The Glorious Appearing
When Shall These Things Be?
Matthew 24:3
Matthew 24:3
We are seeking to see how Jesus answered the three questions asked by the disciples there in verse 3.
First we looked at
1. The Period of His Appearing
He said, “No one knows the day or the hour wherein the Son of Man comes.” Not even the angels know. It is not known in the supernatural realm. It is not known in the natural realm. He said, no man knows. Only God knows.
Then we thought about
2. The Patience for His Appearing
He told us to watch and to wait and to be alert for His coming.
Tonight we are going to look at
3. The Picture of His Appearing
Matthew 24:37-39
This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. It will be like the days of Noah. Now obviously that raises the question, what were the days of Noah like?
That is important to know, because if we study the days of Noah then we can know something about the season that will usher in the coming of the Lord.
It seems to me, that in particular, when Jesus talks about the days of Noah He is answering the last question asked in verse 3.
What will be the end of the age? How will the “age” end? Now whether they knew it or not, they were asking about the end of the church age. They are about to initiate a brand new era in world history. It was completely unknown by the Old Testament prophets. Satan certainly didn’t anticipate it.
But the church is about to be sent out into the world, armed with the indwelling Holy Spirit and the message of a resurrected Savior and for at least two thousand years the church will be active and at work in the world.
But at the end of that age, it will be like the days of Noah. Now the most obvious thing that we learn from Noah is some were safely taken out of the flood and others weren’t.
Far too many commentators get all tangled up in the part about eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage and miss the obvious.
The most obvious thing about the coming of the Son of Man and the end of the age and all of that is that Noah and his family was delivered from the judgment and those who weren’t on the ark were destroyed by it.
It’s rather interesting that the very next thing Jesus says after saying the coming of the Son of Man will be like the days in which the flood came is two working and one disappearing.
Verses 40-44
What’s He doing? He’s illustrating his illustration.
In other words, He says, Here’s what the 2nd coming is going to be like. It’s going to be just like when Noah build the ark, and the days of Noah were like two men working in a field and suddenly one was gone. It’s like two women grinding at a mill and one suddenly disappearing.
Therefore, be ready because you don’t know when all this is going to happen because that’s when I’m returning: when you least expect it.
Now that’s the picture. It will be like the days of Noah. Now, no doubt there are specifics of the day s of Noah that help us know what to expect.
For instance, the days of Noah were days of
- Spiritual Decline
There were three primary spiritual indicators of the day.
Genesis 6:3, 4-7
First of all, it was a time of indifference.
As Noah began to prepare the ark, he also preached the word of God and that was his work fo r 120 years.
But people were indifferent to his cry. People were indifferent to his preaching. People paid no attention, they didn't listen. In that span of time there would have been three or four generations of people. People were indifferent to his message that a flood was coming.
Does that sound like today? Are we living in a time of indifference? I believe we are. Now there are many being saved but when you compare the number of people hearing the gospel, responding to the gospel to the number who is indifferent to the gospel you have to believe that it is a time of indifference.
It was also, not only a time of indifference, but also a time of ignorance. In fact, it was willful ignorance.
Matthew 24:39
Does that sound like today? Think about how much biblical information is available today. Now I realize there is a lot of junk out there, but the truth is available. All the Bibles and books and broadcasts that are out there.
And yet millions of people are followers of false Christs. Allah is a false Christ. Buddha is a false Christ. Mohammad is a false Christ.
So you see they are ignorant of the truth.
A time of indifference; at time of ignorance, and then it was a time of immorality.
Genesis 6:5
Everything they did was evil; every thought was evil.
Now this was before TV and the internet and magazines and all that we have today.
Obviously, if there’s was a day of immorality, certainly ours is also.
So theirs was a time of spiritual decline, marked by indifference, ignorance and immorality, the days of Noah.
Then there were days of
- Social Defilement
Genesis 6:11-13
Does that sound like our time “corrupt and full of violence? Think about all the violence all over the earth.
Yesterday we reflected on the anniversary of 9/11 which initiated the war against terrorism. Why do we have to wage a war against terrorism? Because of the threat of terrorism!
These are people who had declared war on the entire world, on anyone, anywhere, anytime who do not agree with them. The earth is full of violence.
But He also talks about corruption.
What kind of corruption did they have?
Matthew 24:39
An emphasis on earthly pleasures
“eating and drinking” There is nothing wrong with eating and drinking. All of us have to do that to exist on this earth. But when eating and drinking becomes the primary reason you live, then something is wrong.
