Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 13:32
But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
32 37. Final Exhortation to Watchfulness
32. neither the Son ] As our Lord is said to have “increased in wisdom ” as well as “in stature” (Luk 2:52), to have prayed to the Father (Mat 14:23; Mat 26:39; Mat 26:42-44, &c.); to have received commandment from the Father (Joh 14:31), even so it is here said by Himself that His knowledge is limited. But we may believe (i) that it is only as the Son of Man, that anything could be unknown to Him, Who said “ I and my Father are one; ” and (ii) that as the Eternal Word, the one Messenger of Divine Revelation, He did not know of that day and that hour so as to reveal them to man. “ In Patre Filius scit, though it is no part of His office to reveal it a Patre.” St Augustine, quoted by Bp Wordsworth.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Neither the Son – This text has always presented serious difficulties. It has been asked, If Jesus had a divine nature, how could he say that he knew not the day and hour of a future event? In reply, it has been said that the passage was missing, according to Ambrose, in some Greek manuscripts; but it is now found in all, and there can be little doubt that the passage is genuine. Others have said that the verb rendered knoweth means sometimes to make known or to reveal, and that the passage means, that day and hour none makes known, neither the angels, nor the Son, but the Father. It is true that the word has sometimes that meaning, as in 1Co 2:2, but then it is natural to ask where has the Father made it known? In what place did he reveal it? After all, the passage has no more difficulty than that in Luk 2:52, where it is said that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. He had a human nature. He grew as a man in knowledge. As a man his knowledge must be finite, for the faculties of the human soul are not infinite. As a man he often spoke, reasoned, inquired, felt, feared, read, learned, ate, drank, and walked. Why are not all these, which imply that he was a man – that, as a man, he was not infinite – why are not these as difficult as the want of knowledge respecting the particular time of a future event, especially when that time must be made known by God, and when he chose that the man Christ Jesus should grow, and think, and speak as a man?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mar 13:32-33
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man.
The day and the hour
I. The practical importance of conceding the day and hour when the Son of Man shall come from the knowledge of the Church and of all mankind.
1. Were the day and the hour of the Saviours advent specifically and unmistakably stated, it would contradict constantly those passages scattered throughout the whole Word of God which say He shall come as a thief in the night, etc. After the day of Pentecost the apostles received information upon this subject which they did not previously possess.
2. It would be altogether morally without practical good results, and incompatible with other portions of Scripture, if God were to tell us the precise day and the hour. What would be the practical use of telling us either?
3. Were that day made known to us, it would be gratifying a very worthless curiosity. But if there be one feature in this book more striking than another it is its utter refusal to gratify the curiosity of man.
4. Suppose that this day and hour had been made known, there is no proof that it would be believed by the unconverted masses of mankind. If the unconverted and unsanctified multitude believed it, it would do incalculable mischief.
II. On the other hand, it is most profitable and most improving that we should study the predicted signs; nay, our Lord condemned the men of His day, because, while they could predict wet or fine weather, from the sky at evening and at morn, they were not acquainted with the moral signs of the age in which they lived. The Scripture in every page is most explicit in giving us tokens and signs by which we are to infer either that the time is near, or that it is remote. This leads me to the great sign given here, instead of the day and the hour-the sign of Noah.
1. Notice that there is here a distinct recognition of Noah as a historic person, of the flood as a literal fact.
2. Notice here also that human nature is substantially the same in the days of Napoleon and of Queen Victoria, that it was in the days of Noah and the patriarchs before the flood. The antediluvians, or those that were in the days of Noah, when the flood came, were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. This is not stated as a sin. In the gospel, where our Lord represents the blessings that He purchased under a feast, those that were invited refused; but the ground they assigned was not any one sinful act. Where then was the sin of the antediluvians? So shall it be when the Son of Man cometh. This is not a mere history; but also a solemn prophecy. Just as the ark was the only safety in the days of Noah, so the only safety for us this very day is Christ, the living, the glorious, the indestructible ark. Are you trusting to this ark? Are you cleaving to this Saviour? Now there is salvation for the worst and the guiltiest; but at that day, when grace shall depart like a vision, when the last fire shall cover the round globe with its piercing and its searching flames, not one cry will be heard, not one appeal for mercy will be regarded, not one sin will be forgiven. The very glory of the gospel is its simplicity: Look and live; Believe and thou shalt be saved. (J. Cumming, D. D.)
Uncertainty as to the time demands constant watchfulness
The fact that we cannot know beforehand the time of Christs coming, does not relieve us of the duty of being on the watch for it. It is because we do not know the time, that we must watch for the time. If a man wants to see the meteors which flash across the sky in the nights of August and November, he must be all the more watchful because he cannot know beforehand when they are coming. The lookout on the ocean steamers masthead must be none the less watchful against icebergs, or headlands, or passing vessels, because be cannot know when they are to show themselves; and the denser the fog, the keener his watch must be. The time of Christs second coming is concealed from us. The fact of that coming is foretold to us. The duty of living not only in expectancy of this event, but in prayerful watchfulness for it, is as plainly and as positively enjoined upon us, as is the requirement of any one of the ten commandments.
The solemn day approaching
When it comes we know not. We know simply this-it is a fact in Gods government. Slowly and steadily it is approaching. It encamps every night nearer to the race-to us-to me. We have no human almanacs that can foretell its coming. That it will come seems one of the fundamental thoughts of our mind, admitted everywhere and always. The Egyptians bore decided witness, in their books of the dead, to the coming of that day. Let not that day come upon you sleeping, said Jesus. Duty is ours-that day is Gods. (H. W. Beecher.)
The uncertainty of the Day of Judgment considered and improved
First, our Saviour here declares the uncertainty of the time as to us and all creatures, when the general judgment shall be. And to express this the more emphatically, He tells us-
1. That God only knows it. He excludes from the knowledge of it, those who were most likely to know it, if God had not absolutely reserved it to Himself.
2. That the consideration of the uncertainty of the time should make us very careful to be always prepared for it. First, a general caution, Take ye heed. From whence I shall observe, by the way, the great goodness of God to us, and His singular care of us. God hath acquainted us with whatever is necessary to direct and excite us to our duty; but He hath purposely concealed from us those things which might tend to make us slothful and careless, negligent and remiss in it. Besides this, it is always useful to the world to be kept in awe by the continual danger and terror of an approaching judgment.
And it was no inconvenience at all that the apostles and first Christians had this apprehension of the nearness of that time; for no consideration could be more forcible to keep them steadfast in their profession, and to fortify them against sufferings.
1. We should resolve without delay, to put ourselves into that state and condition, in which we may not be afraid judgment should find us. In the secure and negligent posture that most men live, even the better sort of men, if judgment should overtake them, how few could be saved! So that our first care must be to get out of this dangerous state of sin and insecurity, to break off our sins by repentance, that we may be capable of the mercy of God, and at peace with Him, before He comes to execute judgment upon the world.
2. After this great work of repentance is over, we should be very careful how we contract any new guilt, by returning to our former sins, or by the gross neglect of any part of our duty.
3. Let us neglect no opportunity of doing good, but always be employing ourselves, either in acts of religion and piety towards God, or of righteousness and charity towards men, or in such acts as are subordinate to religion.
4. We should often review our lives and call ourselves to a strict account of our actions, that, judging ourselves, we may not be judged and condemned by the Lord.
5. Another part of our preparation for the coming of our Lord is a humble trust and confidence in the virtue of His death and passion, as the only meritorious cause of the remission of our sins, and the reward of eternal life.
6. And lastly, to awaken and maintain this vigilancy and care, we should often represent to our minds the judgment of the Great Day, which will certainly come though we know not the time of it. This is the first direction our Saviour gives us: continual vigilancy and watchfulness over ourselves in general. The second direction is more particular, and that is, prayer-Take ye heed, watch and pray. And the practice of this duty of prayer will be of great advantage to us upon these two accounts. It is very apt to awaken and excite our care and diligence in the business of religion. Prayer, indeed, supposeth that we stand in need of the Divine help; but it implies, likewise, a resolution on our part to do what we can for ourselves; otherwise we ask in vain.
7. If we use our sincere endeavours for the effecting of what we pray for, prayer is the most effectual means to engage the Divine blessing, and assistance to second our endeavours, and to secure them from miscarriage. I proceed to the third and last part of the text, which is the reason which our Saviour here adds to enforce our care and diligence in a matter of so great concernment, viz., the uncertainty, as to us, of the particular time when this Day of Judgment will be: Ye know not when the time is. (J. Tillotson, D. D.)
