GET READY – STAY READY
AND YOU SHALL BE MY DISCIPLES – Lesson #39
Await My Return
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
“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.
“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.” Matthew 24:42-44
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
These are some to the most dire and clearest warnings given by Jesus about His Return and the necessity of our readiness. Pay close attention and do what He says or be left behind!
The context of these words start in
Matthew 24: 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;
33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
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.
First, some literary housekeeping: There are various discussions and debates about the supposed complexity and intricacies of these verses.
Some theologians say these verses lead one to believe there will be “two Second Comings of Jesus” – which is utter nonsense. Believe it or not, Jesus can do more than one thing at a time!
Others wrestle with the wording of the metaphor in verse 32 which says, “you will know when summer is near” and a seeming contradiction found in verse 42 which says “you do not know which day your Lord is coming”. This too is nonsense. Clearly, it reads that you will know the “season” but not “the exact day”.
Some “theologians” wrestle with the idea of Jesus being compared to a “thief in the night”. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 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 not have allowed his house to be broken into.” Once again, this is nonsense. These are two separate statements, connected only by sequence of events.
#1 – “be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” is a stand-alone statement of fact.
#2 – “the thief” is a warning and a direct reference to the breaking of the 6th Seal, The Great Tribulation and the Wrath of the Lamb, which will seem like a “thief breaking into your home, stealing your goods and harming you and your family”.
The wording of our focus verses (Matthew 24:32-44) is made clear when you and read these verses in context of the preceding verses in Matthew 24:29-31.
v29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and 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.
31 “And He will 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.
IMPORTANT: Verse 29 says “But immediately after the tribulation of those days“ which is a reference to the beginning of the tribulation period, also known as the “Days of Distress”. This period is described by Jesus in Matthew 24 verses 3 through 28.
They are also found in Revelation 6:1-11 and are named the “Seals” of the tribulation. Seal ONE through Seal FIVE have already been opened or are being opened and are ongoing events, all of which began sometime between AD 1 and AD 90. NOTE: The 6th Seal will mark the beginning of the a period, known variously as “The Day of Wrath”, “The End of Days”, “The Wrath of the Lamb” and “The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord”.
If you read our focus verses in Matthew 24 in the context of the entire chapter you will see why this is such an important warning.
AN ONGOING ALERT
Jesus words, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” take on a new and urgent meaning when you realize we are on the verge of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Seal 6).
The ALERT mentioned in Matthew 24:42 is an ongoing ALERT! We must stay ever vigilant and ready for Jesus’ return.
Finally, and just before the opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal, two important events must occur:
1. The Great Apostasy (A rebellion, an abandonment of God’s revelation.) https://www.gotquestions.org/great-apostasy.html
2. The revealing of the anti-Christ
These events are likened to a thief breaking into your home at night and robbing you, destroying your home and harming you and your family.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
These events could occur at any moment. You and I must be ready in a moment’s notice in “a blink of the eye”. We must stay on alert if we are to escape this calamity, keep our homes and family safe, and join Jesus when “He will 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.”
Now, it is your turn:
HOW MUST YOU DO IT?
HOW MUST YOU TEACH IT?
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young