50 Days to Understanding the End-Times More Accurately - Day 21 - Ignorance

DAY 21 - Ignorance

Hopefully, the past three days on this issue have been a beneficial time of gaining insight on “not knowing the day or hour”, based on what the Bible actually says.

I believe that it would still be beneficial to drive this point home from another direction, by using logic and reason.

If someone makes a statement claiming that they do not know the day or hour when something is going to occur, does that mean that the event must be imminent?

Just because they do not know at what time it will occur, does that mean that it could occur at any time?

Truthfully, such a statement only necessitates ignorance, not imminence.

If I do not know when an event will occur, I am ignorant as to the exact time that it will occur.

Although I may not know exactly when, it still may be possible to know when not.

This can be illustrated multiple ways.

For instance, many people claimed that the world would end in 2012.

Though we may not be able to determine when the world will end based on the Bible, we can definitely determine when not to a certain degree.

Since a rebuilt Temple will be required prior to the “Abomination of Desolation”, and since that occurs in the midst of a seven year covenant, we know that there will still be at least 3 ½ years left, minimum, after the “Abomination of Desolation” occurs.

Since this event had not yet occurred by the halfway point of 2009, I reasoned that there was zero chance, based upon the Bible, of the world ending in December of 2012.

Though I still did not know when it would end, I certainly did know when not.

The presidency could be used to illustrate the same point.

Generally, the next person will become president four years after the previous election.

Since an impeachment or death could also remove a president from his role, we do not know the day or the hour when the next president will take office.

However, we do know when not.

Unless the president dies, is impeached, or the time comes for the next election and inauguration, no new individual will be filling that office.

If we open the Bible and evaluate situations that fall into this category, two immediately come to mind; Simeon and Hezekiah.

Neither of these men knew the day or hour of their deaths, but they did know that it would not occur until after a certain time.

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:25-26)

Simeon was a rare case, but a true account nonetheless.

He did not know when he would die, but he did know for sure that it would not be until after “he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Only after that event occurred would his death become imminent, and able to happen at any time from then on.

For Simeon, seeing Jesus was the “tree beginning to bud”.

Hezekiah’s situation was similar.

“Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee… And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…” (2 Kings 20:5-6)

Thought the day and hour were still a mystery, the time period in which his death would happen was not.

Point #1: Not knowing when does not necessitate imminence, only ignorance.

Point #2: Even if we do not know when, we can still know when not.

2+2=4

Thanks, @narrowminded

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In case you missed them,

Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
15 : Hand in Hand
16 : Overtake You as a Thief
17 : Another Thief
18 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 1
19 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 2
20 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 3