The day and hour are unknown to the Son Jesus, known only to the Father.

To illustrate that the words “no one knows the day or hour of it” and “its time and season by the authority of the Father” are not the same as a specific “year,” I will contrast the Greek word for year in the original text. There are many Christians who believe that this scripture is a bottleneck and should not be chronologically identified.

Original language in Matthew 24:36

Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Original language contrast “day” vs. “year”

• ἡμέρα (hēmera): means “day” and refers to a calendar date or a specific day.

• ὥρα (hōra): means “time” or “hour” and refers to a specific hour, time, or moment in the day. E.g., “ἡμέρα τοῦ Κυρίου” (the day of the Lord). E.g., “ἡ ὥρα ἥκει” (the time has come).

The following are the original words not used in the corresponding scripture.

• ἔτος (etos): means “year.” This indicates a period of 365 (or 366) days per year.

• αἰών (aiōn): means “age” or “eternal period”, not a specific moment, but a long period of time. E.g., “ἐνιαυτὸς ἐκείνος” (that year).

Conclusion

ἡμέρα (hēmera) and ὥρα (hōra) as used in the original text of Matthew 24:36 refer to specific “days” and “hours”; they do not indicate specific years or periods.

The time or season in Acts 1:7

Daniel 12:9-10 “And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.’”

John 16:12-13 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Acts 1:7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

In Acts 1:7, both “times” (χρόνος, chronos) and “seasons” (καιρός, kairos) are used in the plural form. The plural here does not merely indicate numerical plurality, but also carries the sense of “various spans of time” or “different opportunities.”

• Plural chronos –  multiple periods and years. It denotes the continuous flow of time; when a year is 365 days, it suggests the succession of days, signifying the very essence of seasons.

• Plural kairos – Numerous spiritual turning points and opportunities.

The deliberate choice of these original words, rather than ἔτος (etos, meaning “year”), suggests an intent to give the reader a broader scope of understanding—embracing both the long-term and short-term. While translations often render this as “times and seasons,” Christ’s words could equally be translated as “that seasons and that moments.”

From this, we can understand that—even if the “frame” of a particular year becomes evident—the specific span or specific moment of the Second Coming, that is, the actual content of the plural chronos and kairoi, remains hidden under the Father’s authority. A person may deduce the year, but the other specific timings—such as the days or the hours—cannot be known.

Throughout the whole Bible, God’s plan of six thousand years for human history is hinted at. For the early Christians, a Second Coming two thousand years later was hidden; but it seems that God has arranged matters so that those living two thousand years later, with wisdom, may discern this plan.

Thus, while we can discern the outer framework—the year 2028, which marks the six-thousandth year—we cannot know the precise chronos and kairos within that year when the Second Coming will occur. Even Jesus Himself stated that He did not know the “day and hour” in regard to those seasons and moments.

Conversely, while the exact day and hour of the seasons and moments cannot be known, the children of God can perceive the end of the six-thousandth year, and humankind can make predictions on the scale of years. Even in times as distorted as ours, those whose hearts and eyes are opened will grasp the intent of this prophecy.