Will No One Know the Day?

Will advance knowledge be given about when events will happen in the last days? Can we know even the very day of our being gathered to Him? I had been taught in no uncertain terms that no one could or would know. It took some time for the Lord to convince me otherwise. That's right. In this study those of you with eyes that see will discover some will know even the day of his coming like a thief! Does it matter whether we know? Well, only if it mattered at the time of the flood whether or not someone got on the ark with Noah. Why would I say such a thing as that? Read on. Let's consider the scriptural and historical records with an expectation that the Lord will fulfill the following promise.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

John 14:26

Collateral study for serious students:
Thematic Symmetry of Matthew 24 - Interactive

Broad Eternal Truths?

One of the most widely quoted and misquoted passages these days is Matthew 24:36. I have heard it many, many times over the years from a wide variety of people, and always in the context of meaning that the time of Jesus' coming is a secret that will not be revealed in advance of the events to man, angel or even the Son. It is widely believed to be a secret hidden in the Father that will not be revealed.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 24:36

To interpret the phrase "no one knows" to mean no one "can ever know," or, "will ever know" is just plain wrong. Just read what is written. The popular interpretation is absolutely incorrect. This is not a matter of a complicated mistranslation of the Greek but simply a misreading of what is written. Those who read it in the Greek misread it in the Greek as well. The word "oiden" is a very simple word that is translated "knows." Oh, the power of a preconceived idea!

The other verse used to support the "no one will know" theology is from the first chapter of Acts.

6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Acts 1:6-7

It was not for who to know? For those who asked the question being answered. Can this verse legitimately be interpreted as applying to any other people at any other time? Of course not! Just be honest about this. Is it for you or I to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority? Well, if there's an answer to that question it must be found elsewhere because this verse doesn't have anything to say about you and I today.

Taking an honest look at the two verses that form the basis of the "no one will know" doctrine it should be evident that, standing on their own, they can neither establish unknowability nor knowability. However, the Lord has indeed addressed whether or not times and dates are going to be known in advance so I'm going to examine the biblical record as well as give some historical examples. The truth we find as we approach the subject honestly and without fear is that the timing is knowable - some will know! What will also come to light is that knowing the timing of our Lord's coming is a matter of such importance that even the very knowability of the time must be concealed.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Proverbs 25:2

You might be thinking there must be some other place where a passage supports the popular interpretation - but there isn't. It is so simple yet scholar and student alike, year after year, continue to promote the misconception that "no one will know." I will address how this can be so later in this study.

Broad Eternal Truths!

I'd like to jump right into the book of Amos for a simple and very clear declaration.

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:7

The above verse is a simple and broad declaration. If you accept it literally, the case is made that the Sovereign Lord's servants the prophets will know even the times and dates of his coming. To suggest that any subset of knowledge about what the Lord will do will be kept secret from the prophets is to contradict the scripture. But that's not a very persuasive argument for some of you, so let's continue. Consider the following verse.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Luke 8:17

You might suppose our Lord was referring to things such as secret sins, but no. The context openly declares what kinds of hidden and concealed things he was talking about.

He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'

Luke 8:10

The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God is hidden but this knowledge is intended to be disclosed. Are the matters of times and dates excluded in this matter? What is there that will not be brought into the open? Nothing! All that is hidden will be made known. The only variables are when and to whom.

Revealed When and to Whom?

When and to whom hidden knowledge of times will be revealed is the very subject of what is probably a familiar passage in Daniel 12.

6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." 8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My Lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" 9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

Daniel 12:6-10

When the understanding would come is declared to be in "the time of the end," at the time appointed for the unsealing of what had been sealed. Those who would understand are "those who are wise." This is how it is with all things sealed or concealed. A time is appointed for understanding of the secrets to be given. None of the wicked will understand, and it is so declared what we see in this moment that some have eyes that see the truth that remains hidden from others.

I'd like to make a point about what it is like as the wise begin to understand. Since that time when words were given but yet closed and no understanding was granted, men did not withhold their views and opinions on these topics. Doctrines and traditions have thus been established from out of religious presumption, which are, according to biblical definition, doctrines of demons. When understanding comes to the wise, what comes forth will be different, a new understanding. My point: If you reject an interpretation on the basis of its novelty, you have been deceived and will remain in darkness. We must neither accept nor reject on that basis, but rather each on its own merit must be held up to the Light for His validation by the testimony of what witnesses He brings forward by His familiar way.

Shine That Light Over Here!

