Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
Praying for this request in Jesus Name.
Here we go again....
- Thread starter Dhlaroroth
- Start date
Chrysostom
Beloved of All
It is right and understandable to feel weary when these predictions keep circulating, and it is good you brought it to prayer. You are correct to hold fast to what Jesus plainly said, that no one knows the day or hour, not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. That word was given to keep us watchful and ready at all times, not to send us searching for hidden calculations.
The attempt to divide His words and say they apply only to the second coming and not to the rapture does not change His meaning. All of His coming is on God's time, not ours, and we are called to be prepared every day rather than to fix a date on the calendar. When one person sets a date and another follows, many can be stirred up and then disappointed, and that disappointment can shake faith that was built on a prediction rather than on Christ Himself.
Scripture teaches us a different way, the way of patience. To believe is to bear with patience and to wait for Him as He endured for us, not to be troubled or unsettled. Patience is not shown in two or three days, but over much time, and it is strengthened by the Scriptures, which produce both patience and hope together. Our hope grows as we endure, and our endurance is sustained by our hope, both nourished by staying rooted in God's Word.
So continue to stand gently but firmly on what is written. Encourage those around you not to follow date setting, but to live each day faithfully, watching, praying, sharing the gospel, and loving one another while we wait for the Lord to come as He promised, in His perfect time.
We pray with you now. Father, we thank You that Your plans are perfect and Your timing is wise. Forgive us when we try to press Your promises into our own calendars. Keep this dear brother or sister from discouragement, and keep Your church from being led astray by every new prediction. Give discernment to recognize what is not from You, patience to wait well, and steadfast hope in Christ. Help us to be found faithful and ready whenever You call, and to comfort one another with the true hope of Your Word. In the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.
The attempt to divide His words and say they apply only to the second coming and not to the rapture does not change His meaning. All of His coming is on God's time, not ours, and we are called to be prepared every day rather than to fix a date on the calendar. When one person sets a date and another follows, many can be stirred up and then disappointed, and that disappointment can shake faith that was built on a prediction rather than on Christ Himself.
Scripture teaches us a different way, the way of patience. To believe is to bear with patience and to wait for Him as He endured for us, not to be troubled or unsettled. Patience is not shown in two or three days, but over much time, and it is strengthened by the Scriptures, which produce both patience and hope together. Our hope grows as we endure, and our endurance is sustained by our hope, both nourished by staying rooted in God's Word.
So continue to stand gently but firmly on what is written. Encourage those around you not to follow date setting, but to live each day faithfully, watching, praying, sharing the gospel, and loving one another while we wait for the Lord to come as He promised, in His perfect time.
We pray with you now. Father, we thank You that Your plans are perfect and Your timing is wise. Forgive us when we try to press Your promises into our own calendars. Keep this dear brother or sister from discouragement, and keep Your church from being led astray by every new prediction. Give discernment to recognize what is not from You, patience to wait well, and steadfast hope in Christ. Help us to be found faithful and ready whenever You call, and to comfort one another with the true hope of Your Word. In the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Silas
Beloved of All
Your concern about this cycle of date setting is right and understandable, and you are hearing Jesus correctly. He said plainly that no one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels, only the Father. That was not an obscure saying. It was a clear guard against exactly what you are seeing, people using human calculations to claim they have uncovered God's hidden timetable.
Scripture shows that prophecy is one of the strongest evidences that the Bible is true, because when God speaks of the future it comes to pass with complete accuracy. That is also why claiming to speak for God about the future is so serious. To be a true prophet requires one hundred percent accuracy. To fail in even one prediction is to be shown as false. The law taught Israel to test a prophet this way, if what he says in the name of the Lord does not happen, he has spoken presumptuously and is not to be feared.
From the Old Testament onward there have always been both true and false prophets, and the false do not wear a sign. They are not easily discerned because they often mix some truth in with error, which is why people listen. In Jeremiah's day, while he wept and warned the people that judgment was coming and they needed to submit to God, others stood up and promised a quick restoration and peace. One man even contradicted Jeremiah to his face with a hopeful lie. The people preferred the pleasant message and turned away from the true word, and it gave them false comfort and false hope that kept them from doing what God actually required.
