Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no [man,] no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
36 End of Ch. 25. Parables and Teachings concerning the Second Advent
36 51. The Coming of Christ; the Need of Watchfulness
More briefly reported in Mar 13:32-37; Luk 21:34-36.
36. But of that day and hour ] the Day of Judgment. The discourse turns from the type the fall of Jerusalem to the antitype the Day of Judgment, and continues on this subject to the end of the following chapter.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But of that day and hour – Of the precise time of the fulfillment. The general signs of its approach have been given, as the budding of the fig-tree is a certain indication that summer is near; but the precise time is not indicated by these things. One part of their inquiry was Mat 24:3 when those things should be. He now replies to them by saying that the precise time would not be foretold. Compare the notes at Act 1:7.
Knoweth no man, no, not the angels – See the notes at Mar 13:32.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 36. But of that day and hour] , here, is translated season by many eminent critics, and is used in this sense by both sacred and profane authors. As the day was not known, in which Jerusalem should be invested by the Romans, therefore our Lord advised his disciples to pray that it might not be on a Sabbath; and as the season was not known, therefore they were to pray that it might not be in the winter; Mt 24:20. See Clarke on Mr 13:32.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mark addeth, Mar 13:32, neither the Son, but the Father. Of that day and hour, that is, the particular time when the heavens and the earth shall pass away, as he had before said, or when the end of the world shall be, which was one of the questions propounded to him by his disciples, Mat 24:3.
Knoweth no man, no mere man, nor have men any reason to be troubled at it; for it is a piece of knowledge which the Father hath reserved in his own power, and his own pleasure, from the angels, who continually behold his face. Nay, I myself, as man, know it not. Nor is it more absurd, or derogating from the perfection of Christ, than for to say, that Christ, as man, was not omnipotent, or omniscient, &c. By the way, this gives a great check to the curiosity of mens inquiries after the particular time or year when the world shall have an end, or the day of judgment begin, or be.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But of that day and hour knoweth no man,…. Which is to be understood, not of the second coming of Christ, the end of the world, and the last judgment; but of the coming of the son of man, to take vengeance on the Jews, and of their destruction; for the words manifestly regard the date of the several things going before, which only can be applied to that catastrophe, and dreadful desolation: now, though the destruction itself was spoken of by Moses and the prophets, was foretold by Christ, and the believing Jews had some discerning of its near approach; see Heb 10:25 yet the exact and precise time was not known: it might have been: calculated to a year by Daniel’s weeks, but not to the day and hour; and therefore our Lord does not say of the year, but of the day and hour no man knows; though the one week, or seven years, being separated from the rest, throws that account into some perplexity; and which perhaps is on purpose done, to conceal the precise time of Jerusalem’s destruction: nor need it be wondered at, notwithstanding all the hints given, that the fatal day should not be exactly known beforehand; when those who have lived since, and were eyewitnesses of it, are not agreed on what day of the month it was; for, as Dr. Lightfoot i observes, Josephus k says,
“that the temple perished the “tenth” day of “Lous”, a day fatal to the temple, as having been on that day consumed in flames, by the king of Babylon.”
And yet Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai, who was also at the destruction of it, as well as Josephus, with all the Jewish writers, say it was on the “ninth of Ab”; for of this day they l say, five things happened upon it:
“On the “ninth of Ab” it was decreed concerning our fathers, that they should not enter into the land (of Canaan), the first and second temple were destroyed, Bither was taken, and the city ploughed up.”
Though the words of R. Jochanan, cited by the doctor, refer to the first, and not to the second temple, and should have been rendered thus:
“If I had been in the generation (which fixed the fast for the destruction of the first temple), I would not have fixed it but on the tenth (of Ab); for, adds he, the greatest part of the temple was burnt on that day; but the Rabbins rather regarded the beginning of the punishment m.”
And so the fasting of Rabbi, and R. Joshua ben Levi, on the “ninth” and “tenth” days, were on account of the first temple; for they were under the same difficulty about the one, as the other:
no, not the angels of heaven; who dwell there, always behold the face of God, stand in his presence ready to do his will, and are made acquainted with many of his designs, and are employed in the executing of them, and yet know not the time of God’s vengeance on the Jews; to this agrees the sense that is given of the day of vengeance in Isa 63:4 it is asked n,
“what is the meaning of these words, “the day of vengeance is in my heart?” Says R. Jochanan, to my heart I have revealed it, to the members I have not revealed it: says R. Simeon ben Lakish, to my heart I have revealed it,
, “to the ministering angels I have not revealed it”.”
The Ethiopic version adds here, “nor the son”, and so the Cambridge copy of Beza’s; which seems to be transcribed from Mr 13:32 where that phrase stands; and must be understood of Christ as the son of man, and not as the Son of God; for as such, he lay in the bosom of the Father, and knew all his purposes and designs; for these were purposed in him: he knew from the beginning who would betray him, and who would believe in him; he knew what would befall the rejecters of him, and when that would come to pass; as he must know also the day of the last judgment, since it is appointed by God, and he is ordained to execute it: but the sense is, that as he, as man and mediator, came not to destroy, but to save; so it was not any part of his work, as such, to know, nor had he it in commission to make known the time of Jerusalem’s ruin:
but my Father only; to the exclusion of all creatures, angels and men; but not to the exclusion of Christ as God, who, as such, is omniscient; nor of the Holy Spirit, who is acquainted with the deep things of God, the secrets of his heart, and this among others.
i In Mark xiii. 32. k De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 26. l Misu. Taanith, c. 4. sect. 7. T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 68. 3. & Maimon. Hilch. Taanioth, c. 5. sect. 2. m T. Bab, Taanith, fol. 29. 1. n T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Not even the Son ( ). Probably genuine, though absent in some ancient MSS. The idea is really involved in the words “but the Father only” ( ). It is equally clear that in this verse Jesus has in mind the time of his second coming. He had plainly stated in verse 34 that those events (destruction of Jerusalem) would take place in that generation. He now as pointedly states that no one but the Father knows the day or the hour when these things (the second coming and the end of the world) will come to pass. One may, of course, accuse Jesus of hopeless confusion or extend his confession of ignorance of the date of the second coming to the whole chain of events. So McNeile: “It is impossible to escape the conclusion that Jesus as Man, expected the End, within the lifetime of his contemporaries.” And that after his explicit denial that he knew anything of the kind! It is just as easy to attribute ignorance to modern scholars with their various theories as to Jesus who admits his ignorance of the date, but not of the character of the coming.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
36. But of that day and hour. By this sentence, Christ intended to hold the minds of believers in suspense that they might not, by a false imagination, fix any time for the final redemption. We know how fickle our minds are, and how much we are tickled by a vain curiosity to know more than is proper. Christ likewise perceived that the disciples were pushing forward with excessive haste to enjoy a triumph. He therefore wishes the day of his coming to be the object of such expectation and desire, that none shall dare to inquire when it will happen. In short, he wishes his disciples so to walk in the light of faith, that while they are uncertain as to the time, they may patiently wait for the revelation of him. We ought therefore to be on our guard, lest our anxiety about the time be carried farther than the Lord allows; for the chief part of our wisdom lies in confining ourselves soberly within the limits of God’s word. That men may not feel uneasy at not knowing that day, Christ represents angels as their associates in this matter; for it would be a proof of excessive pride and wicked covetousness, to desire that we who creep on the earth should know more than is permitted to the angels in heaven. (157)
Mark adds, nor the Son himself. And surely that man must be singularly mad, who would hesitate to submit to the ignorance which even the Son of God himself did not hesitate to endure on our account. But many persons, thinking that this was unworthy of Christ, have endeavored to mitigate the harshness of this opinion by a contrivance of their own; and perhaps they were driven to employ a subterfuge by the malice of the Arians, who attempted to prove from it that Christ is not the true and only God. So then, according to those men, Christ did not know the last day, because he did not choose to reveal it to men. But since it is manifest that the same kind of ignorance is ascribed to Christ as is ascribed to the angels, we must endeavor to find some other meaning which is more suitable. Before stating it, however, I shall briefly dispose of the objections of those who think that it is an insult offered to the Son of God, if it be said that any kind of ignorance can properly apply to him.
As to the first objection, that nothing is unknown to God, the answer is easy. For we know that in Christ the two natures were united into one person in such a manner that each retained its own properties; and more especially the Divine nature was in a state of repose, and did not at all exert itself, (158) whenever it was necessary that the human nature should act separately, according to what was peculiar to itself, in discharging the office of Mediator. There would be no impropriety, therefor in saying that Christ, who knew all things, (Joh 21:17) was ignorant of something in respect of his perception as a man; for otherwise he could not have been liable to grief and anxiety, and could not have been like us, (Heb 2:17.) Again, the objection urged by some—that ignorance cannot apply to Christ, because it is the punishment of sin — is beyond measure ridiculous. For, first, it is prodigious folly to assert that the ignorance which is ascribed to angels proceeds from sin; but they discover themselves to be equally foolish on another ground, by not perceiving that Christ clothed himself with our flesh, for the purpose of enduring the punishment due to our sins. And if Christ, as man, did not know the last day, that does not any more derogate from his Divine nature than to have been mortal.
