Matthew chapter 24. This is the
fourth or fifth message I think we have brought from this very,
very vital chapter. And Lord willing, we'll bring
one more message from this chapter. Matthew 24. I'm taking the title
for the message from what's said in verse 30. Matthew 24, verse
30. Then shall appear. This is shall
happen. The Lord shall appear. Then shall
appear the sign of the Son of Man. It's interesting that he
says the Son of Man and not the Son of God. The Son of God is
the Son of Man, and the Son of Man is the Son of God. But he's
coming back in his role as the God-Man mediator in heaven. And then shall all the tribes
of the earth, all the tribes of the earth, mourn that is those
who cried to the rocks and the mountains to hide them from the
wrath of the Lamb, they shall mourn, and they shall see the
Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power, all power,
and with all glory, it says here, great, great, great is His glory,
worthy is the Lamb, that was slain to receive all honor, glory,
blessings, and power both now and forever. So I'm taking the
title for the message from the words found in verse 30, the
Son of Man coming with power, great glory. How much power does
He have? He has all power. God has always
had great power because God has always been God. He's never not
God. He's always God. Now the Lord
on purpose, and His purpose is always wise and sovereign, the
Lord on purpose deliberately mingled the prophecy of the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the armies of Rome and also
His second coming. He mingles the two together.
You remember back in verse 15 Matthew 24, when ye therefore
shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken by Daniel
the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso read it, let him
understand it. When the armies of Rome invaded
Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, that was the fulfillment of Daniel's
prophecy, the abomination of desolation. It did come, it did
come, 40 years, a generation. After the Lord had died a generation,
he said all these things will be fulfilled in this generation,
and they were. The Roman armies came 70 AD and destroyed the temple. And the Lord mingles his second
coming to final judgment and condemnation to all those that
oppose him, and the coming Lord Jesus Christ also to gather his
elect unto himself, unto eternal glory, and destroy all those
rebels that are against him." Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can, but I'll read it to you. First, Second Thessalonians,
rather, Chapter 1. If you want to find Second Thessalonians,
Chapter 1. Verse 7, to you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God. that obey not the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints,
and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony
among you was believed in that day." So the Lord is going to
come back to judge the wicked, and to call out His elect. All these things must come to
pass, because the Lord has decreed all these things from the beginning. Known unto God are all of His
works from the beginning. He decreed all these things in
His sovereign purpose, just as the first coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ was decreed. All the Old Testament says someone's
coming, And the last Old Testament prophet, John, said, there's
the Lamb of God that takes away our sin. Paul writes about it
in Galatians 4, verse 4. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. That was the creed of God. That
was appointed of God. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. So his first coming was
decreed, it was prophesied, and then he came in the fullness
of God's time. So to his second coming, his
second advent, his second coming was decreed and will be fulfilled
in due time. The Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. And then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up to ever be with the Lord. Our Lord said in John 14, I go
away and prepare a place for you. And if I go away, I'll come
again. I will come again and receive
you unto myself. Where I am, there you shall be. What a glorious promise. What
a glorious promise. The Lord is coming back. It's
not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. The risen Lord in Acts
chapter 1, the risen Lord walked along with his disciples and
two messengers from heaven as the Lord Jesus Christ ascended
to glory. The Son of Man, that glorified
God, ascended to glory in a cloud. and sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God. And those heavenly messengers
said to the disciples, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so
come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. He shall
return. And I like what it says in the
Revelation. Remember our study from the Revelation? We're going
to turn and read some of the promises there in Revelation,
it says, Behold, He cometh. He cometh. You know what that
means? That means He's on His way. The Lord is on His way. He's coming back. He's coming
back. Now, verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those
days, talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, shall the sun be
darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be. shaken immediately after those
days. You remember we read in verse
21, look up the page there, Matthew 24, 21, then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. The destruction of Jerusalem
was a terrible devastation. Again, this is referring to that
judgment. on the nation Israel in 70 A.D.,
the light the Jewish nation had, typical of the sun, moon, and
stars being darkened, speaks of the Lord's judicial blinding
of that nation, that spiritual darkness, willful ignorance,
and hardness of heart that still on that nation to this day, the
gospel became unto them a stumbling block. when John and Paul was
before that Jewish council in Acts chapter 4, they said to
them, the stone that said it not of you builders, the same
has made the head corner of the building, the chief cornerstone. Neither is there salvation in
any other, nor the name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. Paul writing to the Corinthians
said the Jews require a sign, the Greeks seek after wisdom,
that we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews it's a stumbling
block, unto the Greeks it's foolishness, but unto them which are called,
whether you be Jew or Gentile, Christ the power of God and Christ
the wisdom of God. We studied in 1 Peter chapter
2, When Paul says of those people that stone of stumbling, a rock
of offense, they stumbled at the word being appointed unto
that end. Likewise, when the Lord comes
back the second time, there'll be a brightness of his glory
to judge the world by righteousness by the Lord Jesus Christ in that
day. The Father judged no man, but
hath committed all judgment unto the Son. God hath appointed a
day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man." The Lord mingles those two things together. The destruction
of Jerusalem. in His coming in power and judgment,
and then the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, His second coming.
