No Man Knows Which Day or Hour?

*revised with better graphics and easier reading.

Since this website (Elohim’s Perspective) has a section dedicated to end time information that specifically provides dates for end time events, it is prudent to address the well-known statement by Yeshua that is recorded in Matthew 24:36 and in Mark 13:32 (plus other scriptures). This article will explore how it is possible to know or closely know the dates for certain end time prophetic events while still upholding the words of Yeshua. 

Here is what these two scriptures say in the KJV:

Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Mark 13:32 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

There are other scriptures as well that reflect the same wording as the two verses mentioned above.

Matthew 24:42 “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doeth come.” 

Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” 

Luke 12:40 “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”

Matthew 24:42-51 and Luke 12:35-48 harken to the words of not knowing “that day” or “the hour” through lengthier teachings using the scenario of the Master (aka, the Good Man) being away from His home.  These verses carry a warning for the servants of the house; if they remain on alert all the time, they will be ready for the Master’s return.  These servants are referred to in verse 47 as the ones who know the Master’s will.  The warning continues and singles out the servants who believe the Master tarries (is delaying), and they stop focusing on His will.  They will be surprised when the Master does return, and they will not be ready.  In the end, these unwise servants will be punished for allowing themselves to stop focusing on the Master’s will.  

All these verses listed above are used to support the traditional understanding that man, the angels and even Yeshua do not know when the end time events are to take place.  They claim that Yeshua’s words in these verses are to be applied to the whole end time period which includes all the prophecies and end time events.  And thus, brethren are left in the dark about when events will happen and must consign themselves to living “in faith” as to when events are to happen in the end times. 

But is that correct?   

We need to understand what Yeshua meant when He spoke about no one knowing “that day” and “the hour”.  What does it specifically apply to, a period of years or a specific day and hour?  When we read the scriptures and understand the context, we clearly see He was referring to one certain day and one certain hour.  So, let’s find out how His words should be understood in this perspective.

“That day” and “the hour” happens AFTER the tribulation. 

Reading through the whole chapter of Matthew 24 (Mark 13 / Luke 21) the scriptures give an accounting of what Yeshua said to the disciples.  In all three accounts, Yeshua begins to answer the disciple’s questions, specifically the question, “…and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?”  In each account Yeshua itemizes many events that must occur before the ‘sign of His coming and the end of the world’.  This includes the tribulation events that begin with the abomination of desolation being set up.

However, Yeshua specifically says in Matthew 24:29 (and in Mark 13:24) that other events happen immediately AFTER the tribulation.  It is during this portion of His answer to the disciples that Yeshua mentions specific events such as the sun, moon and stars are darkened, and the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heaven… 

We will find out what that ‘it’ event is referring to in just a moment.

What does Yeshua mean with the usage of the terms; “that day” and “the hour”? 

The Greek word for “day” used in Matthew 24:36 is “hemera” Strong’s 2250.  The Hebrew word is “yom” Strong’s 3117.  Both the Greek and the Hebrew word for “day” can be used in the singular or plural based on the context of the sentence or surrounding dialogue.  That’s the key – the context surrounding the word. 

When we look at the context surrounding Matthew 24:36 (plus Mark and Luke), this verse begins as a new paragraph.  As soon as Yeshua says that no one will know “that day” or “the hour”, He immediately continues with the reference to the days of Noah.  The full paragraph includes Matthew 24:36-44.

Yeshua is drawing from the reference to Noah’s flood as the context concerning “that day” and “the hour” which no one knows, except “my Father only”. 

So, what is being said in these verses?  Take note of the wording that Yeshua uses in these verses.  He begins by saying “But as the days of Noah were…” and “For as in the days that were before the flood…” to have us recall the full story of Noah’s time.  But then in verse 38, He zeros in on something specific when He says, “until the day that Noah entered into the ark,” Note the singular usage of the word ‘day’.

Noah did not know what day he would enter into the ark with his family…he just knew that ‘it’ would happen shortly after he finished all the construction.  Even when that day arrived, Noah probably did not know that would be “the day”.  It was only in “the hour” when YHVH gave the command to enter into the ark, then Noah knew that was “the day”.  Through his obedience, he and his family were saved, while the rest of the world perished in the flood.  

