It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive ppower, 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
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ac 1:7–8.
This verse is open to misinterpretation. as the statement at the beginning of the verse needs careful examination. The statement that Jesus makes here is that it is not for them to know the times and seasons, or know the Kronos and Kairos, would cause many to teach that its not for us to discern the times. No, Jesus is not saying this, He is saying that it is not for the disciples to know a specific season they point to in verse 6.
Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ac 1:6
Today we talk about misinformation. This can be a misinformed teaching to say Jesus was saying that the disciples or any other generation could not discern the Kronos and Kairos of any of them, but Jesus makes a distinction. He says that It is not for you to know (discern) this specific season of restoring Israel as this is in the domain of the Father. You cannot discern it because the Father has restricted knowledge concerning it.
Its fascinating because I then ask the question, if this time to restore Israel, is in the Father’s care, how many more of these times are there? Its a question, not one I have the answer for, because I am not equipped nor is it permitted for me to know. However it shows us that some of the Father’s Will in these matters takes supremacy.
It seems to me also that we have somewhat a dysfunctional comprehension due to our own ignorance, lack of commitment to Word study or simply no availability for such a commitment, to comprehend the Person of the Father. Jesus said to Philip “When you see me you see the Father” which can be confusing for our finite mind. I believe that to know the Father, we need to go through Jesus. The Son. Could it be that to know Jesus we need to go via the Holy Spirit? Would be interesting if we can answer this. This means that we relate to Jesus, intimately via His Spirit.
The Father is the Most High. As such He is the highest Being we know in this and every dimension. When we consider this thought, that if the believers, this generation, could begin to get close to the Father I am sure we would begin to understand why such times are in His Domain. Interesting that verse 8 starts with “But”, meaning the season about to begin is that the Holy Spirit is about to be poured out and your season of being witnesses is upon you. That is the sense I get from this dialogue between the Risen Lord and His Disciples.
We have to understand that there is an urgency to prepare the disciples, they need to fulfil this first stage of God’s end time programme: The Kingdom that manifests through the Church. The fact that Jesus will be at the Right Hand at the end of the 40 day period between the resurrection and the ascension means for 2000 years or more Jesus is supervising every move of God of history. However, this state of being at the Right Hand is only a stage, not the ultimate place Jesus will occupy, in the sense Psalms2 tells us that God has “set” Him on His Throne on the Holy Hill. This being “set” is transitionary.
The image here displayed is a representation of that final state of heavens and earth when God makes a new creation in Revelation 22. “Behold I make all things new” an extraordinary statement declared by Jesus. This culmination reveals the extent of the Father’s authority over it in making sure this is manifest in the time and in the way the Father designed it. Its retained in secrecy because to bring it about many processes would need to be fully completed.
I believe that this presents us with challenge as it did with the disciples that its imperative to know the Father through His Son. I think there is an essence of reverent fear that will come with this approach. Its not Church as usual. It is seeing each day, month, year as a preparation for the times when the Father has a direct intervention. For us to discern it whilst it is manifest is key. We need to recognize the character of the Father. That way we will recognize Him when He intervenes. One intervention we see in John 3:16;
For the Father loved the world in such a way that He sent His only Begotten Son….(for saving)
That is exactly the intervention of the Father in history. And in the future the Father will change this verse in implication to this:
The Father loved the world that He sent His only Begotten Son again…(for judging and making all things new)
I am not rewriting Scripture, but I am illustrating the intervention of the Father.
If we are moving into the “seasons of the Father” is it not pertinent to comprehend that its imperative to know more intimately the Father?
We need to ask Jesus to open the awareness of the interventions of the Father so our walk will correspond to walk and way of the Righteous. Then once we enter this, we need to hear the “But” of Jesus showing the next specific season that we are about to walk into.
It is fascinating once we walk in expectation of the Spirit interpreting the Word individually and within the Corporate Body, the Church. God does not give exclusive revelation to one only, but He will use His Church to reveal Himself.
To comprehend the Father may we comprehend the Son!
Maranatha!!!
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