Acts 1v6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me[a] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
It's interesting that in this one event, the disciples are given two pieces of revelation about the prophetic that we can really benefit from. In the first instance, they are told that it is not for them to know times or seasons which are only for the Father to know, and in the second they are told the manner in which Christ will return. In the first instance, we learn that there are CERTAIN times and seasons which are never for us to know about because the Father has determined that it is only good that He should know it (and we do well to accept that), but this doesn't mean that there aren't times and season that we can't know about and that aren't beneficial for us to be made aware of. Jesus Himself rebuked a crowd who listened to Him because they couldn't' discern the time they were in, and therefore could not discern who stood before them (notice that understanding the time they were in was crucial to understanding the message that Jesus gave them. Because they didn't understanding the time they were in, they didn't accept what Jesus spoke to them as they didn't think that it was for them or even relevant to their lives in any way):
Luke 12 v54: He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
Interpreting the time they were in was crucial in order to respond to Jesus in the correct way, and follow Him in a way that was wise and beneficial. The above passage also shows us that Jesus was saying that we are supposed to interpret the natural things that take place, both in the sense of nature and human goings on and events, as those things which God uses to show us where we are in His timeline of things and in relation to what He is doing through His Son on the earth. Such things are very important because they direct us in regard to what manner of service we should be giving and how we should go about that service. It also shows us how active we should be in Jesus' service, especially during times that indicate that increased distress is coming upon the earth:
John 9v4: We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.
Jesus could tell that a time would come when His people, for whatever reason, couldn't do His work. Can we discern what time we are in now? Can we discern that there isn't long left to be fruitful in our service for Him? Do we even realise what KIND of service Jesus is wanting us to do and what manner we should do it in? If not, very little fruit of service will come from our lives (and ultimate very little reward), if so, much fruit will come because we'll be greatly spurred on to do the Father's works that He is wanting us to do and in the wisdom that He gives us to do it in the manner He desires. Notice the rebuke that Jesus has for those that cannot interpret the time we are now in (Luke 12v56). This should be a further motivation for us to understand how important where we are in the Father's timeline of things is. And what is this work? The same passage reveals what we should be about:
Acts 1v8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me[a] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit has come upon all believers, and so we have been given the power we need to be His witnesses wherever we go, and this is what the Father desires that we be for Him. Prophecy via an understanding of the times and seasons, though in part, should not only give us hope for the future (i.e. knowing that Jesus will return one day and in what manner it will happen -Acts 1v11), but should motivate us to be about exactly what Jesus was about: witnessing, preaching, encouraging, teaching and healing. Jesus knew His time on the earth was short, and he knows that our time too is short and that we live in world that is violent towards Christians- so we cannot even know if we will have tomorrow:
James 4v13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Matthew 11v12: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.the kingdom of heaven suffers violence
Jesus encourages us to know the times and season we are in, in as far as it relates to understanding Him, His Word (and what He is now saying to us in revelation) and His will for the work that He is now doing and that He wants us to be doing now as well (and for the manner that He wants it to be done in). And as an extra motivator, He also gives us part of the picture of the hope that we have if we go about His work, which is that one day He will return, and He will reward us for the work that we now do for Him-
Rev 22v12: "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
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