And interestingly, Genesis 7:11 gives us the actual day when Noah and his family did enter the ark.  It is the seventeenth day of the second month.  But for Noah, he did not have foreknowledge that was to be “the day”.  Yeshua says this is what shall happen for us too. 

There is coming a specific day when “it” is at the door.  With the example of Noah, that day was a life changing event that brought about their salvation from the flood.  Applying “that day” to the end times, we can determine this to also mean salvation when Yeshua returns to Earth as our Saviour and King.   With this reference to Noah and the specific day he entered into the ark, it is becoming clearer that Yeshua is referring to an actual day. 

But prior to Yeshua’s return, we can be privy to all the other prophetic events – just as Noah was privy to timings while building the ark (Genesis 6:13-22).  The closer he came to the ark’s completion, the more he knew that the flood was coming.  Knowing prophecies becomes our ark building time. 

The timing of the prophetic events that Yeshua has listed in Matthew 24 are events we will know about because this is our ark building time.  To build something, requires knowledge and action.  But we are building this for the future event of Messiah Yeshua’s return.  What will become our end time ‘ark’ that we can enter into?  It will be the Kingdom ruled by our Messiah, Yeshua.  The door will be opened when He stands upon the Mount of Olives, and it cleaves (splits) into two parts (north and south) creating a pathway that is east to west leading to the Temple Mount.  From there, Messiah Yeshua will go forth to Armageddon and wipe out the army of the beast and the red dragon (anti-messiah and hasatan respectively).  According to Zechariah 12:1-14 / 13:1-9 / 14:4-8, this all happens on ONE DAY. 

Interestingly, the specifics about when Messiah Yeshua does actually descend and plants His feet on the earth is the one prophetic event that does not have any clues given about its specific time.  Many say He returns on the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), due to the scripture about the faithful rising up at the last trump to be with Him (1 Corinthians 15:52). 

But according to the research done for this website, Messiah Yeshua does NOT descend to the earth on Yom Teruah, but instead makes His headquarters in the clouds (see graphic below).  It is from His headquarters that He directs His Battle Plan and gives the commands for the final seals, trumpets, and woes to begin.  Then, it is only when He sets His feet upon this earth on “that day” we are not privy to know, that the command is given for the seven vials/bowls/plagues to be poured out.  As it was with Noah on the seventeenth day of the second month when he and his family entered the ark and life changed for them, so shall it be for us when Yeshua literally descends to the earth and destroys the evil tyranny that has attempted to rule this earth.  From that point onward, life changes for us, for we will be entering into Messiah, Yeshua’s Kingdom. This is the ‘it’ that Yeshua referred to as being near at the door.

Thus, it is the day Messiah, Yeshua plants His feet on the earth that remains unknown to us and known only by the Father. 

But take note of something…1 Corinthians 15:52 says “the last trump”.  When will that trumpet sound?  Each year, we observe the High Sabbaths and Festivals to help us know Elohim’s plan for mankind.  It is at Yom Kippur that the trumpets are blown for the final time of the year.  There is no command for trumpets to sound at Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).  This means that the faithful will rise to be with Yeshua on Yom Kippur after the last trumpet has sounded.  As is noted in the graphic below, the final seventh trumpet that is part of Yeshua’s Battle Plan sounds on Yom Kippur.

The reason for not knowing when “that day” or “the hour” is to happen.

But Yeshua’s return is the one portion of His Battle Plan that must remain secret to ensure success when Yeshua descends from the clouds to this earth to engage hasatan in the final battle at Armageddon. However, in Yeshua’s case, He is [part of] Elohim and thus He will win against hasatan no matter what.  So, there must be some other reason for the secrecy. We can only speculate at this point, but it could be out of necessity for the endurance of mankind (Elohim says we are only given what we can endure – 1 Corinthians 10:13).  

Not knowing when Yeshua will set foot on this earth to wage war keeps hasatan off balance and removes his focus from a full-on attack of the faithful upon the earth.  This way, hasatan’s attack will not be beyond endurance for mankind.

