Watch - Part 1?

I'm not sure if I'm going to continue in this same exact path of writing, but here's something I was able to write out last night, on what will hopefully be my last sick day home from work. If I don't finish this, I will try to use it as a basis for an in-depth examination of the Olivette Discourse, as I haven't found any yet, and the discourse is the key to understanding the timing of nearly all of the events of the last days. May the Lord bless the Word expounded:

"Watch" - Part 1?

It is well known in most, if not all, relatively sound Christian circles today that the Pharisees expected Christ to come as a king; they expected Him to deliver them from the rule of Rome and to establish the kingdom at that time. This is what they thought the Scriptures had plainly declared! The great scholars of the day, those who were vaunted so high above their own people, and appeared to have so much credibility, could point to the Scriptures and say "this must be so", and the people believed it. The statement was made, the Scripture was read, and it did appear to be true. The proper order of interpretation had been reversed, though, and this was a prime example of "eisegesis", as opposed to "exegesis". Instead of letting God's word speak for itself, with all of it's parts considered, they had imposed a new doctrine upon the Scriptures when it was possible to make it appear to be consistent with them. Had they truly searched out the Word (by "truly searched" is meant a cautious, careful, unbiased evaluation), they would have seen the error. God cannot lie, and their false expectations were not, in truth, based on a proper understanding of what He had said, even though it appeared to be wholly true to these people, who were they that should have been among the first to understand.

Mt 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

No doubt, the men of God who had penned the Scriptures by His dictation would have pointed to this, had they been present during the time of Jesus' earthly ministry. One should take note that throughout the New Testament, the phrase "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" is found many times, along with others like it. Right under the noses of apostate Israel, and many of the elect(the apostle Paul is one example), prophecy was being fulfilled, and going unnoticed. Apparently, the continuity of teaching had not wholly protected them from error. One would think that the teaching of a rejected Sovereign would not have been lost from generation to generation, but men are faulty creatures, and it is often a grave error to give them the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, those familiar with what we know as the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah should have recognized the fulfillment in His crucifixion, but this also escaped them. Indeed, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. . . that no flesh should glory in His presence"(1 Cor. 1:27-29).

Re 3:1 ¶ And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 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.

Here, the Lord conditions a certain outcome on failing to watch for His return. The result is that He will come upon those not watching as a thief. "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief". The rules of language necessitate a reversal of the outcome, if whatever is conditioned by the "if" is reversed. If the phrase above is true, and the word "if" truly has meaning, it must also be true that "if therefore thou shalt watch, I will not come on thee as a thief". It appears that with this in mind, we can draw a parallel between His first and second advents. At His first advent, many people, namely the religious people of the day, had expectations for His first coming that were built upon their own reasoning, instead of what God had declared in His Word. The popular teachers of today are saying "watch the clouds, the Lord could be in one of them!", but is this ever taught by the Scriptures? It is true that He will come in a cloud, but the passage that declares this reads:

Mt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . . they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven". Could it not be plainer? How have so many managed to obscure and confuse what the Lord taught in such plain terms here? Can a teaching based on supposed "inferrences" override this simple point? With their eyes on the skies, instead of the events told of in the Scriptures, many Christians will be caught off guard when the events of the Olivette discourse begin to take place. By the time He returns, though, the only ones left not watching will be those who do not truly know Him. In Matthew 24:43-51, we read:

Mt 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the 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.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

There are many things to consider in this passage, and such a hasty treatment has been given and accepted of them, that much of the value here has been lost in the day and age we live in. First, let's look at verse 42: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come". Whenever there is a "therefore", it always important to look at what was said before, and we will return to this point shortly. In the meantime, let us look at the words "Watch . . . for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come". This is often taught to mean that it is impossible to be aware of the timing of the Lord's return, and that no prophesied event must take place before it. "Watch" is said to refer to watchfulness over ones self, and is taught as being disconnected from the rest of the verse. The reason the Lord says "watch", though, is because He wants us to know when He will return! I can hear the majority say "impossible!", but what did we read earlier, in Revelation3:1-3? "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." Take a step back in your mind, and read the words again. "If. . . thou shalt not watch . . . thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee". Now, the words "Watch. . . for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" make much more sense. The reason we need to watch is that we have no way of knowing, other than what He told us to watch for in the Scriptures! The context of the word "watch" is made clear by Matthew 24:32-33:

Mt 24:32 ¶ Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

"When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." It is clear from this that we are to be watching for the things He spoke of in the Olivette discourse. To further prove this, let us go back to the "therefore" of Matthew 24:32:

Mt 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

What is it that provoked the word "therefore"? Let's find out, in one of the most often cited passages by "pre-tribulationists", Matthew 24:37-41:

Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

"As the days of Noe(Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". We are told here that the coming of the Lord(which exegetically could be none other than the one spoken of just seven verses earler, occuring "immediately after the tribulation of those days") will be as it was in the days of Noah. We know from verse 39 that "they", the unredeemed, "were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage", and that they "knew not until the flood came, and took them away". It is true that His return shall come as a snare upon the world. In the Olivette discourse, they do not begin to mourn until they see Him coming in the skies, after the "great tribulation". What about us, though? Well, let's take a look at what Scripture says about Noah's situation, in Genesis 7:1-4:

Ge 7:1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Not only was Noah given plenty of time to prepare by building an ark, he also knew when the Lord would begin the flood seven days in advance. The problem in the widely-held modern interpretation of "as the days of Noe were" is that the entire 70th week is likened to the flood, which was God's wrath. As taught by Scripture, however, God's wrath does not begin until after the sixth seal, which is shown in Revelation 6:12-17:

Re 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The most common objection levied against the truth here is the idea that the 70th week will be too chaotic for the world to be "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" during any length of it. This argument is given more apparent strength by terming the entire 70th week as "the tribulation", which Scripture never does. This idea is plainly refuted by the book of Revelation, though. Revelation 18, taking place just before Armageddon as described in chapter 19, blows this idea out of the water completely:

Re 18:1 ¶ And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 ¶ And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day. . . in one hour is thy judgment come. . . wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts. . . in one hour so great riches is come to nought. . . in one hour is she made desolate. . . the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." All of this, taking place well into the 70th week. "Wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat. . . the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee". Does that ring a bell? What did the Lord say in the Olivette discourse?

Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.