No One Knows The Day or Hour, But Can We Know The Season?

Commentary

This verse comes after Jesus teaches on the time of the Tribulation period, often called the Day of the Lord in Scripture. I believe it also applies to the Rapture of the Church, which Scripture teaches will happen before that day arrives (2 Thess. 2:1-12).

Jesus makes clear that of that time, nobody can know the day or the hour of its arrival, but God the Father alone. This has made for debate in the Church over these last 2,000 years, whether any of us can really know the time at all?

It’s clear that nobody can know the day or hour, however, as we’ll see in this study. Scripture certainly teaches that we should know the season for sure. In fact, Jesus commands us in many places to be ready, to be watching, and not to fall asleep.

Didn’t Jesus call out the Pharisees for not knowing the time of His first coming? In the times we are living in, it’s even more important that we who love Jesus are focused on Him and not falling asleep when the hour appears to be so late.

Commentary

From this passage, it sounds like life will be business as usual for the world until the day of God’s wrath begins (7-Year Tribulation). We read in the book of Revelation that life will be anything but normal during the time of God’s wrath being poured out. This is why I believe Jesus is speaking about the time leading up to that Great Day. That the return we should be looking for is Jesus coming to take His Church.

A key detail of both Noah and Lot’s accounts is that God’s wrath didn’t start until after His righteous were safe on the Ark or led away out of the city. These accounts certainly paint a picture of a rapture-like scenario, a pattern of events that take place at times when God is about to bring complete destruction.

Scripture teaches that there is a gradual build-up to the end, then a suddenness to the arrival of that Great Day. I believe the Rapture is that sudden trigger and the reason why we’re told to be watching for our Lord. We’ll dive further into this next time.

Commentary

Jesus goes on to teach that there will be a time when some people are taken and some left. I used to believe that this meant some will be taken to judgment and others left on the earth for reward, pointing to the sheep and goat nations when Jesus returns. However, the more I study it, the more I now believe that this is likely a reference to the Rapture of the Church, given how it’s placed in context, how the timing indicates a world that is business as usual.

In verse 31 (directly above), Jesus is speaking about the Tribulation, specifically the second 3.5 years, when Antichrist has laid siege to Jerusalem. Notice He says “on that day”, at the beginning of the sentence? Yet in verse 34, about the time of those being taken, He starts with “on that night”.

A day in the Jewish calendar is 24-hours of sundown to sundown, as God made night before day, the Jewish day begins with night then day. This has significant, because the Lord may be painting a picture of the Rapture first (night) then God’s Wrath beginning after (day).

This subject is certainly hotly debated. But it seems that the Lord tells us so often to be watching because really we’re not watching for a curse, but rather a blessing in the Lord coming to take us home. Regardless, one thing that is very clear, there will be a time when God’s wrath rains down on a world filled with wicked people. A time I can’t imagine the Church will be here for, if the world is truly that wicked.

Commentary

Here again, in this parable, Jesus uses specific time of day language, referring to the time span before the daylight hours. It might not mean anything or it could be a reference again to the Rapture before the Wrath. There won’t be Rapture signs in and of themselves that we’re told to look for, but instead signs of a world ripe for God’s judgment.

It’s like this example, which I’ve heard several people say, “As you see Christmas decorations go up in the stores in the United States, you know Thanksgiving is near”. So to apply that, as we see the day of God’s wrath approaching, we know the Rapture is near.

I believe we’re commanded to watch, not for the Second Coming itself, but the start of that time, because ultimately we’re readying ourselves for the Groom to take us, His Bride, home. We’ll be with Jesus at His second coming, so we won’t need to be watching for it.

There will be a time when this world will be judged by God and Jesus says of that time, for all believers on earth to be alert, to be watching, and to be praying that you have the strength to escape all these things that will take place. If you‘re in Christ, then you have the strength; He has made you worthy to escape.

Commentary

Paul wrote in his time that those he was discipling should know and understand these things and not be caught off guard. How much more should you and I know and understand? And we can, we should, and we must. We’re not to be like the Pharisees of Jesus‘ day, who should’ve known the day of His coming and failed to watch.

So, the answer to the question, can we know the season of the Lord’s return — is yes! Jesus is clear on it, and the apostles continued to teach it. We’re to be watching for the signs of the coming day of God’s wrath. Not because we must prepare for that wrath, but because we must prepare ourselves and those around us to go home.

I believe we’re commanded to watch, not only to be prepared, but so that we’ll truly understand and therefore will be watching with eagerness and expectant joy, because it’s what takes place before God’s wrath that we are ultimately looking for, the time when we unite with our Savior forever.

Brothers and sisters, we’re not living in ordinary times; we’re living in Biblical times, and any day our Lord could meet us in the air to take us home with Him. So be watching, sharing the Gospel, and be readying yourself to meet Him. Even so, Lord, come quickly!