The Kingdom of God, Then: Session 3 – The Sign of His Coming

Notes:

The Sign of His Coming    See Session Slides Here

When will the ‘end of the beginning’ occur? Jesus spoke much about the end of the age in this chapter (Matt.24:3, 6, 13). What event will mark this transition? Not the destruction of Temple in AD 70. Some claim the term ‘end of the age’ was not referring to the end of the world but end of the old covenant age. But the same term is used in Mt.28:18-20 & Mt.24:14. The old covenant ended at the Cross, Col.2:14.

So what is the sign of the end? What people say is a sign is probably not a sign, e.g. Matt.24:23&26. Warning: There will be much deception; people claiming to give us signs of His return. So don’t listen to those who say he has come (AD 70) or is about to come. Don’t be deceived by world events or people claiming to have a key or sign that will give us a date or time.

Then Jesus gave the sign, Matt.24:30. The sign of Jesus’ coming is His coming! There is no advance sign or warning of His coming. He comes when he comes and the people alive then will know it when it happens. He is referring to the rapture. The rapture is the sign of the end, see Matt.24:31;  1 Cor.15:51-52;  1 Thes.4:16-17.

 Matt.24:27. Like lightning He will come in a rapid and unexpected manner. Many will look for him in the desert or in secret places, signs leading up to His appearing, etc.; but it will all be useless to do so as it is useless to look to any particular part of the heavens to know where lightning would next flash.

This sudden, unexpected return of Jesus can only refer to the rapture, not the 2nd Coming. In this point they are completely different. Therefore, Matthew 24:36-25:30 must describe the rapture, not the 2nd Coming. Jesus likened his appearing to a thief in the night (Matt. 24:43). However at the 2nd coming Jesus will not appear suddenly or without warning, as does a thief. He will return on the back of many signs.

So the analogy of the thief is appropriate for the rapture when He will appear suddenly, unexpectedly, without signs or warning to take his Church. This is illustrated by the Noah analogy, Mt.24:37-39. In both the Noah and Lot illustrations the righteous are removed from the sphere of judgment, and the unrighteous are left for judgment. At the 2nd coming the unrighteous will be removed and the righteous will remain to inherit the kingdom, (Mt.13:41-43).

The conditions described in the Noah & Lot illustrations are incompatible with the 2nd coming. These two illustrations both make the point that life will be normal at the time of this appearing, with people going about their mundane activities of eating and drinking, marrying, buying and selling, planting, and building, right up to the moment of the rapture. But this is not the case concerning the conditions at the 2nd coming. At the 2nd coming the earth will be at the peak of catastrophic judgment, with half of mankind having already perished and the earth left in ruins, Isa.13:11-13, and the world will be in the midst of the most destructive war ever (Rev.9:13-17), etc. There is nothing normal about the time leading up to the 2nd coming.

To summarize:

  • Jesus told his disciples ‘You can’t know when I will return, and even I don’t know it. Only the Father knows.’ After His resurrection the disciples still pressed Jesus on the matter, (Acts 1:6). Again, Jesus told them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority’ (Acts 1:7).
  • Despite Jesus’ clear teaching, many Christians throughout the centuries have repeated the mistake wanting to know the time of His return. Some have tried to impress others that it will certainly come in their lifetime, and very soon. But history has proven Jesus right and every forecaster wrong. We cannot know ‘when’. The only ‘sign’ that the disciples will have of Jesus coming will be his actual coming. This ‘sign’ will have no predictive value because it comes too late.
  • We are not to watch signs but watch over our own lives, Matt.24:42, 44. The main point is to look forward to the Lord’s return and meanwhile to live responsibly, faithfully, and courageously until He returns. (Matt. 24:45&46).