“IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW" Acts 1:7
Language
could not be more emphatically clear. The Lord Jesus tells us, "It is not for you to know the
times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."
All
men are curious about the future. One aspect of man's universal fascination
with the future is the fact that it allows him to momentarily escape the
realities and responsibilities of the present. Another reason for this
curiosity about future things is that all men want to avoid any present sense
of guilt, condemnation, and judgment. Certainly, this curiosity also arises
from the fact that all human beings have both a God consciousness and a sense
of immortality from which they cannot escape.
But the fact remains -
God does not intend for us to know the times and seasons. He has
given no man the ability to map out the future. He has given no man the key to
discover the timetable of predestination. And he never will (Deut. 29:29; I
Thess. 5:1-2).
There
are some great events of the future clearly revealed in Holy Scripture. All
God's elect shall be saved (John
God
has told us plainly that these things will happen. But he has given us
absolutely no information as to when these things shall take place. God does
not tell us when the end of the world is coming. He does not even give us a
single shred of evidence indicating the general course of events leading up to
the time of the end. Those passages of Scripture that refer to "signs of
the times" are referring to signs of events that have already taken place,
by which these last days, which began two thousand years ago, were announced.
Donald S.
Fortner, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
"OF THAT DAY AND HOUR KNOWETH NO MAN" Matthew 24:36
In
the Old Testament and in the four Gospels, our God gave "signs of the times" by which he announced the end of Judaism and
the establishment of his kingdom in the world in these last days. Those signs
pointed to things that were fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Christ,
his sin-atoning death as our Substitute, his exaltation as King in heaven, and
the annihilation of
Think
for a minute - If
there were any signs or prophecies yet to be fulfilled before the glorious
second advent of Christ, how could we be urged to expect his imminent return?
Yet, from the first century, God's saints were urged by inspired apostles to
live in daily, constant anticipation of Christ's appearing, upon the very
tiptoe of faith (Tit. 2:11-13; II Pet. 3:11-13). And those who did so were
commended for it (I Thess.
"It
is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in
his own power." It is not proper
for us to know these things. We are not
charged to search out the times of our Master's coming, but to constantly serve
him, realizing that he may appear at any moment (Matt. 24:46).
It
would not be profitable for us to know the future. Such knowledge would distract our attention
away from our present responsibilities. We would probably become indifferent
and careless about our daily responsibilities. Gazers into heaven do not do
much good upon the earth.
It
is not possible for us to know the times and the seasons of the future (Matt. 24:36;
Mk.
Donald S.
Fortner, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
`TIS NOT FOR US TO KNOW
(Tune: Stand Up and Bless The Lord #33 SM)
`Tis not for us to know
The time of Christ's return.
`Tis ours to serve His cause
below
And seek His will to learn.
`Tis not for us to know
The times or the seasons,
But be our Savior's witnesses
In all times and seasons.
`Tis not for us to know
The secret of the Lord.
`Tis ours to trust and to
obey
The counsel of His Word.
`Tis not for us to know
What our Father conceals;
But when Christ comes, let
us be found
Doing our Master's will!
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church of Danville