HOW CLOSE ARE WE?

TO KNOW OR NOT TO KNOW:

IS DATE SETTING BIBLICAL? Part 4

I.        THE SCRIPTURES SAY NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR THE LORD IS COMING

Mt 24:42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. NKJV

Mt 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. NKJV

Mk 13:32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. NKJV

The Greek word (hora) means day, hour, instant or season.  The best word for these verses is instant.  Therefore, no one knows the day or the instant.  It is impossible to know this because the angels do not know and Jesus, Himself does not know that day or the instant only Father God.  I am not trying to set a specific date and instant. 

II.       THE AUTHORITY OF THE FATHER TO SET TIMES AND SEASONS

Ac 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. NKJV

When the question comes up regarding if the Lord would restore the kingdom to Israel at "this time", which was prior to the ascension of Jesus, Jesus makes it clear that there are times and seasons that the Father has put in His own authority. 

The Jews have not only looked for the Messiah but they have looked for the "kingdom to be restored to Israel".  This is a critical point.  Replacement theology has blinded the majority of the body of Christ to this fundamental promise of Scripture. 

In Acts 1 Jesus is trying to shift the focus of the Jewish believers from sitting around and waiting for the "Kingdom to be restored to Israel" to the promise of the Father in sending the Holy Spirit  so they could be global witnesses. 

Ac 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV

Notice that Dr. Luke quoting Jesus says  Ac 1:7-8 "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  8 But you shall receive power.  The "but" is clearly shifting a focus for the 500 people that had been listening to Jesus teach on "things pertaining to the kingdom of God" for 40 days, since Passover. 

1 Co 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. NKJV

Ac 1:3 being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The Father who "sets times and seasons" has the prerogative to hide them and to reveal them. 

Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: NKJV

Ge 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; NKJV

Pr 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. NKJV

Am 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. NKJV

Da 2:22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. NKJV

Ps 19:2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. NKJV

Da 2:29 and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.  NKJV

Lk 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

Lk 12:2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. NKJV

IV.     THE PARABLE OF THE LAMPSTAND

          A.      Parables

1.      There are 39 parables that Jesus taught in Matt, Mark and Luke.  There are none in John,

2.      There are only 7 parables mentioned in each of the three Gospels. These become by repetition the most critical parables to know.  (lampstand, new and old garment, New and old wineskin, the sower, the mustard seed, the wicked vinedressers, the fig tree)

B.      The Parable of the Lampstand

Mk 4:21-25 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." NKJV

1.      Lamp speaks of illumination and revelation

2.      It is always lit in order to enlighten

3.      It is not to be put under a basket or bed

4.      That which is hidden will be revealed

5.      That which has been kept secret will come to light

6.      If anyone has ears to hear let him hear

7.      Take head what you hear

8.      The measure you use will be measured to you

9.      Whoever has more will be given

10.    Whoever does not have, what he has will be taken away.

One of the applications to this parable is that God hides things and keeps things in secret in order to bring it to the light at the choosing of the Father when He wants to bring revelation to His children. The principle of the parable is simply to be faithful with revelation that is given or you will loose it.   This parable involves seeing and hearing what the Lord is bringing to revelation. 

When it comes to the Day of the Lord there is much that has been hidden over the centuries but is being revealed in our day.  If anyone has ears to hear let him hear!

V.      WE ARE TO WATCH AND PRAY

Mk 13:33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. NKJV

Mt 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. NKJV

Remember we must always keep Scripture in context.  He was speaking specifically to the disciples and people that were listening to Him.  They did not understand that He was going to die and be raised from the dead; let alone that He would be gone for 2,000 years and that there would be a "second coming."  Most of the disciples believed that they would see Him return and set up the kingdom over Israel in their lifetime. 

After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, that Jesus prophesied would happen, they started to rethink their theology.   All of the disciples were dead by the time John had his vision of the "Revelation of Jesus Christ."  The Apostle John moved from Jerusalem to Ephesus in 67 AD just prior to the destruction in 70 AD.  He received the Revelation in 95 or 96 AD on the Island of Patmos where he received and wrote the "Revelation" just before his release from prison and his return to Ephesus. 

