God’s Disappointing Vineyard

Impending Judgment on Excesses

The Reign of Jesse’s Offspring^(A)

The Coming of the Son of Man^(A)

^29 (B)“Immediately after the tribulation of those days ^(C)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ^30 (D)Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, ^(E)and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ^31 (F)And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His ^[a]elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree^(G)

³² “Now learn ^(H)this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So you also, when you see all these things, know ^(I)that ^[b]it is near—at the doors! ³⁴ Assuredly, I say to you, ^(J)this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. ^35 (K)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour^(L)

^36 (M)“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of ^[c]heaven, ^(N)but My Father only. ³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ^38 (O)For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ^40 (P)Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ^42 (Q)Watch therefore, for you do not know what ^[d]hour your Lord is coming. ^43 (R)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what ^[e]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ^44 (S)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant^(T)

^45 (U)“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food ^[f]in due season? ^46 (V)Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. ⁴⁷ Assuredly, I say to you that ^(W)he will make him ruler over all his goods. ⁴⁸ But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master ^(X)is delaying ^[g]his coming,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is ^(Y)not aware of, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. ^(Z)There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸ “And to the ^[a]angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, ^(A)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ^19 (B)“I know your works, love, ^[b]service, faith, and your ^[c]patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have ^[d]a few things against you, because you allow ^[e]that woman ^(C)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ^[f]to teach and seduce My servants ^(D)to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time ^(E)to ^[g]repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²² Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[h]their deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who ^(F)searches^[i] the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, ^[j]and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the ^(G)depths of Satan, as they say, ^(H)I ^[k]will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast ^(I)what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps ^(J)My works until the end, ^(K)to him I will give power over the nations—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him ^(M)the morning star.

²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Dead Church

3 “And to the ^[l]angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who ^(N)has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before ^[m]God. ^3 (O)Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and ^(P)repent. ^(Q)Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you ^(R)as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ^4 [n]You have ^(S)a few names ^[o]even in Sardis who have not ^(T)defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me ^(U)in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes ^(V)shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not ^(W)blot out his name from the ^(X)Book of Life; but ^(Y)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

^6 (Z)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’