Matthew 24

Matthew 24:1-14

Chapter 68 “When shall these things be?”“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:1-14) Matthew 24 is a chapter filled with prophetic things. Much of the prophesy of this chapter is yet unfulfilled. Much of it has been fulfilled already. But all of it is of great interest and very instructive to us. Whenever we approach any portion of Scripture, we should do so with deep humility, realizing that we are reading, studying, and seeking to understand the Word of God. Therefore, we must earnestly pray for the illumination, direction, and teaching of the Holy Spirit, who alone can give us understanding in the Word of Truth. I suppose that there has been more disagreement among true gospel preachers about the proper interpretation of Matthew 24 than most any other passage of Holy Scripture. That is terribly regrettable. Yet, men who truly love Christ, his Word, and the gospel of his grace sometimes find it impossible to labor together in the cause of Christ because one holds to one interpretation of this passage and one another. I do not pretend to have the answers to all the questions that are raised about the prophesies contained in these verses. I do not think that our Lord intended for us to fully comprehend them until they come to pass. Otherwise, he would not have answered the disciples’ questions so ambiguously. It was our Lord’s disciples who asked, “When shall these things be?” I am certain that the question itself revealed a weakness and an improper curiosity in those faithful men, even as it reveals a weakness and an improper curiosity in those who are overly concerned about prophetic issues today. (See Acts 1:6-8.) Prophecy cannot be fully and clearly understood until the thing foretold has come to pass. (Compare Acts 2:16 with Joe 2:28-32.) Without question, this entire chapter is the answer that our Lord gave to the question the disciples asked in verse three: “When shall these things be?” It is a question which related to three things specifically: the judgment of God upon Jerusalem, the second coming of Christ, and the end of the world. Some parts of this chapter deal with one of these things, some another, and some the third. Much of what our Lord said in response to the disciples question may be applied to two of those events; and some of his answers must be applied to all three. Spurgeon was exactly right when he wrote, “When we have clearer light, we may possibly perceive that our Savior’s predictions on this memorable occasion had some connection with all three of these great events.” Our Lord was always practical in his instruction. When he preached, he always gave his hearers practical doctrine. Though they were curious about when these things would happen, he knew that it was far more important for them to know both what to expect in this world and what was expected of them. Rather than directly answering their question, the Master gave them some general hints as to when they might expect to see these things come to pass and seized the opportunity to teach them very important, practical lessons which he knew they needed to learn. Seven of these lessons are found in the first fourteen verses of the chapter. These seven lessons are as applicable to us as they were to them. And they shall be applicable to every generation of believers who shall follow us until time shall be no more. We must never judge God’s blessings, or God’s works by external things. — “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:1-2). When our Lord Jesus went out of the temple, never to return to it, the glory was departed from it. The prophet Haggai wrote, “The glory of this latter house should be greater than the former.” And it was truly made so by the presence of the incarnate God, when he entered it, in substance of our flesh (Haggai 2:9). Yet, the second temple built at Jerusalem, after the Babylonian captivity, lacked much of the glory that was in the original temple built by Solomon. It did not have the Urim and Thummim, the ark of the covenant, the constantly burning fire upon the altar, the manifest presence of God (the Shechinah), or the spirit of prophecy. When the Lord Jesus entered the temple, the presence of the incarnate God was the sum and substance of that glory to which all those things faintly pointed, and fulfilled Haggai’s prophecy. When the Lord Jesus left the temple, that which he declared in the previous chapter was fulfilled. — “Your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38). As they walked away, those words must have echoed in the disciples’ ears. — “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” They turned back to look at that spectacular building, with its great stones, beautiful gates, and rich adornments, and came to show it to the Master. To them it was a glorious thing to behold. To him it was a sad, sad sight. That which had been his Father’s house, which ought to have been a house of prayer, had become a den of thieves. That place, where once God dwelt and manifested his glory, was now the object of his judgment and must soon be destroyed. How much like these disciples we are. We delight in the temporal prosperity of the church, her buildings, her wealth, her numbers and those things that impress men, as though such things really matter, as though they will last. That is a great mistake. All that is external will perish. “The things which are seen are temporal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Only that which is wrought of God is substantial (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Our Lord’s prophecy of the temple’s destruction was fulfilled when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. Not one stone of that magnificent structure was left standing upon another. Micah prophesied, “Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps” (Micah 3:12); and his prophecy was fulfilled. Let every redeemed sinner, when he reads of the Savior forever abandoning that physical temple and finally destroying it, rejoice in the fact that he will never leave his people (his church), who are his true temple (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). None shall destroy those he has bought with his precious blood (Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33-39). If we care for our souls, we must always exercise great care not to be deceived by false prophets and false religion. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (vv.4-12). Our Lord’s plain words are, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Those are the first words out of his mouth in response to the disciples’ question. Do not take them lightly. It is absolutely wrong to try to make the things described in these verse fit any single period of time. These things could be applied to every age, including the one in which we live. Therefore, this warning is as needful today as it was in the New Testament era and as it shall be in the ages of time that may yet come. I cannot imagine a more needful warning. “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Satan knows how easily men and women are deceived. Robert Hawker wrote… False Christs and false prophets are signs always to be noticed in the Church history. Wars, and rumors of wars are all ministering to Christ’s kingdom. Every period in the Church to the present hour hath been marked with these things. They are exercises to the faithful, and truly profitable, under the Spirit’s teaching, to establish the heart in grace. We must take heed not to be deceived by false Christs (v.5). There were many in the days prior to the destruction of Jerusalem who arose, claiming to be the Lord’s Anointed One. Multitudes followed them, just as multitudes follow the Russells, the Campbells, the Jones, the Moons, and the Koreshes of our day. But there is a far greater deception than that of any mere man claiming that he is the Christ. Modern religion presents men with a false Christ in the preaching of Arminian, free will, works religion. There is but one true Christ.