For you, it may be that time has now come for the Lord to make known to you a very valuable secret of the kingdom of God. Before this secret is revealed, one reads Matthew 24:36 and believes only the Father will know when the Lord will come. Yet, it is the testimony of this very same passage that declares to the hearing ear - some will know! My friend, like a horse can be lead to water but yet cannot be made to drink, I can lead you to this remarkable revelation and point out what I see - but I'm not the revealer of secrets. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Please pay close attention. The subject of the primary passage (verses 36-44) is introduced at the beginning of the chapter.

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Matthew 24:3

The disciples ask three questions seeking knowledge about times and seasons. The Lord responds at length. The subject of the discourse is knowledge of the times. We are right now seeking knowledge of the same. We want to know whether or not the very day the lord will come can and will be known in advance of that day. The Lord's response contains a passage with a parenthesis in it, which I've highlighted below.

36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

(37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.)

42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:36-44

A parentheses is an interruption of continuity; an interval, inserted for the purpose of providing explanatory or qualifying remarks. To clarify the meaning of a passage interrupted by a parenthetical insertion, we employ a simple technique and read it with the parenthesis removed.

36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ( * ) 42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:36-44 - with parenthesis removed

It reads quite smoothly and easily without interruption and without distraction. Now, do you recall the subject or theme of what we're reading? Knowledge of times. It is more particularly here about knowledge of what day the Lord is coming, about knowing before that day comes. This is what we really want to know, isn't it? Is that day knowable in advance? This subject can be seen in each of these four verses above. Consider the following, where I repeat those verses with phrases emphasized to make my point and bring it more vividly to your attention.

36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:37-39

Again, the subject is - knowing the time! How much more obvious could it be? Why am I making such a big deal of this? You're about to find out!

A parenthesis interrupts the flow of a passage but it relates to the passage by adding some relevant information. It relates in some important way to the context where it has been inserted. This is Yahweh's word, who delights in hiding and revealing! And He is quite accomplished at both!

The Simple Pattern: Noah Knew - and so can You!

Now, let's consider the parenthesis.

37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Matthew 24:37-41

For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. What does this mean? Two things are compared. One is an example for the other, a pattern. To understand the one we simply look to the other. How do we compare the two? In what way are they alike? In every way? No, obviously not, because the rainbow remains as a sign of the Lord's promise never to destroy the earth again by water. In what way, then? Let me ask you once again, what's the subject at hand? Take a step back and remember where this parenthesis has been set in the context. The subject has not changed. This passage is still about knowledge of what day the Lord is coming, about knowing before that day comes. If we look to the context to supply the point of comparison we find this single very obvious theme. So then, because the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah, we compare the two on the point of advance knowledge of the time. If the day the Flood came was known in advance, the day the Lord will come will be known in advance! If day of flood - knowable, then, day of coming - knowable. The knowability of the day of the coming of the son of man depends simply on whether the day the Flood came was knowable.

The answer to the big question comes down to this. Did anyone know when the flood would come before it came? Let's go to Genesis 7 to learn from this important model.

For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.

Genesis 7:4

Was this rain sent according to the promised schedule?

It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth.

Genesis 7:10

It came to pass as it had been revealed to Noah - to the very day! As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man! Some knew the very day appointed in the days of Noah, and, by reason of this simple example, it is certain some will know the very day at the coming of the Son of Man! Could the answer to the question of knowability really be that simple? Yes! But, how well hidden this has been and still remains from most! The matter of the hiding and revealing of this particular gem should speak loudly to us about the value of knowing the day of our Lord's coming. Knowing when our Lord comes like a thief and everything that attends that knowledge is so valuable that even the very knowability of that time has been hidden! Do you see it? That's incredibly valuable!

Now, knowing that the time can and will be known is not the same as actually knowing the time, of course, but these are certainly related. If your eyes have been opened during this presentation - Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, Y'shua HaMashiach! Go ahead and shout, or fall on your knees - express your thankfulness freely before Him, who is The concealer and the revealer of all secrets of the Kingdom. He alone holds the key to the storeroom of Heaven's vast treasury of riches, my friend! Bless His holy name!

We'll be returning to this passage to discuss the manner of hiding and to glean some more important insight, but first, if you now see what I see so clearly, let's focus those seeing eyes on some other passages that were formerly concealed beyond the veil!

From out of the Shadows

The meaning of this next verse is quite obvious when you come to it with confidence in knowability.

