“You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Lk. 12:40)
About twenty years ago, as a new believer reading through the Bible for the first time, I came across a passage that puzzled me. Leviticus 25 speaks of the Year of Jubilee, with each person returning to his own property (v.?13), the land being sold on the basis of the number of years until the next Year of Jubilee (v.?15), and the land not being sold permanently (v.?23). I thought to myself that I must have been mistaken in my understanding of what I was reading. This was too different from the practice in twentieth century Canada. But the Bible meant exactly what it said, and I not only learned about the Year of Jubilee but also learned that Scripture is the judge of my society and not the other way around.
As a means of alleviating poverty, the Year of Jubilee has much to commend it. But even to a new believer, the applicability with regards to the Lord’s return was immediately obvious. All of us need to buy and sell. We need jobs, places to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat. Some of us will have our own businesses and some of us will be employed by others. The Scripture raises no objection to any of these things. But just as the land lost value as Israel got closer to the Year of Jubilee, so too the things of this world lose value as we get closer to the Lord’s return. All the things we might strive for and want, all the things that pull our hearts, all worldly achievements and honors, all these become totally insignificant the moment the Lord Jesus Christ returns. This thinking should influence our lives from the moment of new birth onwards.
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ must be considered in two aspects: His return to the air to bring His people home (1 Thes. 4:15-17) and His return to the earth (Zech. 14:4) to reign in righteousness. The command given in Luke 12:40, “You also, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect,” is referring to the Lord’s return to the air. This event is given the theological title of the rapture. It will be unanticipated and instantaneous (1 Cor. 15:52). The return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth is a wonderful subject, and all Christians look forward to the culmination of the divine plan. But with regards to this article, it is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the air which will occupy our thoughts.
A forgotten truth
It would seem that this is now a forgotten doctrine. Some churches choose to ignore this doctrine in favor of teaching on the practical Christian life, though, as we will see, this doctrine is vital to practical Christian living. Other churches seek to curry favor with denominations by down-playing something as “controversial” as a pre-tribulation rapture. There is not much that most of us can do when a church goes down this path, except to make a personal appeal to the Head of the church. Yet I am much more concerned about the way most of us seem to have personally forgotten about this doctrine. Whether or not it is preached from our pulpits, I believe many of us live as if we have forgotten that the Lord Jesus Christ is returning.
A previous generation remembered this doctrine. I remember a number of men telling me that when they were children they knew that they were not saved and they knew that the Lord Jesus was coming back. At times, they would sneak down the hall in the middle of the night, stop at their parents’ door, and strain their ears to see if they could still hear their parents breathing. Today, many people would find this story odd. Others would even find it objectionable. But we are dealing with divine truth, and it is better that a child be aware of such realities than to grow up without Christ and enter a lost eternity.
Forgetting has consequences
So what are the consequences of forgetting this doctrine? Let’s consider two aspects of Luke 12:40, “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” The first aspect is evangelistic. Just as the children of the previous generation wanted to be reassured that the rapture had not happened without them, so too the Lord’s return being both certain and imminent is a powerful reminder that we must not delay or trifle with the offer of salvation. If we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is returning, and if we are warned to be ready, then we must make certain that we are ready for eternity. The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is also a powerful motivator for personal evangelism. Knowing that today could be the day gives us great encouragement to seize the moment and to share our faith. Today could be our last opportunity.
The second aspect of the Lord’s return is with regards to Christian living. Though some would ignore the rapture as an esoteric point of theology, it is in fact vital to our concept of holy living. We are feeble creatures of dust, and often forgetful. We live most days just as we lived the previous day. There is temptation to get caught up in the world, or at least to stay in a routine. But there is a day coming which will be unlike any other day. We will awaken with a list of chores and duties; we will go about our daily tasks (even our spiritual tasks); but then, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, our experience of this life will be concluded; and we will go to be with the Lord. Knowing this, what sort of people ought we to be? How ought we to live? Certainly we should avoid the outright sins of the world, the flesh, and the devil!
Love not the world
Furthermore, the practical Christian living that the Lord’s return inspires should also keep our hearts from being attracted to the things of this world. While certain possessions are not explicitly sinful, it is sinful to have the wrong attitude towards possessions. This can be illustrated by thinking of old jewelry in a museum. You can look at a three-thousand-year-old necklace and admire the craftsmanship. You can wonder how they crafted it without the benefit of machine tools. You can respect the patience required to make such an item. But in the end, can you imagine wearing it? Of course not! It is moldy and corroded and, if not for the fact that it is old, you would never bother to stoop to have a look. But there was a time when this old necklace was sought after. Women coveted it and men worked hard so that they could buy it for their wives. Yet, fundamentally, it is something which has no value in the light of time, let alone the light of eternity. And the same could be said for the things we covet today.
Jesus Christ is returning to take His people home. This is the teaching of the Bible. In light of this truth, we should be a saved and holy people who reach out with the gospel and have little regard for the treasures of this world.