Our message today is entitled “Understanding the Times.” God desires for us to understand or interpret the times in which we are living. We are living in a unique time in history. Although there may be parallels to other times, nobody has ever lived in a time just like today in the history of the world.
1 Chronicles 12:32a (ESV) Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, …
This verse tells us that the men of Issachar had an understanding of their times. Why was it important to understand the times in which they lived? Because that understanding showed them what Israel ought to do. In other words, understanding the times gives us insight on how to live wisely. What are the times in which we are living today? The Bible teaches us that the era of time we are living in is called the last days.
Acts 2:17 (ESV) “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
In the context of this verse, it shows us that the last days are the time between when Jesus ascended into heaven and when He will return. So we are living in the last days, 2000 years closer to Jesus’ return than Peter was on the day of Pentecost which we just read. What’s going to happen in the last days? There’s a lot of arguments about that. Is it going to get better or worse? According to the Bible, the answer to that question is both. It’s going to get better and its going to get worse. This is very important to understand so let’s look at what Jesus tells us.
Matthew 13:24-26 (ESV) He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
The kingdom of heaven in the last days may be compared to a field in which two types of plants are growing. There are wheat plants growing which will yield a great harvest. And there are weeds, often translated as tares, which are very difficult to distinguish from wheat when immature. This is the world in which we live. The wheat represents believers who are growing and maturing in the Lord. At the same time, the weeds represent unbelievers who are growing and maturing in evil. Both are happening at the same time and this will continue until the judgement.
Matthew 13:30 (ESV) Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Only at judgment day will the weeds be removed and burned in hell. And the wheat will be gathered into the kingdom of heaven. So, those who predict that everyone will be saved before Jesus returns are wrong. And those who predict that everyone will fall away before Jesus returns are wrong. Things are going to get better and things are going to get worse at the same time. Those who are walking with God will grow stronger, see more miracles and more people saved. At the same time, the evil in the world will grow stronger and more wicked all around us. When we understand the times we will …