Matthew 24:42 “Watch therefore: for ye knownot what hour your Lord doth come.”
Jesus’ followers in the first century were very eager for the endto come. As we will see, some of them did conclude that the end was imminent, coming right away. Their view needed to be corrected. But it certainly is not bad forChristians, then or now, to believe sincerely that the foretold end must be treated as close and to live daily with that awareness.
In answering his disciples’ question about “the sign” of hispresence, Jesus warned what is found in our featured text. Such alertness should have affected their actions, for Christ added: “And take heedto yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come uponyou unawares.For as asnare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may beaccounted worthy to escape all these thingsthat shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man..”—Luke 21:34-36.
Note that Jesus gave this advice just after outlining events that would make up “the sign.” So the apostles were alerted to the fact that certain things had to develop historically before the end. Nonetheless, a few weeks later, they asked the resurrectedJesus: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?And he said unto them, It is not foryou to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power..”—Acts 1:6, 7.
We can see from this that Jesus’ closest followers were so anxious for the end to come quickly that theyoverlooked what he had recently told themabout physical evidences that had to develop during his kingship prior to that end.
We find another indication of their eagerness in the apostle Paul’s letters to Thessalonian Christians. About 50 A.D. he wrote:” But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night….Therefor e let usnot sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober..” (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2, 6) Some of those spirit-anointed Christians took that tomean that Jesus’ day (day for executing thewicked) was coming right then, immediately.
But not so. In fact, Paul wrote them in a second letter: “Now webeseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering togetherunto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that theday of Christ is at hand.Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, exceptthere come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;.”—2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.
This did not mean that they could be casual about Jesus’ kingship and the end of the world. With each passing year, Jesus’ warning became ever more poignant: “Watchtherefore: for ye knownot what hour your Lord doth come.”.”
Thus, about five yearsafter writing Second Thessalonians, Paul wrote: “ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: fornow is our salvation nearer than when we believed.The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:11, 12) After five more years, Paul advised Hebrew Christians: “’ For ye have need of patience,that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he thatshall come will come, and will not tarry.” (Hebrews 10:36, 37) Then, in the penultimate verse of Revelation, the apostleJohn wrote: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”Revelation 22:20.
Unquestionably, a Christian way back then was not being unreasonable to feel that the end could come in his lifetime. And if through accident or natural processes, he should die before the end, he would have lived with the valid sense of urgency that Jesus and the inspired Scriptures generated.
All of this is even moreapplicable to us, at thelate hour in which we live. Paraphrasing Paul’s words, we cannot deny that ‘now our salvation is nearerthan at the time when the early Christians became believers and even than when we ourselves became believers. The night is well along; the day certainly has drawn near.’
We have been able to see in history , the physical evidence piling mountain high, evidence that proves that we are near the end. . Rather than be preoccupied with guessing just when theend will occur, we should be occupied with spreading the gospel which can save our lives and the lives of many others.—1 Timothy 4:16.
We have ample reasons to expect thatall this will be completed in our time. Does that mean beforethe turn of a new month, a new year, a new decade, a new century? No human knows, for Jesus said that ‘even the angels of the heavens’ did not know that. (Matthew 24:36) Furthermore, we do not need to know as we continue doing what the Lord commands us to concentrate on doing. What is most importantis that God’s will and work be done and thatwe have the fullest share in that. Thus we “escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man..”—Luke 21:36.
I can not speak for you , but I am ready!,,,Come, Lord Jesus , COME!
Jesus’ followers in the first century were very eager for the endto come. As we will see, some of them did conclude that the end was imminent, coming right away. Their view needed to be corrected. But it certainly is not bad forChristians, then or now, to believe sincerely that the foretold end must be treated as close and to live daily with that awareness.
In answering his disciples’ question about “the sign” of hispresence, Jesus warned what is found in our featured text. Such alertness should have affected their actions, for Christ added: “And take heedto yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come uponyou unawares.For as asnare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may beaccounted worthy to escape all these thingsthat shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man..”—Luke 21:34-36.
Note that Jesus gave this advice just after outlining events that would make up “the sign.” So the apostles were alerted to the fact that certain things had to develop historically before the end. Nonetheless, a few weeks later, they asked the resurrectedJesus: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?And he said unto them, It is not foryou to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power..”—Acts 1:6, 7.
We can see from this that Jesus’ closest followers were so anxious for the end to come quickly that theyoverlooked what he had recently told themabout physical evidences that had to develop during his kingship prior to that end.
We find another indication of their eagerness in the apostle Paul’s letters to Thessalonian Christians. About 50 A.D. he wrote:” But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night….Therefor e let usnot sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober..” (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2, 6) Some of those spirit-anointed Christians took that tomean that Jesus’ day (day for executing thewicked) was coming right then, immediately.
But not so. In fact, Paul wrote them in a second letter: “Now webeseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering togetherunto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that theday of Christ is at hand.Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, exceptthere come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;.”—2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.
This did not mean that they could be casual about Jesus’ kingship and the end of the world. With each passing year, Jesus’ warning became ever more poignant: “Watchtherefore: for ye knownot what hour your Lord doth come.”.”
Thus, about five yearsafter writing Second Thessalonians, Paul wrote: “ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: fornow is our salvation nearer than when we believed.The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:11, 12) After five more years, Paul advised Hebrew Christians: “’ For ye have need of patience,that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he thatshall come will come, and will not tarry.” (Hebrews 10:36, 37) Then, in the penultimate verse of Revelation, the apostleJohn wrote: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”Revelation 22:20.
Unquestionably, a Christian way back then was not being unreasonable to feel that the end could come in his lifetime. And if through accident or natural processes, he should die before the end, he would have lived with the valid sense of urgency that Jesus and the inspired Scriptures generated.
All of this is even moreapplicable to us, at thelate hour in which we live. Paraphrasing Paul’s words, we cannot deny that ‘now our salvation is nearerthan at the time when the early Christians became believers and even than when we ourselves became believers. The night is well along; the day certainly has drawn near.’
We have been able to see in history , the physical evidence piling mountain high, evidence that proves that we are near the end. . Rather than be preoccupied with guessing just when theend will occur, we should be occupied with spreading the gospel which can save our lives and the lives of many others.—1 Timothy 4:16.
We have ample reasons to expect thatall this will be completed in our time. Does that mean beforethe turn of a new month, a new year, a new decade, a new century? No human knows, for Jesus said that ‘even the angels of the heavens’ did not know that. (Matthew 24:36) Furthermore, we do not need to know as we continue doing what the Lord commands us to concentrate on doing. What is most importantis that God’s will and work be done and thatwe have the fullest share in that. Thus we “escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man..”—Luke 21:36.
I can not speak for you , but I am ready!,,,Come, Lord Jesus , COME!
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