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The continuation of lesson 49 of the Discipleship Making process.
In summary of part one of this lesson, we learned that Jesus wants His disciples to have common knowledge concerning the time of His coming. The signs in the heavens: the sun and moon not giving their light and the stars falling from heaven are to serve as a sign, like the Fig Tree, of His soon return. It is near, at hand or right at the door.
It is here that we pick-up where we left off, Jesus laying out the issue of alertness revolving around the fig tree.
Read: Matthew 24:37-25:13, Mark 13:33-37, Luke 21:34-36
The issue of alertness revolves around the parable of the fig tree. Jesus knows that a person cannot be vigilant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and He is not telling His disciples to do it either. However, He is telling them when to become alert. Like the fig tree, when you see the signs in the heavens begin to come to pass be alert, your redemption is drawing near.
The concept of when to become alert is reinforced by Matthew (Matthew 24:37-41) when he compares the coming of the Son of Man to the days of Noah. Most Christians aren’t aware that Noah was given a prophetic sign on when to become alert or ready to enter the Ark. Let’s take a closer look at his story:
It begins with Noah’s great-grandfather Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam. Enoch was a prophet according to Jude 14 and he walked with God. In his 365th year he went to God without dying. We currently call that event “raptured” or “caught up to God”. Enoch and Elijah are the only two people in the Scripture that did not die but were taken by God to heaven while still alive. Enoch being a prophet, named his son, Methuselah. The root meaning of the name Methuselah is “his death shall bring” or some variant of that theme. According to the Jewish sages Methuselah died seven days before Noah received the word of God to enter the Ark. Then he remained in the Ark seven more days before the flood began (Genesis 7:4).
Though Noah had finished building the Ark he did not have to become “alert” or “ready” until Methuselah died, which was his prophetic sign that the flood was approaching. Then came the Word of God for Noah to enter the Ark through which he and his household would be saved from the impending wrath of God to come. In like manner, Christians are to become “alert” or “ready” upon observing the heavenly signs, recognizing that God’s judgment is approaching. Then the Word of God (Jesus Christ) will come to save His household from the impending wrath of God to come.
Commencing with the parable of the fig tree Jesus begins to exhort His disciples to remain alert. As He does so Jesus also weaves three other concepts together with alertness throughout his commentary:
- Those who are not His disciples won’t know what is about to transpire.
- No one will know the day and hour.
- Darkness or night.
No one will know the day or hour of Jesus’ return because there are always two days and twenty-four hours existing on planet earth at any given moment. According to Hebrew tradition the judgment of men begins on the Feast of the Lord called Yom Teruah, the Day of Blowing. This feast day is also called: Rosh Ha Shannah (New Year’s Day), Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Haddin (Day of Judgment) the horn. A unique property of this feast is that it is celebrated over two days, the Jewish people call it “Yoma Arikata” or one long day, because it was based on the visible sighting of the light of the new moon of the seventh month.
According to Jesus it will be dark when He comes and this is borne out through many Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Day of the Lord. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is because the sun, moon and stars will not be giving off their light. Why this is happening is a matter of conjecture. It should be noted that Yom Teruah the Feast of Trumpets falls on the first day of a new moon when the night skies are darker in the first place.
Read: Isaiah 13:9-10, Ezekiel 30:3, Joel 2:1-2, 3:14-16, Amos 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10
The point of this lesson is to become alert when you see the signs in the heavens.
With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider until my next posting:
Were you invited to the Last Supper?
. . . and the homework assignment . . .
The Truth Behind the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Position
Until next time . . . Godspeed!
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