But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
The day and hour of the Son of man's coming in the clouds to gather His elect is known to the Father alone, and has not been revealed to any human being, to the angels in heaven, or even to the Son. Though the exact time is hidden, its nearness can be seen and known by the signs given, as summer is recognized by the fig tree, giving enough light to prepare without fixing the date. Because no one knows when the time is, all are commanded to take heed and watch and pray, staying at their entrusted daily work like servants who must not be found sleeping when the master comes suddenly. The verse forbids preaching a definite time for the Advent, yet it gives no warrant to remain in ignorance of its nearness or to quiet awakened inquiry about salvation. God Himself will at last speak the day and hour aloud to His people with a voice like many waters, understood by the living saints at their deliverance just before Jesus appears, while the wicked hear it only as thunder. Some held that know means make known, so that the Father alone makes the time known and watchful true children will know it while others are overtaken as by a thief.
Words and Historical Setting
The day and hour is that of the coming of the Son of man in the clouds with great power and glory to gather His elect, and it is known to the Father alone, not to any human being, not to the angels in heaven, and not even to the Son. The exact time has not been revealed but remains the Father's mystery alone, which Christ Himself could not make known. On another reading held, know means make known, so the verse means the Father alone makes known the definite time without the agency of people, angels, or the Son. On that reading it does not mean the time will never be known, for otherwise the glorified Lord with all power in heaven and earth would remain ignorant until the judgment moment, and as illustrated by determining to know nothing but Christ crucified, this implies God does make the time known so that watchful true children will know it while others are overtaken as by a thief and will not know what hour He comes upon them.
The verse belongs to the answer Jesus gave alone on the Mount of Olives to Peter, James, John, and Andrew after leaving the temple. They had asked when these things would happen and what sign would mark His coming and the end of the world and the fulfillment of what He had described. Its day and hour belong to two great crises mingled together, the destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming. In mercy Jesus did not open future events separately as He beheld them since the disciples could not have endured the sight, but left them to study out the meaning for themselves.
Words spoken of Jerusalem reach beyond that event to the final conflagration when the Lord shall rise out of His place to punish the world for iniquity. The discourse, including its statement about the unknown day and hour, was given not for the disciples only but for those who will live in the last scenes of this earth's history.
Though the exact day and hour are not revealed, the nearness of the coming can be seen and known by given signs, like summer recognized by the fig tree. Those signs give enough knowledge to prepare without identifying the exact date. Just as Noah was given a period in which to build the ark and warn the world, so the signs allow people to know the event is near, even at the doors, while the definite day and hour remain unrevealed.
Warning to Watch and Prepare
Because no one knows when the time is, all are commanded to take heed and watch and pray and maintain constant expectancy. Like servants left in charge while the master of the house is away, each has work entrusted to do and must remain ready lest he come suddenly at evening or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the morning and find them sleeping unready. This command to watch applies to everyone. Watchfulness means carrying out the entrusted work, doing the daily duties God has given and continuing the work at hand, rather than knowing or speculating about the timing. Those who claim to know the very day and hour of the appearing are warned off the ground they occupy.
The verse opposes preaching a definite time for Christ's coming and challenges claims that the time of the Advent can be known. Yet it is not to be used to reject the close of prophetic periods or the signs foretold as tokens of the advent. The verse introduces the warning that the coming of the Son of man will be like the days of Noah, when people carried on ordinary life and did not recognize the danger until the flood came and swept them away.
The verse gives no warrant to remain in ignorance concerning the nearness of the coming. Its words about no one knowing the day or hour are falsely interpreted when echoed as an excuse to reject truth and when used by religious teachers to quiet awakened fears and inquiry about salvation. Those who so misuse it, from the bold scoffer to the professed minister, act as unfaithful watchmen united in the work of the great deceiver in crying peace where God has not spoken peace. Like the Pharisees they refuse to enter the kingdom themselves and hinder those entering, so the blood of those souls will be required at their hand. Some who objected to a definite time did so because they feared the coming to judge the world and expose their unfaithfulness.
God Will Announce the Time
God Himself will later speak the day and hour aloud to His people before Jesus appears, though no one including the angels and the Son knows it now. At the end of the path God speaks that day and hour with a voice like many waters, and the 144,000 living saints know and understand what He says while the wicked hear it only as thunder and an earthquake. When He speaks the time He pours the Holy Spirit upon the saints so their faces begin to light up and shine with the glory of God as the face of Moses did when coming down from Mount Sinai.
The hour proclaimed by God's voice is announced just before Christ's coming when the saints are delivered from the time of trouble, so the scene does not give anyone beforehand knowledge of the date. Though the hour was heard in vision it was not remembered afterward.
