulation they'll have some days and dates set for them, they'll have some specific events that are going to transpire leading up to the Second Coming. But with even with all that they won't be able to pinpoint when Christ is coming. We don't have anything as an indicator before the Rapture of the Church yet we have people who want to set the date of the Rapture of the Church. Let me read you an example from the newspaper. "If Willie Day Smith's calculations are correct, thousands of people will instantly vanish from the face of the earth on April 1st." Write it down, April 1st! "I'm going to cancel my radio program, said the 49-year old preacher. If I leave April 1st I can't make radio programs." And he goes on to say it's interesting that April 1st is April Fool's Day and the Bible talks about being fools for Christ. Smith calls himself a prophetic watchman. He said he figured an April 1st deadline for the Rapture through a combination of intense Scripture study and assigning numbers to every letter of Hebrew and Greek. Then the answer came to him one night in his Bible study. "As I was studying, I began to see all the 40's in Scripture." And he goes on to tell you all the 40's in Scripture. Then note here: "In Matthew 24 and 25 it says when Israel is reborn you have only 40 years left before Jesus comes again. Israel was reborn in 1948, even the encyclopedia says that." Now see what he's done with Matthew 24 with what we talked about with the fig tree, etc., and picked a generation--40 years. Well, the encyclopedia may say Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948 but it doesn't say that was the fulfillment of Matthew 24, and it would be wrong if it did! He goes on with some more numbers. He said 'People all over the country, many of them believers in his predictions, are contacting him about his calculations.' And you want some further evidence? A young man called me and said he was praying for God to reveal to him whether this April 1st is really real or not. While he was praying there in Pennsylvania a 20 second earthquake occurred. Now that's pretty dramatic. God, show me if April 1st is the true day, and all of a sudden everything starts shaking for 20 seconds. You think, all right that's proof enough for me. Another man wrote and said I heard you on the radio this week and said 'Lord what kind of nut is this coming up with a date for the Rapture.' He should have stopped there! The Lord had me pray about it and He spoke to me and said you were right. Now note that--the Lord spoke to him and told him April 1st was the right date! Now I believe and I'm trying to convince my wife. Why is it so often it's the wife who has all the brains in the family and spiritual perception? Well, if you wrote down April 1st, you can erase it because this paper is from March 28, 1980, and it was April 1st, 1980 the Lord was supposed to come. Now I don't know where Willie Day Smith is . . .. But you know why I think these things happen? I really believe there could have been a 20-second earthquake in Pennsylvania when that man prayed. Know why? It's Satan's way of discrediting Bible believing Christians, because this kind of stuff makes the front page of the paper. And April 1st has come and gone, and years of April 1st have come and gone and the Lord still hasn't come, and what does that make Bible believing Christians look like before the world? Sure, you study the Bible, you come to the conclusion Christ is coming now but He doesn't come, that shows you how reliable your Bible is, doesn't it? They don't pick up the idea this is just some kind of nut off the wall. No, that's what happens when you trust the Bible. It's just not a reliable book. Now if Christians would study the Word and see what God says, they'd find out you can't know the date because there's no indication of the Rapture, and even when you're in the Tribulation with all that's going on there you won't be able to pinpoint the Second Coming! It doesn't matter whether someone says it and there's earthquakes validating it and voices from heaven, etc. I come to the Word and it says, "Nope, nobody knows." But I heard a voice from heaven. I don't doubt that but it wasn't God's voice. I heard an earthquake. I don't doubt it but it wasn't God's confirmation to you. You see what happens when you move away from the Word and ask for a sign, you can get signs from the supernatural but you don't get them from God. He needs to be careful to stay close to the Word. We discredit the Word of God and the ministry of the Word of God by such foolishness.

Come back then to Matthew 24. Christ is now going on to show how unexpected His return will be, and so you see, there's a balance. Expect His return as believers, and when you Jews are in the Tribulation seeing all of these things happening, know that His return is very near, right at the door, even though you won't be able to pinpoint the time. 'Be expecting Me and live expectantly.' But from the other side, 'Recognize I'm going to come unexpectedly, and for the mass of the world they'll be caught off guard when Christ comes.

