Proof of the Trinity Error
This verse clearly shows that ONLY the Father knows the day and hour of Jesus' return. Jesus declares that he does not know and ONLY the Father knows. Despite Jesus' own words that only the Father knows, Trinitarians continue to insist that Jesus was omniscient and does know everything there is to know.
The Evidence
The evidence is rather plain. Jesus declares emphatically that only the Father knows the day and hour. That would rule out everyone else. From the Trinitarian perspective this absolutely rules out the second person of the Trinity and the third person of the Trinity. Not only does Jesus not know, the Holy Spirit does not know either. Hence, neither Jesus or the Holy Spirit, defined as the 3rd person of the Trinity, is omniscient and neither of these can therefore be God.
It shall be one day Which is known to YAHWEH -- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen [That] it will be light. (Zechariah 14:7).
Jesus testifies at Matthew 24:36 that he certainly cannot be Yahweh.
Additionally, we also find these teachings in the Bible:
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which THE FATHER has fixed by His own authority. (Acts 1:7).
For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because HE has fixed a Day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a MAN whom HE has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:23-31).
The Trinitarian Response
This writer has never seen a cogent response from Trinitarians although all kinds of tactics and maneuvers are commonly attempted. Usually, Trinitarian apologetists try to get people to focus on the Jesus question here and go on about something related to his incarnation such as Jesus giving up the choice to know or whatever contrivance can be dreamed up for the occasion, and hope nobody notices that the Trinitarian Holy Spirit, 3rd person of the Trinity, does not know the day and hour either.
Another tactic is to try and nullify the impact of this verse by referring to the verse where Jesus said he has a name which no one knows but he himself (Revelation 19:12) and of course they perceive that no one would argue this means the Father does not know. But the motives behind such argumentation is plain. This absurd kind of thinking seeks to rob words of any meaning. When Jesus says only the Father knows he means only the Father knows. The word "only" is not a useless random term thrown into the sentence which has no purpose. And when John says that Jesus has a name which no one knows but he himself it means what it says. First, a name is not a set of letters but one's character. Second, Jesus is very emphatic at Matthew 24:36 and makes it quite clear what he is talking about. Nobody knows the day and hour. No man knows, no angel knows, the Son does not know, only the Father knows. Jesus covers all the bases to make it abundantly clear. This is not the same idea at Revelation 19:12. And finally, these kinds of excuses are always exposed when one simply looks at the facts to see what is being intended:
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has A NAME written which no one knows but he himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and THE NAME by which he is called is The Word of God.
The John 17:3 Contradiction
Carefully regard the Trinitarian response to John 17:3. They respond that the word "only" does not modify the word "Father" but the word "God" and therefore Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not excluded. In other words, the Trinitarian argues that if the word "only" had modified the word Father and John had said, "Father... only You are the true God" then they agree that Jesus and the Holy Spirit would be excluded.
But now observe that the word "only" DOES indeed modify the Father here at Matthew 24:36. In spite of their own admission at John 17:3, they still deny the facts and resort to hypocrisy. This is just one case of many which shows there is no amount of evidence one can offer someone who insists upon denial of the facts.
Conclusion
The conclusion is simple and clear. Nobody but nobody knows the day and hour except the Father alone who fixes times and seasons by His own authority. Jesus does not know, a third person of the Trinity does not know, and only the Father knows. This rules out everyone else and necessarily means that no one but the Father is omniscient. Only the Father can possibly be the one God.
Last Updated: August 23, 2012