This point is critical to hold in context that all the apostles initially thought Christ would return in their lifetimes; they wrote down the gospels many years after Christ's resurrection. They, literally, were not to know certain things regarding the end times that the Lord revealed more specifically to John in the Revelation and is now revealing to the last generation that will "prepare the way of the Lord".

VI.     GOD HAS AN APPOINTED TIME

A.      There are more than 30 verses that speak of God's appointed time or set times. Here are a few.

Jer 8:7 "Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times: and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord. NKJV

Da 8:19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. NKJV

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  NKJV

Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. KJV

B.      Definition:

OT:4150 (mo-ade'); or moed` (mo-ade'); from OT:3259; properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): KJV - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

NT:4287 prothesmios (proth-es'-mee-os); from NT:4253 and a derivative of NT:5087; fixed beforehand, i.e. (feminine with NT:2250 implied) a designated day: KJV - time appointed.

C.      Knowing the appointed times-In the last days the wise will understand

Mk 13:23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. NKJV

Da 12:10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. NKJV

1 Jn 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. NKJV

Isa 46:8 "Remember this, and show yourselves men; recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure, 

VII.    SCOFFING AND IGNORANCE TO THE DAY OF THE LORD

A.               Knowing this first-that scoffers will come in the last days

2 Pe 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?

Jude 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. KJV

The definition of this word is to deride, to jeer and to mock.  The idea is that many people and even Christians will mock and make fun of the return of the Lord.  The reason is clear by both Peter and Jude it is because of their own desires and lusts.  In other words, there will be carnal Christians that are not looking for the Day of the Lord and they will make fun of and show contempt towards those of us that are. 

B.      Ignorance and spiritual insensitivity 

1 Pe 2:11  Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation . NKJV

Lk 19:41  Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,  44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." NKJV

The flesh wars against you being prepared for the day of visitation.  If we are carnal we will not recognize the time of visitation.  

As in the days of Noah and Lot-the people were spiritually insensitive to what God was going to do.  They were to busy eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage and buying and selling.

Lk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot : They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;  29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. NKJV

Spiritual indifference and apathy is a sin that many will fall into.  They will not be prepared for what is about to happen.

Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.  NKJV

VIII.  WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE DAY

1 Th 5:1  But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night . 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

A.      An accurate understanding of the day of the Lord

The Apostle Paul had only been in Thessolonika for about 3 weeks according to Acts.  He was then driven out of town by a dangerous crowd.  But during those three weeks he was able to teach the new believers on the end times.  3-4 months later he writes them First Thessalonians and a few months after that Second Thessalonians. Both of these books have great insight into the Day of the Lord.  Here in 1 Thess 5:1 he says that "concerning times and seasons you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."  This is an amazing insight:   That these young believers less then 6 months old, taught by Paul for 3 weeks had no need to be taught more on times and seasons and the day of the Lord because they know "perfectly well".  Part of the "full Gospel" message includes the return of Christ or the day of the Lord and these young believers had an exact or accurate understanding of it.  This Greek word for perfectly well is:

NT:199  akribos (ak-ree-boce'); adverb from the same as NT:196; exactly: KJV - circumspectly, diligently, accurately, perfect (-ly).

Ac 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. NKJV 

Not only are there erroneous teachings today about the end times but there is also a deception of the enemy that says;  "You can not understand the end times or the book of Revelation or the book of Daniel".   That is a lie from the pit of hell. 

Paul goes on to say; "when they say peace and safety" then sudden destruction will come on them like a woman in labor pains.  We know that they (Jews and the world) will say peace and safety when the peace agreement is signed at the beginning of the 7 year tribulation according to Daniel. 

Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate."  NKJV

1 Thess 5:4 says that we are not in darkness that this day will over take us as a thief in the night.  We are children of the light.  If we were raptured before the 7 years start this would be a mute point.  He tells us clearly in Chapter 4 that the dead in Christ will rise first and he tells us when. 