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Revelation 3:3

The meaning is cloaked in a grammatical construct called a double negative. While our eyes were too dim to see, this passage was perplexing, seeming to come somewhat short of declaring that the time He would come like a thief was indeed knowable. Something seemed just beyond our grasp. However, once the veil obscuring the knowability of the time has been removed we can understand this double negative like we understand every other valid double negative construction. These are interpreted as meaning the affirmative, like this: If you wake up, I will not come to you like a thief, and you will know at what time I will come to you. Only if they remain asleep will the Lord come to them like a thief. Only if they remain asleep will they not know at what time He will come to them! Will no one know, my dear friend? Will no one be awake?

For those of you who understand typology and know Elijah as a type of the Bride and Elisha as a type of 144k sons of Israel, this prophetic model should speak volumes. When Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah himself and certain others knew the day.

1 And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.' But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?' And he said, "Yes, I know; be still.' 4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.' But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?' And he answered, "Yes, I know; be still.'

II Kings 2:1-5

Like Night and Day

Now that knowability has begun to be established in your mind, I'd like to begin pointing out the difference between those who will and won't know. This difference is brought to our attention in every passage where knowledge of the time is addressed. In each instance, the character of a person is the criteria. This is expressed in various ways. From Revelation 3:3, those who will know when he comes are awake and those who will not know are asleep. Being awake has to do with obeying what you have received and heard. If you have been asleep, repentance, turning from disobedience to obedience, will cause you to awaken.

From Daniel 12, where we noted that the words given Daniel were sealed until the time of the end, we see two kinds of people described as the wise and the wicked.

9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

Daniel 12:9-10

Who are the wise but those who have been purified, made spotless and refined? These are of like kind as those of Revelation 3:3 who receive and hear, who obey it and repent! Everyone else is called wicked. The unrepentant, the disobedient, asleep.

Consider the following passage, which is also about having knowledge of the times and dates. With eyes that see farther, this passage really comes to life!

1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness . 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

Once again, we see a line drawn separating two kinds of people. We see on the one hand those who are sons of the light and sons of the day, and, on the other hand, those who belong to the night and to the darkness. We see that some will be alert and self-controlled, but others will be asleep. This is the same figurative language we found in Revelation 3:3. And, just as we found in that verse, we find blessing and consequence associated with the two categories of people. For those in darkness, destruction will come so suddenly there will be no escape. For them, the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. In contrast, those who are not in darkness will escape that destruction! They will know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. They will understanding what this means because they are wise, being alert and self-controlled. They will have this light, knowing when the thief will come because they don't need to be written to about times and dates - they already understand!

While our eyes were still too dim to see, this passage seemed to say that we did not need to be written to about times and dates because no one would know. To know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night seemed to affirm the unknowability because thieves operate in stealth. However, when the veil is lifted and we see in the light of day, we see the utter absurdity of such an interpretation. Those who are in darkness have no light by which to see and recognize their own dire condition. They are oblivious of the danger that looms before them.

I asked earlier and I'll ask again: Does it matter whether we know the time? Well, only if it matters whether we escape or instead are destroyed. Are you beginning to grasp how important it is to be able to properly interpret the signs of the times? If I am correct in my estimation of the gravity of the situation, the "no one will know" doctrine and the closely associated doctrine of imminence (that the Lord could come at any given moment) might possibly be the most dangerous doctrines in the apostate church today! When one lives according to those tenets, there is no genuine and valid watching for the Lord's coming that bears the precious fruit of discovering when the Lord comes like a thief. Many of those in darkness are convinced their watching is genuine enough, but the testimony of the word seen in great light is that they are deluded.

Under the Bright Son Light

With eyes that see further than before in a much brighter light, reconsider the meaning of this familiar verse.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:13

The sense of the this command is to watch because you do not yet know. If, in darkness, this verse is taken to mean you "will not" or "can not" know the day or the hour, the obvious intent of encouraging the watcher is subtly undermined. This is how it is that many saints are discouraged from watching, being convinced it's a pointless exercise, since, in their minds, the time of his coming cannot be known. But the Lord has commanded us to watch, and to neglect to watch is disobedience. The lie about unknowability thus leads people through deceit into disobedience.

The Lord had a certain expectation when he came earlier to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, a very reasonable expectation.

He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

Luke 12:54-56

How much will you bet He expects less of us? Can you yet interpret this present time?

