Throughout Scripture, God uses the phrase "then you will know" (or variations like "then you will know that I am the LORD") to teach that complete understanding of prophecy comes only after its fulfillment. The principle appears in Exodus 6:6-7 and Ezekiel 36:23, and in Joel, Zechariah, and Malachi. Jesus uses it too. In John 8:28 He says that when the Son of Man is lifted up, then they will know that He is the One. The disciples, including John, truly believed only after the death, burial, and resurrection, when the folded grave clothes and empty tomb made it plain. In John 13:19 He foretells the betrayal so that when it happens, they may believe He is the Messiah and that it was part of the Father's plan. Most prophecies need little interpretation beyond context, timing, and background, though some require watchfulness so that true Christians will not miss the boat. Jesus' warning about armies surrounding Jerusalem, for example, calls for an immediate, decisive response when the signs appear (Mark 13:14-18). God repeats this principle because humans, with corrupt hearts and void of understanding (Deuteronomy 32:28), easily forget and drift. Keeping to His Word, against the world's noise, lusts, and Satan's influence, prepares God's people to recognize fulfillment when it comes, and in spirit fulfills Isaiah 30:21. This also shows why the Old Testament prophets remain essential rather than outdated, since the New Testament writers quote them 283 times.

God wrote the Bible so that no one can work out the time of Christ's return until He Himself allows it to be revealed, and He has not yet done so. Harold Camping's repeated predictions run against Matthew 24:36, where Jesus says no one knows the day or hour, and against the six warnings in Matthew 24 not to be deceived or preoccupied with the timing. Camping's error stems partly from perspective, as when he treats Jesus' statement as meant only for the apostles. The signs Jesus gave are largely general, such as wars and earthquakes, and could apply in almost any era. This keeps believers continually anticipating His return and sacrificing themselves to seek Him. Closer study does point to a more specific period beginning around 1950, with hydrogen bombs, instant worldwide communication, chemical warfare, and widespread immorality matching the days of Noah and the shortened days of Matthew 24:22. Yet certainty about the time is withheld. The repeated phrase "Then you shall know" in Ezekiel, a book written to Israel, appears to refer to the moment when prophecies are in the process of being fulfilled, and understanding comes suddenly, like a light switching on. Until then, believers should concentrate on preparing and doing God's will.

God's repeated declaration "Then you shall know that I am the LORD," especially frequent in Ezekiel, shows that people will not understand prophecy or recognize God's hand until it is being fulfilled, and sometimes only after it is complete. Prophecy belongs to the "secret," or covered, things of Deuteronomy 29:29, so interpretations reach only generalities until God uncovers them, usually a little at a time. Even the prophets and angels (1 Peter 1:10-12) searched without full understanding, and Daniel's prophecy was sealed until the end. God introduces new things (Isaiah 42, 48) so that the glory goes to Him alone and His people live by faith. The disciples on the road to Emmaus illustrate this: only after the crucifixion and resurrection, when Christ Himself opened the Scriptures, did they grasp what the prophets had said. Looking into prophecy is therefore permissible, but interpretations should be held loosely, because they will likely need adjusting. What matters most are the revealed things: repentance, mercy, overcoming, and obedience to God's law. The church is being shattered amid global spiritual and cultural upheaval, and God is beginning to reveal Himself through this unfolding prophecy, so believers are to hold fast to the faith once delivered.