1 Th 4:16 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. NKJV

This day will not over take us as a thief!!!!  We are sons of the light and sons of the day.  In other words we will KNOW!   There is no "secret rapture".   The lie of the enemy is you won't know (secret) when He is coming and that it is pre-tribulation or just before the 7 year period. 

1 Th 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. NKJV

THE DANGER OF THIS TEACHING IS THAT PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THIS WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR THE DIFFICULT TIMES THAT ARE COMING ON THE EARTH!  AND THAT WHEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN THE MIDST OF THE TRIBULATION THEIR FAITH WILL BE SHAKEN AND THEY WILL SAY; "THERE WAS NO RAPTURE HOW DO I KNOW THAT HE IS REALLY GOING TO COME?"

B.      We will know when the rapture is because it is not a secret rapture!

There is no doubt in my mind (personal opinion) that these deceived Christians will be part of the falling away. Paul speaks of this in 2 Thess and addresses this topic. 

In the very first chapter of 2 Thess, Paul starts talking about the day of the Lord and tribulation.  Then immediately address the rapture issue again because some of the saints there were thinking that they missed the day of the Lord and the rapture.  Consider what he says to them.

2 Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the day of the Lord) and our gathering together to Him, (the rapture) we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.(they thought they had missed it, notice also that the rapture and the day of the Lord are the SAME DAY!) 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed,(middle of the tribulation  Matt 24:15 and Daniel 9:27) the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?   (Paul taught them this when they first got saved and he was with them for those 3 weeks.)

It is absolutely clear that we will see:

1. a falling away and

2. the man of sin (anti-christ) revealed in the middle of the tribulation. 

Paul makes it crystal clear that we will still be here when those things are happening.  Jesus says it also in Matt and Mark. 

Mt 24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), NKJV

Mk 13:14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  NKJV

C.      People who understand will instruct many

Both Matthew and Mark put a side note in that says let the reader understand.  In other words go to Daniel and read it and get understanding.  Daniel says:

Da 11:32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.  33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. NKJV

Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

The context of these verses in Daniel is the time during the 7 year reign of the anti-christ. 

In a brief summery of 1 and 2 Thess.   We are children of the light, the day of the Lord and the rapture will not catch us by surprise, we will know the times and seasons, we will have exact or perfect understanding, the dead in Christ will rise first, there will be a great falling away, we will see the antichrist be revealed in the middle of the tribulation period and we will not experience the wrath of God.  Therefore: the rapture happens just prior to the wrath.  This is called pre-wrath rapture and this event happens when the Lord returns at the 7^th trumpet in Rev. 11:15 ff.

D.      Deliverance from the wrath of God

1 Th 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Th 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Ro 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. NKJV

2 Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,  NKJV

Rv 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded:  (He comes with the sound of the LAST trumpet 1 Cor 15:52) And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (beginning of the day of the Lord) "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (beginning of the millennial reign) 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. (the beginning of the Lord dethroning every throne and taking over every nation and destroying every government in the Earth) 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, (beginning of the wrath of God poured out through the 7 bowls) and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, (the dead are raised first) and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, (rapture of the saints and the judgment seat of Christ) and should destroy those who destroy the earth." (wrath of God)  19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

The more we understand these things the more we will look for and hasten that day.

2 Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

IX.     TWO REASONS WHY NO ONE CAN KNOW THE DAY OR INSTANT

A.               According to Jewish wedding tradition a man is "betrothed" to a woman through a solemn ceremony more like our wedding ceremony.  This is not an engagement it is covenant.  It is binding that is why Joseph was betrothed to Mary and he sought to divorce her.  (Matt 1:18-19 and 19:7)  At this time the man would go and "prepare a place for his new bride".  Jesus said this in John 14:2-3 and that He would come again to "receive" us to Himself. (paralambano-associate with an intimate act)
As the man was finishing building a room on the back of his father's house or on the roof of his father's house, he would ask his father when it was ready.  The father had the final word on when to go to get his bride. (Mark 13:32 and Acts 1:7) When the father said go get her, the man would get his friends and go, usually at night and stand at the street and blow the shofar (sound of the trumpet) and shout, "behold the bride groom cometh".  (Matt 25:6)

