But Of That Day And Hour No One Knows - Part I
- Randy Nettles
- 1 day ago
- 16 min read
The Olivet discourse occurred a few days before Jesus’ last Passover.
“Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matthew 26:1-2).
This was the fourth time Jesus had told his disciples that he would be crucified. The other three times, he had also told them he would be resurrected on the third day. By this time, they should have known what was to come.
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE
As Jesus and some of his disciples departed from the temple, and as they sat upon the Mount of Olives, they spoke to Jesus about how marvelous the remodeled temple was, as it was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts (Luke 21:5).
"And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2).
This prophecy was fulfilled 37 years later in 70 AD, when the Romans, under General Titus, demolished Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
In Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked Jesus three questions: 1) When shall these things (the destruction of the second temple) be? 2) What shall be the sign of your coming (again)? 3) What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
The Jews, even the disciples, have always required a sign before they would believe. Evidently, the disciples believed Jesus’ return would be concurrent with the end of the world.
They believed Jesus would return soon after his death and establish his Kingdom on Earth. Jesus had been preaching "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," since the beginning of his ministry, even before he had disciples (Matthew 4:17).
In Matthew's account of the Olivet discourse, Jesus didn't answer the first question. However, he did in Luke's account.
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:20-24).
In Matthew’s account, Jesus answered the disciples’ next two questions out of order. He answered the third question first. What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
Jesus divided his answer to this question into four parts. The first part, Matthew 24:4-8, is the pre-tribulation events known as the beginning of sorrows or birth pangs. The second part, Matthew 24:9-14, deals with the first half of Daniel's 70th week (aka the seven-year Tribulation or the Day of the LORD). The "Day of the Lord" is mentioned 23 times in Scripture, 20 times in the O.T. and 3 times in the N.T. The third part of Jesus' answer, Mathew 24:15-26, describes the last half of the Tribulation. It is known as the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation (the last 3.5 years of the seven-year Tribulation) is recorded in Matthew 24:15-28 and Mark 13:14-23. The start of the Great Tribulation is when the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Daniel 9:27, 12:11), is set up by the Antichrist in the (third) Jewish Temple.
Jesus told his disciples, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day" (Matthew 24:15-20).
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).
The preterists and historicists think the destruction of the Second Temple by Titus and the Roman Legions in 70 AD fulfilled the prophecy of Matthew 24:15-26. They believe the account by Josephus in his work, 'War of the Jews,' in which the Roman soldiers offered sacrifices by the eastern gate of the Temple (Chapter 6: 316) while the Temple burned, was the abomination of desolation. Of course, these sacrifices didn't occur in the Jewish Temple, and Titus didn't sit in the temple and proclaim himself as God, as Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
Therefore, the 'abomination of desolation' must be yet future from 70 AD. So, which scripture was Jesus referring to regarding this 'abomination' spoken of by Daniel? It can't be Daniel 8:13, as that is the one Antiochus Epiphanes committed in 167 BC (as that is 200 years earlier than when the Olivet discourse took place). It has to be Daniel 9:27 which says, "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
Daniel mentions it again in Daniel 12:11, "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days."
The fourth part of Jesus' answer is the Second Coming of Jesus to the Earth and is described in Matthew 24:27-31."Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:29-30).
THE SIGN OF THE FIG TREE
After Jesus answered the question regarding the sign of the end of the world, he gave the parable of the fig tree, which is included in all three synoptic gospels.“When the fig tree’s branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the door! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:32-35). See also Mark 13:28-31 and Luke 21:29-33.
The fig tree is often figuratively used to represent Israel. In this parable, many scholars believe the budding fig tree represents the re-establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or the repossession of Jerusalem in 1967. However, some believe it is only an illustration, such as Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum.
"The point of the illustration is this: When the fig tree and all the other trees begin to blossom, it is a sure sign that summer is on its way because blossoming occurs in the spring. Then, in the application of the illustration, Jesus said, “Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Just as a blossoming fig tree means that summer is on its way, in the same way, when these events that Yeshua spoke about occur, then they can know that His return is near. Also, in Luke 21:29, the parable is not only about the fig tree but 'all the trees.' {1}
It’s interesting that some versions of Matthew 24:33 read, “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors." To me, this one-word change (from ‘it’ to ‘he’) changes the context of this verse, especially when it’s used with 'the door.' Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:9).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1).