Ye know not when the time is
I. The consideration of the uncertainty of life, from which the exhortation is enforced-Ye know not when the time is.
II. The exhortation to circumspection, vigilance, and prayer-Take ye heed, watch and pray. But we proceed to consider what this watchfulness implies.
1. It implies spiritual life.
2. It implies a sense of danger. (W. Bullevant.)
Lifes uncertainty improved
I. The fact of lifes uncertainty. But before I attempt to fix your thoughts on lifes uncertainty, there are two other kindred facts which merit attention-the certainty of death, and the nearness of it. We know not when the time is. Death is an ambush. Hence the force of Take ye heed, watch and pray.
1. Men full of laudable, anxious, active strife of business, have in one moment been called to their higher account, prepared or unprepared.
2. More fearful still is the subject, when we consider that not only are men called away from the midst of worldly business, but are taken in the very act of sin and rebellion against God. The third day Noah entered into the ark, the flood came and took them all away.
3. Let it, however, be clearly understood, that no degree of morality, faith, or holiness, can wholly shield us from the stroke of sudden death.
II. The plain practical duty arising out of it-Take ye heed, etc. A word in season. Many are heedless and unprepared to die. Take ye heed, or you must needs miss heaven. Would we prepare to die-
1. Habitually believe in Christ.
2. Habitually commune with God.
3. Habitually aim at Christian consistency.
Conclusion:
1. Address those who are obviously neither watching nor praying. Are there in the Church lukewarm professors?
2. You who are in the way to a blissful immortality. (B. Carvosso.)
Preparation for death
The true significance of death lies not in its physical pain, in its breaking in upon the plans of life, but in the fact that it brings men into final moral relations with God. Now let us consider, as calm and prudent men, the full effect and the true character of deferring the preparation for death until the dying hour.
1. To thus defer this preparation is to deprive life itself of one of its chief steadying elements.
2. Living without conscious preparation for death is a risk which neither prudence nor self-respect should allow. A man guards himself with a wise providence of the future. No man puts his affections as they are involved in the family to such peril. He is perpetually forethinking; working to provide against evils; making preparation today and this year for tomorrow and next year.
3. There is a view which will have weight with men who are just, and who are honestly seeking to guide themselves by principles of honour. It is the ignoring, the dishonouring of Gods love, His will and His commands, all ones life, and then at death, for fear, or for the sake of interest, rushing into a settlement. A child is reprobate, and breaks away from home, and squanders all he can get, and becomes a wreck and a wretch, and apparently is to be disowned. He hears, at last, after years and years of dissipation, that his father is weakening and drawing near to death; and he scents the opportunity, and rushes home, and professes repentance and reformation, in order that his father may reconstruct his will, and leave him a part of his estate. What would you think of a child that should do that? What would you think of a child that should deliberately calculate upon it, and say in himself, The old man has oftentimes, with tears in his eyes, warned me against my gambling companions; but there is time enough yet. He is rich, and I want a part of his money, and I know his heart, and I mean to come in for a share by and by. I am going to have my pleasure; I am going to eat, drink, and be merry; I am going to have my royal debauch with my companions; and when I see the old man is about pegging out I will go home and reform; because I do not mean to lose that property; I am going to enjoy myself as I please, and have that too? What would you think of a child that should say that, and then keep his eye on his father, and calculate his chances and run scuttling home just in time to get his name put in the will right, in order that he might have the property? What name is there in any language that is adequate to express your feelings, toward such baseness as that? And yet, are there not in my hearing men that are living precisely so with respect to their Father who is in heaven?
4. There are prudential considerations of a very solemn nature which one should employ. Those who think that they shall prepare for death in the last hour of life, ought to consider some of their chances. As a matter of fact, more than half that die in this world die without consciousness. Not alone of those that die by accident, by sudden stroke, but of those that die by disease, more than one half die under a cloud, so that they have no use of their reason. (H. W. Beecher.)
Autumnal life
It is always a sad day in autumn to me, when I see the change that comes over nature. Along in August, the birds are all still, and you would think that there were not any left; but if you go out into the fields you find them feeding in the trees, and hedges, and everywhere. By and by September comes, and they begin to gather together in groups; and anybody that knows what it means knows that they are getting ready to go. And then comes the later days of October-the sad, the sweet, the melancholy, the deep days of October. And the birds are less and less. And in November, high up, you see the sky streaked with waterfowl going southward; and strange noises in the night, of these pilgrims of the sky, they shall hear whose ears are attuned to natural history. Birds in flocks, one after another, wing their way to the south. Summer is gone; and I am left behind; but they are happy. And I think I can hear them singing in all those States clear down to the Gulf. They have found where the sun is never cold. With us are frosts, but not with the bird that has migrated. Oh, mother! my heart breaks with your heart when your cradle is empty; but shall I call back the child? Nay; sooner pluck a star out of heaven than call back that child to this wintry blast. Shall I call back your young and dear and blooming friend? Nay. You are left in some bitterness for a time; but make not a man out of angel again. Let him rejoice. (H. W. Beecher.)
Watch and pray
Two duties.
I. The activity of the eye earthward.
II. The emotion of the heart Godward. Watchfulness is like the hands of the clock that point; prayer is the weight that keeps the machinery in motion. (T. J. Judkin.)
A believers watchfulness like that of a soldier
A sentinel posted on the walls, when he discerns a hostile party advancing, does not attempt to make head against them himself, but informs his commanding officer of the enemys approach, and leaves him to take the proper measures against the foe. So the Christian does not attempt to fight temptation in his own strength; his watchfulness lies in observing its approach, and in telling God of it by prayer. (W. Mason.)
Watching and praying
He that prays and watcheth not, is like him that sows a field with precious seed, but leaves the gate open for hogs to come and root it up; or him that takes great pains to get money, but no care to lay it up safely when he hath it. (W. Gurnall.)
Watch
Wickedness, says Sir Philip Sidney, is like a bottomless pit, into which it is easier for a man to prevent himself falling than, having fallen, to preserve himself from falling infinitely.
The watchfulness of prayer
I often recall, says an old sailor, my first night at sea. A storm had come up, and we had put back under a point of land which broke the wind a little, but still the sea had a rake on us, and we were in danger of drifting. I was on the anchor watch, and it was my duty to give warning in case the ship should drag her anchor. It was a long night to me. I was very anxious whether I should know if the ship really did drift. How could I tell? I found that, going forward and placing my hand on the chain, I could tell by the feeling of it whether the anchor was dragging or not; and how often that night I went forward and placed my hand on that chain! And very often since then I have wondered whether I am drifting away from God, and then I go away and pray. Sometimes during that long stormy night I would be startled by a rumbling sound, and I would put my hand on the chain, and find it was not the anchor dragging, but only the chain grating against the rocks on the bottom. The anchor was still firm. And sometimes now, in temptation and trial, I become afraid, and upon praying I find that away down deep in my heart I do love God, and my hope is in His salvation. And I want just to say a word to my fellow Christians: Keep an anchor watch, lest before you are aware you may be upon the rocks. (Anon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 32. Neither the Son] This clause is not found either in Matthew or Luke; and Ambrose says it was wanting in some Greek copies in his time. To me it is utterly unaccountable, how Jesus, who knew so correctly all the particulars which he here lays down, and which were to a jot and tittle verified by the event – how he who knew that not one stone should be left on another, should be ignorant of the day and hour when this should be done, though Daniel, Da 9:24, c., could fix the very year, not less than five hundred years before it happened: how he in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, should not know this small matter, I cannot comprehend, but on this ground, that the Deity which dwelt in the man Christ Jesus might, at one time, communicate less of the knowledge of futurity to him than at another. However, I strongly suspect that the clause was not originally in this Gospel. Its not being found in the parallel places in the other evangelists is, in my opinion, a strong presumption against it. But Dr. Macknight, and others, solve this difficulty in the following manner. They suppose the verb to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation Hiphel, in which verbs are taken in a causative, declarative, or permissive sense and that it means here, make known, or promulge, as it is to be understood in 1Co 2:2. This intimates that this secret was not to be made known, either by men or angels, no, not even by the Son of man himself; but it should be made known by the Father only, in the execution of the purposes of his justice. I am afraid this only cuts the knot, but does not untie it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
See Poole on “Mat 24:36“. See Poole on “Mat 24:42“. Ideo latet ultimus dies ut observentur omnes dies, God hath concealed from us the knowledge of the last day that we might watch all our days. See the notes on Matthew, in what sense Christ saith he did not know the last day and hour. Watching is opposed to sleeping. There is a natural sleep, and a spiritual sleep, of which the apostle speaks, Rom 13:11; Eph 5:14. The latter is here principally intended, to which the watching here commanded is opposed, and signifies an industrious, diligent care to keep ourselves from sin, upon a prospect of the last judgment, and the consideration of the uncertainty of the particular year or day when it shall be; together with such a bodily watching, as may be subservient unto that end, and fit us for prayer. But the watching principally intended, is a striving against sin, which is the spiritual sleep; and thus it is expounded by Luk 21:36, compared with Mar 13:34,35.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32. But of that day and thathourthat is, the precise time.
knoweth no manliterally,no one.
no, not the angels which arein heaven, neither the Son, but the FatherThis very remarkablestatement regarding “the Son” is peculiar to Mark. Whetherit means that the Son was not at that time in possession of theknowledge referred to, or simply that it was not among thethings which He had received to communicatehas been matter ofmuch controversy even among the firmest believers in the properDivinity of Christ. In the latter sense it was taken by some of themost eminent of the ancient Fathers, and by LUTHER,MELANCTHON, and most ofthe older Lutherans; and it is so taken by BENGEL,LANGE, WEBSTERand WILKINSON, CHRYSOSTOMand others understood it to mean that as man our Lord wasignorant of this. It is taken literally by CALVIN,GROTIUS, DEWETTE, MEYER,FRITZSCHE, STIER,ALFORD, and ALEXANDER.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But of that day, and of that hour,…. Of Jerusalem’s destruction; for of nothing else had Christ been speaking; and, it is plain, the words are anaphorical, and relate to what goes before:
knoweth no man; nay, they that lived to see it, and have spoken of it, are not agreed about the particular day, when it was; much less did they know it beforehand, or could speak of it, and make it known to others:
no, not the angels which are in heaven; who are acquainted with many of the divine secrets, and have been employed in the imparting them to others, and in the executing divine purposes:
neither the Son; Christ, as the son of man; though he did know it as the Son of God, who knows all things, and so this; but as the son of man, and from his human nature he had no knowledge of any thing future: what knowledge he had of future things in his humanity, he had from his deity; nor, as man, had he any commission to make known, nor did he make known the day of God’s vengeance on the Jews:
but the Father; who has the times and seasons in his own power, for the executing of any particular judgment on a nation, or the general one; [See comments on Mt 24:36].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Not even the Son ( ). There is no doubt as to the genuineness of these words here such as exists in Mt 24:36. This disclaimer of knowledge naturally interpreted applies to the second coming, not to the destruction of Jerusalem which had been definitely limited to that generation as it happened in A.D. 70.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But of that day and that hour,” (peri de tes hemeras ekeines e tes horas) “Yet concerning that day or that hour,” that specific or definite hour, in a definitive way. Men are therefore to watch and pray, Mat 24:42; Mat 24:44; Luk 22:34-36.
2) “Knoweth no man,” (oudeis oiden) “Not one knows or perceives,” – – none knows the specifics beforehand. Tho those who believe the prophetic Word of eternal truth are and will be wise, will understand, as the season approaches, Dan 12:11; 1Th 5:1-6.
3) “No, not the angels which are in heaven,” (oude hoi angeloi en ourano) “Not even so much as the angels in heaven,” know the specific day nor hour, so that men should daily anticipate His coming, Mat 24:36; Act 1:7.
4) “Neither the Son, but the Father.” (oude ho huios ei me ho pater) “Neither at all does the Son. None knows definitively, except the Father,” Act 1:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(32-37) But of that day and that hour.See Notes on Mat. 24:36-41.
Neither the Son.The addition to St. Matthews report is every way remarkable. It indicates the self-imposed limitation of the divine attributes which had belonged to our Lord as the eternal Son, and the acquiescence in a power and knowledge which, like that of the human nature which He assumed, were derived and therefore finite. Such a limitation is implied by St. Paul, when he says that our Lord being in the form of God . . . made Himself of no reputation (or better, emptied Himself), and took upon Him the form of a servant. (See Note on Php. 2:6-7.) It is clear that we cannot consistently take the word knoweth as having a different meaning in this clause from that which it bears in the others; and we must therefore reject all interpretations which explain away the force of the words as meaning only that the Son did not declare His knowledge of the time of the far-off event.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. But This is the turning point of the contrast between these things and that day. Not the angels neither the Son This is a most important text to prove the pure humanity of the Son of man. His humanity was neither infinite nor omniscient. In his childhood he grew in stature and in wisdom; at his temptation he struggled with the deceptions of the crafty adversary; at his agony his soul was exceeding sorrowful, and here he knows not the day or the hour of his own second coming. As his human mind was not omniscient, so there were facts to it unknown. This union of the divine and human in Christ is more inexplicable than the union of our soul and body, solely because it occurs but once and has no analogy.
It has, indeed, been argued, that inasmuch as the Son is here named after the angels in the order of ascending climax, we must understand it to be the Son of God and not the Son of man. The result of this would be to prove that our Lord in his highest personality was limited in knowledge. But those who thus argue forget that even as Son of man he was superior to the angels. They are his ministers. It is as Son of man he judges the world attended by HIS holy angels! Surely it is a thousand times more wonderful that the judgment day should be unknown to the judge than to his mere attendant officers. And this expression, neither the Son, stands in striking coincidence with our Lord’s expression: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
Act 1:7
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.”
These words put the timing of the second coming into its proper light. It is unknown to all but the Father. It is only known in the secret councils of God Himself in eternity. Thus even the fulfilment of all the signs will be no guarantee that it will then soon come, for the One Who proclaimed the things that had to happen did not know the time of His own return. Placed where it is this is a clear warning that men must not be presumptious about His coming. All the warnings to be ready are because no one does know when it will happen. Nothing is therefore to be taken as certainly indicating the closeness of it.
Note that even the participants in the final events are kept in the dark about it. The angels of heaven will have their task to do then (Mar 13:27), but must await God’s timing and God’s instructions. Meanwhile they must carry on with their present responsibilities, not knowing when it will be. Even the Son while on earth has not been party to the information. Like all men He had to walk in faith depending on the Scriptures. It was an essential, if startling, part of the incarnation (compare Php 2:6-8). But it is known to the Father. For all is known to Him from beginning to end.
This verse is a key verse from a critical point of view for in it Jesus calls Himself ‘the Son’, unique and distinctive from all others, higher than the angels, and thus as the Son of the same being as the Father. And yet nothing can be more certain than that the phrase is genuine for no one would have invented the idea that Jesus did not know the time of His coming except for someone who wanted to degrade Him, and a degrader would never have introduced the title ‘the Son’. The more divine someone thought He was the less likely that they would say such a thing. Thus its genuineness is as sure as anything can be.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The time of the last day:
v. 32. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
v. 33. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.
v. 34. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
v. 35. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning,
v. 36. lest, coming suddenly, He find you sleeping.
v. 37. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. With so much information given them, the disciples might have thought that they ought to know the exact date of Christ’s second advent, for that would greatly simplify matters. But Christ rejects the idea before it has been voiced. Of the day when the final judgment will burst upon the world and of the hour of the day when its first indications will come to pass, no person knows; even the angels are ignorant, though they know many of the secrets and mysteries of God. A what is more, the day is not known to Jesus in His state of humiliation. The Son of God, in His capacity as Savior of men and specifically according to His human nature, has renounced His right to this knowledge, chiefly for the sake of men, lest they be tempted to make inquiries and bother Him with importunate pleadings concerning the day and the hour. Here is a secret which is hidden in the omniscience of the Father. But that fact brings out Christ’s admonition all the more strongly: Be on the lookout, be vigilant, for the exact time is not known upon earth. All the calculations of the various sects as to the exact date of Christ’s coming are utterly unreliable vagaries, and those that follow them are just as foolish. This is brought out in another parable. When the master of a household who has business in a distant part of the country or in a far country is called away he will leave his house in charge of his servants, distributing the work according to the ability of each and giving to everyone some authority and responsibility, each one thus being put on his honor. The porter will be singled out for a special warning, lest he be asleep at his post. Thus Jesus, the Lord of His Church, has given to each one of His believers, His servants, some work to do, some ability, some gifts, with which the individual Christian is to serve Him in His kingdom. The Lord will return some time, soon, almost any minute, and therefore it is necessary for every one of the servants to be about his business with careful vigilance. The Master may come in any of the four watches of the night, and His coming must find no one sleeping in security. The picture reminds us of the custom of watching in the Temple. This was in the hands of a certain number of priests and Levites, whose business was a sleepless vigilance. At any time during the night, no one knew in which watch, the chief of the Temple-service might make his rounds. And woe to him that was caught asleep at that time! Much more important, however, is the necessity which is laid upon all the disciples of Christ not to become drowsy, listless, and negligent in the Master’s work or in constant watching for His coming. Let every Christian write upon the portals of his heart that one word: Watch! It is very true, indeed, that the unbelievers think it a huge joke to ridicule the belief of the Christians about the coming of Judgment Day: Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation, 2Pe 3:3-7. At the same time, however, those very scoffers are the first ones, during a storm or at the time of an earthquake, or in the presence of some other extraordinary manifestation of God in nature, to fall upon their knees and implore God’s mercy. It is absolutely safe to stand on God’s word and to heed His warning at all times: Watch!