I have no doubt that he refers to the office appointed to him by the Father as in a former instance, when he said that it did not belong to him to place this or that person at his right or left hand, (Mat 20:23; Mar 5:40.) For (as I explained under that passage (159)) he did not absolutely say that this was not in his power, but the meaning was, that he had not been sent by the Father with this commission, so long as he lived among mortals. So now I understand that, so far as he had come down to us to be Mediator, until he had fully discharged his office that information was not given to him which he received after his resurrection; for then he expressly declared that power over all things had been given to him, (Mat 28:18.)
(157) “ Aux anges de Paradis;” — “to the angels in Paradise.”
(158) “ La Divinité s’est tenue comme cachee; c’est à dire, n’a point demonstré sa vertu;” — “the Divine nature was kept, as it were, concealed; that is, did not display `its power.”
(159) Harmony, vol. 2, p. 421
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Mat. 24:36-51
The uncertainty of the end.We ought to know the season, we cannot know the moment, of the appearing of Christ. So the Saviour teaches us here. Of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the Son Himself, in a sense (Mat. 24:36). How will the appearing of Christ, in consequence, come on the world? How should the thought of it, meanwhile, tell on the church?
I. How it will come on the world.It will come on it, first, while men, as a rule, are thinking of everything else. The story of Noah and the deluge is an illustration of this. Coming on men as that did in almost total disbelief of his warnings (we read of no one outside his own family believing in them at all) it found the men of that day thinking of everything else. They were full of engagements which all took for granted that there was nothing to interrupt them at hand (Mat. 24:38-39; cf. also Luk. 17:28, they planted, they builded). And they were doing this to the very verge of the visitation itself. They did not believe in the flood till they found it had come, and never thought of it until it swept them away. Even so would it be, the Saviour declares here, with regard to His coming. What had been true of the type would be true of the antitype also. What had happened in Noahs day would happen also in His. Not till that door, also, was being shut (Gen. 7:16; Mat. 25:10) would men see it was open. That day when it comes will find men, also, as they are to remain. Men will be found differing then, as they differ now, about the things of the kingdom. Although as a rule then they will not be thinking of the approaching appearing of Christ, there will be some among them who do. There will be some, then, in short, who love His appearing, although most others do not. These differing classes, also, will be found at that time, even as they are now, much mingled together. Just as now, in one field there may be two men, or, now, at one mill there may be two women, who are as far asunder in heart on this question of Christs appearing as they are near together in person, so will it also be then. But so, on the other hand, on that day of days, it will not continue to be any longer. That day, on the contrary, shall for ever separate these unequally yoked ones. And shall separate them also, be it further observed, to wholly separate lots. Those who are left are not left to be saved! Only those taken are taken to life. There is no intermingling, there is no re-arrangement, after that date!
II. How the knowledge of these things should tell on the church.How it should tell on them, first, as to what they should do. They should use the information thus given them about the end in order to be prepared for it when it comes. It was even so, of course, that in regard to all things of importance, all men of sense would proceed. No householder, e.g., who had received information as to the time when the housebreaker intended to visit him, would fail to make use of it in getting thoroughly prepared for his visit (Mat. 24:43). Even so must they act in regard to that day which was to come as a thief. Having been so expressly told this they must make use of this knowledge so as to be prepared for that day. And since it might come any day they must be prepared for it every day, as the only way to make sure (Mat. 24:44). This same knowledge should show them, next, why they ought to do thus. They ought to do so, on the one hand, as a question of duty. The knowledge thus imparted to them, and the capacity bestowed on them by means of which they were enabled to realise both its importance and truth, were not things given them for their own advantage alone. They were more than a privilege. They were also a trust. And they were bound, therefore, to use these things for the benefit of others as well (Mat. 24:45; 1Pe. 4:10). And nothing, they might rely on it, would be more pleasing to their Master, and therefore more blessed for them, than to be found doing so at the end. Let them be always ready, therefore, if they would be ever doing what was best for themselves (Mat. 24:46-47). Let them think of this also, on the other hand, even as a question of life. This duty was one which could only be neglected by them at their uttermost peril. Not thus to do was to do the opposite in effect. Not to impart thus to others was in practice to rob them. Not to argue from the uncertainty of the hour of Christs coming in the way of obedience was to go in the way of rebellion (Mat. 24:48). It were hard to say, therefore, whether there was more of treachery or of presumption in such conduct; or anything more truly deserving the worst doom of which we hear in Gods Word. It would almost seem, in a word, as though not to be hoping for, and so not to be ready for, the appearing of Christ, was to be in a position in which we can expect nothing from it but ill.
How worse than valueless are the predictions of men!Practically the voice of the antediluvian world was a prophecy in opposition to the preaching of Noah. The like is true of the voice of the world since, in regard to the preaching of Christ. We know what became of that earlier voice. We know what is to become of the other. The louder it cries, and the longer it lasts, and the more prophets it comes from, only the more manifest, at the last day, will be its falseness and shame. The revelation of this truth is almost as old as our race (Jud. 1:14-15; see also Rom. 3:4; Rom. 3:19).
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Mat. 24:37-39. The Flood.
I. How universal the doom.
II. How marvellous the general apathy.
III. Safety only in the ark.
IV. Christ our ark.J. C. Gray.
Mat. 24:40-41. Diversity in character.The worlds work will be going on then as now; there is also the thought of a real separation in this life beneath an external sameness.A. Carr, M.A.
Mat. 24:42. Christian watching.I. In Christian watching there is implied a vigorous exercise of a Christian conscience.
1. When we wish to quicken and increase the power of conscience, we must do so by teaching it to be more and more keen in perception. Conscience must stand before us, as a watcher on a ship stands, guiding the bark of the soul through the wild waves and the thick darkness of this deep night of life, and crying out to us, from moment to moment, in the voice of the great Lord whose echo it is, What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
2. But conscience requires also to be wide in its range of visionit must omit nothing. It must not fret over trifles, but it must not leave them out; it must recollect, it must learn increasingly to recollect, that attention to the little things of every day is an element in that attitude of a Christian which the Lord calls watching.
3. You must exercise conscience to assist you in wise decision.
4. Conscience must also, finally and above all things, be peremptory in command. Conscience may be wrong, it may make mistakes, but it must never be disobeyed. To disobey conscience is to commit the last disloyaltyit is to learn to be untrue to yourselves.
5. Conscience needs illumination It needs the illumination that comes from prayer, from the Scripture, from the wise advice of patient and experienced friends.
6. It needs more, it needs reinforcement; it needs the presence of the Lord of conscience; it needs to feed upon the power of Christ.
II. There is another point in Christian watching which I must note. It is not only by the exercise of conscience, it is by a patient practice of thoughtfulness.To take thought and make it pass into a permanent form; to lay hold upon will and make it act in one definite direction;to do that is to set the life sweeping onward, like a resistless current, in one direction; it is to place the whole soul in one steady attitude; and this definite directing of the current of life, and this steady fixing of the attitude of soulthis and nothing else is what our blessed Redeemer calls watching.W. J. Knox-Little, M.A.
Watching for the Lords coming.The idea is, Ye know not whether the day or hour of the Lords coming be characterised by the quality of comparative immediacy or of comparative remoteness. And yet the Lord had told His disciples that many events would occur before this glorious appearing. Wherein, then, the consistency of the injunction of this verse? It is found in a combination of two assumptions.
1. That the Lord was speaking, not merely to and for His Apostles, but to and for His disciples in all places and times.
2. That He took a broad view of spiritual realities, and the bearing of the great events connected with His kingdom on individual souls. So far as the souls real interests, and its great duties, are concerned, it is of no real moment whether it shall remain incarnate till the coming of the Lord, or be absent from the body long before that event. Spiritual watchfulness in either case is equally needed.J. Morison, D.D.
Mat. 24:43-44. The uncertainty of life the great reason for holiness.
I. The character of the existing dispensation would be altogether changed were we enabled to foresee whatever could happen.It would no longer be a dispensation of faith, but a dispensation of sight. We find it intensely difficult in our ignorance to submit ourselves to God, in whose hands we are. What would it be if we had acquaintance with the future, and so were in a measure independent; and could make our plans with certainty as to their issue. The wife would be a widow while her husband lived, the child would be an orphan while yet blessed with parents, if the funeral were foreknown and the day of separation clearly revealed.
