No One Knows the Day and Hour

   Matthew 24.36-44

   Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

36  "No one knows, however, when that day
   and hour will come-neither the angels in
   heaven nor the Son; [b] the Father alone
   knows.
37  The coming of the Son of Man will be like
   what happened in the time of Noah.
38  In the days before the flood people ate and
   drank, men and women married, up to the
   very day Noah went into the boat;
39  yet they did not realize what was happening
   until the flood came and swept them all away.
   That is how it will be when the Son of Man
   comes.
40  At that time two men will be working in a field:
   one will be taken away, the other will be left
   behind.
41  Two women will be at a mill grinding meal:
   one will be taken away, the other will be left
   behind.
42  Watch out, then, because you do not know
   what day your Lord will come.
43  If the owner of a house knew the time when
   the thief would come, you can be sure that
   he would stay awake and not let the
   thief break into his house.
44  So then, you also must always be ready,
   because the Son of Man will come at an hour
   when you are not expecting him.

   Footnotes
   Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not
   have nor the Son.

*************************

   Commentary taken from
   'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
   (Kingsway)

No One Knows the Day and Hour

  Matthew 24.36-44

No one knows that day or hour when Jesus will come again - not even Jesus Himself.
Therefore, to try to predict when He will return is a vain exercise

In ancient times man's wickedness was great, and God was displeased. Therefore, He determined to destroy all men and all living creatures by sending a great flood upon the earth.

One man, Noah, was righteous and found favour with God.
Therefore, God told Noah to build a great boat, so that he and his family might be spared.

All other men at that time were enjoying the pleasures of the world. They did not fear the judgment of God. They probably laughed at Noah for building a boat. They didn't believe that a flood would come.

They were not ready. And they all perished

The coming of the Son of Man - that is, the coming of Jesus at the end of the world - will be like that flood.

   It will come without warning.
And all who are not counted righteous in God's sight will receive eternal punishment in hell. When a person dies, for him the world has, in effect, come to an end.

After death, there is no longer any chance to repent and become righteous in God's sight.

When the Son of Man comes there will be judgment on the earth.
His angels will gather the chosen. Those who are not chosen - the unrighteous, those without faith - will be destroyed.

The two men in the field appear the same outwardly. But one will be taken to heaven, and the other will be left to perish in hell. And it will be the same with the two women grinding.

We cannot tell the day Jesus will come; therefore, for that very reason, we must remain always ready for His coming.

Jesus will come like a thief in the night - that is, when He is not expected.

A burglar never announces at what time he is going to rob a house!
Therefore, we must remain alert all night. Let us constantly remain obedient and pure in our Lord's eyes.

Let us not leave one sin unconfessed.
Then when He comes, we shall be ready

Therefore, to keep watch and to be ready means to look always for the Lord, to meditate on Him, to desire His company, to remain obedient to His will, and to immediately repent of any known sin.

Only if we do these things will we be ready for His coming.

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