The Last Coming of Christ!

Matthew 24:36-51

Perhaps no passages of Scripture have been as misinterpreted and misapplied as those of Matthew 24 and the parallel accounts found in Mark 13 and Luke 21.  The misinterpretation of these passages basically centers around what Jesus was referring to when He said the end would come and He would come to end it. The end He was coming to accomplish wasn't the end of the world -- but a judgment-type coming to end the old world order of the old covenant.

In an alarming reaction to Jesus' declaring that the Temple would be totally destroyed, the disciples urgently asked: "When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" The disciples had one concern, and their questions revolved around one single issue: the fact that their own generation would witness the close of the Old Testament era and the coming of the new age promised by the prophets. All they wanted to know was when it would come, and what signs should they look for in order to be fully prepared.

Jesus responded by giving the disciples not one, but seven signs that would indicate the end of the Jewish age, the end of the Temple, the sacrificial system, the covenant nation of Israel, and the last remnants of the Old Testament order of things. These seven signs as Jesus set forth in Mt 24:1-34, was the subject of our last study time together.

In this study, we will look at the Last or Final Coming of Christ. I use the terms last or final, rather than the Second Coming of Christ in order to delineate from the numerous ways in which Jesus is said to come in the Scriptures, e.g. coming in the Theophanies of the OT, coming in judgment, coming in the Holy Spirit, coming to the Father, coming at Bethlehem, etc. In our previous study of Mt 24:1-34, we considered how three major thoughts unfold from these scripture references:

1. False Expectations of the End -- 24:4-13
2. Firm Observations of the End -- 24:14-15
3. Final Devastation at the End -- 24:21-34

 IV. Future Culmination and the Eternal Ages -- Mt. 24:36-51

In these verses, Jesus is answering His disciples question concerning the final end of human history. How would He have His followers view the end of human history and the inauguration of the Eternal Ages? How shall we today view the end of the world that will usher in the Eternal state? Some would say, "Like T.S. Eliot, who wrote, 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper?'" By this Eliot meant that the world sort of  "oozes" away in moral rot and material pollution. Shall we view it with a spirit of fearfulness of what's coming, or with gleefulness in that the wicked are going to finally get what's coming to them? Should it be eat drink and be merry for tomorrow the world may end at any moment? How then shall we think of the future culmination of history and the Eternal Ages?

A. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming as a Time After a Great Future Harvest -- Mt. 24:32-35

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

The illustration of the fig tree has two points of promise:

1. The Budding Fig Tree is Sure Proof of Coming Destruction of the Old Order (OT).

The "fig tree" (v. 32) does not refer to the nation Israel (some argue that the budding of the tree refers to the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948). Jesus said, "Learn a parable from the fig-tree." What He is means is, "These signs which I have given you will be as infallible a proof of the approaching destruction of the Temple, the old world order, or old covenant, and the Jewish state, as the budding of the fig tree is a proof of the coming of summer."

2. The Budding Fig Tree is a Sure Promise of the Coming Fruition of the New Order (NT).

The promise of the fig tree parable is that the best, not the worst is ahead! There will always be periods of awful tribulation, but the Great Tribulation is past, the abomination of desolation, or Antichrist, and the Roman Beast is history. The old world order is obsolete and the new world order of the kingdom of God is present now and growing extensively.

Summer has come in my understanding of Biblical eschatology. My confidence is not based upon things getting better, or intelligent men fixing everything, but upon the successful labors of Christ at His First Advent; upon the power of the gospel of God; and upon the present ministry of the Holy Spirit in His empowering the People of God with the Word of God, so they are expecting to see the ever-increasing victories of the kingdom of God as it grows more and more.

D.A. Carson notes: "The apostle Paul states in the eleventh chapter of Romans that the fall of the Jews was a blessing to the rest of the world (Roms 11:11-15). He speaks of it as the enriching of the Gentiles and the reconciling of the world. The catastrophe of Jerusalem really signalized the beginning of a new and world-wide kingdom, marking the full separation of the Christian Church from legalistic Judaism. The whole system of worship, so closely associated with Jerusalem and the Temple, received, as it were, a death blow from God himself. God was now through with the Old Covenant made at Sinai: holding full sway was the sign of the New Covenant."