II. It is practically of very little importance whether we can give satisfactory reasons why the future should be hidden, and for the declaration that the unveiling it would produce far greater preparedness for the termination of life. It might, on the whole, be advantageous, or it might on the whole be disastrous, that the day of death should be known; but the arrangement to which we are to conform is one in which the day is absolutely unknown; and it must be our business rather to labour at acting agreeably to the circumstances in which we are placed, than to determine what effect would be wrought were those circumstances changed.H. Melvill, B.D.
Mat. 24:45-51. The faithful servant and the wicked one.
I. Their opposite spirit.The one waits for the coming of the Lord; the other puts no faith in that coming.
II. Their acts.The one takes care of the households nourishment; the other makes himself a despotic lord, who abuses the faithful, and wastes the goods of the house in riotous living.
III. Their recompense.Blessed and miserable surprise at the advent of the Lord. The one is elevated to the highest dignity, the other is condemned and destroyed on the spot.J. P. Lange, D.D.
Mat. 24:45-47. The Lords true steward.
I. Characteristics.
1. Faithful.To his Lord. To the end (Mat. 24:46).
2. Wise or prudent, for himself, and in relation to those under his care. The word in the Greek is that which ethical writers had used to express the moral wisdom which adapts means to ends, as contrasted with the wisdom of pure contemplation, on the one hand, or technical skill on the other (Plumptre).
II. Function.To give them meat (their food, R.V.) in due season. The daily or monthly allowance. This imagery, drawn from a large Roman estate, has given rise to the oft-recurring thought of the stewardship of the Apostles and ministers of Christ. 1Co. 4:1; Tit. 1:7 (Cambridge Bible for Schools). There is an art, as it were, of spiritual dietetics, which requires tact and discernment as well as faithfulness. The wise servant will seek to discover not only the right kind of food, but the right season for giving it (Plumptre).
III. Reward.He will set him over all that he hath (R.V.); thus conferring upon him the highest honour and reward of which he is susceptible (Morison).H. M. Booth.
Mat. 24:48-51. The unfaithful steward.
I. His conduct.
1. Presumptuous.My Lord delayeth His coming.
2. Self-assertive.Smite his fellow-servants. More than neglect; abusing them in the spirit of a petty tyrant (Morison).
3. Self-indulgent.Eat and drink with the drunken.
II. His punishment.
1. Absolutely certain.Shall come. Our putting off the thoughts of Christs coming will not put off His coming (M. Henry).
2. Surprisingly sudden.In a day when he looketh not for Him.
3. Terribly severe (Mat. 24:51). Some have felt surprised that our Lord did not shrink from the horror of the word (cut him asunder). Ah! but it was the horror of the thing which He dreaded, and wished to avert. It was the infinite pity of His heart that led Him to use a word which might prove the very strongest deterrent. Besides, how significant it is! Think of whom He is speaking,servants set over His household to give food in due season, who, instead of doing this, maltreat their fellow-servants and ruin themselves with excess. Think of the duplicity of such conduct. By office in the church, exalted unto heaven; by practice, brought down to hell! That unnatural combination cannot last. These monsters with two faces and one black heart cannot be tolerated in the universe of God. They shall be cut asunder; and then it will appear which of the two faces really belongs to the man (Expositors Bible).H. M Booth.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
III. CHRISTS SECOND COMING (24:36-25:46)
A. The Date Known but to God (24:36) (Parallel: Mar. 13:32)
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
B. Stories Illustrating Important Characteristics of the Final End-Times
1. Illustration From Life Before the Flood (24:3742)
(Parallel: Mar. 13:33; Luk. 21:34-36)
37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 40 Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken and one is left: 41 two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. 42 Watch therefore; for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a.
Jesus seems to believe in angels. Do you? What does their existence mean to you?
b.
Do you think it is safe for the Son of God, the revealer of truth and the way back to God, to admit that He does not know the time of His return? Does not this admission compromise our total confidence in His other revelations? In what sense can He affirm His ignorance on this point without compromising His authority?
c.
Do you see anything significant about the order of Jesus words: no one (man) . . . the angels . . . the Son . . . the Father? If so, what is the significance?
d.
Some think that Jesus has now changed the subject from events connected with His own generation to the Second Coming. Others believe He changed the subject back in Mat. 24:29. Which of these two views is more nearly correct? On what basis do you decide as you do?
e.
Some notice that Jesus denied that any human being knows the day and hour of His coming, but said nothing about their knowing the year, month or week. Accordingly, say they, we may discover these latter with reasonable certainty. Do Jesus words refer to the exact day and hour in the sense of the hour or minute? Or is His meaning more general? What other texts or information would clarify His intended meaning?
f.
Why is the time of Jesus return known only to God? Of what advantage to us is this?
g.
How does the fact that Matthew and Mark cited Jesus ignorance of the final date actually comfort us by assuring us that all else they relate about Jesus is true?
h.
How does Jesus admission of ignorance about the date of His return actually build and confirm our faith in Him rather than weaken or destroy it?
i.
Some consider the story of Noah and the flood to be a fable grossly exaggerated and not to be taken seriously as sober history. On the basis of His reference to Noah and company, do you think Jesus agrees that Noahs flood is purely legendary? How certain do you think Jesus was that the information in Genesis 6-9 really occurred as written? What does this say about Genesis as a book? about Noah? about the flood? about Jesus? about you?
j.
Do you see anything wrong with what people were doing in Noahs day? After all, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage. Do not these activities characterize our normal everyday life? What could be so wrong about this? Further, Jesus application pictures people at work in the field or at the mill. Surely this is not wrong too? How could these ordinary activities have anything to do with mans unpreparedness for (1) Noahs flood or (2) Christs Second Coming? ,
k.
What is the psychological problem of people who try desperately to learn the date of Christs return? How, according to the Scriptures, can such people be helped?
1.
What should we think of people who, by explanations of prophecy or other methods, try to discover what even Gods Son did not know? What should we think about their explanations?
m.
Jesus said, Watch therefore, for you know not. . . .In what way(s) should our daily activities be permeated with a sense of watchfulness? How should we organize our daily affairs, so as to be able to do this? By neither eating nor drinking, marrying nor being given in marriage? Should we not work in the field or grind at the mill?
n.
What major Bible doctrine is reaffirmed by the expression: one is taken and one is left?
PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY
However, as to the precise date or when that hour will strike, NOBODY knows, not even the heavenly messengers nor the Son. Only the Father knows. In fact, the second coming of the Messiah will be just like it was in Noahs time. In those days just before the flood they went right on eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the very day when Noah entered the ark. Those people were unaware of the impending danger until the flood actually came and swept them all away. This is the way the Messiahs coming will take place. At that time two men will be working together in the field. One will be swept away and one will remain. Two women will be grinding at a handmill. One will be swept away and the other will remain.
But be on your guard, lest your minds be coarsened by self-indulgent carousing and drunkenness and by the worries of this life, so that that Day suddenly overtake you. It will go off like a trap, catching all the inhabitants of the entire earth. Be constantly on the alert and pray, since you have no idea when your Lord is coming. Pray that you may have the ability to survive all these things that are about to take place, and to stand with confidence in the presence of Christ Himself!
SUMMARY
The time of Christs Second Coming is known only to the Father. Life on earth at that time will continue right up to the last minute as if nothing were going to happen. This very ordinariness and normalcy could lull the believer into complacency. Therefore, to avoid this trap, prayer is required for strength to survive and to stand victoriously before the tribunal of Christ Himself!
NOTES
A. The Date Known but to God (24:36)
Mat. 24:36 But of that day and hour. Kik (Matthew XXIV) correctly entitled this verse the transition text, because Jesus has abruptly but clearly changed the subject, a fact made evident in various ways:
1.
Note the triumphant finality with which Mat. 24:35 closes the predictions concerning the fall of the Jewish state in the lifetime of Jesus generation.
2.
Jesus then introduces the following material with but (de). Granted, this is not a strong adversative conjunction in Greek, but it implies some kind of contrast between the foregoing material and what comes next.
3.
The subject introduced next is that day (singular), whereas in the foregoing section (Mat. 24:4-35) He treated those days (plural). (Mat. 24:19; Mat. 24:22 = Mar. 13:17; Mar. 13:19 = Luk. 21:23) In Mat. 24:36 Jesus speaks of a specific day and hour. This distinction between singular, day, and plural, days, is neither accidental nor insignificant. Kik (Matthew XXIV, 102) observed
Nowhere in the New Testament is the pluralthe days, days of vengeance, those daysused in reference to the second coming of Christ or to the final judgment. . . . A general impression prevails that the term, last days, has reference to a short period just before the second coming of Christ, but that term is not so defined in Scriptures. The last days began with the first advent of Christ and will continue until his second advent. This is indicated in a number of scriptural passages (Heb. 1:1 f.; Act. 2:16 f.; 1Jn. 2:18; 1Pe. 1:20). . . . The plural does not refer either to the second coming or the final judgment.
