Matthew 24:36 - No one knows about that day and hour (1st century imminence?)

Matthew 24:36 (1st century imminence?)


Matthew 24:35 - Heaven and earth will pass away (1st century imminence & fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:36

Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:33 - When the time is (1st century imminence & historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:37-39 - Just as the days of Noah & the flood (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29 - Just as the days of Lot & Sodom it rained fire (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:36: "“But no-one knows about that day and hour — not-even the angels (in) the heavens, nor the Son — except the Father alone."

The same Greek words that are used in the various passages will be CAPITALIZED.

That day and hour... in which the Son of Man is coming?

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: "But no-one KNOWS about that DAY and HOUR".

When Jesus said no one knows "that DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36), He may have referred specifically to that day and hour when there will be "THE COMING (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:37). 

Jesus explained in the very next verse what He meant by "that DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36) using the conjunction "FOR", saying: "FOR just-as the days (of) Noah (were), so will-be THE COMING (of) the Son (of) Man" (Matthew 24:37). Jesus would have referred to "that DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36) in which there would be His "COMING" (Matthew 24:37).

Jesus even further clarified 5 verses later, saying: "you-do not KNOW (on) which DAY your Lord IS-COMING" (Matthew 24:42).

And again 2 verses later: "the Son (of) Man IS-COMING (at an) HOUR which you-do not expect" (Matthew 24:44).

And again 6 verses later: "the lord (of) that slave WILL-COME on (a) DAY which he-does not expect, and at (an) HOUR which he-does not KNOW" (Matthew 24:50).

The same Greek words for "THE SON (of) MAN IS-COMING" (Matthew 24:44) are used earlier in Matthew 24:30 in which it is written about "THE SON (of) MAN COMING on the clouds" (Matthew 24:30). 


Not even the angels nor the Son know, but the Father alone?

Link between Matthew 24:36 and the sending in Matthew 24:30-31:

There seems to be a link between that day and hour that not even the angels in the heavens and the Son knows (in Matthew 24:36) and the coming described where the Son sends the angels (in Matthew 24:30-31). 

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: "But no-one knows about that day and hour — not-even the ANGELS (in) the HEAVENS, nor the SON — except the Father alone".

1) Jesus used SIMILAR WORDS 6 verses earlier when He talked about His coming in Matthew 24:30-31 where He sends the angels, saying: "the SON (of) man coming on the clouds (of) HEAVEN with power and great glory. And He-will-send-out His ANGELS". 

2) The Greek word for "ANGELS" [aggelos 32 in Greek] is only used 2 times in Matthew 24: only in those 2 passages (Matthew 24:30-31 & Matthew 24:36). 

Based on these links, there might be something to the fact that the angels in the heavens DO NOT KNOW THE DAY AND HOUR... and the fact that they are described as being SENT

Both the angels & the Son are sent:

Both the ANGELS and the SON are actually described as being sent out by someone else... and that someone else would ultimately be the FATHER

1) In Matthew 24:30-31, the SON is said to be coming on the clouds of HEAVEN, and "HE-WILL-SEND-OUT His ANGELS" (Matthew 24:31).

2) In Acts 3, it is written about the Lord (the Father), and that He may send out the SON, as it is written: "times (of) refreshing may-come from (the) presence (of) the Lord, and HE-MAY-SEND-OUT the CHRIST" (Acts 3:21).

Could the reason why the angels and the Son do not know the hour (except the Father alone) BECAUSE the FATHER is the One Who is deciding ultimately when HE SENDS THEM out?


No one knows about that day and hour... specifically or also generally?

Specific versus general timing before:

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: "But no-one KNOWS about that DAY and HOUR".

Jesus indicated here that the SPECIFIC "DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36) could not be KNOWN

Jesus did not mention in that particular verse the GENERAL timing before that SPECIFIC timing happens, but only that the SPECIFIC day and hour us not known by the angels nor the Son. 

This can explain why Jesus spoke about the general "days" before the specific "day":

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 that "no-one KNOWS about that DAY", in the SINGULAR, referring to a SPECIFIC day. 

However, Jesus then went on in the very next verses in this passage to describe the GENERAL DAYS (in the PLURAL) BEFORE that specific day. 

Jesus said in the very next verses in Matthew 24:37-39: "For just-as the DAYS (of) Noah (were), so will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man. For as in those DAYS before the flood they-were eating and drinking, marrying and giving-in-marriage, until which DAY Noah entered into the ark, and did not KNOW until the flood came". 

Jesus said that "no-one KNOWS about that DAY" (Matthew 24:36) and in the next verses may have contrasted this with "the DAYS" (Matthew 24:37) of Noah that people would have known, but the specific "DAY Noah entered into the ark" (Matthew 24:38) the people "did not KNOW" (Matthew 24:39).

This may suggest that the DAYS in GENERAL BEFORE that SPECIFIC DAY may be KNOWN, as "they-were eating and drinking, marrying and giving-in-marriage" (Matthew 24:38), but one would not know when that SPECIFIC DAY itself comes.  


1st century audience and imminence of the coming?

Jesus talked to His 1st century disciples in Matthew 24:36 about "that DAY and HOUR".

The expression "that DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36) would have referred to that DAY and HOUR in which there would be His "COMING" (Matthew 24:37), as Jesus explained in the very next verse what He meant by "that DAY and HOUR" (Matthew 24:36) using the conjunction "FOR", saying: "FOR just-as the days (of) Noah (were), so will-be THE COMING [parousia 3952 in Greek] (of) THE SON (of) MAN" (Matthew 24:37).

This specific Greek word for "COMING" [parousia 3952 in Greek] was only used 1 time earlier in Matthew 24 as it was written about "THE COMING [parousia 3952 in Greek] (of) THE SON (of) MAN" (Matthew 24:27).

Jesus would have specified the GENERAL TIMING IN WHICH this would happen (while leaving the SPECIFIC DATE out of it), saying a few verses later to His 1st century disciples that "when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that (it) is NEAR, at (the) doors. Truly I-say (to) YOU that THIS GENERATION by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place" (Matthew 24:33-34).

For more information:
Matthew 24:27 - Coming like the lightning (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:34 - This generation will not pass away (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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