An individual made the following comment in regard to knowing the day and hour of Christ's return:
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> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:08:19 +0000
> From: ---
> To: ---
> Subject: Re: No Man knows the day or hour.
>
> You haven't realized that you've failed to answer to the statement. It is clearly mentioned in the Bible that no one knows or will know when the end of times will come. Taking these verses as literally as you have would then suggest that we are all God as that is the only way to truly know everything that God knows (a very arrogant statement if you ask me). Give me the place in the Bible where it says that we can know WHEN the end of days is coming, completely contradicting the statement that no one shall know until it is upon them. If not even the highest order in the Heavens knows the date, what makes you think that you do?
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Below is my reply regarding his statement "no one knows or will know when the end of times will come":
Let's read the verse (Matthew 24:36):
Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ μου μόνος.
=> but concerning that day and hour no one οἶδεν, neither the angels of the heavens, except my father only
Notice the tense of οἶδεν, it is not future! You said "no one ... will know". But this verse is not future, it doesn't say "no one will know"!
The tense of οἶδεν is perfect active indicative, which can best be rendered in English as "has known". It is generally accepted that the Greek perfect tense indicates a completed action, or in this particular case, a state that prevailed in the past. That is, the state of no one knowing that day and hour was certainly true in the past. In addition, most Greek grammars teach that this past state was also true at the time the writer spoke/wrote it. That is, when Jesus made this statement, it was true at that time also. Now you are trying to push this state into the future, but you must be very careful with doing that. Let me explain why, consider Matthew 12:47:
εἶπε δέ τις αὐτῷ· ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ἑστήκασι ζητοῦντές σε ἰδεῖν
=> but he said to them, behold, your mother and your brothers outside ἑστήκασι, desiring you to see
Notice that ἑστήκασι is also a perfect active indicative verb, one meaning to stand, but in the perfect tense indicating "has stood", that is, they have been standing outside waiting to see Jesus. Now what you need to consider here is the fact that in the future, the state of this verb ceased! That is, Jesus' mother and brothers are not still standing outside desiring to see him. Thus, one must be very careful not to read (interpret) a perfect active indicative verb to be a statement regarding the future. In the case of Matthew 24:36, one must consider what else the Bible has to say in regard to the return of Christ, for example:
Matthew 24:32-33
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Hebrews 10:24-15
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The Bible is very clear that there will be indications of when the end is near, at the doors. This and many other statements fly in the face of the ignorance eschatology that is very commonly taught and embraced today.
In summary, not only does Matthew 24:36 not teach that no one can ever know the day and hour of Christ's return, but there are other clear statements in the Bible that the people of God will know when Christ's return is near.