He is that Christ, who is, according to the infallible testimony of God the Spirit in Holy Scripture, God the Son (John 1:1-3). He who is the Christ is the Surety of an everlasting covenant (Hebrews 7:22), who came to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21); and he has accomplished all that he came into this world to do (Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 10:10-14). He who is the Christ is the Substitute and Redeemer, who shall be satisfied with the results of his redemptive, saving work (Isaiah 53:10-12). A Christ who tries to save but fails, who tries to redeem but fails, who seeks but does not find, who calls any who do not obey his call is a false Christ, an impostor, and antichrist! We must not be deceived by the trials of life we are called to endure, or by the opposition we endure from the religious world around us (vv.6-11). When wars, and famines, and persecutions come, by which many are offended, we must continue looking to Christ, clinging to Christ, trusting Christ. When others fall, we must not allow Satan to get an advantage of us. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by any of the many false prophets Satan raises up to destroy our souls (v.11). We face no greater danger to our souls than false prophets and false religion (Matthew 7:13-15; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Galatians 1:6-8; Galatians 3:1-3; Galatians 5:1-4; Colossians 2:8-23). Do not be deceived by the doctrine of the day. That doctrine which exalts the flesh, making man feel and think well of himself, is antichrist. Any doctrine that abases God our Savior, robbing him of his absolute holiness, sovereignty, justice, and efficacy in all his works, is antichrist. Though heretics come performing miracles and speaking in tongues, though all the world runs after them, our Master says, “Take heed that no man deceive you!” We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by the apostasy of others (v.12). When iniquity abounds among those who profess to be followers of Christ, and those who once appeared to burn with love and zeal for his name have become altogether indifferent to it, let us seek the company and companionship of those who yet seek to honor our Master, lest we be drugged by the poison that is in the hearts of the apostate. We must never expect to see the triumph of the gospel and the kingdom of God until the warfare between the serpent and the Savior is over. This is a warning every bit as important as the last one. Far too often men get discouraged in the work of the ministry, and church members get discouraged in the service of Christ, because they expect to see the fruit of their labors in this world. Do not expect peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace has made all things new. Do not expect moral purity from people who do not know God. Do not expect the world to be converted to Christ. Our Lord teaches us plainly that these things will not happen while time shall stand. Troublous times lie before us. Heresies and persecutions will continue to abound. Doors that are now opened to us may soon be shut. These are the facts plainly revealed in these verses. But there are other lessons here, too. We must not allow these things to trouble our hearts. — “See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass” (v.6). None of these things will ever cause any injury to Christ, his church, or his people. Anything that appears to be injurious to God’s elect, or appears to be overturning his will and purpose will ultimately prove otherwise, and will be seen to have been only the instrument by which our God has wisely and graciously accomplished his will and that which is best for his people. — “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Corinthians 11:19). When the apostle Paul had explained, by divine inspiration, the very things our Savior spoke of in Matthew 23, 24, he was overwhelmed by the wisdom and goodness of our God in sovereignly overruling evil for good. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36) We must persevere and endure all these things in faith. — “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (v.13). Though tempted, tried, persecuted, and troubled by many things, we must persevere, we must continue looking to Christ. If we are truly his, we shall. Grace will keep us still! “The righteous shall hold on his way,” because all the righteous are held in the grip of God’s omnipotent grace (John 10:27-28; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:7). Every true believer shall endure in the pure doctrine of the gospel, though many are deceived by false religion. And enduring in the faith of Christ, being kept by the power of his grace, they shall be saved from all temporal trouble, and with everlasting salvation. Though we are weak, helpless, defenseless sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Shepherd, wise, good, and strong. Because Christ is our Shepherd, we are secure in him. This is what the Son of God, our dear Shepherd, says concerning all his sheep: “They shall never perish!” With those words, the Son of God declares the absolute, infallible, unwavering security of God’s elect in Christ. Those who are born of God must and shall persevere. They will continue in the faith of Christ. God’s elect both believe and keep on believing. The true believer begins in faith, lives in faith, and dies in faith. True faith never quits (Matthew 10:20; John 8:31; 1 Corinthians 15:1; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 3:14). The Word of God is very clear in this matter: Only those who continue in the faith shall enter into glory. This is the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints. Believers persevere in faith, because we are preserved in Christ by almighty grace. Not one of God’s elect shall ever perish. The Word of God teaches the preservation of the saints just as plainly, just as fully, just as forcibly as it teaches the perseverance of the saints. Perseverance is the believer continuing in faith. Preservation is God keeping his people in faith. Perseverance is the believer holding Christ by the hand of faith. Preservation is Christ holding the believer by the hand of grace. “Jesus is our God and Savior, Guide, and Counselor, and Friend: He will never, never leave us, Nor will let us quite leave Him.” Having Christ as our Shepherd, all of God’s sheep are absolutely secure in his hands. It is not possible for any true believer to perish, because we are preserved by the grace of God in Christ. We must learn to look upon this world and everything in it like scaffolding to a building. This world exists only for the building of God’s church and kingdom. Like scaffolding, it must come down once the building is complete. “Then shall the end come.” Long ago Shakespeare wrote, “The world is a stage.” Perhaps he said more than he knew, but he was exactly right. This world is a stage for action, a scaffold upon which God does his work, and a place for graves, in which the bodies of sleeping saints are laid to rest in hope of the resurrection. When the human race shall have performed their various predestined parts, when the Building of mercy (the Church of God) is complete, when the appointed day of resurrection has come, time shall be no more. That will bring on the long-awaited midnight cry, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh” (Matthew 25:6). Then this stage shall come down.

The scaffolding will be put away. All that “sleep in their graves shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt” (Daniel 12:2). At last, when all that must be has been, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise! His glorious beams shall bring on the blessed morning of that great, eternal day, “in which the upright shall surely have dominion” (Psalms 49:14). In that day, when the Son of God makes all things new, the wicked, the unbelieving, who seem always to prosper in this world, shall be turned into hell; and the righteous, the believing, who seem always to suffer, “shall inherit all things” (Revelation 21:5-7). “Then shall the end come.” The very last thing that shall be done, the very last act of Christ as the Savior of his people shall be the deliverance of his Church and Kingdom up to the Father, perfect, complete, and glorious, without spot or wrinkle, “that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Then our God will make all things new! It is the duty, responsibility, and privilege of God’s people to preach the gospel in all the world. — “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (v.14). This is the means by which God will save his elect (Romans 1:15-17). And this will be the basis of divine judgment in the last day (2 Corinthians 2:14-17). Let us be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, obeying the commission he has given us, knowing that our labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Matthew 24:4-24

Chapter 70 False Christs and the True “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:4-5; Matthew 24:21-24) The Word of God warns us plainly and repeatedly that in the last days, the days in which we now live, many false Christs would appear, that many would claim to be Christ who are impostors, false Christs and deceivers, and that many false prophets would arise pointing us to these false Christs, saying, “Lo, here is Christ, or there.” As you care for your soul, as you care for the souls of your family, as you care for the souls of perishing men and women, and as you care for the truth of God and the glory of God, I urge you to give earnest heed to the words of the Son of God in this passage. The plain fact is there are many false Christs, many antichrists, by whom the souls of men are deceived and damned. I want to be as charitable, kind, and gracious as I can; but charity, kindness, and grace will not allow me to be silent while immortal souls are deceived and God’s glory is trampled beneath the feet of men. If you trust a false Christ, you cannot be saved any more than you could be saved by trusting a tadpole. We are called of God to trust, love, follow, and obey the true Christ and him only. Salvation is promised to none but those who trust the true Christ. Therefore, we are warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” We must take heed to the teachings of Holy Scripture, lest we be deceived by some false Christ. The Liberals’ Christ The false Christ presented by liberals was a social do-gooder. “Of course,” we are told, “he is not God.” The virgin birth, the incarnation, the resurrection are all things that must be understood allegorically. In fact, the Christ of the liberals is considered by many to be a man of very questionable moral character. Any who are deceived by liberal theology and the Christ of the liberals are willingly deceived. We are not deceived by the Christ of the liberals. Only a prating fool would pretend to be a Christian while teaching what liberals do concerning Christ. The Christ of the liberals is a false Christ. All who trust the Christ of the liberals are lost. The Cults’ Christ The false Christ presented by various cults is represented to us as a good man, a prophet, a teacher of morality, the first and greatest creation of God, or even a sort of secondary god. But the Christ of the cults is never represented as the true and eternal God. Their Christ receives his existence from another god, one who is greater than he is. This, of course, is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by him. The Christ of the cults is a false Christ. All who trust the Christ of the cults are lost. The Papists’ Christ Roman Catholicism proclaims another false Christ. The papists profess that Jesus Christ is God, that he came into the world as a man, that he suffered the wrath of God as a substitute for sinners, that he died, was buried, rose again the third day, ascended back to heaven, and that he is coming again. But the Christ of Romanism is not a complete Savior. The Christ of Rome cannot save sinners without their own good works, the intercessions of priests, and the sacraments of the church. The Christ of Rome is not the Christ of the Bible. We are not deceived by him.

