Be Ready!

The important thing is not so much knowing how or when He shall appear, but to be ready when He comes.

Matthew 24:42 "Watch therefore"

Matthew 25:5, 10 "While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept ....
they that were ready went in .... and the door was shut."

Matthew 24:44 "Be ye also ready"

Mark 13:33-37 "Watch and pray"

Luke 12:40 "Be ye therefore ready also ..."

Luke 21:34 "take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be over charged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."

Luke 21:36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always"

1 Thessalonians 5:4, 6 "watch and be sober"

1 Peter 4:7 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

2 Peter 3:11, 14 "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be ... be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot,
and blameless."

Revelation 2:25 "hold fast"

Revelation 3:11 "hold that fast"

Revelation 16:15 "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments (righteousness)"

Conclusion: It is unlikely but possible that all the signs have been fulfilled that precede the return of Jesus. This position does justice to the warnings to be ready and the admonition to watch.

The warnings to be ready are real--for we don’t know if all the signs are fulfilled, and we should be ready. Just as one should wear a seatbelt in his car, even though he think an accident unlikely.

With every wave of circumstances, our expectations are intensified and our eagerness to be ready, even though we do not know if these times are the final times. Just as Hitler very much appeared to be the antichrist in his time.

But since it is unlikely that signs have been completely fulfilled, we should be watchful of signs so to have our expectation heightened, and understanding increased, so as to respond appropriately.

Could Christ come back at any time?

There is a tension between two sets of scriptures. Those that say that Christ’s coming will be sudden and unexpected, and those that speak of certain events that will happen before Christ returns.

A. Some verses predicting a sudden unexpected coming
Matthew 24:42-44Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But 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. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:50The 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,

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:34-37 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Luke 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
1 Thessalonians 5:2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

If there were no passages in the NT about signs that would precede Christ’s return, we would probably conclude from these that Jesus could come at any moment.

2 Peter 3:8-9 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

B Verses that speak of Signs that precede Christ’s Return

1. The preaching of the gospel to all nations

Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Matthew 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

2. The Great Tribulation
Mark 13:7-8 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Matthew 24:15-22 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Luke 21:20-24 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Mark 13:19-20 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

3. False prophets working signs and wonders
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:23-24Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

4. Signs in the heavens and earth
Mark 13:24-25But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Matthew 24:29-30Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Luke 21:25-27And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

5. The Coming of the AntiChrist
2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things

6. The Salvation of Israel
Romans 11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Romans 11:25-26 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

7. The Great Apostasy
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,

2 Timothy 3:1,2 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

How can we reconcile the passages that seem to warn us to be ready because Christ could come at any moment and those that say that certain important events must take place first. Several solutions have been proposed.

1. The signs have all been fulfilled so Christ could return at any moment. Possible , but the scriptures seem to point to events that are not fulfilled.

2. There are two separate returns of Christ. This is the pre trib rapture view, which says that Christ first comes to rapture the church, and then a time period goes by where other things occur and then Christ comes again in judgment. We will not look at the merits of this view in this study.

3.Christ couldn’t come at any time- But this view weakens the scriptures that speak that Christ’s return is imminent, and the warnings to keep watch. Also signs are supposed to increase our expectation for his return not weaken it.

4. My preferred way of looking at it is that it is unlikely but possible that the signs have already been fulfilled. I like this view because since we say it is possible, it keeps us on our toes to keep watching expectantly. But it is unlikely so we continue to watch for signs that will heighten our expectation.

We do not know Exactly when Christ will return

We do not know exactly when Christ will return.
"When shall these things be?" (Matthew 24:3)

A. Though it is not for us to know the day or the hour .....

Matthew 24:36,44; 25:13 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:32,33 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Luke 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Anyone who claims to know the specific day and hour that Jesus is returning is automatically to be considered wrong. Many cults have made predictions of specific dates for Christ’s return, and all of them have turned out to be wrong. Even those, professedly within the evangelical church, have brought great harm by insisting they knew the specific time of the return of Jesus. Don’t be fooled or deceived by such.

B .... we should be aware of the "times and seasons" and thereby know that His coming is near.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.


Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The Church should eagerly long for His return. Others should fear it

We continue our study of the return of Jesus. One thing we find is that though the church should eagerly long for the return of Christ, non believers don't have an expctation of this being a good thing.

The first time Jesus came for salvation (but the second time it will be to judge the nations)
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Matthew 25:32,41 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

2 Peter 3:6-7 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. NIV

Jude 14,15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Revelation 19:15,16 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

A. To believers this promise offers hope
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Phil 3:2020 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Cor 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord-a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

1 John 3:2,3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Our response should be the same as John’s: to eagerly long for the Lord’s return. The more Christians are caught up in this life, and the more they neglect personal fellowship with Jesus, the less they will long for His return. But those who are older, or being persecuted, or suffering or whose daily walk is deep, will have a more intense yearning for His return.

B. To the unsaved, however, it will be a time of great fear and disaster
Amos 5:18-19 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. 19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Revelation 6:12-17And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

On the above most evangelicals agree: That Christ will return bodily, that the final result of His return will be the judgment of unbelievers and the final reward of believers, and that eventually believers will live with Christ in a new heaven and earth for eternity.

But that said, there is disagreement over the specific details leading up to and following Christ's return. Specifically they differ over the nature of the millenium, the sequence of Christ’s return, the great tribulation period that will come upon the earth, and the salvation of the Jewish people.

It is important to note that evangelicals who all hold the Bible as inerrant, all can hold differing interpretations of various passages. These are items of secondary importance and should not be divisive to the body of Christ. Nevertheless, it is worth our time to study some of these questions in more detail.