“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that
time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his
servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to
keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the
house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the
rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you
sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Mark 13: 32-37
When
Jesus made this statement, his human side—which Philippians 2 speaks of Jesus
emptying himself, divesting himself of all power—did not know when he was going
to return. In context, he was speaking
of the judgment on Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD, while hinting toward his
bodily return at some future date.
Jesus did
not have all knowledge while on earth.
He grew and matured like any human, learning from scriptures and from
his mentors. He was not born the smartest kid in the world. Jesus set aside his omniscience, omnipotence
and omnipresence so he could fairly experience life as a human.
By saying
that he did not know when he (the Son) would return means he did not know at
that time in his human state. Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit and scripture for
revelation just as we rely on the Holy Spirit and scriptures to speak and
reveal to us what we need to know.
Does
Jesus know now when he will return in bodily form to judge the earth? Yes.
He is with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are one and share all knowledge.
Tactfully,
it made sense. If Jesus knew, he would be hounded with questions about the end
of the world. When Jesus received back all his Godly powers, that he emptied
himself of in Philippians 2, he knew then when he would return.