This is something I have
encountered a number of times. Maybe you have
too. The misuse of the saying: "But of that day
and that hour knows no man..." (Matthew 25:13
and Mark 13:32).
There are some who
take this scripture out of context which, in it's
erroneous usage, attempts to put off those who
with eager expectation, stemming from love and an
obedience to God's Word, are looking for their
Lord's Appearing. When confronted with a Christian
who is speaking about our Blessed Hope with
excitement, they would misquote saying: "Well no
one knows the day or the hour" in an attempt to
"shut the door in their face" treating their
enthusiasm as if it's misplaced and coming from
some "end times fever". And yet, when this verse
is read in it's context, it says just the opposite of
what they imply. It clearly states (for all who have
eyes to see) that since we do not know
the day or the hour, the believers are being exorted
to be watching at all times.
Matthew 24:42 &
44
42 Watch
therefore: for ye know not
what hour your Lord doth come.
44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such
an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh.
Matthew
25:13
13 Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day
nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.
Mark 13:32 -33 &
35-37
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.
33 Take ye heed, watch and
pray: for ye know not when the time
is.
35 Watch ye
therefore: for ye know not when the
master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you
sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say
unto all, Watch.
Even though, when Jesus
spoke these words ("no man knows the day or the
hour") He was referring to His Second Coming, the
same principle would also apply to the Rapture of
the Church (which will occur approximately 7 years
earlier) since the Bible does not reveal the day or
hour of that event either.
I once heard it
put so well: "If we knew the day or the hour and,
lets just say it was one week from today at 5pm.
Would we be looking for Him to appear today? No!
Of course not. But since we do
not know the day or the hour,
then we cannot honestly say that
this will
not be the day
and this will
not be the hour."
It is actually because we
do not know the day or hour that
we should be looking for Him today and everyday
until that glorious day...our motivation being
because we love Him so. It is a very legitimate
thing for a Christian to be looking for Christ's
appearing. Even the believers in the first century
who really loved Jesus were looking for His
Appearing. The Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter
writing to the believers of their day said:
Titus 2:13
13 Looking
for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
2 Peter 3:12
12 Looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
...
1 Thessalonians
5:4-6
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; but let us watch and be
sober.
How much more should those of
us who will be alive* at the time
of His appearing be in a state of readiness;
watching and praying?
*Click here for more on
this.
Christ is Coming
Again... |
New Covenant
|
Saved by Grace |
New Birth |
The Rapture |
Speaking in
Tongues |
The Coming
Holocaust |
End Signs |
More on Speaking
in Tongues |
Watch and be
Ready