The Day of Christ’s Return Part 3

The Day of Christ’s Return Part 3 – Context

The Day and Hour No Man Knows and the Thief in the Night… Context

Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Another interesting thing to point out here is context. What context is this being said under?

Matthew 24:31-41

31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 ”Now learn 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 that it is near–at the doors!34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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 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.

Let us ask a question. Was Noah unaware of the the flood that was coming or it’s timing? He was preparing from the day that God told him to build the Ark. He was preparing the animals to get in the ark so he knew it was close. He was instructed to enter the ark. Who are the people that God is saying were unaware here? The sinners. They were unaware that anything unusual was about to take place. Not Noah.

Now, there is a remark here that the Angels and Even Jesus didn’t know when His return would be… but that could just as easily be saying that only the Father knew AT THAT TIME… He said no man knows, no that know man will ever know.

So I don’t see rock solid evidence here that we can’t know. So we read on.

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 ”Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying 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 not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So we are warned again that “you do not know what hour your Lord is coming… then he says that He is coming at an hour you do not expect. Again he doesn’t say you will never know, he says you don’t know. But this is interesting. Another rendition of that verse could read that Jesus IS coming when we don’t expect him to. Meaning that people will be making fun of the rapture and aren’t just not expecting Him, they are expecting Him NOT TO come. Also who is Jesus reprimanding here? The whole Church? No, he is reprimanding the evil servant, who misused and abused His children. This person will be surprised when Jesus comes. In fact, part of the reason this person is so surprised is that he expects Jesus will never come back, he says in his heart “My master is delaying his coming”… He is saying Jesus is either NEVER coming back, or he isn’t coming back right now! This is the heart of the person who will be caught off guard at Jesus coming.

Reading on in Matthew 25:1-18 Jesus continues his discourse and teaching on this subject.

1 ”Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!‘ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 

Again, here as Jesus continues his teaching, it is noted that the day and hour will be a surprise. However it is because they all fell asleep spiritually. When people started waking up to the fact that he was coming they even announced it: He is coming! The lazy virgins didn’t get it, didn’t prepare and were caught by surprise. Not the first 5! They were ready and out of here!

Mark 13:27-37

27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. 28 ”Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near–at the doors!30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 32 ”But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming–in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning– 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

So we see the same basic story line that was continued in Matthew 25:14 here in Mark. Again the warning is to sleeping Christians, like the ones who refused to watch and pray but instead slept in the Garden of Gethsemane. The time piece of Israel is giving as a clock and we are told that we will know the very season of His return. Interestingly we are also told the Angels will have a part to play in the rapture.

What about the Thief in the Night references?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-7 

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say , Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child ; and they shall not escape 

 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep , as do others…

Paul makes reference here to a thief in the night. He specifically mentions that it is for THEY who are saying… and destruction will come upon THEM…. BUT YE (you) ARE NOT IN DARKNESS that that day should overtake you as a thief… So Paul’s reference cannot be used as evidence that the church will be unaware of anything. 

2 Peter 3:5-15

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts…

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of…

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat , the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up 

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved , what mannerof persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ? 13 Nevertheless we , according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

What about Peter? He mentions the thief. Right? He says that the thief is in relation to scoffers (People who say Jesus isn’t coming back, like mentioned earlier) who are willingly ignorant… Also, this references the end of all ages when the earth will be destroyed which is after the 1,000 reign of Christ After the Rapture and Tribulation. So this scripture is inadmissible for two reasons. +

1. It’s not directly referring to the rapture

2. It is referring to scoffers not the church. 

So you have here the main scriptures used to say that we can’t know when Jesus come back… All of them are on shaky ground where that assertion is made. I can’t say that it doesn’t say that, in the case of Matthew. It’s repeated several times… But how do we understand it? What does it mean to us? Is it that we will never know? Is it that we don’t know until the time is closer as the New Moon theory represents? You be the judge, I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Darrell G. Wolfe