Most Christians who read and study the bible know that to be properly understood a verse must not be interpreted out of context, or error can result. There is one verse concerning the end-times and Jesus’s return that I hear at least once per week pulled entirely out of context. It’s Matthew 24:36:“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” This verse is typically quoted to counter any attempt to scripturally discern the timing or season of Jesus’s second coming. The context of this verse is the entirety of Jesus’ Olivet discourse. This discourse is Jesus teaching His apostles all the eschatological events surrounding His return detailed in Chapter 24, followed by parabolic teaching in chapter 25. In the above verse, Jesus is simply stating that at that time, 2000 years ago in 30 AD, no one had yet determined the season of His return. But in context, He is giving us virtually everything we need to know so that we will be ready, prepared, and fully conscious of these conditions 2000 years into the future when He is about to return. Jesus said, in other words, no one other than the Father currently knows the time, but here are all the things to look for so that you will be able to know the timing before I return to set up My kingdom. It simply wouldn’t make any sense for Jesus to give us all these eschatological signs, and then imply that you should ignore them because no one can know the day or hour anyway. The word “knows” in the quoted verse is a past tense Greek verb eido which means “see” or perceive. You might use it to say, oh, I see. Its usage implies that no one had yet perceived or discerned the time of the coming kingdom when Jesus taught this. In no way does that indicate that 2000 years later no one would be able to determine the time. Even Jesus in His humanity didn’t know the timing of His coming when He taught the disciples. Do you think for a minute that He doesn’t know now 2000 years later sitting at the right hand of His Father in His glorified body? Of course He does, and He expects us, His followers, to discern the time as well especially as we see the signs He told us to watch for unfold. Don’t be swayed by those who use “proof texts” taken out of context.
Please, when considering this verse in Matthew also consider the context. In subsequent posts, I’m going to give you some concrete reasons why we need to get ready by discerning the time of Jesus’s second coming. And they are all evident in Jesus’ Olivet discourse. Context is of great importance.
Maranatha, Jim
Very well said…easy to understand