Matthew 24:36-51
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only... Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
King James Version
Jesus declares the timing of His coming unknown and commands constant readiness, comparing the day to the suddenness of Noah's flood.
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).
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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, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.