If we know the day and hour that Jesus will return why does He tell us to ALWAYS be ready?
I appologize for the flood of info, it is very intricate, and not easy to follow nor easy to present....personally, I am awed by the patience you have shown towards me thus far, and am humbled by it;
The topic pertains to Christ's Return, which Y'shua happens to touch upon in a few parables, and the sincere Milk that I am about to address pertains to a thief who comes in the night, because you brought up a very good point, and beautiful is it to see the Spirit speak through you;
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed are those who Watch, and keeps their garments, or inadvertently they walk naked, and another see their shame." [Revelations 16:15]
There are 24 hours in a day, and there are 8 three hour watches (3X8=24) in a day, 12 hours of light, and 12 hours of darkness, which means there are 4 three hour watches to keep in a night;
As it stands to reason, (individually) we can not watch for his return in all 4 watches in the night, without also going without sleep all night, nevertheless, we are instructed to keep Watch!
How then can one keep a Watch, and prevent a thief from breaking in and stealing his valuables, when (to a servant) the Watch is unknown?
Here in lies the dilemma (lit. two propositions), one either keeps Watch all night, or discovers what the unknown Watch in the night is, and keeps it, otherwise (in this scenario) there is no other way to keep a literal Watch to prevent a literal thief;
It would only be a gamble, and a shame to pick one of the 4 watches to keep, to inadvertently discover later that one has picked the wrong watch to keep;
Thus the 'Ye of little faith' (servants) are (first) supposed to acknowledge they do not know what Watch he shall return, then Ask-Pray, for "....the Sovereign Lord will not do any thing, until he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets."
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and Ea'huah has not done it?
Surely the Sovereign Lord will not do any thing, until he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets." [Amos 3:6-7]
This is how we know that the Master of the house will not do any thing without first notifying the Prophets;
Before the World was destroyed with a flood, He forewarned Noah, should we not expect the same before the Great and Dreadful day of Ea'huah?
For Behold, He said, I will send you Elijah....before the Great and Dreadful day;
Thus, before Y'shua began to preach, John was sent to let it be know that there was one among them whom they did not recognize;
As servants, we do not know which Watch in the night to keep, but as friends we do, for we have continued in His Word, and rely on it, and His Spirit (not a man) to guide us through it;
Many over look the importancy of these two crucial witnesses The Word of Elohym & The Spirit of Truth;
Is it because they are unaware that The Word of Elohym is dualistic due to it's inherent Parable nature, with the easy to digest Milk being paralelled with the difficult to digest Meat, and that only the Spirit of Truth can accurately guide us into The Truth of it? I often wonder.
That is why scriptures also refer to the Meat of The Word of Elohym also as 'Spirit' & 'Truth'.
The Meat is a Mystery that is only intended for a mature disciple to comprehend, thus the Parable format of the Scriptures is designed to keep the undisciplined eyes (and ears) of a Babe out;
"Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does 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 you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them Meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing.
Honestly I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods." [Matthew 24:42-47]
Notice how he says, "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 you also ready:
IF a "goodman" (Divnely inspired person) did know what Watch the thief would come, he would Watch, and that Servant would be Blessed for keeping Watch when his lord returns.
Here is how we can see that the watch is not readily known, unto just any servant of the lord, yet a faithful and wise servant is expected to act like they do know, and if they do not keep that watch they will be caught off guard like the hypocrites;
Why? Because a faithful servant continues in the Word and relys on what he says, and they are thereby promoted above the mere status of a servant;
They are granted access unto the mysteries of the Kingdom, and they become friends of our lord, and Children of the Kingdom who are liberated from sin, and death;
"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;
And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." [Matthew 24:48-51]
How can a servant say, my Master delays His coming, if he did not know what time frame to expect Him to come?
And why would the Master forewarn such a one, that He will come at an hour that he is not aware of, unless the servant somehow discovered the Watch and knew the time frame when to expect Him?
"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of Elohym the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of Elohym, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Y'shua H'Meshiyach To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." [2nd Peter 3:1-18]
Peter says someone is being ignorant willingly, this only occurs when one has a truth, yet either disbelieves, or refuses to acknowledge, and rely on it.
Then Peter says, do not be ignorant, then paraphrases Psalms 90 which pertains to numbering our days, and the coming of the Lord;