That day is decidedly unique, since there could not be many, truly final last Days, but only one definitive Last Day. In this light, then, that day and hour became a practically fixed, well-defined technical term reinforced by Jesus further instruction. (Cf. Mat. 24:42; Mat. 24:44; Mat. 24:50; Mat. 25:13; Mar. 13:32 f.; Luk. 21:34.) Earlier, our Lord spoke of the Judgment as that day (Mat. 7:22) and revealed much about the day of Judgment (Mat. 11:22; Mat. 11:24; Mat. 12:36). This usage is reflected in the Apostles language. (Cf. 1Th. 5:2; 1Th. 5:4; 2Th. 1:10; 2Ti. 1:12; 2Ti. 1:18; 2Ti. 4:8; 1Co. 3:13; Jud. 1:6, etc.)
4.
This verse unequivocally changes the subject from Jerusalems last days to the Final Day of the world. When Jesus affirmed that no one knows that day and hour, He clearly distinguished this particular Day from ALL the days for which He had earlier furnished some clear, definite signs of their near approach. Contrarily, concerning this one Day He denies that anyone can discern the time of its arrival, because there shall be no forewarning evidence given. For this latter Day only constant readiness would suffice due to its absolutely unknowable arrival date (Mat. 24:42 to Mat. 25:46). The approximate time of Jerusalems fall could be estimated with reasonable accuracy, but the moment of the worlds Last Day remains a state secret of the Almighty.
But of that day and hour knoweth no one. Some argue that Jesus did not deny we can calculate the month, year or century, since He only indicated as secret the day and hour. Nevertheless, that He intends to declare absolutely unknown and unknowable the general period of His return is explicitly declared by Mark (Mar. 13:33): Watch and pray, for you do not know when THE TIME will come. Further, hour need not mean the specific schedule, but time generally. (Cf. Joh. 2:4; Joh. 4:21; Joh. 4:23; Joh. 5:25; Joh. 5:28; Joh. 7:30; Joh. 8:20; Joh. 12:23; Joh. 13:1; Joh. 16:2; Joh. 17:1.) In this sense, day and hour are but two ways of referring to the same time period in question, technically a hendiadys. Either way, as Bruce (Training, 328) noted,
This statement, that the time of the end is known alone to God, excludes the idea that it can be calculated, or that data are given in Scripture for that purpose. If such data be given, then the secret is virtually disclosed. We therefore regard the calculations of students of prophecy respecting the times and seasons as random guesses unworthy of serious attention.
If the Son of God Himself does not know, how could any dumb disciple expect to guess it right?! This inescapably real human ignorance will be underlined no less than six times in His message (Mat. 24:42; Mat. 24:44; Mat. 24:50; Mat. 25:13; Mar. 13:33; Mar. 13:35; Luk. 21:34).
Not even the angels of heaven. Study Jesus doctrine of angels in Matthew (Mat. 13:39-42; Mat. 13:49 f.; Mat. 16:27; Mat. 18:10; Mat. 22:30; Mat. 25:31; Mat. 25:41; Mat. 26:53). Angels are possibly inserted here because, despite their specially privileged relationship and access to God (Mat. 18:10) and despite their own participation in particular phases of the worlds Last Day (Mat. 13:41; cf. Rev. 14:19), they have not been informed of Gods eschatological timetable. This automatically disarms in advance any false prophet who tries to claim inside information on this critical date on the basis of claimed angelic revelations.
Neither the Son. Before puzzling over Jesus admission to ignorance, we must note in what order He named each protagonist:
1.
Created beings: man (no one, oudeis, masculine) and the angels of heaven.
2.
Uncreated Beings: the Son and the Father.
Further, starting with man, He traced an ascending scale from the purely human to the purely Divine, inserting between them, first, created spirits, the angels, then the uncreated Son, the eternal Word made flesh. Jesus expresses His true identity openly. He is simply not an ignorant human like anyone else, because He writes His own name with the heavenly beings, between God and the angels. Mackenzie (P.H.C., XXIII, 478) stated the appropriateness of this order beautifully:
Let the name of any of the prophets or apostles be substituted for the designation of Christ, and a sentence is produced at which even a Socinian (anti-trinitarian denier of Christs divinity, HEF) might stagger. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither Moses, but the Father. It matters little what particular name is selected for the experiment. Isaiah, Daniel, Paul or John, in such a collocation, would be alike incongrous with the whole phraseology and spirit of the Bible. Why, then, would such an announcement have revolted us, when the name of the Son, in this identical connexion, awakens no surprise? Manifestly because the human soul of Christ, from its conjunction with the brightness of the Fathers glory, and the express image of His person, was admitted to a knowledge of the counsel of God which is never ascribed to any other creature; manifestly because in Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Neither Matthew nor Mark hesitate to report this confessed ignorance of His return date. Were they attempting to foist off on the world a false Messiah, they could not have afforded to risk inclusion of such an embarrassing admission. But the marvel is that our Evangelists think they run no risk to report this astonishing admission. Why? Because they are absolutely certain that nothing is so convincing as truth and they tell this about Jesus, perfectly confident that this confession of ignorance really detracts nothing from His glory.
Our faith in Jesus Himself is not undermined by His frank confession of limitations. Rather, does not Jesus rigorous honesty actually undergird our confidence in Him? We would have had far less faith in Him, had He faked an answer to this crucial question. Nevertheless, He had the moral courage to risk the loss of every disciple by stating, I do not know. Further, He said it in the face of all the withering criticism of future generations of scoffers whether erudite or not. But, all risks notwithstanding, we may stand with Him who could unflinchingly tell us the truth, however apparently embarrassing it be to His position, however gratifying to His critics and however astonishing to His followers. This unswerving honesty marks Him a true ambassador and credible spokesman for God. (Cf. Joh. 7:18.)
Why did not Jesus know this date? Following Biederwolf (348), we may summarize three attempts to resolve this quandary thus:
1.
This ignorance is referred to Christs human nature and is consistent with the statement that He emptied Himself (Php. 2:5 ff.) and increased in wisdom (Luk. 2:52) and learned obedience (Heb. 5:8 f.). The unique combination of complete humanness and true deity in one Person remains beyond our human comprehension, but not beyond our belief, given the sufficiency of the evidence. If He, as man, did not know this date, so what? This is a characteristic of man.
2.
He knew personally, but not officially, i.e. Christ was using hyperbolical language to show that the great event was to be kept a profound secret, the knowledge not having been given Him as regards us, i.e. for the purpose of being communicated to us. . . . But this seems something of an attempt to evade the plain meaning of the expression, the ignorance referred to being the same as that of man and angels with which it is connected. Further, had Jesus known the date, but refused to reveal it, we would be irresistibly tempted to dissect His words for some hint hidden there. Contrarily, what He does imply about His return date is that its delay would be so indefinite and the interval preceding it so impossible to calculate that numerous disciples would surrender their alertness, cease their preparations and return to sinfulness and debunk the doctrine as mere hero legend.
3.
Schaff, who does not like this dualistic separation between Christs two natures, suggests a voluntary self-limitation of knowledge on the part of Christ, i.e. a sacred unwillingness to know. He who could have requested twelve legions of angels, but opted to undergo the shame and submitted to separation from the Father, could He not also surrender to the indignity of now knowing this date? Even if this perfect Judge alone knows the Father and what was in man, might He not for our sakes decide not to be above mankind by knowing that day and hour?
Whichever view is taken, a clear distinction must be made between His ignorance of this one item and the possibility of error when, as a true prophet, He revealed the mind of God. For, had He been only a man, He would have rendered Himself ridiculous in the extreme to entitle Himself the Son, placing Himself alongside the Father and superior to angels. Further, were He but a common, ignorant mortal, to describe Himself as the Son of man, a title true in that sense of anyone else, becomes no title at all. But because He was the GOD-MAN, His appropriation of the title, Son of man, becomes a highly relevant revelation of His true nature. To the question whether His knowledge were limited in other ways, we may respond that this is the only recorded subject on which He had to answer, I do not know.
So, why is the time not known to the Son, but to the Father only? Earlier, Jesus had taught that the Father has sovereign right to establish certain priorities (Mat. 20:23; cf. Deu. 29:29; Act. 1:7). The motive for Gods secreting this information may not lie in some weakness of Jesus nature, but in the nature of OUR weakness. Every human being must live with the uncertainty of the date of judgment. Consequently, when we realize that any day could be our last, to please God, we orient all our priorities in view of His judgment (2Co. 5:9 f.; 2Pe. 3:8-13). This aims to motivate each generation to live in a state of expectancy that Gods Judgment Day could arrive in its own lifetime, and so make the required preparation. So, it may be that Jesus, the Son of man, chose to live as any other human being, motivated by this same uncertainty. Hence, His thorough-going identification with us, His brethren, cost Him this knowledge.
