His Glorious Appearing: An Exposition of Matthew Twenty-Four

by James White

The Final Separation.

Verses 40, 41: “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.”

This language shows the final separation between the righteous and the wicked. There is no elaborate explanation as to how the circumstances will meet their fulfillment, but that is not the essential force of the text. The line will in some cases be drawn between those who are intimately related. Some members of the same family will be taken away by the judgments of God, while others will be left to receive their coming Lord.

Those Who Watch Will Know The Time.

Verses 42-44: “Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the [pg 087]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.”

The injunction to watchfulness is repeatedly given by our Saviour in connection with his teaching in reference to his second advent. These injunctions must apply especially to those who live in proximity to that event. This fact is convincing evidence that the Lord is not displeased with those who anticipate his coming, and study the word in reference to it. No one watches for that which he does not expect, and indifference or aversion toward the coming of Christ is sure evidence of coldness toward Christ himself. If we love Jesus, we shall love his appearing and if we love his appearing, we shall be eagerly watching and waiting for it. But if we knew the hour when he would come, we should not watch for his coming, nor could we with eagerness expect his coming if we had no knowledge of its approach. The course of time has been measured off in definite periods down to the beginning of the present generation. The time from the end of the prophetic periods to the coming of Christ is emphatically the waiting, watching time. Those who watch, as our Lord commands, will eventually know the time. No man will make it known, for it is not revealed to man in the Scriptures. Angels will not make it known, though they may minister to, and communicate with, the children of men. Neither will the Son. But the Father will make it known when he speaks again from heaven.

It is undoubtedly true that the unscriptural and irrational course pursued by many so-called Adventists in repeatedly setting a time of their own for the Lord to come has had the effect to disgust many with the whole [pg 088] matter. This is the enemy's work. He will seek thus to obscure each truth by bringing it into the shadow of reproach. But it is unwise to be thus misled. Probably there is no prophecy that better describes the present state of unbelief in the world in regard to the second advent, caused partly by fanatical time-movements, than the following:—

“Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged, for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.” Eze. 12:22-25.

The burden of this prophecy is time; therefore the word here mentioned that the Lord will speak, will be the time. Rev. 3:3, is also to the point:—

“Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

Those who do not watch, will not know the hour. Those who watch will know the hour.

The present watching, waiting position requires much faith and patience. Says Paul:—

“Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God [in proclaiming the coming of Christ], ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; [pg 089]but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Heb. 10:35-39.

Says James: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:7, 8.

Jesus says: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Rev. 3:10.

The present position and present duty of God's people are defined in Rev. 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

The Faithful And Wise Servant.

Verses 45-47: “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.”

In this figure, Christ is represented as the Lord of the household of faith (see Mark 13:35; Heb. 3:6), leaving his house, and committing the work of caring for his church to his servants. A blessing is promised those servants who are found faithfully discharging this duty when their Lord comes. They are to feed the flock of God, over whom the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers. Acts 20:28. They must preach the word. 2 Tim. 4:2. They should watch for souls as they that must give account. [pg 090] Heb. 13:17. They will not only give meat to the household, but they will give it in due season. They will preach the present truth.

And meat in due season when Christ's coming draws near, will be the gospel of the kingdom. Verse 14. It will embrace warnings, instructions, and encouragements pertaining to a message that is designed and adapted to prepare the world for so solemn an event. Suppose, for a moment, that when Noah had received his message of the coming flood to give to the world, he had reasoned with worldly wisdom that as such a thing never had occurred, and from all appearances seemed very unlikely to occur, and hence to preach it would subject him to reproach, it would be better to avoid any particular allusion to such an unwelcome subject. His preaching seemed to excite only ridicule. He could retain his own private convictions and preach the ordinary principles of righteousness, saying, “Do not so, my brethren.” And if the people were only prepared for the flood, that would be all that would be necessary. Of such a course we can say two things. He would thus have proved very unfaithful to his trust, and the blood of his fellow-men would have been upon him; and he would have done just as thousands are doing now. He certainly would not have represented the faithful and wise servant. So it is now. A solemn responsibility is placed upon the watchmen:—

“Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But [pg 091]he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” Eze. 33:2-7.

When Jesus comes, the faithful servants will be found proclaiming his coming and teaching the necessary preparation. The Saviour speaks of such as “faithful and wise.”

1. He is faithful. As a faithful watchman, he will give timely warning when he sees the sword coming. His work just before the end, is seen in the following scriptures:—

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” Joel 2:1.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”Isa. 58:1.

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” 2. Tim. 4:1-5.

2. He is wise. “He that winneth souls is wise.” He must be wise. He will hold forth the truth in its harmony and beauty, and thus expose error and win men to the truth. When it becomes his duty to “reprove and rebuke,” it will be at a proper time and place, and then with all “long-suffering and doctrine.” He will study to [pg 092] show himself “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15.