What Manner Of Time

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was inn them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the grace that should follow. (1Peter 1:9-11)

From the moment that creation was made subject unto vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, (Romans 1:20); from the moment.  Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men, (Psalm 90:3); from that moment, we say, there has been one great on-going question asked in every generation - Return, O Lord, how long? (Psalm 90:12). WHAT MANNER OF TIME is involved in our receiving that grace which will work its total restoration in us, and all creation?

Paul reminds us, in Romans 8:21, that God has promised that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. And Peter also wrote of how the various prophets prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Yet neither Peter, or Paul, or any of the many prophets could answer the time question. But we do read of the Psalmist praying HOW LONG? And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants. O SATISFY US EARLY WITH THY MERCY: that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:13-14). How we identify with the prayer, LET IT BE EARLY, O LORD. We get weary of the daily travail, and we long for deliverance.

Massive doctrines have been formulated on this being the END OF THE WORLD - every
happening becomes to them a sign and signal that they are almost there, that the whole scheme of things has run its course. And so many would like to join with the disciples in questioning the Master about this - As He sat down upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately saying, tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world (aion/age)? (Matthew 24:3)

They came to Him PRIVATELY, and asked Him to TELL US. You dont have to give your
secrets away to everybody, just let us in on the inside track to this information, it would be so much easier on us if we knew. So come on, tell us, brother what is God saying these days, share your revelation with us, what do you think the TIME ELEMENT IS IN ALL OF THIS?

After His resurrection, as he spoke to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God, they asked, "LORD, WILT THOU AT THIS TIME restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:3, 6). If You would only clue us in on the time-table of Your Plan, I am sure we could handle things better.

Interesting to note that their question revealed numerous errors in their thinking,

a. They dreamed of an earthly kingdom.

b. They would make the time now.

c. They would limit it, and its restoration to Israel only.

d. They wanted to know God's secrets ahead of time.

How beautiful is His answer to all of this. "He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power." (Acts 1:7) Then He told them to BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, "and BE A WITNESS UNTO ME," and the rest will fulfill itself in its own time and order. That is all you have to concern yourself with, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, and then BE A WITNESS UNTO HIM - not about Him, but UNTO HIM. Let your life manifest His character, His nature, His love, so that all that you are will witness unto Him. No need to try and set up earthly kingdoms, nor worry about the timing of events, nor get all hung up on the racial issue of preference for Israel. There's no need to track and try to tabulate all these signs that appear betimes.
When you are filled with THE SPIRIT, and your life becomes a "WITNESS UNTO HIM," then people will become CONSCIOUS OF HIM, and the more He is lifted up, the more He will draw all men unto Himself.

We read in 1Samuel 7:1, "It came to pass, while the Ark abode in Kirjathjearin, THAT THE TIME WAS LONG; for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." I can identity with that! No Ark of the Covenant - no sense of His presence - it's a dull routine, mundane, no real spiritual impact, and THE TIME IS LONG - and so we begin to lament, to yearn for a touch of reality as we thirst for the Living God.

However, we also read, 1 Corinthians 7:29, "But this I say, brethren, THE TIME IS SHORT." Now I can identify with that, too. When tuned in with the Spirit, it is the sphere of the "I AM," the EVER-PRESENT. Past, present, future, all are alike unto Him, and when we are one with the anointing of His Spirit we lose our sense of time-relativity.  Long, or SHORT, our sense of time depends much on our awareness of Christ. Dwell in Him, He is the I AM, and hours in His presence can seem like moments, while moments in more of a earth-conscious state can seem ever so long, hopelessly endless.

So, in the measure that we are not conscious of the Spirit with us, but are aware of the earthy travail around us, we share in all the mingled emotions peculiar to this earthly sojourn, to ask again and again, "Lord, HOW LONG?"

How we yearn for His fullness, for reality, yes, that we might "receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied OF THE GRACE THAT SHOULD COME TO YOU:..." This is the GRACE that shall complete the inworking of our salvation, to make us WHOLE IN CHRIST. "For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (1 Cor. 13:9-10). Thank God, all the "in part" shall be swallowed up into the whole - for the lesser is always swallowed up into the greater. Praise God, there is a GRACE THAT IS TO BE BROUGHT UNTO US, a grace that is to come; thus the end is secure in Christ. And do note, Peter wrote this after Jesus had already come, been manifested among them, died and rose again, etc. But he knew there was a revelation yet on the horizon, with a "grace that is to BE BROUGHT UNTO YOU at the revelation (appearing) of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet.l:13). We earnestly desire this grace, and how we chafe under the prolonged time of waiting. Yet we have a HOPE, steadfast and sure, and so we would gird up the loins of our mind, be sober, and hope to the end for that grace which is to come.

