No One Knows the Day nor the Hour
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. (Mark 12:33–34, NIV)
Jesus spoke about the end of the world and his return in glory. He gave his disciples a very important warning.
This doesn’t mean that Jesus doesn’t know the time of his second coming at present. What he meant was that in his incarnational humanity, the Father had not revealed it to him at the time when he spoke these words. Today, the Son who sits at the right hand of the Father on the throne of heaven certainly knows when he will return.
When Jesus says that his going away will be like a man who leaves his house and assigns a servant at the door to keep watch, the purpose of the man at the door wasn’t to keep watching to see when the master would return. His task was to stand at the door to watch in order to protect the house and its contents from thieves and from damage. Jesus is telling us that the most important task that we have until he returns is to look after his house.
However, the most important thing that Jesus is warning us about here is about time-setting.
After his resurrection, Jesus said to his followers:
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)
Reflection: Even when you cannot know them, are you willing to fully trust Jesus with the times and seasons of your life?
Article supplied with thanks to Dr Eliezer Gonzalez.
About the Author: Dr Eli Gonzalez is the Senior Pastor of Good News Unlimited and the presenter of the Unlimited radio spots, and The Big Question. Sign up to his free online course called Becoming a Follower of Jesus to learn about Jesus and His message.
Feature image: Photo by Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash
