The Angel Who Declares the Hour

An objection that is often used against the Deity of Christ is to cite the words of our Lord concerning the knowledge of the day and hour:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36

“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Mark 13:32

Since Jesus includes himself among those who do not know the hour of his coming in judgement against Jerusalem, this is taken as proof that he is not equal to God the Father.

One of the ways that Christians have explained these statements is to show that the Greek word for “knows” (eido) can mean to make known or to declare. This suggests that the words of our Lord should be rendered in the following manner:

“But of that day or hour, no man can make known, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

In an attempt to refute this interpretation, certain Muslims and anti-Trinitarians provide the following counter example from the book of Revelation.

“Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who inhabit the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. And he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.’” Revelation 14:6-7

John the Apostle refers to an angel that was sent to declare that the hour of God’s judgment has come to pass. This shows that Matthew and Mark could not have possibly meant that no angel would make known the hour of God’s judgement, unless one wants to believe that the Holy Bible is contradicting itself.  

However, the supposed contradiction only exists in the imagination of the objector since this is nothing more than a caricature of the argument.

The Christian position in respect Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 isn’t that men and angels can never make known the day or hour. Rather, the actual point is that it is solely the prerogative of the Father whether this datum will ever be made known. Once the Father has decided to reveal this bit of information then he will surely do so through the agency of his inspired emissaries, which includes angels and men.

This leads me to my next argument.  

1. The Angel declares the hour because the Godhead revealed it to and through him

It is clear that the angels only make known what God has revealed to them and has authorized them to declare and do:

“Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’ So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who have the mark of the beast and who worship his image. And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who is and who was, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’” Revelation 16:1-5

Other verses include:

“Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom rules over all. Bless Yahweh, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless Yahweh, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.” Psalm 103:19-21

2. Jesus is the Divine Conduit of the Revelation since he is a member of the Godhead

John begins his Apocalypse by referring to the risen Jesus as the Divine Agent of the revelation, which Christ then conveyed to him by the Angel whom the Lord had sent:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His slaves the things which must soon happen; and He indicated this by sending it through His angel to His slave John,” Revelation 1:1

And:

“And he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent HIS angel to show to His slaves the things which must soon take place. And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’ I, John, am the one who was hearing and seeing these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.  But he said to me, ‘Do not do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’... I, Jesus, sent MY angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:6-9, 16

Note that the angel sent to declare God’s revelation to John is expressly said to belong to both God and Jesus Christ.

Moreover, contrast the angel’s refusal to be worshiped with the worship that all creation gives to God and the Lamb:

“And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.’

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’

“And EVERY CREATED THING thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and ALL THINGS IN THEM, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” Revelation 5:8-14

And:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These, clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?’ And I said to him, ‘My lord, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary; and He who sits on the throne will dwell over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the water of life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’” Revelation 7:9-17

The fact that Jesus is distinguished from every created being, and could cleanse an innumerable host of human lives by his blood, prove that he is no creature. Christ is must be the uncreated Son of God who is equal to the Father in glory, power and might.  

3. Jesus Christ is the Divine King of all Creation and the Lord of all the Angels

The risen Christ is presented as infinitely superior to creation, which includes the entire host of heaven, by virtue of his being the supreme Lord from/in heaven and the King of all creation:

“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Yes, amen...

“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power.

“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not fear; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” Revelation 1:5-7, 12-18

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, ‘Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then He who sits on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14-16

The risen and glorified Lord is not only identified as the divine Son of Man whom the prophet Daniel saw,

“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And came near before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not be taken away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

He is also presented in the same way that the Old Testament describes YHWH God:

“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 44:6

“Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.” Isaiah 48:12

There’s more:

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and elect and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; having a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself, and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wrath of the rage of God, the Almighty. And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with Him who sits on the horse and with HIS army.

“And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who did the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sits on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 19:11-21

Once again, Christ is described in the same exact manner that the Hebrew Bible portrays YHWH Almighty:

“For Yahweh your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the fearsome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” Deuteronomy 10:17

“Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness endures forever.” Psalm 136:3

“The king answered Daniel and said, ‘Truly your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’” Daniel 2:47

“Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His clothing, Marching in the greatness of His power? ‘It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why is Your clothing red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? ‘I have trodden the wine trough ALONE, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished, and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I brought down their lifeblood to the earth.” Isaiah 63:1-6

This is explicit proof that every angelic being is inferior to and subject to the risen Jesus.

4. Christ is the Omniscient and Omnipotent Judge of All Creation

Christ is also the coming Judge of all the earth who repays mankind according to their deeds:

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: This is what the Son of God, the One who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like burnished bronze, says: ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your last deeds are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and deceives My slaves so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

“And I gave her time to repent, and she does not wish to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.’” Revelation 2:18-23

“‘Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’... He who bears witness to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:12-13, 20

John has applied to the risen Lord the following OT texts, all of which depict YHWH God Almighty as coming with his reward to repay every individual for what s/he has earned:

“Behold, Lord Yahweh will come with strength, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.” Isaiah 40:10

“Behold, Yahweh has announced to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.’” Isaiah 62:11

“I, Yahweh, search the heart; I test the inmost being, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

“And that to You, O Lord, belongs lovingkindness, For You repay a man according to his work.” Psalm 62:12

“If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ Does not He who weighs the hearts understand? And does not He who guards your soul know? And will not He render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12

The inspired and blessed Apostle couldn't be any clearer that Christ is equal to the Father and infinitely greater than all creation by virtue of being YHWH God Almighty who became a Man.

Scriptural references taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).