The Jewish Wedding and Matthew 24:36

Understanding the Idiom That Changes Everything

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."
— Matthew 24:36

The Beautiful Problematic Verse

For centuries, Matthew 24:36 has troubled theologians and confused believers. On the surface, it appears to say that Jesus, the Son of God, doesn't know something—specifically, the day and hour of His return.

This creates an immediate theological problem:

If Jesus is God, how can He not know something?

If Jesus and the Father are one, how can the Father know something the Son doesn't?

If Jesus came to reveal the Father and do His will perfectly, how could He accomplish this without complete knowledge?

The traditional interpretation has been that Jesus, in His humanity, had limited knowledge. But this explanation, while attempting to preserve orthodoxy, actually creates more problems than it solves—and it completely misses what Jesus was actually communicating.

What if Matthew 24:36 isn't a statement about Jesus's divine knowledge at all?

What if it's a Jewish idiom that His disciples would have immediately understood—an idiom we've lost in translation and cultural distance?

Let's dig into the cultural and biblical context to discover what Jesus was really saying.

The Jewish Wedding: A Cultural Foundation

To understand Matthew 24:36, we must first understand first-century Jewish wedding customs, because Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His Bride (Ephesians 5:25-32, Revelation 19:7-9).

The Ancient Jewish Wedding Process

Jewish weddings in Jesus's day followed a specific pattern with profound prophetic significance:

Stage 1: The Betrothal (Erusin)

The groom's father would select a bride for his son

The groom would travel to the bride's house with a contract (ketubah) and a bride price

He would offer her a cup of wine

If she drank from the cup, she accepted the proposal

The betrothal was legally binding—as binding as marriage itself

The couple was legally "husband and wife" though not yet living together

Stage 2: The Preparation Period

After the betrothal, something fascinating happened:

The groom would return to his father's house to prepare a place for his bride—typically building an addition to his father's house or preparing a bridal chamber.

The bride would remain at her home, preparing herself, gathering her trousseau, keeping her lamp ready, waiting for the groom's return.

Here's the crucial detail: The groom did not set the wedding date. His father did.

The father would inspect the preparation work. When everything was ready to his satisfaction, the father—and only the father—would tell his son, "Go get your bride."

Stage 3: The Father's Signal and the Groom's Return

The groom would come without warning—though the bride knew approximately when to expect him

He would come at night, announced by a shout and the sound of the shofar (trumpet)

The bride had to be ready, her lamp trimmed and burning

The groom would "steal away" his bride

They would return to his father's house for the seven-day wedding feast

Only after the seven days would they be presented to the community

The Critical Idiom

Now here's what matters for Matthew 24:36:

When anyone asked the groom when the wedding would take place, he had a standard response:

"No one knows the day or hour, only my father knows."

This wasn't a statement of ignorance. It was a cultural idiom meaning:

"My father sets the date, not me"
"I'm actively preparing and watching for his signal"
"It could be any time—be ready"
"The appointment is my father's to make"

The groom knew the wedding was coming. He knew approximately when. He was preparing for it. But the final authorization belonged to his father.

The Feast of Trumpets: The Wedding Connection

There's another layer to this idiom. The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, later called Rosh Hashanah) had a unique characteristic among Jewish feasts:

"The Feast of Which No Man Knows the Day or Hour"

While other feasts had fixed calendar dates, the Feast of Trumpets began at the sighting of the new moon. Here's how it worked:

Witnesses had to physically sight the new moon crescent

They would report to the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin would examine the witnesses

Only after accepting their testimony would they declare: "The feast is sanctified"

Trumpets would sound throughout Israel

The feast would begin

Because the exact moment of the new moon's visibility depended on weather and atmospheric conditions, no one could know in advance the exact day or hour the feast would begin.

Thus, it became known by the very phrase Jesus used: "The feast of which no one knows the day or hour."

Even more significant: The Feast of Trumpets was associated with:

The last trumpet
The resurrection of the dead
The coronation of the King
The wedding of the Messiah

Sound familiar?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Matthew 24:36 in Context

Now let's look at Matthew 24:36 with this cultural background in mind.

The Flow of Matthew 24

Jesus has just given His disciples detailed prophetic information:

Verses 4-14: Signs of the times (false messiahs, wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution, Gospel preached to all nations)

Verses 15-28: The abomination of desolation (referencing Daniel), the Great Tribulation, false prophets, signs in the heavens

Verses 29-31: The glorious return—"they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory"

Verses 32-35: The parable of the fig tree—"when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates... this generation will not pass away until all these things take place"

Jesus has given them an abundance of specific, detailed prophetic knowledge. They can know the season, recognize the signs, understand the sequence.

