Does God Change The Times And Seasons of Christ's Coming? Part 3

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to All Things Fufil. We are continuing on our studies and our review and rebuttals of some of the statements that were made by Phelan McPhelan relative to there needs to be a mass conversion of Jews before the Second Coming can occur, and also before the Kingdom can come. And we've been demonstrating that that is not a valid biblical concept, but it is one of the ideas and opinions that have come up as a result of the historical dispensational view, and so we're going to address his next point. Now, this one I really found kind of a way out stretch, that he would say, basically, that God changes the times and seasons. And let's see, the second part of his argument, let's see, what did he say? He says that the plural is used for kairoi, or seasons, and pronoun times, so that there are several times and seasons, thus demanding several intermediate comings of Christ before the eschatological coming at the end of the age. So, because the Bible uses the term times and seasons in the plural, that's his justification for saying that there will be plural comings of Christ, meaning that you have an intermediate coming between the First and the Second Coming. Now, let me address that point very quickly, right from the same text that we've been looking at. So, let's go back to the Acts chapter 3 text and take a look at that. In the third chapter of Acts, verse 19 is where we will start, Acts 3 and verse 19. Let's see if I can get there. There we are, right there before Romans. And here's what the text says. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive. Now, watch this. The text says that heaven must receive Christ until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world, or literally the age, began. Now, it doesn't say that there was an intermediate coming in between the time that the heavens would retain him and the time of the restoration of all things. It's just not there. And yet, they want to insert that, and he does so based on this concept of times and seasons. So, I wanted to find out, now, why is he saying that? What's his justification for claiming that because times and seasons are in the plural, they represent several different dispensations, I guess, of the coming of Christ, several different occurrences of the coming of Christ? Well, we found his proof, and let's just take a look at a passage in Acts chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, that says, Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know the, now notice that, times or seasons. Notice that that's in the plural, which the father has put in his own authority, and that's generally the word kairos, or kairon in the plural, and chronon in the plural, one for pointed times and one for just, you could say, linear time, if you please. But nevertheless, let's go and take a look at the proof text that he used. He went to Daniel chapter 2, and the verse is 21, Daniel chapter 2 and verse 21. Now, this is his proof text that God actually makes decrees, sets appointments for things to be fulfilled, and then goes back and changes his mind because of a contingency of man. Now, let's look at this in Daniel 2 and verse 21. This is his proof text. All right, this is when, of course, Daniel was being summoned to interpret the dream by Nebuchadnezzar, because no one else in his kingdom could do so. And they said, there is a man, you know, from Judah, from the Hebrews, et cetera, who, you know, can reveal secrets. And so they summoned for Daniel to come, and, you know, from the captives of Judah, as the text says. But here's the statement that is made, verse 21, and he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness and light dwells with him. Now, where in this text does it say that he changed the time for the return of Christ, for the resurrection of the dead, for the end of the age, for the coming of eternal kingdom? Where in the text does it say that? It just simply says he changes the times and seasons. Well, you know, you have seasons from summer, from fall, from winter, and from spring, et cetera. Those are seasons and times that are changes, that changes. And he can change ages in the sense that we had the time before the flood that ended, we had the time of Lot, you know, Jesus refers to both of those, and you had the time of Moses, so God made those changes. But where does he change something that he has decreed to happen at a certain point in time to say that, well, you didn't do what I wanted you to do, so I have to change this to give you time to get your life right so I can fulfill my promises? Not once ever does God say that. Now, let me look at this again. Now, it says he changes the times and seasons. All right, that's one statement. That's just a general statement about God changing times and seasons. But even in context, he says he removes kings and raises up kings. That's another way God changes times and seasons, because you may be living in a good season under one king, God deposes him or he dies or whatever, and then another king comes like the one who came up that knew not Joseph, and times get bad. So now they're living in bad times and seasons. But what did God say about Pharaoh? He says, for this purpose, I have raised you up. So God changed that time and season, but it had nothing to do with an eschatological promise that God had made. And so it says he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. I wonder if Macphailin would say that God won't give people wisdom because there won't be a mass conversion of Jews, or he won't give them knowledge because there won't be a mass conversion of Jews. Why just pick out times and seasons? You know why they have to pick it out? Because they have a theory to prove about a future coming of Christ and about a millennium that comes after the coming of Christ that is found nowhere in Scripture. So the only thing that they can do is bend and break the promises of God is to make God out to be a liar. Now, I'm not saying that's what he intends to do, but that's the essence of what his teaching does. But let's go and examine these concepts. Now, we've already seen Acts chapter 1, 6 and 7. Now, what does that tell you? That tells