Matthew 24:32-50: When? Who knows!

Introduction

We continue through the Lord’s “Last Day” sermon. While the initial focus seemed to be on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, the focus has now shifted almost entirely to the end of the age.

To this point, the Lord has primarily focused on the “signs” of the end of the age. But now he’s going to address the question of “when” the end will occur. Spoiler: he doesn’t reveal it! Instead we’ll see some descriptions of what can be expected.

32-35: The Lesson of the Fig Tree

These verses serve as a bridge between the previous section that dealt with signs, and the next section that deals with the ‘when’. The Lord uses the illustration of a fig tree.

Just like how the blooming of the fig tree signals that summer is near, so too does the occurrence of “all these things” mean that Jesus is near, “at the very gates”.

What are “all these things”? It’s all the previous signs that Jesus has declared would happen in these last days - wars, famines, earthquakes, anti-Christs, false prophets, ect.

Remember, those things have been occuring since the ascension of the Lord, so this merely tells us that the Lord’s return has been and is imminent.

Another way to understand this is to know that there isn’t any other major events to occur in God’s grand plan of redemption. The cross and resurrection were the pinnacle of history. Everything since then has been something of an “epilogue”, a time the Lord has graciously allowed for more sinners to repent before He returns.

Lest we think that 2,000 years (and counting) negates the fact that Jesus is “at the gates” let’s remember 2 Peter 3:8–9 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Jesus adds that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

In one sense, if the destruction of Jerusalem is still in view, then yes, many of that “generation” would still be alive to witness it.

But in the broader sense, with the end in focus, I think “generation” refers to whole period of the Church. The Church and it’s faithful will persist until the Lord returns.

The exact amount of time that will pass before the Lord’s glorious return is really irrelevant. One thing is true: it will happen! And we know this because Jesus himself seals it with an oath saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Since Jesus said it, we can take it to the bank.

I want us to continue to see that this passage is meant to instill hope in us as believers, not fear.

The Lord started this sermon by telling us “not to be alarmed”.

Here he is telling us that when we see those signs - signs that often terrify the world, we don’t need to be afraid. All it is is confirmation that his return is imminent, and this is good for us!

Finally, just as he said, the Church has survived, and thrived for the past 2,000 years in spite of all the tribulation it has endured and will continue to endure. This should give us great comfort in knowing that Jesus was telling the truth, and no matter what happens the Church will be just fine.

36-44: Nobody knows, so stop asking

So we know that all these things will happen (and they have), but when exactly will Jesus will return? Nobody knows!

Jesus says that only the Father knows, and not even He himself knows.

This is an interesting thing for Jesus to say, because He has made clear that He and the Father are One. So how can Jesus himself not know?

Many different explanations have been given for what this means, and I’m not sure I have a good answer. Perhaps this is an example of Jesus having “emptied himself” when he became human as Paul says in Philippians 2:6–7 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

I will add that it’s interesting that when the disciples ask a similar question just before the ascension, the Lord’s answer is slightly different in Acts 1:7 “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

This time he omits the lack of knowledge by the Son, which could mean that with His resurrection and glorification, he was no longer ignorant (Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” ) but He still chose not to reveal the exact time to them.

Paul echoes this in 1 Thessalonians 5:1–2 “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

The Lord doesn’t reveal when He will return, but he does give some illustrations of what that day will be like. I think the important verse to remember here is Matthew 24:42 “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

This theme of “staying awake” is underneath these illustrations - Jesus wants us to know that even though we don’t know the exact time, we know that it will happen, therefore we should be faithful, or awake, at all times.

The first illustration Jesus gives comes from the story of Noah and the Ark. “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

There is a popular (and relatively new, only the last 200 years or so) interpretation of these passages that claims they refer to a “Rapture” of sorts. 1 Thessalonians 5 is also usually referenced for this as well.

I do not believe in “the rapture”. While this may be controversial, I’ll try to demonstrate why I don’t think that is a good interpretation of these passages.

First, Jesus reminds us that in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.

Jesus isn’t saying that these things are inherently bad. He’s referring to how the people before the flood were living their (evil and wicked) lives as if nothing bad was going to happen. Hence they were “unaware until the flood came and swept them away”

The Lord’s sudden return will be the same way. The evil and wicked people of this world will be living their lives as if nothing bad is going to happen to them.

This is referenced again in 2 Peter 3:3–7 “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”

He then gives these illustrations of pairs, with one being taken and one being left behind.

This is where people often point to a “rapture” and believers being taken away. However, this is still connected to Jesus saying “as were the days of Noah”. Who were the ones that were swept away in the days of Noah? The wicked! And who were the ones “left behind”? The righteous!

So we see that the Lord is telling us that when he returns, the wicked will be destroyed, and the righteous will be saved. The above mentioned passage in 2 Peter shares this illustration - just as the wicked were destroyed by water back then, next they will be destroyed by fire.

Here I will briefly comment on 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

While it may seem that this “being taken up in the air” refers to a rapture, I don’t think that is correct. Instead this phrase referred to the action of a city going out to meet the Emperor while he was still far off and usher him back to their city.

And so we see that the idea here isn’t that we will leave the Earth, but rather, meet the Lord Jesus (and those who have died) while He is still far off, or “in the air”, and usher him back to Earth, where He will dwell with us.

Taking all of the relevant passages together, we get the sense that when Jesus returns, all believers will greet him, be raised to life or transformed, the entire world and universe will be transformed (a New Heavens and New Earth), the wicked will be destroyed, and we will dwell with Jesus/God forever.

Now we know why He tells us to “stay awake” or to remain faithful and connected to His Church. As long as we do this, when the Lord does return, we will be saved.

Peter echoes this, again using the story of Noah in 1 Peter 3:20–21 “when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”

This idea of staying awake is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

To illustrate this idea of “staying awake” he talks about how a house owner would stay awake all night if they knew when the thief was going to break in. This theme of the return of the Lord being like a “thief in the night” was one that the early church clung to and Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 5.

It is worth noting here that 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 is a parallel passage to this entire conversation.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–8 “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

So what’s the overall takeaway here? Don’t be afraid, just be ready!

45-51: How will he find you?

These last few verses dial in on what Jesus expects to find when He returns. The ESV translates “servant” here, but the word really means “slaves” - which makes sense because we are all “slaves to Christ”.

Basically he says that as His slaves, we have two options: we can either keep up the faith, living righteously, and performing our proper duties that He has enshrined to us, or we can live wickedly, mistreating other believers, and acting like unbelievers.

If we are the former type of slave - faithful and “staying awake”, then we will be rewarded “over all his possessions”.

If we are the latter type of slave - wicked, abusive, and dismissive of our master, then we can only expect punishment and death.

What type of slave will Jesus find you being?

Conclusion

The Lord is coming, but we do not know when it will happen. As long as we are “staying awake” and being faithful slaves, we really have nothing to worry about. In fact, we can eagerly look forward to His return, whenever that may be. We ought to only be “afraid” of the end if we are living lives that we would be ashamed of our Master catching us living. Stay hopeful, stay faithful, and stay awake brothers and sisters!