Then comes verse 36:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

The Apparent Contradiction

If we take this as a literal statement of ignorance, we have problems:

Why give all these signs if the timing is unknowable? Jesus just told them to watch for signs indicating He's "near, at the very gates." Why bother if there's no way to know?

Why does Jesus immediately command watchfulness? Verses 42-44 say "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming... Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." If it's truly unknowable, why watch?

How does this fit the wedding imagery? Matthew 25 immediately follows with the Parable of the Ten Virgins—five wise who were ready for the bridegroom, five foolish who weren't. This is explicitly wedding imagery.

The Resolution: It's an Idiom

When we understand the Jewish wedding custom and the Feast of Trumpets connection, Matthew 24:36 makes perfect sense:

Jesus is saying:

"I am the Bridegroom preparing to return for My Bride"

"My Father alone determines the appointed time"

"I've given you the signs so you'll know the season"

"But the exact moment is the Father's to declare"

"Therefore, WATCH—be ready—live expectantly"

"Don't try to calculate the exact day; stay ready at all times"

This interpretation:

Fits the wedding imagery perfectly

Explains the emphasis on watchfulness

Makes sense of the detailed signs given beforehand

Aligns with Jesus's divine omniscience elsewhere

Would have been immediately understood by His Jewish audience

The Parable of the Ten Virgins: Immediate Confirmation

Matthew 25:1-13 immediately follows Matthew 24:36, and it's no coincidence:

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise... And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut."

The parable ends with: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

This is wedding imagery from start to finish:

The bridegroom coming
Virgins waiting with lamps
Some ready, some not
The wedding feast
The door shut (those outside miss it)

The entire parable illustrates the bride waiting for the groom who comes at an unexpected hour—not because it's unknowable, but because the Father sets the moment.

Does This Mean Jesus Lacks Knowledge?

Absolutely not. Let's address this directly.

Jesus's Divine Omniscience

Throughout Scripture, Jesus demonstrates complete knowledge:

John 2:24-25: "Jesus... knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man."

John 16:30: "Now we know that you know all things."

John 21:17: "Lord, you know everything."

Colossians 2:3: "In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Colossians 2:9: "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."

If Jesus possesses the "whole fullness of deity," He cannot lack divine knowledge. Omniscience is an essential attribute of deity.

The Unity of Father and Son

John 10:30: "I and the Father are one."

John 16:15: "All that the Father has is mine."

John 17:10: "All mine are yours, and yours are mine."

If all that the Father has is the Son's, and they are one, then the Father's knowledge is the Son's knowledge.

Jesus Sees All the Father Does

John 5:19-20: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing."

The Father shows Jesus ALL things. Not some things. ALL things.

How could the Father hide from Jesus the timing of His return while showing Him "all things"? It's impossible.

Jesus's Operational Mode vs. Ontological Being

Here's the key distinction:

Ontologically (in His being): Jesus is fully God, possessing all divine attributes including omniscience.

Operationally (in His earthly ministry): Jesus voluntarily operated through dependence on the Father and the Spirit, modeling true humanity for us.

Philippians 2:6-7: "Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Jesus "emptied himself" not of His divine nature (impossible) but of the independent use of His divine attributes. He chose to operate as a man anointed by the Spirit, dependent on the Father.

But this operational mode doesn't mean He lacked knowledge. It means He submitted His knowledge and will to the Father's timing and authority.

The Assignment of Authority, Not Limitation of Knowledge

Think of it this way:

In a military operation, the general and the colonel may both know the complete battle plan. But the general assigns to the colonel the authority to execute specific aspects at specific times.

When the colonel says, "I await the general's orders," he's not declaring ignorance of the plan. He's acknowledging the chain of command and the general's authority to give the signal.

Similarly, Jesus knows the Father's plan (He must, for He and the Father are one), but the authority to declare the appointed time belongs to the Father.

This is about role and relationship within the Trinity, not limitation of knowledge.

The Economic Trinity

Theologians distinguish between:

Ontological Trinity: The essential nature and equality of Father, Son, and Spirit (one in essence, power, and glory)

Economic Trinity: The distinct roles and relationships of Father, Son, and Spirit in creation and redemption

In the Economic Trinity:

The Father sends the Son
The Son submits to the Father's will
The Spirit is sent by Father and Son

These roles don't indicate inequality or limitation—they reflect perfect unity and divine order in accomplishing redemption.

Matthew 24:36 reflects this economic arrangement: The Father holds the authority to declare the appointed time, which He will signal to the Son, who will then come for His Bride.

