It is not for you to know the times or the seasons

[Nehemiah6]

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7)

Recently there was arisen a trend to look for the times and the season pertaining to the Rapture or the Revelation. We have had a lot of talk about blood moons, cosmic events, and now the total eclipse which has just occurred.

But just as the Lord said to His apostles before His ascension, that Word of Scripture applies to all Christians until the Rapture (which has always been immiment, hence "the Lord is at hand").

Christians are to be distinct from the world in that they must ignore the times and the seasons, since it is not for us to know them. Ever since the tower of Babel, pagans have focused on the signs of the Zodiac and everything related to the movements of heavenly bodies. Then the pseudo-science of Astrology (which is pure superstition).

Where then should our focus be? Precisely when the Lord Jesus Christ told us to keep it (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:6,7)

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen...

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned...

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And ye are witnesses of these things.

9 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high...

7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

[Willie-T]

I find it just as strange to be looking for a "secret, surprise rapture" that doesn't exist, and won't exist until Christ returns on that final day..

 

[tourist]

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7)

However, there is also this passage to consider:

Matthew 24:32
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”

 

[Nehemiah6]

I find it just as strange to be looking for a "secret, surprise rapture" that doesn't exist, and won't exist until Christ returns on that final day..

That "final day" is when Christ returns WITH His saints and angels, not FOR His saints.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14,15)

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Rev 1:7)

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon himwas called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Rev 19:11-14)

 

[Nehemiah6]

However, there is also this passage to consider:

Matthew 24:32
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”

Had you lived in Jerusalem and Judea between 30 AD and 70 AD, this would have certainly applied.

 

[Blain]

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7)

Recently there was arisen a trend to look for the times and the season pertaining to the Rapture or the Revelation. We have had a lot of talk about blood moons, cosmic events, and now the total eclipse which has just occurred.

But just as the Lord said to His apostles before His ascension, that Word of Scripture applies to all Christians until the Rapture (which has always been immiment, hence "the Lord is at hand").

Christians are to be distinct from the world in that they must ignore the times and the seasons, since it is not for us to know them. Ever since the tower of Babel, pagans have focused on the signs of the Zodiac and everything related to the movements of heavenly bodies. Then the pseudo-science of Astrology (which is pure superstition).

Where then should our focus be? Precisely when the Lord Jesus Christ told us to keep it (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:6,7)

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen...

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned...

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And ye are witnesses of these things.

9 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high...

7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

You do realize that you cannot base a belief off of a single verse right? For instance yes he did say it is not for you to know the time and seasons that the father has put into place but his response was to their question of restoring the kingdom of Israel 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority
Granted there is much more scriptures to connect to this and cross reference to truly understand but my point is that he was not speaking of the rapture or the tribulation or the end of days he was speaking of the timing of restoring the kingdom Israel

 

[Dino246]

In reference to the eclipse particularly, it is laughable that some American believers seem to think that "the world" ends at the international boundary. Thinking that an eclipse only visible in North America would be "the sign" that marks a major event in God's timetable is just a wee bit arrogant. Bear in mind that I'm not pointing fingers at anyone on this site!

 

[Nehemiah6]

You do realize that you cannot base a belief off of a single verse right?

How did ten verses become "a single verse"? The plain meaning of the verse in question (Acts 1:7) is crystal clear, so now it is up to you to produce a verse which says the opposite, or partial opposite.

In fact, the Bible makes it perfectly clear that focusing on times and seasons and signs in the heavens is a PAGAN PRACTICE and should be shunned.

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” ​

(Jeremiah 10:2)​

 

[Blain]

How did ten verses become "a single verse"? The plain meaning of the verse in question (Acts 1:7) is crystal clear, so now it is up to you to produce a verse which says the opposite, or partial opposite.

In fact, the Bible makes it perfectly clear that focusing on times and seasons and signs in the heavens is a PAGAN PRACTICE and should be shunned.

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” ​

(Jeremiah 10:2)​

My bad verse was the wrong word, but if the verse is as crystal clear as you say then why did the three wise men see the giant star as the sign that Jesus was born? And why also did God himself say that the sun moon and stars are for discerning seasons and times?

 

[Muzungu256]

I find it just as strange to be looking for a "secret, surprise rapture" that doesn't exist, and won't exist until Christ returns on that final day..

the final day will be a surprise.......... check mate!

 

[Nehemiah6]

My bad verse was the wrong word, but if the verse is as crystal clear as you say then why did the three wise men see the giant star as the sign that Jesus was born?

That's a very good question. It would appear that God rewarded the faith of these wise men (probably three) by having that star of Bethlehem guide them to where the Christ child was. We know that they had faith and believed without reservation that Jesus was born King of the Jews, therefore they brought Him those costly gifts. It is also remarkable that none of the Jews did this but these who had probably been Zoroastrians, believe God and it was counted to them for righteousness (similar to Abraham believing God).

