NOT EVEN THE ANGELS KNOW

Bob Mills

I remember a time when I was a young child, it must have been my birthday as my aunts and uncles were in our home, and that happened only on very rare occasions, such as our birthdays. My mother was the only one in her family of six siblings who had any children at all, and in ours there were only two surviving brothers. Our minister had preached a sermon in which he set that day as the day the Lord would return. One aunt and uncle, who had not heard that sermon, had very different opinions. Of course, that was not the day. Neither were the days that have been set over the years by various zealous church leaders. I recall one congregation in Johannesburg, South Africa in which many members sold their belongings and gathered in their worship center almost constantly so they would be together and ready when He came. I don’t know why they sold everything. They certainly could not carry cash with them. None of these were right. Not even the angels know. (Matthew 24:36)

But, we can, and do, know that he is coming again. We know, because He has promised to return, and He keeps His promises. Matthew takes two whole chapters to record many of Christ’s parables on the subject. Hopefully, you will read them.

Matthew 24:34-39 King James Version

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 10:23, Matthew 16:28, Matthew 23:36)

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 5:18; Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33)

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Mark 13:32, Acts 1:7)

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 16:27, Matthew 24:3, Matthew 30:39, Genesis 6:5, Genesis t:6-23)

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, (Matthew 22:10, Genesis 7:7)

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 16:27, Matthew 24:3, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 24:37)

Some of these parables bear witness of the undeniable truth of the whole in that they were fulfilled, even in the life time of the hearers (Matthew 24:34), when Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple worship came to an abrupt end in the year 70 AD. You can be certain that when that happened, the Christians looked for the rest also to be soon. They missed the clear fact, that we are always to live in readiness. All that we see, all the material world we know, will be gone, to be replaced with something infinitely better and eternal.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man,” (Matthew 24:36). Life continued as it always had. (Matthew 24:38)

However, it is just as certain to come even as the flood did come in the day of Noah. It came without warning and took away everyone and everything not in the safety of the ark. (Matthew 24:39).