From the following teachings of Jesus we will discover that He consistently taught that the righteous and the wicked would remain together in the world until the end of the age. Then He will come back again. The resurrection will take 'place and all people will stand before him in judgement. The wicked will first be separated and go to eternal damnation, then the righteous will be eternally with Jesus in the heavenly kingdom. He never indicated that His coming would be in stages. There is prevalent teaching that His coming will be two different events. There is no scripture to back this false doctrine. He made it clear He is coming at the end of the age. He never said anything about a seven year tribulation before His coming nor of a secret rapture. If we believe the simple teaching of Jesus about His return it will expel many of the modern day myths which have brought fear and confusion to the subject of His return.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
"Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' ' No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow ,together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." (Matt. 13:24-30)
The disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable. "He answered, The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the a-Re. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of this kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. " (Mt.13:37-43)
Now, let us draw some conclusions from what Jesus taught in the parable of the sower:
1. There are two classes of people in this parable; the children of God which are the saints, and the children of satan.
2. Both classes will dwell together until Christ's return at the end of this world, or at the end of the age.
3. At the end of this world Christ will come with the angels, and will first gather the wicked, remove them, and pronounce their final doom.
4. At the same time the saints are gathered into the heavenly kingdom.
5. The harvest and the end of the age are one and the same. Both the wicked and righteous are harvested at that time.
THE PARABLE OF THE NET
"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds offish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. " (Mt. 13.-47-50)
As in the parable of the sower we have two classes of people, the saved and the unsaved. They will be gathered together when Christ returns and the wicked will be taken from among the just, and go to their eternal punishment. In this parable the gathering is synonymous with the harvest just as in the parable of the sower. Both are one event which happens at the end of this age.
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
'At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' Wo,'they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!'they said 'Open the door for us!'But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. " (Mt. 25:1-13)
In the parable of the Ten Virgins, three truths emerge that are very evident:
1. This parable clearly refers to Christ's return and a call to readiness.
2. When Christ returns the two classes will both be present, the good and the bad, the wise and the foolish, the saved and the unsaved.
3. Al Christ's return, the saved go to be with Christ, the door of salvation will be shut and no one will enter from that time forth. Some teach that there will be a second chance for salvation after Christ returns. They say there will be a seven year period in which people will be able to come through the door to salvation. Christ said the door will be shut. Who do you believe?
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
'Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each a" according to his ability. then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. Put the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more. 'His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,'he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 7 knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here- is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. " (Mt. 25:14-30)
This parable refers to His second coming. The man travelling in the far country and returning is an illustration of Jesus' first coming and then going back to the Father to return at a later time. Matthew 24 and 25 deal with the question that the disciples asked, When shall the end of the world be and the sign of thy coming? Or, What shall be the sign of the end of the world and thy coming?
Throughout these parables Jesus talked about the end of the world and His second coming as one event. His coming is at the end of the world. He says, "Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world," or end of this age. Jesus is coming back at the end of this age.
In the parable of the talents, let us take note of three important facts:
1. Jesus makes it clear that He is referring to His departure and His return. Upon His return all men stand before Him to give an account. This is the last judgment.
2. Two classes were present to face the judgment: The unregenerate are represented by the unfaithful servant, the saved represented by the faithful servant.
3. Both the saved and the lost were sent to their final state, or final destiny at the same time.
JESUS' PLAIN TEACHING ON THE SECOND COMING
Jesus ends with this conclusion to His teaching. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Mt 25:31-46)
Jesus is teaching about the course of events that will take place. What He will say, what the unjust will say, and what the righteous say when he is seated on the throne to judge the nations. At the end of the world Christ -will come, and all the people of all nations will be there. The saved will be on the right, and the unsaved on the left, at the final judgment. Some say that there are different judgments, and that this if referring to the judgment of nations. That teaching is inconsistent with scripture. If you are judged according to what nation you are in, then salvation would be, according to your ancestry or geographical location. If that were true, then even though you were a sheep living in a goat nation, you would be judged with that nation as a goat and not as a sheep. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost." Has anyone attempted to baptize a nation? Has anyone attempted to teach a nation? No, He's talking about the individuals from every nation. Christ will be the judge. This will be the final judgment.