Two implications are evident in the fact that only the Father knows the date:
1.
If Jesus does not know the date of His return, then nothing revealed in this entire discourse may be interpreted as offering certain signs of that event, because this would imply that He DID know.
2.
Everything else Jesus will say next grows out of this complete human ignorance of the worlds Last Day and urges practical preparation for it in light of this limitation. To suppose that clever calculations of the signs on our part could discover that date is to eviscerate the following lessons on all meaning. (See notes on Mat. 24:42; Mat. 24:44; Mat. 24:50; Mat. 25:13; cf. Luk. 21:34 f.; Mar. 13:35.)
Plummer (Matthew, 340) sees the following illustrations as Jesus treatment of mankinds having to live with the tension between the certainty of judgment and the uncertainty of the date on which all must face that judgment. He asks, What effect will this combination of certainty and uncertainty have upon mankind? Jesus answers by indicating what effect this tension SHOULD have on each disciple. Analyze how each story illustrates this.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(36) No, not the angels of heaven.St. Marks addition (Mar. 13:32), neither the Sonor better, not even the Sonis every way remarkable. Assuming, what is well-nigh certain (see Introduction to St. Mark), the close connection of that Gospel with St. Peter, it is as if the Apostle who heard the discourse desired, for some special reason, to place on record the ipsissima verba of his Master. And that reason may be found in his own teaching. The over-eager expectations of some, and the inevitable reaction of doubt and scorn in others, both rested on their assumption that the Son of Man had definitely fixed the time of His appearing, and on their consequent forgetfulness of the long-suffering which might extend a day into a thousand years (2Pe. 3:3-8). It is obviously doing violence to the plain meaning of the words to dilute them into the statement that the Son of Man did, not communicate the knowledge which He possessed as the Son of God. If we are perplexed at the mystery of this confession in One in whom we recosniise the presence of the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 1:19; Col. 2:9), we may find that which may help us at least to wait patiently for the full understanding of the mystery in St. Pauls teaching, that the eternal Word in becoming flesh, emptied Himself (see Note on Php. 2:7) of the infinity which belongs to the divine attributes, and took upon Him the limitations necessarily incidental to mans nature, even when untainted by evil and in fullest fellowship, through the Eternal Spirit, with the Father.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
36. But In contrast to this approaching and calculable catastrophe. Of that day and hour The word day is a minutely specified point of time; the word hour is more specific still. Knoweth no man Our Lord here will indicate even his own ignorance of the time of the judgment day. What wonder, then, that his inspired apostles should confess an equal ignorance! See supplementary note to next chapter. Prof. Owen says that, as man, Jesus might be as ignorant of the day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem as of the judgment day. But unfortunately there was no day or hour to that destruction which could be ignored. It was a diffusive series. Our Lord, however, could be ignorant of the time of the destruction of Jerusalem only as he was ignorant of every future event; and so it would follow that he was ignorant of the judgment day only as he was ignorant of every future event. But that view stands in positive contradiction to the solemn emphasis with which it is the clear purpose of this verse to affirm that the judgment day is unknown to every being below God the Father Almighty.
For reply to the argument drawn from this passage against the divinity of Christ, see Mar 13:32.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
For of the time of His coming no one knows apart from the Father. It is not even known to the angels in Heaven, or to the Son. Once again He stresses His uniqueness as the only Son, even though while on earth His knowledge is limited in accordance with the purposes of the Godhead.
‘Of that day and hour.’ In other words whatever time it might be, whether long or short. Note how this connects with Mat 25:13 confirming the unity of the account, and that this verse is an integral part of the whole.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
No One Knows the Day Nor Hour ( Mar 13:32-37 , Luk 17:26-30 ; Luk 17:34-36 ) In Mat 24:26-44 Jesus tells His disciples to watch and be ready because no one knows the exact time of His coming. We will only know that the time and season is at hand.
Mat 24:37-39 Comments – A Comparison of End-time Prophecy with Noah’s Flood – I was meditating upon the idea of how to piece together the eschatological passages in the books of Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah. During this time I felt the Lord quicken to me to read about the Flood.
This description basically describes the peoples of the earth indulging in worldly activities while being indifferent to the coming of the Lord and indifferent to living a Godly life. In both stories, mankind was increasingly sinful, refused to repent at the divine warnings, and was caught unaware in God’s judgment.
Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Mat 24:40-41
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:42
1. We must be doing the Word as faithful and wise servants
Mat 24:46, “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”
2. We must be caring for the needs of others:
Mat 25:34-40.
3. We must be watchful, sober and prayerful:
1Pe 4:7, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”
1Th 5:2-6, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:43
Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Mat 24:43-44
Mat 24:43-44, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
1Th 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
2Pe 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
Rev 3:3, “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
Rev 16:15, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The time of Judgment Day:
v. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
v. 37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
v. 38. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
v. 39. and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be
v. 40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
v. 41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Here is material for careful pondering, above all for those that make it a practice to predict the exact date of Christ’s coming to judgment, as many sects have been in the habit of doing since the beginning of the Christian Church, but especially since the year 1000 A. D. Neither men nor angels have a knowledge of the exact season and time, day and hour, when the Day of Judgment will break upon the world, not even Jesus according to His humanity, in the lowliness of His human nature only, Mar 13:32. It is a secret which is hidden in the councils of God the Father. The Son of God, according to His humanity, has renounced the right to this knowledge for the sake of men, lest they inquire after the day and the hour and give themselves over to a false security. But so much is sure: there will be a repetition of the confident carelessness which characterized the days before the Flood. As the time of Christ’s coming to Judgment draws near, there will be a continuous round of feasting and pleasure-seeking, without in any way regarding the gravity of the situation. Note: The Lord’s words, “marrying and giving in marriage,” are not meant to discountenance the holy estate of matrimony, but they throw a spotlight upon conditions of the present time. For instead of understanding the holiness of the wedded estate, and seeking and entering into it in the fear of the Lord, people in our days have only the gratification of their lusts in mind. The sanctity of the marriage vow has been relegated to the rubbish heap, and while the majority of so-called Christian people do not yet openly profess free love, a great many come dangerously near sanctioning and practicing it. For them, as for the people in the time of Noah, the Day of Judgment will truly be a cataclysm, bringing them sudden, terrible punishment. For the guilty cannot escape, even if he be associated outwardly with the innocent, with the believer. Of two men working together, as partners, in the field or elsewhere, one will be accepted, the other will be left and thus rejected. Of two women busy with their housework, attending to the duties that fall to their lot, one will be accepted as a believer, the other will be rejected as an unbeliever. Christ here, in a single vivid flash, shows the routine of Oriental life the men in the field, the women in the kitchen. “When the grain was cut, threshed, and winnowed, there were no mills to which it could be taken for grinding. This process had to be done in each home, and the labor of doing it fell to the women of the household. Grain was reduced to flour either by rubbing or by pounding. The process of rubbing or grinding was accomplished either by a flat, saddle-shaped stone over which another was rubbed, or by crushing between two stones, the top one of which was Revolved somewhat as a modern millstone. It required two women, as Jesus said, to grind at such a mill one to feed it, while the other manipulated the rubbing stone. The upper stone was apparently rotated by twisting the wrist. It could thus be turned half-way round and then back again.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 24:36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man The word , is of a larger signification than hour; and besides, it seems somewhat improper to say, of that day and hour knoweth no man; for if the day was not known, certainly the hour was not; and it was superfluousto make such an addition. The passage therefore might be rendered, “of the day and season,” &c. as the word is frequently used in the best authors, both sacred and prophane. It is true our Saviour declares, all these things shall be fulfilled in this generation; it is true, the prophet Daniel has given some intimation of the time in his famous prophesy of the seventy weeks: but though this great revolution was to happen in that generation; though it was to happen at the conclusion of seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, to be computed from a certain date that is not easy to be fixed; yet the particular day, the particular season in which it was to happen, might still remain a secret to men and angels: and our Saviour had before (Mat 24:20.) advised his disciples to pray, that their flight might not be in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day. The DAY not being known, they might pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day: the season not being known, they might pray that their flight might not be in the winter. We shall enlarge on this subject, when we come to Mar 13:32. See Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 24:36 . The affirmation of Mat 24:34 , however, does not exclude the fact that no one knows the day and hour when the second advent, with its accompanying phenomena, is to take place. It is to occur during the lifetime of the generation then existing , but no one knows on what day or at what hours within the period thus indicated. Accordingly it is impossible to tell you anything more precise in regard to this than what is stated at Mat 24:34 .
