Mark 13:28-31 "The Olivet Discourse: Parables of the End Times"

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Exciting Announcements this morning… I’m SO Excited that Dr. J.B. Hixson will be leading us for our first Prophecy Conference!

-Thank you Ed for teeing the Conference up!

I have one more exciting and… I think… special announcement to make today…

We planted Calvary Chapel Lake City in March 2020… a bit over 4 years ago… and I’ve been bi-vocational since.

While I have worked full-time for church and full-time with Youth For Christ… our hearts desire has been for me to be full-time only with Church.

This has been an on-going conversation with our Elders, and my wife and I for some time…

And a few months back I preached a sermon in Mark 10 on Blind Bartimaeus… who cast his cloak aside to come to Jesus.

The blind would lay out their cloak to collect alms for the poor… and he cast this aside… to rise and follow Jesus.

And, it stirred my heart that it was time for me to cast my cloak aside… to lay aside my financial safety net… to be entirely focused on what Jesus wants me to do for this ministry.

So, the time has come for me to be solely focused on our ministry here at Calvary Chapel Lake City.

With that… this past Tuesday… I resigned at Youth For Christ…

To end well… I will help them to transition in a healthy fashion… but hopefully that is only for this next month.

And, I want to be transparent… this is a step of faith.

This is a financial step of faith for my family personally.

And, a financial step of faith for our church.

The way our church is structured, I am blind to who gives financially… I have no idea if you give or if you do not… so that I can remain objective in ministry.

But, I know where we are overall financially.... and I want to lovingly challenge you to evaluate your giving.

Our tithes and offerings are a form or worship to God.

They are an act of obedience in His word… and a proof of our trust in Him.

Scripture says, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:6-7)

It’s beautiful that God gives us His thoughts on supporting ministry… He supports it… and promises the blessing of reaping bountifully for those who do so.

We rarely talk about tithing, and the Lord has been very faithful.

But, as we are taking a financial step of faith personally and as a church, I ask that you prayerfully consider taking a step of faith with us in your personal giving…

This is an exciting time for our church! Please be praying for the Lord to give us His vision and His will… to lead us by His Spirit in this next season…

… as we seek new ministry opportunities for you all presently here at church, and our outreach to the community and world.

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Well… with that let’s get into the word. Please turn in your Bibles to Mark 13… Mark 13:28-31 today.

Over the past four weeks, we have been looking at Jesus’ great teaching on End Times… The Olivet Discourse…

Which came on Wednesday of the Passover Week in Jerusalem… from the Mount of Olives… thus the “Olivet Discourse.”

Four of Jesus’ disciples asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

And, in our previous teachings we saw that Jesus answered these questions… telling them about the Time of Jacob (or Israel’s) Trouble…

Which is the same time prophesied of in Daniel 9… Daniel’s 70th Week which was “determined for his people (Jews), and for his holy city (Jerusalem).”

The New Testament refers to this as the Tribulation…

And, Jesus shared many general signs of the Tribulation… key of which is that still yet future time when Antichrist desecrates the Temple in Jerusalem… the Abomination of Desolation.

Which we know is yet future… because the Third Temple has not yet been rebuilt… but the Jews at the Temple Institute are… ready and waiting.

Last week, we looked at Jesus’ Second Coming… that glorious time immediately after the Seven Year Tribulation…

And, when Jesus concluded that teaching… he all but wrapped up answering the disciple’s questions about the sign of His coming at the end of the age.

Now… that Jesus has answered those questions… we see a shift in the Olivet Discourse… where Jesus then shares various parables and illustrations.

Which is reflected in our sermon title today “Parables of the End Times.”

And, the reason Jesus shares parables and illustrations is because this is the application section of His sermon.

He told them what the signs of the end times would be… and then the appropriate response.

Here’s the information… and here’s what you should do about it.

Which applies to us today as well… we are living in the last days… we can see the signs of the times in which we live…

So, there should be a response… we should feel a sense of urgency to share the truth of Jesus Christ… and to do so in love.

Well… Let’s pray… and then get into our passage today.

In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage today.

Mark 13:28-31 “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. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Praise God for His word, please be seated.

