Matthew 24 is Knocking at the Door

Did you ever hear the song by the legendary singer Johnny Cash? Matthew 24 is knocking on the door. Anybody ever hear that song? You can go actually on YouTube. You can find this song and may want to listen to it. The words go somewhat like this. I heard on the radio rumors of war, people getting ready for battle, and there may be just one more. I heard about an earthquake and the toil it took away. These are the signs of the times we're in today. And then the chorus. Matthew 24 is knocking at the door, and there can't be too much more to come to pass. Matthew 24 is knocking at the door, and a day or one day more could be the last. It goes on to describe an army of 200 million deep. Actually, that's from Revelation, not from Matthew 24. And it talks about young and old now prophesy, a coming prince of peace. You might be interested in some time listening to that. You can do so. The song focuses on events at the end time from Matthew 24. Rumors of war, earthquakes, coming prince of peace. There's no doubt that Matthew 24 is one of the greatest prophecies in the Bible. In my opinion, it is the greatest one given by the greatest prophet of all time, Jesus Christ. I went online to do a little search about Matthew 24, and I found that there were 1,430,000,000 results. One and one-half million places you could go to find out about Matthew 24. I doubt that there would be any other portion of the Bible that would come near to that many results. Almost one and a half billion. There's much misunderstanding about Matthew 24. Adam Clarke's commentary, if you were to read it, has all of Matthew 24 being fulfilled in the first century. The Great Tribulation, what was that? That was the Roman armies destroying the temple in Jerusalem. It's already happened. Expositor's Bible commentary, though, is a bit more conservative. It says, few chapters of the Bible have called forth more disagreement among interpreters than Matthew 24. The history of the interpretation of this chapter is immensely complex, and the Expositor's Bible commentary goes on to have eight pages explaining the various interpretations of this chapter. There's a group called the Prederists who believe all of Matthew 24 has already been fulfilled, but I think there are some of them who feel that there could be some future fulfillment.

Today, then, in this message, we are going to read and study and understand more about Matthew 24. Let me first of all say that there are four chapters in the Bible that we're going to be looking at today, especially two of them. Matthew 24 has also another chapter that goes with it, and that is chapter 25. We're going to find that they were given at the same time, and in some ways, I think it's unfortunate to divide Matthew 24 and 25. There should just be one chapter, but I think it would be 97 verses long. It would be a rather long chapter if it were made into one. There are two other chapters in the Bible that also describe and are part of the same prophecy, what is called the Olivet Prophecy. What are those other two chapters? Anybody want to quickly volunteer?

Mark 13 and Luke 21. Absolutely right. Mark 13 and Luke 21. You'll find the Olivet Prophecy there as well. But we're going to study and read a lot from Matthew 24 and 25. We will be reading from Mark 13 and Luke 21 near the end of the message. First of all, let's get a little setting. When was Matthew 24 and 25 given? Was it near the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ, or was it near the end of His ministry?

It was toward the end. Let's see just how near the end it was. Let's go to Matthew 26. Right after Matthew 24 and 25, of course, is Matthew 26. Let's read the first two verses. It came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings. What sayings? Well, the sayings that are found in Matthew 24 and 25. So when He had finished what we read in Matthew 24 and 25, that He said to His disciples, You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. Brethren, this was just two days before Jesus Christ would die on Passover Day. So this must have been on Monday. He died on a Wednesday. Was this on a Monday? Possibly on a Sunday, but just two days before He would die on Passover Day. So this is, in a way, the last, the very last message you might say Jesus gave outside of what He would say to His disciples on Passover night. Let's go back to Matthew 24 then and verse 1. We're beginning to get a little feel of the setting here for what we're going to read today in Matthew 24 and 25. In Matthew 24 and verse 1, Jesus went out and departed from the temple. His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.

Did you know that actually it wasn't, though, all of the disciples just hold your finger there and look at Mark 13. We find here that it was only, actually, apparently four of them that are going to be there.

