APPEAL TO THE CHRISTADELPHIAN COMMUNITY

Nearly everyone taught and justified their belief that all, included Jesus and angels, do not know when the second coming of Christ will happen. It derived from “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only.’ (Matthew 24:36).

Many Christadelphians have come to believe that “no man knows the day or the hour” about any prophetic event in the future. In other words, they believe we are not supposed to understand it until after it happens. 

Christadelphians generally understand that when Jesus said “no man knows the day or the hour”, it was meant to discourage us from trying to know anything about the 7000 years timeline, even if our reason is to be better informed for planning our lives. Believe it or not, this is the very belief that leaves a lot of Christadelphians with a poor understanding of the timeline of God’s 7000 years plan, too.

The “No man know the day or the hour” doctrine appeared to be an impregnable Christadelphian stronghold.

Truth is that is not what Jesus means! 

Don’t jump the gun just yet! 

My friend, will you please let me explain what it means and why?

This practice are twisted to say things that are not accurate by just take one verses out of Matthew 24 without even poring over its whole context and at times not going through the whole Bible! It is a dangerous thing to take a single verse from scripture and make a doctrine from it. When you take bits and pieces of the Bible and rearrange them to make a different picture of what’s going on, you can make the Bible say just about whatever you want. Misunderstanding a portion of the bible can lead to teaching wrong to others.

False teaching swerves anyone away from the truth which is only way man can be saved. The stakes are eternal!

I simply ask you to re-examine your beliefs about Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 which the Apostles references frequently applied to the outpouring God Judgement upon Judah’s Commonwealth in A.D. 70. The coming of the Lord at the last days of the Judah’s Commonwealth in A.D. 70 is an important theme of the Bible which certainly shows the Apostles to be completely consistent in the teaching and expressions they used.

We must first observe the whole context of Matthew Chapter 22, 23, and 24. Jesus has repeatedly predicted that a time is coming when God will punish national Israel for her sin and rebellious rejection of the Messiah – Matthew 21:33-43; Matthew 22:1-14; Matthew 23:29-39.

In Matthew 24, verse 1, as Jesus and the disciples depart from the Temple, the disciples were impressed by the beauty of the Temple and marveled at its sizable stones, however, Jesus then declares in Matthew 23:38, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” To what does the house refer? In the context of this passage it must be a reference to the Jewish Temple.

The words of Jesus, “Your house shall be left to you desolate,” still burned in disciples’ ears. That lead the disciples asked for more information.

Now, let us look at the disciples’ question to Jesus in verse 3 of Matthew 24. Matthew 24, commonly known as the Olivet discourse, is by far the most full and explicit of our Lord’s prophetic utterances regarding the events prior to the A.D. 70. Verse 3 is the most important verse in this whole chapter. If you don’t understand their question, you will never understand Jesus’ answer. We must be sure we understand the questions.

When the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and the end of the age?”

The disciples were asking three questions. First, they wanted to know when the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem would take place. Second, they wanted to know when Jesus would come against the wicked nation of Judah’s Commonwealth. Third, they also wanted to know the sign of the end of the Aion (the end of Judah’s Commonwealth) would occur.

The disciples did not ask Jesus about the end of the world in the Gentile sense. It is clear from the gospel records that Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection, and the disciples still didn’t understand. If they did not understand that Jesus must die, rise and ascent to heaven, then it must follow that, whatever they meant when they said, “what will be the sign of your coming”. They were not asking about what we refer to as the second coming of Jesus. Rather, their question was rooted in the language of the Old Testament prophets and in the teaching of Jesus concerning the judgement against the wicked nation of Judah’s Commonwealth.

Jesus says that this prophetic scenario applies to “this generation” (Matthew 23:36; Matthew 24:34). The word “generation” is used elsewhere in Matthew (and the other gospels) of those living in the days of Christ’s first advent.

It is so important to keeping in whole context what Jesus is intending to talk about.

According to Luke19:41-44 – “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “if you had know, even you, especially in this your day……. you did not know the time of your visitation.”

“The time of your visitation” is referral to the timing of the Daniel’s 70 “weeks” and Daniel 8:8-12 prophecy that Jesus prophesied the events lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Jesus wept because they failed to understand the “Seventy weeks” prophecy of Daniel and Daniel 8:8-12! The precise day that God had fixed in Daniel’s prophecy.

In fact, Jesus and angels knew when will the terrible judgment that would come on Jerusalem! Remember who told Daniel the seventy weeks prophecy and Daniel Chapter 8? The angel Gabriel and angel Palmoni!!!!

