While some people see English Translations of the Bible as sacrosanct and accept every word without question, it is important to remember that they are exactly that, "Translations" and that God's word was originally conveyed to humanity in Hebrew; Aramaic and Greek. Most however understand this, which is why so many utilise different versions, as they try to understand the nuances behind the original text, with each version translating the original languages slightly differently.
However, while this approach is generally good, there is another problem that is less understood, that this reliance upon multiple versions introduces. Essentially, it raises their confidence to a level where any text that is common to all versions now becomes unquestioned, even though it is still only a Translation. What is not understood is that while many widely used modern English versions did go back to the original languages as their primary source for their text, they also referred to the original "Authorised Version", the King James Version first published in 1611 and updated in 1769, due to its historical and cultural significance. Now this is certainly not a problem in itself because God's hand of providence is clearly all over the KJV. It is arguably still the most accurate and reliable English version available, despite the plethora of modern versions that have been released since it was first published. Notwithstanding this, it has introduced a modern issue.
Translation Issue
This is where a translation of a word has been passed down through all versions unquestioningly, but an examination of the word shows that the original translation was purely subjective, not based upon any unbreakable rules of grammar. As a result, the meaning of the passage has actually been completely altered by this translation choice, which can involve as little as a single word.
What follows will be the first of 2 examples of this problem, both of which have had a significant impact upon our understanding of what the Word of God could be saying about the Rapture and the End-Times. The first example will be an analysis of a text that suggests that no one can know when Jesus is coming back, while the second example, that relates to both the timing and nature of the events that are associated with the Tribulation, will be dealt with in another article (part 2), to be completed at a later date.
For now, it is hoped that the first example will be sufficient to cause people to dig deeper into God's word. There are many tools that are available today to examine the text in the original languages and with the help of the Holy Spirit we are now able to clarify and deepen our understanding of what God is truly saying to us.
No One Knows
The first example involves the very well-known verse Matthew 24: 36 that is used nearly universally to say we absolutely cannot know when Jesus is returning:
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only". Matthew 24:36
However, this translation all hinges on exactly one Greek word οἶδα (Oida), which has a multitude of meanings. Rather than debate the validity of using another meaning, which would obviously just be me presenting my own subjective opinion about the word’s translation, I will primarily rely on the KJV Bible Translators themselves to show the frailty of standing on this verse for your support that we cannot know the time of Jesus' return.
This can be done by looking at another passage in the King James Version Bible, just three 3 chapters earlier, in Matthew 21:23-27, where the Chief Priests and the Elders are questioning Jesus about the source of His authority for what He teaches. Jesus’ response is as follows:
“4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?...” Matthew 21:24-25
Believing that He was trying to trick them they reasoned amongst themselves saying:
“25… If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. Matthew 21:25-26
On this basis, they decide that while Jesus said if you Tell me the answer to my question, I will Tell you the answer to yours, they believe that they are in a no-win situation because their answer will either validate that Jesus’ authority is from heaven, or they will upset the people who believe in the ministry of John the Baptist, so they decide not to Tell him an answer. However, rather than simply saying this to Him because it would appear as if they were just being defiant and refusing to answer, they decide to hedge their bet and say in Greek “οὐκ οἴδαμεν” instead of a form of “λέγω” the common word for Tell, which had been used in their conversation to this point. Significantly, every common translation apart from the KJV translates “οὐκ οἴδαμεν” as “We do not know”, but the KJV translates it as “We cannot Tell”, as follows:
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell…” Matthew 21:27
And Jesus replied:
“27 …Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” Matthew 21:27
This reveals 3 things to us:
Firstly - the Greek word οἴδαμεν, which comes from the Root Word οἶδα, carries both the meaning “to know” or “to tell” - its form as οἴδαμεν is just as a Verb, Perfect, Active, Indicative, 1st Person Plural.
Secondly - because the KJV translates it as “Tell” and other versions translate it as “Know”, both meanings are valid, it is just a subjective choice as to which meaning one chooses.
Thirdly - based upon the reasoning of the Chief Priests and Elders as outlined above, it seems clear that they did not want to appear defiant, or adversarial, and they were still hoping that if they imply to Jesus that that are actually unable to answer His question because they really don’t know, then Jesus might still “Tell” them the answer to their question. This is a significant point because in a passage that is based upon Telling with every instance of the word being a form of the Greek Root Word λέγω, which only carries the meaning of ‘Say or Tell’, the Chief Priests change their response to οἴδαμεν a word that can also mean ‘Know”, but the KJV Bible Translators still decided to translate it as “Tell”, which seems to completely miss the nuanced meaning in this passage.