In His second coming, there will be no need for the sun, the moon,
the stars. His great glory will eclipse
those things. All those elements shall melt
with the fervent heat of His power and eternal Godhead. We read that a moment ago over
in Revelation chapter 6. But let's turn over here to 2
Peter chapter 3. We've seen this before. 2 Peter
chapter 3 talks about the day the Lord will come. 2
Peter 3 verse 10. The day the Lord will come as
a thief and a knight in which the heavens shall pass away with
a great noise and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat
The earth also in the works therein shall be burned up, seeing then
all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons you ought
to be, and all holy behavior, is the word there, conversation
and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. Nevertheless,
we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth wherein dwelleth righteousness." Now turn to Revelation
21 for a moment, Revelation 21, and we're talking about where
the sun, the moon, and the stars will be no more, and here's the
reason why. Revelation 21, Revelation 21-22,
Revelation 21-22, and I saw no temple therein, for the Lord
God Almighty and the Lamb is the temple of it, and the city
had no need of sun, neither moon, to shine in it, for the glory
of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." So,
these natural elements that we see, we enjoy the sunshine, but
Christ is really our sunshine, isn't He? And that's why we're
happy all today, looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse
30. Then shall appear the Son of Man, the sign of the Son of
Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven
with power, power and great glory. The Lord's second coming will
not be a secret thing. Now there is no such thing as
the secret rapture. No such thing as the secret rapture. All the tribes of the earth shall
mourn because of him. No such thing as the secret rapture. He came the first time as a man
of sorrows. He's coming the second time as
a mighty conquering king. Turn back to the Revelation again,
chapter one. Revelation, it's the revelation
of Jesus Christ, the revelation of the Lamb of God. Revelation
chapter 1, look at verse 5, from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the kings
of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sin
and his own blood. He hath made his kings and priests
unto our God. To him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Behold, he cometh, and every
eye shall see him. and they also which pierced him,
and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even
so, amen. I'm Alpha, Omega, the beginning,
the ending, saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to
come, the Almighty. The Almighty Son of Man is coming
back in that day. Every knee will bow. Every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Look at verse 31. Matthew 24,
verse 31, and he shall send his angels. He shall send his messengers. He shall send his angels with
the great sound of a trumpet. No secret thing there is there.
And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds
or from the four corners of the earth, north, south, east, west,
and from one end of heaven unto the other. God's going to assemble
those glorified saints with those who are raised up to meet the
Lord in the air forever and ever. There will be a great gathering,
the Lord's people unto him. As we read in verse 28, the eagles
will be gathered unto the Lord Jesus Christ by the preaching
of the gospel. It pleased God to do so by the
preaching of the gospel to call out his people. The gospel shall
be preached in all the world and then come at the end. Turn
over to Matthew 25, verse 31. Matthew 25, verse 31. When the
Son of Man shall come, he's coming back, he shall come. in his glory,
and all his holy angels with him. Then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations,
and he shall separate them one from another. As a shepherd divides
his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, and the goats on the left. There is a separation. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, that is the elect of God, the sheep
of Christ, come ye Blessed to my father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The Lord is our
portion. The Lord is our inheritance. We've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes about
it in 2 Timothy 4. He says, the time of my departure
is at hand. Paul is sitting on death row
in prison in Rome. And he writes, there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous
judge shall give me in that day, not to me only, but all them
that love his appearing. I love his appearing. I love
his appearing. Untold joys and blessings to
his friends. All grace now and all glory forever
and ever. All grace now and all glory forever
and ever. Don't turn, let me just read
this to you. Behold what manner of love, 1 John 3, 1. The Father
hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God,
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it does not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, When he shall appear, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. He shall change this vile body,
as Paul writes about, for our conversation is, our citizenship
is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus, who shall change our vile body. that it be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself." Now let's read
that reference that's given there in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
Turn over there. The whole 15th chapter, 1 Corinthians
chapter 15, talking about the Lord's coming
and what's going to take place. First Corinthians 1550, now this
I say unto you, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we all shall be changed. Verse 52, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump, for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, but
thanks be to God who has given us a victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. We have the victory over sin,
over death, over hell, and over the grave because of our Lord
Jesus Christ. His blood atonement that put
away all our sin. Now look at verse untold joys
and blessings to his friends, unparalleled sorrows to his foes. Untold blessings to the elect
of God. Turn back to the Revelation.
