Is it possible to know when Jesus is coming back?

We are told in Mark 13:35 to watch, because the hour of His coming is unknown. How could anyone watch for the Lord to come, if it were known that He would not come until a certain time? The exhortation to watch implies upon the face of it uncertainty as to the time.

I am well aware that many attempts have been made to fix dates for the Lord's return. The only result of such attempts is to bring discredit upon "that blessed hope," and cause it to be associated in people's minds with folly and fanaticism.

He next warns His disciples of the certainty and nearness of this coming. Morally, it was already near, though the entire present interval of grace has elapsed; all things have been in abeyance. At the end, the remnant will recognize the signs of the times when the fig-tree puts forth her leaves (32-35). While the nearness and the certainty of this appearing will be well known to the remnant, no date can be fixed. This serves to rebuke in a general way all foolish efforts to set a date for the Lord's coming by those who are ignorant of the elementary distinction between the rapture of the Church at the close of this present period and the appearing to which this entire prophecy refers. It would also guard the elect in that day from attempting to set an exact date for that which is known only to the Father. It will suffice for them to know that all things will go on as in the days of Noah, when suddenly the Son of Man will come. Then, some will be taken away in judgment and others left for blessing (36-41). The moral lesson of it all is, to be ready and to watch (42-44).

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens, but my Father alone" (verse 36).

This makes the matter still more solemn. That day and hour, which will usher in these mighty events, of which the Lord speaks in His discourse, culminating in His own personal and glorious manifestation, is unknown. In the Gospel of Mark the Holy Spirit adds, "nor the Son." This addition is made in Mark because there our Lord is viewed as God's servant, and a servant "does not know what his master doeth." The Father knows the day and the hour, when all this is to come to pass The beginning of it is liable to occur at any time. How foolish, then, to speculate on the possible time of our Lord's return -- and the setting of years and days. It dishonors the Word and brings reproach upon Prophecy.

The fixing of dates as to the coming of the Lord is a pernicious thing, and those who do it are presumptuous people. The Lord Himself said, "But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, nor the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32). Yes, says some one, but we know the year. Indeed? Then why did the Lord add, "Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is" (verse 33), and again, "for ye know not when the Master of the house comes, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or in the morning" (verse 35)? To the apostles who have given us the Word of God by the Holy Spirit's inspiration, the Lord said, "It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power" (Acts 1). If this knowledge was withheld from them in the Father's wisdom, where is there any indication in the Word that it would be revealed to us? These sayings of the Lord have to do with His coming in glory, and they surely abide true in regard to it. The church period has intervened, it will close with the Rapture, but not a word or a hint is given in relation to the Rapture that the time of it may be known. Days, months, years and numbers are given in the Scriptures, but they have their relation to Israel and the earth, and are all in abeyance until the heavenly company is secured and caught up, then the clock of prophecy will start again, and God's calendar will justify itself. Meanwhile we must accept the words of the Lord, and wait and watch and work.

"Of that day and hour knoweth no man" — are the solemn words by which the Lord refuses to pledge the moment of His return to His Jewish remnant. Matt. 24:36. That moment is to be to them as the thief of the night, or as the hour of the woman in travail. So as to death. If it come on any of us without a moment's warning, the Lord has not been untrue to any pledge He has given. And so as to the rapture. In no case is the day or the hour pledged or made known. All is included in one word of deep and holy import — "Watch" — and that one word is addressed to all: "What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch."

Whether the close to us be by death or rapture — whether it be to Israel by being taken or left — the day and the hour remain alike untold; no pledge of it is promised at all. Each and all are set on the watchtower. We wait for "the Son from heaven;" they will have to wait for "the days of the Son of man," but neither of us know the hour that closes the waiting.

There is one undisclosed secret, which remains with the Father. It concerns the time of the Son of Man’s return in majesty and power (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). This is by Divine arrangement clearly, and only emphasizes the Son’s Omniscience, for it was He who told us of it, and how could He have done so had He been less than He was?

First — As to the Jews. After announcing His coming in Matt. 24:30-31, the Lord goes on to say (vers. 32, 33, 36-44): "Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." "But of that day and hour knoweth no one, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

There are three points very noticeable here: Firstly, that the disciples are given distinct signs by which they will know that the Lord's advent is near very near. Enlightened by scripture and instructed by the understanding ones, they will be able to comprehend, at least to some extent, the significance of the astounding political developments of the time. The marvellous resuscitation of the Roman Empire, at which the whole earth wonders, will have an inner meaning for them. But the first prominent sign is that given in the "parable of the fig-tree." This tree is an emblem of Israel, and the putting forth of leaves may well indicate a national revival of that people. When the second beast (Rev. 13:11), Israel's false king, arises, this will be patent. But before that, while the branch is yet tender, there is a putting forth of leaves, and this is a sign to the remnant. The movement called "Zionism" now already commenced amongst the Jews, feeble, undefined, and tentative as it is, may be the commencement of what, after the church is gone, will become the putting forth of leaves of the fig-tree. The national revival of Israel, be it remembered, does not wait for the resurrection of the Roman Empire; the beast finds a covenant with Israel in existence, which he confirms. But when the gospel of the kingdom is preached in the whole world, the remnant will know that they are in "the time of the end," with all its awful accompaniments, but that Christ is coming for their deliverance and in judgment upon their enemies.

