#56 – If our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God, why did he say that angels nor the Son, but only the Father knew when the second coming of the Son would be as declared in Matt. 24:36? This is the text from :
- “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (King James Version)
- “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (NKJV)
- “But that day and hour none one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”(Mark 13:32, NKJV)
There is an asterisk (*) after the word heaven in some versions, a signal for a reader to look at the footnote. In the footnote, it says that NU adds “nor the Son”. The footnote reads like this: “NU – the eclectic Greek text in the twenty-sixth edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (N) and in the third edition of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (U).”
Answer:
Because Christ himself states that the Son does not know when he was coming the second time, some Bible students conclude that Christ is not God because God should know all things. And since he did not know the date of his second coming, the conclusion is that he is NOT God. This kind of conclusion is wrong so we submit our explanation below.
The problem here is that when the claim is made that Christ is God, other people bring out the truth that Christ is man. As if Christ cannot be God and at the same time exist in the form of Man. That Christ is God who became man is clear in John 1:1-14. Christ is God who became flesh. Therefore, the safer conclusion is that Christ was God who became flesh from year 1 A.D. to 33 A.D..
In 1 Cor. 10:1-2, Christ became Rock during the 40 year wilderness exodus of about 2 million Israelites.
It is also possible that the Yahweh God who appeared with 2 angels in Genesis 18:1-5 was Christ. That appearance with Abraham is described as “man”. John 8:56-58 tells us that before Abraham was born, Christ already existed.
A cherub, an angelic spiritual being, who rebelled against Yahweh became a snake of flesh and bones and appeared to Adam and Eve at the Garden of Eden. Read Genesis 3; Isaiah 14: 12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-17.
If the spirit being Satan did become flesh and bones snake so that he could deceive Adam and Eve (this we readily accept), we should believe that Christ, the second person in the Godhead, can become flesh and blood so that He could rescue the descendants of Adam and Eve.
To overcome the seeming problem of Matt. 24:36, take the following steps:
1. Know that Christ, the second person in the Godhead, existed before the year 1 A.D. He was with the Father before the world was created – John 17:1-5. He was loved by the Father before the foundation of the world according to John 17:24.
2. Know that Christ existed as a spiritual being higher than angels and is the Creator of all that are invisible and visible persons like angels and the material universe according to Colossians 1:15-16; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:10.
3. Know that Christ existed before Abraham was born – John 8:56-58.
4. Know that Christ is possibly the Yahweh who appeared as man to Abraham in Genesis 18.
5. Know that Christ became the Rock that supplied water in the wilderness exodus – 1Cor. 10:1-2.
6. Know that Christ has been very active from eternity says Micah 5:2 which is suggested by the verbal “goings forth” that means plural activities.
7. Know that this spirit being, who is called the Word in John 1:1-3, descended from heaven and indwelt a human body according to Hebrews 10:5; John 1:14 and Colossians 2:9.
8. Know that there were times he spoke as God or Deity like John 17:5 where He says, he was with God before the world was created.
9. Know that there were times he spoke as Man like John 8:40.
10. Therefore, we should accept that Christ is true God and true Man.
11. Granting that Jesus Christ indeed said “the Son” does not know the date of the Second Coming, surely he was referring to His humanity because humanity is limited. Besides, the context of 24:36 is talking about being alert, being watchful. After teaching watchfulness, up to the end, to be consistent he had to refrain from revealing when that moment of the end would be. Kasi makulit ang mga alagad. Sinabi na ngang be watchful pinipilit pa rin na sabihin na kung kailan.
12. Know that when Christ spoke as Deity, the disciples recognized that He was God who knows all things like in John 21:17 – “Lord, You know all things.”
Matt. 9:4 – “But Jesus knowing their thoughts . . .”
Matt.12:25 – “But Jesus knew their thoughts. . .”
Luke 6:8 – “But He know their thoughts. . .”
Luke 11:17- “But He knowing their thoughts . . .;
John 7:29 – “But I know Him for I am from Him, and He sent Me.” Christ knows the God the Father.
John 18:4 – “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward . . .”
John 19:28 – “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst.’”
Conclusion: In the context of Matthew 24, clearly Christ employed His humanity in saying that the Son of Man did not know the day and hour. It was a method of evasion to be consistent with His preaching that disciples must be watchful up to the end. This verse should not be used to deny Christ’s deity. Isang supalpal sa kakulitan ng mga alagad ang pagsagot Niya sa Mateo 24:36. Ganyan na naman sa Acts 1:6-7, Christ told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem and be ready for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Makulit na naman ang mga alagad by asking, “Lord, will you now restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Sinabi, “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.’” – ET