The Unknown Hour

The Unknown Hour

Matthew 24:36-51

v.36 Jesus focus shifts somewhat in this section from the signs of His coming to a warning to be prepared when He arrives. The phrase “that day” in verse 36 speaks of the coming judgment upon the earth. The disciples wanted to know exactly when that day would be (3). Here Jesus tells us that he would not tell them the day and hour of His return. In Acts 1:7 He told them the same thing saying “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons…” Jesus even says that the angels do not know the time of His return. Despite the fact that they are in the continual presence of the Father and they have an important role in the return of Christ (25:31), they do not know when it will be. We can be assured that they look forward to the day. Just as they were standing ready to deliver Jesus from His executioners if He had bid them, they stand ready even now to execute God’s plan in history. But they do not know when that day will be, neither do any of the saints in heaven or on earth.

Mark 13:32 tells us that not even the Son of God knows the hour of His return. That has been a hard concept for many to get their minds around. And it has been misunderstood as well. Let’s try and explain it. From Scripture we know that Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14). We know that God is omniscient, that is, He knows everything. So how can Jesus be God if He does not know everything? That is a legitimate question. Let us consider some other things as well. Jesus got tired, God doesn’t get tired. Jesus got hungry, God doesn’t get hungry. Jesus died, God doesn’t die? So how can Jesus be God when He obviously had limitations?

The answer is found in understanding the incarnation. That is the doctrine of God becoming man and it is one of the most important doctrines in Christianity. If we look at Philippians 2:6-8 we see those verses teach that the eternal God voluntarily took upon Himself human flesh. He continued to be God but He also became a man. In order for Him to be a man there had to be the limitations of humanity placed upon Him. Christ voluntarily limited His knowledge in the incarnation. We do know from many places in Scripture that Jesus had supernatural knowledge (John 2:24). The particular knowledge of His return was one that he momentarily and voluntarily laid aside in order to experience what it was like to be human. We should not think that Christ does not know the day or hour now, as His limitations have been cast away in His ascension to the right hand of the Father. Just as He no longer gets tired, thirsty, hungry, feels pain or dies, He no longer has a limitation on His knowledge.

v.37-39 Jesus compares His coming with the judgment God exercised in the days of Noah. Jesus hearers would have known the story well. God’s judgment came suddenly upon that generation. The people were living their lives with no fear of God. They “ate, drank, and married”. These are things that are necessary to sustain and continue generations, not necessarily sinful. The point is that they were just living their lives without thinking about God at all. Genesis 6 reveals the depths of their sinfulness. Their greatest sin however was that they did not make God their priority. Luke has emphasized this in his gospel frequently (14:26, 12:21, 34, 9:57-62).

The lives of Noah’s generation came to an abrupt halt once Noah entered the Ark. God’s judgment was poured out upon the world in the form of the flood. Notice it says it destroyed them all. Jesus did not sugarcoat the reality of God’s judgment. He certainly believed in the story of Noah’s ark and a universal flood brought on by the sinfulness of man, unlike many liberal scholars and scoffers of today.

V.40-41 Jesus mentions two groups of people engaged in two different activities. We see that no “great” sin is mentioned. These are normal things people must do to survive. Two people are out working in the fields. Two women are grinding mill. Their sin is their unpreparedness. They are living normal lives with no priority on God. That is their sin. The sudden judgment of Christ at His return will separate the closest of people. These examples were close in proximity but were probably also family members as well, as farming and grinding meal were basically household chores in those days. Usually we assume that the one taken is the one that is rescued from God’s judgment. It is interesting to note Matthew’s account. He uses the phrase “took them all away” to refer to those judged in Noah’s day. He then uses the phrase “shall be taken” in v. 40 & 41. Clearly one group is taken and the other left. The question is : Who is taken and where are they taken to?

We do know that ultimately both groups are taken. One is taken to judgment and the other is taken into the presence of the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). No one argues that point.

It is important to remember that Noah was not taken out of the world before the judgment of the Lord came. He was merely protected from God’s wrath. No doubt they experienced some discomfort however, because of their circumstances.

