"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." - Matthew 24:44
“God only knows.” It was an expression that my nana used to love to use when she didn’t know what the outcome would be of a particular event or circumstance. “God only knows.” The Beach Boys even made a hit single with the same title. “God only knows what I’d be without you.” Loved that one. But…it turns out that my nana and the Beach Boys were absolutely right.
How many different books have you seen or heard about being sold on the end times? How about movies? Can you say “Left Behind?” It’s an endless stream, isn’t it? Add how many theories exist on the who, what, where, and when. The Rapture? The seven years of tribulation? The theories and speculations on the end times can be a bit overwhelming. A simple Google search tells me there are four major theories – (below taken directly from Google’s reply) - although there are some that extend that to as many as 8 different theories.
-Dispensational Premillennialism: Teaches a structured sequence of events leading to the return of Christ, involving a seven-year tribulation before the establishment of His Kingdom.
-Historic Premillennialism: Suggests Christ will return before a literal millennium, emphasizing the church's endurance alongside the world.
-Postmillennialism: Anticipates Christ's return after a golden age of peace and righteousness, with the church reigning alongside Him.
-Amillennialism: Rejects the idea of a literal thousand-year reign of Christ, viewing the current age as a form of the millennium, with Christ's reign occurring spiritually.
But here is perhaps the second most important question. What does it matter?
There is one other, most important question when we get down to it. What did Jesus have to say about His return? What were His teachings to His disciples – to us? By watching for signs - have we missed the most important message? A forest for the trees thing. The disciples, too, seemed eager to find out from Jesus when He would return. After all, Jesus had already told them that He would be executed and would be raised again. Do you think this didn’t raise a lot of questions in their hearts and minds? Jesus was quite clear about what we ought to conclude from the teaching when He tells the disciples:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." - Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32
What Is the Olivet Discourse?
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” - Matthew 24:42
The Olivet Discourse is a rather significant teaching of Jesus. Taught on the Mount of Olives, it is one of Jesus’ longest teachings – second only to the Sermon on the Mount. Yet one that is controversial and often “misunderstood” – or at least interpreted in any number of ways. The teaching is covered in the three “synoptic” gospels – Matthew 24 and 25; Mark 13:1-37; and Luke 21:5-36.
The sermon comprises Jesus’ answers to questions from the disciples following their admiration of the temple, and Jesus telling them that the temple would be destroyed, not one stone left on another. (Matthew 24:2) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.
“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”- Matthew 24:3
The question itself leaves it unclear today whether everything Jesus had to say applied to the end times or to the destruction of the temple and then the end times. But when it comes right down to it, none of that really matters—even to Jesus. By my count, five different times in the two chapters of Matthew known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus was specific—God only knows, but you are to stay on your toes and keep watch!
Explaining the End-Time Parables of Jesus
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.” - Luke 21:34-35
Jesus loved to teach in parables, and the Olivet Discourse was certainly no exception—in fact, He used two specific parables to deliver His point.
The owner of the house leaves his servants in charge. (Mark 13:34-36)
Jesus compares His return to a man who goes away on a trip and leaves his servants in charge – giving each a task, and tells the one at the door to “keep watch.”
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
While in today’s terms “ten virgins” is challenging to understand, it would not have been in Jesus’ day, as it simply would be ten young women waiting for the wedding celebration. Yet, five of them were entirely unprepared for the arrival of the bridegroom and had left oil out of their lamps. By the time they ran out to get some, it was too late. They had lost their chance to be part of the banquet and festivities.
‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The end times can be very complicated, but Jesus’ teaching was crystal clear: We must always be ready and watch for Him.
"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." - Matthew 24:44
What Does Jesus Tell Us to Do While We Wait for His Return?
“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” - Luke 21:36
In 2 Peter, the apostle communicates to us what most assuredly was a teaching of Jesus. Peter reminds us that …the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” Peter goes on to explain that since everything will be destroyed – we “ought to live holy and godly lives.” (2 Peter 3:10-11) The following are instructions Jesus delivered in the form of parables:
Three servants and their bags of gold. (Matthew 25:14-30)
A wealthy man goes on a journey and trusts his riches to three of his servants. Each one receives a different gift and is expected to act accordingly. The first two – with five bags and three bags – invest the gold and generate a return for the man. They hear “Well done good and faithful servant.” The third - with one single bag – does absolutely nothing with it. He hides it and goes about his life. The man is incensed, and the servant is rendered subject to judgment.
And this leads us to the fourth parable, which gives us the why of salvation:
The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.” Judgement Day. A day that we, as disciples of Christ, will not need fear. But there will be a dividing line – those who saw Him hungry, thirsty, and in need of clothes and invited Him in, and those who did nothing.
Salvation in eternity is not the only goal of our faith in Jesus. Eternal life begins right now, this very moment. Our true objectives ought to be to live holy and godly lives and live out the righteousness that God intends for us. It is not simply so that we step into heaven when we pass from this life into eternity. It is not “as long as we believe.” How we live our lives here matters.
Jesus has told us what we need to do. He gave us the work and the tools, but what is He seeing when He looks at our lives? Whether it’s time, talent, or treasure, have we invested what He has given us—or buried it? Or have we invested it – but for ourselves and not for Him?
What should we be doing with our lives? It is our life, soul, decisions, and everyday behavior that ought to align with the faith we profess. We are to be prepared like the virgins with the oil, rather than those without.
What would happen – what would you think – if in the next few moments, we heard a great roar and knew it was the moment of Christ’s return? If you heard the “trumpets” and you knew, deep in your heart, you knew. They were yelling, “The bridegroom is here! The bridegroom is here!” Would you scream out in joy in celebration? Would joy fill your heart, as they say in the song? Or would you regret that there was no oil in your lamp? Would you realize that you had focused your life in the wrong direction? Would you realize you had been blinded by greed and far too consumed by self? Maybe neglected the poor.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." - Matthew 24:35
What Does Apekdechomai Mean?
Remember Christmas as a kid, when we eagerly awaited the day? There is a word in the Bible that describes that feeling—apekdechomai. It means to know it’s coming, to expect it fully, and to be incredibly excited about it.
The Apostle Paul uses this word when he talks about the return of Christ. When he talks about the end of all things, he expresses it this way: Apekdechomai!!
"Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you (apekdechomai) eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed." - 1 Corinthians 1:7
"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait (apekdechomai) eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies." - Romans 8:23
"For through the Spirit we (apekdechomai) eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope." - Galatians 5:5
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we (apekdechomai) eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…" - Philippians 3:20
May the Lord help us as we apekdechomai His return.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Jeremy Perkins
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.
