In Matthew (Chapter 24) we read that Christ Jesus warned mankind of the disturbance that would come as materialism is forced to give way before the appearing of the Christ, God's true idea. Some of the Master's prophecies are somber indeed. But when one notes this entire chapter, one realizes that Jesus was predicting the end of evil and the full realization of Truth. He said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." He showed that the ominous signs indicate the coming of the power and glory of Christliness, not disaster for all men.
Jesus turned thought back to the prophetical record of Noah, who entered the ark of safety in an age when materialists were not prepared for the destructive fury of evil, and saved what deserved to be saved. The Master said: "So shall also the coming of the Son of man be. . . . Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Christian Science is preparing mankind for the tests that may arise in human experience as material science yields to divine Science, as matter gives place to Spirit and error to Truth. Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 234), "We should become more familiar with good than with evil, and guard against false beliefs as watchfully as we bar our doors against the approach of thieves and murderers."