Biblical Proof for angels’ knowledge of the times and seasons: In Daniel 8:13 is a conversation between two saints, which in the time of Daniel is referencing the angelic. We do know that one of these saints is the angel Gabriel. (Daniel 8:15-16).

Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint (פַּלְמוֹנִי Palmoni) which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? -Daniel 8:13

That certain saint is called “Palmoni.” Palmoni signifies the numbered or the numberer of secrets or the wonderful numberer.” Daniel hears two angels speaking with each other. One of these angels is Palmoni, the wonderful numberer, who undoubtedly appointed by God to controls the time table of God’s overall plan, knows all secrets, and the number of times and seasons, to further elucidate on the detail of the time, so to speak.

There are angels assigned to different roles. Some angels direct and dispatch other ‘lesser’ angels. Palmoni is dispatched and assigned angels to carry out missions to accomplish certain tasks for the times and seasons! There is nothing left to chance in God’s universe. There is a set time to favor Zion, Psa. 102:13. There is also a set time for Christ’s second coming and the establishment of God’s kingdom in this earth.

Indeed, Daniel is told about the future as the angel Gabriel describes 70 prophetic “weeks” (490 years) as God’s timetable for the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24-27). Gabriel explained that the city of Jerusalem and its people would be given another opportunity. The city, temple and walls would be rebuilt. At the very end of this period (Seventy weeks (490 years)), God would even send Messiah the Prince who would make a final urgent appeal to Israel. But this appeal would fall upon deaf ears and as a result the theocracy would come to an end, Jerusalem would be destroyed, the temple demolished and the people scattered among the nations.

The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks and Daniel Chapter 8 were critically important for the people of Israel to understand. It foretells the coming of the Messiah, and details His benevolent work. The prophecy pinpoints the very time of Jesus’ crucifixion. 

The religious leaders and people of Israel should have known the EXACT timing in history when Jesus was to be presented as their Messiah according to the timetable, but they missed him totally! They failed to understand the seventy “weeks” prophecy and Daniel 8! If they were to know the time through the study of Daniel at the fulfillment of the prophecy written in Daniel, they were to escape (Matt. 24:15,16). The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God. Finally, it reveals the disastrous consequences of rejecting the Son of God. Many died because they knew not the time of their visitation.

Now, Jesus answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39, Matthew 16:4, and, Luke 11:29) – The Lord Jesus treated the book of Jonah as both parable and historical. Ask yourself the question! Why Jesus mention “the sign of Prophet Jonah”?

Jonah was preaching to the Ninevites as a foreshadowing of Jesus was preaching to Jerusalem. Jonah warned Nineveh of certain destruction in 40 days if they didn’t turn from the imaginations of their evil hearts to the true, living God. They repented and the city was spared. In contrast, Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the Jewish nation, but unlike the Ninevites, the Jews, as a whole, rejected the good news of Jesus Christ. This led to His crucifixion in 30 AD. 40 years later in 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem fell and the temple was destroyed thus fulfilling the prophecy found in the Book of Jonah.

Clearly, it gave us the hint as we are able to look back in the history. In our history proved that Jerusalem was destroyed on AD 70, therefore Christ’s death was on A.D. 30 (40 years as the sign of Prophet Jonah).

Clearly Jesus already knew about his death and the events prior to the AD 70!

Now, What does “that day or hour no one knows” actually indicate?

No one knew (WITHIN THAT GENERATION in the first century) exactly what time the Temple would be destroyed and the Jewish age of sacrifice finished. But those people of understanding and faith within that generation did have parameters for about when it would take place. Therefore, people of understanding and faith will already be gone by the time the Abomination of Desolation happens.

The obvious conclusion from what Jesus described is that it would be best to pack a bag with your coat, your cloak, some frozen mother’s milk, and leave early, in faith, rather than wait until you actually see the Abomination before you get moving!

So If we want to understand Matthew 24, we must not take things out of context. We must not choose some verses randomly and think that they are the teaching of the Bible!

It is not a good idea to use a single verse in isolation just to come up with a doctrine of “No one knows” that contradicts everything in the scripture. The truth is the whole “No one included Jesus and the Angels knows the day or hour” doctrine spoke of the events prior to the A.D. 70, NOT TODAY! It’s the most misunderstood Bible verse and the most damaging due to that misunderstanding. 

Do not take someone else’s word for it. Read the Bible for yourself. In this picture, I strongly encourage all Christadelphians to read this several books in order to understand the whole context of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

Now, we can see from Scripture that Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for not understanding the times that they were living in, for not knowing the time of His first coming. Jesus Christ emphasized how important it is to understand the significance of the times we live in. He told the religious leaders that they were good at reading the weather signs in the sky but they couldn’t read the obvious signs of their times. Can we today read the obvious signs of our times?