Though many are damned by the darkness of Roman Catholic idolatry, that is not a danger and deception by which any who read these lines are likely to be deceived. The Christ of the papists, we know, is a false Christ. All who trust the Christ of Rome are lost. The Arminians’ Christ However, there is a false Christ much more dangerous than the antichrists of the liberals, the cults, and the papists. There is a false Christ by whom the souls of men have been deceived for years, by whom millions are being deceived today. In fact, I am compelled to say, the vast majority of those who profess faith in Christ are followers of this false Christ, who will ultimately lead them to eternal ruin. This Christ, this antichrist, is such a dangerous and deceptive Christ that our Lord tells us he would deceive the very elect, were it not impossible for God’s elect to be deceived (Matthew 24:24). He must be identified. The Christ I speak of is the false Christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion. Few think it uncharitable to denounce the false Christs of liberals, cults, and papists as antichrists, and warn men that following those false Christs will result in everlasting damnation. Yet, whenever anyone boldly asserts that the Christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is a false Christ, and that all who trust him are lost, he is immediately castigated as an evil man. Be that as it may, as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, I am responsible to warn you of the danger of this antichrist. The Christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is extremely dangerous because in many ways he appears to be the true Christ. The free-willers and work-mongers of this age tell us that Christ is the true God, in every way equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. They even assert that he saves by grace alone, without the works of man. They insist vehemently that good works play no part in their salvation. The devotees of this Christ will have nothing to do with the Christ of the liberals, the cults, or the papists. But “take heed that no man deceive you.” Do not be fooled. The Christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion is not the Christ of the Bible. He is a false Christ. All who trust this false Christ are lost, too. The Issue Be sure you understand the issue. The issue is not what or how much does a person have to know to be saved. The issue is who. Who must I know? The answer to that question is plainly stated in John 17:3. We must know the true God and the true Christ. Let me make five comparisons of the false Christ of modern religion, the Christ of Arminian, freewill, works religion, with the Christ of the Bible. When you have considered these five comparisons in the light of Holy Scripture, I have no doubt that you will see the obvious distinctions between the false Christs and the true. The Christ of modern, freewill, works religion loves everyone in the universe and wants to save them. We are told that Christ loves all men alike, desires the salvation of all men alike, and is gracious to all men alike. That makes the love, will, and grace of Christ helpless and useless. But that language cannot be applied to the Christ of the Bible. If God loves all men without exception and some are not saved, what does the love of God have to do with anyone’s salvation? Absolutely nothing! If that were the case, God’s love would be fickle, changeable, and meaningless. It could give no comfort to anyone. But God says his love is saving (Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 31:38-40). Thank God, he does love many; but he does not love everyone (Romans 9:13). The true Christ, the Christ of the Bible, the saving Christ loves his people, wills and prays for the salvation of his people, and is gracious to his people, the people unconditionally chosen unto salvation from eternity, whom he came to save (Psalms 5:5; Psalms 7:11; Psalms 11:5; Matthew 1:21; Matthew 11:27; John 10:16; John 17:9-10; Acts 13:48; Romans 9:21-24; Ephesians 1:3-6). The Christ of modern, freewill, works religion tries to save everyone. We are told that he offers salvation to every sinner and does everything he can to save them all; but that his offer is rejected and his work is frustrated by the will of those who refuse to come to him and be saved. If God the Holy Spirit calls all sinners alike to life and faith in Christ and some die without faith, what does the Spirit’s call have to do with anyone’s salvation? Absolutely nothing! If his grace can be resisted, it is not the distinguishing factor in salvation. But God says it is (John 6:63; 1 Corinthians 4:7). The Christ of the Bible does not merely offer salvation. He performs it. Grace is not an offer. It is an operation. The Son of God effectually calls to himself all his elect, his sheep, and sovereignly works salvation in them by the irresistible power and grace of his Holy Spirit. Not one of them will be lost. Is this, or is it not the teaching of Holy Scripture? (Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3; Isaiah 55:11; John 5:21; John 6:37-40; John 10:3; John 10:25-30; John 17:2; Philippians 2:13) The false Christ of Arminianism cannot regenerate and save anyone who does not first choose to be saved by him. We are told that man has a freewill, but that Christ’s will is bound by and must wait upon man’s will because it would not be right for him to violate man’s will. If it is the will of God that everyone be saved and some perish in hell, what does the will of God have to do with anyone’s salvation? Absolutely nothing! His will would be frustrated, defeated and reversed. But God says his will is absolute, unalterable (Isaiah 14:24). Salvation comes only by God’s irresistible will (Romans 9:16). The true, saving Christ does violate man’s imaginary freewill; and I am very thankful that he does. Had he not violated my freewill, I would be lost or in hell now. The same is true of you. He sovereignly regenerates and saves every chosen, redeemed sinner. His operations of grace are totally independent of the will and choice of the sinner. Apart from his work of grace in us, spiritually dead sinners never would or could believe on him and come to him in faith. Faith is not our contribution to the work of salvation. Our faith in him is the result, not the cause of God’s saving operations. — “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (John 3:3-7; John 6:44; John 6:65; John 15:16; Acts 11:18; Romans 2:4; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:29; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 12:2). The false Christ of modern, Arminian, freewill, works, man-centered religion died on the cross for everyone in the world, to make it possible for everyone in the world to be saved, but actually secured no one’s salvation by his death. We are told that Christ by his death made it possible for all men to be redeemed, justified, and saved, but that his death has no efficacy and saving power for anyone until they believe on him. Thus, we are informed that the Son of God died in vain for all who perish in unbelief. Though he tried to save them, he failed. If Christ died to redeem everyone and some yet die under the wrath of God, what does the blood of Christ have to do with anyone’s salvation? Absolutely nothing! If Christ died for those in hell as well as those in glory, his blood is of no value at all. It saves no one. It does not wash away sin. It was shed in vain! But God says all for whom Christ’s blood was shed shall be eternally saved by it (Isaiah 53:10-11; John 10:15; John 10:25; Romans 8:34). The Christ of God is not a frustrated failure. He died for God’s elect and effectually put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. Having satisfied the justice of God for us, he obtained eternal salvation for us. We were and are forever pardoned, justified, and sanctified by his blood (Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 20:28; John 10:14-15; John 10:26; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9-10; Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 3:18; Revelation 5:9-10). The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ shall never be discovered a miscarriage. I realize that there is a great division among religious people regarding Christ’s atonement. I am sorry such division exists, but it does. Most religious people believe what is called universal, or general redemption. They believe that the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood for every person in the world and that the intention of Christ in his death was the eternal salvation of all men. Here are three inescapable conclusions which must be accepted by all who believe that doctrine. — (1.) If it was the intention of the Son of God to redeem and save all men and yet some are not saved, then the purpose of Christ in his death has been frustrated. — (2.) If the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood to save every person in the world and some of those for whom He died go to hell anyway, then, for those who perish, Christ died in vain. — (3.) If Christ died to make atonement for all men and to save all men, and some yet perish under the wrath of God, then Christ failed in his mission. His work of redemption is a failure. These blasphemous absurdities no child of God can tolerate. They rob Christ of his glory in redemption, destroy the foundation of hope for sinners, and call into question the very Godhood of our Savior. If he is a failure, if he fails to save all whom he came to save, he is not God. Yet, if the doctrine of universal, general redemption is believed, these blasphemous conclusions must be accepted. Indeed, there are many who acknowledge these blasphemous absurdities, while claiming to be the servants of God. Noel Smith was my first theology professor. He taught biblical interpretation and theology at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. As he endeavored to describe hell, this is what he wrote… “What is hell? It is an infinite negation. And it is more than that. I tell you, and I say it with profound reverence, hell is a ghastly monument to the failure of the triune God to save the multitudes who are there. I say it reverently. I say it with every nerve of my body tense. Sinners go to hell because God almighty himself couldn’t save them! He did everything he could. He failed!” Even as an eighteen year old boy, I found that horrendous statement shocking. Yet, I have heard statements similar to it repeated on numerous occasions by radio and television preachers. Jerry Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, who was one of Mr. Smith’s earliest pupils in Springfield, also asserts that God is a failure. Several years ago, I heard him assert, “If you go to hell, you will go to that awful place, in spite of the fact that God himself has done everything he possibly could to save you.” Shortly after hearing Falwell’s statement, Al Geisler, who was at the time, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Danville, Kentucky made this statement, as he begged sinners to let Jesus save them at the end of a radio sermon. — “Jesus loved you, died for you, and has done everything he can to save you; but it will all be in vain unless you believe. What a shame it will be that Jesus’ death will be in vain for so many.” I agree.

