PJ HanleyA guest article by C.J. Thompson
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 2 Pet. 3:3-4
Recently, in the midst of this worldwide crisis we are experiencing with COVID-19, I was praying for the Church at large and I felt the Lord stirring me up about a mocking, unbelieving attitude that exists in the Church regarding His second coming and the judgment that will come on the earth.
The question, “When is it enough?” kept coming to my mind. “When will there be enough proof for people to accept that we are living in the last days?” And then I realized, again, that there will never be enough proof, because we aren’t dealing with facts at all, we are dealing with a mindset of unbelief.
The Lord actually brought to mind Thomas, the Lord’s disciple, who refused to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead unless Jesus appeared to him personally and proved it to him. I felt the Lord pointing out this attitude to me of: “Prove it to me!” It’s a rebellious refusal to believe—unless it’s on their terms. Thomas was literally demanding that Jesus come and stand before him so that he could touch Him, and touch each wound that He suffered on the cross! Fortunately for Thomas, the Lord was gracious enough to do just that. But he lost a blessing because of his unbelief.
No One Knows the Day or the Hour?
Growing up in the Church, all I ever heard about the second coming of Christ was the famous line, “No one knows the day or the hour!” I accepted this as the end of the discussion for a season, and I decided, like much of the Church today, that it was impossible to know anything more except that He will return someday. And if some of you are in that place of accepting that you don’t know, this word is not directed toward you. My challenge is for those who use the words of Jesus to rebel against and mock those who are honestly seeking answers and sharing what they have found in Scripture about Jesus’ soon return. I am writing this to those who wear unbelief as a badge of honor and call it wisdom.
I believe that a large portion of the Church today, specifically the Western Church, is almost totally ignorant of what Scripture really has to say about the return of Christ, because of people who use the line, “No one knows the day or the hour,” to shut up anyone who claims to have some insight.
I don’t know what your experience has been, but for me I usually heard that line whenever someone was speculating about when the time of the rapture would be, or if they were talking about some Bible prophecy that could possibly shed further light on the subject. It was used as a sort of weapon—a comeback for anyone challenging the ignorance of the Church on the subject. And there seems to be a lot of ignorance! And the way that some people use the phrase, “No one knows the day or the hour,” you’d think they were actually saying, “Ignorance is bliss!” But ignorance is not bliss. And was that really what Jesus intended that verse for? What, after all, is so wrong about studying Scripture and trying to learn about the end times and the rapture and when it may be?
The early Church was obsessed with the return of Christ. But as a child, and later as a young adult, I absorbed the attitude from the Church that I shouldn’t even ask or try to find out about the rapture and return of Christ. Why is everyone so afraid to ask questions? Don’t we trust the Bible to give us answers? Everyone seems to be under some sort of demonic intimidation when it comes to studying the end times! “Oh no, you can’t read Revelation, you’ll never understand it! And besides…no one knows the day or the hour!”
Jesus said that whoever asks, receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened to him. 1 And James says that if anyone lacks wisdom, ask God, and do not doubt, and it will be given to you. 2 But instead of seeking wisdom, the attitude we hear today is, “Well, we can’t ever really know when He will return, so what’s the point in looking into it?”
What Did Jesus Really Mean?
Has anyone considered asking themselves, “What did Jesus really mean when He said no one knows the day or the hour?” Or do people just repeat the line, without ever knowing where it is in Scripture, or what it means, and use it as an excuse to go back to sleep? Or worse, to shut up those who are seeking the truth. Did Jesus ever say to not look into it? What was the real context of what He said?
“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matthew 24:32-44 (Emphasis mine)
Jesus said all this as a warning to be on the alert and paying attention to the times we live in. “Therefore, be on the alert!” Don’t allow your home to be broken into! Be like Noah, who knew that a flood was coming, very soon. He was not ignorant. It wasn’t far off, it was imminent. All of the unbelievers didn’t care, they were living their lives for themselves, they were willfully ignorant, and therefore it came on them like a trap. But Noah knew and was paying attention and was delivered. The Believers are supposed to be the ones who know, like Noah.
But My Master is Not Coming For a Long Time!
My generation has embraced an attitude that’s totally the opposite of Noah’s. If we keep reading Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, His next parable calls out this exact attitude.
“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51 (Emphasis mine)
Jesus says that if our attitude is one of carelessness: “My master is not coming for a long time, I’m going to do what I want,” then the Master will come on a day which we don’t expect Him. So it is conditional. It does not apply to everyone! Not everyone will be shocked and caught off guard by Jesus’ return and the rapture of His Bride. In fact, over and over the theme repeats itself that His Bride will actually be ready, waiting, and expecting His return. The warning is to not be ignorant of what is going on and what is coming. Yes, we don’t know the exact time, hence the wording “day” and “hour,” but we are supposed to be prepared and paying attention so that we know when to expect His return.
