Jun 13, 20247 min read

Can I Know the Sign of the Times? (Post 13 of Signs in the Heavens)

In This Post:

Understanding the Times
Issachar: The Tribe That Understood
Signs of the Sky/Signs of the Times
Dispensations or "The Times"
Signs of the End "Times"

Understanding the Times

Signs can be interpreted into the "time" by which they appear. Many messages concerning April’s Total Solar Eclipse in 2024 were centered around judgment, but it happened between Easter and Passover in the Age of Grace. This means that God is not judging us now.

How do we know that for sure?

Since we are in the Church Age, or what is also known as the Age of Grace, God is not producing any message about judgment.

At the birth of Christ, angels shared in the heavens declaring:

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news

that will cause great joy

for all the people.

Luke 2:10 NIV

The Angels declare the start of a new season, one where Mercy and Grace will reign supreme.

When Jesus came to the earth, He stopped the judgment clock. It will not resume again until the Bride of Christ is removed from the earth with her deposit, the Holy Spirit.

For the mystery of lawlessness

is already at work;

only He who now restrains will do so

until He is taken out of the way.

And then the lawless one will be revealed,

whom the Lord will consume

with the breath of His mouth and

destroy with the brightness of His coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8

During the Age of Grace there is now no condemnation.

If there is found a message of judgment during the Church Age, it is in error.

Though Judgment will surely come, it will not begin until after this present Age is concluded.

Jesus said this directly:

And if anyone hears My words

and does not believe,

I do not judge him;

for I did not come to judge the world

but to save the world.

John 12:47

This verse can be correctly interpreted that Jesus did not come to judge the world at this time. John also writes:

For God did not send His Son

into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him

might be saved.

John 3:17

However, when this present Age ends, then Jesus steps into the role of the judge. Be aware, though Jesus did not come to judge during the Church Age/Age of Grace, there will be a time when He will judge.

[1] I charge you therefore before God

and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will judge the living and the dead

at His appearing and His kingdom:

2 Timothy 4:1

Therefore, messages of judgment during the Age of Grace are in error to biblical doctrine and the declaration of the Lord. There will be a different age where they will be, but it is not now.

Understand the times.

Issachar: The Tribe That Understood

The sons of Issachar

who had understanding of the times,

to know what Israel ought to do ...

1 Chronicles 12:32

The men of this tribe were known for a certain area of wisdom. It was noted in the Talmud that the wisest members of the Sanhedrin came from the men of Issachar. (4)

They were studied not just the stars and mathematics, but the Torah as well.

The Tribe of Issachar's descendants were mostly scholars.

These were the men who created the calendar of Israel.

Specific descendants also included 200 members of the Sanhedrin and two men who became king of Israel. (5)

Issachar was Jacob's ninth son, and his fifth biologically with his first wife, Leah. Issachar was born into a rather complicated family situation: Jacob had fallen in love with a woman named Rachel and agreed to work for Rachel's father for seven years in order to marry her. (957) (6)

Issachar's tribe received the land that is known today as the Valley of Jezreel.

We also know it as the Valley of Armageddon.

They shared that area with Zebulon, who famous son was Jonah.

One of Issachar's famous offspring was Deborah.

But they knew the signs of the times, they made calendars and knew the seasons or ages of the Lord. More importantly, they knew when and when to apply something. It was said of them that they "knew what Israel ought to do," because they knew these signs.

Signs of the Sky/Signs of the Times

You know how to discern the face of the sky,

but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Matthew 16:3

Jesus rebuked those wanted to see a "sign" but ignored the signs of the times.

There is a segment of believers, either too legalistic or too pragmatic, (the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees), who will not believe God speaks through the sky or through signs of the times.

God speaks through signs in two ways:

Through signs in the heavens, and
signs of the times

Therefore, the inference is that God wants us to realize that He speaks through the signs of not only the "heavens" but also of the "times." He wants us to be like the men of Issachar woh understood the times and what God's people ought to do.

Instead, today, we ignore and mock the signs. Yet, Jesus wants us to know what He is saying from the eras of His timeline.

Dispensations or "The Times"

[The fourth beast] shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Daniel 7:25

Only a few subsets of Christianity do not believe in the "Ages" that God uses to accomplish his purpose, and they try to make themselves the majority. However, God uses seasons and appointed times to work out His plan for mankind.

They trip over this word, "Dispensation."

Dispensation simply means a system of order or government existing at a particular time.

Biblically, it is a divinely appointed order or Age.

Jesus said,

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;

and lo, I am with you always,

even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

There are appointed times the Lord has for working in this world with mankind. There are also seven feasts which mirror this work of God with fallen race of humanity.

There is a divine schedule and the Lord keeps it.

Evangelicals recognize that there are distinct periods of how God has worked with His sinful creation.

there was a time before the fall of Adam when things were very different since there was no sin.
At that time, there was no need for redemption.
We call this the Age of Innocence.

That is one Age we all can understand.

Then there is the "Old Testament" period that called a nation to Himself, Israel, and brought forth the Law.
Another time period was was the Age of Grace, which we call the New Testament.

People who do not believe in the inerrancy and full authority of the Bible, disagree with these things, but all of us who do believe in the Bible as the word of God understand the times.

God has a plan for the whole of history that includes these distinct epochs in which He’s doing distinct things, and that He actually succeeds in working out that plan.

The literal interpretation of the Bible is made easier when we understand the times.

God is working out two distinct purposes — one for Israel, and one for the Church. People who merge this into one plan, stand for things like Replacement Theology where they make th Church replace Israel in God's plan. However, this is not the case.

There is another time era that is to come, the Second Coming of Christ will usher in the Millennial Kingdom .

Those that understand the times, prepare themselves for the Rapture. They know that there is a meeting in the clouds with Jesus at one time and a visible appearance of Jesus at the end of the Great Tribulation.

The recap of this in short form (There are more distinctions that these but this is a good framework):

An Age of Innocence,
An Age of the Law,
An Age of Grace, and there will be
An Age of the Millennial Reign.

Understanding where we are on the "Times" of "Divine Calendar" helps us relate to the present move of the Lord.

Signs of the End Times

So the question remains, where are we in the "Times?"

Why is the most famous newspaper in America called the New York "Times"?

Many newspapers named themselves with this designation because people originally were watching the sign of the times.

They wanted to know what was happening so they could be prepared.

We have changed this to media and watered down its purpose to a delusional versions of mass mind control.

Instead we need to know where we are in the grand scheme of God's timetable.

Working Through the "Times" and "Ages."

Adam has already sinned, so we are not in the Age of Innocence anymore.
The Law demands have already been given, so at the very least the Age of hte Law began at some point in history.
Jesus fulfilled the demands of the Law so that end the prior age.
We are in the Age of Grace
However, we are at the end of that Age and it will end when the Rapture takes away the bride of Christ.
We are waiting for the Age of het Millennial Reign where Christ will rule on the earth.

If we know that we are at the end of the age of Grace, and are awaiting the Rapture, then we understand the times.

If we are still in an age where there is peace and goodwill" then messages of judgment are not appreciate in this time.

Since the Age of Grace is ending, the judgment clock will start once again, and begin to countdown the final seven years.

Interpret the signs correctly by the times in which they appear.