I have a question about Mark 13:32. If this verse is talking about the second coming, which I agree that it is, why do people apply it to the timing of the rapture? And, if it isn’t talking about the rapture of the church, why COULDN’T we know or be able and allowed to figure out the day and/or hour of the rapture? Thanks so much! May God richly bless you.
I think the phrase “no one knows the day or hour” first became associated with the rapture as part of the post trib rapture position. Now that most people realize that this phrase actually applies to the 2nd Coming, there has to be another reason why the specific timing of the rapture can’t be known in advance. I say specific because the Bible does command us to know the general time, which is before the End times judgments begin.
I have become convinced the reason why we can’t know the actual timing in advance is because the rapture is a number specific event not a date specific one. Romans 11:25 says Israel has been hardened in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. That means the 70th Week of Daniel can’t begin till after the rapture.
Now don’t get me wrong. God knows exactly when the rapture will occur because He’s already seen it happen. But no one on Earth will be able to predict the date in advance because we can’t see the future. We don’t know what the full number of the Church is, nor do we know how close we are to achieving that number. But as we see conditions being created in Israel for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38, which will kickoff Daniel’s 70th week, we can tell the time for the rapture is even closer.