So, we come to the Parable of the Fig Tree…

We know this is a parable because V28 clearly quotes Jesus saying “Now learn this parable...”

And, a parable… by definition means “to throw beside”… parables place a spiritual truth next to a natural truth…

The natural truth of the parable is the Fig Tree and it illustrates the spiritual truth of discerning the times and watchfulness.

This is not a complex parable… though some people have over symbolized it’s meaning… or have applied this parable as a prophecy…

And it’s not a prophetic parable.

Last week we looked at one of Jesus’ illustrations in Matthew where He spoke symbolically of Jesus’ Second Coming… how it would be an obvious sign…

He spoke of His coming as lighting flashing from the east to the west… His coming would be visible and powerful…

And, Jesus said, “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

When we see birds of prey or carrion circling in the sky… we know they are either hunting or they spotted a carcass.

I used to bring my puppies inside if I saw them circling… because that behavior was an obvious sign to me…

I’ve seen it before… it’s familiar… I know how to interpret it…

I knew the signs… and Jesus used this illustration because the signs of His coming were equally obvious.

And, with the Parable of the Fig Tree… Jesus follows in suit.

Fig Trees were known in Israel, and when the fig tree put forth leaves… Jews knew what season it was… Spring.

In the Song of Solomon 2:11-13, the fig tree budding is illustrated quite beautifully. Solomon wrote, “For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. [After Winter comes Spring] 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell.”

Just like now… We have entered the season of Spring…

The time when you start cutting your grass… which I’ve done twice now…

If you haven’t cut your grass yet… you’re behind… it’s already long.

Maybe today’s your day…

This is our season when you see leaves and little buds on your apple tree… you know the season.

And, I’m so glad it’s Spring… aren’t you? It’s my favorite season… we can open our windows… and just let the breeze flow through… no need for heat or A/C… it’s just a lovely season.

And, as natural of a picture all that is for us… as much as that description of Spring is easy for us to understand… and resonates… so would this picture of the Fig Tree be for the Jews during the Tribulation.

So, Jesus uses the natural truth of the fig tree… again V18, “When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

And He lays that aside V29 “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!”

He is telling them to discern the times… not His disciples… but Jews during the Tribulation… which we will talk more about in a moment…

“When you see these things happening...” What things?

If we look back… Jesus just described the Tribulation and the deception present at that time… the celestial disturbances… the reactions of unbelieving men on earth…

When you see these things happening…

He foretold the Abomination of Desolation… where Antichrist would desecrate the Temple at the Mid-Point of the Tribulation…

Which is a major sign… hard to miss that one… because when you go to Israel today… there is NO temple…

On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem stands the Dome of the Rock and the Al Al-aqsa Mosque… but NO Temple…

And so… when a literal Temple is on the Temple Mount… and Anti-Christ desecrates it and sacrifices cease… they should discern the times…

When you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!”

What is near? And, what is “it” in V29?

New King James in V29 states “it is near” and if we take “it” to be understood as that which comes after the Abomination of Desolation, then “it” refers to the Great Tribulation…

And, what did Jesus warn in Mark 13:14?

“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,… “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Discern the times… when your Temple is being defiled by Antichrist and his unholy pig sacrifice… or whatever he will sacrifices…

And, when he erects an unholy image… an idol in the Temple and forces people to worship…

Ding, ding, ding… time to head for the hills.

Now… other Bible versions don’t render V29 as “know that it is near- at the doors!”

Rather they read “know that He is near- at the door!”

And, some Bible translations even capitalize “He”… referring to the Son of Man- Jesus Christ and His return.

And, I prefer this rendering because Luke 21:31 reads, “… when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”

Which is the event that Jesus ushers in upon His Second Coming.

So, with that… the reader would understand that when they see the Abomination of Desolation… and 3.5 more years of Great Tribulation, like the world has never seen before…

KNOW that He is near… right at the door… meaning an imminent event.

He Second Coming and Kingdom… and their redemption was near.

