good point- Here’s an explanation- here is what many teach about this:
[[3. When Jesus was saying “no one knows the day or hour” He was communicating several things. First, at the time He spoke those words no one presently living (Himself included) could determine the exact day or hour of any of these future events. Second, the Day of the LORD would come for most (but not all) people like a thief - hence the repeated command to watch. Third, this statement may have incidentally foreshadowed the timing of the rapture of the Church on a future Feast of Trumpets.]]
http://www.unsealed.org/2017/08/no-one-knows-day-or-hour.html
The context in Matthew does mention His second coming- and at His second coming- He will establish His kingdom- I’m pretty sure the context makes this clear
[[No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man“ (Matt. 24:36-37).
Let’s back up a few verses to make sure we have the proper context here. After the Great Tribulation ends (Matt. 24:29) there will be various signs in the heavens. The sun and moon will go dark and the stars will fall from the sky. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear and all the nations will mourn. After that they’ll see Him coming in the clouds with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). From both the context and the passage itself it’s clear that the day and hour the Lord was referring to in Matt. 24:36-37 is the 2nd Coming .
A few verses later, the Lord repeated the same thought, again in the context of the 2nd Coming.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matt. 24:42-44)]]
https://www.quickening-spirit.com/rapture-day-hour/
RaptureJohn 14:1-3 Romans 8:19 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 15:51-53; 16:22 Philippians 3:20-21; 4:5 Colossians 3:4 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19: 4:13-18; 5:9, 23 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3 1 Timothy 6:14 2 Timothy 4:1, 8 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 9:28 James 5:7-9 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 5:4 1 John 2:28—3:2 Jude 21 Revelation 2:15; 3:10 |
Second Coming Daniel 2:44-45; 7:9-14; 12:1-3 Zechariah 12:10; 14:1-15 Matthew 13:41; 24:27-31; 26:64 Mark 13:14-27; 14:62 Luke 17:20-37; 21:25-28 Acts 1:9-11; 3:19-21 1 Thessalonians 3:13 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:8 1 Peter 4:12-13 2 Peter 3:1-14 Jude 14-15 Revelation 1:7; 19:11—20:6; 22:7, 12, 20 |
The only sure-fire way to fully resolve this issue is to set what the Bible says about these events side-by-side to see if they are describing the same occurrence.
The Rapture The Return (Second Coming)
Christ comes in the air Christ come to the earth
(1 Thess 4:16-17) (Zech 14:4)
Christ comes for his saints Christ come with his saints
(1 Thess 4:16-17) (1 Thess 3:13; Jude 14)
Believers depart the earth Unbelievers are taken away
(1 Thess 4:16-17) (Matt 24:37-41)
Christ claims His bride Christ comes with His bride
Christ gathers His own (1 Thess 4:16-17) Angels gather the elect (Matt 24:31)
Christ comes to reward (1 Thess 4:17) Christ comes to judge (Matt 25:31-46).
Not in the Old Testament Predicted often in the Old Testament
(1 Cor 15:51)
There are no signs. It is imminent. Portended by many signs (Matt 24:4-29)
It is a time of blessing and It is a time of destruction and
comfort (1 Thess 4:18) judgment (2 Thess 2:8-12)
Involves believers only (Jn 14:1-3; Involves Israel and the Gentile
1 Cor 15:51-55; 1 Thess 4:13-18) nations (Matt 24:1-25:46)
Will occur in a moment, in the time it Will be visible to the entire world
takes to blink. Only his own will see His (Matt 24:27; Rev 1:7)
(1 Cor 15:51-52)
Tribulation begins Millennium begins
Christ comes as the bright morning Christ comes as the sun of
star (Rev 22:16) righteousness (Mal 4:2)
John Walvoord concludes that these �contrasts should make it evident that the translation of the church is an event quite different in character and time from the return of the Lord to establish His kingdom, and confirms the conclusion that the translation takes place before the tribulation.�[2] Both events mention clouds symbolizing a heavenly role in both, but other differences demonstrate that these are two distinct events.
http://www.pre-trib.org/articles/view/an-overview-of-pretribulational-arguments