It would be a terrible shame and embarrassment, not for the lost sinner, but for him! It would not be a failure on the sinner’s part, but a failure on his part, if he died to save anyone he fails to save! Such statements are nothing less than the blasphemous denial of Christ’s deity. I repeat, if he is a failure, he is not God. The false Christ of Arminianism loses many who have been saved by him because they do not hang on, hold out, or persevere to the end. Among the heretical Baptists and most Protestants of our day, some do grant that the sinner has what has come to be called “eternal security.” But it is not security based upon the will, work, and purpose of God in Christ. It is not security based upon the blood of Christ, or the operations of his Spirit. According to the freewiller, all these things are done for all people alike. So their doctrine of “eternal security” is a declaration of security based upon the choice and will of man, not the choice and will of God. The true Christ, the saving Christ, the Christ of the Bible preserves his chosen, redeemed, called ones by his almighty grace so that they cannot fall away and perish at last. We are kept in life, grace, and faith by the immutability of his will, the power of his blood, the efficacy of his grace, the seal of his Spirit, and the perfection of his intercession (Malachi 3:6; John 5:24; John 10:26-29; Romans 8:28-39; 1 Peter 1:2-5; Jude 1:24-25). At first glance, the Christ of modern, Arminian, freewill, works religion may seem to closely resemble the true Christ, the Christ of Scripture. But he does not. The one is a false Christ, antichrist. The other is true, the Christ of God. One is weak and helpless, waiting upon and bowing to the will of man. The other is the sovereign Lord, who wills what he pleases and does what he will. The one is supposed to be able to save with your cooperation. The other is able to save without any cooperation on your part. His salvation produces your cooperation. Those who believe on and serve the false Christ of freewill, works religion do not believe on and serve the Christ of the Bible. They are deceived. They are lost. And they shall forever perish under the wrath of God, unless they come to know and trust the Christ of God who saves his people from their sins by himself. We must, as we fear God and care for the souls of men, have no fellowship with and give no credibility to Arminian, freewill, works religion (2 Corinthians 6:14 to 2 Corinthians 7:1; Revelation 18:4). We must, in these days of darkness, deception, and delusion, proclaim the Christ of God in all his saving fullness, grace, and glory. He alone is able to save (Romans 1:15-17). Let us ever adore, praise, and extol the Lord Jesus Christ alone and completely as our great Savior (Isaiah 59:16).

Matthew 24:15-28

Chapter 69 Where the Carcass is Eagles Gather“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (Matthew 24:15-28) In these verses our Lord is answering the questions his disciples asked about the destruction of the temple, his second coming, and the end of the world (Matthew 24:3). The verses that are now before us have specific application to the destruction of Jerusalem and our Lord’s second coming. But we must not make the mistake of imagining that they contain no message for us. These things, too, were written for our learning and admonition. The Lord Jesus Christ so graciously cares for his own that he tenderly prepares them for the trials they must face in this world; and the means by which he does this is his Word. There are several things we should learn from these words of our Savior. A Complete End When the Lord God destroyed Jerusalem, the temple, and the nation of Israel, he made a complete end of the old, Mosaic, legal system of worship. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:15-21) The primary subject of these verses is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Romans. The horrors and miseries endured by the Jews in that horrible time of destruction exceeded anything recorded in the history of the world. Josephus, the Jewish historian, gives a graphic, detailed account of the havoc inflicted upon the Jewish nation by Titus. Not including the ones that perished in the city itself, more than a million Jews were slaughtered. About 100,000 were carried into slavery. That truly was a time of “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world.” Those men and women who blasphemously cried, “Let his blood be upon us and upon our children,” had no idea what they were doing.

But the Lord God heard their cry and answered it in the severity of his strict justice. And with the destruction of their city, he destroyed their entire system of worship. Jerusalem and the temple in it were the heart of Old Testament worship. When that was destroyed, the whole legal system was destroyed, destroyed because it had all been fulfilled by Christ. The daily sacrifices, the yearly feasts, the mercy-seat, the holy of holies, the priesthood, the altar, the table of showbread, all were essential parts of worship during the legal dispensation. But once Christ came, the legal system ceased to have any function. God destroyed it forever. “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4; Colossians 2:8-23). We have no earthly temple because Christ is our temple. We have no material altar because Christ is our altar. We have no earthly mercy-seat because Christ is our mercy-seat. We observe no sabbath days because Christ is our sabbath. In Christ we are totally free from the yoke of legal bondage (Romans 7:4; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:13-26).Exercise Wisdom A second lesson to be learned in this passage is not so trite as it might at first appear. Did you notice in Matthew 24:16 that our Lord plainly told his disciples to flee from certain death at the hands of persecuting tyrants? Sometimes, our wisest and most proper course of action is to flee. Prudence is always proper. Many might think that fleeing from persecution is an indication of cowardice. It is not. Without question, we are to confess Christ before men, and be willing to die for him should providence demand it in the path of duty. But there are times when more grace is required to be quiet than to act rashly. Let us never walk away from known duty. Let us never deny or even be willing to compromise the gospel of Christ. But it is altogether proper for us to exercise wisdom and use good, sound judgment in all matters. In our day, at least in Western countries, the violence of physical persecution is not an immediate threat to the followers of Christ. Yet, the Savior’s instruction is just as applicable to us as it was to those who heard him speak these words. When trouble arises, let us flee to our Refuge (Psalms 143:9; Proverbs 18:10). When controversies rage among men, where the glory of God is not at stake, rather than engaging in them, we would be wise to flee from them. God’s Constant Care God’s elect are always the objects of his special love and tender care. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:22-24) I remind you that the world is but scaffold for the building of God’s church and kingdom. The reprobate reap many of the benefits of providence. But the objects of providence are “the elect.” Those days of tribulation were shortened “for the elect’s sake.”This will be of tremendous help if you can get hold of it. God’s care is for his elect. He hears their prayers. He keeps them by his Spirit.

He orders all the affairs of the world for their good (Romans 8:28). He allows neither men nor devils to harm them. He sacrifices men and nations for them (Isaiah 43:5-7). Be wise and make your calling and election sure. Tribulation and trouble are sure to attend our lives in this world. But in the midst of our earthly woes, here are three soft pillows for your aching head: (1.) Electing Love, (2.) Our Crucified Savior, and (3.) Divine Providence.

