Acts 1:7

Saturday, 2 October 2021 <p> </p> <p>And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Acts 1:7</p> <p> </p> <p>The question pressed upon Christ Jesus by the apostles has been submitted, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The answer He will give to that question is telling. Of all of the answers He could have given, the answer is direct in one way, but indirect in another. It is direct enough that the reader should not make particular errors concerning it, but it is indirect enough to allow for the future to remain completely open to the timing of the event to occur.</p> <p> </p> <p>Luke records, “And He said to them.” It is the word of the Lord to His disciples concerning their pressing question. As such, it is an answer sufficient to fully express to them what they need to know, which is, “It is not for you to know.”</p> <p> </p> <p>If the restoration of the kingdom, of which they had asked about, was not ever going to come then He would have said something like, “You have misunderstood Scripture. There will be no kingdom restored to Israel.” Instead, He would have quite clearly said something like, “The kingdom that you are anticipating is now to be fulfilled spiritually by the church.” He didn’t hint at any such notion.</p> <p> </p> <p>The reason for this is obvious. He had already told them, just a short time before, that Israel had a long difficult road ahead of her –</p> <p> </p> <p>“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of t