Lesson 96 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”  (Mathew 24:44).

Notes

Mount Olivet

One wonderful day a group of people gathered on a mountain named Olivet, not far from the City of Jerusalem. Jesus was there, talking to them. He finished speaking, and while they looked at Him, He "was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" [ACT:1:9]). The people stood there, looking up toward Heaven. They were surprised at what they had seen. A moment before, Jesus was talking to them; now He had left the earth and had gone to Heaven. While they stood there, looking toward Heaven, two men in white clothes asked them why they stood there gazing up into Heaven. The two men said, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Many years have passed since that day. One of these days that very same Jesus is coming back to earth. How do we know? Because the Bible, God's Holy Word, tell us in many, many places that Jesus is coming back again. We all know that the Bible is true.

Beautiful Heaven

Before Jesus left the earth, He told the people, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" [JHN:14:2-3]). We who are ready will be caught up "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" [1TS:4:17]). That is the day for which the Christian is watching and longing.

That will be a glorious day for those who are ready. We love to think of Heaven with its streets of gold, its gates of pearl, its many mansions, its seas of glass, the beautiful throne with the rainbow around it. The Bible tells us that we cannot even imagine all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. We are certain that there are many kinds of beautiful flowers, and a great many other lovely things in Heaven. We love to think of a time when we will always be with the saints of God and those of our family who have gone to Heaven before us; and, best of all, be with Jesus. He is the One we long to see first of all.

Left Behind

But those who are not ready for Heaven will not go up when Jesus comes. They will be left behind. Just as the lightning flashes in the sky " you see it and it is gone " that is how quickly Jesus will come. There will be no time then to get saved; there will be no time to go to your mother or to a playmate whom you have wronged, and ask forgiveness. It will be too late.

Faithful Noah

Do we remember the lesson we studied some time ago about Noah and the ark he built? When the ark was finished, God told Noah to take his wife, his family, and two of each kind of animal and go into the ark. Then God shut the door and they were safe. The rain began to fall; day after day it rained. Then the fountains of the deep were opened up, and the water came from below. Don't you imagine about that time some of the wicked people who had laughed at Noah for building the ark were wishing they were in the ark? Cannot you hear them say, "Noah! Noah! Open the door!" But let us remember, God had shut the door; no man could open it.

The people who lived in the days of Noah were very wicked. That was the reason God sent the Flood and destroyed them. Today there are many wicked people in the world and Jesus will send punishment to them unless they repent. Jesus wants them to come to Him and be saved. The Christians are doing all they can to help people get saved: holding meetings, sending out literature, going into jails and hospitals to tell people to get ready to meet Jesus. But many, many are still not saved and soon it may be too late.

The people in the time of Noah learned when it was too late that the door of the ark was shut, and all hope was gone. One of these days, when it is too late, the wicked people will find that the Door of Mercy is forever closed. Jesus said that when the door is shut, people will stand outside and knock and say, "Lord, Lord, open unto us." But the Lord will say, "I know you not."

Ready to Meet Jesus

We do not know how soon Jesus will come, but we are looking for Him every day. None of us want to be left behind; we all want to be ready. Jesus has made it possible for us all to be ready. He loves little children. One day he called a little child to Him, and talked to the people nearby. He said, "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish" [MAT:18:14]).

What must we do to be ready to meet Jesus in the air? First, we come to Him in prayer and ask Him to save us. We ask Him to forgive all our sins. He hears our prayer and washes our hearts clean. He makes us very happy. Then we ask Him to sanctify us, and make our hearts more clean and holy; then He baptises us with the Holy Ghost, when we seek Him with all our heart. If we pray every day and keep close to Jesus, we will be ready to be caught up when Jesus comes. That will be the "Crowing Day." Then we shall always be where Jesus is. There will be no more sickness, no trouble, no more sorrow or death. All will be joy and gladness. Forever and ever we shall walk the golden streets and sing praises in that beautiful City that Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him.

Questions

1. What will Jesus say to those who knock when the door is shut? [LUK:13:25].

2. How quickly will Jesus come? [LUK:17:24].

3. What happened to the wicked people in the days of Noah? [LUK:17:27].

4. Will every one be ready to go to Heaven when Jesus comes? [LUK:17:34-35].

5. Do we know when Jesus will come? [MAT:24:44]; [MAK:13:32-33].