Summary. Answering several questions of His disciples, Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, predicts the devastation of the Jewish country, mentioning a number of signs that would precede such judgment of God, also prophesies of the end of the world and tells several short parables to impress upon every one the necessity to watch.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mar 13:32. Hour Though we have given an explanation of this verse, as well as the whole chapter, in the notes on the parallel passage of St. Matthew; yet an ingenious commentator having offered a different solution from that which we have given, we here subjoin it: The word , says he, here seems to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation hiphil, which, in verbs denoting action, makes that action, whatever it is, pass to another; wherefore , which properly signifies, I know, used in the sense of the conjugation hiphil, signifies, I make another to know. The word has this meaning without dispute, 1Co 2:2. I determined to know [ ] nothing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified; that is, “I determined to make known, to preach nothing, &c.” So likewise in the text, “But of that day and that hour none maketh you to know:No, not the angels, neither the Son, but the Father; neither man nor angel, neither the Son himself, can reveal the day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem, because the Father has determined that it shall not be revealed.” The divine wisdom saw fit to conceal from the apostles the precise period of the destruction of Jerusalem, that they might be laid under a necessity of watchingcontinually;andthisvigilancewasespeciallyproperatthattime,becausethe success of the gospel depended in a great measure upon the activity and exemplary lives of those who first published it. It is an excellent observation of Mr. West, relating to the authors who have recorded this prophesy, which is expressed in terms so very plain and circumstantial,that Matthew and Mark were incontestably dead before the event, as Luke also might probably be; and as for John, the only evangelist who survived it, it is remarkable that he says nothing of it, lest any should assert that the prophesy was forged after the event happened. See West on the Resurrection, p. 393.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 1454
THE DUTY OF WATCHFULNESS ENFORCED
Mar 13:32-36. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
ON different occasions, but especially at the close of his life, our Lord taught his Disciples to look forward to a future period, when he would assuredly come again. He specified two objects for which he would come; the one was, to destroy Jerusalem; and the other, to judge the world: and, inasmuch as the former of these advents was typical of the other, he blended them both together, and thereby raised in them an expectation that they should take place at the same time. The truth is, that though the one was accomplished within forty years, and the other, notwithstanding almost eighteen hundred years have already past, remains yet to be accomplished at some distant and unknown period, they are both equally present in the mind of God, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years. And it is also true, that the day of death is to every man, in effect, as the day of judgment: so that the union of the two periods in their minds, notwithstanding their distance from each other, was strictly just, as it respected God, and highly salutary as it respected them. Not but that our Lord did make a clear distinction between the two periods: for in ver. 30, he says, This generation shall not pass till all these things (relative to the destruction of Jerusalem) be done; and then, in a way of contrast, he adds, But of that day and that, hour, namely, the Day of Judgment, knoweth no man. It is in reference to this latter period that he speaks in the words of our text; in discoursing on which we shall consider,
I.
The duty inculcated
Watchfulness and prayer are often united in the Holy Scriptures as duties of the first importance. In themselves they are different; but in their exercise they are inseparable: neither would be of any avail without the other: prayer without watchfulness would be hypocritical; and watchfulness without prayer, presumptuous. We shall therefore combine the duties, as though it had been said, Watch in the exercise of prayer. And that we may yet further simplify the subject, we shall not enter into a detail of particulars, but rather follow the general ideas of our text; and shew,
1.
What we should watch and pray against
[Here we must include every thing which has a tendency to lull us asleep. We see how intent men are on all the things of time and sense: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, so occupy them, that they find no time nor inclination for spiritual concerns
Against these then we should watch and pray: we should watch, to prevent them from gaining an ascendant over our hearts; and cry mightily to God to keep us from yielding to their influence. Seeing how the whole world is led captive by them, we should tremble for ourselves; and day and night intreat God rather to leave us destitute of all earthly things, than to give us over to the love of them, or suffer them to deprive us of eternal happiness ]
2.
What we should watch and pray for
[To be found ready, at whatever moment our Lord shall call for us, should be the one object of our ambition. With this view, we should seek to be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, but that which is of God through faith in Christ. Not content with a general hope of acceptance through Christ, we should wash our every sin, yea our every duty also, in the fountain of his blood, which must cleanse us from the iniquity even of our holiest actions. We should seek also to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to be transformed into the image of our God in righteousness and true holiness. No attainments should ever satisfy us: if we were as holy as Paul himself, we should, like him, forget the things that are behind, and reach forward towards that which is before. With a view to progressive holiness, we should carefully abide in Christ, living by faith on him, and receiving daily out of his fulness grace for grace: assured, that without him we can do nothing, but through him shall be enabled to do all things. In a word, we should seek to be ever ready to meet our God; yea, to be looking for, and hasting unto the coming of that day, when we shall be summoned to his tribunal, and receive our eternal doom
For the attainment of this happy frame of mind, we should be watching our progress in the Divine life, and praying day and night to God to perfect in us the work that he has begun ]
Let us next attend to,
II.
The considerations with which it is enforced
These may be comprehended in the two following:
1.
The uncertainty of the time when our Lord shall call us
[The time of the general judgment is unknown to the holy angels; nor was it revealed even to the Messiah himself for the purpose of communicating it to us [Note: As God, one with the Father, he knew all things; but as the Mediator, he received his instructions from the Father, and delivered nothing but what he had before received. Joh 14:31. Rev 1:1.]. And there was good reason why it should be concealed; because if it had been represented as at a great distance of time, men might have become secure; whereas the idea of its speedy arrival tended to quicken all to holy exertion. In like manner the uncertainty of the time of our death has a very salutary effect; since it necessitates us to be always ready. The idea of a man going a long journey, and leaving his servants their appointed work, and ordering them to expect him every moment till they see him, justly illustrates this point. There is not a moment of our lives when we may sit down secure. The night was divided into four watches, which terminated at evening, at midnight, at the cock-crowing, and in the morning. Now at no one of these periods are we sure that we shall not be summoned into the presence of our God.
What a consideration is this to enforce the duty in our text! Who that reflects one moment on the possibility of his being called this night to the judgment-seat of Christ, must not desire to be found in the exercise of watchfulness and prayer? ]
2.
The awfulness of being found in a sleeping state
[In the parable of the Ten Virgins we are informed what we must assuredly expect, if we indulge in careless security; we shall be shut out from the marriage-supper of our Lord, and be cast into outer darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It will be to no purpose to plead, that we were not engaged in any wicked projects. We were slothful servants, and therefore are justly regarded as wicked: we were unprepared, and therefore are justly cut off from all further opportunity to prepare for our great account; we treated heaven with contempt, and therefore we are consigned to the miseries of hell
Who that contemplates these tremendous consequences, must not determine with Gods help to watch and pray through the whole remainder of his days? ]
Our Lords concluding admonition, What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch, will lead us to address some different descriptions of persons:
1.
The old
[Is so much of your time gone, and will you not improve the remainder? ]
2.
The young
[What security have you against death, that you should delay so necessary a work? ]
3.
The afflicted
[God sends you afflictions on purpose to awaken you from your slumbers, and to stir you up to heavenly pursuits: What an aggravation will it be of your guilt, if these dispensations pass away unimproved!]
4.
The backslidden
[What an awful thing is it, that, instead of having advanced in the Divine life, you have lost in a good measure the life which you once had! Attend to Gods admonition to the Church of Sardis, lest he execute upon you the judgment that he threatened to inflict on them [Note: Rev 3:2-3.] ]
5.