They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Luke 19:44

What is the stated reason these people came to such an end? Can you perceive what the holy spirit is crying out to you? There is something about knowing the times that is so important huge blessing and consequence hinges upon it. Although it may seem like the matter of knowing and not knowing the time is a small thing, the opposite is always what we find. To be dashed to the ground with the children is a very serious end. Being rebuked and called a hypocrite by the Lord is no small thing!

The following passage is the continuation from where we left off in Matthew 24 to the end of the chapter.

45 'Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:45-51

Here, we see once more the vast difference between the reward of the two kinds of people. The hypocrites who did not recognize the time of God's coming to them will join other hypocrites. There will be some great tribulation! On the other hand, there are those who must, by inference, know what day and hour to expect Him. These have food to serve, rations, and serve it at the proper time! Is this not the proper time? Is this not such a ration? My friend, if you feast at this table the Lord has prepared for you and I today, AND RISE UP TO SERVE, the reward will be great!

Now, the Lord so frequently directed his followers (you and I!) to watch. Why watch? So that the wise would be confirmed in their knowledge about times and dates.

Why do I say confirmed, as though the signs are intended for those who already know about times and dates? Ahhhhh. Let's return to Matthew 24 for more insight. There is something hidden that's right at the heart of the mystery of times and seasons!

Their Dark Secret

42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:42-44

When this passage is still very dimly lit, we think it simply reinforces the "know one will know" theory because thieves sneak in without a warning. We gloss over the rest of it as though the example has nothing more to say to us. But, when the light has grown bright, we discover detail that holds great interest! And so we ask as the holy spirit prompts us to ask: Who is the thief and what does he steal? What is the house, and, who is this head who did not want his house to be broken into? The one who comes, of verse 43, is the very same one who comes of verse 42; the Lord is the thief! As we read earlier, the Lord declared He would come like a thief in Revelation 3:3: "But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." This is further reinforced by the rest of chapter 24 and 25. The house broken into is the house of Ephesians 2:19-22 and 1 Timothy 3:15; the house of God, a holy temple in the Lord, the church of the living God, the Body of Christ. The primary feature of a thief is theft, stealing. They don't just sneak around, they steal! When they come to a house they don't take out the garbage, they remove what is of greatest value. What is most valuable in the house are those who love Him and prove their love with obedience. The Bridegroom-thief comes to the house to steal His Bride away and to take her to be with Him in His Father's house, a model that should be familiar because it's a well known Jewish wedding custom. He's not a thief to His Bride because she's not surprised when He comes, and neither is anything stolen from her. She herself is most willingly taken! This is a great revelation of truth! Who is the head of the house? The head of the house represents those who have been appointed positions of authority over the house of God. They are the recognized leaders, the shepherds over the flock who are looked to for guidance in spiritual matters. There is one thing left to consider - what is this great secret about the head of the house?

This will confirm to many of you what you have already suspected or come to know by revelation. Unlike the Bride, the head of the house will not know at what time of night the thief is coming. He will not be keeping watch, and, not only that, will not want his house to be broken into! When you let this speak to your hearing ear and receive it without taking offence it's a very simple message. The head of the house views what's really the Lord's house as his own, and views the One who comes to receive what actually belongs to Him as an unwelcome thief. This head of the house does not want "his" house to be broken into. He does not want the Bridegroom to come steal away His own Bride!

This being the case, do you think the established leaders are going to foster what amounts to genuine watching for the Lord's coming? Do you think those in the church in positions of authority truly work to prepare a Bride for the Bridegroom at His coming? I tell you, no! Their claims about their own desires and purposes are lies. Some lie because they're deceived. Others lie because they are the tares sown by the enemy among the wheat in the Lord's harvest field. These will by deceit lead as many as will follow astray. Now there's a revelation of the truth! Don't get mad at them, they're just doing their jobs. The Lord Himself appoints those in charge and what they do is truly what must be done. The reality of our time is that Christian TV, Christian Radio, the Christian bestseller list and even the weekly pulpit are propaganda machines! If you want proof if it, just watch what happens as you move among those "under the influence," declaring the simple truth that some will know the day!

If you'd like to excuse and defend the head of the house, perhaps on the basis that your favorite church authorities surely mean well and are merely ignorant of what is after all, hidden, I can understand that. I struggled with that myself. I'm not suggesting all involved are all bad or that the Lord is not doing a work among them. It is plain to see the Lord has a hand in it. However, the indictment didn't come from me. It comes from the Truth Himself!

Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear and shall not understand, and another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware, both of that "more" and of the outsider's incomprehension.