And, either way… Jesus is exhorting the Tribulation Jews… to discern the times… head for the hills when the Temple is desecrated…

And get your pull off calendar set with 1,260 days… because in 3.5 years… Jesus would literally return…

They would see Jesus coming in the clouds with great power and glory…

And, as Luke wrote, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Just as when they saw the fig tree budding knew summer was near…

… when they saw the events of the end times… they would “… know that the kingdom of God is near.”

And, we systematically study the Bible chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse so WE TOO… know the times and the seasons…

The Bible is our compass to know how to live in a morally corrupt world… and to know through prophecy… the times and seasons that we live in…

In these last days.

Then, in V30, Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

Unlike the Parable of the Fig Tree… this statement in V30 IS prophetic… AND often misunderstood.

Lot’s of views on this verse…

Preterists… who hold that all prophecy in the Bible is really history… see this verse as referring to the same generation of Jesus’ disciples… who would witness the fall of Israel and the Temple in 70 A.D.

But, THAT generation certainly did NOT see all the celestial disturbances Jesus also foretold in vv 24-27…

NOR did they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

And, when Jesus was talking directly to His disciples, He spoke differently to them…

He didn’t call them “this generation”…

He spoke more directly to them… like at the Transfiguration, Jesus said, “I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

So, we cannot be talking about the disciples generation OR 70 A.D....

A second view… looks at the parable of the fig tree symbolically…

Proponents of this view hold the fig tree is representative of Israel… and when she budding in 1948… becoming a nation again… that generation would see the Son of Man come in His Second Advent.

And, this view has gotten some well intentioned Christians in trouble with date setting.

They try to use OT verses to determine how long a generation is… is it 40 years because in Num 32:13 we read this of the generation of Israelites during the exodus…

“He [God] made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.”

Therefore, 1948 + 40 years = 1988 - 7 years for the Tribulation… 1981…

Some got themselves in trouble with their strong conviction that Jesus was coming to rapture His bride in 1981… obviously wrong.

Now… I remember the 80’s… I was young, but I lived through the 80’s…

Neon colours, Big hair, mullets, Boomboxes, Alf, the Cold War… and the Terminator…

I mean… it was a scary time, BUT it wasn’t the Tribulation…

So, some think… maybe a generation is 100 years…

Because God said to Abram Gen 15:13 “… your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” Then, in V16, “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

So, 1948 + 100 years - 7 years for the tribulation… Rapture in 2041… here we come!

Who wants to set a date with me?

I’m thinking October.

If someone starts talking like this, red flags should be going off in your head.

I’m not a fan of the symbolic view.

And, I’m not a fan of date setting…

A true date setter… Former NASA Engineer and Bible student, Edgar Whisenant, published “88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988.”

Obviously that didn’t happen either… nor did his 4 subsequent predictions and books for 1989, 1993, & 1994.

In Acts 1, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons...”

Biblical numerologist… Harold Camping… also wrong numerous times.

He had a book called 1994? Not the year.

And, he really pressed May 21, 2011… which truly WAS the end… of his career.

Harold Camping repented when he read V32 Jesus says “But of that day and hour no one knows...”

I’m also a bit leery of non-biblical doomsday predictions…

The Mayan Calendar ended on Dec, 12 2021… and there was NO Mayan Apocalypse…

Y2K… the Computer Apocalypse… we were warned, “Remember turn off your computer before midnight on 12/31/1999.”

And, nothing happened.

I say all of this to say to be discerning… a time is coming when Jesus will return…

But Jesus also warned against great deception in the last days…

Don’t empty your bank account… don’t be duped… don’t be ensnared by fear… and whatever you do… DON’T BUY THE BOOKS OF DATE SETTERS!

So, this brings us to a third view… which contextually seems to fit best.

Jesus… in the Olivet Discourse has been speaking about the future Tribulation time… and the generation living in THAT time… would see a literal Antichrist literally defiling a literal Temple....

And, THAT generation that sees those things will ALSO LITERALLY see Jesus… the Son of Man return.

The Church won’t view the Second Coming looking up from an earthly perspective… we will be following Him on horses in the clouds…

And… I appreciate the comfort that Jesus offers to the Tribulation saints… because Jesus says in V30 “… this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

I imagine a Jew or Gentile Tribulation Saint reading this during that time would be tremendously comforted.