The more steadfast Christian
[Experience proves that the exhortation to watch is not less necessary for you than for others. How many who are on the whole pious, grieve, by their unwatchfulness, their Divine Master! Be on your guard against such a slothful way of seeking him as his Bride was found guilty of [Note: Son 3:1.]; nor think to justify your sloth by such frivolous excuses as were urged by her [Note: Son 5:2-3.]. If you act like her, like her you will reap the bitter fruits in the hidings of his face [Note: Son 3:1-4; Son 5:2-6.]. To you then no less than to others I would say, Sleep not as do others, but watch and be sober [Note: 1Th 5:6-8.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
32. ] This is one of those things which the Father hath put in his own power , Act 1:7 , and with which the Son , in his mediatorial office, is not acquainted: see on Matt. We must not deal unfaithfully with a plain and solemn assertion of our Lord (and what can be more so than , in which by the He is not below but above the angels?) by such evasions as “He does not know it so as to reveal it to us,” Wordsw. (“non ita sciebat ut tunc discipulis indicaret.” Aug [42] de Trin. xii. 3 (it should be i. 12 (23), vol. viii.)). Of such a sense there is not a hint in the context: nay, it is altogether alien from it. The account given by the orthodox Lutherans, as represented by Meyer, that our Lord knew this , but not , is right enough if at the same time it is carefully remembered, that it was this of which He emptied Himself when He became man for us, and which it belongs to the very essence of His mediatorial kingdom to hold in subjection to the Father.
[42] Augustine, Bp. of Hippo , 395 430
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 13:32-37 . Concluding exhortation (Mat 24:36 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mar 13:32 . The words are an undoubted reading in Mk., and there can be little doubt they form a part of the true text in Mt. also. As to the import of the solemn declaration of nescience Jesus here makes, I need only refer to what has been said on the corresponding text in Mt. It is not a disclaimer of knowledge as to the precise day, month, or year of what it is certain will happen within the then present generation, but rather an intimation that all statements (that regarding the generation included) as to the time of the parusia must be taken in a qualified sense. Jesus had, I still feel, two ways of speaking on the subject, one for comfort (it will be soon), and one for caution (it may not be so soon as even I think or you expect).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
knoweth. Greek. oida. App-132.
no, not = not even. Greek. oude. Compound ou. App-105.
the Son: i.e. as the Son of man”. See Mar 13:26.
Father. App-98.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
32.] This is one of those things which the Father hath put in his own power, Act 1:7, and with which the Son, in his mediatorial office, is not acquainted: see on Matt. We must not deal unfaithfully with a plain and solemn assertion of our Lord (and what can be more so than , in which by the He is not below but above the angels?) by such evasions as He does not know it so as to reveal it to us, Wordsw. (non ita sciebat ut tunc discipulis indicaret. Aug[42] de Trin. xii. 3 (it should be i. 12 (23), vol. viii.)). Of such a sense there is not a hint in the context: nay, it is altogether alien from it. The account given by the orthodox Lutherans, as represented by Meyer, that our Lord knew this , but not , is right enough if at the same time it is carefully remembered, that it was this of which He emptied Himself when He became man for us, and which it belongs to the very essence of His mediatorial kingdom to hold in subjection to the Father.
[42] Augustine, Bp. of Hippo, 395-430
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 13:32. , neither the Son) This, which had been omitted in Matthew, has been recorded by Mark, inasmuch as believers being by this time confirmed in the faith, could now more readily bear it [than they could have borne it in Matthews early time]. [It is also omitted by Luke, who seems to have softened down several passages of Mark, with which Theophilus, an excellent person, but a , novice, might have been readily offended.-Harm., p. 481.] Moreover, both in the twelfth year of His age and subsequently, Jesus increased in wisdom, [Luk 2:52]: and the accessions of wisdom which He then gained, He had not had before. Since this was not unworthy of Him, it was also not even necessary for Him in teaching to know already at that time the one secret reserved to the Father. Moreover the assertion is not to be taken absolutely (comp. Joh 16:15), but in reference to the human nature of Christ, independently of [as separated from] which, however, He is not denominated, even in this passage, where there is a climax, which sets Him even as man above the angels: it is also to be taken with reference to His state of humiliation, whence the language which He employs subsequently, after the resurrection, is different, see notes, Act 1:7 : in fine, both the human nature and the state of humiliation in respect to the office of the Christ being supposed, His words may be understood to mean, without mental reservation, that He knows not, because He had it not among His instructions, to declare that day; as also in order to deter His disciples from requiring to know it. An apostle was able both to know and not to know one and the same thing, according to the different point of view, see note, Php 1:25 : how much more Christ? There is an admirable variety in the motions of the soul of Christ. Sometimes He had an elevated feeling, so as hardly to seem to remember that He was a man walking on the earth: sometimes He had a lowly feeling, so that He might almost have seemed to forget that He was the Lord from heaven. And He was wont always to express Himself according to His mental feeling for the time being: at one time as He who was one with the Father: at another time again in such a manner, as if He were only of that condition, in which are all ordinary and human saints. Often these two are blended together in wonderful variety. He speaks most humbly in this passage, and thereby qualifies [modifies] the feeling of His glory, which His discourse concerning the judgment was carrying with it. You may say, Why is He in this passage called the Son, a denomination which is not taken from His human nature? The answer is: In enunciations concerning the Saviour, He is wont to join a lowly Subject with a glorious Predicate: Mat 16:28; Joh 1:51; Joh 3:13; and vice versa, a glorious Subject (as here) with a lowly Predicate: Mat 21:3; 1Co 2:8; moreover, in this passage, the Son is in antithesis to the Father.- , but the Father) Illustrating the great glory of His omniscience. Comp. Act 1:7.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mar 13:32-37
8. UNCERTAINTY OF THE DAY
Mar 13:32-37
(Mat 24:36-42; Luk 21:34-36)
32 But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.–By certain infallible signs Christ had informed his disciples that Jerusalem should be destroyed, the period when they should make good their escape to the fastnesses of the mountains, etc., but of the day when the heaven and earth should pass away, and the coming of the Son of God, no man knew; he, the Son nor the angels, did not know. This day was then only in the knowledge of the Father. But Christ often spoke of such a day, and so did his apostles who were “charged” even to make proclamation of this very truth. (Act 10:42.) But they were never so presumptuous as to set a day, because on this point they were not informed. They were obedient to Christ, and thus saved themselves the disgrace and humiliation of attempting to find out what Christ himself and the angels in heaven did not know. Some have at different times set the year and day for the coming of Christ; but these days came and the Master did not come. Such people only display their ignorance. I know not when he is coming but feel sure it will not be at a time set by uninspired men. Should he come at such a time it would be some evidence that uninspired men knew more than Jesus and the angels. This I feel confident God will never allow.
33 Take ye heed,–Stay awake and be on your guard. Those who take heed to God’s word, and live as that word directs, are ready for his coming when it may suit the Father to send his Son to judge the world.
watch–We have need to observe this command, as much so as the disciples who were then living. The servant of the Lord must watch his feet that they wander not into the broad road of sin, but keep the narrow way. Watchfulness, then, means not a nervous anxiety about the precise time of the end, but a steady adherence to the duties of the present hour.
and pray:–When worn and weary it is a source of strength to come to the altar of prayer.
for ye know not when the time is.–The reason for watch-fulness and prayer. Ignorance of the time is a reason for both watchfulness and prayer. The same reason will apply to death and the judgment which are coming on the earth. [Watch yourselves, that ye may not neglect to be ready and prepared to meet the Lord when he shall come. Watch these signs of his coming, that you may be kept in mind that he will come speedily, and we should be ready; and that the Lord may account you worthy to escape all the evils that shall come upon the disobedient. God will not permit any worthy man to suffer by the evils. He watches over and protects them, and enables them to stand before the Son of man worthy to meet him when he comes, and to stand without condemnation and without shame in his presence.]
34 It is as when a man, sojourning in another country,–An object lesson is here given. The Savior was soon to leave the earth and go on a journey to heaven, and the time of his return, he had already told them, would be indefinite.
having left his house, and given authority to his servants, –Each servant has a trust given him by the Lord. Each disciple should consider any power he has or can command, that can be used for the lawful furtherance of the gospel, as a talent committed by the Master.
to each one his work,–All disciples have something to do; all are talented, and all must give account to the Master when he comes. The word “house” often means family. Jesus here represents himself as going away, leaving his household the church, in its preparatory state and assigning to the apostles and all his servants their duty, and leaving it uncertain when he would return. As his return was a matter of vast consequence, and as the affairs of his kingdom were entrusted to them, just as the affairs of a house are to servants, when the master is absent: so it was of vast importance that they should be faithful at their post, defending the house from danger, and be ready for his return.
commanded also the porter to watch.–The doorkeeper. To the janitor or doorkeeper was intrusted, particularly, the faithful care of the house, whose duty it was to attend faithfully on those who came, and those who left the house. This may be an allusion to the office of the apostles, who held the highest positions under Christ.
