For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Chaplain Rodger De Ramus
There will always be those who feel they are more intelligent than everyone else. They also spend hours upon hours studying scripture and commentaries of other Bible scholars to try and figure out the hard things of the scriptures. There are also those who will accept what others write, especially if it tells them what the author of the book feels is the answer to what they are seeking.
There were several writers that felt that the earth would end at a certain date, remember? They prepared themselves to try and survive the apocalypse any way they feel is best; underground, in a tree house, wherever they can stockpile the supplies needed for their family members and themselves to live after everyone else has died.
The Bible says that nobody knows the day nor the hour that Christ will return, not even the Son of God Himself.
James Kraft
We do need to keep two things separate. The Church, the body of Christ, and the tribulation saints.
The Church will be raptured out at the end of the day of grace. Jesus is coming back for His church in the clouds where we will meet him in the air. When he comes back at the end of the tribulation, He comes back to the earth.
There are several reasons that I believe the church has to be raptured out before the 7 year period. One, God has already taken His wrath out on Jesus for us, so that we could be saved by what Jesus did for us. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Once we have received the Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13) we are given eternal life. If we went through the tribulation, and took the mark of the beast, then, either God would have to cast His own Spirit in to hell, or say that a person can take the mark of the beast and still be saved. Neither one of those things can be true.
First Thessalonians 4:13-18 and First Corinthians 15:51-53 are speaking of the time when the church, the believers, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We are to comfort one another with these words. AMAZING GRACE.
Danny Hickman
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matt 24:36).
I've heard many different kinds of irreverent remarks about Jesus relative to this scripture narrative. "If He's omniscient why wouldn't He know what the Father knows"? That kind of misunderstanding... He talks about the people in the days of Noah "drinking, marrying, etc. He's talking about how apathetic the people were about the depravity of life before the flood, and will be at the time of His return. His point is that "the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt 24:44).
And He, Jesus, "the only God" (Jn 1:18) doesn't know when that will be. Again, He is "the only true God"(Jn 17:3). He says "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30).
There's no way God the Father knows something that God the Son doesn't know. So what could He be saying when He says, "the Son and the angels don't know, only the Father knows"?
I think He's saying that the Son doesn't know because the Father doesn't know YET... I think He means that God hasn't decided on a definite date. He will know when the Father makes a decision. I think He means that God is using a "wait and see" approach. Only the Father KNOWS, means only the Father will DECIDE when the time has come to send Him back.
There's absolutely no difference in the Father and the Son. There's only one God manifesting Himself in three ways.
Shirley H
I believe that as Jesus walked the earth, He was living by faith just as we do today. He was the God-man. The only one ever to have this existence. He knew that God knew. However on earth, He didn't know the time or the hour.
We are to watch wait and be aware. We are to live in hope and faith.