When He gives this Olivet prophecy in Mark 13 and verse 3, as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled. So apparently only four of them were there when Jesus gave this Olivet prophecy. But going back to Matthew 24, Jesus had been at the temple just before He would give the Olivet prophecy. And He told the disciples, maybe all of them, do you not see all these things? I say to you, not one stone will be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. And so then He went a short distance from the temple to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is located just east of Jerusalem, a very short distance.

And here we have the beginning of the Olivet prophecy in verse 3. As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and apparently just four of them, tell us when will these things be. Notice there are three questions here. When will these things be? The temple will be destroyed. And what will be the sign of your coming? A second question. And of the end of the age. King James' Bible has end of the world, but the Greek does mean age, the end of the age.

So we're not going to go through necessarily everything in these chapters, but here we have the setting for the well-known Olivet prophecy. It is known as Olivet because it was on the Mount of Olives. Olivet comes from the word olive. So on the Mount of Olives is where Jesus gave this prophecy. Now, being at the Mount of Olives, why did Jesus not just give the prophecy at the temple?

Why did He go to the Mount of Olives? There is significance to that. Hold your place here again in Matthew, but turn to Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1. And here we have the ascension of Jesus Christ. And beginning in verse 9, He was taken up by a cloud. You know, they suddenly saw Jesus rising up in the air. What would that have been like? They were talking with Him. Suddenly, He began to rise up in the air. They saw the bottom of His feet. He went up until a cloud, He disappeared. And then an angel or two men stood by the disciples, verse 10, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing? This same Jesus who was taken up will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. He is going to come with the clouds of heaven. Notice verse 12 now.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem.

So Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, the same place that He gave the Olivet prophecy. But when Jesus returns, we read, now hold your place still in Matthew 24, but turn to Zechariah 14. When Jesus returns, where is He going to land or light down? Well, it's going to be the Mount of Olives in Zechariah chapter 14. And here we read about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Verse 3, He will fight against those nations. Zechariah 14. Now verse 4, In that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. He's coming back to the same place. So I think there is significance to the fact that Jesus gave the prophecy here. The last one that He would give out in the open public, publicly, even though it was just to His disciples, that He gave it at the Mount of Olives. It's the place where He will ascend to heaven, and it is the place where He will light down when He comes at His Second Coming. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. There is significance, then, to verse 3. As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples wanted to know these three things. When will the temple in Jerusalem be destroyed? What will be the sign of Your coming? And what will be the sign of the end of the age? So Jesus went on down, and we're very familiar with this. So we'll just skim over it very quickly. Verse 4, to heed that no one deceives you.

Verse 6, you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you may not be troubled.

Even now we have wars, don't we? And we have rumors of war. We wonder if there will be a war over Taiwan. So we certainly are seeing these things being fulfilled, and they will continue to be fulfilled in the days ahead. Nation rising against nation. Then verse 7, midway through, there will be famine, pestilences, and earthquakes. We know that these things correspond to the four horsemen of Revelation 6. The white horse represents religious deception. The red horse represents war. The black horse represents famine. The pale horse represents pestilences, disease epidemics, and things like that. So we believe that we are beginning to see these things to be fulfilled, even right now. And going on down to verse 8, it says, all these are the beginning of sorrows. So we just see in the beginning of sorrows, even at this time. They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. There is a martyrdom, persecution and martyrdom of God's people. You will be hated. This is to be more fully developed in the days ahead. Many will be offended and betray one another, hate one another, and the love of many, it goes on the same, will grow cold in verse 12. But he that endures to the end will be saved. So persecution and martyrdom. We know the fifth seal of revelation is martyrdom. So all of these things we are very familiar with, these verses, and one that we have read very often down through the years is verse 14. And we believe that we are very much a part of the fulfillment of this verse right now. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

So we believe that Mr. Armstrong certainly began preaching the gospel to the world, and we believe we are continuing that same work. And we believe the two witnesses will come on the scene at the time of the Great Tribulation for three and one-half years, and that they will finish the preaching of the gospel to the world. They will actually reach more people than we do because of the miracles they will be doing. So this gospel message is going to be going out to the world. We'll continue going out to the world. Very key verse here in verse 14. Let's go on down very quickly verses say around 15 to 20 in that range.

