See: “READY AND WAITING NO. 1: READY FOR THE REIGN”
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Pop quiz: Which preacher preached the greatest sermon of all time on end-times prophecy and The Last Days?

Charles Spurgeon? Hal Lindsey? Tim LaHaye? John MacArthur?

Many wonderful sermons have been preached about The Last Days. But the greatest end-times sermon ever preached was the one Jesus preached. Because of the Mount of Olives location where He preached it, that sermon is known as the “Olivet Discourse.” It is recorded in Matthew 24-25. Take the time to read the whole sermon. It is outstanding.

In Jesus’ famous prophecy sermon, He said, “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.” There are many remarkable parallels between the circumstances in Noah’s day and world conditions on that fateful future day when the curtain closes on “this present age” and Christ ushers in “the age to come.”

(1) GREAT WICKEDNESS
In Noah’s day, “The wickedness of man was great on the earth, and…every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). I sure wouldn’t want to go back in time to live in that horrible era. People were consumed with evil. No righteousness. No kindness. No love. It was hell on earth.

Likewise, in the end times, Jesus said, “At that time, many…will betray one another and hate one another…Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matt. 24:10, 12). Similarly, Paul wrote that, “In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be…unholy, unloving…without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:1-4). The end times will be a time of lawlessness, hatred, and evil.

(2) VIOLENCE
Noah’s day was especially marked by violence. “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11). So it also will be at the end of time. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars…For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. 24:6-7). As Paul described it in the 2 Timothy passage above, a time when people are “without self-control, brutal, …treacherous.” A time of war, bloodshed, and violence.

(3) PROPHETIC PREACHING
In Noah’s ancient time, God did not send the flood waters until after He had given the population plenty of warning. Noah was a preacher. If anyone had responded to Noah’s message and turned his heart toward God, that person could have been saved, as Noah and his family were. There was plenty of room on the ark for more believers. “The patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water” (1 Pet. 3:18).

Likewise, Jesus will not return as the Conquering Christ until all the world has heard the news. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). Indeed, the message is being preached today, all over the world, like never before. Jesus’ words are direct: “Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matt. 24:25). In other words, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

(4) DISBELIEF
Despite God’s patient efforts through Noah for many years, only eight people heeded God’s message. It will be no different in the end times. “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” (Matt. 24:37-39).

Jesus said times haven’t changed much, and they never will. People have always kept themselves busy with the same old things: eating, drinking, getting married. Is there anything wrong with those things? Of course not. But Jesus’ point is, people are always so busy going about their business, just getting through today, that they never think about tomorrow.

Never a thought about God, or the plans God has for the human race. We keep ourselves so busy working, taking trips, shopping, paying the bills, looking after the kids, taking care of the house, going to weddings and to funerals – keeping ourselves so busy with the affairs of this world – that we give no attention to God or the things of God.

Quite to the contrary, “the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). “Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, …lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim 3:1,4).

(5) SIGNS IN THE SKY
After God sent his prophetic warning through Noah for many years, finally the end came. One fateful day dark clouds filled the sky, lightning pierced the air, thunder rolled across the heavens, and the rains poured down, covering the earth. When Jesus comes again, it will seem like a repeat of those ancient times.

“As the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be…The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:27, 29-30).

Like the flood waters of those ancient days, Jesus will fill the sky and descend from the clouds to cover the earth – with His power, and His glory, and His majesty.

Tragically, even though Noah had been preaching God’s prophetic message about the coming storm for 120 years, the flood caught the human race completely off guard! Amazing! And sadly, even though the Bible’s hundreds of detailed prophecies about the end times have been preached for thousands of years, and though the prophecies have been translated into hundreds of languages and distributed by the millions all over the world, when Jesus comes again, the human race will be completely and utterly surprised.

When Jesus returns, He will catch the people of The Last Days completely off guard. Amazing! Because nobody is watching. Nobody is ever watching.