35 Watch therefore:–Be diligent, faithful in all things, waiting for the return of your master who will come at an unexpected hour.
for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh,–Denoting here the Lord Jesus Christ. The application of the illustration is brief and vivid. The disciples are at once addressed as if they were porters, left in charge of their Master’s house.
whether at even, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning;–These were the four watches into which the night was divided by the Romans and Greeks, and the system was adopted by the Jews. This mention was intended to illustrate the fact that the disciples knew not the time of the Master’s return. The four watches of the night were divided as follows. At evening, from sunset to nine o’clock from nine to twelve; at the cockcrowing, from twelve to three; in the morning, from three to sunrise. (Mar 6:48.) The sure way to be found ready when Christ comes is to be ready each day and night; to leave no gaps down.
36 lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping–Inaction to your post, neglecting your duty, and unprepared for his coming. Christianity, whether it pertains to the duty of an apostle or some other Christian, must be a life of activity and industry. There is no place for an idler in the kingdom of God.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.–These admonitions, then, are for universal application; suited for every age of the church, and suited to every member of the church. Nevertheless men must gain their souls by patience –patient endurance, not violent resistance. Men may be worn with watching, pining for peace, and weary for rest; still the same lesson has to be repeated, the same duty–watching–practiced. Watchfulness is still the duty of the church and of all Christians. The difficulty in this whole matter is in understanding how to distribute the statements to the three queries the disciples asked Jesus. Christ makes his second coming and the end of the world the same time, or he ignores the question concerning the end of the world; the destruction of the temple and the second coming, or end of the world, constitute the two events. The destruction of the temple is the type of his coming, and Jesus glides imperceptibly from the one to the other. He portrays the fearful signs antedating the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in such a way that his servants could not misapprehend them when they appeared, so that they might escape the destruction. He then tells them the Son of man will return at an unexpected hour to them; so they must keep ever watchful and ready. The times specified when he may return are all in the night, indicating that Jesus will come at an hour when least looked for.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
of: Mar 13:26, Mar 13:27, Mat 24:36-42, Mat 25:6, Mat 25:13, Mat 25:19, Act 1:7, 1Th 5:2, 2Pe 3:10, Rev 3:3
neither: Rev 1:1
Reciprocal: Job 14:13 – appoint me Eze 12:28 – There shall Dan 4:12 – the fowls Amo 4:12 – prepare Zec 14:7 – which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
The verse corresponding with this in Mat 24:36 says nothing about the Son directly. Our present verse specifically mentions him and hence the comments here are to be more decisive than the ones at the former passage. But whether the Father has seen fit to tell him about it since then is another question.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
[But of that day and hour knoweth no man.] Of what day and hour? That the discourse is of the day of the destruction of Jerusalem is so evident, both by the disciples’ question, and by the whole thread of Christ’s discourse, that it is a wonder any should understand these words of the day and hour of the last judgment.
Two things are demanded of our Saviour, Mar 13:4; the one is, “When shall these things be, that one stone shall not be left upon another?” And the second is, “What shall be the sign of this consummation?” To the latter he answereth throughout the whole chapter hitherto: to the former in the present words. He had said, indeed, in the verse before Mar 13:31; “Heaven and earth shall pass away,” etc.; not for resolution to the question propounded (for there was no inquiry at all concerning the dissolution of heaven and earth), but for confirmation of the truth of the thing which he had related. As though he had said, “Ye ask when such an overthrow of the Temple shall happen; when it shall be, and what shall be the signs of it. I answer, These and those, and the other signs shall go before it; and these my words of the thing itself to come to pass, and of the signs going before, are firmer than heaven and earth itself. But whereas ye inquire of the precise time, that is not to be inquired after; for of that day and hour knoweth no man.”
We cannot but remember here, that even among the beholders of the destruction of the Temple there is a difference concerning the day of the destruction; that that day and hour was so little known before the event, that even after the event, they who saw the flames disagreed among themselves concerning the day. Josephus, an eyewitness, saw the burning of the Temple, and he ascribed it to the tenth day of the month Ab or Lous. For thus he; “The Temple perished the tenth day of the month Lous (or August ), a day fatal to the Temple, as having been on that day consumed in flames by the king of Babylon.” Rabban Jochanan Ben Zaccai saw the same conflagration; and he, together with the whole Jewish nation, ascribes it to the ninth day of that month, not the tenth; yet so that he saith, “If I had not lived in that age I had not judged it but to have happened on the tenth day.” For as the Gloss upon Maimonides writes, “It was the evening when they set fire to it, and the Temple burnt until sunset the tenth day. In the Jerusalem Talmud, therefore, Rabbi and R. Joshua Ben Levi fasted the ninth and tenth days.” See also the tract Babylonian Taanith.
[Neither the angels.] “‘For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come,’ Isa 63:4. What means ‘the day of vengeance is in mine heart?’ R. Jochanan saith, I have revealed it to my heart, to my members I have not revealed it. R. Simeon Ben Lachish saith, I have revealed it to my heart, but to the ministering angels I have not revealed it.” And Jalkut on that place thus: My heart reveals it not to my mouth; to whom should my mouth reveal it?
[Nor the Son.] Neither the angels, nor the Messias. For in that sense the word Son; is to be taken in this place and elsewhere very often: as in that passage, Joh 5:19; “The Son,” that is, the Messias, “can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do”: Joh 5:20; “The Father loveth the Messias,” etc: Joh 5:26; “He hath given to the Messias to have life in himself,” etc. And that the word Son is to be rendered in this sense, appears from Joh 5:27; “He hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” Observe that, “because he is the Son of man.”
I. It is one thing to understand “the Son of God” barely and abstractly for the second person in the Holy Trinity; another to understand him for the Messias, or that second person incarnate. To say that the second person in the Trinity knows not something is blasphemous; to say so of the Messias, is not so, who, nevertheless, was the same with the second person in the Trinity: for although the second person, abstractly considered according to his mere Deity, was co-equal with the Father, co-omnipotent, co-omniscient, co-eternal with him, etc.; yet Messias, who was God-man, considered as Messias, was a servant and a messenger of the Father, and received commands and authority from the Father. And those expressions, “The Son can do nothing of himself,” etc. Will not in the least serve the Arian’s turn; if you take them in this sense, which you must necessarily do; “Messias can do nothing of himself, because he is a servant and a deputy.”
II. We must distinguish between the excellences and perfections of Christ, which flowed from the hypostatical union of the natures, and those which flowed from the donation and anointing of the Holy Spirit. From the hypostatical union of the natures flowed the infinite dignity of his person, his impeccability, his infinite self-sufficiency to perform the law, and to satisfy the divine justice. From the anointing of the Spirit flowed his power of miracles, his foreknowledge of things to come, and all kind of knowledge of evangelic mysteries. Those rendered him a fit and perfect Redeemer; these a fit and perfect Minister of the gospel.
Now, therefore, the foreknowledge of things to come, of which the discourse here is, is to be numbered among those things which flowed from the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and from immediate revelation; not from the hypostatic union of the natures. So that those things which were revealed by Christ to his church, he had them from the revelation of the Spirit, not from that union. Nor is it any derogation or detraction from the dignity of his person, that he saith, ‘He knew not that day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem’; yea, it excellently agrees with his office and deputation, who, being the Father’s servant, messenger, and minister, followed the orders of the Father, and obeyed him in all things. “The Son knoweth not,” that is, it is not revealed to him from the Father to reveal to the church. Rev 1:1; “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.”
We omit inquiring concerning the knowledge of Christ, being now raised from death: whether, and how far, it exceeded his knowledge, while yet he conversed on earth. It is without doubt, that, being now raised from the dead, he merited all kind of revelation (see Rev 5:9; “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain,” etc.); and that he, conversing on earth before his death, acted with the vigour of the Holy Spirit and of that unspeakable holiness which flowed from the union of the human nature with the divine, the divine nature, in the meantime, suspending its infinite activity of omnipotence. So that Christ might work miracles, and know things to come, in the same manner as the prophets also did, namely, by the Holy Ghost, but in a larger measure; and might overcome the devil not so much by the omnipotence of the divine nature, as by the infinite holiness of his person, and of his obedience. So that if you either look upon him as the minister and servant of God; or if you look upon the constitution, as I may so call it, and condition of his person, these words of his, “Of that day and hour knoweth not the Son also,” carry nothing of incongruity along with them; yea, do excellently speak out his substitution as a servant, and the constitution of his person as God-man.
