Puzzled About the End of the Age: No One Knows the Day or Hour

People often quote this saying of Jesus to say that we can't know the timing of His coming and shouldn't bother trying...but is that what Jesus really meant? Or has this popular saying twisted the original meaning? What if Jesus wants us to know and commands us to know, otherwise consequences will follow?
NOTE: I have NO INTEREST in date-setting speculation! 🙂