I will say, it's very frustrating that a large swath of Christians steer clear, and even mock those that study this Biblical subject.
Vast chunks of the Bible are dedicated to prophecy.
And I might get physically ill, if I have to hear some variation of
"no one knows the day or hour"!
Just about every Christian I know, that studies this issue, fully understands that!
But how silly, and shallow to use that to say we shouldn't be aware that the time is VERY close.
Aside from the vast chunks of Scripture, OT and NT, dedicated to prophecy, Jesus Himself answers the direct question about His second coming.
He doesn't say something like what He said to Peter:
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what
about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I [
h]will that he remain till I come, what
is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what
is that to you?”
Anyone who gives a specific date is not Biblical and should be considered a false prophet. But we CAN certainly know the "times". How that is defined, I don't know. The year? half decade? Decade?
The Church should have always operated under the doctrine of imminency, but all of the Biblical metrics have been met for Christ's imminent return.
Yes. There may be an undiscovered tribe hear and there, but certainly with the advent of the internet, I think it's safe to say the Gospel is available, or has been preached, in all the world.