The reason why the divine wisdom would have the time of the destruction of Jerusalem so concealed, is well known to itself; but by men, since the time of it was unsearchable, the reason certainly is not easy to be searched. We may conjecture that the time was hid, partly, lest the godly might be terrified with the sound of it, as 2Th 2:2; partly, that the ungodly, and those that would be secure, might be taken in the snares of their own security, as Mat 24:38. But let secret things belong to God.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
The Apologists Bible Commentary
Mark 13
32But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
CommentaryThis verse has often been used to demonstrate that Jesus could not be true God because God is all-knowing, and Jesus here admits that there is something His Father knows that He does not. It cannot be denied that in these verses, Jesus plainly says that He did not know the exact timing of His second coming. Why would Christ say this if He truly was equal with His Father? An answer to this can be found in Philippians 2:7, where we find that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” While we cannot be certain about all aspects of this “emptying,” it seems clear that Christ intentionally and temporarily laid aside certain elements of His power when He took on human form. We can see this all throughout the Gospels as Christ was constantly depending upon His Father, and yet was doing everything the Father did and in the same manner (e.g., John 5:19 ff & 30). While this verse teaches the limited knowledge of the Son during His earthly ministry, it does not follow that His knowledge remains limited now. If the Bible taught that Jesus continues to lack knowledge after His resurrection, there might be grounds for concluding that He is not equal to His Father. But this is not the case. In Revelation 22:12-13, we find that the Son apparently does know the hour of His return: “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Further, Paul teaches us that in Christ are hidden “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). If Christ now has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, there is no knowledge that He lacks. The real thrust of this verse, of course, is not to diminish the Son in respect to His Father. In the verse immediately preceding this one, Jesus proclaims that His words will never pass away – placing His authority on equal footing with His Father. The point Jesus is making is the futility of speculating about the Son’s return and the coming Kingdom. Ironically, many groups which have used this verse to teach the inferiority of the Son have ignored its fundamental teaching. Don’t speculate, but be ready. The Lord of Glory, the storehouse of all wisdom and knowledge, could return at any time! Verses 28-37 We have the application of this prophetic sermon. As to the destruction of Jerusalem, expect it to come very shortly. As to the end of the world, do not inquire when it will come, for of that day and that hour knoweth no man. Christ, as God, could not be ignorant of anything; but the Divine wisdom which dwelt in our Saviour, communicated itself to his human soul according to the Divine pleasure. As to both, our duty is to watch and pray. Our Lord Jesus, when he ascended on high, left something for all his servants to do. We ought to be always upon our watch, in expectation of his return. This applies to Christ’s coming to us at our death, as well as to the general judgment. We know not whether our Master will come in the days of youth, or middle age, or old age; but, as soon as we are born, we begin to die, and therefore we must expect death. Our great care must be, that, whenever our Lord comes, he may not find us secure, indulging in ease and sloth, mindless of our work and duty. He says to all, Watch, that you may be found in peace, without spot, and blameless (Henry ).
Other Views ConsideredJehovah’s Witnesses The Watchtower and its defenders have offered several arguments suggesting that this verse confirms that Jesus cannot be true God because He does not know everything His Father knows. Robert M. Bowman, Jr., President of Apologetics.com , responds to these objections (). objection: 1). Jesus’ statement indicates a progression of man-angels-the Son-the Father, showing that by “the Son” he did not mean merely that he, like other men, didn’t know, but that even he, the Son, as distinguished from human beings, did not know. 2). Jesus’ statement that no one knows indicates already that no human knows, so that it would be redundant to say that he didn’t know because he was human. Response: The first two objections are even more problematic for the opposing view than they are for the Trinitarian view. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus the Son was, at the time, a mere human being–nothing more, nothing less. Therefore, if Jesus’ first words in Mark 13:32 (“No one knows”) refers to human beings, then adding “not even the Son” was indeed redundant. There is indeed a progression in Mark 13:32. “No one” is general and in the context immediately excludes human beings; “not the angels” excludes beings regarded as more knowledgeable and powerful than human beings; “not even the Son” shows that the Son was even then above the angels, at least in some sense. objection: The two-natures explanation makes Jesus’ statement into a riddle that his hearers could not be expected to understand. Response: This criticism approaches the subject in a way that does not engage the real strength of the orthodox position. I suggest one look at the question hypothetically. Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that God incarnated himself. That is, suppose that the infinite Creator, without ceasing to be who and what he is, became a human being, thereby uniting to himself the nature of a finite creature (Phil. 2:5-7). What would we expect to find in terms of the phenomena of his life and experience? If he experienced unlimited divine powers without any qualification he would not be truly human. If he experienced no transcendent qualities or powers he would not be truly God. What we would expect, if he was indeed both God and man, is paradox. And that, of course, is exactly what we do find. That is, we find that Jesus was life itself and yet died; that Jesus was the Son who could only do what the Father would do (John 5:19 ), and yet he was tempted like we are; that Jesus had the power to give life to the dead and still a storm with a word, yet got hungry, thirsty, and tired (in fact, he was asleep in the boat before he stopped the storm). Likewise, we find that Jesus somehow knew all things (John 16:30) and yet also somehow did not know when he would return (Mark 13:32). It may seem easier to resolve these paradoxes by denying or short-changing one side of them in favor of the other. But if we want to be biblical in our view of Jesus, we must accept both. Better to accept the truth even if it is beyond our comprehension than to accept a cheap substitute that seems easier to grasp. _____________________________ Notes (1). The following is adapted from a message posted on the Evangelicals and JWs discussion board, posted June 13, 2003. I have reformatted Mr. Bowman’s post, removed personal remarks, and added some Scriptural references mentioned in a subsequent post..
Fuente: The Apologists Bible Commentary
THESE verses conclude Mark’s report of our Lord’s prophecy on the Mount of Olives. They ought to form a personal application of the whole discourse to our consciences.
We learn from these verses, that the exact time of our Lord Jesus Christ’s second advent is purposely withheld from His church. The event is certain. The precise day and hour are not revealed. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven.” [Footnote: There is undoubtedly some difficulty in the words of our Lord, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son.” The question has often been raised, “How can the Lord Jesus be ignorant of any thing, since He is very God, and says himself, ‘I and my Father are one’? How can the expression be reconciled with the saying, ‘In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’?” (Col 2:3.)
The answer to these questions is to be found in our deep ignorance of the great mystery of the union of two natures in one Person. That our Lord Jesus Christ was at the same time perfect God and perfect man we know. That these two distinct natures were both found together in His Person, we also know. But how, and in what way, and to what extent the divine nature did not always operate in Him so as to overshadow the human nature, I believe it to be impossible for mortal man to explain.-Enough for us to know that we sometimes see in our Lord’s words and actions, the “man Christ Jesus,” and sometimes the “God over all blessed for ever.” But though we see clearly, and admire, we cannot explain. We can only say, in the present instance, that our Lord spake as a man, and not as God.
Bullinger, in an able note on the subject, gives an interesting quotation from Cyril, of which the following passage is a portion:
“Just as the Saviour was willing to endure hunger, and thirst, and other sufferings of this kind, so also, as man, He is ignorant of ‘that great day.’ For He sometimes speaks as God, and sometimes as man, in order that He may show Himself to be both very God and very man. As God He said to His disciples, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleepeth,’ when no one had told Him. As man He asked the sister of Lazarus, when He came to them at the end of His journey, ‘Where have ye laid him?’ He who, when far off, knew that Lazarus was dead, how could He be ignorant, when present, of the place where the body of Lazarus was? It is utterly improbable that He should have known the one thing, and been ignorant of the other. But the truth is, that He knew both as God, while He was ignorant of both as man. Therefore, in the same way, He both knew not and yet knew ‘that day and that hour.’ As man He knew not. As God He knew.”
It is a sensible remark of Gualter, that pressing an excessively literal interpretation of texts like this, is the sure way to revive old heresies, and to bring into doubt, sometimes the divine, and sometimes the human nature of Christ.]
There is deep wisdom and mercy in this intentional silence. We have reason to thank God that the thing has been hidden from us. Uncertainty about the date of the Lord’s return is calculated to keep believers in an attitude of constant expectation, and to preserve them from despondency. What a dreary prospect the early church would have had before it, if it had known for certain that Christ would not return to earth for at least fifteen hundred years! The hearts of men like Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Augustine, might well have sunk within them, if they had been aware of the centuries of darkness through which the world would pass, before their Master came back to take the kingdom.-What a quickening motive, on the other hand, true Christians have perpetually had, for a close walk with God! They have never known, in any age, that their Master might not come suddenly to take account of his servants. This very uncertainty has supplied them with a reason for living always ready to meet Him.
