Red Skies

Finding out weather predictions has become very easy and very high tech. I remember when I had to wait through the morning or evening news to see the seven day forecast, but now I can see it at any time on my weather app. Predicting the weather has been a pursuit of many people for a very long time. Even in the time of Christ people were predicting the weather. Look at Matthew 16:1-4:

¹ The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. ² But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³ “And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? ⁴ “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

The Pharisees and Sadducees took the time to seriously consider the sky and the implications of its color, but they refused to seriously consider Jesus and the meaning of the signs and wonders He was performing. During His life Jesus was fulfilling prophecy after prophecy, and was performing miracle after miracle, and yet they continued to beg for signs from heaven as proof that He was the Christ.

Jesus reprimanded the people of His time because they could use logic and common sense concerning the world in which they lived, but they failed to employ the same common sense principles in their walk with God. They failed to see the signs Jesus was performing (John 20:30-31) and they failed to believe in the mountain of evidence of His authority (John 5:30-47).

Before we judge Christ’s generation too harshly, we need to take a look at our own. Our generation is obsessed with symbolism and allegory in the Scriptures to the point that plain and straightforward Scriptures (Mark 16:16) are ignored completely in favor of wild and twisted conclusions of difficult to understand passages (2 Peter 3:16).

Many people for many years have spent much time attempting to name the date and time of Christ’s return, the Day of Judgment. They seek out and twist passages in the prophets and Revelation especially, and destroy the faith of many when their predictions are wrong. Rather than being deceived by their persuasive arguments, use common sense! Even while He walked the earth, Jesus plainly said that the day and the hour is known by no one but the Father (Matt. 24:36-39, 44; Luke 12:39-40). Instead of trying to figure it out, we are commanded simply to “be on the alert” (Matt. 24:42).

Those who teach that they can or do know when Christ will return are teaching a false doctrine which leads to the ruin of those who believe it. Use your common sense, listen to the plain and straightforward teachings Christ gave. Obey only the true teachings which come from God’s Word and you will find salvation in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:37-38).