“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15)
How many times have you turned on the TV, sat down, and promptly fell asleep? As if that is not bad enough you wake up just in time to see the credits rolling on the screen. Ouch! And that was the episode that answered all the questions that were introduced throughout the season. Missing a favorite TV show is the least of our worries. When the Son of Man returns, how many of us will actually be ready, waiting, and awake!?
Humanity has been warned for centuries that Jesus Christ will return and gather His elect (Matthew 24:31). There will not be any excuses for having fallen asleep, but many will be asleep, and then awaken surprised. The time of the return of the Son of Man is near, but the day and the hour is not known (Matthew 24:36). Jesus told the parable of the fig tree to let us know that by observing the signs of the times (Matthew 24:1–31), we can recognize when His return is near (Matthew 24:32–35).
Jesus continued in other illustrations to warn us to be on the alert for His return (Matthew 24:42–51; 25:1–46). One thing that stands out in all of these warnings is the example He uses from a real event. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37–39).
Jesus said that in the last days people would have heard many warnings concerning His return. However, the world will be living life as usual; doing the day-to-day things, living at ease. People will be ignoring the warning signs and trying to make the most of their existence. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn…” (Matthew 24:30).
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SUMMARY • We have been warned that Jesus Christ will return to earth
• Jesus illustrated His return using the example of Noah and the flood
• When Jesus returns many will be caught living life at ease
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RBG Devotional 18–2: The Ease: Like the Days Of Noah Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. 23-Jun-21, 07:18 |