. ] This reservation on the part of the Father excludes even the incarnate Son (Mar 13:32 ). The limitation implied in our passage as regards the human side of our Lord’s nature is to be viewed in the same light as that implied in Mat 20:23 . See, besides, on Mar 13:32 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
I desire to look at this verse singly, from the abuses made of it by the enemies to the Godhead of Christ. Had the Sceptic limited the sense of it, as it is evidently intended, to the day of Jerusalem’s destruction, and not referred it to what it never; was intended to have regard, to the second coming of Christ; he would have seen that the God. Head of Christ was neither honored nor dishonored in the business. As the God-Man Christ Jesus, all judgment is committed to Christ, on purpose that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. And he who alone is to be the judge of quick and dead, must know both the time and all the process connected with it. But on the occasion of Jerusalem’s visitation, to which this verse refers, though Christ had so fully foretold the whole events which should take place, he doth not say the year was not known, for he himself had declared that that generation should not pass away till all were fulfilled; but our Lord’s expressions, are of that day and hour. And all consciousness of time was lost when the calamities took place on that devoted city.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man , no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Ver. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man ] That the Lord will come it is certo certius, not more sure, than what time he will come is to us most uncertain. Various guesses have been given about it by both ancient and modern writers; most of which time hath already refuted. In the year of grace 1533 there was one that foolishly foretold that the day of judgment should happen in October next ensuing. And this he gathered out of these words, Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. Likewise out of these, Videbunt in quem transfixerunt; the numerals of the former point to the year 1532, of the latter to 1533. Others there are who place the end of the world upon the year 1657. And for proof they make use of this chronogram, MVnDI Conf Lagrat Io; and further allege that the general deluge occured in the year of the world’s creation, 1657. The end of the world, saith another, will be in the year of Christ 1688, three jubilees and a half (or thereabouts) after the reformation of religion by Luther, &c. Joachimus Abbas had long since set the year 1258; Arnoldus de Villa Novo, the year 1345; Michael Stiphelius, St Luke’s day in the year 1533; Cyprianus Leonitius, the year 1583; Joannes Regiomontanus, the year 1588; Adelbertus Thermopedius, the year 1599, April 3; Nicolaus Cusanus, the year 1700; Cardanus, 1800; Picus Mirandula, 1905, &c. So great hath been the folly and sin of many learned men, who have thus childishly set their wits to play in so serious a business, as one well censureth it.
But my Father only ] Ordine videlicet sciendi a se, non ab alio. The Son knoweth it not but from his Father; like as he neither subsisteth nor worketh but from the Father. The set time of the general judgment God hath hid from us: 1. For his own glory, Pro 25:2 ; Rom 11:36 ; Rom 2:1-29 . For our good, that we may watch always, and not wax secure as we would do with the evil servant, Mat 24:48 , till the very day and hour, if we knew it. a The harlot in the Proverbs grew bold upon this, that her husband was gone forth for such a time, Pro 7:20 .
a Ideo latet unus dies ut observentur omnes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
36. ] . ., viz. of heaven and earth passing away; or, perhaps referring to Mat 24:30 ff.
. . ., the exact time as we say, ‘the hour and minute.’ The very important addition to this verse in Mark, and in some ancient MSS. here (but see digest), , is indeed included in [ ] , but could hardly have been inferred from it, had it not been expressly stated: ch. Mat 20:23 . All attempts to soften or explain away this weighty truth must be resisted; it will not do to say with some Commentators, ‘nescit ea nobis ,’ which, however well meant, is a mere evasion: in the course of humiliation undertaken by the Son, in which He increased in wisdom ( Luk 2:52 ), learned obedience ( Heb 5:8 ), uttered desires in prayer (Luk 6:12 , &c.), this matter was hidden from Him : and as I have already remarked, this is carefully to be borne in mind, in explaining the prophecy before us.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 24:36 . , of that day and hour. The reference is to the coming of the Son of Man, the expression throughout the N. T. having the value of an “indisputable fixed terminus technicus ,” Weiffenbach, Wiederkunftsgedanke , p. 157. , no one knows, a statement made more emphatic by application to the angels of heaven, and even to the Son ( ). The meaning is not that Jesus disclaims even for Himself knowledge of the precise day, month, or year of what in Mat 24:34 He has declared will happen within the present generation; whether, e.g. , the crisis of the war would be in 69 or 70 A.D. That is too trivial a matter to be the subject of so solemn a declaration. It is an intimation that all statements as to the time of the must be taken in a qualified sense as referring to a subject on which certain knowledge is not attainable or even desirable. It looks like Jesus correcting Himself, or using two ways of speaking, one for comfort (it will be soon), and one for caution (it may not be so soon as even I think or you expect). His whole manner of speaking concerning the second advent seems to have two faces; providing on the one hand for the possibility of a Christian era, and on the other for an accelerated Parusia .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 24:36-41
36But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Mat 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” For “hour” see Special Topic below. This is a strong verse to deter Christians from setting specific dates for the Second Coming.
The phrase “nor the Son” is not included in Mat 24:36 in some ancient Greek uncial manuscripts a, K, L, W. It is included in most translations because it does occur in manuscripts , B and D, the Diatesseron, and the Greek texts known to Irenaeus, Origen, Chrysostom, and the old Latin manuscript used by Jerome. This may have been one of the texts modified by orthodox scribes to accentuate the deity of Christ against false teachers (See The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Bart D. Ehrman, pp. 91-92, published by Oxford University Press, 1993).
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOUR
Mat 24:37 “Coming” See Special Topic at Mat 24:3.
“will be just like the days of Noah” This is an idiom which meant that normal life was continuing just as in the past (cf. Mat 24:38).
Mat 24:39 This is the judgment of God on the unbelieving both temporally and eschatologically.
Mat 24:40-41 “there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left” Many try to relate this to a secret rapture. However, the context implies blessing on some and judgment on others in the unexpected day the Lord returns. It is uncertain which group is blessed. Does “taken” or “left” refer to Noah and his family who were left alive after the Flood, or are those who meet the Lord in the air (Mat 24:31)? An OT example of some people being blessed and some people being judged is Noah’s flood (cf. Mat 24:39). In Luke the OT example of Sodom was used (cf. Luk 17:29). As a matter of fact, Mat 24:27 implied one physical, visible coming of the Lord! The only reason some want a secret rapture of believers first is to try to explain the dialectical tension in the NT documents between (1) the any moment return of the Lord and (2) the fact that some things must happen first.
Jesus gives several examples to denote the suddenness and unexpectedness of His return.
1. Noah’s flood, Mat 24:37-38
2. thief in the night, Mat 24:43
3. the master’s return, Mat 24:45-46
4. delayed bridegroom, Mat 25:5-6
5. possibly “lightning” in Mat 24:27
Believers’only option is to be ready at all times (cf. Mat 24:44; Mat 25:10; Mat 25:13)!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104. knoweth = has any intuitive knowledge. Greek. oida. The same word as in verses: Mat 24:42, Mat 24:43 (“known”); not the same as in verses: Mat 24:32, Mat 24:33, Mat 24:39, Mat 24:43 (“known”).
Father. App-98.
only = alone. Not the Lord as “the Son of man”, though surely as “the Son of God”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
36.] . ., viz. of heaven and earth passing away; or, perhaps referring to Mat 24:30 ff.
. . ., the exact time-as we say, the hour and minute. The very important addition to this verse in Mark, and in some ancient MSS. here (but see digest), , is indeed included in [] , but could hardly have been inferred from it, had it not been expressly stated: ch. Mat 20:23. All attempts to soften or explain away this weighty truth must be resisted; it will not do to say with some Commentators, nescit ea nobis, which, however well meant, is a mere evasion:-in the course of humiliation undertaken by the Son, in which He increased in wisdom (Luk 2:52), learned obedience (Heb 5:8), uttered desires in prayer (Luk 6:12, &c.),-this matter was hidden from Him: and as I have already remarked, this is carefully to be borne in mind, in explaining the prophecy before us.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 24:36. , but of that day) The Lord shows the time of the temple and the city in Mat 24:32-34; He denies in this verse that the day and hour of the world are known. The particle , but, implies a contrast: the pronouns , these, , this, refer to events close at hand; the pronoun , that, to that which is distant. If, however, the former time is defined with some latitude, THAT DAY and hour is much less definitely indicated here: and yet He does not speak of the day and hour without cause. A day is a whole; an hour is a part. The day is not necessarily unknown because the hour is: the time taken with somewhat greater latitude is not necessarily unknown because the day is. And that which was unknown when this discourse was delivered, might be revealed after the Ascension of the Lord and the Apocalypse given to St John; and as the sand by degrees glides away in the hour-glass of time,[1063] it may be known more nearly. Otherwise, the last day and the last hour would not even then be known when it actually arrives. Our Lord goes on to speak of the day in Mat 24:37-38, of the hour in Mat 24:42-43, and of both in Mat 24:50.-, angels) whose knowledge is otherwise great.- , of the heavens) The plural number.
