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How Shall We Tell The Children?
By Edward Chamberlain

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THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS

We are going to start our search into what the Bible has predicted will be the course of human history with some very general type prophecies that are indicative of a general direction that history will take. Within these very general prophecies there are some astounding specifics which can be completely overlooked if we are not careful.

Some of our discussion may at first seem to be a little obvious, but we are trying to paint a "big picture" before getting into the specifics, and as with every picture, if we were to leave some of the background blank, that is where our attention would focus. I believe the most astounding attribute of what we are primarily going to be looking at is that it concerns statements that have always been so obviously straight forward that they have been largely overlooked. So let's begin looking.

Acts 1:6-11
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times ["times" translates "chronos" which means an indeterminate amount or length of time] or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power... 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

In the above passage I have left part of the referenced scripture out. The ellipses, three periods in a row (...), indicate where something has been left out. This is done to shorten the quotation, and to clarify that portion of the text we are illustrating. I encourage you to read the complete text in context each time you see this and see for yourself if I have done violence to the scripture by leaving some of it out. Also in verse 7, I have added some explanatory comments within brackets. These bracketed comments illustrate the use of the word that immediately precedes the brackets. We will be using these conventions throughout our discussions. Also, remember that in some passages of scripture parentheses are really used as a part of the text, as in Matt.24:15, and for this reason I will not add parentheses to scripture quotations.

The passage quoted above is from the 1st chapter of the Book of Acts. The passage relates the last earthly meeting between Jesus and his apostles. As such we can understand that the things which they were each discussing were those things which they each considered to be the most important to remember during the time that Jesus was going to be away. It says that Jesus had gathered his disciples together one last time before his ascension to instruct them concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit which he had promised would be sent to them by the Heavenly Father. But the disciples used the occasion to ask him when he would restore the Davidic Kingdom to Israel. I think it proper to note that even at this time, the disciples have not completely understood what Jesus tried to teach them so often; and that is: his kingdom is not initially of the earth. Jesus had told Pilate that if his kingdom had been of this earth, his disciples would have fought to put him on an earthly throne. Every time that any of those who followed him tried to proclaim him as their earthly king, he resisted and admonished them. When Peter tried to admonish him for doing the work necessary to establish a Spiritual Kingdom, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan," indicating that Peter was speaking for Satan.

In the above passage the word "seasons" translates the Greek word "kairos" which means an occasion, or the date of an event. And, as we indicated inside of the brackets in the text, the word translated as "times" means an indefinite amount of time. Jesus did not tell his disciples that they would have to wait until they had recruited an army large enough to defeat and occupy the earth. . He told them that it was not part of God's plan that the church should know how much time would pass before he restored the kingdom or the exact date of that restoration.

Another thing he told them was that the church would be empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses unto him throughout this entire age as they sojourned through this world waiting in patience until the time was fulfilled and the date of his return occurred, however long that would be. So we see that even at this last meeting together, the church was concerned about a political kingdom, and Jesus was emphasizing that their work would be in the spiritual realm through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now it is also important to notice that Jesus did not tell his disciples that there was not going to be an earthly kingdom. We are going come across the fact of an earthly kingdom again and again in this study. One of the primary problems within the church in every generation since Jesus ascended has been the failure to understand how, when, why, and by whom, this earthly kingdom is to be established.

Look closely at what Jesus told his disciples concerning the establishment of that kingdom. He said "It is not for the church to know how long it will be before that kingdom is established, or the exact date of its establishment, because the Father has kept that event in his own power. The church was not given the power to either, know the schedule for, or to accomplish, the establishment of, a kingdom on earth. What Jesus did tell the church was that as long as he was away, we would be given power to be his "martyrs" through every generation until he returned. A martyr is someone who gives testimony of the things he has witnessed, and swears to the truth of that testimony, even to the point of laying down his life rather than deny them. The church has not been empowered from God to accomplish anything else on earth while Jesus is away except to be His martyrs. What ever else we would do during this time that Jesus is away, we are going to be on our own, and in our own power.

However, Jesus did not leave us to work in the dark while he was away, but he left us with a very exact and explicit picture of the direction that conditions on earth would take, and he told us what those conditions would be like in the world when he would return. He told us to always watch so we would be ready in order that that event would not take us by surprise. When Jesus said that he was going to return in such an hour as we "think not" in Matthew 24:44, it does not appear that he was telling us that we would not know when the prophecies of his return were being fulfilled. Rather, the context indicates that if we are not being obedient to the things he taught us, and if we are not watching for the signs of his return, and staying ready, the hour will take us by surprise. If that is the case, and I believe that the scripture is emphatic that such is so, we need to look at what Jesus did tell the church concerning, not only about what conditions are going to be like when he returns, but also how they are going to progress during the time he is away.

If we can see where Jesus and the prophets predicted the course of history for the ensuing years, it will go a long way in establishing the reliability of the Biblical record. For I believe if a reasonable person can be shown where the Bible has unchangingly predicted the course of human history for thousands of years, then that person will perhaps admit that the Bible is also reliable in its assessment of the human condition, and in its prescription for the remedy of that condition.

The Bible is such a wonderfully unique book that it does not make much difference which of the prophets we begin to read first, for no matter where we start, we will soon come to some prophecy concerning the reign of Christ on earth. Some places just get us there more directly than others, and so for that reason we are going to begin in the 24th chapter of the Book of Matthew. Verse 3 of that chapter says:

"And as he [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

The word "world" in verse 3, translates the Greek word "aion," which comes from a root meaning duration. "Aion" means an age, or a space of time, the span of which can be identified as holding some common identifying characteristic. The English word "eon" is derived from this same root. Notice that the disciples equated Jesus' "coming" with the end of an age. Jesus did not correct the disciples if they were wrong in equating his return to the end of the age. There is a principle involved in this which should be understood in the light of John 14:2, where Jesus said,

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you."

The principle is this: If the disciples commonly held a belief among themselves, and if that belief had been in error, Jesus would have told them of their error. Since Jesus did not correct the disciples concerning either the restoration of the Davidic kingdom, or the end of some age at his return, we must understand that these beliefs were not in error. Thus, it is evident that Jesus predicted, and the early church anticipated that when he returned again he would restore the Davidic Kingdom to Israel, and his coming back would mark the end the period of time known in both the Old and New Testaments as "the age of the Gentiles."

Even though Jesus told his disciples they would not know how long it would be before he returned, or on what date he would do so, he did tell them quite a lot about that period of time in which his return would occur, and he told them to watch and be ready for that time when it came. In Mark 13:33 he said, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." And in verse 35 of that same passage he repeats, "Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh." And lastly he commands in verse 37, "And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch."

Three times in those verses Jesus commanded the church to watch, but for what are we watching? --- In Matthew 24:32-34 Jesus told us,

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all be fulfilled."

Every February I begin to look at the trees around our home, hoping to see some of that tender growth shooting out from the ends of the dry branches. The desert or mountain willows are usually the first to put forth shoots, and they are particularly easy to spot, since they begin to turn a reddish gold in the bright sunlight. When I begin to see that, I know spring is not far away. There is an old pioneer axiom that says when the old mesquite trees begin to leaf out, the frosty nights are over. When I see those signs I know that I can plant my garden. Jesus said that we could use the same principle concerning the signs of his coming and the end of this age. The generation that shall see all of the signs which Jesus has given us, will be the generation in which he shall return and bring the age of the gentiles to an end.

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