Is The Term: “No Man Knows The Day Or The Hour” A Hint By Jesus For The Time When He Will Return For His Church?
This Essay Is An Analysis of The Phrase “No man knows the day or the hour” As A Jewish idiom Directly Linked to the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah). Today many Christians are unaware of the ancient use of this phrase, which originated as a title for the Feast of Trumpets. The cultural and linguistic context of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36 (and parallels in Mark 13:32) gives this statement a layer of meaning rooted in the Jewish calendar and its prophetic significance.
“No Man Knows the Day or the Hour” as a Feast of Trumpets Idiom
In First Century Judaism, the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) was unique among the seven Feasts of the LORD (Leviticus 23). Unlike the other feasts, which were tethered to clear calendar dates (Passover on Nisan 14, Day of Atonement on Tishrei 10, etc.), the Feast of Trumpets began at the sighting of the new moon in Tishrei (the seventh month). Since the appearance of the new moon could not be calculated precisely (due to possible cloud cover or other atmospheric factors), the exact “day or hour” could not be known in advance.
The Sanhedrin required two reliable witnesses to observe and testify of the new moon’s sighting before the feast could officially begin. Thus, the Feast was sometimes colloquially referred to by Rabbis and scholars as “the feast where no man knows the day or the hour.”
Documentation from Rabbinic Sources
Historical documentation supports this usage. Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 25a describes the process of two witnesses reporting to the Sanhedrin to confirm the new moon sighting. Furthermore, The Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah 2:7 records that if the moon was not seen, the festival was delayed a day. Because of this uncertainty, Yom Teruah was celebrated over two days (Yom Arichta — “one long day”), though it was considered a single day extended into two, to accommodate for the unknown start. This led to the popular idiomatic expression that no one could know the exact day or hour of its commencement.
Jesus’ Use of the Phrase in Matthew 24:36
When Jesus said: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36), He was not merely stating that the timing of His coming is unknowable, but invoking a well-known Jewish idiom referring to the Feast of Trumpets. His Jewish audience would have understood this layered meaning, much as they understood other Messianic idioms like “the Bridegroom coming for His Bride.” Thus, this statement subtly points to the Rapture’s association with the Feast of Trumpets.
Paul’s Rapture Descriptions and the Feast of Trumpets
Both of Paul’s primary “Rapture” texts in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 contain language and imagery that are deeply rooted in the Feast of Trumpets. For instance, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes how “the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.” Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 notes that the transformation will happen “when the last trumpet is blown.”
Connections to the Feast of Trumpets
- “Trumpet call of God” (1 Thess. 4:16) — The Feast of Trumpets is the only feast characterized by the blowing of trumpets (shofar blasts) as its central theme (Leviticus 23:23-25).
- “Last Trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:52) — Among the 100 trumpet blasts sounded on Yom Teruah, the final, long blast is called the Tekiah Gedolah (the “Great Trump”).
- Resurrection imagery — The resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12:2) was a key eschatological theme associated with the Feast of Trumpets in Jewish thought.
- “Caught up in the clouds” — The wedding motif of the Jewish bridegroom lifting up his bride, combined with the “clouds of glory” imagery, matches perfectly with the Rapture’s description.
Comparison of Scriptural Imagery and Yom Teruah
| Biblical Phrase/Image | Biblical Reference | Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) Connection |
|---|---|---|
| “No man knows the day or the hour” | Matthew 24:36 | Colloquial title due to the uncertainty of the new moon sighting. |
| The Trumpet Call of God | 1 Thessalonians 4:16 | Central theme of shofar blasts (Leviticus 23:23-25). |
| The Last Trumpet | 1 Corinthians 15:52 | Tekiah Gedolah, the final long blast of the 100 sounded on the feast. |
| Resurrection of the Dead | 1 Corinthians 15:52 | Key eschatological theme in Jewish thought for this feast. |
As documented in the prophetic pattern of the feasts, Jesus fulfilled the first four feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost) literally and precisely, suggesting a similar pattern for the remaining fall feasts.