The lesson for us in this chapter is that we need to study and apply the word of God to our own lives--and we do this by studying the prophecies to behold the loveliness of Jesus and to know Him with all the heart and mind, so that He can reveal His character in and through us. The chapter reveals the warning clearly:
The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His apostles,—the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,—they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God.
We may say that we understand the coming of Jesus to be soon, but we are not ready for HIs coming on a moment-by-moment basis unless we are daily abiding in Him, and having our affections, thoughts, and purposes stayed upon Him. Unless we are in continual communion with God by a living faith, we are not ready for Jesus to come, no matter how much we may know intellectually about the word of God. The word of God reveals Jesus to us, and we need to be in fully surrendered to Him so that He can continue to teach us our duty! Praise God for Jesus who calls us to repentance, and we see that a message is applied for our time as well to repent:
Revelation 3
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Unless Christ is in the heart, as revealed by all of the fruits of the Spirit being in the life without one missing, then we are not ready for Jesus to come. Daily He has trials for us to help us be fitted for greater trials--let us bear them joyfully!