Five Things We Will Learn
- Jesus said His return would be like the days of Noah and Lot.
- People will be living normal daily life right up until judgment comes.
- The parable of the ten virgins warns that not everyone who waits is prepared.
- Scripture repeatedly describes the Lord’s return as sudden and unexpected.
- The call of Jesus is simple and urgent: stay awake, watch, and be ready.
Life Will Feel Normal Until It Doesn’t
One of the most sobering warnings in the New Testament is that many people will be completely unprepared when the Lord returns. Jesus did not describe a world where everyone is trembling, repenting, and watching the sky. He described a world carrying on as usual.
In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus compares His return to the days of Noah. People were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage right up until the flood came. They did not understand what was happening until judgment arrived.
Luke 17:26-30 adds the days of Lot. People were buying, selling, planting, building, eating, and drinking. Life looked normal. Business continued. Families continued. Plans continued. Then destruction came suddenly.
That is the warning. The danger is not merely wickedness. The danger is spiritual dullness. People can become so consumed with normal life that they miss eternal reality.
“They Knew Not Until”
Jesus said that in Noah’s day, the people “knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:39, NIV 1984).
That phrase should stop us. They did not know until it was too late.
Noah had been preparing. Noah had been obeying. Noah had been building. But the surrounding culture continued as if nothing was coming. The ark was real. The warning was real. The coming judgment was real. Yet most people were not ready.
Jesus said His coming would be the same way.
The Midnight Cry and the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 gives another powerful picture: the parable of the ten virgins. All ten were waiting for the bridegroom. All ten had lamps. All ten fell asleep. But only five had oil.
When the bridegroom arrived at midnight, the prepared entered in. The unprepared were shut out.
This is not a casual story. It is a warning from Jesus about readiness. The issue was not whether they knew about the bridegroom. The issue was whether they were prepared when he came.
Jesus ends the parable with the command: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13, NIV 1984).
The Thief in the Night
The New Testament repeats this warning again and again.
Matthew 24:43-44 says that if the owner of the house had known when the thief was coming, he would have kept watch. Jesus then says we must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour we do not expect.
Mark 13:32-37 gives the same command: watch. Jesus says no one knows the day or hour, and He warns His servants not to be found sleeping.
Luke 12:39-40 repeats the thief imagery and again says the Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (NIV 1984).
Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:10 that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (NIV 1984).
The message is consistent. Sudden. Unexpected. Final.
The Danger of Being Spiritually Asleep
The greatest danger is not that people will have no information. The danger is that they will not be paying attention.
Jesus is not calling His people to panic. He is calling them to watchfulness. He is not calling them to set dates. He is calling them to readiness. He is not calling them to fear the future. He is calling them to remain faithful to Him.
The days of Noah and Lot were filled with ordinary activities. Eating. Drinking. Marrying. Buying. Selling. Planting. Building. None of those things are wrong in themselves. The problem was that people were living without reference to God, eternity, repentance, and coming judgment.
That is what makes this warning so relevant today. Life can look normal while hearts grow dull. Schedules can be full while lamps are empty. People can know the language of faith and still not be ready for the Bridegroom.
Stay Awake and Ready
The consistent call of Jesus is clear: stay awake.
Watch your heart. Watch your obedience. Watch your love for Jesus. Watch whether your lamp still has oil. Watch whether you are drifting into the same normalcy that blinded the people in Noah’s day and Lot’s day.
The Lord is merciful. His warnings are acts of love. He tells us ahead of time so we do not have to be caught unaware.
Life will feel completely normal right up until the moment it doesn’t.
So stay awake. Stay ready. Stay close to Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just call us to believe in Him—He called us to follow Him.
Step into the life He designed for you through Emmaus Road’s The Commands of Jesus. This is more than learning—it’s an invitation to walk with Him, obey Him, and experience Him in a real and powerful way.
You don’t want to miss this exciting adventure Jesus has called you into.
Start now:
https://GregLancaster.org/StartHere
Related Articles on The Torch
The Great Falling Away: A Wake-Up Call to the Church, John Kilpatrick’s Urgent Message
https://greglancaster.org/2025/12/the-great-falling-away-a-wake-up-call-to-the-church-john-kilpatricks-urgent-message.html
The Lamb Who Claims the Earth: Unpacking Revelation 5
https://greglancaster.org/torch/the-lamb-who-claims-the-earth-unpacking-revelation-5
Urgent Preparation for the Coming Harvest
https://greglancaster.org/torch/urgent-preparation-for-the-coming-harvest There Is a Resting Place
https://greglancaster.org/torch/there-is-a-resting-place