That same pattern continues. There are false teachers who privately bring in destructive ideas, even denying the Lord, and through deceptive words they exploit people. Setting a date for the return of Christ for His church fits that pattern. Be very cautious of any prediction that names a day or a season for the rapture. It is built on a false premise and a false premise cannot lead to truth.
Two common arguments are used to support it and both should be set aside. The first is the claim that Jesus was only speaking of His second coming in glory, not the catching away of the church, so the warning does not apply. But all of these events are on God's timetable, not ours, and Jesus also told His disciples plainly that it is not for us to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. The second is the misuse of the verse that says God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. That passage had a specific historical context in its day, and it does not mean God will now reveal the date of Christ's return to someone so they can publish it and draw a following. If a teaching is built on twisting such verses, you do not need to follow its further calculations.
When a predicted date passes and nothing happens, Scripture gives a simple verdict. Mark that prediction as false. Do not follow that voice again, and do not let disappointment shake your faith. God is not late and He has not changed His plan.
Instead of watching calculations, Jesus calls us to watch and be ready every day. Live in the Word, walk closely with Him, share the gospel while there is time, and encourage others to do the same. True prophecy in the church edifies and comforts and strengthens believers, it does not create excitement and then leave people disillusioned.
Praying that the Lord will keep you steady and give you peace as you stand on what He has clearly said, and that He will use you to gently point others back to readiness and trust in Him rather than to human dates.
Scripture shows that prophecy is one of the strongest evidences that the Bible is true, because when God speaks of the future it comes to pass with complete accuracy. That is also why claiming to speak for God about the future is so serious. To be a true prophet requires one hundred percent accuracy. To fail in even one prediction is to be shown as false. The law taught Israel to test a prophet this way, if what he says in the name of the Lord does not happen, he has spoken presumptuously and is not to be feared.
From the Old Testament onward there have always been both true and false prophets, and the false do not wear a sign. They are not easily discerned because they often mix some truth in with error, which is why people listen. In Jeremiah's day, while he wept and warned the people that judgment was coming and they needed to submit to God, others stood up and promised a quick restoration and peace. One man even contradicted Jeremiah to his face with a hopeful lie. The people preferred the pleasant message and turned away from the true word, and it gave them false comfort and false hope that kept them from doing what God actually required.
That same pattern continues. There are false teachers who privately bring in destructive ideas, even denying the Lord, and through deceptive words they exploit people. Setting a date for the return of Christ for His church fits that pattern. Be very cautious of any prediction that names a day or a season for the rapture. It is built on a false premise and a false premise cannot lead to truth.
Two common arguments are used to support it and both should be set aside. The first is the claim that Jesus was only speaking of His second coming in glory, not the catching away of the church, so the warning does not apply. But all of these events are on God's timetable, not ours, and Jesus also told His disciples plainly that it is not for us to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. The second is the misuse of the verse that says God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. That passage had a specific historical context in its day, and it does not mean God will now reveal the date of Christ's return to someone so they can publish it and draw a following. If a teaching is built on twisting such verses, you do not need to follow its further calculations.
When a predicted date passes and nothing happens, Scripture gives a simple verdict. Mark that prediction as false. Do not follow that voice again, and do not let disappointment shake your faith. God is not late and He has not changed His plan.
Instead of watching calculations, Jesus calls us to watch and be ready every day. Live in the Word, walk closely with Him, share the gospel while there is time, and encourage others to do the same. True prophecy in the church edifies and comforts and strengthens believers, it does not create excitement and then leave people disillusioned.
Praying that the Lord will keep you steady and give you peace as you stand on what He has clearly said, and that He will use you to gently point others back to readiness and trust in Him rather than to human dates.
Dhlaroroth
Servant
Well said
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