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Matthew 24:36–51 (ESV) No One Knows That Day and Hour 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating
and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then
two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what
day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore
you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper
time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if
that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come
on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The suddenness
of Christ’s second coming, along with His promise that faithfulness will be richly rewarded, moves us to watch eagerly for Jesus. Sadly, many Christians today seem to have lost their expectation of Christ’s imminent return. Countless sins and vices
follow. Christians who are found faithful when called home will be unbelievably privileged: they will share in Christ’s everlasting reign! I pray: Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Come, save us from this dying world, and lead
us into Your everlasting kingdom, where we shall reign with You. Amen.[1]
Matthew 24:32–35 (ESV) The Lesson of the Fig Tree 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you
know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away. Jesus again reminds us that there will be constant and unmistakable signs that the end is near. For those who reject Jesus and the Gospel, the reminder
that He is standing at the gate is a threat of judgment and condemnation. However, believers in Christ may be encouraged when reminded that Jesus is near, for they know that this means their salvation is drawing near. I pray: “O Thou Long-expected, weary Waits my anxious soul for Thee.… O my Savior, O my Savior, When wilt Thou return to me?” Amen.[1]
Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV) The Coming of the Son of Man 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then
will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels
with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Jesus describes the manner (though not the exact
time) of His second coming. He will come in glory on the clouds of heaven as your Savior. Rejoice! For all Christians will unfailingly be gathered to reunite with their fellow believers and enter the Lord’s presence. I pray: “O Jesus Christ, do not delay, But hasten our salvation; … Come, mighty judge, and set us free From death and ev’ry evil.” Amen.[1]
Matthew 24:15–28 (ESV) The Abomination of Desolation 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee
to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And
alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation,
such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs
and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If
they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever
the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. While prophesying concerning Jerusalem’s destruction, Jesus again warns His disciples against being deceived
by false messiahs. During crises, people instinctively seek spiritual aid. In such times, God’s people are tempted to join those fleeing to charlatans and the false hopes they offer. Christ’s return in glory will be unmistakable. In an instant,
He will raise the dead, transform believers into His likeness, and so effect our final deliverance. I pray: You have revealed to us the manner of Your
return, O Lord. Therefore, keep us watchful for You so we do not follow those who seek to deceive us. Amen.[1]
Matthew 24:3–14 (ESV) Signs of the End of the Age 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For
many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “Then
they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And
many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And
this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Jesus prophesies about things leading up to the end of the world. Today, stories of military conflicts,
political intrigues, and natural disasters continue to fill the news. All this should remind us of the nearness of the end of this age. In that we may rejoice! Though the world is indeed increasingly evil and hostile to God, Christians are ever nearer the
great day of Christ’s return. I pray: Keep us faithful in a world spinning out of control, Lord Jesus, that in the end, we may receive the salvation You are even now preparing for us. Amen.[1]
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