Nobody knows the day or the hour, EXCEPT ME!

Catchy title to the new book! NOT! There is so much confusion about the statement, "Nobody knows the day or the hour" that I thought it best to write about it, today. People basically put their head in the sand and say, "I can't know when Jesus is coming so I won't look at the signs of His coming.

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The reality is that there are two comings of our Lord. A secret coming called the rapture where no one on earth will see Him and then the actual second coming where every eye will see Him.

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Every instance of not knowing the day or the hour is a reference to the secret coming, the rapture. Two instances refer to the coming of the "New heaven and new earth" described in Revelation 21:1 and of that event Jesus said, "not even the angels of heaven know, nor the Son, but only the Father knows" (Matthew 24:35-36, Mark 13:31-32).

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However, every other instance of not knowing the day or the hour is referenced to the rapture. Why is that important? Because once the tribulation begins, the Bible is clear that we are seven years from the return of Christ. The seven year tribulation is described as two periods of 42 months, two periods of 1260 days, two periods of time, times and dividing of time. From the time when Antichrist shall make firm a covenant with many it is seven years until the return. So any kindergartner should be able to calculate the return of the Lord.

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However, of the rapture the Bible says, no one knows the day or the hour. This is a direct reference to the feast of trumpets which is celebrated by Jews around the world over two days because they say of that feast, "no one knows the day or the hour". Jesus' repeated reference to this phrase regarding the rapture points to the fact that the rapture will take place over the two day feast of trumpets which corresponded with what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and the church in Corinth.

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"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [harpazo - seized out by force; it's from the Latin that the word derived for Rapture comes - rapio] with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

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"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

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Even John the Revelator wrote that the first thing to take place after the seventh church age was the sound of a trumpet and a call from heaven to come up here. He wrote:

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"After these things I looked, and behold a door stand open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here!" - Revelation 4:1

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Feast of Trumpets is the first of the three fall feasts which all have yet to find prophetic fulfillment. Each of the seven feast [or appointed meeting times] from Leviticus 23 have a fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In the first coming fulfillment took place with the death, burial, and Resurrection of Passover, Unleaven Bread, and First Fruits. Then with the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost this fulfilled the early summer feasts. And it will be with the return of Christ that the fulfillment of the three fall feasts will take place, first with Trumpets and the rapture, then Day of Atonement and the actual second coming, and finally Feast of Tabernacles and the thousand year reign of Christ.

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I will close today by listing out the references made to the rapture through the passages that say "no one knows the day or the hour" all pointing to a catching away on an upcoming Feast of Trumpets.

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"Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." - Matthew 24:40-42

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"For this reason you must be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." - Matthew 24:44

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Parable of the faithful and sensible slave, ends with... "The master of that slave [the evil slave] will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know." - Matthew 24:50

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At the end of the parable of the ten virgins which is definitely a parable about the rapture, ends with; "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." -Matthew 25:13

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"Blessed are those slaves whom the mster shall find on the alert when he comes... And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming he would not have allowed his home to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." - Luke 12:37, 39-40 (the slave doesn't know the day or the hour)

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Faithful and Sensible Steward Parable ends with, "the master of that slave [who beat the other slaves] will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know" - Luke 12:46 (again another reference to a coming at a day or hour he does not know, a reference again to Feast of Trumpets)

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"Be on guard, that yoru hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all time, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:34-36

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Other references to a coming day which no one knows the day or the hour tied to the rapture:

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"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life." - John 5:28-29 [reference to the dead in Christ who will hear the sound of the trumpet and the voice of God - rapture]

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"Do not greive the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." - Ephesians 4:30 [sealed until day of redemption of our body described in Romans 8:23]

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"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ." - Philippians 1:6, 9-10 [day of Christ which no one knows the day or the hour]

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"Do not forsake the assembling together of yourselves as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:25 [what day? the day of the rapture which no one knows the day or the hour]

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"But you, brethern, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

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"Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a theif, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you." - Revelation 3:3

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Here what I know, "I don't know exact day or the exact hour, but I know it is the day and the hour which no man knows, its the Feast of Trumpets!" Grace and Peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

The "Magnificat"

Mary's song of Praise, which is called the "Magnificat" after the first word of the song in the Vulgate version, is her humble response to God for His display of grace in her life. Twice the angel Gabriel addresses Mary as the recipient of God's grace.

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So as Mary visits Elizabeth and is prophesied over as Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit:

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"Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

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As these prophetic words filled the ears of Mary, she exclaimes, the "Magnificat":

"My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. for He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His mane. AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THIGNS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever."

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Let us remember the faith of a young girl who God blessed to carry our Lord! Who said to the angel Gabriel, "Let it be done to me according to your word."

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Blessed is the God who shows Mercy to the humble and exalts those things which are weak!

My eyes have seen Thy Salvation!

The coming of our Lord had been prophesied all the way back to the time of Adam, the first man. Why would the prophesies about Him end with His birth?

On the eighth day, Mary and Joseph, took Jesus to the temple in Jerusaelm to present Him to the Lord.

"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the LORD's Messiah. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

"Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bond-servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; For my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all people, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Thy people Israel."

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said [prophesied] about Him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,

"Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise [resurrection] of many in Israel, for a sign to be opposed--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with a husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:25-38).

The prophesies did not end with His birth. They continue even until today, as the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy" (Revealtion 19:10). This Christmas let us remember our Lord, the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Salvation has come and all who believe shall live forever. Meditate on the wonder of His Love.

The tribulation which shall soon come upon the earth for all the sin and bloodshed. It does not come from God because He is unloving or unmerciful. Instead it comes upon all who have rejected His Love and His Mercy. Jesus Christ is God's Love and His Mercy! Today accept His Love and His Mercy!