With all the persecution and judgments poured out… they likely will think they won’t make it out of there alive.

That’s why it’s so important to hold onto God’s word… to read it… and hide it in your heart.

And, here Jesus said… “this generation will be no means pass away...”

The word “generation” can also be rendered as a “race or family” and we can weave that right into this view…

The Jewish race will by no means pass away… God will preserve His people… (Rev 12:6).

You can take Jesus’ word to the bank…

Just as Jesus said in V31, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Once again, Jesus’ words are NOT symbolic… they are literal.

After Jesus’ Second Coming and Millennial Reign… Heaven and earth will pass away.

Isa 51:6 “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

Peter says it will burn with fervent heat… and therefore there is an application for our lives…

Here’s what Peter says in 2 Pet 3:10-13 “But the day of the Lord [which is not a single day but the time from the Rapture to the Great White Throne Judgment… the day of the Lord… ] will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat [not a flood, but fire… God promised a worldwide flood would never happen again; Gen 9:11]; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Peter says that since we know heaven and earth will burn… how are you going to live?

Your life should reflect godliness and holiness… looking for Jesus’ return…

There’s wisdom living like Jesus could return at any moment.

Because He could… and even in not in your lifetime… a life of holiness and godliness… that’s a rich life…

I like the example Jesus’ brother James left for us…

Early church father Eusebius wrote this of James… “he was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people.”

James earned the nick-name “Old Camel Knees”… for the intense amount of time he spent communing with the Lord in prayer.

Not a wasted life.

Peter’s verse about the earth burning with fervent heat… is not only a good application for living Godly lives, but also is a good reminder that we’re not taking anything with us.

It’s all going to burn… Have you ever seen a U-haul behind a hearse?

I haven’t, but of course I found this picture online of a hearse pulling a U-haul.

I hope they’re just moving… because they’re not taking it with them.

All those Pharaohs being buried with their treasures. It’s pointless.

A good reminder for us to be open handed with our things in this lifetime… and to invest our blessings in kingdom work.

I love Jesus’ teaching in Matt 6:19-21 on not stock piling wealth… He said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

You can quickly identify the god of one’s life by peaking into their bank account…

If you love God, then there should be a financial investment in His kingdom.

Besides… it’s all going to burn anyways… or get stolen or break… so use your resources now to invest in kingdom work…

And, when you cheerfully give, and do it with the right motives… a financial step of faith stores up treasures in heaven.

Rewards at the Bema Seat of Christ.

All we see in heaven and earth will eventually pass away, but as Peter said, “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

It’s a promise in His word that after this world burns… there will be a new heavens and new earth… which are vividly described in Rev 21 & 22.

And, we can hold to this because it is according to His promise...

Jer 23:5-6 promises these days are coming, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Again, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The word of God will survive… it’s eternal. It will never pass away.

And, I can’t think of a better reason to be a Bible Teaching Church.

Declaring the “whole counsel of God”… not just an verse here and a verse there…

But all of it… from Gen to Rev, and repeat.

The word of God will last into Eternity… and we are teaching it to prepare you for Eternity… and Godly living now.

Peter said to Jesus, “You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68)

We shouldn’t look to the world for a life giving message…

Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (Jn 6:63)

So… know that my heart and my calling is to teach the word of God… “rightly diving the word of truth”… because it is eternal… and it is life.

There’s not much more important than the Eternal word of God…

Now… Mark concludes the parable section there, BUT… Matthew continues with several other parables… which is very interesting.

Both Mark and Luke… only share the Parable of the Fig tree… and then record the Jesus’ exhortation to watch.

And, who did they write to?

Mark wrote to Christians in Rome, and Luke wrote to a Gentile audience.

Whereas… Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience to prove to unbelieving Jews the Jesus was Messiah… and to encourage believing Jews.

And, Matthew concludes the Olivet Discourse with far greater detail… expanding the application section for the Jews with several additional parables.

Matthew illustrates the Days of Noah… then talks about the Two Servants (the faithful and wise servant vs the evil servant)… then share the Parable of the Ten Virgins… the Parable of the Talents… and shares the Judgement of the Gentiles (the Sheep/Goat Judgment).

