Chapter 6
Watching, seeing, hearing and doing
The role of the Wise Ones is to give meat in due season to those who are hungry. Those who have attained to a measure of wisdom are those who will see and appreciate the time and season that’s before them. It’s also their responsibility to declare this season in the due (set) time.
We are to be watchful, to be in that constant state of readiness and anticipation. Expectancy in spiritual things is vital if we’re to grasp God’s timing and His seasons. As we sense the Lord is allowing us to “see” what’s coming, and to appreciate what season we’re in, there’s also a great responsibility to make sure that such insight isn’t stolen by the unrighteous, dishonored by undiscerning brethren, or cast before swine. Times and seasons are precious pearls from the Lord and needed to be declared at the “appropriate time” to the “appropriate people”.
The term “appropriate people” isn’t meant to be elitist. It’s meant to focus in on those whom the Lord knows need a prophetic voice at a specific time. Take for instance the people of Nineveh. Their appropriate time had come to hear from God: it was heaven’s time for them (Jonah 1:2). So Jonah was called forth at God’s set time and season to bring them His word. The only thing was Jonah didn’t consider either his call nor the timing (1:3 and 10) and he fled in a vain attempt to escape the divine task given him. God however would not be thwarted and called Jonah a second time to accomplish His will (3:1)
We also see that Jesus called the twelve disciples to Him and sent them forth at an appropriate time, but only to a certain people for that season, i.e. the House of Israel.
“Jesus sent these twelve out, charging them, saying: Do not go into the way of the nations, and do not go into a Samaritan city, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Mtt 10:5-6
The twelve were to announce to Israel, and to them exclusively (at that time), the nearness of God’s kingdom. It was a season ordained and set by God for them at a specific moment in the Messiah’s earthly ministry. Israel’s due season had come. The term “due season” is one word in Greek, kairos which means “a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to a crisis, the decisive epoch waited for”. It’s and absolute and correct time - but with fixed limits.
Here we have an important clue in understanding times and seasons. Kairos time is different from chronos time. The latter is time measured by such things as days and nights, months, years, clocks, etc. Kairos on the other hand is a time set by God during which certain events or themes come forth. It’s literally a time when things are brought to a crisis. “Crisis” means a cross road; it refers to a time in which to make a choice based on the understanding that a certain (spiritual) season is due.
One of the most beautiful insights about kairos time is found in the post-nativity story of Jesus being presented at the Temple shortly after His birth (Lk 2:21-38). Note the underlined sections of the following passages and keep in mind what was particularly said about kairos time:
Verse 21 And when eight days were fulfilled (Note how there’s a reference to chronos time here (8 days), according to Lev 12:2-3) to circumcise the child His name was called Jesus, the name called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
Verse 22 And when the days of her cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled (Note another reference to chronos time here, (33 days) according to Lev 12:4) they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord,
Verse 23 as it has been written in the Law of the Lord: “Every male opening a womb shall be called holy to the Lord;
Verse 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two nestlings of doves.”
Verse 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous and devout, eagerly expecting the Consolation of Israel (Now see how the focus shifts from chronos time to kairos time. There was “a decisive epoch waited for.”) And the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Verse 26 And it happened to him, having been divinely instructed by the Holy Spirit, he was not to see death before he would see the Christ of the Lord. (Note the ministry of the Spirit in this crisis. Revelatory insight and experiences are often associated with kairos timing.)
Verse 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. (The ministry of the Spirit is very deliberate in relation to kairos moments. It is precise and purposeful in its application.) And as the parents were bringing in the child Jesus for them to do according to the custom of the Law concerning Him,
Verse 28 even Simeon received Him into his arms. And he blessed God and said,
Verse 29 “Now Lord, You will let Your slave go in peace according to Your Word;
Verse 30 because my eyes saw Your salvation,
Verse 31 which You prepared (A kairos activity is never ad hoc, but always a prepared, and therefore eternal work. Here it refers to Jesus being the “made ready” Savior of all people. It has an allusion to a specially prepared feast (see Isaiah 25:6-9) before the face of all the peoples;
Verse 32 a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.”
Verse 33 And Joseph was marveling, also His mother, at the things being said concerning Him.
Verse 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against; (“Is set” means Jesus was “stretched out and appointed” to be a stumbling block as part of His destiny. He came forth at a kairos moment in history to accomplish this.)