H. W. Fowler, in Modern English Usage

For some, this is a bitter truth, one that simply will not be accepted. Yes, we have been deceived, but we may rejoice in that, now, we see the light! And by it we have the means to navigate the dark and treacherous path before us and reach safety! This light, if we dare to walk in it, will guide others who will receive it as we ourselves.

So, now you know that the Lord hides knowledge of the day of the thief's coming and even the availability of that knowledge from the head of the house. The head of the house can't receive the hidden meaning of this passage. It must remain hidden. The Lord's purposes will be accomplished!

Back to the Future!

Here is fascinating truth about verse 43. We read it now from our perspective in this present time, looking ahead to the theft as an event that has yet to occur. The verse is actually written in the past tense! It is a revelation that will apply as written only after the theft will have already happened! The verse is written to and for those who read it afterwards. Read it again and put yourself into the role of those who were deceived by the head of the house and were left behind to experience great tribulation. It was written in the further future, if you will, for a people who will have observed this event at a time that is yet future to us. However, you and I, who have been granted more penetrating vision, see it now for what it is! What favor, friends! This is truly amazing grace!

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Matthew 24:43

The Irony of the Alert

I wrote a little earlier that we are to watch so that the wise would be confirmed in their knowledge about times and dates. Here's an amazing insight! There is a logic that tells us the order of the process goes like this: Signs are given to instruct us about what is coming. That's true, and yet there is another truth. Signs are given for validation, for confirmation of what we already learned. They bear vital testimony as second and third witnesses. The first revelation knowledge and wisdom we receive can come through signs, or the word of prophets, angels, the Lord Himself, the written Word, the starry skies, natural events, relationships between people, the network news, or any other means the Lord desires. Validating signs can come in the same ways. Let's reconsider Matthew 24:43.

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Matthew 24:43

When our eyes are dim, we read this and are perplexed about why this is written backwards. It seems to us there must be something wrong with the text or with the translation. It seems it should rather read like this. "if the head of the house had been on the alert, he would have known at what time of the night the thief was coming." And, we are content to fix it in our own minds. But yet, when the Lord casts His light on it we understand, and accept it as it is written, because it was written to be read in the full light of day. It's not possible to be on the alert unless you know about times and dates. It's the process of discovery of the times and seasons under the Lord's tutelage that brings you out of the slumber and stupor into the necessary state of being alert and fully awake!

The thief of 24:43 is the bridegroom of chapter 25:1-13! The Lord is the Bridegroom-Thief who comes to steal His precious Bride!

The 10 Virgins of Matthew 25

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' 12 But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13

The context of knowing the time continues beyond the 24th into the 25th chapter, concluding with verse 13. A number of points I made about verse 43 are confirmed. The one who comes in these examples is always the Lord Himself. In verse 43, He is in the role of the thief who comes. In verses 45-51, He is the master of the slaves who comes. In chapter 25:1-13, He is the Bridegroom who comes. Although it's no longer dealing with the knowing of the time after verse 13, in verses 14-30 the Lord is seen again as the master of the slaves who comes, and in verses 31-46, as the Son of Man who comes.

The virgins are Christians, all 10 of them, but only 5 are wise. The wise virgins are obviously not the Bride, who has already been taken into her chamber. The Bride did not sleep as these 10 do, who failed to be accounted worthy of the Lord. This compares to the divisions in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Lord did not sleep, while the others did. His disciples had been divided into two groups, comparing to the 10 virgins. The bride, like her bridegroom remains awake and alert. This sleeping company is modeled in how Adam was put to sleep (a type of the body of Christ, the last Adam) when a woman was taken out of him for a bride. Genesis 2:21-23

Vital truths like that are always bundled up in the mysteries of times and seasons. When your eyes open and you read such passages, He opens to you the bonus material, profound insights that are about more than just the times. You see events and the people involved, their identifying characteristics and even their motives. You receive an insider's view of the Lord's perspective, an intimate view into His mind and heart and the outworking of His plans. Gaining entrance into this is your only hope for protection against being deceived! This is the great value of a hearing ear! This is the benefit that attends the knowledge of times and seasons, friend! And it is what arises in your life as a result of this benefit that will separate you from those who remain in darkness at His soon coming!