Where Mark and Luke… who did NOT write to the Jews did not feel the need to include any of those parables or illustrations.

And, this just further reinforces that the Olivet Discourse is truly a teaching for the Jews during the Tribulation…

And, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew especially to include all this detail for his Jewish audience to prepare them for what to expect and what to do during the Tribulation… the time of Jacob’s Trouble…

Where Mark and Luke close out this teaching very quickly… exhorting their audiences to be aware and to watch.

Because for the church… for you and I… that is our role.

It’s important that we are aware of Eschatology… of teachings on End Times…

It’s important that we are watching and discerning the signs of the the times…

And, this should spur in us urgency to speak truth… to warn against deception… to preach hope… and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A day is coming when we will be out of here… and I’d like to see as many people saved before we go… so they can come with us.

I have an agenda… One more great revival… and then the rapture…

Who’s with me?

Before we close out today… let’s jump over to Matthew… go ahead and turn to Matthew 24.

Our sermon title today is “Parables of the End Times”… and in the Olivet Discourse, as we discussed there were several Parables… at least in Matthew’s Gospel.

And, I want to quickly look at Matt 24:36-44… the Illustration of the Days of Noah…

Which Jesus shares immediately following the Parable of the Fig Tree…

Some believe this is talking about the days in which we live today leading up to the rapture…

So, I’d like to point out a few things in these verses to help you see that this is really an illustration, NOT about the rapture… as many Christians have thought…

BUT is about the judgment that comes after the seven year tribulation… and Jesus’ Second Coming…

That same judgment the Jesus references at the end of Matthew 25… called the Judgment of the Nations or the Sheep / Goat Judgment.

So, let’s read Matt 24:36-44 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Jesus begins this illustration citing the days of Noah… a time of great wickedness… so great that God sent the flood…

As a comparison to the time immediately preceding the Son of Man.

The entirety of the Olivet Discourse has been about the Tribulation and Israel, so even logically it would not make sense for Jesus to now be talking about the rapture… an event prior to the Tribulation and exclusive for the church.

In V37… He is describing what will happen before the coming of the Son of Man.

And, while these last days are wicked… they are not wicked to the same degree as the time of the Tribulation…

Where Antichrist is ruling… and has established a global one world government and false religion…

… his false prophet will deceive the world to worship Antichrist…

There will be a massive effort to persecute Israel and tribulation believers during this time… beheading anyone who does not take the mark of the beast.

The world celebrates the deaths of the faithful… like the Two Witnesses…

They engage openly in slave trade… worship of materialism… and mourn the end of darkness…

And, there is a clear parallel to the days of Noah…

Right before the flood in Gen 6:5, we read “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." [continuous evil motivations]

In Gen 6:1 we read “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them...”

There was a massive population explosion at this time…

Answers In Genesis has an article that estimates the pre-flood population at 750 million people, but considering the longer life spans, they say that number could have been up to 4 billion people.

Today, the world population is over 8 billion people… and once a population begins growing… it’s difficult to stop the momentum…

It took from the flood until 1803 for the population to reach 1 billion,

Then only 124 years to reach 2 billion (1803-1927).

Then even less… only 33 years to reach 3 billion (1924-1960).

And since.... about every 12-15 years, the population grows by 1 billion.

So, during the tribulation who knows what the population will be… 9 billion?… 12 billion?

Population explosion.

In Gen 6:13 we read, “And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”

And, so God commanded Noah to build an Ark to preserve the righteous (Noah’s family) through the judgment…

Because… destruction of the wicked through judgment was coming.

And, in the tribulation faithful Israel will also be preserved through the tribulation.

Rev 12:6 “...the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God...”

And, for 3.5 years… through the Great Tribulation, God fed her there.

A type for the raptured church during this time comes before the flood… typed in Enoch (who Jude noted he prophesied, so was he a prophet?)…

Enoch walked God according to Gen 5:24 and then “he was not, for God took him.”

Heb 11:5 declares “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death...”