Although they knew not the TIME ELEMENT, the prophets gave us tremendous prophecy of the sufferings of Christ, and of the glory which should follow. Yet they didn't have the slightest clue that there would be a span of two thousand years or more between the time of HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH, and the glory which is yet to be revealed. "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things...,which things the angels desire to look into."

How often through the years the Lord has quickened a word, has implanted a vision in your heart, and slowly you become aware that He is talking of a reality down the road, and you have to patiently walk it out until-- until God fulfills the vision, in His time, in His way, according to His purpose.

God has been known to leap across a whole age span in the revealing of His secrets.  "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, PREACHED BEFORE THE GOSPEL unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. 3:8). And having tucked this deep into the heart of Abraham, then four hundred and thirty years later God begins the dispensation of the law, with all its works, and ministration of death. I dare say, that really covered over the vision of grace. Betimes a prophet would hear himself prophesy a word about this grace, but with the gloom of the law upon them, it certainly was hard to try and know when such grace would be manifested. And then the Christ came, "For the law was given by Moses, but GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY JESUS CHRIST." (John 1:17). The law had neither grace nor truth - no grace, for "the soul that sinneth it shall die." And no truth, that is, no reality, for it was all wrapped in type and shadow, and reality did not appear until Christ was manifested. Yet, even from the day that GRACE APPEARED ON THE SCENE, to this very day, there yet remains little manifestation of that grace - precious foretastes, yes, but the FULLNESS OF GRACE is yet to be brought. But when it is - then all nations shall bow before Him, and all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest.

Interesting that some today, reading that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," immediately jump to the conclusion that everything we need is here now, and all we have to do is CLAIM IT, take it by faith, appropriate it, etc. however they like to word it for their particular doctrine. Yet in all honesty we must admit that reality of His fullness is not yet upon us. THE HEAD of the seed-company came, and now He has been two thousand years preparing the body which is to be joined to the head. THE CORPORATE BODY OF FIRSTFRUITS is yet in the womb, still being formed, and all of our doctrines will neither hasten nor delay what God is doing. We might have the TIMING all mixed up, but God moves steadily forward, with all times and seasons in His own power. So John writes, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." (1John 3:2)

Phillips: "We don't know what we shall become in the future. We only know that, IF REALITY WERE TO BREAK THROUGH, we should reflect His likeness, for we should see Him as He really is." So in a sense we are still waiting for the fulfillment of the promise that God once told to Abraham. Yet so real was the promise to that man, that Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad." (John 8:56). And now, as He makes the vision real within, we also rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, though we continue to wait for more of His manifest presence.

So they went searching as to "what, or what manner of time.., the Spirit which was in them did signify." The word "manner" has a two-fold meaning. The Greek word is "poios" meaning: what sort of, as to character, quality; or which, as of number, quantity. This also is reflected in the two Greek words for "time." One is "kairos," meaning time arrived at when all the conditions are ripe for it. The other is "chronos," speaking of time in sequence, or chronological order. But whether as to quality or quantity, God is in control of all our times. The sequence of all events are in His authority, and revealed according to His purpose. Also, He is in total control of all conditions necessary to bring about the desired results. Thus He interplay's them both-- and He can speed up, or slow down conditions to harmonize with His plan. TIME IS A SERVANT TO THE PURPOSE OF OUR GOD!

So the prophets searched-- some more interested in the NUMBER of days involved, some more interested in the QUALITY OF CONDITIONS so as to know the approximate time-- when things are RIPE for fulfillment.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come..." (Acts 2:1)

"When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son..." (Gal. 4:4)

The full number of days, and the conditions all being met, suddenly the TIME WAS NOW. Pentecost was fifty days after Passover-- you could not schedule it just thirty days after Passover - it has to "fully come." It was also apparent that the conditions were ripe for it - for they were all in one accord, waiting with singleness of purpose for the promise of the Father. But when quality and quantity of days come together, into this NOW shall be manifested the glory and victory of His promise. Bless His name'

How precious is the knowledge betimes made real to our spirit, that our God is in total control of all the time-element workings in our life, and He integrates every condition with the number of our days, and in a sequence that redounds to His praise, He unfolds His plan and purpose in our lives.