Most Bible scholars believe these verses are Rapture-related.
I believe the parable of the fig tree is a reference to the nearness of the Rapture. In Luke's version of the parable of the fig tree (and all the trees), Jesus tells his disciples that when they see the day of the Lord approaching, then that means the kingdom of God is near at hand. "And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." (Luke 21:29-32).
Jesus then tells his disciples (and future generations) to be aware so that 'the day' doesn't catch them unaware. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:34-35).
Then, after the parable of the fig tree, Jesus tells them something very interesting regarding how they can escape these disastrous things that shall come to pass. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36). This verse is definitely referring to the Rapture as described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Luke 21:36, 1 Thes. 1:10, and Rev. 3:10 are the three N.T. scriptures that convey the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture.
The fig tree is also mentioned in the Song of Solomon 2:13, which many Christians believe could be an allegory of the Rapture. "My beloved spoke, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely" (Song of Solomon 2:10-14).
After the parable of the fig tree in Matthew's account comes this statement from Jesus. "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36 - ESV). I believe the parable of the fig tree is a divider between the two comings (parousia) of Christ at the end of the age. The fig tree parable divides the preceding Second Coming verses (Matthew 24:27-31) from the following Rapture verses (Matthew 24:36-51). Just as Jesus answered the disciples’ questions out of order, so did he describe the two comings of Christ out of chronological order.
Within premillennial and pretribulation circles, the majority view today is that this passage is speaking of the Second Coming rather than the Rapture. The main reason is that Jesus has been speaking about the Second Coming, and since this passage follows that discussion, it would logically mean that He is speaking of the same thing. However, as Dr. Fruchtenbaum observes in his book, The Footsteps of the Messiah,
“Matthew 24:36 begins with the word “But,” which in Greek is peri de. The peri de construction in Greek is a contrastive introduction of a new subject; hence, it is often translated as: But concerning (I Cor. 7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1; I Thes. 5:1). The use of this construction points to the introduction of a new subject. So, yes, He has been discussing the Second Coming until this point. However, the peri de means that He is now introducing a new subject, and that is the Rapture. As to the question of when the Rapture will occur, the answer is simple: no one knows. This is not true of the Second Coming of the Messiah, which will someday be a datable event; it will occur exactly seven years after the signing of the seven-year covenant and 3 1/2 years – 42 months or 1,260 days – after the Abomination of Desolation.” {2}
THE DAY OF THE LORD AND THE HOUR OF THE RAPTURE
The words 'hour' and 'day' in the Bible can be used literally, as '60 minutes' and '24 hours,' but sometimes they are used figuratively as an indeterminate duration of time. For example, a day can refer to a year, and an hour usually refers to a short period of time. An 'hour' is even used once for the seven-year Tribulation in Revelation 3:10. “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” However, some versions translate it as 'the time of trial.' There are even three instances in the New Testament where the words “the day of the Lord Jesus” are used in reference to the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 1:6-8, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, and 2 Corinthians 1:13-14.
Jesus and his disciples (and most Jews) were well aware of the Tanakh prophecies of 'the day of the Lord' in which God would bring great destruction upon the world during the end times. The 'day of the Lord' is mentioned 20 times in the Old Testament and three times in the New Testament in relation to the end of the age devastation brought about by God. However, they were also aware that the LORD would come at the end of this 'day' to save the remnant Jews, and then He would establish His earthly kingdom in which the Jews would once again be the dominant nation from which King Jesus would reign.
Matthew 24:21-22 calls the last half of this 'day of the Lord' the 'great tribulation.' "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." The days shall be shortened when Jesus, the Son of Man, returns and saves the remnant Jewish (and Gentile) believers. However, there are two returns of Jesus at the end of the age, separated by at least seven years. The first is the rapture of the Church, mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, where Jesus returns to the sky above the Earth. The second is the Second Coming when Jesus returns to the Earth at the end of the 'day of the Lord,' as described in Zechariah 14:4 and Revelation 19:11-16.