So, Enoch is a better picture of what happens with the church… who is not pictured in the flood… nor pictured in the Tribulation…

Continuing in Matt 24:38-39 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

And, so in the time leading up to judgment… people will be eating, drinking, marrying…

Which doesn’t necessarily mean life is normal and status quo… for this was a time of unparalleled judgment… the wrath of God was upon them…

But, normal functions of life are continuing…

And, just like when Noah went into the Ark… and just like at Jesus’ Second Coming…

People will continue these normal functions of life relatively oblivious to the impending judgement to come.

And, notice the words in V39… “… and did not know until the flood came and took them all away...”

Those who were taken away… those who were left behind… NOT preserved in the Ark… were taken in the flood… were taken in judgment…

And, during the Tribulation, all the wicked people will be taken away as well.

Some through the seal, trumpet, bowl judgments… and ULTIMATELY through the Sheep Goat Judgment.

There will be a total cleansing of the Earth.

And, just so there is no confusion… that the words in V39 “took them all away” means judgment and not the rapture…

This is confirmed when Jesus… just a few weeks prior… as He ministered in Perea… He taught about the Second Coming…

And, he used this exact illustration of the days of Noah…

Luke 17:26-27 reads, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Note those final three words “destroyed them all.”

This passage in Luke and the days of Noah passage in Matt 24:38-39 are almost identical.

And, what Jesus said in Matthew 24:39, that the “flood came and took them all away”…

Is clearly explained as judgment in Luke 17:27 “the flood came and destroyed them all.”

This is NOT the rapture… the Rapture is the blessed hope… the rapture is all about rescue for His faithful church…

Where the second coming judgment is for the wicked…

But, for faithful Israel God sent an Ark to preserve them… which is perhaps Petra during the Tribulation… we can’t say for sure.

Continuing in Matt 24:40-41 “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”

There’s been much confusion in this verse where some think the one taken is raptured and the one left is ‘left behind.’

As is the title of the famous series on the rapture… “Left Behind.”

Don’t be confused… the context is the Tribulation. The Rapture happens PRIOR to the Tribulation.

Prior to the Tribulation YOU DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND… that means you were not saved.

But DURING the TRIBULATION… if you got saved after the church was raptured… you WANT to be LEFT BEHIND because that means you were deemed a Sheep and NOT a goat… and you will enter Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom.

I encourage you to listen to J.B. Hixson’s Olivet Discourse teaching PART 6… where he goes into greater detail on this…

On the Not By Works Ministries YouTube Channel… J.B.’s “What Lies Ahead” series is all about the Olivet Discourse…

And Part 6 covers the Days of Noah illustration…

And, J.B. has a number of slides to help you understand what this illustration is all about.

And, in Part 8… he also compares and contrasts the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 (which is for Israel during the Tribulation)… TO the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19 (which is for the Church during the Church Age)…

I think you’ll find that teaching very profound and encouraging.

So, check that out for extra credit.

Wrapping up… and worship team you may come…

Jesus concludes the illustration of the Days of Noah with an encouragement relevant to saints of all ages…

To watch… “for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

We don’t know when He will come for us during the Rapture…

And, the Tribulation saints don’t know when He is coming at the Second Coming.

So, as Jesus said as a point of application, “… be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

And as we close today… be it for the saints during the Tribulation… or for Us in this present age… what you need to do to be ready is this…

You need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you’ll be ready.

That’s it. Faith in Jesus plus nothing is what prepares you.

The next major prophetic event… the rapture of the Church… and it’s faith in Jesus Christ that grants you a place in the clouds.

And, because we know He’s coming again… let’s close and be reminded of how we should be living now as the bride of Christ…

As we read in 2 Pet 3:11 “...what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...”

Let’s Pray!

As our Elder’s and Prayer Team comes up… I encourage you to come up and pray with them for whatever is on your heart.

If you’re not saved, come get saved.

If you have a burden, pray and see how God moves.

If you want to intercede on someone else’s behalf, where two or three are gathered… He is in the midst…

So, come pray...

I pray your week ahead is blessed… and that God would open many doors for you to share Jesus… and that your light would shine brightly.

God bless you as you go!