Verse 37, "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah." So you go back to that great worldwide cataclysmic judgment, the Days of Noah. "In those days before the flood, they were eating, 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 shall the coming of the Son of Man be." The days of Noah are an example of what it will be like when Jesus Christ returns to earth. The world was living unconcerned and uninterested about a coming judgment--that's the point. In those days, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Nothing wrong with eating and drinking. Paul writes to the Corinthians and says you can eat and drink to the glory of God. Marrying and giving in marriage. Fine, nothing wrong with that. You can honor the Lord in marriage, etc. The point being illustrated here is the indifference to the message of Noah in those days. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 2:5 that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. So in those 120 years he was building the ark, he was preaching righteousness on the coming judgment of God and the world was not interested. It was caught up in its daily activity. More concerned about food and pleasure, arranging weddings, etc. Uninterested in a message of judgment and condemnation. Result was verse 39: "They did not understand until the flood came and took them all away" in judgment. 'Wiped them out! And this perhaps gives you some glimpse into the Tribulation. If you study Revelation chapter 6 and 19, you get the idea there will be nothing normal going on, on the face of the earth, don't you? I mean, with judgments raining down from God and persecution going out where millions and millions and millions of people are dying, can you imagine anybody being concerned about their next meal? About getting their son or daughter married? Perhaps the indication from this is that there will be parts of the world that are Much less affected by these judgments that God is pouring out. And so it would be similar to what we have today. We can read in the newspaper or watch on the news about thousands of people dying of famine in one part of the world. I say that's terrible; or even be moved to send some money. But it doesn't keep me from overeating. Or, the fact that thousands of people die in a volcano or an earthquake or a hurricane. We say, that's terrible; but life goes on pretty much the same. I don't say, Look, I'm going to cancel my daughter's wedding this weekend because they had an earthquake in South America. Can't get married here because they had an earthquake. It's terrible, it's tragic; but life goes on relatively unaffected, doesn't it. I take it will be probably be going on that way in the Tribulation. There will be parts of the world that are less affected by these awful judgments, and are recovering from certain judgments and life gets back to normal on a normal keel. And just like the message of Christ is being preached today in light of His coming at the Rapture, the world's too busy. They've got things to worry about--I'm climbing the ladder in my job. I'm worried about buying a new house, furnishing a house, buying a car, getting a good retirement package put together. I have more to do than be worried about someone telling me the end of the world is coming. This is that same kind of indifference going on in the world in those 7 years leading up to the coming of Christ. Sinful people are still uninterested in what God has to say about coming judgment and salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. And they'll be caught unexpectedly. They won't be expecting the coming of Jesus Christ.

So an example in verses 40 and 41, and an example, which has often been misunderstood. "Then there shall 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." These verses are often taken to refer to the Rapture of the Church. And doesn't it sound like the Rapture? One will be bodily caught up to meet Jesus Christ in the air, and here you have two men and two women together and "ZAP!" One of them is gone, just like the Rapture. Well, not just like the Rapture--what's the context of Matthew 24? Everything in Matthew 24 happens after the Rapture. What has been the immediate analogy? The days of Noah. What happened in the days of Noah? The flood came; the judgment came, and swept away the unbelievers. Who was left behind after the judgment? The family of Noah, 8 believers. So what's the point here of verses 40 and 41? The one taken is the one taken away in judgment. The one left is like Noah and his family. Noah and his family were left to repopulate the earth now after the judgment. The one taken here will be left to populate the earth during the kingdom of Jesus Christ. So the one taken is taken in judgment. We've seen this already in Matthew. Go back to Matthew 13.

Matthew chapter 13, verse 41, interpreting some parables that Christ gave. Matthew 13:41: "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom . . ." and note those that are gathered out of His kingdom. "All stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Down to verse 49. "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." So the wicked will be removed on this occasion to be destroyed in judgment, and the righteous will be left to go on into the kingdom that Christ will establish. So verses 40 and 41 have nothing to do with the Rapture. They are about 7 years after the Rapture, and those being taken are taken in judgment. Those who are left are those privileged to go into the Millennia] Kingdom that Christ will establish.