In Luke 21, the parallel passage for Matthew 24 (the Olivet Discourse), Jesus says plainly:
“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 (Emphasis mine)
My generation is totally off-guard and ignoring the promise of Jesus’ coming! Maybe because our parent’s generation talked about it so much we are sick of hearing about it? Maybe because people get wacky with it and make a fool of themselves? We don’t want to appear to be foolish. More often than not, all I hear is mocking from my generation.
“Seriously? You’re one of those people?” But by trying to be “smart” my entire generation seems to be willing to fulfill the prophecy of the apostle Peter, literally quoting it, “Where is the promise of His coming?” and claiming that it’s never coming or it’s a long way off. “Stop being stupid! Everything is still going on! Every date people name comes and goes and Jesus never returns.” They mock events like Y2K as proof that we are all crazy. But because some people ignorantly preach, does that make those of us who study the Scripture wrong? Because eventually He will return. And who will look stupid then? I’m not saying this in triumph! I’m saying it in sorrow. The ones who have taken the time to study the words of Jesus and the prophets will be vindicated. And the mockers will undoubtedly continue mocking, or they will repent, but it will be too late. They will have missed the rapture.
“For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:5-7 (Emphasis mine)
It escapes their notice that it’s all up to God and it’s all on His timeline, not our timeline. It’s all on His terms, not our own.
“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9 (Emphasis mine)
He isn’t bound by our understanding or lack of understanding. He will do all that He desires, and He will fulfill all that He has spoken. Whether we read His Word and believe it, or not, He will still fulfill it. What arrogance to think that it will never happen!
A Wicked and Unbelieving Generation
Is there any unbelief in your heart? Unbelief is not based in logic—but it claims to be. It is a heart condition that manifests itself in a mocking, cynical, scoffing attitude. It’s a spirit. And it is totally opposed to God and the truth of His Word. A person with unbelief will never accept the truth, no matter how convincing. They’re too “smart” for that. You can never win them over! They’re an expert at wiggling out of things. God could never do something outside of their understanding and approval! Unbelief is pride and arrogance and rebellion.
Jesus called out His own generation as an evil, adulterous, and unbelieving generation who kept asking for a sign (an attesting miracle). They wanted proof!
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREENIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:38-42 (emphasis mine)
We live in a similar generation. Every sign that is necessary for belief has been given to our generation, but it refuses to believe. Only the remnant believes.
There was a remnant of believers who came out of Jesus’ generation, and the rest were judged in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and carried them off into all the world as captives (fulfilling Scripture). Only the ones who humbled themselves and repented (like the people of Nineveh) and the ones who were seeking the truth (like the Queen of the South) were saved out of Jesus’ generation. Even in Jesus’ time, the Believers were the ones who were supposed to be humble and seeking the truth, but He said that unbelievers would rise up in the end to judge His wicked generation of Believers. Why? Because they had pride and unbelief.
But let’s not get too judgmental of Jesus’ generation! Our own generation is the same. We have seen the Jewish people brought back from the ends of the earth, fulfilling biblical prophecy and signaling that we live in the end times, the final generation! This is what Jesus was referring to when He said, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree,” and said, “so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matt. 24:32-33)
And yet, Believers don’t want to hear about it or talk about it. Believers mock other Believers for claiming that Jesus will return soon and for claiming that it will happen within a certain time period. Believers refuse to investigate (seek wisdom, like the Queen of the South) and refuse to humble themselves (like Nineveh) and repent of unbelief and immorality and pride.
The Bible is full of parallels. The generation of Israel that came out of Egypt was another wicked and unbelieving generation. They didn’t get to enter into the promised land, and in Hebrews they are compared to our generation today who are about to enter—or not enter—into the Sabbath rest, the Millennial Reign of Christ. If we are wicked and unbelieving we will not enter, just like that entire generation of Israel did not enter, because of unbelief.
“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.” Hebrews 4:1-2 (Emphasis mine)
Their disobedience was unbelief. They saw His works for 40 years in the desert and still refused to believe.
“Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS, AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’” Hebrews 3:7-11 (Emphasis mine)
How Long Will We Remain Unbelieving?
How long has the worldwide Church seen His works? How long have you seen His works? How long have you watched the signs of His soon return? How long will you remain unbelieving? When will you soften your hard heart and believe? When will you realize this has all happened before, to former generations of people who thought they were saved, who thought it could never happen to them, and suddenly it was too late?
