Chapter 2: Back To the Mount of Olives. What does “No man knows” mean in its context?
The verses in question comes from Matt.24:36, and Mark 13:32, Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour (of his return) knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
Let’s break this verse down: begin with the Greek word “no” in Matt.24. “No man —.” The Greek is “me.” It is used as an adjective, is in a common form meaning both genders, male and female, and as a substantive which is a part of speech that expresses something that already exists. This means the Father alone had the information when Jesus was asked the question. Obviously at that time his return had not been revealed to men; angels, or the Lord himself.
So, “No” here is a negative particle, “not” implying everywhere a dependent and conditional negative, as in depending on the idea, conception, thoughts of some subject, and therefore subjective.
Let’s take a look at the word “knoweth” or to “know.” Most all commentator teach, what Jesus was saying; “no one has or will ever have this information not even the Son, but the Father only.”
I disagree with this assessment. The present tense of the verb “knowest” in Matt.24:36 and Mark 13:32 expresses the state of understanding and the knowledge of those present, the angels and the Son of God at the time Jesus spoke these words, ”No person, mortal or spiritual Knew”.
Jesus was speaking of that present time. So, what He was saying was, “At this present time no man knows—.”
When Jesus spoke these words, many prophesies had to yet be fulfilled. There was the last supper with his apostles; Judas had not yet betrayed him; He had not been taken into custody; He was yet to be questioned, beaten, scourged, then taken to be hung from the cross; to buried in a rich man’s tomb; raised, seen by many; be taken up into heaven to sit at the right hand of his Father who said, “Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Also, Paul was some 3 years from being confronted by the Lord, and 7 years away from becoming the apostle who would go to the gentiles.
After His ascention into heaven, He would take His rightful place at the Father’s right hand, until his enemies were made his footstool, and until “the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
Here is the key to my argument, after the Mt. of Olive discourse, Jesus said,
John 16:13, “When he, the (Holy) Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into ALL TRUTH —- he will show you things to come.” – ver.15, Jesus said, “All things that the Father has are mine, therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it (reveal it) unto you.”
After this discourse, there were at least 8 mysteries or secrets that would be revealed to Paul the apostle to the gentiles concerning, not the Jews, but the body, or bride of Jesus Christ. The secret things of God hid in God since time began.
Now, Jesus did not say, “some of the things that the Father has are mine” He said, “All things” and in my thinking, this would include revealing the time of His return, a mystery kept secret until then:
Deut. 29:29 states, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever.”
Matt.24:34, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you (the disciples) this generation (that sees all the things Matthew and Mark spoke of in the previous verses) shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
So what generation were the apostles speaking of? Obviously, it was to be a future generation. How far in the future? No one knew back then, but we know now it has been almost 2000 years now, “It’s the generation of Jews who came into the land of Israel; and in one day, they became a nation once more, that day, May 14, 1948.
I believe, the mystery of Jesus return, to establish his kingdom here on earth has, and had been written in scripture all these thousands of years, but hidden from us until the generation Jesus spoke of was born and brought back to the land.
The curse and then the blessing to the people of Israel:
Deut.30:4-5, “If any of thine (the Jews) be driven out (from their land 70 A.D.) from there will the LORD thy God gather them, and from there (foreign Gentile countries) will He (God) fetch (gather) them (the Jews): And the LORD thy God will bring thee (the Jews) into the land (Israel) which thy fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David etc.) possessed, and you (the Jews) shall possess it (the land of Israel); and He (God) will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers” (still future).
Let’s look at the word “fetch” in this verse. Fetch means to take for one’s self, to turn around.
Hosea 3:4-5, “The children of Israel shall abide many days (almost 2000 Years now) without a king, and without a prince, (meaning Jesus Christ) and without a sacrifice (Temple)… Afterward (in the latter days) shall the children of Israel (the Jews) return (May 1948), and seek (look for) the LORD (Jesus) their God, and David their king = (symbolic of Christ); and shall fear (seek after) the LORD and His goodness in the Latter days (last days).”
Also Ezek.37:21-28: Isaiah 11:10-16: Amos 9:14-15: and Joel 3:1-7-20.
When Israel was declared a nation by the world in May of 1948, this opened the door to this hidden mystery of God that had been kept secret, but can now be revealed to us. None of the apostles had any idea that 1900 years would pass before the prophesy was to be fulfilled.
Before 1948, the mystery of Israel’s return could never have been understood. On May 13th 2019, the Jews will have been back in the land for 70 full years. I will do another chapter on this in the future.
This return to Israel by the people is called (Aliyah, a Hebrew word meaning “to ascend,” or “to go up”.) This going up, began in 1881 when 70,000 Jews returned to Israel. The second Aliyah between 1904-1914; the third between 1919 1923; the 4th 1924 -31 when some 48,000 returned and settled cities like Tel Aviv; another between 1931 -39 when 230,000 Jews, most fleeing Nazi Germany immigrated to Israel. So, from 1881 to 1946, the Jewish population grew from 24,000 to 686,000. The Jews purchased land (paid for in cash) from the Arabs who thought they were exploiting the poor Jews by selling them desolate, desert land that was for the most part considered worthless. But the returning Jews turned this wilderness into fertile farmland and citrus groves. Cities sprang up, commerce and banking thrived and roads constructed. So, the Arabs who sold them the land, never realized their actions would help lay the foundations for the restoration of the Jewish state. “Isn’t God’s work a wonder?!” He used the enemies of the gospel, Arabs, Nazi Germany, the League of Nations, and the U.N. to fulfill the following prophesies.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com