When you see, we come down now closer to the end of the age, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place. And this means when we see the ten nations in Europe uniting, led by a beast and false prophet described in the book of Revelation, when we see this system, the king of the north comes storming down into the Middle East, we'll know the abomination of desolation is then standing in the Holy Place.

Then, and we don't know exactly how this is to be fulfilled, verse 16. Let those that are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one on the housetop not come down to take anything. Let him that is in the field not go back. Woe to those who are pregnant and nursing with nursing babies. Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. Certainly shows the Sabbath is still important to keep, doesn't it? But there's a flight here. Is this what is described in Revelation? The woman there, woman describing the church going into the wilderness.

It seems to be there is some type of flight that is going to be taking place, and we pray that it not be in the winter, which is not a good time for a flight to take place or on the Sabbath. And why? Because we're right at that time of great tribulation that is going to come upon the world and especially upon the Israelite people. Verse 21, then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world till this time, or ever shall be.

It's going to be a time of trouble like this world has never seen. Keep your hand right here, but let's tie a couple of other scriptures in. In Jeremiah 30, turn to Jeremiah 30, and we'll read verse 7 here. Jeremiah 30. And verse 7, "'Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it.' It is that time of tribulation. It is a time of trouble, a time of Jacob's trouble, in fact. The great tribulation is going to be especially upon the Israelite tribes.

He shall be saved out of it. Also turn to Daniel. Keep your finger back in Matthew 24, though. In Daniel chapter 12, and verse the first two or three verses of this last chapter of Daniel. Daniel chapter 12, "'At that time Michael shall stand up the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that time.

At that time your people shall be delivered.'" It goes on down to describe the resurrection even. So there's going to be a back to Matthew 24. Let's go back to verses 21 again, and this is something that lies ahead. What we are seeing now over in Ukraine is nothing compared to some of the prophetic events yet to happen. There's going to come a time of great tribulation like this world has never seen or ever will see again, and it goes on to say that verse 22, "'Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.' How is it that no flesh would be saved?

I have an article that goes back, it's from Newsweek magazine, it goes back a long time actually to November 7 of 1983. I saved it at that time, and it's about nuclear war. Let me read just a little bit from this. This is the way that, and now you know there's talk of could this in Ukraine develop into a nuclear war? Could there be chemical and biological warfare? Well, you know it could. I think we would feel that it's not quite likely to happen because ultimately the real powerful superpower that is going to be far stronger economically, militarily, is going to rise up in Europe, led by the beast and the false profit, not from Russia.

Russia really has an economy that is small compared to you put all the nations of Europe together. So I think we do not feel this is going to develop into a nuclear war if so it would seem to be limited or a chemical biological type warfare. But nuclear war is prophesied in the scriptures. We can read that in the book of Revelation. But here's what would happen with the all-out exchange. Of course, in 1983 what were they looking at? They were looking at an exchange of nuclear weapons between Russia, the Soviet Union, the USSR. At that time they were all united and of course Russia still has those nuclear weapons now.

But it was an exchange of weapons between Russia at that time and the United States. But here's what they looked at happening in an all-out exchange of nuclear weapons. One billion people kill before the mushroom cloud even dissipates, an equal number doomed to a slow agonizing death. And then the nuclear war claims its next victim, planet Earth.

Months of twilight shroud the globe and temperatures plunge 55 degrees, killing nearly all plant life. The ecological systems that once supported the Earth become so devastated that the potential effects extend even to the extermination of homo sapiens, mankind.

So this article then describes the area with fill with pores and fumes of carbon monoxide, dioxins, and cyanides. Then there would come darkness, a blacktop highway three miles up. The smoke would absorb so much of the sun's rays that less than five percent of the normal amount of light would reach the ground. Virtually all land plants in the northern hemisphere would be damaged or killed. Every higher organism would risk starvation.

The smoke would also make temperatures plummet for several months, freezing surface waters to a depth of three feet in what this scientist dubs nuclear winter. So, you know, we live in the time.

We don't hear as much about it, actually, as we may have heard back in the 1970s and 80s.

