Let’s continue on with Matthew 24:32-42

(v32) Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you will know that summer is near; (v33) even so you [disciples] too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near, right at the door. (v34) Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (v35) Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (v36) But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (v37) For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. (v38) For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (v39) and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. (v40) Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. (v41) "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. (v42) Therefore be on the alert, for you [disciples] do not know which day your Lord is coming.

What is Jesus speaking of here? It certainly sounds like Judgment Day! The end of the world! That's our cultural conditioning, but remember: "context, context, context!" What is the context here? Jesus is still answering His disciple's questions, isn't He? So as we're reading along, why is it that in verse 33 when He says, "even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near," why do we think He is suddenly talking about we who are living 2000 years later? That's the number one popular teaching today, that Jesus is talking about the end of the world.

But what is the context? Jesus is still talking to His disciples. Jesus is still answering their question about when the temple is going to be destroyed. There is nothing in the flow of Matthew 24 that changes that. Let's look at the parallel passage in Luke 17:22

And He (Jesus) said to the disciples, "The days shall come when you [disciples] will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you [disciples] will not see it. (23) And they will say to you [disciples], 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. (24) For just as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. (25) But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

We have noted that the word 'generation,' in the whole New Testament always means 'this present generation', and that it cannot possibly, in Matthew 24 and Luke 17, mean 'this race,' which is how some people are forced to interpret it because of a futuristic bias. So Jesus is setting the context here as 'this generation.'

(v26) And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man:

Here again, Luke is using exactly the same words as Matthew.

(v27) they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. (v28) It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; (v29) but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

What are Luke and Matthew talking about? When Jesus talks about the days of Noah and the days of Lot, what is He talking about? He is speaking of God’s judgment! He is speaking of the suddenness of that judgment. In the context of Matthew 24, He is describing God's judgment upon the Jewish people. In the case of Noah and Lot, God’s judgement was upon ungodly people. Jesus is talking about the suddenness of the parousia, that appearing of the Son of Man in judgment. It's not something that comes with lots of warnings.

Why do people want to know when Christ is coming back? So they can get ready! The knowledge of when He will return presupposes that I can do what I want to until just before He comes! But Jesus is telling his disciples, you're not going to have that opportunity. When judgment comes without warning, it's too late. In Noah's day, when the raindrops started falling, it was too late. In Lot's day, when the fire came down out of heaven, it was too late. Jesus is saying the same thing is about to occur at the destruction of the Temple.

(v32) Remember Lot's wife. (v33) Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it. (34) I tell you, on that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken, and the other will be left. (Sounds just like Matthew, doesn't it?) (37) And answering [the disciples] said to him, "Where, Lord?" And he said to them, "Where the body is, there also will the eagles be gathered."

What is Jesus telling the disciples about the place where this is going to happen? It is "where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered." The New American Standard translates the word 'vultures,' but it can also be translated 'eagles.' What is Jesus talking about? I believe He is describing the Roman army. Remember that the Roman army carried standards or banners before every unit. On the front of every standard was the eagle, which symbolized the god of the army. The eagle was the god of the Roman army. It was swift, it was powerful, it was invincible! It was their god. That's why Jesus talks about the abomination of desolation as armies surrounding Jerusalem. It's not that Jesus is talking about vultures gathering over a dead body. In context, He is speaking figuratively about the destruction of Jerusalem — the Roman army feasting upon the dead body of the apostate Jewish nation from which He has removed the life of His Spirit and Presence (which is now indwelling the new Temple of every Christian).

What does it mean, "…one will be taken"?

Jesus is talking about "the elect." He's talking about the fact that in Jewish families one might be saved and one might not. Remember that Jesus is talking about the context of judgment here. (v37) For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. They didn't know what was going to happen until Noah entered the ark and God closed the door. (v39) and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; … (v40) Then there shall be two men in the field; When is the "then" in the context of Matthew 24? This may be beginning to sound monotonous, but it's when the temple is destroyed. That's what Jesus is talking about. He's not talking about the end of the world. He's saying that when the temple is destroyed…(v40) Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. (v42) Therefore be on the alert, for you [disciples] do not know which day your Lord is coming. (v43) But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (v44) For this reason you [disciples] be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you [disciples] do not think he will.

What has Jesus told the disciples in that verse? You (disciples) be ready. I am going to come back, you do not and cannot know when. If you think you know, you're wrong. What is the principle that we can apply in our lives? He's coming again. We know that from other Scriptures. There is no doubt about that. He's coming in judgment and we cannot know when. If we think we know, we're wrong.

Notice too that this particular passage says "coming," not "coming back." There are many kinds of "comings" referred to in the Bible. It's not just at the end of time that God comes in judgment. He came in judgment when Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden. He comes in judgment against nations. He comes to judge our hearts when we gather for worship. And He comes in judgment at death, either to take us to heaven or to hell. That specifically applies to every one of us. Since none of us knows when that will be, we should always be ready and prepared to "meet our Maker, our gracious Lord & Savior" when He comes for us individually.

Verses 42 and 44 are not talking about the end of the world. They're talking about the destruction of the temple. They are talking about the suddenness of judgment upon the ungodly Jews. How does that apply to you and me? There is a coming in judgment upon people. Look at the newspapers, at the teacher and little girls killed in Jonesboro, Arkansas. How did they know when that fire alarm went off that their lives were about to end? They didn't. You see, that's the message we have to get across to people. You don't know when you're going to meet God. You might leave your home today and be hit by a truck at the stop sign. God forbid that would happen. But we don't know God's timetable. That's why it is so important for our unbelieving friends to understand their need for salvation. When you listen to people talk, listen in the context of 'How can I bring Jesus into this conversation? How can I bring up salvation in this conversation?' Because it is so important to say to people, "you don't know when God is coming, and you've got to be ready."

Q: If you have someone who has not come to Christ, is their physical death their day of judgment?

A: Yes. What the Scripture teaches is that to be absent from the body is to be with the Lord, for the godly, which is heaven. To be absent from the body is to be separated from the Lord for the ungodly, which is hell.

In this particular part of Matthew 24, it's very clear that there were to be no signs of Jerusalem's imminent judgment. Of course, this runs counter to what many people talk about as 'the signs of the times' in Matthew 24:4 and following. But even there, if you look carefully at what Jesus is saying, He is saying, "These things are NOT signs. Don't be fooled and led astray by earthquakes and famines and wars and rumors of war. They are NOT signs of the imminent destruction of the Temple. Again, remember that's the disciple's question Jesus is answering.

Jesus is saying in verse 8: But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. The beginning of the birth of what? The Church. Even as the old Jewish era passes away, the new Church era comes onto the scene as Christianity explodes into the world.