Dulcie Copeland’s excellent entry in 9-12 category
Some wonderful art entries in our Covid19 Art & Writing Competition
Kirsten Villa’s 2nd Place winning entry in the 9-12 category
Some wonderful art entries in our Covid19 Art & Writing Competition
Sanhee Kim 7 y.o.
Helen Troughton 2nd place in the adult section
'As the days of Noah'
Recently, I have heard some people suggesting we can’t know the day or hour of Jesus’ coming, but we can know the month or year because of signs, or because of Jesus having to come at the time of the feast of trumpets.
I am not convinced of this because the Bible says Jesus is coming as a thief in the night. Can we know what week, month or year a thief is coming to rob us? Can we watch for signs of what week, month or year a thief is coming upon us? Of course not.
Jesus point therefore is we must be prepared always because we do not know when He is coming. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said the angels don’t know. Only the Father knows. Verse 44 says He is coming at an hour we do not expect. Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:7 it’s not for them to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 confirms it is not for Christians to know the times and seasons because they know the day of the Lord comes ‘as a thief in the night’ (and I repeat nobody knows what week, month or year a thief is coming). He also didn’t need to write to them about times and seasons because, He says, they are children of light (and therefore safe), not darkness, so the day won’t overtake them as a thief as it will those who are children of darkness. Then he shows their watching is keeping on the armour of God. If we study the scriptures carefully, the call in the scriptures to ‘Watch’ is always a call to be spiritually ready or prepared.
So, what about the pestilence of Corona Virus we are experiencing now? Is this an added sign of the near coming of Christ? In light of the above, the answer must be ‘no’, because you don’t get signs for the week, month or year of a thief coming in the night. The thief’s coming, whenever they come, is typically unexpected. Again, Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 24:44 to be ready because He is coming at a time they do not expect.
But you might ask, well what about the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24 as a statement about knowable and useful guiding signs for Christ’s coming? Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 must obviously deal with two major events: firstly, for that generation, the destruction of the temple/end of the age for Israel and the Old Covenant in AD 70, and secondly the Second Coming and passing away of heaven and earth (Matthew 24:35, 2 Peter 3:7:13). For the first major event there were many signs to help them know the destruction of the temple etc was near, even at the doors. History records (and I can email you the evidence if you want) there were extremely heightened wars, famines, earthquakes, pestiliences, persecutions of Christians leading up to AD 70. The gospel was preached to the known world (Col. 1:23). The sign of Jerusalem being surrounded/the abomination of desolation etc so that Christians knew when to flee Jerusalem before great distress/tribulation (Luke 21:20-24) occurred.
However, for the second major event referred to in Matthew 24, remember it comes as a thief in the night, unexpectedly and unpredictably. “But of that day and hour no one knows …” (Matthew 24:36).
We are in lockdown now in NZ, as are many nations. Building houses is not an essential service. It has stopped. People can’t go to the shop anymore to buy plants to plant. Weddings are postponed. People can’t enjoy eating and drinking at parties. Life is not going on normally as it was in the days of Noah.
For us today, I would also query whether the way the world is right now with this worldwide shut down is ripe for Jesus’ coming. Jesus uses the ‘as in the days of Noah’ phrase as a comparator for the final day of His coming. He uses it to say that when he comes life will be going on normally with eating, drinking, marrying, planting, building etc (Matthew 24:37-39, Luke 17:26-27). That is not a picture of many places in the world right now and things are about to get far worse for a while.
Please therefore don’t be alarmed if prophetic teachers are teaching that this virus/pestilence is a sign of the coming of Christ. But be alarmed because you don’t know when you or your loved ones lives are to end. This virus is deadly for some, particularly the elderly, but not only for them. Please be ready spiritually to meet your maker because we never know the time when we will die or when He will come.
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Last week The Armour of God - Great strength when it is part of who we are was posted.