The day and hour of the Son of man's coming in the clouds to gather His elect is known to the Father alone, and has not been revealed to any human being, to the angels in heaven, or even to the Son. Though the exact time is hidden, its nearness can be seen and known by the signs given, as summer is recognized by the fig tree, giving enough light to prepare without fixing the date. Because no one knows when the time is, all are commanded to take heed and watch and pray, staying at their entrusted daily work like servants who must not be found sleeping when the master comes suddenly. The verse forbids preaching a definite time for the Advent, yet it gives no warrant to remain in ignorance of its nearness or to quiet awakened inquiry about salvation. God Himself will at last speak the day and hour aloud to His people with a voice like many waters, understood by the living saints at their deliverance just before Jesus appears, while the wicked hear it only as thunder. Some held that know means make known, so that the Father alone makes the time known and watchful true children will know it while others are overtaken as by a thief.
Words and Historical Setting
The day and hour is that of the coming of the Son of man in the clouds with great power and glory to gather His elect, and it is known to the Father alone, not to any human being, not to the angels in heaven, and not even to the Son. The exact time has not been revealed but remains the Father's mystery alone, which Christ Himself could not make known. On another reading held, know means make known, so the verse means the Father alone makes known the definite time without the agency of people, angels, or the Son. On that reading it does not mean the time will never be known, for otherwise the glorified Lord with all power in heaven and earth would remain ignorant until the judgment moment, and as illustrated by determining to know nothing but Christ crucified, this implies God does make the time known so that watchful true children will know it while others are overtaken as by a thief and will not know what hour He comes upon them.
The verse belongs to the answer Jesus gave alone on the Mount of Olives to Peter, James, John, and Andrew after leaving the temple. They had asked when these things would happen and what sign would mark His coming and the end of the world and the fulfillment of what He had described. Its day and hour belong to two great crises mingled together, the destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming. In mercy Jesus did not open future events separately as He beheld them since the disciples could not have endured the sight, but left them to study out the meaning for themselves.
Words spoken of Jerusalem reach beyond that event to the final conflagration when the Lord shall rise out of His place to punish the world for iniquity. The discourse, including its statement about the unknown day and hour, was given not for the disciples only but for those who will live in the last scenes of this earth's history.
Though the exact day and hour are not revealed, the nearness of the coming can be seen and known by given signs, like summer recognized by the fig tree. Those signs give enough knowledge to prepare without identifying the exact date. Just as Noah was given a period in which to build the ark and warn the world, so the signs allow people to know the event is near, even at the doors, while the definite day and hour remain unrevealed.
Warning to Watch and Prepare
Because no one knows when the time is, all are commanded to take heed and watch and pray and maintain constant expectancy. Like servants left in charge while the master of the house is away, each has work entrusted to do and must remain ready lest he come suddenly at evening or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the morning and find them sleeping unready. This command to watch applies to everyone. Watchfulness means carrying out the entrusted work, doing the daily duties God has given and continuing the work at hand, rather than knowing or speculating about the timing. Those who claim to know the very day and hour of the appearing are warned off the ground they occupy.
The verse opposes preaching a definite time for Christ's coming and challenges claims that the time of the Advent can be known. Yet it is not to be used to reject the close of prophetic periods or the signs foretold as tokens of the advent. The verse introduces the warning that the coming of the Son of man will be like the days of Noah, when people carried on ordinary life and did not recognize the danger until the flood came and swept them away.
The verse gives no warrant to remain in ignorance concerning the nearness of the coming. Its words about no one knowing the day or hour are falsely interpreted when echoed as an excuse to reject truth and when used by religious teachers to quiet awakened fears and inquiry about salvation. Those who so misuse it, from the bold scoffer to the professed minister, act as unfaithful watchmen united in the work of the great deceiver in crying peace where God has not spoken peace. Like the Pharisees they refuse to enter the kingdom themselves and hinder those entering, so the blood of those souls will be required at their hand. Some who objected to a definite time did so because they feared the coming to judge the world and expose their unfaithfulness.
God Will Announce the Time
God Himself will later speak the day and hour aloud to His people before Jesus appears, though no one including the angels and the Son knows it now. At the end of the path God speaks that day and hour with a voice like many waters, and the 144,000 living saints know and understand what He says while the wicked hear it only as thunder and an earthquake. When He speaks the time He pours the Holy Spirit upon the saints so their faces begin to light up and shine with the glory of God as the face of Moses did when coming down from Mount Sinai.
The hour proclaimed by God's voice is announced just before Christ's coming when the saints are delivered from the time of trouble, so the scene does not give anyone beforehand knowledge of the date. Though the hour was heard in vision it was not remembered afterward.