[1063] In the original, clepsydra sensim elabente. The ancients measured time in the hour-glass, not by sand, but by water. I have given the corresponding idiom.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Chapter 72
Are you ready?
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Mat 24:36-51)
Our Lord Jesus admonishes us to make certain that we are prepared for his coming. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Are you ready for the Son of God to appear?
While this passage is speaking specifically of Christs glorious second advent, we must not look upon the things spoken in this passage as having no reference to any except those who happened to be living upon the earth when the Lord comes again. In fact, as we have already seen, these verses also apply to Christs coming in judgment to destroy Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Lord Jesus Christ comes upon men and women in judgment and in grace in many ways. He is said to come upon the wicked in judgment whenever he brings providential wrath upon them, as he did upon Sodom. He comes to his elect in grace in conversion. The Lord comes again for both the righteousness and the wicked in the hour of death. But, in this passage the Lord Jesus is talking about his glorious second advent.
Are you ready? Are you prepared to meet God? Soon you must meet the Lord God in judgment. When you do, he will judge you upon the grounds of absolute righteousness (Rev 20:11-12). Whatever state you are in then, you will be in forever (Rev 21:27; Rev 22:11). If you are righteous, you will be righteous forever. If you are saved, you will be saved forever. If you are wicked, you will be wicked forever. If you are lost, you will be lost forever! In these closing verses of Matthew 24 the Son of God urges us to make certain that we are indeed ready to meet him.
No One Knows
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Mat 24:36). Language could not be clearer. No one knows when Christ will come again. Yet, every few years, some religious fool predicts the time of our Lords coming, and multitudes are duped by them. Such predictions began as early as the apostolic era (2Th 2:1-5), and continue to this day; but the teachings of Scripture are specific and clear. No one knows when Christ will come again. Such knowledge God gives to no one (Act 1:6-7).
Usually, these imaginary prophets wrest this thirty-sixth verse from its obvious meaning, and say, Though we cannot know the day and hour of Christs coming, we can know the year, the month, and even the week. Then, by some intricate, elaborate scheme of days, numbers, and events linked together, they make a prediction, which always proves to be wrong. It only takes a little time for their folly to be demonstrated; but they never give up. No sooner is one date setter fallen than another rises to repeat his error.
Not even the angels of heaven have been informed about the hour of Christs second advent. We need not, wrote C. H. Spurgeon, therefore be troubled by idle prophecies of hair-brained fanatics, even if they claim to interpret the Scriptures; for what the angels do not know has not been revealed to them.
Even our Savior, while he walked on this earth in our nature, voluntarily limited his own capacity to know the time of his second advent (Mar 13:32). Surely, we ought to be content not to know what he chose not to know. It is enough for us to know that our Lord is coming again. Knowing that, let us be ready for him to appear at any moment, ever looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Jud 1:21).
No Change
Fallen man never changes. When the Lord Jesus comes again, the world will be in the same condition it is in now. That is what our Savior tells us in Mat 24:37-39.
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
The world will not be converted before Christ comes. It will be in the same condition it was in when God sent the flood: absorbed in worldly, sensual pursuits, oblivious to eternal, spiritual things, and despising the warnings of Gods faithful servants and the gospel of his grace. Therefore, judgment shall fall upon it (Pro 1:23-33).
Our Lord is not here declaring that marriage and its privileges are evil, any more that he is telling us that eating and drinking is evil. He is simply telling us that fallen man is completely absorbed with temporal things, living as if he had no soul to lose, no judgment to face, and no eternity before him. Yet, it must be stated that those things which are perfectly lawful in normal circumstances, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, become great evils and snares to our souls, if they keep us from seeking, knowing, and serving Christ (Mat 13:22). As Spurgeon stated, Woe unto those whose eating and drinking do not include the bread and the water of life; and who marry or are given in marriage, but not to the heavenly Bridegroom!
A Great Separation
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left (Mat 24:40-41). In that great day, when Christ comes again, there will be a great separation. The godly and the ungodly, the righteous and the wicked, the elect and the reprobate are mingled together in this world. In the church, in the factory, in the field, and in the family the children of God and the children of the devil are side by side. But it shall not always be so. When Christ comes again, there shall be a great separation made. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpets sound these two groups shall be forever separated. In that great and terrible day the divisions and separation of the godly from the ungodly will be decisive, immediate, and everlasting. Husbands and wives, mothers and children, brothers and sisters, pastors and their hearers shall be forever separated from one another.
There will be no time for repentance. There will be no opportunity for grace. As we are in that day, so we shall be forever! Believers shall be caught up to heaven, glory, honor, and eternal life. Unbelievers shall be snatched away and cast into hell, damnation, and eternal destruction and death. Let us therefore make our calling and election sure (2Pe 1:4-11; Jas 2:14-26). J. C. Ryle wrote
Blessed and happy are they who are of one heart in following Christ! Their union alone shall never be broken: it shall last for ever more. Who can imagine the happiness of those who are taken, when the Lord returns? Who can imagine the misery of those who are left behind? May we think on these things, and consider our ways!
Our Responsibility
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Mat 24:42-44).
It is our responsibility to be always watchful, ready for and anticipating the Lords coming. This is a point which our Master frequently presses upon us. He seldom mentions his second coming without urging us to be watchful. He knows the slothfulness of our nature. He knows how quickly we forget the most solemn things. He knows how worldly-minded we are by nature. He knows how constantly Satan seeks to destroy us, and with what cunning devices. Therefore, he arms us with heart-searching exhortations to be awake and alert, lest we be found at last among the damned (1Th 5:6; Rev 3:11).
We will be wise, like the spouse in the Song of Solomon (Mat 7:12), to rise up early, shake off all carnal security, determine not to be slothful and sluggish, and stand watchful over our souls, that we may be prepared at any moment to meet our Lord and Master. We do not know, we cannot even guess in what watch of the earths long night Christ will come. But we do know that he may come at any moment. Therefore, we ought to be as watchful as if we knew that Christ would come tonight, ever standing on the tip-toe of expectation, looking for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Tit 2:13).
The readiness and watchfulness our Lord commands in the prospect of his second coming, and to every mans departure out of life, whether it be by death or at the day of judgment, is being one with Christ, in union with him by grace, born again by his Spirit, washed in his blood, robed in his righteousness, and habitually ready in the lively exercise of faith and hope for the expectation of his coming. They and they only are ready who live by faith in Christ; and they are always ready. Whether their Lord comes at midnight or at the rising of the morning sun, they shall arise at the joyful call, and shall meet the Lord in the air, and shall be forever with the Lord. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing!
Oh, to be ready for his appearing, watching and waiting for him as servants whose Lord has been long away from them, and who may return at any hour! This will not make us neglect our daily calling; on the contrary, we shall be all the more diligent in attending to our earthly duties because our hearts are at rest about our heavenly treasures. (C.H. Spurgeon)
Are you ready? Are you ready now to meet the Son of God in judgment? What an awesome thought that is. Yet, it is a thought that I pray will never cease to rouse our hearts. Soon we must meet God in judgment. Are we ready? We are ready only if we are in Christ (1Co 1:30; Php 3:3-14).
Justly Rewarded
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mat 24:45-51).
In that great day, every faithful servant of God shall be publicly recognized, honored, and rewarded by Christ; and every false prophet shall be publicly exposed and damned. Our Lord gives us a brief description of his faithful servant in Mat 24:45-47. All are Gods servants, some willingly and others unwillingly; yet all are his servants. But he who is the true servant of Christ is faithful. And he shall be rewarded as a faithful servant. There are rewards for faithful service, both in this world and in the world to come. These are not rewards of debt, but of grace, not according to the rules of law, but of love. John Trapp said, Christ is a liberal pay-master, and his retributions are more than bountiful.
While there is no indication anywhere in Scripture that there are degrees of reward among the saints in heaven, we are encouraged to faithfulness by the promise of being rewarded by our God. As faithfulness honors God, so God honors faithfulness. In this world, faithfulness in one form of service is rewarded by greater opportunities of service. Faithfulness in small things is rewarded by greater responsibilities being given (Luk 19:17). In the world to come we shall inherit all the bounty of life everlasting and see the results of our faithfulness around the throne of our God. What more could we desire?
The unfaithful servant is also described (Mat 24:48-51). He says, My lord delayeth his coming, and abuses his fellow servants, beating them and putting them under the law. Rather than comforting them (Isa 40:1-2), he threatened and beat them. And he lives for pleasure, to the gratification of his lusts, rather than for the glory of God and the good of mens souls. Such people, the unbelieving and unfaithful, will be taken by surprise when Christ comes again (Mat 24:50), because they are not looking for him. And they shall be forever ruined (v.51). They pretend to be the servants of God, while serving Satan and themselves. Therefore, they shall justly have their portion with hypocrites in hell forever.
