What is the meaning of Mark 13:32? No one knows Jesus begins by saying, “No one knows.” With these three words He sweeps away every speculation about setting dates for His return. From the very first generation of believers, some have tried to calculate a timetable, yet every attempt has failed (Acts 1:7: “It is not for you to know times or seasons…”). Paul repeats the point in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, noting that “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” Peter echoes it in 2 Peter 3:10. The simple truth: human intellect, research, or prophetic charts cannot crack this mystery. Our response is not to figure out the schedule but to stay ready (Matthew 24:42–44). That day or hour “That day” is a Hebrew way of pointing to the climactic “Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20). By adding “or hour,” Jesus narrows it still further: not even the precise moment is revealed. This guards us from two extremes: complacency (thinking the day is far off) and panic (thinking it is tomorrow). Instead, we live in watchful anticipation, confident that God’s timing is perfect (Galatians 4:4; Romans 5:6). Not even the angels in heaven Angels are powerful, knowledgeable servants standing in God’s immediate presence, yet even they are excluded from this information. Peter tells us angels “long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12). Their limitation reminds us that creaturely wisdom—however exalted—remains finite. If angels are content in obedient service without knowing the schedule, we should be too (Hebrews 1:14). Nor the Son During His earthly ministry, Jesus voluntarily accepted the limitations of true humanity (Philippians 2:6-8). In that incarnate state He says He does not know the precise hour. This does not diminish His deity; it highlights His humble submission to the Father’s will (John 5:19; Luke 2:52). He models trust: knowledge withheld from Him as the obedient Servant is knowledge we can live without. But only the Father The Father alone possesses and guards the timetable. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us, “The hidden things belong to the LORD our God.” By reserving this knowledge, the Father calls us to faith, vigilance, and dependence. Jesus directs our gaze to the One whose plan is flawless. Whatever unfolds, it falls under the Father’s wise sovereignty (Psalm 31:15; Proverbs 3:5-6). summary Mark 13:32 teaches that the precise moment of Christ’s return is deliberately and lovingly concealed. No human, angel, or even the incarnate Son had that information; it rests with the Father alone. The verse calls believers to abandon date-setting, embrace watchful readiness, and trust the Father’s perfect timing while faithfully carrying out the work He has given us today. |
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