“Therefore stay awake…Blessed is
that servant whom his master will find so doing…” Jesus in Matthew
24:42, 46
Just recently, my wife and I stood on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where Jesus stood when He gave the Olivet Discourse. There He answered the disciples’ questions about His “coming and the end of the age” (24:3). We looked down upon the location where the temple once stood remembering Jesus’ prophecy that the temple will be destroyed (see 24:2). Instead of the “wonderful stones” and the “wonderful buildings” of the temple from Jesus’ day (Mark 13:1), what one sees today is part of a foundational wall and the gold crown of the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim shrine.
Prudent Bible scholars do not attempt to predict a date for His return based on 24:36, 42, and 44. This leaves much speculation and uncertainty regarding His precise return. As confusing and unsatisfying as this is to those who love His appearing (see 2 Timothy 4:8), there is divine wisdom in this vagueness surrounding His return. For if we knew the exact date of His return, would we not be tempted to eat, drink and be merry? Would our selfish human nature not tempt us toward the evil slave (24:48) and to bury His talent in the ground (25:25), only to get sober and engage in His business in the final hour? But since no one knows (24:36) the final hour, we must live as if THIS is the final hour.
"We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never
heard of the first." (Oswald
J. Smith, www.historymakers.info)
“None of us has a long time here on planet Earth. Its kind of a staging ground. It’s our split second in eternity when we
have an opportunity to invest our lives, our time, our talent and our treasure
to help fulfill what our Lord came into this world to do and commissioned us to
do. In fact, His last words before He
ascended to be with the Father were: ‘Be My witnesses.’” (Bill Bright, “A Life
Well-Lived,” a special edition of Worldwide
Challenge magazine)Just recently, my wife and I stood on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where Jesus stood when He gave the Olivet Discourse. There He answered the disciples’ questions about His “coming and the end of the age” (24:3). We looked down upon the location where the temple once stood remembering Jesus’ prophecy that the temple will be destroyed (see 24:2). Instead of the “wonderful stones” and the “wonderful buildings” of the temple from Jesus’ day (Mark 13:1), what one sees today is part of a foundational wall and the gold crown of the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim shrine.
Even though among scholars they are many interpretive
differences to the End Times, which have led to many in-house debates (and too
many divisions), there is a pool of truths in the Olivet Discourse that most
Bible scholars can agree on.
These truths are 1) that before Christ returns believers on
earth will go through a terrible tribulation (24:9-13;
21-24). 2) The gospel
will be preached throughout the whole world before He comes
(24:14). 3) The return of Christ will be visible and obvious to all the tribes of the earth (24:30-31). 4) There will be a
rapture (24:31? See 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 5) We do not know the day nor the hour of His return (24:36,
42, 44), 6) therefore we should stay awake and keep
working until the very end (24:42, 45-46, 25:13). 7) And when Christ comes He
will judge all the people of earth
(25:14-46).Prudent Bible scholars do not attempt to predict a date for His return based on 24:36, 42, and 44. This leaves much speculation and uncertainty regarding His precise return. As confusing and unsatisfying as this is to those who love His appearing (see 2 Timothy 4:8), there is divine wisdom in this vagueness surrounding His return. For if we knew the exact date of His return, would we not be tempted to eat, drink and be merry? Would our selfish human nature not tempt us toward the evil slave (24:48) and to bury His talent in the ground (25:25), only to get sober and engage in His business in the final hour? But since no one knows (24:36) the final hour, we must live as if THIS is the final hour.
Likewise it is equally wrong to see His return as so imminent
that we piously cease working, as the Thessalonians did (see 2 Thessalonians
3:6-15). Every generation has people
who believe they are the last generation.
Even Eve may have believed her first born would be the seed that would
crush the serpents head (see Genesis 4:1, cf. 3:15); even though Christ was
still centuries away. Likewise, we
must not live as if the work is over and then head to the fields and wait for
His return. Rather let us labor continually
as if the Master will be away a long time (25:19;
see also 24:48, 25:5).
Every day we should ascend the highest hill and scan the
horizon for any sign of our Master returning.
Yet we should not linger there long but return to our duties of feeding
and caring for the Master’s household (24:45) and
ministering to the least of these (25:40). What is vague and unknown also causes us
to stay awake (24:42), have our lamps full of
oil, not knowing for sure when the bridegroom (25:6) will
return. Oh, the brilliance of God’s divine
plan!
Unfortunately most Christians today are more interested in
reading books or watching movies about the End Times than they are interested
in working and preaching the gospel to all nations
(24:14). Worse yet, many Christians
ignore the tender branches of the fig tree
(v. 24:32)and are living life with no sense of urgency, just like in the days of Noah (24:37).
What our Lord wants us to know about the End Times is to stay watchful, persevere
and work while it is still day (see John 9:4), so we can hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your
master”, (25:21,23). For we
will spend forever with the Lord. But we
have only a short time to proclaim Christ.
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| The view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives nearly 2000 years after Jesus from the same mountain looked down upon Jerusalem. |
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