There is one caution connected with the subject, which must not be overlooked. We must not allow the uncertainty of the time of our Lord’s second advent to prevent our giving attention to the unfulfilled prophecies of Scripture. This is a great delusion, but one into which, unhappily, many Christians fall. There is a wide distinction to be drawn between dogmatical and positive assertions about dates, and a humble, prayerful searching into the good things yet to come. Against dogmatism about times and seasons, our Lord’s words in this place are a standing caution. But as to the general profitableness of studying prophecy, we can have no plainer authority than the apostle Peter’s words: “Ye do well that ye take heed to prophecy;” and the apostle John’s words in Revelation: “Blessed is he that readeth.” (2Pe 1:19. Rev 1:3.)
We learn, in the second place, from these verses, what are the practical duties of all true believers in the prospect of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Our Lord mentions three things, to which His people should attend. He tells them plainly that He is coming again one day, in power and great glory. He tells them at the same time, that the precise hour and date of that coming are not known. What then are His people to do? In what position of mind are they to live? They are to watch. They are to pray. They are to work.
We are to watch. We are to live always on our guard. We are to keep our souls in a wakeful, lively state, prepared at any time to meet our Master. We are to beware of anything like spiritual lethargy, dulness, deadness, and torpor. The company, the employment of time, the society which induces us to forget Christ and His second advent, should be marked, noted, and avoided. “Let us not sleep as do others,” says the apostle, “but let us watch and be sober.” (1Th 5:6.)
We are to pray. We are to keep up habits of regular communion and intercourse with God. We are to allow no strangeness to come in between us and our Father in heaven, but to speak with Him daily; that so we may be ready at any moment to see Him face to face. Moreover, we are to make special prayer about the Lord’s coming, that we may be “found in peace, without spot and blameless,” and that our hearts may at no time be “overcharged” with the cares of this life, and so the day come upon us unawares. (2Pe 3:14. Luk 21:34.)
Finally, we are to work. We are to realize that we are all servants of a great Master, who has given to every man his work, and expects that work to be done. We are to labor to glorify God, each in our particular sphere and relation. There is always something for every one to do. We are to strive each of us to shine as a light-to be the salt of our own times-to be faithful witnesses for our Master, and to honor Him by conscientiousness and consistency in our daily conversation. Our great desire must be to be found not idle and sleeping, but working and doing. [Footnote: “Be doing something,” says Jerome, “that the devil may always find you engaged.” It was a common saying of Calvin, towards the end of his life, when his friends would have had him do less work, for his health’s sake, “Would you have my Master find me idle?”]
Such are the simple injunctions to which our Lord would have us attend. They ought to stir up in the hearts of all professing Christians great self-examination. Are we looking for our Savior’s return? Do we long for His appearing? Can we say with sincerity, Come, Lord Jesus? Do we live as if we expected Christ to come again? These are questions which demand serious consideration. May we give them the attention which they deserve!
Does our Lord require us to neglect any of the duties of life, in the expectation of His return? He requires nothing of the kind. He does not bid the farmer neglect his land, or the laborer his work, the merchant his business, or the lawyer his calling. All He asks is that baptized people should live up to the faith into which they were baptized-should live as penitent people-live as believing people-live as people who know that “without holiness no man can see the Lord.” So living, we are ready to meet our Master. Not living in this way, we are neither fit for death, judgment, nor eternity. To live in this way is to be truly happy, because it is to be truly prepared for anything that may come upon the earth. Let us never be content with a lower standard of practical Christianity than this. The last words of the prophecy are peculiarly solemn: “What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch”!
Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
Mar 13:32. Neither the Son. Here distinguished from angels, as above them, since there is a climax, angels, the Son, the Father. The verse is to be taken in its plain sense (see on Mat 24:36) as part of the mystery of Christs humiliation, a self-limitation, a self-emptying of the God-man.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mar 13:32. But of that day and hour knoweth no man See note on Mat 24:36. Neither the Son, but the Father It must be observed here, that the words , neither the Son, have been omitted in some copies of Mark, as they are inserted in some copies of Matthew: but there is no sufficient authority for the omission in Mark, any more than for the insertion in Matthew. Erasmus, and some of the moderns, are of opinion, that the words were omitted in the text of Matthew, lest they should afford a handle to the Arians, for proving the Son to be inferior to the Father: but it was to little purpose to erase them out of Matthew, and to leave them standing in Mark. On the contrary, St. Ambrose, and some of the ancients, assert that they were inserted in the text of Mark by the Arians: but there is as little foundation or pretence for this assertion, as there is for the other. It is much more probable that they were omitted in some copies of Mark by some indiscreet orthodox, who thought them to bear too hard upon our Saviours dignity: for all the most ancient copies and translations extant retain them: the most ancient fathers quote them, and comment upon them. Admit the words, therefore, as the genuine words of Mark, we must, and we may, without any prejudice to our Saviours divinity. For Christ may be considered in two respects, in his human and divine nature; and what is said with regard only to the former, doth not at all affect the latter. As he was the great teacher and revealer of his Fathers will, he might know more than the angels, and yet he might not know all things. It is said in Luk 2:52, that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. He increased in wisdom, and consequently in his human nature he was not omniscient. In his human nature, he was the son of David; in his divine nature, he was the Lord of David. In his human nature, he was upon earth; in his divine nature, he was in heaven, Joh 3:13, even while upon earth. In like manner it may be said, that though as God he might know all things, yet he might be ignorant of some things as man. And of this particular the Messiah might be ignorant, because it was no part of his office or commission to reveal it. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power, as our Saviour said, Act 1:7, when a like question was proposed to him. It might be proper for the disciples, and for the Jews too, by their means, to know the signs and circumstances of our Saviours coming, and the destruction of Jerusalem; but upon many accounts it might be unfit for them both to know the precise time. Bishop Newton. But Dr. Macknight thinks the proper translation of the passage affords a better solution of the difficulty. The word here, says he, seems to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation hiphil, which, in verbs denoting action, makes that action, whatever it is, pass to another. Wherefore, , which properly signifies, I know, used in the sense of the conjugation hiphil, signifies, I make another to know, I declare. The word has this meaning without dispute, 1Co 2:2, I determined () to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified; that is, I determined to make known, to preach nothing among you, but Jesus Christ. So likewise in the text, But of that day and that hour none maketh you to know, none hath power to make you know it; (just as the phrase, Mat 20:23, is not mine to give, signifies, is not in my power to give;) no, not the angels, neither the Son, but the Father. Neither man nor angel, nor even the Son himself, can reveal the day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem to you; because the Father hath determined that it should not be revealed. The divine wisdom saw fit to conceal from the apostles, and the other disciples of Jesus, the precise period of the destruction of Jerusalem, in order that they might be laid under a necessity of watching continually. And this vigilance was especially proper at that time, because the success of the gospel depended, in a great measure, upon the activity and exemplary lives of those who first professed and published it. Most commentators, however, prefer the former interpretation. As God, who by his Son revealed to the apostles and first disciples of Jesus the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish state, and marked a variety of particulars which were to precede or accompany it, yet did not acquaint them with the day and hour when it should actually take place; so while he has warned us of the certainty of death and a future judgment, and discovered to us many circumstances which will attend, precede, or follow these solemn, and, to us, infinitely interesting events, he has seen fit to conceal from us the exact time when they shall happen, that we may be always expecting and preparing for them. And therefore the subsequent exhortation as much concerns every one of us, as it could possibly concern those to whom it was first given.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:32 {2} But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
(2) The latter day is not to be searched for curiously, which day the Father alone knows: but let us rather take heed that it does not come upon us unaware.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
"That day" is the day of Jesus’ return contrasted with "those days" preceding it (Mar 13:17; Mar 13:19; Mar 13:24). Jesus was distinguishing knowing that an event was approaching and near at hand (Mar 13:28-29) from knowing the exact time of its arrival. God the Father alone knows the day and the hour of the Son’s return (cf. Act 1:7). Jesus’ ignorance of this information was a result of His incarnation (Php 2:6-8). [Note: See Harold F. Carl, "Only the Father Knows: Historical and Evangelical Responses to Jesus’ Eschatological Ignorance in Mark 13:32," a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Nov. 16, 2000, Nashville, Tenn.] Jesus may not have known this information when He made this statement, but He probably knows the time of His return now.