Matthew 24:3-14,29-44 Jesus’ Prophecies about the Last Day

3 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?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [1] 

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

” ‘the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. [2]

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Would knowing the date of your death help you live a happier, fuller life?

It would probably have the opposite effect. You might be tempted to give up on spiritual matters until right before the end. You might live in despair as that day drew closer. God hasn’t told us the date we will die. He has given us signs (the aging process) to make us ready at any time.

The same is true of the church. God has not told us when he will come again-when the earth will die, so to speak. But he has given us signs to keep reminding us that this world will come to an end. He has also warned us about the struggles the church will endure until the end of time.

One problem we face is deception arising from within the church. Deceivers come in Jesus’ name, claiming to be Christ, claiming their teaching is Christian, even though it denies biblical truth. False teachers even perform signs and wonders and mislead people through them. This calls for caution and the knowledge of God’s Word so that we can discern truth from error.

Throughout it all, remember God’s goal-that his Word is preached to all nations. The church’s struggles dare not disrupt our focus on outreach and mission support. Jesus spoke of what would happen at the very end. Only if we hold on to our faith will Jesus’ second coming be a time of joy, not fear. No one knows when that day will come. God has not revealed the date, because he wants his people in every generation to be prepared for that day at all times. May the Lord use the signs, the warnings, and the prediction of his glorious return to keep us all in the faith!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the signs you spoke of are like alarm clocks, calling me to get ready. Keep my heart alert, and keep me close to you so that for me your return will be the day of joy it was meant to be. Amen.