Matthew 24:26-35 - March 9, 2010
Matthew 24:26-35 - March 9, 2010
"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
Matthew 24:26-35
Toward the end of World War II, the people of Warsaw, Poland were picking through the rubble of their city. Bombs and shells had leveled virtually every building, until only a few chimneys remained standing; grotesque and useless obelisks against the iron gray sky. But the Poles looked up in wonder at one wall of a building that was still standing. It was the only remaining wall of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The wall bore a sign with letters that were still clearly legible even after the many bombardments: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
There will come a day when there will be even greater destruction than any war has inflicted. On the last day, God will dismantle his created universe: he will extinguish the light of the sun as easily as blowing out a candle; the universe will be taken apart as easily as pulling apart the pieces of jigsaw puzzle. The Bible says, "The heavens will disappear with a roar" (2 Peter 3:10), "and the sky [will be] rolled up like a scroll." (Isaiah 34:4)
But Jesus’ Word will not pass away, even when all of creation disintegrates at the command of God. Just as he said, Jesus will appear, and his coming will not be hidden or secret, but visible to all. It will be as obvious as a lightning flash in the dark of night. Everyone will see him, even those who pierced him (Revelation 1:7). Those who rejected him in unbelief will cringe in terror at the sight of him who will appear in the fullness of his divine glory. But when believers see him on that day, all their hopes will be fulfilled. The Son of God who had humbled himself for their salvation, shall return in glory and fulfill his promise to take them to be with him in heaven. Troubles and trials of earthly existence will be left behind and forgotten. All the time spent worrying about what tomorrow might bring will be over. Every believer from every corner of the earth, from every age gone by, will be gathered by God’s angels to be with the Lord forever.
For those in Jesus, the end of the world is a door that opens into the infinity of the joy and blessings that he has prepared for them in heaven. So declares the Word of God that will never pass away.
Savior Jesus, increase my confidence in your unfailing promise that you will come back and take me to heaven. Teach me not to fear the events of the end of world because you are my Savior who has taken away my sin and assured me that I have life with God forever. Amen.
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