Matthew 24:34-3534Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:34‑35). But, alas! it is the same perverse, unbelieving generation, as perverse as ever. In the days of Christ’s sojourn on earth, they stumbled over Him; but when He comes, He will fall upon them, and grind them to powder. (Matt. 19:44). Between these two points all the present interval has come in, but Israel, distinct from the nations, is unbelieving Israel still, and will so remain till all these things be fulfilled. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” All shall be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:36-4136But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Matthew 24:36‑41). Signs may show it is near, but the time of His coming is hidden. Faith depends upon it, and expects Him, but this faith may be so small that it is said, “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-87And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7‑8)). Patience must be exercised amid the sufferings of that time, for of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. With all Israel’s dates and signs, the exact time of the Son of Man’s coming is not known on earth. How much less could anyone presume to say when the Lord will come for the church, where neither dates nor signs are given?
“The wise shall understand,” and wait with expectant hearts, but the wicked will make it a time like the days of Noe – eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not till the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. But discrimination will be shown, and no righteous will be carried away with the wicked. Judgment will take the wicked one away, and leave the other one in the field; or those working together at the mill, one shall be taken and the other left. There can be no hiding from Him then. When the Lord comes for His church, all His own will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Christless professors will be left behind to perish with everlasting torments (2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:10-127And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9)
10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12)). It is just the opposite, at Christ’s coming for His saints: the good are taken, the wicked left. At His coming to the earth as Son of Man, the wicked are gathered out; the just are left to possess the kingdom. (See Matt. 13:41-42,49-5041The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41‑42)
49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49‑50)).
Matthew 24:42-4442Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:42‑44). Here is an exhortation to the believers of that time, warning them to be ready for the sudden appearing of their Messiah as the Son of Man from heaven. There is great temptation to yield to Satan in the hope of getting an easier path. Many of them shall fall, but “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:10,1-310Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10)
1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:1‑3)).
Matthew 24:45-4745Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. (Matthew 24:45‑47). The Lord speaks now to the heart of His servants, that they might wisely and faithfully feed His flock (Acts 20:2828Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)), a work precious to Him who loved and gave Himself for His church; and still loves them, even unto the end. All the service of Christ is precious to Him, but this is not so much gospel work which is sometimes allowed to displace Christ and the church because of its importance, but here we are reminded how the Lord desires the wise and faithful servant to give to His household food in due season, putting us in mind of that word in Luke 10:3535And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (Luke 10:35): “And whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” And here, “Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord, when He comes, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that He shall make Him ruler over all His goods.” He wears our names upon His breast (Ex. 28:2929And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. (Exodus 28:29)).
Matthew 24:48-5148But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:48‑51). There are evil servants also, who know not the character of the Master they profess to serve, who are not waiting for the Lord; their hearts say, my Lord delayeth His coming. They assume authority that belongs to Christ, and abuse their fellow-servants; they eat and drink with the drunken, that is, have fellowship with the world that are such. Such servants get the doom of the hypocrite, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This would apply to the profession as a whole, describing the kingdom. The professing church has settled down into the world, follows its ways and customs, and is unfaithful to Christ. There are faithful individual servants who will be rewarded, but this is brought out in the next two parables.
(Continued from page 214).
(To be continued).