I personally think that it’s unwise to build an entire theology on these passages. Many take these verses to mean that the Lord will rapture believers out of the world and seven years later judge those left behind. I find it hard to believe that Jesus hearers would have interpreted these verses in this way. Jesus spoke of a sudden and visible return that the entire world would recognize. Noah and Lot were both present on the earth during God’s judgment. When we look at Luke 17:31-36 we see the parallel passage. Jesus disciples ask in verse 37 “Where are these folks taken?” Jesus answers “Wherever the body is, you’ll see the eagles gathered.” To me, that sounds as if they are taken to a place of judgment (Rev. 19).

v.42-44 In light of the coming of Christ we are compelled to “Watch therefore”. The implication is that we be ready when He returns. The commandment is followed with a parable. It’s a very simple parable. The “goodman” is the owner of the house. The thief represents the unexpected coming of the Lord. If an owner of a house knew when a thief was coming he would be waiting to make sure his belongings and family was protected. The generation of the Great Tribulation will not know the day or hour but they can know that the coming of the Lord is imminent by observing the signs Jesus has promised will come to pass. Christ is warning of His coming and folks should therefore be on the watch so they do not suffer loss at the coming of Christ.

There are many other places in the Bible in which the coming of Christ is compared to a thief in the night (Luke 12:35-40, 1 Thess. 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Rev. 33, 16:15). We shouldn’t think that the Scripture is comparing the character of Christ to a thief. He is compared to a thief in that He comes unexpected, unannounced, as a thief does. Look at verse 44 and you can see that emphasis is placed on the individual being ready once again. We are to be ready. We are not to make the mistake of Noah’s generation. Christ is coming when you least expect it.

v. 45-51 In these verses Jesus gives us an example of a person that is prepared for the coming of Christ and one that is not prepared. In verse 45 Jesus asks a question. The question is “Who is a faithful and wise servant?” The context reveals that Jesus was speaking of a common situation. Some slaves were given the specific duty of preparing the food for the master’s family. The master comes home from a journey unannounced, verse 46 suggests. He finds the servant doing his job and doing it well. That servant is “Blessed”. Verse 47 tells us that the master rewards the faithful servant. The “Blessed servant” represents faithful believers through the ages that have continued to do the will of the Lord while Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in glory.

Verses 48-51 show us another type of servant. This servant represents an unbeliever. Notice verse 48 says the servant is evil. He only obeys the master when he is around. The evil servant thinks the master is not coming home soon in verse 48. So the servant, which was obviously one that had rule over other servants, took advantage of his position. He begins to abuse the other servants and live a life of debauchery. He began to attend parties and get drunk. His true colors were revealed because he believed he had plenty of time to clean himself up before the master returned.

That is the mindset of lots of folks. They believe in Christ. But they do not see the need to come to Him right away. They figure they have plenty of time to prepare. But look at verse 50. The evil servants master just shows up at home one day. The evil servant was not expecting him. He is caught red handed. Verse 51 reveals the judgment the evil servant receives. He is cut into pieces. The cutting into pieces probably alludes to the cutting up of an animal as it is sacrificed. The animal would be cut up and then burned in fire (Exodus 29:17-18). This would represent the judgment of eternal fire. Notice something else in verse 51. The evil servant is given his place with the hypocrites. Not everyone that is lost is a hypocrite. Some do not claim to be a Christian. Perhaps they do not claim to be a Christian because of the hypocrites. Yet they are still going to the same hell the hypocrite is going to. I can’t help but also notice that the pain is conscious. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Crist is coming and we had better be ready when He does. If we live our lives as if He is present with us we will have nothing to worry about when He returns. To “be ready” means to be living for him daily.

Thoughts to Consider

1. The incarnation is one of the greatest mysteries in the Christian faith.

2. Our culture has received a greater warning than Noah’s; we should expect a greater judgment.

3. Christ comes to take some to paradise and others to punishment.

4. God is taking notes.