That entire generation of Israel, the ones who were miraculously set free and delivered from slavery in Egypt—those who walked through the parted Red Sea—those who ate the manna from heaven and drank the water that flowed out of the split rock—all of them died in the wilderness. They never entered into the promise that was given to their ancestor Abraham. Their inheritance was lost to them! Think of that! Their entire identity as Hebrews was based in the promise given to Abraham and they missed it—because of unbelief.
The entire generation who lived in the time of Jesus saw their Messiah come and fulfill all prophecies about Him and still refused to believe! They even became His enemies. And they were wiped out and carried off into the world as slaves as a result. They did not receive the promise!
Our entire inheritance as Christians is that Jesus will return and take us to be with Him, to the place He has prepared for us in Heaven—to be His Bride! But we could miss it. What makes us think we could be any different than Israel—God’s beloved, chosen people? We could end up His enemies. We could end up mesmerized by the antichrist and the false prophet! Did you know that the false prophet will perform miracles and convince the whole world to worship the beast? 3 A wicked and perverse generation asks for a sign! 4 Be careful, Church, that your unbelief and lust for wonders doesn’t lead you into the kingdom of antichrist!
“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12-19 (Emphasis mine)
We have to pay careful attention. We have to live our lives in holiness, not carelessness. We have to have faith, not unbelief and skepticism! Unbelief and skepticism have no place in the heart of a Believer. Those are qualities of the world, not Christians. The Church needs to repent of arrogance and unbelief.
The Mockery of God’s Mercy
Now is the time for humility, repentance, and increased faith and hope in the return of Christ. We are seeing biblical prophecy fulfilled! We know more and more every day that His coming is very, very soon. 5 But it will come suddenly like a trap on those who aren’t paying attention. To those who think it doesn’t matter. To those who are mocking. They will miss it, and they will enter into the tribulation, the Day of the Lord, a time of judgment the likes of which the world has never seen before. 6 Just like the flood. Noah was a righteous man who pleaded with his generation to be saved, 7 but they wouldn’t listen, and suddenly the door was shut 8 and the flood came suddenly and violently, destroying the world that had “continued just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
We take creation for granted. Who holds it all in place? Who keeps it from being destroyed? Why does He hold back His judgment?
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
How dare we mock God’s mercy on wicked man? The very people who mock God’s “slowness” in fulfilling the prophecies of His return and judgment on the earth are the ones He is being merciful towards. How long must He put up with us? How long must He be patient with this wicked generation? Eventually His patience will be full and then judgment will come, suddenly, on those who are not paying attention and who are not repentant, humble, and seeking the truth.
The Remnant Will Be Saved
A remnant will be saved, however, who are paying attention. Just like the generation who saw Jesus, who saw His ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection and still rejected Him. The destruction of Jerusalem came on them suddenly. But a remnant was saved! Just like Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot tried to persuade his sons-in-law to leave with him but they thought he was joking! 9 Then judgment came suddenly and they lost their lives. But a remnant was saved!
Thomas, the disciple of Jesus—when everyone joyously told him they had seen Jesus alive he refused to believe unless it was proven to him, on his terms. Their testimony wasn’t enough for him. He had unbelief in his heart.
“Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” John 20:25
Jesus, in response, said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:29)
Thomas missed the blessing of those with soft, humble hearts who believe. Don’t think that Jesus was only speaking figuratively! God rewards faith, humility, and obedience. 10 God gives grace to the humble, but He opposes the proud. 11 Those who demand more proof than what is clearly written in the Scriptures and is being fulfilled every day will receive proof, but it will be proof in the form of judgment, unless they repent of unbelief, soften their hearts, and receive the truth that is plainly written in the Word of God.
Jesus is returning in this generation. Israel is the proof to this generation, and our fathers and grandfathers knew this. That’s why they kept preaching about it, speculating about it, studying the Word of God. Now, when the fulfillment is almost here, my generation is rejecting it. But even this fulfills prophecy! Even the scoffers prove that we do in fact live in the time right before the return of Christ. 12
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening [lit. desiring earnestly] the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,” 2 Peter 3:10-15 (Emphasis and brackets mine)
Mockers will continue to mock until the end comes, but a remnant will be saved! A Bridal company will be raptured and then the end will come. Soften your hearts today and “look for these things.” Receive the truth! Repent if there is any unbelief at all in your heart. Seek wisdom, study the Scriptures, and find the truth that Jesus is coming very, very soon—within your lifetime—and you don’t want to miss it!
- Matthew 7:7
- James 1:5-6
- Revelation 13:12-14
- Matthew 12:39
- http://www.understandingbibleprophecy.org/2016/01/12-reasons-this-is-the-final-generation/
- Matthew 24:21-22
- 2 Peter 2:5
- Genesis 7:1-16
- Genesis 19:14
- Hebrews 11:6-7
- James 4:6
- 2 Peter 3:3