Our Lord clearly and consistently told His hearers, including the disciples, that He would come again. He would remind them that His suffering (death of cross) would precede His coming again in great glory. A lengthy discourse and description is given of His second coming to earth in Matthew 24. All of that passage will not be quoted here for lack of space, but every reader is urged to read it for himself—The Lord admonished His hearers to be ready or prepared so as not to be caught unawares. This readiness has to do with being prepared in heart, head, and the life lived.
It must be understood that the believer’s hope in this dispensation is not necessarily the return of Christ to earth, but rather His coming for His church and to appear with Him in the glory. However, many things can be learned from the truth of this great discourse in Matthew. It is said by our Lord in Matthew 24:29:
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour the Lord doth come.”
Then in Matthew 24:44, He says:
“Therefore be ye ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.”
These two expressions, “ye know not” and “ye think not,” characterize men of all ages in regard to all the great events of Scripture. It is especially noteworthy, though, in regards to His coming again. Men today often speak of “the body of knowledge.” The emphasis is upon the intellectual accomplishments and achievements of man. The lack of knowledge of God’s Word is vastly more overwhelming than man’s knowledge of worldly or secular things.
The first and foremost truth man should know is the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. But if he refuses to acknowledge that he is a sinner and that he needs the sacrifice of Christ for his sin, he can never become a child of God. Also, man, even the saved ones, often have very little desire to know that their Saviour should be the Lord of their lives. To acknowledge Him as Lord means He is to be in charge of their affairs, and they are to seek His will in all matters (Romans 12:1-2).
Then, we should know and acknowledge that He is the Head of the church, the body of Christ. Men seem to know and learn about the “heads of state,” the “heads of religious organizations,” etc., but fail to grasp the truth that He is our Head (Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 1:15-19).
The Lord Jesus said, “Ye think not” in reference to His coming. Why this expression? It showed a lack of interest and diligence on men’s part. People think about things they are interested in. We often show a great deal of interest in world affairs, but little interest in the affairs of the Word. If we think about the Lord, we will be aware of His presence. If we know and think about His coming, we are more likely to be ready or prepared for His coming. A companion passage of Scripture is found in Luke 12:45-48 and should be studied in the light of dispensational theology.
It is good to be “thinking ” and “knowing” believers. Paul says, “Think on these things” (Philippians 4:8), and how wonderful to “know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