"By faith we understand that the worlds (during the successive ages) were framed - fashioned, put in order and equipped for their intended purpose, by the Word of God." (Hebrews 11:3, Amplified)

The more we understand HIS PURPOSE the more we will know the manner of His time.  But if we are ignorant of His purpose, then we are apt to attribute to Him our own ideas, escapism raptures, God save a few, the devil take the rest, etc. and then we imagine time-tables in accordance to these schemes. I've already prayed several times about this need - Lord, do it NOW, answer my prayer NOW, because according to my time-calculations there isn't much time left. Ah, how foolish we get in our imaginations!  Yet we are slowly learning to pray, "Not my will, but Thine, be done," and in our surrender to HIS WILL we find peace in the outworking of HIS times.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14) It takes the Spirit's quickening if we are to comprehend that "He hath made everything beautiful in its time; He also has PLANTED ETERNITY IN MEN'S HEARTS AND MIND (a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun, but only God, can satisfy), yet so that man cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." (Eccl. 3:11, Amplified)

Deep in the heart of man is a divinely implanted sense of a purpose, but then it is veiled over with a consciousness of all the earthy realm around us, so that if we try to reason it out with the natural mind, we have no idea of what God is doing. Natural man receiveth not the things of God. God alone is the revealer of truth, and He hides these things from the wise and prudent of this world, and reveals them unto the babes in Christ, those who are being born from above, to live and walk by His Spirit.

So the "SEARCHING what, or what manner of time..." becomes the occupation 5. of many. Those with a propensity for the negative will keep a close watch for all the DOOM EVENTS. Does this happening fulfill any certain prophecy? Does this mean that the end of the age is here? Floods, droughts, famines, earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars-- with every happening comes another rash of questions-- IS THIS THE TIME? HOW LONG YET TO THE END OF THE AGE?

Others take their clue from Daniel, when he said "I Daniel understood by books the NUMBER OF THE YEARS, whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation's of Jerusalem." (Daniel 9:2) So they study BOOKS, and NUMBER YEARS, and make solar calendars, lunar calendars, etc. And search through all of Israel's Old Testament times. We have no quarrel with those who like to STUDY BOOKS and speculate about times, but we do note that Daniel had a specific prophetic word about the time span of this certain dealing of God with Israel-- that there would be SEVENTY YEARS of desolation, and knowing that those seventy years were about to be accomplished, he set himself to pray and seek God all the more-- to be ready for deliverance.

Peter gives us some excellent "sojourner's instruction, "when He said "That we no longer should live the rest of our times in the flesh to the lust of men, but to the will of God." (1 Peter 4:2) THAT'S IT! Whatever measure of days are given to you, LIVE THE REST OF YOUR TIME TO THE WILL OF GOD! He then writes on, that there would be many processings, as we are "judged according to men in the flesh," until every rudiment of self is dealt with, so that we "LIVE ACCORDING TO GOD IN THE SPIRIT."

Paul confirms this, saying men "Should not henceforth live unto themselves, BUT UNTO HIM which died for them, and rose again." (2 Cor. 5:15)

Again, Peter adds, "BUT THE END of all things is at hand: BE YE therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves," (1 Peter 4:7-8) In regards to our subject of "time" this becomes most interesting-- "THE END of all things is at hand." The Greek word used here is "telos" which Thayer's Lexicon says; "termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be, always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time." We find it so interesting that even the apostles, Peter, John, Paul, were all as "in the dark" to the time element as we are John says, "Little children, IT IS THE LAST TIME. (1 John 2:18) My, how we like to jump on this, "IT IS THE LAST TIME," an use this to support whatever we are doing, or saying. So we continue with our searching out what manner of time-- "How long?"

That things are brought to their full, if not on a universal scale, yet on an individual basis, we know-- so at least we can have our own individual application for this, but as to what Peter meant, we freely confess, we do not know. But he does face us with a threefold duty-- to be SOBER, calm, cool, and collected, maintaining a balanced walk in this world; for there is no need to run around in a frenzy or panic because of some false, carnal suppositions about time. God will have a people who move in royal dignity, SOBER - WITH THE CALMNESS OF THE MIND OF CHRIST, because they are simply living out their life in the will of God, by His Spirit. Next, WATCH UNTO PRAYER-- keep in a state of watchfulness, being alert to the times so as to avoid the errors of our day, maintaining that prayerful attitude which will help us keep our mind centered on Christ.  And third, that we have FERVENT CHARITY-- literally, the Greek text reads, love that is stretched out, or, is extended. That is divine love-- freely reaching out to all men!

Paul gives a clarifying word concerning our walk with God, and our being exercised in this earthly time realm, stating: "For the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you without carefulness," (1 Cor.7:31)

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