In this way, it could be reasonably argued that in this instance the KJV Translation of οἴδαμεν as “tell” was not the best choice, a point seemingly supported by the fact that most other versions of the bible translated this word, in this context, as “know”.
As such, it is also a very real possibility that the KJV Translators did not choose the best translation for the same Greek word in Matthew 24:36, which again comes from the Root word οἶδα but is this time in the form οἶδεν, which is just in the conjugational form of Perfect, Active, Indicative, 3rd Person Singular. So, the only difference to the word in the earlier Matthew 21 passage is that it is a 3rd Person Singular instead of a 1st Person Plural, so the meaning is completely unaffected by its form.
In the KJV it reads as follows:
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36
but, grammatically and contextually it could just as validly read as follows:
“But of that day and hour telleth no man…”
So, in this instance, the fact that every other modern translation follows the KJV bible here and translates it as 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows…” could just be that they agree with the theological inferences and have simply followed suit. Either way, the fact that the KJV has shown that the word οἶδα can quite validly be translated as either “know” or “tell” and that possibly they did not choose the most contextually suitable word in Matthew 21:27, then there is no reason (grammatically or contextually) that the alternative of “tell” should not be used in the latter passage in Matthew 24.
If one does so, a whole range of implications follow, because of the way that we understand and use the words “know” and “tell” in modern English. Not the least of these implications is that one can now begin to see this passage in the light of the Jewish Wedding, which is comprised of two main sections, the Betrothal (אירוסין - erusin) and the Marriage or Nuptials (ניסווין – nissuin), with each having their own traditions and ceremonial acts.
In this regard, one tradition states that as part of the 'Betrothal Section' that “…. the groom was to prepare a place for his bride, while the bride focused on her personal preparations: wedding garments, lamps, etc. Although the bride knew to expect her groom after about a year, she did not know the exact day or hour. He could come earlier. It was the father of the groom who gave final approval for him to return to collect his bride. For that reason, the bride kept her oil lamps ready at all times, just in case the groom came in the night, sounding the shofar (ram’s horn) to lead the bridal procession to the home he had prepared for her.” This quote was taken from the following site link, but importantly there are many sources, including Jewish ones, that all say the same sorts of things:
As such, the important thing to note is that the emphasis of these ancient weddings were not about whether anyone could know when the Groom would be coming for his bride, rather it was about understanding it was the Father of the Groom that told (tell) his Son to go and get his Bride.
The Jewish Wedding
Clearly, this is a theme that God, through the Holy Spirit, has woven all the way through Scripture, with its ultimate fulfilment meant to be seen as Christ returning for His Bride to take them to His Father’s House, as it states in John 14:1-3
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3
This fits with the Rapture (harpazō - ἁρπάζω in Greek, or Rapiemur in Latin) which is described in Thessalonians 4:16-18, where Jesus returns in the clouds for His Bride, just as the Angels told His disciples He would when He ascended:
“16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
With the wedding to take place in Heaven, just prior to Jesus Second Coming, as described in Revelation 19:6-14
“6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.” Revelation 19:6-14
The significance of this passage, in relation to our discussion, is that the Bride is already in Heaven prior to Jesus coming back. As such, the Rapture had to occur prior to the events of the Tribulation, that end with His Second Coming. So if we consider Matthew 24:36-44 again, as a passage that parallels the meaning of the Jewish Wedding and that starts with the Father telling His Son to go and get His bride, and put it in the context of being like Noah and his family entering the Ark prior to the outpouring of God’s Judgement, we can see that not only can we possibly know when Jesus will come back, but we can know that it will definitely be a pre-tribulational event.
So essentially, by changing the meaning of this one verse in Matthew 24, it puts the rest of the passage into its proper context as a Rapture Passage, not the Second Coming, as some believe, and it removes the primary verse against the idea that we cannot know when Jesus is coming.
God wants us to know
The fact is that Scripture supports the idea that He not only wants us to know, but He expects us to know. For example, in the well-known passage where it says that Jesus wept, Jesus laments for the people because they did not know the time of their visitation.
41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41-44
Clearly, there was an expectation that they should “know” and scripture gives us some examples of those that did, such as:
- Simeon who was waiting for Jesus’ birth because God in the Holy Spirit had revealed it to him ahead of time that he would see Him before he died:
5 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:25-32
- Also, there were the Wise men from the East who came to Jerusalem looking for him saying:
“2 …Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:2
These wise men, or Magi, are traditionally believed to have come from Eastern regions that are now part of modern-day Iran, or Iraq, but that were historically part of Babylon, where Daniel in the 6th century bc had lived and prophesied. In the time of Jesus, this was ruled by the Parthians, and they were likely Zoroastrian priests or astrologers who studied the stars and were familiar with Jewish prophecies about the birth of the Messiah, particularly those given by Daniel.
