No One Knows

Back in the late 60's and early 70's all of the Christians
I knew were anticipating the rapture--momentarily.
Stories floated around about hitchhikers who would
say, "Jesus is coming soon," and then disappear from
the car. Books were written, Discussions of the pros
and cons were frequent. Excitement abounded. But,
did He come? NO!

Today all that has changed. Only the very few still
believe in the rapture, most believe in a second
coming, but not until the end of the age or the end of
the tribulation. If you believe that, you won't be
watching for Him. The scripture I hear all the time is:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, 
not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but 
the Father only." Strangely enough, it shuts down
discussion. Going on in the Matt 24:36 passage,
Jesus says:

"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the 
coming of the Son of Man. For in those days 
before the flood they were eating and drinking, 
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day 
Noah entered the ark, and were unaware until 
the flood came and swept them all away, so will 
be the coming of the Son of Man." 
Luke adds 17:28:

"Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot--they 
were eating and drinking, buying and selling, 
planting and building, but on the day Lot went 
out from Sodom fire and sulfur rained from 
heaven and destroyed them all, so will it be 
when the Son of Man is revealed."

Finally, check out 2 Peter 3:3:
"...knowing this first of all, that scoffers will 
come in the last days with scoffing, following 
their own sinful desires. They will say, 'Where 
is the promise of his coming? For ever since 
the fathers fell asleep all things continue as 
they were in the beginning of creation...'"

Any of these scriptures can be used both to show
that the rapture is imminent, which means He
can show up at any time, or, that Jesus will not
return until the end of the age. However, as I read
through these scriptures, it sure looks like our
culture today!

Jesus says, "no one knows the day or the hour,"
so shouldn't you, dear reader, be ready?

Tomorrow we will look at a few other passages.