So, by keeping us in the dark about “that day” and “the hour”, we cannot give away valuable intel which hasatan could use against us. Yeshua has purposely done this to bless us and keep us from hasatan and evil.

The Importance of Understanding Yeshua’s Battle Plan

It is very important that we understand the prophecies related to the three sections of end time events; those that pertain to events prior to the tribulation, those that pertain to events during the tribulation and those that pertain to events after the tribulation.  These prophecies are part of a grand battle plan which Yeshua is executing from His headquarters in heaven.  Through prophecy, we are told a great many of the battle tactics that will be unleashed, but our Father is keeping one tactic unknown – for our protection and to keep hasatan in the dark.   As noted in the graphic below, we are given the information about the specific day when Yeshua moves His headquarters into the clouds above the earth and continues the ongoing tactics of His battle plan (Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets). The multiple tactics of His plan involves the seals, trumpets, woes and plagues, some of which were deployed during the tribulation, but the majority will be unleashed after He arrives in the clouds on Yom Teruah which is just after the completion of the 1290 days of the tribulation.  His battle plan involves overwhelming the dragon, the beast and the false prophet and all those allied with them.

But Yeshua has not descended to the earth yet.  Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets is the sign that He is coming, but we just won’t know the actual day when He plants His feet on the earth.  That is why the graphic depicts His descent to the Mount of Olives with a question mark during the Ten Days of Awe (segment with bold black border with Armageddon).  Could ‘it’ (His return) be on the 9th day or another day within the Ten Days of Awe?

The graphic above (slide 4) details the sequence of Yeshua’s Battle Plan beginning with Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) on September 7/8, 2040.  This begins the Ten Days of Awe (yellow arrow banner). 

The Graphic below (slide 5) details the completion of the sequences of Yeshua’s Battle Plan that ends with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and ends the Ten Days of Awe.

To know how these days are determined, please check out the “End Time Timeline” on this website.  But take note that these days are speculation and only with prophetic confirmation will they be deemed accurate.

Messiah Yeshua also mentioned another timing point – “the hour”. What did He mean when He said that?

The word in Greek is “hora” G5610 with the meaning related to one of the twelve portions of the day from sunrise to sunset as well as referring to seasons.  The word in Hebrew is “sa a” H 8160 and means the moment.  What is interesting is its root word (H8159) that means to ‘look’, to ‘regard’.  ‘Looking’ or ‘regarding’ may well be what Yeshua intended for us to understand when He spoke about “the hour”.   He wants us to look and see His feet touch the Mount of Olives because that will be a very specific moment in time and then we will know this is “that day” He talked about which no one knows.  Then utilizing the Greek definition about one of the twelve daylight portions of time, we can surmise that Yeshua will set His feet on the Mount of Olives during the daytime.

We should stop and ponder something about the “hour” aspect of what Yeshua said.  It was alluded to earlier about Noah entering the ark.  When a day begins, it does so as it always has and we begin each day in our usual fashion.  However, when an event happens, we are made aware of that event by the hour that it occurs.  Then we are aware that it happened within that day.  It is “the hour” that triggers the understanding about which “day” becomes the day the world changes – and that is what will happen with events that occur after the tribulation – as Yeshua says.

To Whom Does Yeshua Speak To About “that day” And “the hour”?

Yeshua is speaking to His disciples, but He is also concentrating His information toward the people whom Messiah Yeshua is delivering from evil – those who are of His house onward into the future.  Yeshua points out in Matthew 24:43 that if we know the hour when the thief is to enter the house, then we (as the goodman of the house) will be awake and ready for him. Verse 44 ends the paragraph about being watchful with the statement, “Therefore be ye also ready, “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”   Since we don’t know the hour when the thief should enter, we have an even greater commission to remain awake and watchful all the time. 

Understanding The Thief in The Night.

Many people use the scriptures about the Master coming as a thief in the night as another reason that we are not to set dates, since a thief does not announce his arrival.