To Follow ALL the Words

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Deuteronomy 29:29

It may be that this new revelation will take a little time to settle in. This is really a very fundamental doctrine in that much of your thinking and doing rests upon the assurance that the time of the Lord's coming is unknowable. When you turn your foundation right-side up, everything built on it must be reevaluated. That's just how it works. Watching for signs will become a very real and passionate endeavor because in some cases you'll know what to look for and when. And you'll understand what the signs shown mean. Search out the writings of When Cometh That Thief in the Night and see if you see what I see! Glory!!! May the Lord bless you and guide you by the work of the spirit, according to the promise that "He will teach you all things."

Concluding Thoughts

If you share your insight about how the wise will know and the wicked will not you will be met with a familiar response. Religious people will be offended. Light exposes the darkness. Some are merely anesthetized but, honestly, the wicked mask their own wickedness by making it appear as though we are all the same in matters of righteousness. When pressed, of course, they are the righteous and little else can be heard above the din of their passionate defense and the growl of their condemning accusations. There are wolves in sheep's clothing scattered throughout the flock. Tares have been sown in the field among the wheat. Have you been deceived as I had been? Yet, if you take up your cross and walk where you are led, when the blind lead the blind into the ditch you will not be with them but rather in the company of those who have seen beyond the shadows and embraced the light, walking in it according to the Lord's good pleasure!

You have probably wondered whether this author actually thinks he knows the time of the Lord's coming for His Bride. Yes, I do. Well, yes and no - and certainly, some explanation is required for this obvious contradiction. I say, yes, because I'm confident that I know the date on the Lord's calendar - day, month and year. Documentation has been openly provided in the, When Cometh That Thief in the Night, compilation and expanded upon in many posts published to The Open Scroll blog. But here's the thing. I don't know how long we've got left because the appointed time has come and gone and the events prophesied have not come to pass, and the additional insight into what remains to happen has not yet been brought forth. As I update this study, it's now nearly a year and a half beyond the eagerly anticipated date, which was in April of 2015.

Some suggest that I was simply wrong. That's an easy answer but I wasn't completely wrong. I maintain that I was right about the date but failed to discern and account for a disruption in the time continuum. Some have expressed the opinion that I'm making wild claims in an effort to save face, but really, anyone who has followed The Open Scroll over the years has to have a sense that such a conclusion is just not consistent with the record. I've been deceived, and as I learn more, the extent of the deception becomes even more apparent. Yet, about knowing the appointed time for the Lord to come for His people, I am ever more convinced of it.

How plausible is this matter of a disruption in the time continuum? How plausible is the bizarre phenomenon we have come to know as the Mandela Effect? How plausible is a map with South America shifted far eastward? What reason would the Innuits have for declaring that the sun and the moon that they live by are wrong in their motions, unless they are? Those celestial bodies are the time keepers appointed by the Creator on the 4th day of creation, are they not? The evidence suggests that this mechanism has been tampered with and that the time continuum itself has been disrupted. There are implications that could hardly be more serious.

Aaron Hermann and I, Bob Schlenker, have confidence in the sovereignty of our Lord that is not swayed. We confidently assert that we have known and will again know the time of our Lord's coming, yet, we readily admit that we don't know now, in our present season, when we are evidently detached from that timeline, if you will. Our confidence in genuinely knowing the time, as the Lord affirmed it to us over and over again, affords us a very special perspective - and this is of enormous benefit!

Our God knows the end from the beginning. Nothing that has been done or will ever be done escapes His view. The disruption in the continuity of time is part of His plan, and always has been. We've given attention to documenting that on the Blog from the Bible and from the Devil's domain as he flips and spins it in myriad ways. The schedule appointed for the conclusion of this age will not be updated to accommodate this altered timeline. Certainly, it could be but it absolutely will not be. Rather, time will be effectively reset, returning back to a point when the outcome will then be as prophesied.

It is apparent to me now that, without this very strange season of our present experience, what is prophesied for the end of this age could not be as it must. The Lord has a plan in this season - which we consider to be a kind of bonus season - and He's working it to perfection.

Not one jot or tittle of all His word shall fail. The Lord who sees the end from the beginning sees how the love, faith and hope of the saints is wavering and failing, where it is not truly anchored to Him. The failure to prepare for such a time as this is costly, but reward for unfailing love, faith and hope will be great indeed! Prepare, prepare! Ground yourself in Y'shua, giving attention to obedience. If you're looking at the standard of behavior of those around you and judging yourself accordingly, you're in jeopardy, saint. It's time to wake up, and honor Him. It still matters. An accounting is being made and nothing will be lost. Trust Him. He is worthy!