Though these were not even God’s chosen people, they came looking for Jesus at the appointed time prophesied in Daniel’s writings and were able to make a connection between the star and the birth of the Messiah, following it all the way to the very house he was in.
Amos 3:7 states that God reveals His secrets to His servants:
7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7
So, God is not trying to catch His people unaware, He wants everyone to be watching and waiting for Him, as the appointed time arrives. As 2 Peter 3:9 states
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
Abraham and Lot – again God desired for Abraham to know what He was about to do in relation to Sodom and Gomorrah and this revelation to Abraham allowed him to intercede for the people at those locations, including his nephew Lot. Significantly, even after Abraham stopped pleading for the cities which he knew included Lot and his family, God in a great act of mercy sent His angels in to rescue Abraham’s family from the judgement that was going to come upon the other wicked people who had rejected God and His commandments.
“17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” Genesis 18:17-18
This is a type of the Rapture with God not only rescuing those whose who are His, prior to the outpouring of His wrath against the wicked who have rejected Him and His commandments, but also God in Jesus come down prior to the event so that Abraham would know exactly what was going to happen and to rescue His people before it happened, just as Jesus will do when He comes down and catches us away in the clouds before the Tribulation.
The Hidden Day – Yom HaKeseh - a timing clue
In this regard, it is worth considering what is known as the Hidden Day and examine its connection to the scripture we have been discussing in Matthew 24:36 about the “Unknown day and Hour” and its connection to the Feast of Trumpets, which occurs on Rosh HaShanah each year:
“… But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36
To do this we can look at Psalm 81: 3-4, which says the following in the King James Version:
“3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. 4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.” Psalms 81:3-4 (KJV)
And this in the NIV or New International Version:
“3 Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival; 4 this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. “ Psalms 81:3-4
The main difference between the two versions here are the words that I have highlighted in bold. Clearly, the NIV translation conveys a different meaning to the KJV by translating it to say blow the Ram’s Horn at both the “New Moon” and when the “Moon is Full”. For while the KJV’s translation can only be taken to mean to blow the Trumpet on the Feast of Trumpets, the only appointed feast that occurs on a 'new moon', the NIV translation seems to be commanding them to blow the trumpet on every Feast day regardless of whether it is a new or full moon because obviously it cannot be both a new and full moon at the same time.
As such, the NIV translation is problematic because the Feasts of the Lord, that are all defined in Leviticus 23, only instructs the blowing of the Trumpet on one day, the 1st Day of the 7th Month, or the 1st of Tishrei as it came to be known, which was and still is the 'Feast of Trumpets' (תְּרוּעָ֖ה - Teruah); 'Rosh Hashanah'; and to orthodox Jews 'Yom HaKeseh' (the Hidden day):
“23 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. “ Leviticus 23:23-25
So here we see another translation issue where the Hebrew words behind a translation can have multiple meanings. In this case, the Hebrew word is כֵּ֗סֶה and has been translated as both “appointed time” or “full moon” and only the context will determine the best choice. In the text the Hebrew word is prefixed with the letter Beth בּ which is normally translated as 'in' as it is in the KJV but is translated as 'when' in the NIV. Then the remaining part of the word - כֶּסֶא - (Keseh) is Strongs number h3677 and it is said to properly mean fulness or the full moon, i.e. its festival: — (time) appointed. This is the reason for the KJV’s use of the “appointed time”, which is less confusing. Its use of the word is basically a recognition that all of the Lord’s Feasts (מוֹעֵד) given to Moses and detailed in Leviticus 23-25 were appointed times that were regulated by the moon and while most occurred when the Moon was full, there was only one that occurred at a new Moon, which was the Feast of Trumpets.
However, this still does not fully explain the use of the word here in connection with just the New Moon (בַחֹ֣דֶש), or the beginning of the month. So for further clarification, we need to dig further and consider the root word from which it takes its core meaning. This is said to be the root word h3680 כָּסָה ḵâsâ; which according to the Strong Hebrew Dictionary is a primitive root that properly means “to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; or by implication to cover (for clothing or secrecy): — clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm”. Here it can be seen that it carries a central meaning “to cover for the purpose of concealing or hiding”. In this way, its connection to a Full Moon is said to be a poetic way of saying that the moon is covered in light to hide or conceal the darkness. It is now that we can begin to see that the use of the word in Psalm 81 carries both the meaning of an appointed time or Feast that contextually occurs at the time of a new moon, which can only be the Feast of Trumpet, as well as the idea that something is being covered for the purpose of concealing.
