I recently ran into Christians who cite Acts 1:7 as basis why we shouldn’t study prophecy or say that we are close to the end. They say “well Jesus said it isn’t for you to know the times and season.” It’s frustrating to me that so many Christians stick their head in the sand because of this one verse.
Isn’t it possible that Jesus was speaking specifically to the apostles and early church and not to the church that He knew would be alive at the time of the end? It seems to me that the church alive just before the rapture and tribulation CAN know the season. What is your take on Acts 1:7? Thanks and God bless your ministry.
In Acts 1:7, it’s not only possible that Jesus was talking specifically to the Disciples, the passage makes that fact clear. They had asked Him whether He was going to now restore the Kingdom to Israel, and He wanted to focus them on their upcoming role in spreading the Gospel. His very next comment, Acts 1:8, is a summary statement of the entire Book of Acts, and the work they would begin in building the Church.
As for the study of prophecy, His entire ministry on Earth was the fulfillment of prophecy and He condemned Israel to destruction for not knowing it. (Luke 19: 41-44) Why would He reverse himself a few weeks later and command the church to disregard prophecy? To say we shouldn’t study prophecy is to say that we should ignore 40% of God’s word, a notion that’s absurd on its face, and has caused many in the the Church to be just as clueless today as Israel was then.