Can Anyone Know When Jesus Will Return?
Short answer: No human being can know the exact day or hour when Jesus Christ will return. Jesus said that the Father has kept that time within His own authority. Scripture tells believers to recognize the seriousness of the times, remain watchful, and live ready—but it never authorizes anyone to announce a date for Christ’s return.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” — Matthew 24:36 KJV
This truth should not make Christians indifferent. It should make us faithfully prepared. The uncertainty of the date is part of Christ’s call to continual readiness.
WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT THE DAY AND HOUR?
After describing events connected with His return, Jesus plainly said that no man knows the day or hour. He even said the angels of heaven do not know it. Mark records the warning this way:
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” — Mark 13:32 KJV
During His earthly ministry, Jesus willingly lived within the limitations of His incarnate mission and submitted to the Father. The verse does not deny Christ’s deity. It emphasizes that the timing was not disclosed for His disciples to calculate.
If Jesus said the day and hour were unknown to men and angels, a modern preacher, author, internet personality, or self-proclaimed prophet cannot possess a secret date that contradicts His words.
DID JESUS GIVE SIGNS OF HIS RETURN?
Yes. Jesus warned of deception, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, false prophets, lawlessness, gospel witness among the nations, great tribulation, and cosmic signs. These warnings help believers understand the character and direction of the age.
However, recognizing signs is not the same as knowing a date. Jesus gave signs to strengthen discernment and endurance, not to produce a calendar calculation. Some conditions recur throughout history, while others appear connected with the final climax before His visible return.
A believer may soberly recognize that the world resembles conditions Scripture describes. That is different from claiming, “Jesus will return on this particular day.” The first can be biblical watchfulness; the second claims knowledge God has withheld.
WHAT DOES “NO MAN KNOWETH” MEAN?
Some date-setters argue that Jesus only said no one knew the date at that moment, or that the “day and hour” could later be calculated. Yet the rest of His teaching repeatedly stresses unexpectedness.
Jesus compared His coming to the days of Noah. People continued ordinary life until the flood came and took the unprepared by surprise. He then said:
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” — Matthew 24:42 KJV
He continued with the picture of a thief arriving when the householder did not expect him. The conclusion was not “calculate more carefully,” but “be ye also ready.”
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” — Matthew 24:44 KJV
The repeated emphasis is clear: Christ’s followers will not be given an exact timetable that removes the need for constant faithfulness.
DID THE APOSTLES KNOW THE TIMING?
After the resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus whether He would restore the kingdom to Israel at that time. He answered:
“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” — Acts 1:7 KJV
Jesus immediately redirected them to their mission. They would receive power through the Holy Ghost and become His witnesses. Speculation about God’s hidden schedule must never replace the work Christ clearly commanded.
WHAT ABOUT “TIMES AND SEASONS”?
Paul told the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night. Sudden destruction would overtake those saying “Peace and safety.” But Paul also said believers are not in darkness that the day should overtake them as a thief.
This does not mean Christians will know the date. It means they should not live in the spiritual darkness and careless unbelief that characterize the world.
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:6 KJV
The contrast is moral and spiritual: darkness versus light, drunkenness versus sobriety, sleep versus watchfulness. Christians are prepared by belonging to Christ and living faithfully, not by discovering a secret date.
WHY HAVE DATE PREDICTIONS FAILED?
Throughout history, people have announced specific years, months, and days for Christ’s return or the end of the world. Every expired prediction should remind us to take Jesus’ warning seriously.
Date-setting often begins with sincere interest in prophecy, but it can become prideful. A person may combine biblical numbers, feast days, astronomical events, modern headlines, or private revelations until the desired date appears. The calculation may look impressive while resting on assumptions Scripture never commands.
When predictions fail, some simply revise the date or redefine what supposedly happened. This can confuse believers, embarrass the church, and cause unbelievers to mock biblical prophecy. The failure belongs to the prediction—not to the words of Christ.
SHOULD CHRISTIANS IGNORE PROPHECY?
No. Avoiding date-setting does not require ignoring prophecy. Scripture reveals that history is moving toward the triumph of Jesus Christ. Prophecy exposes evil, comforts suffering believers, warns the unrepentant, and encourages holy living.
The error is not studying prophecy. The error is using prophecy to claim forbidden knowledge, satisfy curiosity without obedience, or frighten people with unsupported certainty.
CAN SOMEONE RECEIVE THE DATE THROUGH A DREAM?
No private dream, vision, impression, or prophetic claim can overrule Scripture. God does not need to contradict His written Word to prepare His people.
A claim should never be accepted merely because a person says, “God told me.” Scripture commands believers to test spiritual claims. If a revelation supplies the exact knowledge Jesus withheld and encourages confidence in a date, it should be rejected.
WHY DID JESUS WITHHOLD THE DATE?
Scripture does not give every reason, but Jesus’ teaching shows the practical effect: His servants must remain faithful at all times.
If people knew a distant date, many would be tempted to delay repentance and obedience. If they believed the date was immediate, some might neglect ordinary responsibilities. Instead, Christ commands steady faithfulness.
In Matthew 24, the faithful servant continues giving the household its proper food. The evil servant says, “My lord delayeth his coming,” and begins living wickedly. The difference is not possession of a prophetic calendar. It is faithful character while the Master seems absent.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WATCH?
Watching is not staring at headlines all day. It means living spiritually awake before God.
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” — Mark 13:33 KJV
A watching Christian trusts Jesus Christ, repents of sin, prays, studies Scripture, loves others, serves faithfully, and shares the gospel. Watchfulness joins alertness with prayer and obedience. It produces steadiness rather than panic.
HOW CAN A PERSON BE READY?
Readiness begins with knowing Jesus Christ, not merely knowing facts about the end times. A person must repent and believe the gospel. Salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
For believers, readiness includes abiding in Christ, confessing sin, obeying His Word, and doing the work He has entrusted to us. We should plan responsibly for tomorrow while remaining ready to meet Christ today.
CONCLUSION
No one can biblically name the exact day or hour of Christ’s return. God has deliberately withheld that information, and every attempt to set a date goes beyond what Scripture reveals.
Yet uncertainty about the date does not mean uncertainty about the event. Jesus Christ will return. The proper response is not careless delay or fearful speculation, but faith, sobriety, holiness, gospel witness, and continual readiness.