But we live in the time where this prophecy here, and it's in red letters, Jesus spoke these words two days before the Passover when he would die, that unless these days were cut short, no flesh would be saved alive. He goes on to say, if anybody in verse 23 says, here is Christ over there, don't believe it, false prophets and false Christ would arise.

And if anybody says he's in the desert, don't go out, don't believe it. Verse 27 says, Jesus Christ, when he returns, it's going to be seen, it's going to be visible.

As the lightning comes out of the east and flashes to the west, even so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be. And then he says in verse 29, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be dark and the moon not give its light. Verse 30, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. All the tribes of the earth will mourn. He will send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the heaven to the other.

You know, we notice something here. Jesus has answered in a broad way the questions the disciples asked him about when these things would happen, what would be the sign of his coming. In a broad way, he's not given a lot of detail. He knew that later the detail would be spelled out in the book of Revelation. It is, after all, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God the Father gave to him. But here we have actually what, verses 4 through 31. This is the end of the answering of those questions asked to him. In these 28 verses, verses 4 to 31, just four verses.

But we notice that this is not the end of the Olivet prophecy.

You know, Jesus gave in a broad sense things out in the world to be looking for.

But the Olivet prophecy is not over. Jesus continued speaking. When you look at these chapters, then you realize that the bulk of what Jesus says in the Olivet prophecy is toward his church. And that's what he begins to get into in the rest of this chapter and all of Matthew 25.

Matthew 25 just continues those chapters. There should be no chapter break, actually.

So Jesus, what does he give the rest of the Olivet prophecy? He gives exhortation. He gives admonition. And that's what I'd like to really focus on the rest of the sermon. You know, it's not good to just know what is going to happen in the world. It has to affect us. How should it affect us? It should help us to be alert. It should help us to want to, as the article in our current issue of Beyond Today, to walk with God, to be close to God. So let's read what Jesus said that applies to us and the way we should be living our lives. Verse 32, learn this parable from the fig tree. When the branch is tender, puts forth leaves, then you know that summer is near. Right now, we know that spring, we see color developing all around. We know that spring and summer are coming on. Well, Jesus used that. So you also, when you see these things, know that it is near at the very doors. We do begin, we believe that we are beginning to see these things more fully. We still don't know exactly how near, though, we might be. We just, God has not made that possible. But He does say this generation will by no means pass till all these things are fulfilled. That heaven and earth will pass, but my words will by no means pass away. And He goes on to give a lot of warning, a lot of admonition, but of that day and hour no one knows. No, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. As in the days of Noah, they were, so will the coming of the Son of man be. They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. They went about their ordinary business. It's not wrong to eat. It's not wrong to drink. If we do it the right way, not wrong to marry. If that's done the right way, giving in marriage. It's not wrong. These things are not wrong. So people were, they were doing it in some wrong ways, actually, before the flood.

Much corruption was around. But they were going about their ordinary life also until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will the coming of the Son of man be. So we see that in the world today. Most people don't think about the second coming of Christ. All that is going on, they don't tie world events in with what we're reading here. They just go about their ordinary business. I've got children, family members who don't really realize themselves what lies just ahead. So Jesus is giving instruction here for the church. And he says, verse 42, watch. Watch therefore. Be alert. Realize where world events are leading because you don't know what hour your Lord is coming.

So be ready. Verse 44. You also be ready for the Son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. And so after Jesus gave world events to look for, he begins to warn us and admonish us and exhort us to be ready, to be watchful, to be alert. Don't be caught napping. Verse 45 continues, who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household. Verse 46, blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. We will reign with Jesus Christ as king and priest. But what if somebody begins to not watch and not be alert and not really be close to God? If that evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming.

That's something we don't want to ever think that Christ is somehow delaying his coming.

He begins to meet his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards.

He begins to go back into the ways of this world. The master of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour he's not aware and cut him into and appoint him of his portion with the hypocrites that will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So Jesus says that we need to be watching. We need to be alert. We need to be in a state of readiness, constant readiness. We can't let let down and begin to think that somehow things are going to keep right on going. They're not. And it could happen rather quickly.