The Last Coming of Christ will occur at that juncture in redemptive history when Jesus gets up from His throne in heaven at the Father's right hand in complete satisfaction, not in total disgust, for what His kingdom people have accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Big Story of the Gospel throughout the ages of history. When He leaves His throne, it is not to make His enemies his enemies his footstool, it is because they have already been conquered by the glorious gospel, either by way of conversion or by judgment, and disciples have been made of all people groups on the face of the earth!

B. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming as Being a Sudden and Sign-less Event -- Mt 24:36:

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

Dr. Ken Gentry says, "In Matthew 24:36 we come upon an subject-matter transition device: “But of that day and hour no one knows.” The introductory phrase here in the Greek is: "peri de" (“but of, concerning, regarding”). This grammatical structure suggests a transition in the passage involving a change of subject. We may see this phrase frequently marking off new material, as in Matthew 22:31; Acts 21:25; 1 Thess 4:9; and 5:1.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul uses "peri de" which is translated, "now concerning" several times to indicate a change of subjects. For example in 1 Cors 7:1, "Now concerning (peri de) the things which you wrote..." 1 Cors 7:25, "Now concerning (peri de) virgins..." 1 Cors 8:1, "Now concerning (peri de) things sacrificed to idols..." 1 Cors 12:1,"Now concerning (peri de)  spiritual gifts..."

Dr. R.T. France notes that verse 36, “marks a deliberate change of subject.” Thus, in Matthew 24:36 "peri de" reaches back to the disciples’ second question of the two that were raised in Mt 24:3. Having dealt with their first question in vv 4–35, he now returns to consider their second one. By this structuring of the passage we see that v 36 introduces new material differing from vv 4–35. At this point he moves away from his AD 70 prophecy and begins speaking of his second or last advent at the “end of the age,” which he will cover in 24:36–25:46.

The Last Coming of Christ will be unsuspected, unpredictable and unforeseen. Remember, all those signs in Matthew 24:1-35 are not about Christ’s Last Coming, but of His coming in judgment upon apostate Israel in 70AD.

After Matthew 24:34, Jesus drops all mention of signs and predictability. Instead he includes statements emphasizing absolute surprise and total unpredictability:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (24:36)
“they did not understand” (24:39)
“you do not know” (24:42)
“if the head of the house had known” (24:43)
“coming at an hour when you do not think He will” (24:44)
“he does not expect him” (24:50)
“you do not know” (25:13)

This indicates that Mt 24:36-25:46 involves an event that is coming at an altogether unknown and indeterminable time. He is no longer speaking of the destruction of the temple in AD 70, but his last or second coming in the distant future.

C. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming by Seeing Ourselves as Subjects of the Kingdom who know the King's Return will be Totally Unexpected -- Mt.24:36-44

The Lord delights in not returning when so many of His people are arguing that he will -- 24:39, "As the days of Noah were...." These were days of relative peace and prosperity. Days of business as usual.

Pastor Sam Storms asks, "Did Jesus provide any information at all of what the last days would be like?" Yes. He does describe some of the features of that time.

"There will NOT BE unprecedented global catastrophes, unparalleled calamities, that will point people to the impending return of Jesus. Rather, humanity will be immersed in the routine affairs of life. It will be like it was in the days of Noah. The world will be caught completely off-guard by the coming of Christ. People will be engaged in normal, routine occupations of life: farming, fellowship, marriage, etc.(Cf. Luke 17:28-30; 1 Thess. 5:3.)

"Jesus will come at a time of widespread indifference, normalcy, materialistic endeavors, when everyone is thoroughly involved in the pursuit of their earthly affairs and ambitions. His coming will occur at a time so unexpected, so unannounced, that it will catch people in the middle of their everyday routines. When will Jesus come? Jesus will come at a time when his coming is the farthest thing from people's minds!

D. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming as a Time When Our Lives will Stand Alone -- Mt. 24:40-41:

"Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left." This is not about one being raptured and another left behind. It is about final and eternal distinction between the saved and the lost.

On the day of Christ's Last Coming, it will not matter who you are with, what you are doing, or what neighborhood or whose home you are in, or what country you're in, all persons will be divided into two groups: those who truly know Christ and those who don't know Him. It doesn't matter what your parents believed or whom you are married to, or what church you attend -- your life will stand alone -- either In Christ or Outside Christ.

E. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming by Seeing Ourselves as Stewards in the Kingdom who Realize That We must Give an Account for Our Service -- Mt 24:45-51

In view of His last coming, Christ gives three parables to instruct His people on their attitudes and behavior until He comes: (1) the parable of the faithful and wicked servants (Mt. 24:45-51); (2)parable of the ten virgins, and (3) the parable of the talents. These parables are very important because they emphasize the importance of watchfulness and readiness the way Jesus expects us to exemplify in light of His last coming.

Remember the childhood game we probably all played called, "Hide and Seek.  There was a base and somebody was “it” and while "it" close their eyes, everyone else ran and hid and the game was sort of triggered when the person who was “it” said, “Here I come” – what’s the rest? – “ready or not.”  Well, that statement, if referred to the Lord Jesus Christ, has great and profound eschatological implications. And the text in Matthew 24:45-51 could be summed up by saying, "Here I come, ready or not” because that’s exactly what it teaches.  It is a text that deals, not with the imminence (likely to happen any moment), but with the suddenness and the unexpectedness of the coming of Christ.

After Jesus exhorts the disciples to "keep watch," to stay awake, he illustrates what he means. We stay alert not by artificially and perpetually stirring expectation that he will come at a given time, but by living, working, and serving as kingdom men and women in such a manner that we would have no cause for shame if he did come at any time.

Theologian Oscar Cullmann said, “The Christian exists in a tension between what is already and what is not yet.” We have already experienced salvation; we have not yet experienced the fullness of salvation, that is, the redemption of our bodies.  We have already received the power of the Holy Spirit; we have not yet seen the fullness of that power in bringing us to full glory.  We have already received life eternal; we have not yet participated in the bodily resurrection.

And so we are in a sense caught between the already and the not yet, and we live in that tension.  Looking back to the cross, looking forward to the last coming of Christ.  Every believer, then, lives with a sense of what is already true and what is not yet come to pass.

This wicked servant, spoken of in Mt. 24:48-50, only gave intellectual assent to Christ and his Christianity was only superficial and external.  He was a servant or leader, but a false professor proven by his un-kingdom like actions -- beating others and partying with the drunkards. Apparently he fooled a lot of people for a long time, but the seeds of his apostasy came when he began to deny the final coming of Christ. What was the thing he gave up?  He gave up the conviction of the return of Christ. Many who claim to be teachers, ministers, elders and pastors have given up hope of the belief in a literal and bodily second or last advent of Christ.

The late controversial Bishop Pike, who was a minister in the Episcopal Church, gave up any belief in the return of Christ and stated that “only 24% of Episcopalians, by survey, believe it.

So we need awareness, alertness, readiness, and faithfulness. We need a continuous awareness that comes by living Coram Deo -- before the face of God.

F. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming by Seeing Ourselves as Spirit-filled Servants who must Make all the Necessary Preparations for a Long Delay before the Celebration -- 25:1-12.

We must Wait with Preparation Appropriate for Long Delay in Jesus’ Coming

Disciples should not lose heart if Jesus does not return as quickly as we expect him to. All the virgins would have been ready for the groom had he arrived when they expected, but grooms' delays were common enough that they should have anticipated it. This provides clear warning that the "parousia" may be delayed. The term used for the meeting or rendezvous with the bridegroom (meet, Mat_25:6) often suggested a party going out to meet someone and forming his escort to a place where he would be honored (as in 1Th_4:17).

Those unprepared for Christ's banquet insult him and warrant judgment. The wise virgins' unwillingness to share their oil reflects their concern for their friend's wedding; since they had only enough for their own torches, sharing would cause all the torches to be extinguished, ruining the whole procession. Bridal processions were so important that later rabbis even suspended their lectures so they could hail a passing bride; for the groom and (some held) for the attendants, weddings even took precedence over some ritual obligations, so a breach of etiquette was serious.

Thus the foolish virgins were not excluded simply because the door was locked (Mat 25:10-11), nor because the host actually did not recognize them (Mat 25:12), but because they had insulted the bride and groom as well as all their relatives! They would never be allowed to forget such an offense.

The simple and genuine meaning of the whole parable of the ten virgins is just this: it is not enough to have a lively zeal and hot-heart for a while. We must have in addition a perseverance that never gives up, gives out, or burns out.

