Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of a day that is certain, yet hidden from the eyes of men. He spoke not to satisfy curiosity, but to awaken the heart. In Mark 13:32–37, He declares that no one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, but only the Father. Therefore He says, be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning. And what He says to one, He says to all: stay awake.
This word is not given to a distant people only, nor to a generation yet to come. It is spoken to every soul, because every soul will meet Him. For there are two paths appointed by God, yet they lead to the same end. Either the Lord will come to you, or you will go to Him. And though these differ in form, they do not differ in certainty. For it is written in Hebrews 9:27 that it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. And again, in Matthew 24:42–44, that the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
So then, whether by His coming or by your going, you will stand before Him. You do not know the hour. You do not know the day. Yet the meeting is certain.
For this reason, the Lord speaks as He does in Luke 12:35–40, saying that men should stay dressed for action and keep their lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. And again He warns in Matthew 25:1–13 that there were those who were ready and those who were not, and when the bridegroom came, those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
And so it is. The difference between the two was not seen until the moment arrived, and when it arrived, it was too late to prepare. For the time of preparation is not at His appearing, but before it. The hour reveals; it does not give opportunity.
Consider also the word spoken in Luke 12:20, where a man said to himself that he had many goods laid up for many years, and that he would relax, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him that his soul was required of him that very night. He was not waiting for the Lord’s return, yet he still met Him. He did not expect the hour, yet the hour came.
So then, the command to be ready is not only for that final day when Christ appears in glory, but also for the day when your life is required of you. For whether He comes, or you go, the meeting is the same.
Now the Lord does not leave us without understanding as to why some are ready and others are not. In John 3:19–21, He says that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
Here is the dividing line among men. Not perfection, but response. Not the absence of sin, but whether one is willing to be seen.
This has been so from the beginning. In Genesis 3:7–10, when Adam and Eve knew that they were naked, they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And when they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, they hid themselves among the trees. And Adam said that he was afraid because he was naked, and so he hid himself.
Here is the first response of fallen man to the presence of God. There is awareness, then shame, then fear, and then hiding. And this pattern has not changed.
Yet the reason for this hiding is clear. For nothing is hidden from God. It is written in Psalm 90:8 that our iniquities are set before Him, our secret sins in the light of His presence. And in Ecclesiastes 12:14 that God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. And most clearly in Hebrews 4:13, that no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Thus, what Adam sought to cover is uncovered. What man seeks to conceal is made known. And when this reality presses upon the soul, it produces one of two responses.
Even the righteous feel the weight of this. In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah cries out that he is undone, for he has seen the King, the Lord of hosts. And in Job 23:15–17, Job speaks of being dismayed at the presence of God. For to be fully seen is no light matter. The light does not flatter; it reveals.
Yet here the paths divide. For some, being exposed leads to repentance and cleansing. For others, it leads to retreat and deeper darkness.
But God, in His mercy, does not leave man in hiding. He calls him out. In James 4:8, it is written to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. And again in Hebrews 4:16, that we are to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
And this confidence is not found in ourselves, nor in our own righteousness, but in what God has done. For it is written in 1 John 1:7–9 that if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. And if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is not a call to sinless perfection, but to a life that does not hide from God, a life that comes into the light and remains there.
And so the Scripture speaks plainly in 1 John 2:28, saying to abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink back from Him in shame. For there are those who will stand before Him with boldness, and there are those who will draw back in fear. And this is not determined in that moment, but in the life that precedes it.
For those who come into the light now will not fear the light then. And those who avoid the light now will not suddenly welcome it when it fully comes.
And the day itself will come suddenly. It is written in 2 Peter 3:10 that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Not announced, not delayed, not negotiated. Whether it is the appearing of Christ in glory or the final breath of a man, it comes without warning. And when it comes, it does not invite preparation, but reveals it.
At the end of all things, what began in the garden is seen in full. In Revelation 6:15–17, the kings of the earth and the great ones and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hide themselves in caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. The desire remains the same as it was in the beginning, to hide from His presence. But there will be no tree left, no covering left, no place left to hide.
Yet this is not the end for all. For those who have come into the light, the end is not terror, but joy. It is written in Revelation 22:4 that they will see His face. Not turn away from it, not hide from it, but behold it. No shame remains. No fear drives them back. They stand in the presence of God as they were meant to from the beginning.
And so the apostles speak of how one ought to live in light of these things. In 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, it is written that whether we are at home in the body or away from it, we make it our aim to please Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Whether we meet Him in death or at His coming, the aim does not change.
Therefore the matter is brought to a simple and searching conclusion. You do not know the hour. You do not know the day. Yet you will meet Him. Whether He comes to you, or you go to Him, you will stand before Him. And when you stand before Him, you will not be hidden.
So then, come into the light now. Do not wait for that day to reveal what this day was meant to prepare. Do not turn away from the One who sees all things, but draw near to Him who calls you. For those who come into the light now will stand in His presence with confidence then. And those who avoid the light now will seek to hide, yet will find no place to hide.
In the beginning, man hid among the trees. In the end, there will be no tree left to hide behind.
So then, be ready. Not only because He is coming, but because you are going.
Hebrew and Greek Word Study
The depth of this theme is further seen in the words the Scriptures use. In Genesis 3:10, the word translated as hid comes from the Hebrew satar, which means to conceal oneself or to withdraw from sight, pointing not only to physical hiding but to a turning away from the presence of God. In John 3:19, the Greek word for light is phos, referring to divine truth and purity, the revealing presence of God Himself. The related idea of exposure is captured in the Greek word elencho, which means to convict or bring to light, showing that exposure is meant to lead to correction and restoration when it is received rightly.
In Hebrews 10:38, the word for shrinking back comes from hypostello, meaning to draw back or retreat in fear, describing a withdrawal caused by unwillingness to face what is revealed. In contrast, 1 John 2:28 uses the word parrhesia, meaning boldness, openness, and freedom to stand without shame before God. Finally, in Hebrews 4:13, the word translated exposed is trachelizo, meaning to be laid bare or completely uncovered, leaving nothing hidden.
Taken together, these words show a consistent pattern. Man, aware of sin, seeks to hide. God reveals Himself as light, exposing all things. Those who resist this exposure shrink back, while those who receive it are brought into confidence. In the end, all will be fully seen by God. The question is not whether you will be exposed, but whether you will come into the light now so that you may stand in that light without shame when you meet Him.
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