In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord tells us, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). Without proper context and a background understanding of what the Lord is saying, it can be quite confusing to know what the Lord means in this passage of Scripture. When the Lord says that no one knows the day or the hour, what does this mean?
Understanding the Surrounding Context
Understanding the surrounding context of this passage can be the catalyst to understanding the overall meaning of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36. In the broader understanding of Matthew 24, Jesus is talking with His disciples about the destruction of the Temple and the events of the future.
The destruction of the Temple was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple. While this aspect of Matthew 24 has already been fulfilled, Jesus’ Second Coming has not yet occurred.
Much of Matthew 24 is referring to the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus’ first advent into the world took place over two-thousand years ago, yet nobody knows when His Second Coming will return, except the Father.
“Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:33-36).
As Jesus explains in this passage of Scripture, nobody knows when the Second Coming will be except the Father. The Lord Himself didn’t know when the Second Coming would occur because only the Father is to know.
Therefore, when the Lord tells us, “No one knows the day or the hour,” He is referring to the truth that nobody knows when His Second Coming will be. Many individuals throughout time have tried to predict the Second Coming of Christ, yet there is no way a person can predict the Lord’s Second Coming.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The Second Coming of Christ is often confused with the rapture of the church. Many scholars blend these two events of eschatology to be the same event; however, the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture are two distinct events.
The rapture will occur before the Second Coming of Christ because the Second Coming will not occur until the end of the seven-year tribulation. None of us can predict the time when all of these future events will take place.
The rapture is the catalyst for the rest of the events of eschatology as believers will be taken up to be with the Lord prior to the seven-year tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–54).
After the seven-year tribulation will be the Second Coming of Christ. During this time, Christ will return to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. The Apostle John, the writer of Revelation records this future event as he writes,
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).
In the Battle of Armageddon, the Lord will defeat the antichrist and the false prophet. Jesus will rule victorious over evil and destroy all those who went against Him. The Second Coming will be drastically different from His first coming.
Hebrews 9:28 tells us, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The Lord has already given us the opportunity to place faith in Him through the knowledge of the gospel, yet at His Second Coming, He will bring the full promises of our salvation to fruition.
After the end of the seven-year tribulation, Jesus will reign as king for one thousand years, and then He will establish the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21).
When God establishes the New Heaven and New Earth, the world will be exactly as God first intended it to be in the Garden of Eden. No longer will there be any death, pain, or sadness (Revelation 21:4). Instead, there will only be happiness, joy, and life.
The Second Coming of Christ is something we should all look forward to as it will be a major event in eschatology. If you are presently already a believer, you can be confident in the knowledge that you will return with Christ at His Second Coming and help fight in the Battle of Armageddon.
All believers who have died or been taken up in the rapture prior to the seven-year tribulation will return to Christ to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. While this may be frightening, we can trust in the Lord and in His future plans.
Why Does This Matter?
Everything in the Bible will happen just as God tells us it will. At the very end of all things, the Lord will restore all of His children to live with Him in the perfect paradise. Let this truth encourage your heart today.
Thus, when the Lord tells us, “No one knows the day or hour,” He is referring to the truth that nobody can know the timing of His Second Coming. Even though many have tried to predict the Lord’s Second Coming, there is no way to accurately predict the Second Coming.
As Christians, we can patiently wait for this day and pray for its coming. There are major events of eschatology that will occur in the future, but we must not be blinded by these fascinating events to the point that we forget our responsibility now to share the gospel and help others come to know the Lord.
By sharing the gospel and helping others to know Christ, we are slowly helping to advance God’s kingdom and help more individuals to come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord, to be with him in heaven.
For further reading:
How Has the End Times Become a Moral Panic?
What Does the Bible Really Say about the Rapture?
Will We Have a Reason to Celebrate During the End Times?
What Does it Mean ‘Fear Not for I Am with You’?
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