How Can the Rapture Happen After the Tribulation If No Man Knows the Day or Hour?

Jesus specifically told His disciples, concerning the Second Coming and the rapture in Mark 12:32, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”  As a result of this verse, many people have concluded a post-tribulation rapture is not possible because we would be able to know the day of Jesus’ return if it, in fact, occurs after the tribulation.  In spite of this, this argument does not affect a post-tribulation rapture.

 

First, we understand Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples, which means this could have been specifically for His disciples at that time.  Jesus said the Son, Himself, did not know the day of His own return.  Does that still apply today?  Does Jesus, the all-knowing God, still question when He will return and gather His church?  Of course not, which gives us reason to believe this verse was applying only to the disciples.  There are other examples of prophecies being kept from those it was told to in Daniel 12:9 and Acts 1:7.

 

Secondly, Paul spoke germanely to this subject in 1Thessalonians 5.  In the fourth verse Paul tells the church of Thessalonica, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”  This was in reference to the day of the Lord which pertains to the Second Coming of Jesus and the rapture.  Paul stated, those in the light will not be caught off guard by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

 

Finally, Daniel 12:11-12 gives us additional days spanning beyond the 1,260 days of the tribulation.  These expansion of days, the 1,290 and the 1,335, are accompanied with no details which leaves us handicapped.  What exactly happens during that time?  We can only speculate since we are not given a concrete answer in the Scriptures.  This may prevent us from knowing the exact day of the Second Coming and the rapture but we will definitely be aware of a close approximate time because we are not in the darkness.