Gospel Testimonies

What Does "No One Knows the Day or Hour" Mean?

By Xinjie

The four blood moons have appeared, and disasters such as earthquakes, famine, and epidemics are increasingly common. The prophecies of the Lord's return have basically been fulfilled, and some have openly testified online that He has already come. Some brothers and sisters are puzzled, as it is clearly written in the Bible: "But of that day and hour knows no man, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36). How can they know that the Lord has returned? Has He really come back? What should we do to be able to welcome Him? Let's fellowship together on this very question.

"No One Knows the Day or the Hour"—What Does This Mean?

Some brothers and sisters believe, based on this Bible verse, "But of that day and hour knows no man," that when the Lord does return, no one will know. This is why none of them give any credence or consideration to claims from people spreading news of the Lord's return. Is this really a correct understanding, or not? Is it in line with the Lord's will? The Lord Jesus once prophesied, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him" (Matthew 25:6). "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). We can see from these lines of scripture that after the Lord returns in the last days, He will knock on our door with His words, and will even have us come out and greet Him through a human cry of, "the bridegroom comes." As there are people who call out to us the news of the Lord's return, this shows that when He has come, He will certainly let people know. Clearly, understanding "But of that day and hour knows no man" as no one learning of the Lord's coming after it occurs is completely erroneous.

So how exactly should we interpret this passage of scripture? We can link these verses together: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knows no man, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:32–36). "Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes" (Matthew 24:44). And Revelation 3:3 says, "If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you." These passages use omens of the Lord's return to tell us. They mention that "the Son of man comes" and "as a thief." The "Son of man" indeed refers to God incarnate; the spiritual body cannot be called the Son of man. Only someone like the Lord Jesus—God's Spirit clothed in flesh, that has come among humans to do very practical work, that possesses normal humanity—can be called the Son of man. "As a thief" means coming stealthily and in secret. From this it is evident that the Lord's return involves descending secretly in the flesh as the Son of man. Given that He descends in secret, we will not perceive Him easily, because the day and the hour God appears as flesh incarnate is unknown to all. That is, "But of that day and hour knows no man," means that no one knows the exact time of the Lord's return. However, after He has come to speak and do work, there will definitely be some people who know of it, and this is when we should wake up. When we hear people spreading the gospel of the Lord's return, we should seek and investigate; only then can we welcome the Lord and sup with Him. However, right now, not only are we not awake, but we don't go to seek or investigate when we hear others spread the news of the Lord's return. As such, have we not misunderstood the Lord's will? Let us read a couple more passages of God's words, and we will gain an understanding of these passages of scripture.