1 Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. NKJV

Mt 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. NKJV

B.               The Feast of Trumpets is a 2 day festival!
It is clear that the Fall feasts will be fulfilled in the second coming of the Lord just as the Spring feasts were fulfilled in His first coming.  Pentecost was fulfilled by the Spirit being poured out on the Church and this was the Promise of the Father, it was the betrothal of Jesus to the Church and sealed by the Holy Spirit.  The promise of Jesus is that He will come again and bring us to Himself, not a promise of heaven but of intimacy and relationship.  This will be fulfilled at the feast of Trumpets. I will not take the space here for the Feast of Trumpets but it will be a different message.  But let me at least say this.  The Feast of trumpets happens over a two day period. 

Rv 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. NKJV

Because the Feast of Trumpets is on Tishri 1 & 2  which is also the beginning of the lunar month and the beginning of the year the Rabbis did not want to make a mistake and believed that they needed an extra day for the new moon to be certified by the priests in Jerusalem and to get the information out to all of Israel.  Because it was from this day that they counted for Yom Kippur which came on Tishri 10 and then 5 days later was the Feast of Tabernacles on Tishri 15.  So they actually would blow the trumpet for 2 days.  This is why no man can no the day or the hour or instant of the Lord's return.  Only our Heavenly Father knows.

Heavenly Father will give the Word to the Son to go get His bride and it will happen sometime during the days of the sounding of the 7^th trumpet.  The dead in Christ will rise first.  We will see Him come on the clouds (Matt 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:91 Thes 4:17;  Rev. 1:7; Rev 14:14-16)  and we will be snatched or caught up (rapture). Greek definition:           

NT:726 harpazo (har-pad'-zo); from a derivative of NT:138; to sieze (in various applications): KJV - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

From the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana) to Yom Kippur are the 10 days of Awe.  During this time the 7 bowls of wrath will be poured out and the Battle for Jerusalem (Armageddon) will happen.  We will be with the Lord during this time of His Earthly campaign where He dethrones every government and vanquishes every enemy and retakes Jerusalem and the temple and establishes the throne of David in the tabernacle of David and sits on it all leading up to Yom Kippur. 

Isa 16:5 In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness." NKJV

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David  and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. NKJV

CONCLUSION

Mt 16:1-4

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red';  3 and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed. NKJV

No man knows the day or the hour but we are to know the season and we need to know the Feasts of the Lord.  The closer we get to the Day of the Lord the more He will give us revelation.  Three times in Daniel the Lord told him to "seal up the vision" until the time of the end.  That time is here and the Lord is breaking the seal on Daniel's visions so that we will have wisdom and understanding.  He has given us the Book of Revelation so that we will be ready and have a play and prayer book for what is happening. 

Rv 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. NKJV

There is only one generation that can truly KEEP the things written in the book of Revelation.  That generation is the generation of the Day of the Lord that will not perish until all things are fulfilled.  The word keep is defined in the Greek as:

NT:5083 tereo (tay-reh'-o); from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to NT:2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from NT:5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from NT:2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively, to fulfil a command); by implication, to detain (in custody; figuratively, to maintain); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried):  KJV - hold fast, keep (-er), (pre-, re-) serve, watch.

One final thought for those of you that hold a pre-tribulation rapture eschatological framework.  Please consider this:

If I am wrong about a pre-wrath rapture at the last trumpet on the Feast of Trumpets during the very last days of the 7 year tribulation period; I will still go in the rapture! 

But if you are wrong and the body of Christ has to persevere and endure to the end to be saved,(Matt 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13) then you will not be prepared for such days of tribulation of the wrath of man and the wrath of the devil. 

If we are going to err let us err on the side of being prepared and not on the side of escaping the most glorious time for Body of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord!

FOR HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR LET HIM HEAR-WE ARE THAT GENERATION!

Rv 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. NKJV