So again, the context both the overall context of Matthew 24 and the immediate context of the judgment of Noah, and those being taken away in the flood. Now I should note in case you do some detailed study on this, in verse 39 the flood came and took them all away, then in verse 40 one will be taken, those are two different words for 'take,' or 'taken.' Different words. But to me, the point is still the same and in spite of what some commentators say, the word 'taken' in verses 40 and 41 is sometimes used of judgment. In fact it will be used of Christ Himself when He is taken away to judgment leading up to the crucifixion. So sometimes we get on word plays here that really don't have as much to do with the interpretation as they sound like when you read about them.

Alright. The application of this, verse 42, and I just want to highlight the closing verses of this chapter because details of judgment will be dealt with more specifically in chapter 25. Look at some of the highlights here. Verse 42, "Therefore," -- here's the application of what I've been saying -- "be ready for My coming." Christ says, "That's the application." "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." That's the point. He started out this section with there'll be signs, and believers will recognize those signs and know the coming of the Lord is near. But be on the alert, you don't know when it will be. And then the example of the thief.

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into." He'd have been on the alert. That makes sense! You don't get a letter from the thief saying "I'm going to break into your house at 12:15 tonight! You'd be ready for him. A thief comes unexpectedly. That's the point of the analogy of the thief. It's used a number of times of Christ's coming--l Thessalonians 5, Christ will come as a thief; Gal. 3, Behold I come as a thief; Revelation 16, 1 come as a thief. Reminder, His coming will be unexpectedly.

Now these are within the framework of the Second Coming to earth, but you ought to note, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 3 Christ speaks to the Church regarding His coming at the Rapture and says He'll come as a thief, unexpectedly So when you talk about the coming of Christ, both at the Rapture and at His Second Coming, a characteristic of that coming is it will be unexpectedly. Now believers are not to be caught off guard. We are to be the ones who are on the alert, expecting His return even though I don't know the exact time.

Verse 44, "For this reason you too be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." So for the Jews in the Tribulation, you won't know exactly when He's coming although you will know it's got to be soon, be ready at any time. That point would be the same for the Church in Revelation 3:3. I don't know when Christ is coming at the Rapture, but I'm to be expecting it at any time. So that means I expect Christ to be coming today but I've made plans. And that's similar--you may have family coming to visit you, or guests. They say, "We'll be there the week of . . . but I can't tell you the exact date because we have some things to do on the way." What do you do? You go around and get the house all straightened up and get everything ready, but then you go about your daily activities. You don't usually just go sit in the living room on Monday morning and wait until Saturday night. You've got everything ready; whenever they come you're expecting them. But you go about your activity. That's the way we are as believers. Everything in order, everything prepared. My life arranged in submission to the Spirit expecting Christ as if He were coming today. But I've got my activities laid out. If He doesn't come today I've got plans for tomorrow. If He doesn't come tomorrow, I've got plans for the next day. But if He comes today I'm not going to say, 'Oh my, what are You doing here?' If your company comes on Tuesday, you don't open the door and say 'Oh my, No! I wasn't expecting you!' Didn't you get our letter? Yes, but I thought maybe you'd really come Saturday. Sometimes we as believers live that way. Oh yes, the Lord's coming; He's coming at any time, but I really don't think it'll be today. Well, be careful, the time you don't expect Him is the time He's coming. That's the warning for those Jews in the Tribulation, and that's the reminder to us as believers.

Is your life arranged the way you'd want it to be if you knew for sure Christ was coming this afternoon, this evening, tomorrow morning? Is that the way I'm going to live my life? Fine. I'm expecting. If He comes today, that's just fine. I'm doing today what I plan to do, whether He comes or He doesn't. Some people might say, 'Boy if I knew He was coming today I'd do some things differently.' You'd better do them differently, right now! Because He says I'm to be living in light of that fact that He may be coming today! So why should it be a surprise? Say, 'Oh, I'm glad you came today. I had some plans for this week but I was hoping you'd get here today. Been expecting you.' That's being on the alert.

Now verses 45 to 51 He wants to show, if you are alert, if you are ready for His coming, the characteristic of your life will be faithfulness. Now I want you to measure yourself by this. Measure yourself by this. Christ says those who are ready, those who are alert, will be living lives as faithfulness. Sometimes we profess to be ready, we profess to be looking for His coming, but all you have to do is look at the quality and character of my life. Does faithfulness characterize me in my walk with God? That's the true mark of alertness and readiness.

