But here’s my problem. Jesus said that no man knows the day or the hour of his coming. for a post trib coming (or rapture) all we really have to do is wait for thé antichrist to declare himself God, and boom! We can calculate exactly when His coming will occur. Why does He depict his coming as a thief in the night when that scenario is apparently never going to happen.
Hi, Lori.
First, let's consider WHAT Jesus said.
"But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36)
Here, Jesus clearly states that the only person who knows that day and the hour is his Father.
Now, let's consider WHEN Jesus said it.
He said this during his incarnation or before his death, burial, resurrection from the dead, and ascension back to the Father in heaven.
Is this important to recognize?
Yes, it most certainly is, and here is why:
"
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. " (Revelation 1:1-2)
After Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to the Father's right hand in heaven, God gave unto him a revelation (hence, the book's title) or revealed things to him which he didn't previously know during his incarnation.
As you probably already know, the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation oftentimes go together like hand and glove.
With such in mind, please consider the following:
"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)
There were certain words which were shut up and sealed in a book during the time of Daniel.
It's no coincidence that the book of Revelation is all about what is revealed when seven seals are opened in a book.
In relation to the same, we read:
Revelation chapter 5
[
1] And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
[
2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
[
3] And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
[
4] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
[
5] And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
[
6] And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
[
7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
[
8] And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
[
9] And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
[
10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Here, the Apostle John saw God the Father sitting upon a throne with a book in his right hand that was written within and on the backside and sealed with seven seals (vs. 1).
He then heard an angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" (vs. 2)
In other words, there was apparently some sort of criteria which someone had to meet in order to be considered worthy to open this book by loosing its seals.
When no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth was found worthy to open the book and read it, John wept much (vss. 3-4).
However, one of the elders told him to weep not (vs. 5), and here is why:
"Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,
hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." (vs. 5)
It wasn't until Jesus Christ had prevailed that one was found worthy to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.
We gain a much better understanding of this a little later on when the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fall down before him and sing this song (vss. 8-9):
"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (vss. 9-10)
It wasn't until the time came that Jesus Christ was slain and had redeemed us to God by his blood that he was worthy to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Again, this is what the book of Revelation or "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him" (Revelation 1:1) is all about:
Something which had previously been sealed, but was now being revealed.
With this in mind, this greatly changes what Jesus said about "no man knowing that day or that hour, but my Father" during his incarnation.
In other words, although Jesus didn't know certain things then, they were revealed unto him by the Father after he ascended back to the Father in heaven.
Hopefully, you can see this.
In light of this, let's look at what JESUS had to say about his coming "as a thief":
Revelation chapter 16
[
1] And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
[
2] And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
[
3] And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
[
4] And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
[
5] And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
[
6] For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
[
7] And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
[
8] And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
[
9] And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
[
10] And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
[
11] And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
[
12] And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
[
13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[
14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
[
15]
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
[
16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
[
17] And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Here, we clearly see the seven angels pouring out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth (vs. 1).
As the first vial of God's wrath is poured out, "the mark of the beast" and "his image" are both already here (vs. 2).
As the fifth vial of God's wrath is poured out, "the seat of the beast, and his kingdom" are both already here (vs. 10).
As the sixth vial of God's wrath is poured out, "three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of THE DRAGON, and out of the mouth of THE BEAST, and out of the mouth of THE FALSE PROPHET" (vss. 12-13) because all three of them are already here. Not only this, but these "three unclean spirits" (vs. 13) are "the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (vs. 14) or to the battle of "Armageddon" (vs. 16).
Now, look what JESUS says during the timeframe between the pouring out of the sixth and seventh vials of the wrath of God:
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (vs. 15)
In other words, HE HASN'T YET COME AS A THIEF UP UNTIL THIS POINT IN TIME.
For this reason, he is still heard admonishing his followers to "watch and keep their garments".
THIS IS THE TRUTH.
The pre-tribulation rapture teaching is A COMPLETE AND UTTER FABRICATION.
Who has ears to hear, let them hear.
2
