You’re right that nobody really knows, but we are to be wise and know the season. Paul even says that the “end times” won’t surprise us. But the exact date and all the perfect details are not for us to know.
I think everybody who’s ever wrote a commentary on Prophecy is wrong about some things.
We’re all looking through the glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12) that sort of “know”.
I got into it during the big Hal Lindsey years (late 70’s).
I agree with you about seeing the signs, which is what I do now. I compare us to a shortstop practicing catching grounders, line drives, popups, etc. and being aware that if he does get a grounder, who’s on base, how many outs are there, and knowing what to do when the ball actually hits his mit.
We’re the trained shortstops, smashing our other hand into the mit. Dancing side to side waiting for the ball.
And there’s the windup, and the pitch...
Israel coming back together as a nation in 1948 set the countdown. The generation that sees that happen. It’s been 72 years. What comprises a generation?