Christ DID NOT say no one can know the day and hour of His return

Lets’ find out what He was really saying.

Here is a video I found on the subject

Alright — let’s handle this carefully, text-based, and without tradition filling in gaps. This can actually be shown from the flow of Christ’s own words, not speculation.

After this study I will include a Message format for your Home Sabbath Gathering. 
Followed up by s side by side teaching chart.

I’ll show:

1. What Jesus explicitly ties “day and hour” to
2. Why the context points to heaven and earth passing away
3. Why Scripture elsewhere says Christ’s return can be known
4. Why translators and tradition collapsed two subjects into one
5. What Jesus did intend His disciples to understand

1. Start with the actual text and its structure

Here is the critical sequence:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
— Matthew 24:35–36

Key observation:
👉 “That day and hour” must grammatically refer to something just mentioned.

The nearest antecedent (what “that” points back to) is:

Heaven and earth passing away

Not Christ’s coming.

Jesus had already spent over 30 verses giving detailed signs of His coming — then suddenly says “but of that day and hour”?
The natural reading is not a subject change, but a continuation.

2. Jesus already said His coming can be known

Just three verses earlier:

“When YOU see all these things, KNOW that it is near—even at the doors.”
— Matthew 24:33

If verse 36 suddenly meant:

“You can never know the time of My return”

Then Jesus would be contradicting Himself within the same paragraph.

Christ does not teach confusion.

So either:

• Verse 36 refers to a different event, or
• Jesus is irrational (which He is not)

3. Heaven and earth passing away is elsewhere said to be unknowable

Scripture repeatedly treats the final dissolution of heaven and earth as beyond human timing knowledge:

“The day of the Lord will come as a thief… the heavens shall pass away with a great noise.”
— 2 Peter 3:10

Notice:

• Peter links heaven passing away
• NOT Christ’s visible return
• And emphasizes unpredictability

That fits Matthew 24:35–36 perfectly.

4. Jesus distinguishes between His coming and the end of all things

Earlier the disciples asked three questions, not one:

1. When will these things be? (Temple destruction)
2. What will be the sign of Your coming?
3. And of the end of the age?
   — Matthew 24:3

Jesus answers in layers, not as one blended event.

Verse 35 marks a transition point:

• Signs → understandable
• Heaven & earth passing → unknowable

5. The Greek supports a shift, not a continuation

Matthew 24:36 begins with “Περὶ δὲ” (Peri de)
This phrase means:

• “Now concerning…”
• “But with regard to…”
• A topic shift

Paul uses peri de constantly to introduce new subjects (see 1 Corinthians).

So Jesus is saying:

“Now concerning that day and hour…”

Not:

“Continuing the same subject I was just explaining how to recognize…”

6. Christ’s return is described as observable and recognizable

Jesus never treats His return as hidden or unknowable:

“As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
— Matthew 24:27

Lightning isn’t secret.
It isn’t subtle.
And it isn’t missed.

7. The apostles confirm believers will not be ignorant

Paul removes all doubt:

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that Day should overtake you as a thief.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:4

If Christ had said:

“You can never know the timing”

Paul could not write this.

8. Why tradition merged the two ideas

Simple reason:

• It is easier to control people with perpetual uncertainty
• Easier to say “no one can know anything”
• Than to teach watchfulness with understanding

But Jesus never praised ignorance.
He rebuked it.

9. Plain conclusion (no theology gymnastics)

Jesus did NOT say:

• No one can know when He returns

Jesus DID say:

• His return has recognizable signs
• His people will know when it is near
• The passing away of heaven and earth has an unknown exact moment

Matthew 24:36 refers most naturally to:
👉 The final dissolution of heaven and earth
👉 Not the timing of Christ’s return

——————

MESSAGE MANUSCRIPT

Title: Knowing the Season: What Jesus Actually Said About the Day and Hour

Opening Scripture

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
— Matthew 24:35–36

Introduction

Few statements of Jesus have been quoted more often—and examined less carefully—than the phrase “no one knows the day or hour.” Tradition has turned it into a declaration of permanent ignorance. But when we let Jesus speak in context, a very different picture emerges.

Today we will see that:

• Jesus did not teach that His return could never be known
• He did teach that His people would recognize the season
• And the phrase “that day and hour” points most naturally to the passing away of heaven and earth, not to His return

I. Let Context Speak Before Tradition

Jesus says:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows…”

The phrase “that day” must refer back to something already mentioned. The closest and clearest subject is the passing away of heaven and earth.

There is no grammatical signal that Jesus has suddenly jumped backward to His coming, which He has just spent over thirty verses explaining with signs and warnings.

II. Jesus Already Said His Coming Can Be Known

Just three verses earlier, Jesus says:

“When YOU see all these things, KNOW that it is near—even at the doors.” (Matthew 24:33)

Jesus does not mock His disciples by giving signs and then declaring them useless.

If verse 36 meant “you can never know anything about the timing of My return,” Jesus would be contradicting Himself within the same paragraph.

Christ does not teach confusion.

III. ‘Day and Hour’ Is Not ‘Season’

In Scripture, “day and hour” is a Hebrew idiom referring to the exact moment, not the general time.

Jesus distinguishes between:

• Knowing the season (which He commands)
• Knowing the exact instant (which He withholds)

This same distinction exists throughout Scripture.

IV. A Clear Topic Shift in Verse 36

Matthew 24:36 begins with the Greek phrase “Peri de” — “Now concerning…”

This phrase is consistently used in Scripture to introduce a new subject, not to continue explaining the same one.

Jesus moves from:

• Signs that can be recognized
• To an event whose exact timing is hidden

The most natural referent is the final dissolution of heaven and earth.

V. The Apostles Confirm Believers Will Not Be Surprised

Paul writes:

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:4

Ignorance is never presented as a virtue for God’s people.

Surprise belongs to those in darkness—not to the watchful.

VI. Why This Matters

If Christ’s people are told they can never understand timing:

• Watchfulness becomes anxiety
• Faith becomes passivity
• Preparation becomes impossible

But Jesus calls His servants to alert, informed faith—not blind waiting.

Conclusion

Jesus did not say His return could never be known.

He said:

• His return has signs
• His people will recognize the season
• The exact moment of the passing away of heaven and earth is known only to the Father

Christ did not command ignorance. He commanded watchful understanding.

“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find watching.”

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SIDE-BY-SIDE TEACHING CHART

What Jesus Actually Said	What Tradition Commonly Teaches
Jesus gave signs of His return	Jesus gave signs no one can understand
“When you see these things, know” (Matt 24:33)	“No one can ever know anything”
‘Day and hour’ refers to exact moment	‘Day and hour’ means all timing
Heaven and earth passing away mentioned immediately before v.36	Context ignored
‘Peri de’ introduces a topic shift	Verse 36 forced backward
Believers are not overtaken as thieves (1 Thess 5:4)	Everyone is surprised
Watchfulness means awareness	Watchfulness means uncertainty

Key Truth:
Jesus prepared His people to recognize the season—not to live in perpetual ignorance.