Well, as I've already mentioned several times, we have a chapter break here, don't we? But we don't have a break in the prophecy. Jesus just continues sitting right there at the Mount of Olives talking to those disciples, apparently just four of them, about things to watch and what they should be doing. In chapter 25, the first 13 verses is the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins. Then the kingdom of heaven will be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise and five were foolish. Well, we know the story here. The wise took some extra oil with them. The foolish did not.

And while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. At midnight a cry was made. Verse 6, all the virgins, verse 7, trimmed their lamps. But the foolish realized they were running out of oil. Their lamps were going out, they said in verse 8. And they wanted to get some oil from the wise. The wise said, not so, but rather to those that sell. And while they went out, the bridegroom came. And afterward the other virgins came and said, verse 11, Lord, Lord, open to us. And he said, assuredly I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore for you know. And so here's the lesson to learn from the parable of the virgins. Watch therefore. Again, that same theme that we read about in the last chapter 24. Watch therefore. Be alert. Be awake. Be ready. For you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. You know, when you think about it, none of us have any guarantee of living until the second coming of Christ. Our day might end before. We need to be constantly watching. And as you get older in life, you realize that more fully. We need to be constantly ready because we don't never know when this physical life could end. It could end rather suddenly. Okay, well there are actually three parables that are given in chapter 25, and they all are warnings toward us, the church, or things that we admonitions of things we need to be doing. In verse 14, we have what is called the parable of the talents, the second of the parables in chapter 25. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man traveling to a far country, called his service, delivered goods to them, to one he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. He went on his journey, and verse 16, the one that had received five talents went and traded them, made five more talents. The one that had two gained two more.

But the one that received just one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his Lord's money.

After a long time, the Lord of the servants came back, and he that had received five talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Look, I've gained five more talents besides them.

The Lord said to him, verse 21, well done, good and faithful servant. You used your time, you used your talents, you used your spiritual gifts so wisely. You were faithful over a few things.

I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. The one that had received two talents, verse 22, came. I've gained two more. The Lord said to him, verse 23, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things.

Enter into the joy of your Lord. We notice that actually the very same words were said to the one that had gained two as the one that had gained five. The one that had gained five had doubled. The one that had gained two had doubled, actually. So they are they have the very same words said to them. And then we have the the rest of this parable. The one that had received one talent was, he says, I was afraid, verse 20-25, and hid your talent in the ground. The Lord said, you wicked and lazy servant. Verse 27, you ought to at least have deposited my money and I could have had my own with some interest, some gain. You know, God is expecting some gain then in the way we live our lives, that we take our abilities, our spiritual gifts, and use them for doing good.

And he said, verse the Lord said, verse 28, take the talent from this man and give to him who has ten talents. Verse 30, cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. He doesn't make it into the kingdom of God. So if we just sit around and do nothing, brethren, look for ways that you can use your talents and your abilities right here in the church. We have, I think everybody is doing a good job, but always be looking for ways you can serve and that you can help and that you can give to be a profitable servant and use your talents and your spiritual gifts to do God's will and God's work. Okay, we have one more talent here. We'll quickly go over it in verse 31.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, Jesus is still given the Olivet prophecy.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the holy angels, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All nations gathered before him will separate one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on the right hand, the goats on the left, and say to those on the right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. These are words we want to have said to us one day. When I was hungry, you gave me food. Thirsty, you gave me drink. Stranger, you took me in. Naked, you clothed me. Sick, you visited me. In prison, you came to me. They'll say, Lord, when did we do all these things?

And the King will say in verse 40, Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. You know, part of using our talents certainly is looking around and becoming a servant to mankind, finding ways that we can serve and help and give, always looking for ways that we can help someone, looking outside of just ourselves. But verse 41, to those on the left hand, the King will say, Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry. You gave me no food. Thirsty, no drink. Stranger, you didn't take me in. Naked, you did not clothe me. Sick, in prison, you didn't visit me. They will answer, Lord, when did we see you? This way. And verse 45, he will answer them, saying, Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. These go away to everlasting punishment, but the righteous and to eternal life. End of the Olivet prophecy, Matthew 24 and 25. What an amazing prophecy this is that Jesus Christ gave.