It seems to me the emphasis is on partying and pleasures rather than necessities of life.
Then He references marrying and giving in marriage.
Back in Genesis 6:5 there is a reference to the “Sons of God and the daughters of men bearing children, so obviously there is a supernatural event in the days of Noah. But it doesn’t end there.
Think about the perversion in our day of marriage and giving in marriage. I think part of the sin of the day was casual divorce and remarriage. It was no longer any big deal to throw away the marriage vows and grab someone else.
Then the single greatest sin of the day after abortion is homosexuality, and it is now homosexual marriage that is being glorified by the democrats in their official party platform.
Can you imagine that we are living in a day when an official party platform and the sitting president himself would openly support the marriage of two men or two women? If that want make you change your party affiliation, I don’t know what it will take.
I changed mine years ago when I got worried that I might have a car wreck and be knocked unconscious. I didn’t want someone going through my billfold and seeing that voter registration card with democrat on it and thinking I might support the thing democrats believe and endorse.
I think the corruption of Noah’s day included lawlessness and crime.
Much of our tax money is spent on prisons. We have to imprison ourselves to be safe.
The earth was filled with violence. And we could go on and on talking about the social dilemma of the day.
But you get the idea.
No doubt, the days of Noah were days of spiritual decline and social defilement, but they were also days of
-
Saving Declaration
Genesis 6:8
I like that phrase, but Noah found grace in the sight of God.
God prepared a way out for Noah and his family, and he didn’t bring judgment on the earth until they were safe. And that’s still true today. As it was in the days of Noah, Jesus said.
And you can mark it down big and put it down plain: tribulation is not coming on this earth until the church is safely in the ark with Jesus.
By the way, that raises an interesting question. Could others have been saved in the days of Noah? I don’t know. There is really no indication of Noah preaching a salvation message to anyone. He may have, but we are not told that he did.
Scripture seems to indicate that God knew it would only be Noah and his family who were saved.
6:12-14, 18
7:1, 7
In II Peter 2:5 we read, “if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others.
So I don’t know about Noah and whether or not others could have been saved from the flood, but I do know about us. In the meantime, we are to be salt and light and witness for the Lord, and seek to get others in the ark with us.
God gave to Noah a saving declaration.
Then the days of Noah were days of
- Sudden Deliverance
Remember the illustration of the illustration in Matthew 24:40-41?
Those are rapture references and the rapture is characterized by separation. There will be two in the field, one taken and the other left. Two in the bed one taken and the other left. Two grinding, one taken, the other left.
This describes a separation between the lost and the saved, the righteous and the evil, just as it was in the days of Noah. Those at the rapture who will be taken are those who love Christ or who are saved and born again. And those who are not will be left behind to go through the great tribulation.
Here’s something else about the days of Noah. They were day sof
- Sorrowful Destruction
Genesis 6:7, 13
7:4, 18-23
That hardly needs any explanation, and Jesus says, just like it was then it’s going to be again at the end of the age.
So we have the Period, the
4. The Preparation for His Appearing
Matthew 24:42-44
Now Jesus has an incredible gift for stating the obvious to make a point. He makes it so clear He doesn't want anybody to miss the point.
Isn't that obvious if you knew the time the thief was coming you would have been prepared and not let the thief break into your house. Maybe you would have double locked it. Maybe you would have bought an alarm system. Maybe you would have been standing at the door with a shotgun!
But if you had known exactly what time the thief was coming you would have been ready. That just makes all kinds of sense, doesn’t it?
Well here’s the $64 question. If it makes sense in that context to be ready, doesn’t it make sense for us to be ready for the Lord’s return also?
That’s Jesus’ point. Live every moment as though that were the moment when Jesus is coming. Since you don't know the day and the hour, then treat every day and every hour as though that is the day and that is the hour. Because just like you don't know when a thief is coming and may break in, you don't know when I am coming, Jesus said.
That’s why He said, “Watch! Be ready!” To keep watch is like a sentry in the military. They are on point. They are not to go to sleep at their post. Be aware, be ready.
So how do you prepare?
1. If you’re not saved, get saved.
2 Corinthians 6:2 – Today is the day of salvation
2. If you are saved, keep your life clean and
you sins confessed.
Revelation 16;15 - Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
3. As a Christian, keep busy serving
1 John 2:28 - And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
Let’s pray