You don't mind turning, do you? Revelation 20, untold joys to His people untold, unparalleled
sorrows to those who are not His people. Revelation 20 verse
12, and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.
The books were opened and another book was opened, which is the
book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things that
are written in the books, judged according to their works, talking
about unbelievers. And the sea gave up the dead
which is in it. Death and hell delivered up the dead that were
in them. And they were judged, every man according to his works. We know they came up short. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. So when the Lord comes back untold
joys, eternal glory, but also eternal woe to those who do not
believe the gospel. We know in this gathering together
unto the Lord, not one of his elect will be missing. All that
the Father has given to the Lord Jesus Christ, he'll raise him
up at the last day. None shall perish for whom Christ
died. I like what it says in Hebrews
chapter two, where the Lord said, behold, I and the children We're
all here. He presents the church before
God, holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight. Now, verse 32 and verse 33, now
learn from this parable of the fig tree. The parable of the
fig tree. When his branch is yet tender,
he put forth his leaves, and you know that summer is near. So likewise, when you shall see
all these things, know that he is near, even at the door. He is near, even at the door. Now, what can we learn from this
parable? The Lord Jesus often taught with
simple stories to illustrate important spiritual lessons,
no different here. Just as summer follows the spring,
When the trees begin to bloom, you know that summer is coming.
So certain was the coming destruction that he's prophesying about,
that's destruction that came to Jerusalem in 70 AD. So likewise, certain and sure
is the coming of a son of man in great power and glory. because
he's purposed it, he's spoken it, he purposed it, and he will
do it. Just like in the day there was,
in that day, that one, verse 34, verily I say unto you, this
generation shall not pass until all these things be fulfilled.
Just like in that day, there was about one generation From
the time the Lord Jesus Christ died in 33 A.D. to when Jerusalem
was destroyed, that was about, they say 40 years is about one
generation. So there was one generation,
he said, this generation shall not pass. They experienced the
destruction of Jerusalem, didn't they? It was by the Lord's eternal
purpose and it was fulfilled according to his eternal purpose,
which he purposed in Christ Jesus the Lord. Of him and through
him and to him are all things. So likewise, succeeding generations,
the generation in which we live in, succeeding generations shall
not pass until all the purpose of God is fulfilled. True of every generation, my
father's generation, World War II generation, those guys are
about all gone. That generation shall not pass
till all the purpose of God has been accomplished. Our generation
shall not pass till all God's purpose shall be accomplished. And succeeding generations, if
the Lord is pleased, to have succeeding generations. In their
day, all these things must be fulfilled. All things must be
fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms concerning me. All things must be fulfilled.
True of every generation. There were 2,000 years from Adam
to Moses. 2,000 years. Generation, generation,
generation. All God's purpose was fulfilled
in those days. From Moses to the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ, 2,000 years. All those generations, God's
purpose was fulfilled in all those things. From the Lord's laying down His
life for us to this day, about 2,000 years, right? Now, I'm going to rebuke myself
in just a minute, but I can't refrain myself from saying this.
You think about this for a minute. From Adam to Moses, 2,000 years.
From Moses to the coming of Christ, 2,000 years. From the time the
Lord died, 33 AD, 2,000 years, 2033. No man knows. I'm just saying,
every 2,000 years something big happens. I'm not saying the Lord's
going to come back in 2033, but it's something to think about,
isn't it? Now you think not the Son of
Man cometh? All these things must be fulfilled. The resurrected Lord said to
those apostles, these are the words which I have spake unto
you while I was yet with you. All things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses. Moses wrote about Christ. In the prophets to him give all
the prophets witness. And in the Psalms, all 150 Psalms
concerning, they're all Messianic Psalms. They're all about the
Lord Jesus Christ. all his promises of mercy. He
says there in verse 35, heaven and earth shall pass away, but
my word shall not pass away. Here's the reason why. God's
decrees are infallible and eternal. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. The word of the Lord is more
sure and certain and eternal than the heavens and the earth.