We draw several conclusions from this parable:
1. All people of all nations will stand before Jesus in judgment when he returns.
2. Two classes of people are present, the righteous and the wicked.
3. His coming marks the end of this age and the beginning of eternity
Nowhere does Christ, His apostles, or any of the prophets, indicate that His coming will be in steps, or in stages, nor will it be in secret as we shall see in the following chapters.
NOAH AND LOT AS TYPES
Some people who teach eschatology use Elijah, or Enoch, or Moses, or others as types to illustrate the final period of time. But Jesus only two types: Noah and Lot. "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the son of Man is revealed. " (Lk 17:26-30)
In study of eschatology, we do not have the liberty to choose our own types to prove our point. We must restrict the use of types to those used in scripture. Jesus used Noah and Lot, but not to teach a secret rapture before a seven year tribulation. Nowhere does Jesus or the apostles ever mention a seven year tribulation!
Notice that He uses the plural, "As it was in the days of Noah," and "as it was in the days of Lot". But in speaking of a specific event He uses the word "day" in both of these instances. "In the day that Noah entered into the ark." "But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone."
In the parallel scripture in Matthew, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. " (Mt. 24:36-41)
In the days immediately preceding the Old Testament judgements of the flood and the fire, there was a length of time leading up to that judgment. So shall it be in the coming of Christ to the earth again. These are the days preceding the event. But on. the DAY that Jesus comes, there will be one final judgment of the living and the dead.
Now, we see who was taken away and who was left in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot. The wicked were taken away. They were unaware until the day that the flood came and took them all away. And so it was with Lot. Fire and brimstone fell and took them all away, but Lot was safe; he was still here; he was protected. Noah was safe. Jesus says, that's the way it's going to be in the day when the Son of Man comes. 'Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left." Who was taken and who was left? If we draw a true parallel here of what Jesus was teaching about the days of Noah, and the days of Lot, we must conclude that the wicked, not the righteous, are going to be taken away. That agrees- with the parables of Jesus in Matthew 13. The wicked are the ones that will be taken away and destroyed, and that happens at the time of the end.
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN SERVANTS
"He said.- A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have, himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,'he said, 'until I come back.' But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king'. He was made king, however and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had with it. The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more. 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in very small matter, take charge of ten The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' Then he said to those standing by, Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten m inas. ' 'Sir, they said, 'he already has ten!'He replied, 7 tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me. "' (Luke 19:12-27)
In the above parable about His second coming, Jesus is dealing with two classes of people; the good servants and the wicked servants. He deals with them both at the time of His return, not a thousand years apart; not even seven years apart. He says that both classes will stand before Him at that time. That will be the final judgment of Christ.
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD
"He went on to tell the people this parable. A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love, perhaps they will respect him.' But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. This is the heir,'they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. When the people heard this, they said, May this never be! Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. " (Luke 20:9-18)
Again we see that when Jesus comes He will be dealing with two classes of people. At that time they will be judged, and the rewards will be given. Falling on that stone refers to trusting Christ by falling on His mercy. But then "he on whom it falls will be crushed." This happens to the other class, the wicked. Here again we find that Jesus will deal with the saved and the wicked at the time of His return.
SUMMARY
In this chapter we have seen that Jesus was not silent on the subject of eschatology. He consistently taught that His coming would be at the end of this age. At that time the resurrection would take place and all would be gathered before him in judgment. At that time there will be a separation of the wicked from the righteous. The wicked will go to their eternal damnation and the righteous to be eternally with Jesus in the heavenly kingdom. Jesus never once said anything about his coming being in steps one and two. Never did He mention a seven year tribulation period. Never did He mention a 1,000 year reign. His coming marks the beginning of eternity.