• Modestly Accept What You Do Not Know
    The Watchtower (Study)—2025 | June

    • WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE END WILL COME

      4. According to Matthew 24:36, what is one fact that we do not know?

      4 Read Matthew 24:36. We do not know when the end of this system of things will come. Even Jesus, while on earth, did not know the “day and hour.”a He later told the apostles that Jehovah, who is the Great Timekeeper, keeps the timing of certain events “in his own jurisdiction,” or authority. (Acts 1:6, 7) Jehovah has scheduled the time for the end of this system, but we are not in a position to figure out precisely when that will be.

      5. Because we do not know when the end will come, how might we be affected?

      5 In view of what Jesus said, we do not know how long we will have to wait until the end comes. As a result, we might become impatient or discouraged, especially if we have already been waiting for some time for Jehovah’s day. Or we might find it hard to endure ridicule from family members or others. (2 Pet. 3:3, 4) It is possible to feel that if we knew the exact day that the end would come, we would be more patient and we would be able to endure ridicule more easily.

      6. Why is it good that we do not know when the end will come?

      6 Actually, by not revealing the date for the end, Jehovah gives us the opportunity to show that we serve him because we love him and trust in him. We are not serving Jehovah with a deadline in mind, as if our faith in him had an expiration date. Instead of focusing primarily on when “the day of Jehovah” will come, we do well to focus on what that day will accomplish. In doing so, we continue to deepen our devotion to God and do all we can to please him.​—2 Pet. 3:11, 12.

      7. What do we know?

      7 We do well to focus on what we do know​—that the last days began in 1914. Jehovah has provided Bible prophecies that not only pinpoint that year but also describe in detail the conditions that have prevailed since then. As a result, we are convinced that “the great day of Jehovah is near.” (Zeph. 1:14) We also know the work that Jehovah wants us to do, namely, to tell as many as possible about the “good news of the Kingdom.” (Matt. 24:14) This message is being declared in some 240 lands and in more than 1,000 languages. We do not need to know the “day and hour” in order to have a zealous share in this vital work.