Here’s one of the favorite futurist’s
arguments on Matthew 24 – What
about that day and hour?
Let’s face it, if no one knows the
day and hour of Christ’s return,
doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous
that anyone would presume to
speak of it with certainty?
Not only have we had people who
claimed to know the precise day
and hour, they argued they could
not be wrong.
The only problem with that was
the year was 1988!
Then, the same guy who said
he couldn’t be wrong, changed
the date to 1989!
Guess what? He’s still predicting
the wrong date to this day?
There is a clear reason why he
doesn’t get it.
He’s looking in the wrong direction
and making a bad argument.
Date Setters Are Not New
They have made false predictions
since the first century.
They continue to make them to
this day.
False time prophecy always reveals
the prophet when the time passes.
But let’s get to Matthew 24 –
What About That Day and Hour?
This is a simple text that has
seen much abuse.
Consider the following to simplify
its meaning.
- The present tense
- The time it was spoken
- The distinction between
precise and general time.
First, the Lord used the present
tense to say, No one knows the
day and hour.
That doesn’t mean what he did
not know then, he could not
know later.
The statement was made during
his earthly ministry.
Secondly, after returning to
the Father, it is likely that
Christ received additional
revelation about his return.
The book of Revelation surely
gives us this idea.
See Revelation 1:1, where God
gave Christ a revelation about
his coming.
The Lord at least knew it was
near and coming in a short while.
Third, the crux of the matter is
the distinction between general
time and precise time.
What the Lord predicted was the
destruction of Jerusalem within
his very own generation.
A generation is a general time frame.
While the generation is specific it
says nothing of the precise day
and hour.
Thus, Christ could speak with
integrity of knowing the generation
without knowing the day and hour.
I’m sure that if I live, I’m going
fishing in the summer. That’s a
general time.
However, at present I have no
idea what day or hour it will be.
That’s all that is meant by the
Matthew 24:36.
Christ predicted his return would
happen before that generation
passed away.
He did not claim to know the day or
the hour, which the Father had
put in his own power, Acts 1:7.
Trying to know the day and hour
is an exercise in futility. But,
knowing the generation is a
matter of divine revelation.
Ask when did the Lord return.
I can answer with confidence, within
his very own generation, according
to Matthew 24:34.
A host of other N.T. passages confirm
that.
Ask what day and hour. I will tell
you, I don’t know. Further, it’s not
relevant to the issue.
It’s a smoke screen thrown up
by many who smart under the
evidence for Christ’s first century
return.
In our the last of these segments
we’ll cover the meaning of this
generation.
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Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5
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