The scriptures pertaining to this include:

• Matthew 24:43

• Luke 12:39

• 1 Thessalonians 5:2

• 1 Thessalonians 5:4

• 2 Peter 3:10

• Revelation 3:3

• Revelation 16:15

However, once these verses are read it becomes clear that the focus is on the individual who is waiting in anticipation of the thief and how that individual reacts. A thief comes at an unexpected time or not at all, but when he does, what is the waiting individual doing? Is he asleep and unprepared so he gets robbed?  Or is he awake and vigilant, protecting his house?  Revelation 16:15 encapsulates the purpose of this teaching; “Behold, I (Yeshua) come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Take notice of one point in Revelation 16:15 that Yeshua makes. Why does He say that if we watch, we keep our garments and won’t be forced to walk naked in public? Yeshua is referring to the night watchman in the tabernacle/temple, who is the priest charged with the care of the altar fire through the night. It is his job to keep the embers lit so the altar fire does not go cold.  Then, when the High Priest enters the tabernacle/temple and finds the altar cold and the night watchman priest asleep, he causes the priest’s garments to be set on fire which quickly wakes him up to hurriedly remove the burning garments from his body. He then must walk home through the camp without any clothes that reveals some singed or burned skin and is thus shamed. Alternatively, if the night watchman priest was awake throughout the night and tended to the altar, the high priest would arrive in the morning to find the altar fire lit and would say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Can you see the parallel to what we are to do right now?  In Revelation 16:15, Yeshua is the One Who connects the end times to this event with the nightly altar vigil.  We are the night watchmen priests who are tasked with keeping the altar fire lit. We cannot sleep at this time.  We must remain watchful otherwise we will become naked, burned and shamed or like the homeowner who is robbed.

It must be noted that the time when the High Priest arrives each morning is at a specific set time. He must arrive at a specific time in order to set the events for the day in motion that must be done at set times. For instance, the morning and evening sacrifices must be done at specific times each day. The night watchman priest knows that when it is morning, the High Priest will arrive, which clearly indicates that the High Priest is not actually coming as a thief in the night. That only happens should the night watchman priest fall asleep. That is what Yeshua refers to in Revelation 16:15 that if we are not watchful, then He will be returning as a thief in the night. But if we are watchful, His return will be anticipated – for we will be seeing the sign of the coming of the Son of man and know that ‘it’ is near.

Does being watchful require us to determine prophetic dates? The answer is yes!

So many of the prophecies recorded in the scriptures involve timing points such as in Daniel 12 with the numerical prophecies of the 1290 days and the 1335 days. There are more numerical prophecies that involve 1260 days; 2300 evenings and mornings; time, times and half a time; 42 months; 70 weeks/years. Why would our Elohim give us these prophetic numerical timing points and the many clues associated with these timing points?  It is Their desire that we know what is going to happen throughout the course of the end times, so we are not caught unawares like a sleeping night watchman priest.  Staying aware sets us a-part from the five foolish virgins, who know that the end times events are happening but do not know the details.  To harken to an earlier point, they have not been busy with building their ark.  Thus, their lamps do not have sufficient oil and they must search for some.  Meanwhile, those who do know the details are like the five wise virgins who have sufficient oil in their lamps – because they knew how long events would happen and made sure to have the extra oil.  They can be called wise builders.

For instance, Daniel 9 is very detailed with timing points in the prophecy of the 70 weeks/years. The angel Gabriel gave many clues to Daniel about what to look for to know when the prophecy starts. He says to watch for a decree to rebuild Jerusalem with plaza and moat as this event will trigger the start of the prophecy. That was done in ancient times, but this is a prophecy that is meant also for our day and time (Daniel is told to seal up the scroll until the end times, Daniel 12:4).  

Did you know this decree was fulfilled just after the Six Day War in June, 1967?  There was a flurry of construction immediately after the end of the war.  The Israeli leaders decreed that the formerly Arab controlled Old City of Jerusalem that (until then) required its citizens to draw water from wells should swiftly have its plumbing connected to the water system of the rest of the city? And that the decree also required the building of a plaza at the Kotel (Western Wal) large enough to hold thousands of worshippers?  That is the moat and plaza which Gabriel gave as one of the clues for the end time version of the Daniel 9 prophecy.  That war and its decree triggered the start of the 70 weeks/years prophecy.