G. We Should Think of the End and Christ's Coming by Seeing Ourselves as Servants Commissioned to Improve the Master's Assets -- Mt. 25:14-30

This is the second of two companion parables. The first is the parable of the five wise and five foolish young women.  The theme of that parable is to watch for the Lord’s coming.  The theme of this parable is to work while you watch and wait for His coming. The theme of the first is, Look for His Coming; the theme of the second is, Labor in His cause.  The parable of the young women may be interpreted from a salvation standpoint; the parable of the talents is a service parable.

During this entire age the Master, i.e., Jesus,  leaves all His goods to His servants for a long while. While Jesus is absent we find ourselves serving, not under His thumb, but always under His eye. He gives us great liberty in our on?the?job apprenticeship for doing ministry. What we do when we are alone reveals what we think of our Master!  We can be wise investors or wickedly non?involved. We can be enthusiastic workers are lazy shirkers. We can be daring excursionist or daily excusers. We can be movers and shakers or sitters and soakers ?? the lost man's bread or pew?potatoes, that sit, soak, and sour!

You see, every human being uses the capital that God gives him to make of himself either a minus, a zero, or a plus.  He is either a blight, a blank, or a blessing. And remember, these terms are assessed from God’s point of view, not man’s.

H. We Should Think of the End and His Coming by Seeing Ourselves as Sheep whose Lives are Unconsciously Being Transformed by the Power of Kingdom Life -- 25:31-46

Sheep do what comes natural to other sheep! A sure sign of being in God's flock is how I treat the other sheep! And a great deal of what we do comes unconsciously out of our new sheep nature! When the kingdom has come into our hearts in the presence of the King, we will be experiencing a continual interior renovation that releases kingdom life and love, and so amazes us that we are humbled and puzzled when anyone points out something we did for someone else.

Matthew 25:34-40, "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"

Eventually, ultimately, and finally, King Jesus will return literally, bodily, and visibly. When he returns at His Last Coming:

His Glory will be Fully Revealed -- Mt 25:31, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. "

His Government will be Finally Revered -- Mt 25:32, "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

His Grace will be Fruitfully Realized -- Rom 8:18-23, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."

When the King of Glory shows up at His Final Return, the last battle with worms, bugs, briers, salty seas and barren desert sands will be fought and the last pesticides bought -- for the curse of sin will be fully, finally, and forever removed and the desert shall blossom like a rose and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together.

When the King of Glory shows up at His Last Coming, there will be no more congressional hearings on aging, disability, or social security, because everyone will have Eternal Security. Sin and sickness will be gone forever, and the lame shall leap as the deer, and blind shall see, the sick will be made well and the dead in Christ raised in incorruptible, glorified bodies!

When the King of Glory shows up at His Last Coming, there is a new heaven and a new earth. It is the home of the righteous and the land of the sin-free. It is a land that is fairer than day and by faith I can see it afar! In this land there are no tears, sorrow, suffering, hate, pain, nor death. There are no energy shortages there because all the power comes from the S-O-N! The hillsides of this land will never be marred and scarred with battlefields, graveyards, hospitals, and nursing homes. The harmonious singing will have shifted from the minor, mournful keys to the Major keys of joy and triumph. The number one song in this new heaven and new earth is: "Salvation belongs to our Lord who sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb! Blessing and glory, and honor and power, and wisdom and strength, be unto our God forever and ever."

And with every ounce of my being, I cry out with the church militant on earth and the church triumphant in glory -- "Even so come Lord Jesus!"

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: "Alfred Noble, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in war than ever before, and he died a very rich man."

Actually it was Alfred's older brother who had died; a newspaper reporter had bungled the epitaph. But the account had a profound effect on Nobel. He decided he wanted to be known for something other than developing the means to kill people efficiently and for amassing a fortune in the process. So he initiated the Nobel Prize, the award for scientists and writers who foster peace.

Nobel said, "Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one."

God is giving us a chance to write our epitaph. If written now, what would yours say: (1) Weighed in the balances and found wanting. (2) I being of sound mind and judgment, spent all the capital given me for investment upon myself.  If Jesus were to interrupt history tomorrow with His personal return, would you be a wise servant or a lazy one; a wise investor or a wicked one; a wise servant or a foolish one?