Verse 35 yea, a sword also will pierce your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Verse 36 And there was Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, (Even the names are important in relation to this kairos event. “PHANUEL” means “vision of God”. Anna was a daughter of vision, and a prophetess!) of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in many days, having lived seven years with a husband from her virginity;
Verse 37 and she was a widow of eighty four years, who did not depart from the temple, (Anna knew how a daughter of vision should act, not following her own desires or ambitions, but staying where the Lord wanted her, in order to be part of this special kairos time) serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
Verse 38 And coming in at the very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke concerning Him to all those in Jerusalem eagerly expecting redemption. (The Holy Spirit will move people into position exactly “on time”. Hence there is a kairos moment within a kairos time! Note also the expectation (a “seeing”) that is part of any given kairos moment.)
See how the underlined sections refer to our definition of kairos: how chronos time is initially a factor (vss 21-22); then how it’s superseded by kairos time (vss 26-27), how things are brought to a crisis/crossroads point (vss 28-32), how a particular epoch, age or event is waited for (vss 25 and 34), and how only a remnant are aware of the moment having been alerted by the Holy Spirit (vss 25-27 and 36-38). All these are common factors associated with kairos time.
However we cannot possibly know what’s coming if we’re not aware of what we’re already in! It’s important that we understand the times we’re already in before we start to declare the times that are to come. This is a basic principle of the Word and we need to consider it well.
The principles players in the above scriptural account are Joseph and Mary who fulfill the chronos time by obeying the Levitical law; and then there’s Simeon and Anna who fulfill kairos time by obeying the urgings of the Spirit. The latter were elderly and had been expectantly awaiting the Messiah for a considerable period, and when the kairos moment arrived, it all dovetailed perfectly - both the chronos moment and the kairos moment! We find here a clue to how both “times” work together when ordained by God, and how individuals, often unaware of one another’s part in the kairos moment, are brought together to fulfill God’s particular purpose.
On the same track, that’s why it’s vital to have some understanding of the Prophetic Feasts because they are in some sense God’s chronos/kairos timetable. If we cannot appreciate the Feasts in the natural (now, the chronos bit) we won’t be able to appreciate them in the spiritual (later, the kairos bit). It’s really as simple as that. Even the Hebrew word “feasts” means an appointed or set time or season, a festival, place of meeting, a signal.
In all the Feasts, Jesus Christ is signaled (exalted) for He alone is the focus of the message of the Feasts, not the timing of the Feasts or the specific season they represent. Sure, each of the Feasts do represent Jesus somehow, but it’s not about what they symbolize concerning Jesus’ role, it’s about Jesus Himself. Jesus is always the key in regard to understanding the Feasts. I say this because some people get so caught up in what the Feasts stand for and how intricate they are, they forget the One to whom the Feasts point - Jesus the Messiah.
This is why the Jews who celebrate those natural Feasts today cannot possibly understand what season they’re in because they don’t recognize the Messiah who is in the Feast, and they certainly don't recognize Jesus as that Messiah. To understand the Feasts is to recognize the Messiah and the grand scope of His Father’s plan. The Feasts are wonderful ways “in” to understanding and knowing He who is signaled in those Feasts.
“And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given to us an understanding that we may know the true One, and we are in the true One, in His Son Jesus Christ…” 1 Jhn 5:20
The Word commands us to watch and pray, and links this directly to a sense of urgency (in this case escaping the destruction of Jerusalem). “Be watchful and pray. For you do not know when the time is.” Mk 13:33
“Watch and pray” - it’s an urgent call, but it’s more than that, for there’s a truth resident here. When we do what the Word says we should do, then we begin to truly “see” what’s going on. Watchfulness and prayerfulness will cause us to “see”. This again is a basic principle in the Word. Do what the Word says we should do and then things open up for us. This “seeing” is a kind of outward and inward observance of certain things. What those precise “things” are is hard to define, for they can only be spiritually discerned, and depend on the circumstances and the person/persons involved.
For example you might take note and observe what’s going on in the Middle East from time to time. It’s possible that from the tension there you can deduce that Armageddon is almost on the doorstep. But if you’re simply “looking” without spiritual discernment you’ll fall into a trap. There’s always been tension in that part of the world and to simply look at the TV or newspapers and leap to some conclusion would be devastating. Anyway it’s highly unlikely that to begin with the Lord’s going to allow you to see and discern precise details of such complicated factors in regard to His seasons for Israel. Many have “watched” Israel to try and work out her “timing” but it’s a veritable minefield of confusing dates, personalities and soulish conjecture.