God does everything “for the elect’s sake.”Many Antichrists “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” (Matthew 24:24-26). There are many antichrists in this world (1 John 4:1-4). I have no problem at all in stating, as our forefathers did in great faithfulness, that the pope is antichrist and the church of Rome is antichrist. I do not mean that is the way it used to be. I mean that his unholiness, the pope, is antichrist. Roman Catholicism is antichrist. That fact cannot be stated too often, or too emphatically. However, it is a serious mistake to limit antichrist to one man, or one religious sect. Antichrist was already at work in the Apostolic age. John said many antichrists had gone out into the world. Paul had to contend with antichrists at Galatia, Colosse, Corinth, and Jerusalem. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 Mat 24:3 describes antichrist as “the man of sin, the son of perdition.” Antichrist is one who opposes God, exalts himself above God, and/or sits himself up in the temple of God to be worshipped as God, showing that he is God. That is to say, antichrist is any system of religion, any man, any preacher, any church, any denomination that makes salvation to be dependent upon or determined by the will, works, and worth of man, rather than the will, works, and worth of Christ. It does not matter whether that system of religion is conservative or liberal, a mainline Protestant Church or a wild cult, Baptist or Methodist, Pentecostal or Presbyterian. Any church, doctrine, preacher, or religious system that makes man the center-piece is antichrist. Let me be understood. Those who teach that God’s will can be altered, hindered, or thwarted by man’s will, are, according to Colossians 2, will worshippers, not God worshippers. They are antichrists. Those who teach that the merit and efficacy of Christ’s atonement resides in man’s will, man’s decision, and man’s faith are antichrists. Those who teach that the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit may be successfully resisted by man are antichrists. Those who teach that grace can be forfeited or taken away as the result of something a man does are antichrists. Any religion, any doctrine, any gospel that turns you away from looking to Christ alone as your Savior is antichrist. A Christ who loves but cannot save is a useless Christ, an antichrist. A Christ who redeems but does not save is a useless Christ, an antichrist. A Christ who calls but does not convert is a useless Christ, an antichrist. A Christ whose work depends upon the will or work of the sinner to make it effectual and complete is a useless Christ, an antichrist. A Christ who wills the salvation of any who are not actually saved by his power is a useless Christ, an antichrist. Christ’s Advent Our Lord’s second coming will be a sudden, climatic, glorious event. — “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). Contrary to the “prophecy experts” of our day, there is no such thing as a secret rapture. When our Lord appears, his coming will be as startling and sudden as a bolt of lightening. He will be seen by all men at once (Revelation 1:7). His coming will terrify the wicked. But it will be the delight of the believer. Let us live every moment in the hope and expectation of his glorious advent (Titus 2:14; Jude 1:21). Where the Carcass Is “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28). — There are two common interpretations given to this verse by sound, orthodox men. Frankly, I do not know which is strictly correct; but since both are theologically sound, I will give them both to you. Most of the commentators teach that the carcass here refers to empty, dead Judaism, and the eagles to the flocks of lost religious men and women who clung to it feverishly, even to the destruction of their lives and of the lives of their sons and daughters. So it is today. Find a church that is utterly dead, void of the knowledge of God, his gospel, his Word, his grace, his Son, and his glory, and you will find a church full of lost religionists. Foul, unclean birds feed upon a dead carcass. Where there is no life, people cling to rituals, ceremonies, creeds, and emotionalism. But there is another interpretation, one that I think is better. Perhaps the carcass here refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, who was slain for our sins, and the eagles refer to chosen sinners like you and me who flee to him for salvation and life. In that case the lesson is this: — Christ crucified is the great magnet by which God draws chosen sinners to himself. Whether that is the teaching of this verse or not, I will not attempt to say; but it is the teaching of Holy Scripture (John 12:32; 1 Corinthians 1:21-23). And that is clearly our Savior’s teaching in Luke 17:38, where he makes a similar statement. — “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” Notice the use of the definite article. Our Lord said, “Wheresoever the body is (not wheresoever bodies are), thither will the eagles be gathered together.” Also, notice that he speaks of eagles (not buzzards) in the plural. “The body” of the One slain is our Lord Jesus Christ. “The eagles” are God’s elect who are gathered to him in faith. This is clearly the teaching of Holy Scripture (Deuteronomy 32:8-12; Job 9:25-26) and the teaching of our Savior here. God’s elect are spoken of in the Scriptures as eagles. His church is given “the wings of the eagle, that great eagle” (Revelation 12:14). — “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles” (Isa. 41:31). Wherever Christ crucified is set forth in the preaching of the gospel, wherever the crucified Christ is revealed to men by the power and grace of his Spirit through the preaching of the gospel, there his elect will be gathered unto him “in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Christ’s eagles “gather” to him who is their food. He is the One upon whom we live. He is to us life eternal. The body of our slain Savior, Christ crucified is the meeting-point of his elect. He is the great magnet, drawing needy souls, like eagles to the carcass. He said, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” God our Creator in the Book of Job says of the eagle, his creature, “She abideth upon the rock from thence she seeketh the prey; her eyes behold afar off… where the slain are, there is she.” God our Savior here tells us, “As the eagles gather round the body, so the souls of men, chosen, redeemed, and called by my grace, are gathered unto me.” Keen and swift as eagles for the prey are God’s elect for Christ crucified. These are the words of our blessed Savior. Let not one of them fall to the ground. — “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” The eagle is a bird of prey. In all birds of prey, we are told, there is great sense of smell. Added to its sense of smell, the eagle has a ravenous appetite. Compelled by hunger and its sense of smell, it flies quickly, at every opportunity to its feast. But the eagle is not a vulture. It does not feed on dead things, but living. And the crucified Christ, upon whom our souls feed, though once slain as our Substitute, is alive for evermore! If Christ has given us life in himself, if he has made us alive by his grace, he gives us a continually increasing appetite and hunger for himself. Does he not? Do you not hunger for him, for his grace, for his embrace, for his face, for his righteousness, for his blood, for his presence? Hungering for him, his eagles fly to the place where he is, like famished birds hastening to the prey. They fly with eager anticipation to his house, his Word, his ordinances, and his throne of grace. As David longed for the waters of Bethlehem when he was thirsty, O let our souls long for Christ. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks," so he longed for his God. May the same be true of you and me. Oh for grace to have our souls hungering for Christ crucified day and night! As the eagles gather together unto the prey, so should we be found feasting upon Christ crucified relentlessly. In him, in his glorious excellencies is everything our souls need. His name is our Salvation and High Tower.

His blood is our atonement. His righteousness is our dress. His perfections are our delight. His promises are our meditation. His grace is our assurance. His visits are our sweet memories.

His presence is our joy. His strength is our comfort. His glory is our ambition. His coming is our hope. His company forever is our heaven! Crave him! Crave him! Like birds of prey crave their food, let us crave our Savior. If we have tasted that the Lord is gracious, let us feast upon him. May God give us an insatiable, constant, ever-increasing hunger for Christ, a hunger for everything he is, for everything he gives, for everything he has done, for everything that belongs to him, touches him, and smells of him, a hunger that graciously forces us ever to fly to him, like an eagle to the prey! Wherever Christ is, there will his people fly, as eagles to the prey and as doves to their windows (Isaiah 60:8).

