But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Parallel translations
- KJV But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
- BSB No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
- NKJV “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
- NASB “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
- NLT “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one knows the day or hour, not even the angels or the Son, but the Father alone. The timing of the end is hidden by God's design.
Overview
Jesus deliberately withholds the date of his coming, redirecting attention from speculation to readiness. In his earthly mission the Son willingly submitted to the Father's plan, not exercising independent knowledge of the appointed hour. This rebukes all attempts to predict the day and humbles human curiosity. The unknown timing is meant to keep every generation watchful.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Mark 13:32But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
- Acts 1:7He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.
- Matt 24:44Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
- 2 Pet 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
- 1 Th 5:2For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
- Matt 24:42Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
- Rev 16:15“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.”
- Matt 25:13Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
- Rev 3:3Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
- Zech 14:7It will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh; not day, and not night; but it will come to pass, that at evening time there will be light.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 24:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.