Matthew 24:36 and Revelation 1:1: Rethinking the Timing and Nature of Christ’s Coming

Matthew 24:36 and Revelation 1:1: Rethinking the Timing and Nature of Christ’s Coming


Among the many debated passages concerning the return of Christ, two verses stand at the center of discussion: Matthew 24:36 and Revelation 1:1. Biblical Unitarians who hold to Full Preterism see these verses as key to understanding that Christ's coming was not a distant, future event but something that was imminent in the first century.


In Matthew 24:36, Jesus states:


Matthew 24:36

English Standard Version

36 “But concerning that day and hour 👉NO ONE KNOWS👈, not even the angels of heaven, 👉NOR THE  SON👈,but 👉THE FATHER ONLY👈



NOTE: Mark 13:32 is a parallel passage.


Many take this verse as proof that the second coming remains unknowable even today. However, within the context of Matthew 24, Jesus was speaking before His resurrection, at which point even He had not yet received full revelation of the Father’s plan. After His resurrection and ascension, Christ was exalted and given all authority (Matthew 28:18). It follows that the Father would reveal to Him what was previously unknown.


This connects directly with Revelation 1:1, which says:


Revelation 1:1

English Standard Version

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which 👉God GAVE HIM👈 to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. 👉He made it known by sending his angel👈 to his servant John


NOTE: The servants included John and his contemporaries. Why send a message to a group of people if nothing was going to happen to them during their lifetime?



Here, we see that after His ascension, Jesus did receive knowledge from the Father concerning the timing of His coming. What was once unknown in Matthew 24:36 was later made known and revealed to His followers in the book of Revelation. The events described were not for a distant future but were to happen “soon”—a word that appears repeatedly throughout Revelation (1:3, 22:6, 22:10, etc.).


If we take Scripture seriously, Revelation’s emphasis on imminence cannot be ignored. The events described were not meant for an audience thousands of years later but for the churches of the first century. Matthew 24 and Revelation both describe the same coming of Christ—not a visible, bodily return at the end of time, but a covenantal judgment upon Israel, culminating in the destruction of the temple in AD 70.


Jesus’ "coming" in judgment aligns with Old Testament prophetic language, where God “comes” in judgment through historical events (e.g., Isaiah 19:1, where Yahweh “rides on a swift cloud” against Egypt). Revelation confirms that Christ’s coming would be experienced in their generation, fulfilling Jesus' words in Matthew 24:34:


Matthew 24:34

English Standard Version

34 Truly, I say to 👉you👈, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place


When we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, Matthew 24:36 and Revelation 1:1 do not contradict but complement each other. Jesus did not remain ignorant of the timing of His coming indefinitely. Rather, what was unknown before His resurrection was later revealed and proclaimed through the apostles. The message of Revelation was one of urgency—Christ was coming soon, bringing judgment on Israel and the full establishment of the new covenant.


For Biblical Unitarian Full Preterists, this understanding clarifies that Christ’s "second coming" was a past event, fulfilled in AD 70, marking the end of the old covenant age and the full realization of the kingdom of God.







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