Matthew 24:29-35

Chapter 71 Christ’s Second Coming and the Parable of the Fig Tree “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:29-35) Our Lord seems to have deliberately mingled the prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem and his own second coming. Thus, he carefully avoided satisfying the carnal curiosity of his disciples’ questions, while at the same time encouraging them to live in watchful anticipation of his glorious second advent. The fact is, our Savior does not intend for us to know the day and hour of his second coming (Acts 1:4-7). — “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). While assuring us of his second coming and inspiring our hearts with the blessed hope of that great day, our Savior wisely hides from us any information regarding the time of his advent. Without question, much that is contained in these verses has direct bearing upon the coming of the Roman armies into Jerusalem as the instruments of God’s judgment upon that city and the nation of Israel. Immediately after the great tribulation that fell upon that nation, spiritual blindness engulfed that nation. Their sun, and moon, and stars, all the spiritual light they had was turned into darkness. The very things that had once been to them symbols of heavenly power and favor were shaken to the very foundation, and became to them a snare and a stumbling block. However, it would be a great mistake to limit the words of our Lord in these verses to that terrible day of judgment upon the nation of Israel. The verses now before us speak also of Christ’s glorious second coming to judge the world. The Second Coming of Christ The first thing spoken of here is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:29-31). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The darkening of the sun and moon, and falling of the stars are to be understood figuratively, having reference to the prophesy of Amos (Amos 8:8-14). Those terms speak of God taking away the light he had given to Israel, casting them off, and shutting the nation up in the darkness of divine judgment (Romans 11:8-10). When our Lord speaks here of the Son of Man coming to judgment, he is not speaking of the day of final judgment, but of the judgment that fell upon the nation of Israel for rejecting the Lord of life and glory. The sending of “his angels with the great sound of a trumpet” to gather his elect refers to him sending forth gospel preachers to preach the gospel, by which he gathers in his chosen (Isaiah 27:13; Revelation 14:6). Yet, as he came in judgment upon that nation in 70 AD, so he shall come again in the last day to judge the world in righteousness. There will be no need for the sun, the moon, and the stars when he who is the brightness of the glory of the invisible God and the express image of his person shines forth in the fullness of his indescribable glory. Christ’s second coming will be a glorious event, universally known and acknowledged at once, both by the righteous and the wicked, the believing and the unbelieving (Revelation 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). “Christ’s coming,” wrote C.H. Spurgeon, “will be the source of untold joy to his friends; but it will bring unparalleled sorrow to his foes.” Without trying to expound the doctrine of the second advent, let me show you what our Lord teaches us in these verses about his coming. First, the Lord Jesus Christ really is coming again. Scoffers abound who think our faith is foolishness and that our hope is a dream. Do not allow their infidelity to rub off on you. There is a day of reckoning yet to come. Christ is coming again. There is yet to be a day of resurrection and of judgment (Acts 1:11; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:19; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 22:20). Second, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this world, it will not be in secrecy or in humiliation, but in power and in great glory. There is no such thing as a secret coming of Christ, or a secret rapture. Our Lord here declares that all men “shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Jude 1:14). When Christ comes again, the very sun, and moon, and stars will melt before him. The heavens themselves, being on fire, shall melt with a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10-14). Our Lord’s second advent will be as different as possible from his first coming. At his first advent, our Savior came into the world as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” He came here in humiliation, born in a stable, laid in a manger, the child of a poor, insignificant woman. He took upon himself the form of a servant. He was despised and rejected of men. He was betrayed into the hands of wicked men by the kiss of a friend. Condemned by a mockery of justice, beaten, crowned with thorns, and covered with the spit of vile humanity, the Son of God was at last crucified between two thieves. But when he comes again, he shall come in all the full display of his royal majesty as the King of glory, the King of heaven, and the King of the earth. All the nations of the world shall be gathered before his august majesty to be judged by him. Before him every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall acknowledge and confess that he is Lord. Whatever ungodly men and women say and do now, things will be different in that day. There will be no scoffing then, no jesting, no infidelity. Every mouth will be stopped. We need to constantly remember these things, so that we may wait patiently for our Savior’s arrival. Our Master will one day soon be acknowledged by all the world; and we shall see him with joy (Job 19:25-27). Third, when our Lord comes again, his first concern and his first order of business will be the security, salvation, and glory of his own elect. — “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31). As it always has been, so it shall be then: our Master’s great concern shall be his people. When he comes again to judge the world, he will first take care of his elect. Not a hair of their heads shall fall to the ground. Not a bone of his mystical body shall be broken. When God destroyed the world in the flood, there was an ark for Noah and his family. When he poured fire and brimstone down upon Sodom, Lot found refuge in Zoar. And when the wrath of God at last bursts out against the wicked to destroy this world, his elect shall first be gathered by his holy angels to their blessed hiding place, Christ Jesus. Those holy angels, who rejoiced over each repenting sinner, who ministered from the beginning to those who were chosen to be the heirs of salvation, shall gladly gather them all out of the earth in one mighty sweep of grace! Our Savior has gone to prepare a place for us. When the place is ready and the time has come for us to be glorified together with him, he will come again. And when he comes, his first work will be to send his angels to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth. “East and west, and south and north, Speeds each glorious angel forth, Gathering in with glittering wing Zion’s saints to Zion’s King!” Fourth, the day of our Lord’s second advent will be a great and terrible day of judgment and wrath for all the wicked; but for believers it will be a day of great glory and great joy. This is a point that needs emphasizing. Nowhere in the Word of God is the second coming of Christ set forth as a matter of fear and dread for believers. Not at all! This is the one day we ought to look forward to and anticipate with great joy. When Christ comes in his glory, all God’s elect shall be gathered together as one; and we shall be one. The saints of every age and every tongue shall be assembled at once before his glory. All shall be there, from righteous Abel down to the very last soul to be converted to God, from the oldest patriarch down to the smallest infant to be aborted by wicked hands. What a happy gathering that will be, when all the family of God meets together in perfection and glory! Our little meetings and reunions, our assemblies for worship and our conferences here are matters of great delight to us. How we look forward to meeting God’s saints here. Just try to imagine what that will be when we meet that great multitude which no man can number! John Newton once wrote, “When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there. The first wonder will be to see people there whom I did not expect to see. The second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see. The third and greatest wonder of all will be to find myself there!” After commenting on these things, J.C Ryle wrote, “Surely, we may be content to carry the cross, and to put up with partings for a few years. We travel on towards a day, when we shall meet to part no more.” The Parable of the Fig Tree In Matthew 24:32-34 our Lord illustrates his doctrine using the parable of the fig tree. “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” There has been much speculation about this parable of the fig tree. Numerous sermons have been preached about it; and far too many books have been written about it. But there is nothing really mysterious about it. Our Lord simply drew another illustration from nature, as was his custom, to enforce what he was teaching. As men know that summer is near when they see the trees, in this case a fig tree, putting forth their leaves, so our Lord said this generation would know that God had come upon the nation of Israel in judgment when the Roman armies left Jerusalem as a heap of ashes in a pool of blood. The key which must determine our interpretation of this parable is Matthew 24:34. Our Savior said, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Spurgeon explained, “It was just about the ordinary limit of a generation when the Roman armies compassed Jerusalem, whose measure of iniquity was then full, and overflowed in misery, agony, distress, and bloodshed such as the world never saw before or since.” So the second coming of Christ will be a summer of joy and comfort to the saints. Christ will be glorified by his saints and in them. We shall see him as he is and admire him. Grace will consummate in glory. Then we will enjoy full redemption and salvation. The winter of sorrows, afflictions, and persecutions, and of coldness, darkness, and indifference will be over. The sun shall no more go down, nor the moon withdraw itself, but the Lord will be the everlasting light of his people! The Infallibility of Holy Scripture In Matthew 24:35 our Savior declares the absolute infallibility of Holy Scripture. — “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The Word of God is infallible. It will stand forever. Everything written upon the pages of Inspiration must and shall be fulfilled (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). Our Lord’s predictions will be fulfilled. He knew that scoffers would come, saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” He knew that when he comes again faith will be a rare thing among men. He knew how terribly prone we are to unbelief. Therefore, he gives this word of assurance concerning his Word. Let us be wise and hear what he says. Every promise he has made of mercy, grace, and pardon shall be fulfilled. Every prophecy of wrath, judgment, and everlasting punishment must be fulfilled. When heaven and earth have passed away, as they must, the Word of our God, and the purpose for which he created the heavens and the earth shall stand forever. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Peter 3:9-14)