Prophecy Fulfilled: From Daniel to Revelation

This interpretation also harmonizes beautifully with the prophetic timeline:

Daniel's Sealed Scroll

Daniel 12:4, 9: "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end... Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end."

Daniel was told the prophecy was for a future appointed time, not his generation.

Revelation 5: The Worthy One Receives the Scroll

Revelation 5:1-5: A scroll appears, sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven or earth is worthy to open it. John weeps. Then:

"Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

Revelation 5:7: "And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne."

This is a ceremonial, legal transfer of authority. The Father gives the Son the scroll—not because the Son is learning something new, but because the appointed time has come for Him to execute what has been planned from eternity.

The Timeline

Earthly Ministry: Jesus speaks of the Father's appointment (Matthew 24:36)

Rapture/Harpazo: Church caught up (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 4:1)

Heavenly Scene: Lamb receives scroll from Father (Revelation 5)

Seals Opened: Events of Matthew 24 unfold (Revelation 6-19)

King Returns: Marriage Supper, Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 19-20)

Matthew 24:36 isn't about Jesus lacking knowledge. It's about the Father's authority to declare "NOW" when the appointed time arrives.

Practical Implications: Living as the Expectant Bride

If Matthew 24:36 is a wedding idiom emphasizing readiness rather than unknowability, what does this mean for us?

1. We Can Know the Season

Jesus gave us signs so we could recognize the season:

Israel regathered (Ezekiel 36-37) (1948)

Jerusalem under Jewish control (Luke 21:24) (1967)

Gospel preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14) (technology makes this possible)

Increase of knowledge and travel (Daniel 12:4) (exponential growth)

Signs in the heavens (Luke 21:25) (blood moons, etc.)

Convergence of all signs (our generation)

Matthew 24:33: "So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."

We can't know the exact day or hour, but we can know we're in the season.

2. We Should Live Expectantly

Titus 2:13: "Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
Not waiting in fear—waiting in hope!

Luke 21:28: "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

3. We Must Be Ready

Matthew 24:44: "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Ready how? Not through perfect performance, but through:

Faith in Christ (the oil in our lamps)

Walking in the Spirit (keeping our lamps burning)

Living holy lives (preparing our wedding garments)

Watching expectantly (like virgins waiting for the groom)

4. We Shouldn't Date-Set

The idiom also warns against date-setting. History is littered with failed predictions:

1844 (William Miller)
1914, 1918, 1925, 1975 (Jehovah's Witnesses)
1988 (Edgar Whisenant)
2011 (Harold Camping)
Countless others

Acts 1:7: "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority."

We know the season but not the day or hour. This keeps us always ready, always watching, always faithful.

5. We Should Rejoice

The Bridegroom is coming! The wedding feast is prepared! Our redemption draws near!

Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice."

1 Thessalonians 5:16: "Rejoice always."

Not anxiety—rejoicing!

Not fear—anticipation!

Not dread—hope!

Reconciling Matthew 24:36 with John 5:17-20

Now we can finally reconcile these passages completely:

John 5:17-20

Jesus does everything the Father does (perfect unity)

The Father shows Him all things (complete knowledge)

They work together in perfect harmony (ontological oneness)

Matthew 24:36

Jesus uses wedding idiom (cultural communication)

Emphasizes Father's authority to set appointment (economic roles)

Calls disciples to watchfulness (practical application)

Does not contradict His divine omniscience (contextual understanding)

There is no contradiction.

Jesus possesses complete divine knowledge because He and the Father are one. Matthew 24:36 is not a statement of ignorance but an idiomatic expression communicating:

The Father's prerogative to declare the appointed time

The Bridegroom's submission to His Father's timing

The Bride's call to watchful readiness

The prohibition against date-setting calculation

Conclusion: The Bridegroom Is Coming

We are the Bride of Christ, betrothed to our Bridegroom who paid the bride price with His own blood. He drank the cup at the Last Supper, sealing the New Covenant. He told us:

John 14:2-3: "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

He has gone to His Father's house to prepare our dwelling place. At the appointed time—the time the Father will declare—He will receive the signal, the trumpet will sound, and He will come for His Bride.

We don't know the day or hour because the Father sets the appointment.

But we know the season. We see the signs. We hear the footsteps of Messiah approaching.

Our lamps should be trimmed and burning.
Our wedding garments should be ready.
Our eyes should be on the eastern sky.
Our hearts should be filled with joyful anticipation.

The Bridegroom is coming!

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.'... He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"
— Revelation 22:17, 20

Maranatha!

Our Lord, Come!

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