Second Coming · The unknown day; watchfulness

Matthew 24:36-51

Jesus · ~30 AD · Status: Future · Confidence: 60%
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
King James Version · the opening — all 16 verses are below
More of Matthew 24 on this siteMatthew 24:2 · Matthew 24:3-14 · Matthew 24:15-22 · Matthew 24:23-31 · Matthew 24:32-35

Jesus declares the timing of His coming unknown and commands constant readiness, comparing the day to the suddenness of Noah's flood.

Read the whole passage — all 16 verses (KJV)

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

24:37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

24:38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

24:39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

24:40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

24:41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

24:42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

24:43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

24:44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

24:45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

24:46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

24:47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

24:48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

24:49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

24:50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

24:51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Fulfillment References

Luke 17:26-30 1 Thessalonians 5:2 2 Peter 3:10 Revelation 16:15

How Traditions Read This Prophecy

Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalApostolic believers stress practical holiness and Spirit-filled readiness (Acts 2:38-39), refusing date-setting and watching for the Lord.
JewishRabbinic tradition likewise discouraged calculating the 'end' (ketz); the timing of redemption is hidden with God alone.
CatholicAffirms the unknowable hour and the duty of vigilance; the Church warns against all date-setting for the Parousia.
ProtestantA central proof-text against predicting the date of Christ's return; emphasis falls on readiness, not calculation.
OrthodoxSober watchfulness (nepsis) is the proper response; the hour belongs to the Father, calling believers to constant repentance.
DispensationalThe suddenness applies especially to the rapture, which is imminent and signless for the Church, unlike the dated tribulation events.
AcademicScholars note the Q/Markan tradition pairing the Noah typology with exhortations to vigilance in early Christian expectation.

Scholarship & Sources

'Of that day and hour knoweth no man' (24:36) grounds the rejection of date-setting across all views; 'one shall be taken, and the other left' (24:40-41) is read of the rapture (futurist) or of AD 70's judgment-sweep (preterist).

Open the full interactive entry →
Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.