Matthew 24:36-51

Chapter 72 Are you ready? “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:36-51)Our Lord Jesus admonishes us to make certain that we are prepared for his coming. — “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Are you ready for the Son of God to appear? While this passage is speaking specifically of Christ’s glorious second advent, we must not look upon the things spoken in this passage as having no reference to any except those who happened to be living upon the earth when the Lord comes again. In fact, as we have already seen, these verses also apply to Christ’s coming in judgment to destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Lord Jesus Christ comes upon men and women in judgment and in grace in many ways. He is said to come upon the wicked in judgment whenever he brings providential wrath upon them, as he did upon Sodom. He comes to his elect in grace in conversion. The Lord comes again for both the righteousness and the wicked in the hour of death. But, in this passage the Lord Jesus is talking about his glorious second advent. Are you ready? Are you prepared to meet God? Soon you must meet the Lord God in judgment. When you do, he will judge you upon the grounds of absolute righteousness (Revelation 20:11-12). Whatever state you are in then, you will be in forever (Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:11). If you are righteous, you will be righteous forever. If you are saved, you will be saved forever. If you are wicked, you will be wicked forever. If you are lost, you will be lost forever! In these closing verses of Matthew 24 the Son of God urges us to make certain that we are indeed ready to meet him. No One Knows “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Matthew 24:36). Language could not be clearer. No one knows when Christ will come again. Yet, every few years, some religious fool predicts the time of our Lord’s coming, and multitudes are duped by them. Such predictions began as early as the apostolic era (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5), and continue to this day; but the teachings of Scripture are specific and clear. — No one knows when Christ will come again. Such knowledge God gives to no one (Acts 1:6-7). Usually, these imaginary prophets wrest this thirty-sixth verse from its obvious meaning, and say, “Though we cannot know the day and hour of Christ’s coming, we can know the year, the month, and even the week.” Then, by some intricate, elaborate scheme of days, numbers, and events linked together, they make a prediction, which always proves to be wrong. It only takes a little time for their folly to be demonstrated; but they never give up. No sooner is one date setter fallen than another rises to repeat his error. Not even the angels of heaven have been informed about the hour of Christ’s second advent. “We need not,” wrote C. H. Spurgeon, “therefore be troubled by idle prophecies of hair-brained fanatics, even if they claim to interpret the Scriptures; for what the angels do not know has not been revealed to them.” Even our Savior, while he walked on this earth in our nature, voluntarily limited his own capacity to know the time of his second advent (Mark 13:32). Surely, we ought to be content not to know what he chose not to know. It is enough for us to know that our Lord is coming again. Knowing that, let us be ready for him to appear at any moment, ever “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” Jude 1:21). No Change Fallen man never changes. When the Lord Jesus comes again, the world will be in the same condition it is in now. That is what our Savior tells us in Matthew 24:37-39. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The world will not be converted before Christ comes. It will be in the same condition it was in when God sent the flood: absorbed in worldly, sensual pursuits, oblivious to eternal, spiritual things, and despising the warnings of God’s faithful servants and the gospel of his grace. Therefore, judgment shall fall upon it (Proverbs 1:23-33). Our Lord is not here declaring that marriage and its privileges are evil, any more that he is telling us that eating and drinking is evil. He is simply telling us that fallen man is completely absorbed with temporal things, living as if he had no soul to lose, no judgment to face, and no eternity before him. Yet, it must be stated that those things which are perfectly lawful in normal circumstances, “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,” become great evils and snares to our souls, if they keep us from seeking, knowing, and serving Christ (Matthew 13:22). As Spurgeon stated, “Woe unto those whose eating and drinking do not include the bread and the water of life; and who marry or are given in marriage, but not to the heavenly Bridegroom!”A Great Separation “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Matthew 24:40-41). — In that great day, when Christ comes again, there will be a great separation. The godly and the ungodly, the righteous and the wicked, the elect and the reprobate are mingled together in this world. In the church, in the factory, in the field, and in the family the children of God and the children of the devil are side by side. But it shall not always be so. When Christ comes again, there shall be a great separation made.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet’s sound these two groups shall be forever separated. In that great and terrible day the divisions and separation of the godly from the ungodly will be decisive, immediate, and everlasting. Husbands and wives, mothers and children, brothers and sisters, pastors and their hearers shall be forever separated from one another. There will be no time for repentance. There will be no opportunity for grace. As we are in that day, so we shall be forever! Believers shall be caught up to heaven, glory, honor, and eternal life. Unbelievers shall be snatched away and cast into hell, damnation, and eternal destruction and death. Let us therefore make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:4-11; James 2:14-26). J. C. Ryle wrote… “Blessed and happy are they who are of one heart in following Christ! Their union alone shall never be broken: it shall last for ever more. Who can imagine the happiness of those who are taken, when the Lord returns? Who can imagine the misery of those who are left behind? May we think on these things, and consider our ways!” Our Responsibility “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42-44). It is our responsibility to be always watchful, ready for and anticipating the Lord’s coming. This is a point which our Master frequently presses upon us. He seldom mentions his second coming without urging us to be watchful. He knows the slothfulness of our nature. He knows how quickly we forget the most solemn things. He knows how worldly-minded we are by nature. He knows how constantly Satan seeks to destroy us, and with what cunning devices. Therefore, he arms us with heart-searching exhortations to be awake and alert, lest we be found at last among the damned (1 Thessalonians 5:6; Revelation 3:11). We will be wise, like the spouse in the Song of Solomon (Matthew 7:12), to rise up early, shake off all carnal security, determine not to be slothful and sluggish, and stand watchful over our souls, that we may be prepared at any moment to meet our Lord and Master. We do not know, we cannot even guess in what watch of the earth’s long night Christ will come. But we do know that he may come at any moment. Therefore, we ought to be as watchful as if we knew that Christ would come tonight, ever standing on the tip-toe of expectation, “looking for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The readiness and watchfulness our Lord commands in the prospect of his second coming, and to every man’s departure out of life, whether it be by death or at the day of judgment, is being one with Christ, in union with him by grace, born again by his Spirit, washed in his blood, robed in his righteousness, and habitually ready in the lively exercise of faith and hope for the expectation of his coming. They and they only are ready who live by faith in Christ; and they are always ready. Whether their Lord comes at midnight or at the rising of the morning sun, they shall arise at the joyful call, and shall meet the Lord in the air, and shall be forever with the Lord. — “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing!” “Oh, to be ready for his appearing, watching and waiting for him as servants whose Lord has been long away from them, and who may return at any hour! This will not make us neglect our daily calling; on the contrary, we shall be all the more diligent in attending to our earthly duties because our hearts are at rest about our heavenly treasures.” (C.H. Spurgeon) Are you ready? Are you ready now to meet the Son of God in judgment? What an awesome thought that is. Yet, it is a thought that I pray will never cease to rouse our hearts. Soon we must meet God in judgment. Are we ready? We are ready only if we are in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:3-14).Justly Rewarded “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:45-51). In that great day, every faithful servant of God shall be publicly recognized, honored, and rewarded by Christ; and every false prophet shall be publicly exposed and damned. Our Lord gives us a brief description of his faithful servant in Matthew 24:45-47. All are God’s servants, some willingly and others unwillingly; yet all are his servants. But he who is the true servant of Christ is faithful. And he shall be rewarded as a faithful servant. There are rewards for faithful service, both in this world and in the world to come. These are not rewards of debt, but of grace, not according to the rules of law, but of love. John Trapp said, “Christ is a liberal pay-master, and his retributions are more than bountiful.” While there is no indication anywhere in Scripture that there are degrees of reward among the saints in heaven, we are encouraged to faithfulness by the promise of being rewarded by our God. As faithfulness honors God, so God honors faithfulness. In this world, faithfulness in one form of service is rewarded by greater opportunities of service. Faithfulness in small things is rewarded by greater responsibilities being given (Luke 19:17). In the world to come we shall inherit all the bounty of life everlasting and see the results of our faithfulness around the throne of our God. What more could we desire? The unfaithful servant is also described (Matthew 24:48-51). He says, “My lord delayeth his coming,” and abuses his fellow servants, beating them and putting them under the law. Rather than comforting them (Isaiah 40:1-2), he threatened and beat them. And he lives for pleasure, to the gratification of his lusts, rather than for the glory of God and the good of men’s souls. Such people, the unbelieving and unfaithful, will be taken by surprise when Christ comes again (Matthew 24:50), because they are not looking for him. And they shall be forever ruined (v.51). They pretend to be the servants of God, while serving Satan and themselves. Therefore, they shall justly have their portion with hypocrites in hell forever. Let us live in this world as watchmen, as sentinels of an army in enemy territory, resolved by God’s grace never to be found asleep at our posts. Let us live as the servants of the Son of God, ever looking for our Master’s immediate return. Let us make certain that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Matthew 24:45-51

Chapter 73 God’s Servants - The Faithful and the Evil “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:45-51) In these verses our Lord gives us a parable in which he describes two servants, one faithful, the other evil. This parable is a word of instruction, inspiration, and warning to those men who stand in the house of God as his servants. It speaks of both the faithful and the evil as the Lord’s servants. The fact is all things serve the gracious purposes of God toward his elect (Proverbs 16:4; Proverbs 21:1; Psalms 76:10). Satan is as much the servant of God, though unwillingly, as Gabriel is willingly. The fallen angels, the very demons of hell, are as fully the servants of God, though they despise him, as are the angels of heaven who adore him.

Every human being is the servant of God, too. Some of us rejoice in that fact. What a privilege it is to believing men and women to serve the living God! Others despise the thought of God’s dominion; but they are, nonetheless, under his dominion and serve his purposes (Romans 8:28; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:11). Our God rules everywhere, everything, and everyone, totally and absolutely. Even those evil men who are false prophets and messengers of Satan, deceiving the souls of men with their perverse doctrine, are the servants of our God, sovereignly used by him to accomplish his purpose (1 Corinthians 11:19). Faithful Servants In Matthew 24:45-47 our Lord gives us a description of God’s faithful servants. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.”Without question, the instruction of this parable may be applied to every believer in his particular calling in life. We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ gladly bow to his dominion as our Lord. We are his servants. Our lives are spent in his service.

