The Verse in Question
Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32 both record Jesus saying: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
Skeptics often isolate this verse and try to disprove the omniscience of the Son. However, this approach fundamentally misunderstands how Scripture must be interpreted.
The Principle of Scriptural Harmony
It is important to recognize that we must uphold all of Scripture as harmony and not as division. As the Lord Himself said in Matthew 12:25: “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”
If the Lord knows not all things, then Scripture itself is divided and cannot stand. This principle is foundational to proper biblical interpretation: we cannot allow isolated verses to contradict the broader testimony of Scripture regarding the omniscience of Christ.
Understanding the Greek: “No One” (Oudeis)
The Greek word for “no one” is οὐδεὶς (oudeis). While this appears to be a general expression suggesting that not even one person is expected to know something, this is not its consistent use in Scripture.
Let us demonstrate this by placing passages side by side:
Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
Revelation 19:12
“His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.”
One could make the argument that the Father does not have the knowledge of the name since “no one knows but himself” the “himself” being Christ. However, this very argument would be deemed as ignorant in the same manner as quoting Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32 to oppose the omniscience of the Only Begotten Son.
The word “no one” in Scripture is contextual and does not always mean a universal negation. Context determines meaning.
The Linguistic Key: “EI” (If/Except) Rather Than “MONOS” (Only)
A critical linguistic observation reveals the true meaning of Mark 13:32. In the Greek interlinear, the text does not say “only” (monos), but rather “if” (ei). This distinction is crucial for understanding what the verse actually means in context.
The word “ei” (if/except) functions as a conditional or exclusive marker. When Jesus says “if not the Father,” He is establishing the Father as the ultimate authority and source, the one who determines and ordains all things. However, this does not necessarily exclude those who are in perfect unity with the Father from possessing the same knowledge.
This is precisely what we see in Revelation 19:12, where it says “no one knows” the name “but himself” referring to Christ. Yet we would not conclude that the Father does not know Christ’s name. Rather, the statement emphasizes Christ’s unique knowledge of His own name, not the exclusion of the Father.
Similarly, in Mark 13:32, the use of “ei” (if) emphasizes the Father’s unique role as the source and determiner of all things, while not excluding the Son from possessing knowledge of what the Father knows. The statement establishes hierarchy and authority, not ignorance on the part of the Son.
Understanding “Know” Anthropomorphically
The word “know” in Scripture must be understood linguistically through its context. In Deuteronomy 13:3 (LXX), the Lord says: “The Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Here, God uses the word “know” in an anthropomorphic sense, not to indicate a lack of cognitive knowledge, but rather to describe a testing or manifestation of something. God does not need to test humanity to gain knowledge; rather, the testing reveals or manifests what is already known. This same anthropomorphic usage applies to Mark 13:32.
Consider also 1 Corinthians 2:2, where Paul declares: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul certainly possessed knowledge of many other subjects, he was educated, multilingual, and well-versed in philosophy and theology. Yet he says he “decided to know nothing” except Christ. Clearly, the word “know” here refers to what is being focused upon or manifested in a particular context, not a literal absence of information.
If we can agree that the word “know” derives its meaning from context in these passages, how much more should we apply this principle to the Son? If Paul could “know nothing” while possessing comprehensive knowledge, and if God could “know” through testing while possessing omniscience, then surely Jesus could speak of not “knowing” the hour while possessing omniscience.
Jesus’ Definitive Statements Imply Knowledge
In Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7, Jesus makes a definitive statement: “but the end is not yet.” This is not a tentative or uncertain claim; it is a statement of fact about the timing of future events. For Jesus to make such definitive pronouncements about what will and will not happen, He must possess knowledge of the timeline of events leading to the end.
If Jesus lacked knowledge of the hour, He could not speak with such certainty about the sequence of events that must occur before it arrives.
The Distinction Between “You” and “The Son”
In Mark 13:33, Jesus says: “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.”
Notice the distinction: If Christ was included in the verse prior on not having cognitive knowledge of the hour, why then does He not say “we don’t know” but rather “you don’t know”? This notion is also echoed in Acts 1:7, where Jesus Himself says: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”
The consistent pattern in Scripture is that the knowledge of the hour is withheld from humanity and the angels, not from the Son. The word “you” specifically refers to the disciples and humanity, not to Christ.
This interpretation is further supported by the principle established earlier: Scripture cannot be divided against itself. If we affirm that the Son is the wisdom and power of God, the exact imprint of the Father’s hypostasis, and that all the Father has is His, then we must conclude that the Son possesses knowledge of the day and hour, not because He acts upon it, but because His divine nature demands it.
The Finite Cannot Exceed the Infinite: John 10:15
A devastating logical argument emerges when we consider the relationship between Christ’s knowledge of the infinite and the finite. In John 10:15, Jesus states: “Just as the Father knows me, I also know the Father.”
This statement establishes a perfect reciprocity of knowledge between the Father and the Son. The Father has exhaustive, omniscient knowledge of the Son. By Jesus’ own declaration, the Son has equally exhaustive knowledge of the Father. The Father knows the infinite nature of the Son; therefore, the Son knows the infinite nature of the Father.
Now consider the logical consequence: How can the Son possess complete knowledge of the infinite (the Father’s nature, attributes, and being) yet lack knowledge of a finite point in time? It is logically impossible. If Christ knows the infinite, He must necessarily know the finite. To claim otherwise would be to suggest that Christ’s omniscience has a peculiar limitation, that He knows everything about God but not the timing of the end times. This would be a contradiction of the highest order.
The Logical Harmony: John 16:15 and Hebrews 1:3
Scripture itself provides the ultimate resolution to this apparent contradiction. In John 16:15, Jesus states: “All that the Father has is mine.” If the Father possesses knowledge of the day and hour, then by this principle, the Son must also possess that knowledge.
Furthermore, Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” How can the Son be the “exact imprint” of the Father’s nature if He lacks knowledge that the Father possesses? An exact imprint cannot be missing essential attributes.
Additionally, 1 Corinthians 1:24 declares that Christ is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Wisdom is knowledge applied and refined through understanding. If the Son is the very embodiment of God’s wisdom and power, He cannot be deficient in knowledge. The Son cannot be “the exact imprint of the Father’s hypostasis” or the one through whom the worlds were made (Hebrews 1:2) if He lacks such fundamental knowledge.
Conclusion
This passage beautifully reflects the Trinitarian order: from the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit. The Father is the eternal source of divine knowledge, and the Son, as the Father’s eternal Wisdom and perfect Image, receives and reveals all that is from the Father. Even here, the Son’s words uphold and not diminish the eternal relationship within the Trinity.