Verse 45. "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?" It was a pattern in biblical times that when a master was going to go on a long trip--and trips obviously weren't as easy as today--so the master could be gone for days or weeks or even months. He would put a trusted slave in charge of the affairs of the household while he was gone. So this has happened. "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions." When Christ returns, those who are found to be faithful to Him, believers who have trusted Him and are living their lives faithful to Him because they have trusted Him, they will be rewarded. They'll be put in charge. I take it that's part of the blessing. Part of the reward is ruling with Christ in His kingdom. This will come out in chapter 25 as well.

But on the other side, verse 48: "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and shall cut him in pieces and assign him, a place with the hypocrites, weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth." Now the slave here does not refer to a believer who loses his salvation. The context of the framework here, all Israel is a slave of God. Even though not every Israelite is a believer, the nation Israel is viewed as the servant of God. That's the prime picture here, although you could broaden it and say all mankind is under the sovereign rule of God. But the focal point here would be for the nation Israel. They are all as a nation viewed as the servants or slaves of God. So what you have here are the believers within the nation and the unbelievers. And the unbelievers live with disregard concerning the coming of Christ, whereas the true believer lives his life expecting the coming of Christ and doing those things he would do in light of the fact he expects Christ to come and evaluate him at any time. The unbeliever? He lives his life with disregard. He's got more important things to do. He's caught up in the things of this life, the enjoyments of this life, the pleasures of this life. When Christ comes that wicked slave will be destroyed. He'll be caught unaware.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in chapter 5, "We are not in darkness that we should be overtaken as a thief," so the coming of the Lord will be as a thief in the night. But believers are not to be caught unaware or unexpectedly.

This expression at the end of verse 51, "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," is used consistently in Matthew's Gospel to refer to judgment on the wicked at the Second Corning of Christ to prevent them from going into His kingdom. We'll see this as we get to chapter 25. It's used that way in chapters 8, 13, 22, and again in chapter 25. The wicked will be destroyed and there will be awful agony as they recognize and understand that they have made an eternal error, if you will. Their disregards to the warnings of God have eternal consequences, and they are cast into eternal destruction.

Some principles here that have been established by Christ. #1, He is coming again but that the Father only knows the time. In the Tribulation there will be indicators, but only the Father knows the time. Believers are to be alert and ready for the coming of Christ at any time. For us in the Church, our alertness is in connection with the coming at the Rapture, not the Second Coming to earth. But the characteristics of believers of all ages and all dispensations are to be alertness, a readiness for the coming of Christ. The question, then, is relatively simple--Are you ready for His coming? That's the first question. The way you get ready is you trust Him. I recognize I deserve judgment I deserve condemnation. I want to stop in the hustle and bustle of my life and recognize that I need Jesus Christ. He's the One who died for me. Have you trusted Him? If you have trusted Him, is your life characterized by faithfulness? You proclaim 'Yes, I believe in Him; I'm looking for Him," what's the testimony of your life? You look at your life. Look at your family. What has been the impact of your testimony with your family? I'm concerned about our children. Do our children raised in our homes see that the priority of my life is Jesus Christ and His coming? Is the way I live, the major concern of my life, is that Jesus Christ is coming again and I want to be ready at any time? I think perhaps sometimes our children grow up in our Christian homes relatively indifferent to the message of Christ because they see a relatively indifferent lifestyle in the part of us parents. That hasn't been what consumed us. They know I don't live today expecting Jesus Christ. They don't see faithfulness to the Word of God and submission to the Spirit of God being the character of my life. Is it any wonder they grow up rather indifferent to the Word of God? They see that my life testifies to something different than I say.

Do I really believe Christ is coming? Do you really believe He could come today? Does that give you a sense of urgency, concern for family whether they be your children or your parents, neighbors, and friends? Sometimes we believers say we believe the Lord could come at any time but we're rather indifferent, if we really believe that, in our concern for those around us who do not know Him, who will be left for awful judgment and condemnation, should Christ come today. There ought to be urgency. Is it any wonder Christ says those who are really believing in Him and living expecting Him will have a lifestyle that's different than the world? A focal point of life, a drive in life that will mark us off as distinct and different? Have you trusted Jesus Christ? If He comes today will you go to be with Him or will you be left to face judgment? Is faithfulness the characteristic of your life that indeed testifies that you are a person who is ready and alert for His coming?