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Why Should Christians Be Date Setters?
Because Friends Share Secrets
"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the
servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for
all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you"
(John 15:15).
by Tom Stewart
hat about Jesus'
statement: "But of that day and hour knoweth
no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36)? Isn't this verse the reason why we are not supposed
to set dates for the Rapture? Not really. Actually, the context of Matthew 24 is
referring to the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, not a Rapture. Notice the
references in Matthew 24 to the word "come" in this passage: "the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (24:30), "as
the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (24:37), "ye
know not what hour your LORD doth come"
(24:42), "in such an hour as ye think
not the Son of man cometh" (24:44), "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing" (24:46), and "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when
he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of" (Matthew 24:50).
Even if Matthew 24 is dealing with the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, and
not the Rapture-- as it does-- still, what about the statement: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
of Heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew
24:36)? The word the King James Version translates as "knoweth" is used in the Greek in the present tense. The limit, of
who may know the time and hour of the Second Coming of Christ, was only to the disciples
that Jesus addressed at that present time, in Matthew 24.
Why wouldn't the LORD Jesus want those disciples to know the time of His Second Advent?
Because He wanted their attention drawn to the Mystery of the Church, and its ensuing
2,000 year history of redemption to the rest of the Gentile world. In other words,
it wasn't the right time for the Church to know and focus on that information, which
was sealed up to the time of the End. "But
thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4). Conversely, the Spirit of God is progressively divulging
the understanding to the prophecies, on a "need to know basis," as we approach
their actual fulfillment. "And he saith
unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand" (Revelation 22:10).
Immediately before Jesus ascended back into Heaven, the disciples asked, "LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom
to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). Jesus responded:
"It is not for you to know the times or
the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power" (Acts 1:7). Jesus' answer has given some, today, the impression
that it was not possible for the Church to know, in advance, the actual timing of
the End Time events. He was only directing those particular disciples' attention
to the immediate task of evangelizing the world and launching the Church 10 days
later at Pentecost. "But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto
Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
The case for knowing the day and hour of the LORD Jesus' Return is built upon friendship
with the LORD Jesus. He knows when He will return, and He is absolutely willing to
share that information with His friends. "Henceforth
I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known
unto you" (John 15:15). Only for a short
time did Jesus set aside His heavenly glory, and voluntarily limit His knowledge
of the future. Thus, He rightly stated that, "of
that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither
the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32).
That was then. But now, He is back in Heaven where He is using all of His divine
power, as the Saints' Friend and Intercessor, to show them "things to come"
(John 16:13).
The secret of what is about to unfold upon the world at the end of this age is given
to the righteous. "His secret is with
the righteous" (Proverbs 3:32). "Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth
His secret unto His servants the prophets"
(Amos 3:7). It is becoming increasingly more difficult to build a case for ignorance
of the timing of the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. If God could lead the Wise Men
to the LORD Jesus at the First Advent, why wouldn't He lead the wise to the timing
of Jesus at His Second Advent? "None of
the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10).
If Christians are the friends of the LORD Jesus Christ, then they should know what
He will do and when He will do it. "Henceforth
I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made
known unto you" (John 15:15).
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Related Topic:
Red Sky in Morning ---New Window
Or, The Paradox of No Man Knows the Day or Hour
"And in the morning, It will be foul weather to
day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of
the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:3).
"For any True Christian, knowing or not knowing the "day
and hour" (Matthew 24:36) of Christ's return or
of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, is truly a non-issue, compared to the destiny of
the hypocrite, who discerns not the "signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3). The real issue is Perfect Love, that is, "Do
we give to Christ the obedience that demonstrates that we are His friends?"
"Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you"
(John 15:14). Contention over the whole topic of knowing or
not knowing the day and hour of the LORD's return, would vanish if our hearts were
not embittered over disappointments experienced, because the LORD Jesus delayed His
coming. Again, "for the vision is yet for an appointed
time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because
it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3).
Allow the Sovereign God the time to work out His purpose in completing the Body of
Christ and working out His judgment of the world. "And
all the inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to
His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the Earth: and none
can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Daniel
4:35)."
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Big Chart
- The tribulation timeline displayed all at once.
Index - An in-depth index of
all topics displayed on the Big Chart, but in small chart form.
Print - It is recommended that
you print out the Big Chart, to help you see an overview easier, and for future reference.
Section Index for Timeline
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