And there is further confirmation. Gabriel also separated the 70 weeks/years into segments of 7 weeks/years; 62 weeks/years and a final one week/year. He did this to be a clue we must watch for and use as a confirmation that we are definitely within the 70 weeks/years prophecy. Since Gabriel mentions 7 weeks/years first, therefore, we must look for something significant to have happened 7 weeks/years after 1967. Well, something significant did happen – the Yom Kippur War in 1973. This marked the 7 week/year portion of the Daniel 9 prophecy and thus means we are in the midst of the 62 week/year portion of the prophecy.

Having these two confirmations (two or more witnesses to make a matter known) gives us the confidence to know that the Daniel 9 prophecy is active right now and we can use this with certainty to look forward to when the final 70th week/year (aka the final one week/year – Daniel 9:27) will be.  With some simple calculations, that week/year is from Shavuot 2036 to Shavuot 2037. What transpires in this final one week/year of Daniel’s prophecy?  As verse 27 states, in the midst of that final one week/year the sacrifices are stopped, and the oblations cease, and an abomination is set up, (plus other events). This is the trigger for the 3 ½ years of tribulation or more specifically the tribulation period of 1290 days as per Daniel 12:8, 12. 

Can we know the actual day “in the midst of the [final one] week” when we will witness the trigger for the start of the tribulation?  Yes!  Yeshua Himself gave us the clue to help us figure out that date. In Matthew 24:15-20 and Mark 13:14-18, He spoke about the abomination being set up and those in Judea needing to flee “not on a Sabbath or in the winter”. This is a Hebrew antiphrasis* that means we are to understand they WILL flee on a Sabbath and in the winter. Thus, as we check the calendar for a special Sabbath to occur prior to the Spring equinox in the Shavuot year of 2036/2037, we can extrapolate a date when the sacrifices are stopped. The one date that fits Yeshua’s clues is Purim, February 28/March 1, 2037 (a Sabbath and in winter).  This falls in the midst of the week, which officially ends on Shavuot, May 24/25, 2037.  From the Purim date in 2037 we can count forward 1290 days to September 7/8, 2040 – which happens to be Tishri 1, the high Sabbath of Yom Teruah (Rosh haShahnah) or the Feast of Trumpets. That’s when Matthew 24:29-31 occurs, and we see Yeshua return in the clouds. Then sometime in the ten-day window between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur (the Ten Days of Awe), will be when Yeshua actually does set His feet on the Mount of Olives. This is the period of time that Yeshua refers to in Matthew 24:36 as the time when no man or angel will know the day or the hour of His actual return.

*Antiphrasis is the rhetorical device of saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that it is obvious what the true intention is.

In summary:

It has been determined within this article that the widely accepted theological understanding about not knowing “that day” or “the hour” being applied to the whole tribulation events is not a true interpretation of the scriptures.  This incorrect interpretation has caused much uncertainty among the brethren, who have been taught that the only course of action is to try to live by faith in order to be accountable.  As we have found out, this approach does not present the proper understanding of what Yeshua said.

From what we have decerned of the scriptures noted in this article, we understand that Yeshua’s statement about not knowing “that day” and “the hour” is specific to one event that happens sometime AFTER the 1290 days of the tribulation. That event involves the “hour” when Yeshua’s feet touch down onto the Mount of Olives.  Right now, only Abba (Father) knows when Yeshua will touch down upon the earth as our Saviour and Messiah, but when IT happens, then we too will know “that day” and “the hour”.

Meanwhile, we can know the times and dates of the events that occur separate from Yeshua’s ultimate return to Earth.  That is why we are given clues within the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Obediah, Malachi as well as Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 12.  In these accounts, Yeshua Himself was giving us timing clues we can use to calculate the end time events.  So, living by faith is a noble and righteous endeavour but we are being given so much more to help us be ready.  How do you think the five wise virgins knew to have enough oil for their lamps?  They knew the timing clues given in the scriptures. 

From this point onward, build your ark, store enough oil in your lamps, be prepared. 

Let this mind be in you that is in Messiah, Yeshua.