Last week we looked at the overarching theme of deception: that we should be very careful and not be deceived by a “false prophet, false Christs, or a false messiah.” Today I want to look at the next major theme of Matthew 24 which is watchfulness. Again we discern this major theme because our Lord repeated it three times using three separate illustrations to stress its importance and if that were not enough it was followed up with a parable about the ten virgins in the next chapter. In the first illustration it indicates that the world will be happily busy or involved in the pleasantries’ of life eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage when suddenly without any warning people will be swept away in the same way as those who lived during the great flood. Sudden planetary events are more widely accepted as we fast approach the end of days. As tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes increase in numbers and severity around the globe the possibility of a global catastrophe is even more certain yet less predictable. In recent months we have witnessed an increase in asteroids flying ever closer to the planet with almost no warning. An asteroid the size of a small truck buzzed the Earth on Saturday four times closer than the moon. These asteroids are popping up out of nowhere with absolutely no warning until the last moment. The day and hour is unknown. Continue reading Watchfulness →