Now what does that tell us about anyone who would suggest that they know when the Lord will return? There have been many throughout history who have attempted to pinpoint the specific day. Some have even attempted to pinpoint the time of day. That would suggest to me that the fellow who says that may not know what he’s talking about! But yet hundreds, if not thousands, over the years have followed people like this who have made those predictions. And by the way, there is a very large, growing denomination that follows a man who set one date, and the Lord didn’t return. Then he said, “You know, it wasn’t this month; it is going to be next month. I’ve got that figured out now.” And the Lord didn’t come that month either. Then he set a date out there a little bit further, and those faithful followers were still with him and waiting. And the Lord still hasn’t come and that man said these things well over a hundred years ago! But he began a denomination that still exists today. Obviously, he did not believe what Jesus said, that the Father only knows when Jesus will come again. Not even the Lord Himself knows when that day will come!

We notice that, first of all, the Lord will come without warning, and we read in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Now someone suggested that this is the “noisy verse” in the Bible! You see, there’s going to be a shout, and there’s going to be the voice of the archangel, and there’s going to be the trumpet of God. What’s that going to sound like? I don’t know, but it’s going to be loud! It’s going to be noticeable! It’s going to be like something that we have never heard before, and will never hear again!

Jesus WILL COME AGAIN a second time; He will COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT; There will be the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING; He says that He is COMING QUICKLY; He will APPEAR A SECOND TIME; He will COME FROM HEAVEN IN THE SAME WAY HE WAS SEEN TO GO INTO HEAVEN; He WILL COME IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER; He will COME WITHOUT WARNING; He will be REVEALED:

Hebrews 9:28—“so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3—“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8—“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

1 Timothy 6:14—“that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,…”

Acts 1:10-11—“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’”

Matthew 16:27—“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Matthew 24:27—“as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

1 Corinthians 1:7-8—“so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 4:5—“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”

1 Corinthians 11:26—“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

Revelation 22:12, 20—“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work…He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

So we see that the Lord will come without warning; that no one knows when He’s going to come, and He will come “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” So there is the sequence of events.

But let’s keep in mind as we are talking about this that WE are going through a numbering process—a sequential process—BUT all of these things are going to occur in the “twinkling of an eye.” I doubt that if the Lord comes during our lifetime, we will have the ability to say, “Ah, that was the shout; now I wonder when the voice of the archangel is going to come.” No, these things are going to transpire in the “twinkling of an eye.” [1 Corinthians 15:52—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”] But yet, they are set forth for us so that we can see what will happen so quickly.