They're gonna pass away. His word will never pass away. All things must be fulfilled.
All things must be fulfilled. He said, forever, O Lord, thy
word is settled in heaven. The prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. His word is certain, sure, and
infallible, and eternal, and will never pass away. His promises
of mercy are eternal. Salvation, they are eternal and
fulfilled in Christ. All the promises of God in him
are yes, and in him, and amen, and to the glory of the Lord
Jesus Christ. So too, his promises of wrath
and judgment are also true. It's appointed of the man. If
you want to turn with me, you can. Turn to Hebrews 9, Hebrews
chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9, we know it
says here in verse 26, once in the end of the world, hath he
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, as it is
appointed, and a man wants to die. But after that judgment,
Hebrews 9, 28, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins
of many, And to them that look for Him shall He appear the second
time without sin unto salvation. He will appear. We're looking
for Him. We're looking for Him. Now verse
36, and here I'm going to rebuke myself. But in that day and hour
knoweth no man. Now, what I said a while ago
was just It's just my thoughts. But of the day and hour knoweth
no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. We need not speculate on days
and dates and times of predictions made by how many men have made
set dates and times and different places and different things.
A dear friend of my pastor out in California, who had a very
large radio network and put Brother Mahan on his TV network and radio
network. His name was Harold Camping.
You remember back in 1974, excuse me, 1994, He predicted that the Lord would
come back in September of 1994. And Brother Mahan went out there
and preached a meeting for him in that year. And I remember
we were in Danville, Kentucky in that Labor Day Bible Conference
in 1994, September. And Harold Camping, he went on
Larry King Live, he went on all these TV shows, a very well-known,
wealthy man, and said, the Lord's coming back in September 1994.
Guess what? It didn't happen. He said, and
then he said, oh, I miscalculated. He was an engineer, a calculator.
He said, I miscalculated. And then he said another date.
That didn't happen either. And then he set another date,
and then the Lord was pleased to take him home. He kept that
date. It was a date appointment that
he kept. Recently, I don't know if you
listen to any or watch any YouTube videos, but a lot of our grace
preachers are on YouTube. And you can click on, for instance,
at Todd's Road, you can listen to Todd Niebuhr, or the church
in Danville, Ashland or wheelers burg, Ohio
you can click on those YouTube videos and you can watch those
videos But oftentimes when I do that on the side, there's all
these different videos that pop up on the side. It's an enticing
thing that They want you to click on these videos whenever you're
whenever you're on a I've done a lot of reading on prostate
cancer because I'm suffering from that. And whenever you pull
something up, all these other things pop up. But I was watching
a sermon by one of our preaching brethren, and over here on the
side, it said, the Lord is returning December 16th, 2024. That's pretty close. And of course,
I went over and clicked on it to see what the fool had to say.
and he had different things that were all nonsense. But it's just
trying to gain a following. You reckon on December 16th,
2024, you reckon the Lord's coming back that day? No. In the day
you think not, the Son of Man cometh. In the day you think
not, the Son of Man cometh. The time, Paul writes this in
closing. The times and seasons, brethren,
you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night, when they shall say, peace and safety, and sudden
destruction cometh upon them as to avail upon a woman, and
they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You
are children of light and children of the day, We are not of the
night and of the darkness. So we're told to look for the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice verse 42, Matthew 24,
verse 42. Watch therefore, for you know
not what hour your Lord cometh. Now we don't know when, but we
know who is coming back. Verse 44, therefore be also ready
for in such an hour as you think not, a son of man cometh. It's not if, but when. Who is
coming? Who is coming for us? Now, the
last chapter in the Bible, turn over here and I'll be through.
The last chapter in the Bible, Revelation 22. Revelation 22. And here's what I want to leave
you with. Revelation 22, look at verse 7. Revelation 22, verse
7. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the
saying of the prophecy of this book. Down here at verse 12. Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me to give
every man according to his work shall be. I am Alpha, Omega,
the beginning, the end, the first, and the last. And then the book
of God closes, Revelation 22, verse 20. He which testifieth
these things saith, Surely I come quickly, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you. The Lord comes quickly. It may
be another 2,000 years or 1,000 years is but one day with the
Lord. The Lord is coming back. Be ready
to meet Him.