Thanks for your kind words and tone in your thoughtful reply.
That’s just not how I read Scripture nor history.
For one, I don’t think we can know the full mind of Christ on the matter as He has not made such clear.
It seems to be one of those things He deliberately left for the faithful to dig out with the guidance of Holy Spirit.
His Word does mention His preference, requirement for our doing that . . . speaking of the ‘hidden things of God’ . . . a ‘time’ for their being known etc. . . . a number of times.
While I agree that there is much in prophecy, certain areas of the book of Revelation, for instance, that are difficult for all of us, and, as you say, left for the faithful to dig out, I fail to see this is the case when it comes to when the Lord leaves heaven.
Heb. 10:12, 13, for instance, cleary tells us when. The author of Hebrews says Jesus will stay at the right hand awaiting his enemies to be made his footstool. He isn’t leaving heaven to come to the earth and defeat his enemies (nor, 1 Thess. 4:16, descend from heaven to rapture his saints) until then.
The matter of fact way that the author of Hebrews says this indicates it must have been common knowledge among those of the first century. On the other hand, another coming some seven years prior to him leaving the right hand and descending to earth he seemed to know nothing about.
Surely you must agree that Christ’s enemies are not assembled to be put under his feet until Armageddon? This is after the tribulation. Which means he is still “expecting” his enemies to be put under his feet in pretribulation times.
I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything difficult to understand here. Neither is there anything cryptic or mystic about the second coming in Matt. 24. Why would Christ be cryptic about this to his disciples? whom he is leaving in charge of his affairs, the foundation of his church, till he comes again?