Regarding the phrase, "But of that day and hour," in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, the 'day' is a term for the longer period of time, namely, the seven-year Tribulation cumulating with the Second Coming. The 'hour' is a term for the shorter period of time, namely, the Rapture. Just as the first hour is the beginning of a 24-hour day, so is the Rapture the beginning of the day of the Lord. The Second Coming is the end of the 'day of the Lord.' They are the two bookends of the day of the Lord.
With this concept of the Rapture in view, let’s now review the remaining passages in Matthew 24. "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39).
In these three verses, the flood is definitely a typology of the Tribulation. Before the Rapture and subsequent Tribulation, people are extremely wicked, but life is basically normal, with people eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. Although people will still be doing these daily activities before the Second Coming, life will be far from normal. They will just be trying to survive, with water and food in scarce supply. The unbelieving sinners of Noah’s day did not believe the flood was coming, although they had been warned. They chose not to board the ark. Likewise, the unbelieving sinners who live before the coming of the Son of Man will choose not to accept Jesus as Christ and will miss the Rapture.
Matthew 24:40-41 (and Luke 17:34-36) accurately describe the “left behind” scenes occurring all over the world at the Rapture. "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Now, look at Matthew 24:42. “Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
Matthew 24:42 is somewhat controversial, as the Textus Receptus and the KJV have the Greek word 'ὥρᾳ', which means 'hour,' while the Critical text versions have the Greek word 'ἡμέρᾳ,' which means 'day.' The KJV for this verse reads, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." The ASV reads, "Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
Personally, I prefer the KJV for this verse, as I believe it refers to the hour of the Rapture, especially as it comes after the two 'left behind' verses.
The following words of Jesus are: “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into” (Matthew 24:43).
What is Jesus talking about here? He is comparing the Rapture to a 'thief in the night.' This same terminology is used again by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
The next verse in Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse is: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). There is that word 'hour' again… Jesus coming at an hour that you do not expect is the Rapture, not the Second Coming.
Whereas the Rapture’s date is unknowable, the Second Coming of the Messiah will someday be a datable event; it will occur exactly seven Jewish years after the confirming of the seven-year covenant, as mentioned in Daniel 9:27.
One of the main passages of scripture regarding the Rapture is found at the end of the 4th chapter of 1 Thessalonians.“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
Immediately following this verse (albeit in the following chapter), Paul refers to the 'day of the Lord,' aka 'the Tribulation.'"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). So, there you have the sequence of end-time events. First, the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, followed by the Tribulation in the next verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
So, what is the 'watch' in Matthew 24:43 that the thief comes in? Are we talking about 'day' or 'hour'? You could say both, as the day of the Lord begins with the hour of the Rapture. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, will come at an hour you don't expect, followed shortly afterward by the dreaded 'day of the Lord' (the Tribulation), which ends with Jesus' second coming. Most Bible scholars consider the Rapture, the short gap of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation, the Tribulation, and the Second Coming as 'the day of the Lord.' Some even believe the Millennium is also part of the day of the Lord, as they believe it is when God intervenes in the affairs of mankind. Also, as we know from Scripture, a day for the Lord is as a thousand years for man.
I believe the Rapture is the answer to the disciples' third question, "What shall be the sign of your coming (again)?" The Rapture will precede the Second Coming by at least seven years. Once the unbelieving Jews witness the earth-shattering, life-altering rapture event, they should know 'Jacob's trouble' is imminent. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7). The Jews will be 'saved out of it' by the long-awaited arrival of their Messiah, whom they missed the first time.
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).
Perhaps the 'left behind' Christ-rejecting Jews will remember Isaiah's prophecy about the hour and day of the Lord. "Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain" (Isaiah 26:20-21 - ESV). And perhaps this supernatural sign from God will result in a vast number of Jews accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Randy Nettles
Endnotes:
{2} Ibid