I’ve watched Israel for more than 25 years, visited there three times, gone to the Feasts, supported Messianic ministries, prayed for Israel to repent, honored the Jewish people, and rejoiced in our Hebraic heritage - but there are still many “unknowns” out there to consider. I recall that one Bible commentator said that the vast majority of the OT Messianic prophecies about Jesus weren’t fulfilled until the last 48 hours of His earthly life. If that’s correct, or even partially so, then it should be a warning to us that End Time events involving Israel, and momentous “times and seasons”, may not be accurately discerned until they’re almost on top of us. It's worth reflecting on.
Being able to simply “look” at what’s going on in the world isn’t necessarily helpful in understanding times and seasons. It might be, but it’s not necessarily a part of having spiritual insight into God’s times and seasons. The natural can rob the spirit if you're not careful. Sadly too many “watchers” today take their cue from what’s on the TV rather than taking their cue from heaven. This is especially so in regard to modern unrepentant Israel - as much as I love that nation. Yet the Word calls us to “watch”, to be see-ers in the true sense of the word. Note how Jesus called on His disciples to look.
“Then when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (the one reading, let him understand)…” Mtt 24:15
“So also you, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors.” Mtt 24:33
Scripture also says that we should listen for certain things and take note of them.
“And at midnight, a cry occurred: Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him.” Mtt 25:6
“For when they say, Peace and safety! Then suddenly destruction comes upon them…” 1 Thess 5:3
Added to both the “seeing” and the “hearing” is the “doing”.
“And when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that its destruction has come. And let those in Judea flee to the mountains. And those in its midst, let them go out.” Lk 21:20-21
Watching, seeing, hearing and doing: these are four vital ingredients in our preparation to truly understand times and seasons. God’s wise ones will primarily be good “watchers” in both the spiritual and the natural. They’ll also see certain events occurring on the face of the earth, they’ll hear certain “catch cries” broadcast in society, and as a result they’ll do certain things.
A “watcher” is not one who keeps awake “on watch” as though it’s some religious duty. Rather the Hebrew term for “watcher” simply means one who is ever watchful and alert. It generally refers to a holy angel (see Dan 4:13). However the word gives us a valuable insight to the character of a “watcher”. In Hebrew it means to be hot and ardent; then to be lively, or active, and to awake, to be awake, to be awake at night, to watch (compare Song of Songs 5:2)
For us in this study, a “watcher” is a mature believer who is alert to whatever goes on in both the natural and spiritual realms. They are ardent and consequently are lively and active in what they do. The tribe of Issachar had this particular anointing: “And of the sons of Issachar, having understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do…” 1 Chron 12:32.
Ardent has three basic meanings: A person characterized by intense or strong emotion; something or someone glowing or shining like fire. Some synonyms for ardent are: burning, fervent, fiery, impassioned, torrid.
Issachar knew the timing. Another way of saying this is that the tribe knew what season was underway. So we find that those with an Issachar-anointing sense the season that’s underway, but they also know what action’s required for that particular season. It’s one thing to be able to discern times and seasons, it’s quite another to know what action is appropriate. The principle we find here is that when revelation is received there’s a period of reflecting on it, but decisive action is required to see it through.
Some Jewish writers say that the tribe en masse was known for its achievements in the astronomical and physical sciences. However it’s more likely that the tribe did NOT have this ability as a whole, but rather it was limited to its leadership. According to Scripture there were two hundred chiefs (1 Chron 12:32b) who were men of insightful knowledge and understanding. The Targum (see note below) suggests they were eminent in chronology, in the proper seasons for farming, for fixing the beginning of years and months and the intercalation of them, and for keeping the sacred festivals. Such men had prudence and bore wisdom corporately, and knew that this was the proper time for making David king.
So to say that “the sons of Issachar had understanding” simply states nothing more than that the tribe (in deciding to raise David to the throne) followed the judgment of its leaders (“..and all their brethren were at their command...”) who rightly estimated the circumstances of the time. They watched, saw, listened and did! This was the character of Issachar, and it consisted of three aspects:
1. They knew about (spiritual) warfare;
2. They were submissive and disciplined;
3. Their vision wasn’t divided but singular.
Consider however the text seems to suggest that discernment about times and seasons was mainly confined to the leadership of the tribe. If this was the case, then it’s remarkable insight into how corporate discernment works.
(Note from above): The Targum is the Aramaic translation or paraphrase of the OT. After the exile, Aramaic gradually became the colloquial language over the slowly decaying Hebrew, until Hebrew was hardly more than the language of worship. As the majority of the population ceased to use Hebrew it became necessary to provide translations of the Bible read in Hebrew at services. To meet this need it became customary to add an explanatory oral translation to the portions of the Scriptures read on the Sabbath - hence, Targum (Aramaic for “translation, interpretation”).