Brethren, there's an admonition here for us. I think we have to, you know, say that Jesus then did give what to expect in the world in a broad way, but much more detail is given in the book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ. But Jesus gave much more toward his church.

Probably two-thirds or three-quarters, maybe three-quarters even, of the Olivet prophecy is toward us, the church, that we watch, that we be alert, that we be ready, that we use our spiritual gifts and talents, that we keep our lamps burning bright, that we do serve and help and give in every way that we possibly can. What an amazing prophecy this the Olivet prophecy is. We have a couple of booklets, and we're going to read some verses out of Luke and Mark to conclude. We have a couple of booklets that will be very helpful as far as the Olivet prophecy. Are we living in the time of the end? And we certainly believe that we are. And then you can understand Bible prophecy.

So these are two booklets that certainly show the events that we can expect at the end of this age, and that are a sign of the times we're living in and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Certainly, God wants us to be acting on this knowledge. He wants us to watch our spiritual life. He wants us to walk close to Him. Let's conclude with some verses out of Mark and Luke. You know, they give the same thing in Mark 13 and Luke 21. Let's begin in Luke 21. We'll read just a few of the verses there, not the whole thing, because it's basically what we just read from Matthew. In Luke 21 and in verse 5, that's where Jesus talked about not one stone, verse 6, left upon another. Verse 7, they asked Him, saying, Teacher, when shall these things be? What sign will there be when these things are about to take place? Jesus talked about religious deception.

In verse 9, He talked about wars and commotions. In verse 11, said there would be great earthquakes, famines. Same thing we read in Matthew 24. In verse 23, Jesus said, Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are with nursing babies. Verse 27, then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with the power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. In skipping on down to verse 20, verse 34, Jesus said, Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing. So Luke brings out a few things that Matthew didn't focus on. Watch out that you don't get weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, the cares of this life. And that day come on you unexpectedly.

So we don't want to let down as far as realizing where we the times in which we are living.

Verse 35, it will come as a snare, a real surprise on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be kind of worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man.

So Jesus then gave a message warning us that we watch. Watch and pray always. Don't be found careless and carousing. Let's go to Mark's account and just read a few verses. Mark 13. So these four chapters give us the Olivet prophecy. Matthew 24 and 25 and Mark 13 and Luke 21.

You can compare. There's a little bit of additional information that Mark and Luke provide for us. Mark 13 and verse 3, as he said on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately. So just these four are there for the Olivet prophecy, apparently. Tell us when will these things be and what will be the assignment? All these things will be fulfilled. Skipping on down to verse 7, you'll hear wars, rumors of wars. Verse 8, nation will rise against nation. And let's skip on ahead to verse 19. In those days, there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of creation, which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. So that's what we read also in Matthew 24. In verse 24, in those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars of heaven, verse 26, they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. In verse 32, He says, of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Father, even the Son, does Jesus know even now? He may not. The Father only knows that exact day. That is the right time. Take heed. Mark has some very good admonition here for us. He says it very well. Take heed, watch, and pray, for you do not know when the time is.

It is like a man going to a far country who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work. We each one have our work to do, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

Watch, therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning.

Lest coming suddenly he finds you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all, watch.

God wants us to be alert. He doesn't want us to be asleep. Jesus says, watch, be alert. Be close to God. Walk with God.

So I think we can look at world events that are happening today. I keep close watch myself on what is going on. The events in Ukraine would seem to, for one thing, force the European nations to realize they can no longer depend upon the United States. We're showing a weak hand, really. We're afraid to go in. It might be escalatory. That's the word this used. Letting Russia have the stronger hand. Even so, Russia, I don't believe prophecy would indicate them invading NATO nations or the European nations, but they may force those ten nations in Europe that are prophesied in revelation to come together. So we keep watching. We keep looking at world events. How quickly could this happen that the European nations come together? A strong man would rise, the beast, and the false prophet beside him doing signs and wonders. I tell you, if that happened, a strong man were to rise in Europe and the false prophet right beside him doing signs and wonders. That would galvanize the European nations. Things could happen so quickly. Keep watching. So as the song goes by Johnny Cash, I think we can say Matthew 24 is knocking at the door.