If He called these people hypocrites and expected them to understand the times that they were living in and what they were going through prophetically at the time, what does He expect of our generation today and the times that we are living in? Are we hypocrites for not heeding Bible prophecy concerning the timeline that revealed when exact the second coming of Christ will happen?

Even more, God always gives the time to his people.

God told Abraham that his descendants will be slaves for 400 years.

God told Moses that unfaithful people got punished for 40 years in the wilderness.

God told Jeremiah that Israelites will be captive and stay in Babylon for 70 years.

God told Daniel then Daniel taught the Magi the timing of the Messiah’s first advent and the sign that would lead them (wise men) to find Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews. 

It is clear through the scripture that God wants us to know the time! God is a date setter! God’s purpose is running to a plan, to a predetermined schedule and time is of the essence. God was punctuating the reality of his 7,000 years mater time plan which He had foretold from the beginning in the 7 days Creation and the rest of the Bible. The time cannot be hastened nor delayed. It is a SET PROPHETIC TIME!

God do not leave us in the darkness.

Don’t buy into the lie that we can’t know the date!

We are very well be the Final Generation to be alive before the return of Jesus Christ!

Each day we draw closer and closer to what will be the most extraordinary event in history – transition from the Kingdom of men to the Kingdom of God by Jesus and the Saints!

We are blessed that Yahweh has shared many details concerning the times and seasons through the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Let us re-examine the Scriptures and to refine our understanding given the prophetic events which continue to unfold right before our very eyes. I suggest you to take a look at all articles at my website that will enlighten us on the Biblical revealed timetables. In this way, we will realize that we are undisputedly on the verge of closing out the 6th millennial day on Earth! It is an inescapable and unavoidable fact! And we will know exactly when Jesus will return! It surely will encourages us to remain vigilant and prepare for Jesus return, now more than ever. The time is short!

Lexicon:

As you go through your Bible reading or studies, it is critical to understand how Greek verbs are used in the New Testament in order to accurately understand and interpret what is being communicated.

Greek verbs have five aspects – tense, voice, mood, number, and person, with the major aspects being tense, voice, and mood.  A Greek verb is placed in a sentence, you can tell who is performing the action, when the action is done, whether it is just one or more than one person performing the action, whether it is a single event that is being described or a process that continues, whether it is an actual happening, a command, or something wished for, or whether the subject of the verb is active, passive, or both.  A single Greek verb typically needs a sentence or more to convey the same idea in English and other languages. Tense plays a very crucial role in the study of New Testament exegesis.

Failure to understand how verbs are used in the Greek language can and will resulted in improper scientific rules for interpretation, which will almost certainly produce faulty critical explanation of the text.

Lexicon for “No one knows the day or the hour……”

DAY –  (G2250) – Greek word – “hēméra” means day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours

HOUR – (G5610) – Greek word – “hora” means a definite point of time, hour

YEAR –  (G1763) –  Greek word –  “eniautós”  means year

MONTH – (G3376) Greek word – “men” means month

The “day and hour” is a very specific point in time.

Now the word “knows” (οἶδεν (oiden) in the Greek) which is technically the perfect active verb tense in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32. The perfect tense denotes an action as already finished at the present time, as, I have written; my writing is just now finished. It also expresses the continuance of the result down to the present time; as the formula “It is written,” is literally, it has been written, and implies that it now stands on record; the door has been shut, that is, it so remains till now. In summary, the perfect tense is something that was true or completed in the past and is still presently true, but not necessarily true in the future.

Let me emphasize that in Greek corresponds to the perfect tense in English, and describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated. Jesus’ last cry from the cross, TETELESTAI (“It is finished!”) is a good example of the perfect tense used in this sense, namely “It has been accomplished, completely, once and for all time.” Certain antiquated verb forms in Greek will use the perfect tense in a manner equivalent to the normal past tense.

So clearly Jesus spoke of them in a plain discourse (Luke 21; Matthew 24) delivered to his disciples while they were seated on the Mount of Olives, and overlooking the city and temple. On that occasion, he told them that WITHIN THAT GENERATION at what particular day and hour he could not tell them the “DAY OF VENGEANCE” written of in the prophets would arrive. There would be great distress in the land and wrath amount the people; that Jerusalem would be surrounded with armies and laid in ashes and the temple utterly demolished, and the nation destroyed by the edge of the sword. 

Please exploring further the article “Understanding the times – Yahweh’s 7000 years plan” that will give you an overview of the timetables of God’s 7,000 years plan and when Jesus will return to Earth from the amazing prophetic parables behind the Bible stories!