Mathew 24:36-41
36 “But of that day
and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the
Father alone. 37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the
days of Noah. 38 “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, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took
them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 “Then there will
be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 “Two women will
be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
THE TIME OF CHRIST’S RETURN IS UNKNOWN: One of the most
arrogant things a person can do is to make a prediction concerning the time of
Christ’s return. Jesus tells His
disciples that only the Father knows when that event will take place. He specifically says that neither the angels
nor the Son have been told the time of Christ’s return. If God has not revealed this information to
the Son it is highly arrogant to claim to have received a revelation from the
Father that was not given to the Son. It
is not or job to try to predict when Christ will return. Our job is to obey the Word of God and advance
the kingdom of God until He returns.
THE WAY OF CHRIST’S RETURN IS UNEXPECTED: The flood hit the
earth at a time that was unexpected.
There was no reason for the flood to be unexpected. Noah had warned the people of the coming
judgment, but there had never been a flood or even rain before this time. The people decided to ignore the warnings and
just go on eating and drinking like normal.
Once the flood hit, it was too late.
The return of Christ will be similar.
Believers all around the world warn their friends and neighbors that
Christ will return to judge and rule the earth.
Most of the time we are treated as fools for believing what they call a
myth. People’s unbelief will not prevent
the event from taking place. Just like
the flood, the return of Christ will happen.
We are called to continue to warn others of this day no matter how they
might respond. Some will believe. Most will call us fools. Some will get angry. How people respond to us is not our
responsibility.
THE RESULT OF CHRIST’S RETURN IS UNDERSTOOD: When Christ
returns it will be like the judgment in the days of Noah in that there will be
many people removed from the earth.
However, it will be different from the days of Noah in that there will
be two men in a field, or two women grinding at the mill but only one will be
taken. In Noah’s day, almost everyone
was taken away while only Noah and his family were saved. This passage is often used to describe the
rapture of the church when believers will be caught up into heaven while
unbelievers remain on earth during a time of great tribulation. However, it is far more likely that this
passage is refereeing to the second coming of Christ where the unbelievers will
be taken away in judgment, they will be killed and only believers will remain
on earth to shine in the kingdom of God.
APPLICATION: Don’t try to make predictions or be distracted
by other who try to predict the coming of Christ. Only the Father knows this date. Prepare for the return of Christ and help
others to prepare for His coming by trusting the work He did on the cross
during His first coming. Rest assured
that the Lord Jesus will return and judge those who have rejected Him and reign
over and with those who have placed their faith in Him.
Comments
Post a Comment