1. Times Reserved by the Father
When they were together, however, they asked Him: "Master, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" "It is not for you," He answered them, "to know times or periods which the Father has reserved at His own absolute disposal. But you shall receive power from the Holy Spirit coming upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the bounds of the earth."
— Acts 1:6–8, FFT
The risen Christ does not mock the kingdom question, but He sets a boundary: times and periods are not for the disciples to know. The assigned work is Spirit-empowered witness.
2. No One Knows the Day or Hour
"About the exact time, however, and the hour, none knows—not even the messengers of heaven; but My Father alone. And as in the days of Noah, so will also be the appearance of the Son of Man. For as they were, in the days before the Flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day arrived for Noah to enter the ark, and they would not understand until the Flood came and carried all away; so also will be the appearing of the Son of Man. Then two men may be in the field; one is taken, and one is left. Two women may be grinding in the mill; one is taken, and one is left. Keep guard, therefore; for you know not what hour your Lord may come. But recognize this, that if the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would have kept awake, and not permitted his house to be dug through. On account of this, be ready! because it may be that the Son of Man will appear at a time you do not expect.
— Matthew 24:36–44, FFT
About that day or hour, however, none know, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son—none but the Father. "Be on your guard! watch and pray; because you do not know when the time is. Like a man travelling abroad, on leaving his house and giving instructions to his servants, to each one his own task, and ordering the porter that he should keep guard— Be on the alert: for you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at dawn, or in the morning; coming suddenly, he may find you asleep. But what I say to you, I say to all—Be on the alert!"
— Mark 13:32–37, FFT
The unknown hour produces watchfulness and readiness, not calculation. What Christ says to the disciples He says to all: be on the alert.
3. Do Not Follow Crisis-Merchants
"Take care," said Jesus, in reply to them, "that none may deceive you. For Many will come in My Name, asserting, 'I am the Messiah', and will lead many astray. Then you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; attend and fear not; for all must come—but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines and plagues, and frequent earthquakes. All these, however, only begin the agonies. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will murder you; and you will be hated by all the heathen through My Name. And then many will abandon it; and so will betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will make their appearance, and multitudes will be misled. And through the abounding lawlessness, sympathy for the many will be chilled. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. The good news of the Kingdom,—however, shall be proclaimed throughout the whole Empire, as a witness to all nations; and then the end will come.
— Matthew 24:4–14, FFT
"Take care that you are not led into error," was His reply, "for many will come in My Name, declaring that 'I AM'; and that 'The crisis has approached': do not you however follow them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for all these must come first: but the end is not immediately."
— Luke 21:8–9, FFT
"Then if any should say to you, 'Look! the Messiah is here,' or 'there,' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will make their appearance; and will give out great and terrible omens, so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen. However, I have forewarned you. Therefore, if they tell you to 'Look! He is in the desert!' go not out; 'Come into the private apartments!' do not believe it. For as the lightning bursts out with a flash from east to west, in like manner will the presence of the Son of Man be.
— Matthew 24:23–27, FFT
Wars, rumours, false messiahs, false prophets, and crisis claims are not permission for terror. Christ says: do not follow them; do not believe it.
The witness to all nations is likewise not permission for covenantal erasure or prophetic calculation. It is the King’s appointed testimony before the end, not a warrant to flatten the peoples Scripture names or to bypass His warnings to the disciples. Nations are the field of witness. Christ remains the Shepherd who knows, gathers, warns, and commands.
4. Faithful Servants and Wise Readiness
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his master can place over his household, to give them their provision with promptitude? Happy will be that servant if his master shall find him thus engaged upon his arrival. I tell you indeed, that he will appoint him over all his possessions. But if some unfaithful servant should say in his heart, 'My master delays his arrival'; and should begin to ill-use his fellow-servants, and eat and carouse with the drunkards: the master of that servant will come upon a day he did not expect, and at an hour he is not thinking of, and will dismiss him, and send him about his business, to associate with the vagabonds. Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
— Matthew 24:45–51, FFT
"Therefore, keep awake; because you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.
— Matthew 25:13, FFT
But take care of yourselves, for fear your hearts should be loaded with debauchery, and drunkenness, and business cares, and that day come swiftly upon you like a snare; for thus it will come upon all dwelling upon the face of the earth. Watch, therefore, at every season, offering prayer; so that you may be prepared to escape all the coming calamities, and take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."
— Luke 21:34–36, FFT
The faithful servant gives provision; the wise keep ready; the watchful pray. The danger is both panic and careless delay.
5. Sons of Day, Not Shaken
But about the times and the seasons, brethren, there is no need for writing to you; for yourselves know well enough that the day of the Lord comes like a thief at night. When they say, "Peace and security," then, suddenly, destruction seizes them, as the agony of a woman with child; and they cannot escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that that day should seize you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are neither of night nor of darkness. Consequently, we do not sleep as the rest; but we keep guard and are sober. For the sleepers sleep at night, and the drunkards are drunk at night. But we, being of day, are sober, clothed in a breastplate of faith and love, and a helmet—a hope of salvation.
— I Thessalonians 5:1–8, FFT
But we implore you, brethren, regarding the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together to Him, not to be easily shaken nor terrified from your purpose, neither by spirit, by word, nor by any letter presented as from us, as though the day of the Lord were near. Let no one cheat you by any such means. For the apostasy must come first, and the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, must first be revealed;— the one who withstands, and is self-exalted over and above all that is called Divine, or worshipped; so that he seats himself in the sanctuary of God, proclaiming that he himself is God.
— II Thessalonians 2:1–4, FFT
The day comes as a thief, but the brethren are sons of light. They must not be shaken by spirit, word, or false letter like the day were near.
6. Patience, New Creation, and Keeping Prophecy
But do not allow this one fact to escape you, friends, that with the Lord a single day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a single day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some regard delaying; but extends His patience towards you, desiring that none should be lost, but that all should come to a change of mind. But the day of the Lord will approach like a thief, when the skies will pass away with a crash, and their constituents will be dissolved by heat; while the earth and what is upon it will be reorganized. All having to be thus dissolved, what ought you to be like in regard to pure conduct and piety, expecting and hastening on the appearance of the Day of God!—during which the burning skies will be dissolved, and their constituents melted by heat; yet according to His promise, we look for new skies and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell. Consequently, friends, seeing that you are expecting these, be in earnest to be found in peace by Him, spotless and blameless;
— II Peter 3:8–14, FFT
Happy are the reader and the hearers of this prophecy who observe its records; for the time is at hand!
— Revelation 1:3, FFT
And behold, I come soon! Happy is the keeper of the statements of the prophecy of this book."
— Revelation 22:7, FFT
"Behold, I come soon! and My wages are with Me, to pay to each as his own work is. I, the Alpha and the Omega; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End.—
— Revelation 22:12–13, FFT
He who witnessed these things says, "Yes; I am coming soon." So be it; come, Lord Jesus!
— Revelation 22:20, FFT
Prophecy blesses the reader, hearers, and keepers. The faithful answer is not date mastery but holy conduct and “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Trial
Every doctrine, practice, counsel, ministry habit, and public word touching this matter must be tried by the Word.
- Does it confess that times and periods are reserved by the Father?
- Does it obey Christ’s word that no one knows the day or hour?
- Does it produce witness, prayer, sobriety, endurance, and readiness?
- Does it reject claims that the crisis has approached?
- Does it refuse fear-commerce and chart-dominion?
Settlement
We will not set dates, claim the hour, follow crisis-merchants, believe secret-room claims, or neglect witness while studying times.
We will keep guard, pray, endure, test, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and say: Come, Lord Jesus.