This is why the word כֶּסֶא (keseh) in orthodox Judaism has become associated with the one Feast or Appointed Time that does not occur at a full moon, but rather at the beginning of the month, the new moon that initiates the appointed time for the Feast of Trumpets. And importantly, it is the one Feast Day that is actually concealed or hidden because traditionally it was not known for certainty which day the very first sliver of light forming the crescent of the new moon would appear. Historically, there were always two witnesses who would would be watching for the first sliver of the new moon in the west just after sunset. They would then report their sighting to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, in the Temple courtyard. The Sanhedrin would then examine the witnesses and, if their testimonies were consistent, they would declare the sighting as valid. This declaration would mark the beginning of the new month and the Feast of Trumpets. Due to the uncertainty of the exact moment the new moon was sighted, the celebration of the 'Feast of Trumpets' lasted for two days to ensure it was properly observed. Essentially, it was a hidden-day, and this practice ensured that even if the sighting was missed on the first day, the second day would cover it and for this reason it became a 2-day Festival that is still celebrated today, on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei. As such, it coincides with Rosh HaShanah each year but has also come to be known by Orthodox Jews as Yom HaKeseh – the “Day of Hiding” or the “Hidden Day”.
The Unknown Day – Feast Trumpet
In this way, many Jewish sources see the reference in the New Testament (Matthew 24:36) to “…that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” as a Jewish Idiom for the 'unknown or Hidden day' ‘Yom HaKeseh’, which can be seen in Psalm 81:3 as being connected only with the Feast of Trumpets that occurs each year on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei.
Then if you consider the discussion above, about it being perfectly valid to translate the word οἶδεν as “tells”, we can see another connection for this Hidden day in that it could very well be the day that the Father tells His Son, Jesus, to go and get His Bride. As such, it is very possible that the 'Feast of Trumpets' on some year and on one of its two days (Tishrei 1 or Tishrei 2) could become the next major fulfilment of Bible Prophecy.
This idea is also supported by noting that Jesus literally fulfilled the first 4 Feasts in His first coming:
- Passover – Death on the Cross – 14th Nisan
- Unleavened Bread – Burial – 15th – 21st Nisan
- Feast of First Fruits – The Sacrifice of being in the grave for 3 days and nights ‘waved’ before the Father and accepted as a First Fruit of the Harvest to follow – 16th Nisan
- Feast of Weeks – Pentecost – Giving of His Holy Spirit to believers, fulfilling the prophecy to write His Law on the Hearts of Believers – it was the circumcision of one's spiritual heart, instead of the circumcision that came by the Law – Sivan 6th
Due to this, many see the remaining feasts as defined in Leviticus 23 as the appointments yet to occur in relation to Jesus. As Colossians 2 states, He is the substance of what they were all about:
"16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." Colossians 2:16-17
So, the remaining 4 Feast are seen as follows:
- Feast of Trumpets – Rapture of the Church as Jesus returns to the Clouds to meet His Bride and return to His Father’s house in Heaven - 1st and 2nd of Tishrei.
- Day of Atonement - Judgement Day – Yom Kippur – 10th Tishrei
- Feast of Tabernacles – Start of the Millenium – 15th – 21st Tishrei
- Eighth Day – Shmini Atzeret – the new creation the day that the new Heavens and Earth will be created, and Eternity will begin with no more Pain; Death and Tears – 22nd Tishrei
While the 22nd Tishrei in modern times in Israel is generally celebrated as Simchat Torah, not Shmini Atzeret - except by orthodox Jews, it is interesting to note that the Hamas attack of Oct 7th 2023 occurred on this date; and given its biblical meaning, which is really about the end of God striving with sinful man and the beginning of Eternity where all prophecy is fulfilled and Righteousness is reigning, the act of Hamas by launching their attack on this Holy Day was really a sign that the attack was the beginning of the end for them, with a new day to follow and this day is coming quicker than many people realize.
Either way, I believe the conclusions being drawn here validate our search of the scriptures, including to look for numerical patterns and other clues that could be possibilities in relation to Jesus’ return, noting I have touched on some possibilities for this in some other articles on this site.
Finally, I will look at another example of a possible mistranslation or misunderstanding in part 2 of this topic, as time permits. Hopefully, for now this will at least give the Reader something to consider in relation to God’s true intent toward us and whether or not we can actually know more about His return than many think.
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