Secondly, the Lord intimates that though His coming will then be very soon, vet that the actual time of His appearing will be a close secret even in heaven itself; the angels will not know it. In Mark's Gospel it is added, "neither the Son" — "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father" (Mark 13:32). This is a remarkable text, which has puzzled many believers, and been used by adversaries against the deity of Christ. Of this truth the believer does not need proofs; his armory is well furnished with texts, such as, amongst numerous others, John 1:1-4; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16-17, 19; Col. 2:9; what he requires is to see the relation which an isolated text, such as that in question, bears to the larger truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus.

Hence the signs specified in this chapter are demonstrably to elect Jewish disciples indices of His appearing. They are not to be regarded therefore as interfering with the posture of the church continually waiting for the Lord from heaven. They are signs for a remnant in special relation with Judea, who will be awaiting the coming of the Son of man. No signs of this or of any other description were ever put before the church, as such, whereby to judge of the near approach of Christ to take her to Himself. On the contrary, what the Holy Ghost taught the church is, to a simple mind, inconsistent with such indications: she was to be expecting always, because she knew not the moment of His coming. The apostle (1 John 2:18) would have even the babes to know that it is the last time; and this, not from the spread of the Spirit of Christ, but from the presence of many antichrists. But, although they had heard that the Antichrist should come, no signs to be seen, no evils to reach the climax, no specific tribulations, are ever put before them, as events necessarily retarding the coming of the Lord to take the church. For the Bride the one heavenly sign is the presence of the Bridegroom Himself. But for a converted remnant of Jews, of whom the Lord has graciously thought in the instructions of Matt. 24, there are signs which will be assuredly given in due time before the coming of the Son of man.

The Jewish Remnant are given signs. That is, they are told of certain things which must precede "the days of the Son of man," though they are left ignorant of the day or the hour of that appearing. See Matt. 24:32-36. The saints now gathering to the hope of the "Son from heaven" are, on the contrary, not given any such signs, or told of any necessary precursory events.

There is another question, which, perhaps, may be more of a carnal than a spiritual quality, yet it is one which we often hear, and which ought to be met. It is this, — When will Christ come? In the last book of Scripture, in the last page, and amongst the very last words of inspired truth, we have it stated three times that Christ is coming quickly. Oh, say you, that is very indefinite; cannot you tell me the year, if not the day or the hour, when this will happen? No, I cannot, because it is not revealed in Scripture, but left in this indefinite way, I doubt not, that we may glorify Christ by waiting for Him. Some have, I know, ventured, mistakenly, I believe, but doubtless with the best intentions, to predict a given time, or a certain year for the coming of the Lord; but it is just because they did not understand the difference to which I have already called attention this evening, between the coming of the Lord for us, and the day of the Lord. They go to Daniel's prophecy of the seventy weeks and other dates, and wrongly supposing, as they do, that the day of the Lord and the coming of the Lord are the same, they try to prove by calculation when the various times will be fulfilled, and the period arrive for the day of the Lord to set in. Almost ever since we have been Christians, have we not heard of this year, that year, or another year, spoken of as the probable time for Christ's coming? Of course, we pay no attention to such statements, because we know that as being in Christ in heavenly places we are not, so to speak, in the region of dates, or times and seasons. I repeat, that the time of our Saviour's coming for us is not revealed in Scripture. Is it not rather said, that "in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh"? The times and the seasons are not given to us Christians in relation to our hope. The Scriptures put us into the blessed position of being delivered from the wrath to come through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and now presented in Christ Jesus in heaven, who is our righteousness and life before God; so that we have to faithfully serve, and patiently wait for God's Son from heaven, when we shall have the redemption of the body. Then our bodies will be capable of entering into all those joys and glories before us, which are secured for us by the precious blood of Christ. Whilst we wait, we are indwelt by the Holy Ghost, sent down from heaven by a risen and ascended Head to unite us to Him; "for by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body." We are then fitted, so to speak, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ devotedly, steadfastly, unceasingly, and without any hesitation. Hence we have the exhortation, "Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." It is thus that we are to wait for His return from heaven. To expect any clue by signs or dates, or times or seasons, as to when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming for us, would be without the authority of Scripture, and contrary to the true character of the position in which we are set by the grace of God as partakers of the heavenly calling. True works of faithfulness to Christ, of real affection for Christ, of care for the truth of Christ, holding fast His name, obedience to His word, waiting and longing ardently, and yet patiently, for His return from heaven, should characterize all Christians.