Whatever your particular gifts are, whatever your station in life may be, that is the place of your calling and service in the kingdom of God, the place in which you are to use your gifts for the glory of Christ and the good of his people. Be God’s faithful servant where you are. Those men who are gifted of God to be preachers and teachers in his church, but are not called and gifted as pastors are also his servants, and ought to be highly regarded as such. God sometimes gives a congregation men who are clearly gifted by his grace as preachers and teachers of the Word, gifted to preach the gospel of his free grace in Christ. They are gifted teachers in his church, though not called of God to be pastors. They are to be heard and treated with the respect that their gifts demand as the servants of God. But, in this parable, our Savior is talking about that specific group of men who are trusted with the care of God’s household as pastors of local churches (Matthew 24:45). You may never be a pastor; but you will as long as you are in this world need the services of a faithful pastor. You will be wise to know what to expect from God’s servant, how to pray for him, and how best to assist him in the work God has put in his hands. And you need to know how to recognize and distinguish between a faithful and an evil servant. So the message of this parable is a message of importance to you. In these verses our Lord Jesus Christ describes his faithful servant, a faithful gospel preacher, a faithful pastor by four things in which he is distinguished from a self-serving false prophet. These four things describe and are characteristic of God’s true servants in every age of the church and in every place where gospel churches are found. His Position God’s servant is here described as one “whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household.” The church of God is his household, the household of faith, and the household of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is God’s family and God’s church, not the pastor’s, not yours, not this or that denomination’s, but the Lord’s! It is God’s house and God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 3:15; 1 Timothy 3:15). In the family of God there are fathers, young men, and children. There are some who are strong and some who are weak. There are some who are very independent and need little attention, and some who need a good bit of attention. Each one has been placed in his house and family exactly according to the Master’s will. God ordained pastors have been placed by him as rulers over his household. They are not tyrants, dictators, or lords over God’s household, but rulers placed over the house to govern it as stewards under Christ (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:4-5; Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17). In Kentucky, we have June bugs every summer, big green beetles that appear in June. When I was a boy in North Carolina, we had them, too. Us boys loved to catch them, tie strings around one of their legs, and fly them. The bugs flew with great eagerness; but they could not fly anywhere the boy holding the string did not want them to fly. Most preachers these days are what I call, “June bug preachers.” The church, the deacon board, the board of elders, or the denomination has a string tied to their legs and controls everything they do, like a little boy ties a string around a June bug’s leg. Not God’s servants. God’s servants serve his people; but they are not controlled by them. Where in the Word of God can you find a prophet, or a preacher who was ruled, governed, or even influenced by the will of the people to whom he was sent to preach? The only preacher like that you can find in this Book is a hireling prophet. God’s servants are responsible under God to rule his house in exactly the same way as a husband is responsible under God to rule his household (1 Timothy 3:4-5). They rule the house of God by the Word of God, according to the will of God; and do so in love for Christ and his people; but they rule. A faithful steward rules his Master’s house exactly according to his Master’s will. As he does, all in the house are expected to honor and obey the steward in charge of the house. And that household is most honorable and most happy that is well-governed, with each member of the family knowing his place, working together with every other member in love, for the welfare of the whole family. His Work The pastor’s work is “to give them meat in due season.” It is the work, the calling, and the responsibility of gospel preachers to feed the church of God with knowledge and understanding, with the meat of gospel truth (Jeremiah 3:15; Acts 20:28). It is not the pastor’s work to be a good socializer, an analyst, a therapist, a counselor, a priest, or a community door knocker. God’s servants are preachers! They feed the house of God by preaching the gospel, by opening the bread of life and dispensing it to the family. If a pastor does that, he has to spend his time in his study, not running the roads (2 Timothy 2:15). It is the work of the pastor “to give,” not to take (Ezekiel 34:7-8). And that which is to be given is meat, “meat” of grace. It is not our business to enact laws, but to give meat. It is not our business to regulate the lives of men, but to feed their souls. And that with which God’s servants feed his children is the sweet meat of the gospel, not the husks of intellectualism, the mists of mysticism, the stones of useless doctrinal speculation, or the poison of heresy. God’s servants come with the meat of saving grace in the knowledge of Christ, declaring ruin by the fall, redemption by the blood, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit! The pastor is to feed the saints of God with “meat in due season.” The Word of God must be rightly divided; and each member of the family must be fed with the meat that is suitable for him at the time: grace for the guilty, pardon for the fallen, redemption for the ruined, righteousness for the wicked, cleansing for the defiled, reproof for the wayward, comfort for the troubled, strength for the weak, and Christ for all. His Character Our Lord describes his servants as men with these two traits of character: “faithful and wise.” God’s servants are faithful men (1 Corinthians 4:2). They are stewards of the mysteries of God, of the manifold grace of God, the unsearchable riches of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 3:8). John Gill wrote, “They are faithful to the trust reposed in them… They preach the pure gospel of Christ, and the whole of it; conceal no part, nor keep anything of it; seek not to please men, but God; neither seek their own things, their ease, honor, and profit, but the glory of God, the honor of Christ, and the good of souls; and abide by the truths, cause, and interest of the Redeemer at all costs.” Matthew Henry’s comments on the faithfulness of God’s servants are of equal importance. — “A faithful minister of Jesus Christ is one that sincerely designs his Master’s honor, not his own; delivers the whole counsel of God, not his own fancies and conceits; follows Christ’s institutions and adheres to them; regards the meanest, reproves the greatest, and doth not respect persons.” As they are faithful, God’s servants are wise. They are neither faithful nor wise by nature; but God has made them both faithful and wise by grace and by his gifts upon them, making them fit and able ministers of the gospel. They are well instructed in the things of God, given a clear understanding in the doctrines of the gospel, and wisely exercise their talents and gifts for the glory of God.

They seek constantly to improve their knowledge, make the best use of their time, and manage their lives to best serve Christ and his people. God graciously gives his servants wisdom to guide and direct his people, and to care for them, like a father guides and cares for his family. The faithful and wise pastor is a man who is doing what God called him to do (Matthew 24:46). He always has something to do; and he is always found doing what he has been sent and called of God to do, doing his Master’s will and work, feeding his sheep. The faithful and wise servant is constant in his labor, persevering in the work God has put into his hands. His Reward “Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods” (Matthew 24:47). — The Scriptures nowhere teach, or even imply, that there shall be degrees of reward in heaven. That is contrary to everything taught in the gospel (Romans 8:17). Certainly, our Lord does not exalt one servant in his kingdom above another. But God does reward faithfulness, both in this world and in the world to come. Those who are faithful over a few things shall be made Lord over many things (Luke 19:17). Frequently, God honors faithful service by giving greater service to perform.

God’s servants shall find immensely great reward in seeing those for whom they have labored around the throne of Christ in glory (1 Thessalonians 2:19). And God’s faithful and wise servants shall themselves inherit all things with Christ in glory (John 17:5; John 17:20). Evil Servants In Matthew 24:48-50 our Lord describes those men who are evil servants in the house of God. “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of.” Here, again, our Lord gives us four things, which are descriptive of that man who is a false prophet, an evil servant in the house of God. First, he is a man of unbelief, saying “My Lord delayeth his coming.” That is his character. Second, in his conduct, he is abusive. The unfaithful servant is judgmental. Presuming he is superior to those he serves, rather than feeding them, he beats them (Matthew 24:49). Because he can be controlled and motivated only by law, he beats others with the threats of the law, trying to get them to serve him. The false prophet has no interest in persuading anyone to serve God. He only uses the name of God to get people to serve him, and calls serving him honoring God. Third, when the Lord Jesus comes, he will be taken by surprise. The faithful servant labors for Christ upon the tip-toe of faith and expectation, “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:21), “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). But self-serving, unfaithful servants, while they may talk much about his coming, do not look for his coming (Matthew 24:50). They are only looking for what they can get for themselves. Fourth, he shall be cast into hell when the Lord comes. — “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v.51) An Admonition In the light of these things I urge you, “to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). Pray for them, “that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Faithful gospel preachers are God’s gift to his church. They are to be highly esteemed for their work’s sake. They are men God has set as watchmen over your soul upon the walls of Zion. They never hold their peace, but ever preach Christ to you (Isaiah 62:6-7). “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” (Isaiah 52:7-8) The evil servants, self-serving false prophets, are messengers of Satan, “transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:15). They are well described by Isaiah. — “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter” (Isaiah 56:10-11).