Knowing the time ....

[Covenanter]

Rom. 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

I believe God can tell the time, & Scripture has a message for the immediate hearers, & also for all in similar situations, so that we can read the Scriptures & ask, "What is God saying to me, to my family, church, & associates, and to the generation I live in."  

There is a tendency, when we study prophecy, to pigeon-hole it into fulfilled or end-times, & also to see prophecies as happening today as we read the news. That can be to be especially dangerous as folk try to predict the nearness of the "rapture" on sites such as "rapture ready." 

Our Lord's command regarding the time was to be always ready:

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

That command was given after he had given detailed instructions concerning the fall of Jerusalem that took place in AD 70. He told of events that were not warning signs, & specific warning signs, so the the Jerusalem Christians would know the time to flee the city. 

The city fell as prophesied, & Jesus will come again as prophesied, when this heaven & earth will pass away. We can use current events to warn believers & unbelievers of the coming end, but the only safe course of action is to serve our Lord where he has placed us, & to watch & pray. The Gospel of salvation for all who repent & trust Jesus for salvation is the eternal good news. 

We will first look at the general encouragement given at the beginning of Revelation, as that book is given for a blessing:

Rev. 1:Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

The letters to the seven churches should be studied as relevant to us, our hearers, & our churches at this time. As Jesus writes:

Rev. 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

 

 

 

 

[MountainChristian]

Act 1:7 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.

[Potatochip]

Very interesting in fact I was just looking that up before I got to the forum lol about TIMES.   Now please take me with a grain of salt here.  Because I don't know.  I have visited and re-vistited this verse.  When I look this verse up on Google as a Bible verse it comes with a completely different definition of what this verse says plainly.  I don't understand it so I drop it.  I read it plain and think it means one thing.  I look it up and its something entirely out of context the definition by even people that have written concordances.

 

Deuteronomy 18:13-15King James Version (KJV)

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

 

Ok heres the problem with me.  I see this as TIMES.  Times in the dictionary means well like in the verse MountainChristian has there.  The verse I have just copied and pasted.  When looked up on google and some concordances says an Observer of Times is Stargazing?   Now I don't see anything there about stargazing.  Does times mean stargazing maybe I missed something.   You can see from the dictionary.  How the varying definitions confuse me to no end. 

 

Times                      from the dictionary

 

noun

1.

the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

2.

duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from eternity; finite duration.

3.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a system or method of measuring or reckoning the passage of time:

mean time; apparent time; Greenwich Time.

4.

a limited period or interval, as between two successive events:

a long time.

5.

a particular period considered as distinct from other periods:

Youth is the best time of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2015 by Potatochip

[John81]

Are they perhaps meaning astrologers when they refer to stargazers? Just as today, there was those back then who looked to the stars for some means of foretelling the future.

[Potatochip]

Are they perhaps meaning astrologers when they refer to stargazers? Just as today, there was those back then who looked to the stars for some means of foretelling the future.

Good morning John,  I don't know.  My problem is I see TIMES there and not stargazers   Isaiah 47:12-14 .  13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

I am going to assume they inferred stargazing to the word times from something like that.  Times isn't stargazer as a word.  Maybe there is more to it.  I just don't get it.  Look in the Bible and Times is like Times time time and a half (Does TIMES mean stars there?) or what Mountain has there: It is not for you to know the times or the seasons. (Does TIMES mean stars there?)   I don't know I take it literally then go and read someones definition and get something else.  lol.   I don't know why. This of course has been going on for years.  I will look it up maybe twice a year.  Find stargazer as what Times means scratch my head drop it and wait till I revisit it again.   I have been stuck on that one for a long time to say the least.  I read the reasons and verses used to define times as stargazer by others.  Still doesn't get through to me.  I don't get it. If you or someone knows make it simple please.  lol.  I mean how to you get someone that looks at stars out of someone that observes times?   I just don't get it.    

 

Edited June 24, 2015 by Potatochip

[John81]

Times is sometimes used in the sense of understanding, pre-knowing, future telling and such. Stargazers, along with the other two mentioned in the verse above, is referring to those who looked elsewhere, not to God, as a means of being able to foretell the future (time or times). Rather than the reliable prophets who heard directly from God what was coming, these others looked to the stars, tea leaves, casting bones and whatever other occultic things in order to predict the "times", the future and what was occurring.

Even today there are those who claim to be able to look to the stars to predict the future and horoscopes are yet popular in many newspapers.

[Potatochip]

But couldn't it also mean looking at whats going on in the world in the news?   Trying to extract and define what is taking place from a time in history or from a chain of events?  That would be my first assumption until I get stargazing.  Looking at the times we live in to me doesn't say stargazing.  Another words from what I can see in the Bible.  The word times is not used interchangeably with stargazing.  Not anywhere that I can see.  I mean could a false prophet or one that prophecies on his own.  Be an observer of times?  When those prophecies don't come true?  

Edited June 24, 2015 by Potatochip

[Covenanter]

But couldn't it also mean looking at whats going on in the world in the news?   Trying to extract and define what is taking place from a time in history or from a chain of events?  That would be my first assumption until I get stargazing.  Looking at the times we live in to me doesn't say stargazing.  Another words from what I can see in the Bible.  The word times is not used interchangeably with stargazing.  Not anywhere that I can see.  I mean could a false prophet or one that prophecies on his own.  Be an observer of times?  When those prophecies don't come true?  

Looking at the Hebrew (which I don't read, but thank God for Strong & the Blue letter Bible.) The use of "times" in those places in the OT are of a specific word associated with witchcraft & sorcery - ungodly predictions, etc. See Blue letter Bible - anan, 11 occurrences - anan is not used in the normal sense of times - 142 verses.   

 

[Potatochip]

Thanks Covenanter that helps a lot.  I'm was just looking at a consistency of the use of  the word TIMES in the Bible

[Potatochip]

Act 1:7 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.

That would be more apt verse then. Acts !:8   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.

So that would mean to me don't sit around and speculate.  Because your not going to know.  You will have the Holy Ghost, Power of the Gospel  Preach the Gospel to everyone.  

Edited June 24, 2015 by Potatochip

[Genevanpreacher]

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

 

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

[Genevanpreacher]

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

 

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

[Genevanpreacher]

Nothing wrong with knowing a/the/some time(s) at all. 

[Covenanter]

Those quotes are instructive, Geneva. A Blueletter Bible search for ful* time* showed the following key verses: Mark 1:15  Luke 21:24  John 7:8  Gal. 4:4  Eph. 1:10  

It teaches us that we are in the dispensation of the fulness  of time and the present Gospel age is the time when God is gathering his redeemed people, & preparing us for our inheritance:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Whatever our views on dispensationalism, we are living in this present Gospel dispensation of grace. OT & NT prophets declare:

Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; Isaiah 49

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 2 Cor. 6

Note again: now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

 

 

 

[Genevanpreacher]

I like this one too -

32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.