Before
we start this morning I want to encourage everyone to read you Bible every day.
Pick a reading plan and do your best to stick with it. There are many different
options and even some you can have sent to your email on a daily basis. If you
are not sure where to start, you can go to Bible Gateway and select one of
their plans or search on Google and you can find more than a few options.
Last
week we ended talking about how when the Lord comes back it will not be in
secret, it will not be to a select group of people, and it will not be
disguised as someone else.
Matthew
24:27
“27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes
as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
When our Lord and Savior returns to this Earth it will
be a surprise, it will be sudden, it will be scary to many, but it will be
visible to everyone. There will be no missing it, and with that flash of light
the tribulation will be over.
Matthew 24:29
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days: The sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the
celestial powers will be shaken.”
Just
as spring follows winter the Son of Man will return as the tribulation draws to
a close. Roughly 3 ½ years after the desecration of the Third Jewish Temple,
Jesus will return. The rule of the antichrist will come to an end of the rule
of Jesus Christ will begin.
Isaiah
13:10
“Indeed, the stars of the
sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be dark when
it rises, and the moon will not shine.”
The sun, the moon, and
even all of the stars will no longer bring light to the Earth. In chapter 34
Isaiah says that the ‘heavenly bodies will dissolve’. People alive at the end
of the tribulation will be in for a major shock. The great ball of fire that we
depend on will no longer be giving heat. The ball of cheese will no longer be
reflecting light back at us, and all of the other stars, planets, moons, etc…
will no longer be visible.
Matthew 24:30-31
30 “Then the
sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the
earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four
winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
The Bible does not tell
us what the sign looks like, but picture this for a moment. The sign of the
Lord is presented to all which is followed by a loud trumpet. Reminds me of a
triumphant return of a King. If a king comes home after being triumphant in the
battle field, he would want everyone to know. His banner would be carried in
front of him and the trumpet would be played to call everyone to celebrate his
success.
Here we find the return
of the One True King and His true triumphant return. The sign lets everyone
know that He has come back and the trumpets call all of His loyal believers to
Him. After hell on earth it is time for the remnant and those who have been
serving Jesus to celebrate for their King has returned.
Daniel
7:13-14
“13 I continued
watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the
clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before
Him. 14 He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a
kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away,
and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”
and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”
The antichrist and his minions ruled during the tribulation
and now the One True King has returned and is in charge. His kingdom is coming
and it is time for all to submit.
Revelations 19:11-16
“11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is
called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on His head. He had a name written
that no one knows except Himself. 13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white
horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp sword came from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations
with it. He will
shepherd them with
an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of
God, the Almighty. 16 And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
These verses tell us that when Jesus comes back all will
know that He is the King of Kings and the Lords of Lords and that returns with
His army to declare judgement on the world.
Matthew 24:32-35
32 “Now learn
this parable from
the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know
that summer is near. 33 In the same
way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near—at the door! 34 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away
until all these things take place.35 Heaven and earth
will pass away, but
My words will never pass away.”
Jesus is trying to tie things up here a little and get
people to realize that when you see all the things we have talked about over
the last couple of weeks, Jesus is near. He is almost here. These signs, the
great tribulation, lead the way to the second coming of Jesus.
Some will say, but we have had great wars. But we have not
seen the famines, martyrdom, and the rest of the seals being opened. The great
tribulation has not started, so we are not there yet.
Verse 34 has been one that has been misunderstood
throughout history.
“34 I assure
you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take
place.”
Some
have taught that this meant that those who walked the earth with Jesus would
not die before the 2nd coming. Some believed that those who lived
through the World Wars would see the tribulation and the return of Jesus. But
that is not what this is saying. It is telling us that those who see the start
of the tribulation, witness the seals being opened, and the desecration of the
Jewish Temple. Those that witnessed these events will be the generation that
will see the return of Jesus.
Jesus
ended this section by stating that it will be easier for the heaven and earth
to be wiped away, than for these words He spoke to be false. In other words,
trust what He is teaching as nothing will stand in the way of these things
happening.
Matthew
24:36-41
36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one
knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only. 37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of
the Son of Man will be. 38 For in those days before the flood they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah
boarded the ark. 39 They didn’t know until the flood came and
swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will
be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one
will be taken and one left.”
Every
couple of years we hear of ‘supposed’ Bible teachers telling us that they know
when Christ is returning. Some of the statements I have heard have been pretty far
out there, saying it is tied to a passing comet, or some other crazy idea. Jesus
is telling us that even He does not know when the day or the hour will be. This
is the only time you will find in scripture that Jesus does not know something.
If Jesus does not know, not a single man, woman, or child will know before it
happens. Every last one of us, no matter how hard we look, no matter what we do,
we will not figure it out. The day and hour will come and we will be surprised
by it. The key is to be prepared so that we are not scared when it happens.
In
the days of Noah the people were lost, they were corrupt, and they were only
interested in pleasing themselves. Eating, drinking, marrying, and so much
more. A sinful life style was the norm.
Genesis
6:3
“And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind
forever, because they are
corrupt. Their days will be 120
years.””
Genesis 6:5-6
“5 When
the Lord saw that man’s
wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought
of was nothing but evil all the time, 6 the Lord regretted that He had
made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
Mankind
was wicked and even with the sign of Noah building the ark they had no clue
what was going to happen or desire to change. So will it be with the return of
Jesus. You will have two groups of people. Those who are watching for the
signs, not that they will know the exact timing, but they will see the
tribulation for what it is. The second group will be the wicked who have no
clue, just like those who did not see the building of the ark as a sign.
As
with many aspects of the End Times, the commentaries do not agree what the
meaning behind verses 40-41.
Matthew
24:40-41
“40 Then two men will be in the field: one will
be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one
will be taken and one left.”
First
remember that we are talking about the 2nd coming of Jesus not the
rapture or anything else here. One group will tell you that those who are
taken, are taken away to be judged and those that are left behind are those who
are saved. I am not sure I agree with this, as we were told just a few verses
back that the with the blowing of the trumpet that Jesus “will gather His elect from the four winds.”
That
being the case, those that are taken are the ones that have been true to Jesus
and are being gathered from the four winds. Those that are left will be caught
unaware and will be judged in the very near future.
Matthew
24:42-44
“42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know
what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known
what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed
alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why you also must be ready, because
the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Speaking
to those who are living through the tribulation, Jesus is reminding them to be
alert. He does not want them to let the false teachers lead them astray, He
does not want them to be distracted by the things of the world, or the trials
they are facing to sway them from staying true to Jesus. They need to stay
alert and keep watching and always be prepared for Jesus Second Coming. They
will see signs, but that will only let them know they are getting closer not
the exact time of His coming.
This
lesson is very important to each of us sitting here this morning. We do not
know when the rapture is going to hit and we do not know when we will take our
last breath. We need to stay alert, so that we do not get dragged away by the
world. We need to keep watch so that we do not fall away in sin. We need to
keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. Read your Bibles and talk to God.
God Bless,
Robert
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