But we should keep in mind that these men were Gentile magi (astrologers) who came from the east (probably Arabia) but also that they must have been familiar with the Torah and had believed God regarding this star, since it had been prophesied by Balaam in Numbers 24:16,17. So this was appropriate for that time and those circumstances, but Christ was addressing His disciples (which all Christians are to be):

He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

This is corroborated by John Gill in his commentary:...the appearance of a star in Israel was a sign of the Messiah's coming is certain from ( Matthew 2:1 Matthew 2:2 ) of which the Magi were informed by Zoroastres their founder, who, being of Jewish extract, had got it from this prophecy of Balaam; and it is as evident that the Jews expected the appearance of an extraordinary star at the time of the Messiah's coming; for so they say more than once, in an ancient book of theirs, that when the ``Messiah shall be revealed, a bright and shining star shall arise in the east;''

And why also did God himself say that the sun moon and stars are for discerning seasons and times?

Here's what we read in Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

This is applicable to the whole world, and God would have known that the Gentiles would use the heavenly bodies for astrological "signs". But the phases of the moon were significant for Jews and those would also be signs ("new moons"), and these heavenly bodies would also be signs before the second coming of Christ in that they would be seriously affected when the heavens and the earth were "shaken" by God after the Great Tribulation. Thus we read in Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But what the Lord said to His apostles is applicable to all believers. We are not to look for times and seasons and signs in the heavens. Why? Because we have a more important job on earth, which is the propagation of the Gospel, and this is also clear from that passage: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

[Blain]

That's a very good question. It would appear that God rewarded the faith of these wise men (probably three) by having that star of Bethlehem guide them to where the Christ child was. We know that they had faith and believed without reservation that Jesus was born King of the Jews, therefore they brought Him those costly gifts. It is also remarkable that none of the Jews did this but these who had probably been Zoroastrians, believe God and it was counted to them for righteousness (similar to Abraham believing God).

But we should keep in mind that these men were Gentile magi (astrologers) who came from the east (probably Arabia) but also that they must have been familiar with the Torah and had believed God regarding this star, since it had been prophesied by Balaam in Numbers 24:16,17. So this was appropriate for that time and those circumstances, but Christ was addressing His disciples (which all Christians are to be):

He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

This is corroborated by John Gill in his commentary:...the appearance of a star in Israel was a sign of the Messiah's coming is certain from ( Matthew 2:1 Matthew 2:2 ) of which the Magi were informed by Zoroastres their founder, who, being of Jewish extract, had got it from this prophecy of Balaam; and it is as evident that the Jews expected the appearance of an extraordinary star at the time of the Messiah's coming; for so they say more than once, in an ancient book of theirs, that when the ``Messiah shall be revealed, a bright and shining star shall arise in the east;''


Here's what we read in Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

This is applicable to the whole world, and God would have known that the Gentiles would use the heavenly bodies for astrological "signs". But the phases of the moon were significant for Jews and those would also be signs ("new moons"), and these heavenly bodies would also be signs before the second coming of Christ in that they would be seriously affected when the heavens and the earth were "shaken" by God after the Great Tribulation. Thus we read in Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But what the Lord said to His apostles is applicable to all believers. We are not to look for times and seasons and signs in the heavens. Why? Because we have a more important job on earth, which is the propagation of the Gospel, and this is also clear from that passage: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Can people not do his work while also paying attention to the signs and the season we are in?

 

[Nehemiah6]

Can people not do his work while also paying attention to the signs and the season we are in?

Well for believers the return of Christ for His Church is always imminent. Therefore signs should mean nothing to us, though they create huge panic for the world. Look at all the predictions concerning "blood moons" and "Shemitah". A tempest in a teapot. Then we have the false teachers setting dates and ending up with egg on their faces.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Mt 24:36)

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Mt 24:44)

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of (Mt 24:50)

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Mt 25:13)

 

[Blain]

Well for believers the return of Christ for His Church is always imminent. Therefore signs should mean nothing to us, though they create huge panic for the world. Look at all the predictions concerning "blood moons" and "Shemitah". A tempest in a teapot. Then we have the false teachers setting dates and ending up with egg on their faces.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Mt 24:36)

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Mt 24:44)

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of (Mt 24:50)

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Mt 25:13)

I have never felt his return was imminent, i want to trust me but I never can bring myself to. The hope of him coming and taking us home any day at any time is nice to have but I just can't bring myself to believe that. Not to say he won't or that his return isn't imminent but for me I seek him out every day any way I can and to grow closer to him and develop a deeper love and bond with him while also watching for the signs and the season because I cannot say for sure how it will happen whether it is very very soon like a week from now or 30 years from now but I do know this. I think it is far more important to have our hearts prepared for whatever happens however it happens or how soon it happens

 

[p_rehbein]

Wait........WHUT?

I CAN'T KNOW the times or the Season?

Well, why in the world do they make Watches and publish a Calendar?

BTW, the current time CST is 3:48PM, and the Season is the Dog Days of Summer........(folks will have to adjust both depending on where on this rock they live)