THE END TIMES (THINGS I KNOW)
MATTHEW 24:35-39
MATTHEW 24:35-39 NKJ
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
There are so many great Bible subjects. Some of the most fascinating and alarming are those that deal with the end of the age. Additionally, this subject may be the one I am weakest in.
Here is what I do know.
I know that Jesus' words are eternal. Even more eternal than the current earth and heavens we are familiar with. It's hard to fathom, but one day God will actually create a new heavens and new earth. In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter speaks to the earth and the heavens burning away with fervent heat. Which certainly adds a new twist on global warming.
I know that Jesus will come back for His people, and no one knows when that will be. So everyone who claims to know is mistaken. A man wrote a book years ago called 88 Reasons Why the Lord Is Coming Back in 1988. Obviously, it didn't happen, but church was full the Sunday he predicted.
I know that Jesus' coming will not be during a traumatic world event. People will be eating, drinking, marrying, and going about everyday life. This is like the days of Noah. Everything was normal until it started raining. Paul would later say that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. So evidently, it will be a surprise. A big surprise.
And I know when the times of tribulation come on the earth, I don't want to be here. I believe, different from I know, I believe Jesus will get us out before it gets really bad. Just as God delivered Lot and his family before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. So the Lord descends with a trumpet, and the dead in Christ rise, and the believers on the earth are caught up in the air to meet the Lord. So, my belief is called pre-tribulation. Meaning this event, the Lord coming back for His people, will happen before the great tribulation. The trumpet blows, and we goes.
So, what if I am wrong about the tribulation? Then I will still trust that the Lord knows how to deliver His people, and He will help us, not abandon us.
Application
Whether I am right or wrong with the timing, the Lord will return. Stay ready!
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for Your word that never passes away. And I know You are coming again. Help us be ready.