Let us live in this world as watchmen, as sentinels of an army in enemy territory, resolved by Gods grace never to be found asleep at our posts. Let us live as the servants of the Son of God, ever looking for our Masters immediate return. Let us make certain that we are in the faith (2Co 13:5).
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible
angels
(See Scofield “Heb 1:4”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Mat 24:42, Mat 24:44, Mat 25:13, Zec 14:7, Mar 13:32, Act 1:7, 1Th 5:2, 2Pe 3:10, Rev 3:3, Rev 16:15
Reciprocal: Mat 7:22 – to me 1Th 5:1 – the times 2Th 1:10 – in that 2Ti 1:12 – against 2Ti 4:8 – at that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4:36
From this verse through the end of the chapter the subject is the second coming of Christ and things that will take place in connection with it. At the time Jesus spoke these words no angel even, much less any man, knew when the end of the world was to come. My Father only might mean that not even Christ knew it, but I would not be too positive about that. The intimacy between the everlasting Father and Son would suggest the possibility of their having this knowledge in common. However, we are sure that no man knows of it, so that men who presume to predict the date must be regarded as false prophets of whom Jesus warned the disciples to beware.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
But of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
[No man knoweth, no, not the angels.] This is taken from Deu 32:34; “Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
THERE are verses in this passage which are often much misapplied. “The coming of the Son of man” is often spoken of as being the same thing as death. The texts which describe the uncertainty of His coming are often used in epitaphs, and thought suitable to the tomb. But there is really no solid ground for such an application of this passage. Death is one thing, and the coming of the Son of man is quite another. The subject of these verses is not death, but the second advent of Jesus Christ. Let us remember this. It is a serious thing to wrest Scripture out of its true meaning.
The first thing that demands our attention in these verses, is the awful account that they give of the state of the world, when the Lord Jesus comes again.
The world will not be converted when Christ returns. It will be found in the same condition that it was in the day of the flood. When the flood came, men were found “eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage,” absorbed in their worldly pursuits, and utterly regardless of Noah’s repeated warnings. They saw no likelihood of a flood. They would not believe there was any danger. But at last the flood came suddenly and “took them all away.” All that were not with Noah in the ark were drowned. They were all swept away to their last account, unpardoned, unconverted, and unprepared to meet God. And our Lord says, “so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Let us mark this text, and store it up in our minds. There are many strange opinions current on this subject, even among good men. Let us not flatter ourselves that the heathen will all be converted, and the earth filled with the knowledge of God, before the Lord comes. Let us not dream that the end of all things cannot be at hand, because there is yet much wickedness both in the Church and in the world. Such views receive a flat contradiction in the passage now before us. The days of Noah are the true type of the days when Christ shall return. Millions of professing Christians will be found thoughtless, unbelieving, Godless, Christless, worldly, and unfit to meet their Judge. Let us take heed that we are not found amongst them.
The second thing that demands our attention, is the awful separation that will take place, when the Lord Jesus comes again. We read twice over, that “one shall be taken and the other left.”
The godly and the ungodly, at present, are all mingled together. In the congregation and in the place of worship,-in the city and in the field,-the children of God, and the children of the world, are all side by side. But it shall not be so always. In the day of our Lord’s return, there shall at length be a complete division. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, each party shall be separated from the other for ever more. Wives shall be separated from husbands,-parents from children,-brothers from sisters,-masters from servants,-preachers from hearers. There shall be no time for parting words, or a change of mind, when the Lord appears. All shall be taken as they are, and reap according as they have sown. Believers shall be caught up to glory, honor, and eternal life. Unbelievers shall be left behind to shame and everlasting contempt. Blessed and happy are they who are of one heart in following Christ! Their union alone shall never be broken. It shall last for evermore. Who can describe the happiness of those who are taken, when the Lord returns? Who can imagine the misery of those who are left behind? May we think on these things and consider our ways.
The last thing that demands our attention in these verses, is the practical duty of watchfulness in the prospect of Christ’s second coming. “Watch,” says our Lord, “for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” “Be ye ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.”
This is a point which our blessed Master frequently presses upon our notice. We hardly ever find Him dwelling on the second advent without adding an injunction to “watch.” He knows the sleepiness of our nature. He knows how soon we forget the most solemn subjects in religion. He knows how unceasingly Satan labors to obscure the glorious doctrine of His coming again. He arms us with heart-searching exhortations to keep awake, if we would not be ruined for evermore. May we all have an ear to hear them.
True Christians ought to live like watchmen. The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. They should strive to be always on their guard. They should behave like the sentinel of an army in an enemy’s land. They should resolve by God’s grace not to sleep at their post. That text of Paul’s deserves many a thought: “let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1Th 5:6.)
True Christians ought to live like good servants, whose master is not at home. They should strive to be always ready for their master’s return. They should never give way to the feeling, “my Lord delayeth his coming.” They should seek to keep their hearts in such a frame, that whenever Christ appears, they may at once give Him a warm and loving reception. There is a vast depth in that saying, “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” We may well doubt whether we are true believers in Jesus, if we are not ready at any time to have our faith changed into sight.
Let us close the chapter with solemn feelings. The things we have just been reading call loudly for great searchings of heart. Let us seek to make sure that we are in Christ, and have an ark of safety when the day of wrath breaks on the world. Let us strive so to live that we may be pronounced “blessed” at the last, and not cast off for evermore. Not least, let us dismiss from our minds the common idea that unfulfilled prophecy is a speculative and not a practical thing. If the things we have been considering are not practical, there is no such thing as practical religion at all. Well might John say, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1Jn 3:3.)
Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
Mat 24:36. But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven. The best authorities add: neither the Son, as in Mar 13:32. This is implied also in the phrase: but the Father only. Christ did not know the day and hour of His future coming since Mat 24:37 shows that this is referred to. The explanations, that Christ did not know this officially, or the sense: did not choose to tell the disciples, are make-shifts. This seems to be a voluntary self-humiliation in knowledge, a part of Christs emptying of Himself (Php 2:8). Christ could, of course, not lay aside, in the incarnation the metaphysical attributes of His Divine nature, such as eternity, but He could, by an act of His will, limit His attributes of power and His knowledge and refrain from their use as far as it was necessary for His humiliation. His voluntarily not knowing, or sacred unwillingness to know, the day of judgment during the days of His flesh, is a warning against chronological curiosity and mathematical calculation in the exposition of Scripture prophecy. We cannot know more than Christ Himself chose to know in the state of His humiliation.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 24:36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, &c. I consider , hour, here, says Grotius, as denoting, not a part of a day, but a larger portion of time. So also Bishop Newton, who observes, It would seem improper to say, Of that day and hour knoweth no man; for if the day was not known, certainly the hour was not, and it was superfluous to make such an addition. I conceive, therefore, that the passage should be rendered, Of that day and season knoweth no man, as the word is frequently used in the best authors, both sacred and profane. It is true, our Saviour declares, All these things shall be fulfilled in this generation; it is true also, the Prophet Daniel hath given some intimation of the time in his famous prophecy of the 70 weeks; but though this great revolution was to happen toward the conclusion of 70 weeks, or 490 years, to be computed from a certain date that is not easy to be fixed; yet the particular day, the particular season in which it was to happen, might still remain a secret to men and angels: and our Lord had before, (Mat 24:20,) advised his disciples to pray, that their flight might not be in the winter, nor on the sabbath day; the day not being known, they were to pray that their flight might not be on the sabbath day; the season not being known, they were to pray that it might not be in the winter.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
24:36 {9} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
(9) It is sufficient for us to know that God has appointed a latter day for the restoring of all things; but when it will be is hidden from us all for our sake, so that we may be all the more watchful, so that we are not taken as those were taken in the flood years ago.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The certainty of fulfillment should not lead the disciples to conclude that they could predict the time of fulfillment exactly. Jesus explained that only the heavenly Father knew precisely when the Son would return (cf. Act 1:7).
"This verse becomes the main proposition which is developed from this point to Mat 25:30." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 280.]
Watchful preparation is necessary since no one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return. We do not know the year or the month either. The alternative would be living life as usual without regard to the King’s return. Jesus deliberately discouraged His disciples from setting dates.
Jesus’ self-confessed ignorance has created a problem for some readers. How could He be God and not know everything? The answer is part of the problem of God becoming man, the Incarnation. Jesus voluntarily limited Himself, and limitation of His knowledge was part of His humiliation (Luk 2:52; Php 2:7).
"John’s Gospel, the one of the four Gospels most clearly insisting on Jesus’ deity, also insists with equal vigor on Jesus’ dependence on and obedience to his Father-a dependence reaching even to his knowledge of the divine. How NT insistence on Jesus’ deity is to be combined with NT insistence on his ignorance and dependence is a matter of profound importance to the church; and attempts to jettison one truth for the sake of preserving the other must be avoided." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 508. For further discussion, see idem, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, pp. 146-60.]