you that if the times and seasons are only in the Father's power, well, that means that this is a reference to Matthew 24, 36 that says, but of that day and hour knows no man but the Father. So all of those are the same time and season. But in Matthew 24, 36, the Scripture is showing us that this event happens in that generation. They just didn't know at the time Jesus uttered the statement, the time and the season that it was going to occur. God hold that, held that in his own power and authority. He gave later revelation concerning, but at the time it was just this will happen in this generation or this generation wouldn't pass until all these things would be fulfilled. But that day and hour that no one knew did occur. Now, let me also say that's a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets. The Feast of Trumpets in the Old Covenant in Leviticus 23 was the feast day that they never knew the day or the hour. I've done videos on it, but every year in Israel's festal calendar, there was a Feast of Trumpets. There was an unknown day. As a matter of fact, the feast became known as the unknown day. So saying that to a Jew would have simply just meant to him that you're talking about the Feast of Tabernacles, that unknown day. And when you look at the, the festal calendar of God, in terms of fulfilling the end times events, there was a Passover. There was a first fruits. There was an unleavened bread. There was the Feast of Pentecost. And then those being the spring and fall festivals at the end, there was the Feast of Trumpets that began that fall season, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, all of which were in the same month on the first day of the month, on the 10th day of the month, on the 15th day of the month, respectively, followed by the eighth day feast, which was the beginning of the new calendar year. And that's the pattern that the end times events follow in terms of these eschatological events. That's why Jesus died on the Passover, why he rose on the third day, because that was the Feast of First Fruits. And it's also why on the Day of Pentecost, the gospel was preached because that was the second portion of first fruits laid out just like it is in Leviticus chapter 23. So if you can go back and show where in those, in that festal calendar, God said, well, the Jews didn't repent. So we're not going to have Passover this year. We're not going to have the Feast of Trumpets this year. We're not going to, you know, the unknown day is not going to come this year because the Jews wouldn't repent. Ladies and gentlemen, that just makes no sense whatsoever. It shows that his doctrine of historical premillennialism is separate and apart from the very feast days that are correlated with it and that point that out. Now, another point that we'd like to make is in First Thessalonians chapter five, let's go and take a look at First Thessalonians five real quick. And in this text, First Thessalonians chapter five, notice what the text says, but concerning the times and seasons, notice that it's in the plural, but he's talking about the eschatological day. How do we know that concerning the times and seasons? He's not talking about multiple times and seasons. Brethren, you have no need that I should write to you for you yourselves know perfectly watch that the day of the Lord. So times and seasons is plural. That refers to what the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord. So comes as a thief in the night. But when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor payings upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape. But you brethren are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief, which indicates that that day was going to come in their lifetime. Now, one thing that we sometimes fail to do, and that is read passages from a previous context in the same context of the chapter that follows. So let's go to first Thessalonians chapter four and see, since this is the day of the Lord, he would have to be talking about the resurrection of the dead. Would he not? He'd have to be talking about the coming of Christ. Would he not? Well, let's see if that's what's in chapter four in first Thessalonians four notice. And we'll just start at verse 15. Paul says, well, this, we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord. So Paul's expectation and his teaching was that they were alive at that time in the first century in that generation and remained until the coming of the Lord would by no means precede those who are asleep. Well, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with the shout and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead and Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain. So he's placing this event directly in the lifetime of those who lived in the first century. He's not taking it beyond that to read it apart from the Thessalonians and claim that it's referring to people living in the 21st century is really a great violence done to that particular text. We have one more that we want to point out and that is in first Timothy chapter six. So let's go back and take a look at it real quick. And then we'll be wrapping this one up. Uh, first Thessalonians, I mean, first Timothy chapter six, and the verses are 14. Let's just say 14 through 16. Notice. He says that you keep this commandment without spot blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing, which he will manifest in his own time. He who is the blessed and only potentate the King of Kings and Lord of who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, which no man has seen or can see to whom the honor and everlasting power. Now notice it says, which he will manifest in his own time. Let's take a look and see what that is a real quick. Uh, so we get an idea. All right. It says times. All right. That's Kairos, but this is talking about the coming of the Lord. He's not saying he's going to manifest it in this time and that time and another time and another time beyond that. No, it was just one single time in which that was going to be manifested because that's when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. And they did that in 70 AD, according to revelation 11, 18. Now watch what happens when that does occur in revelation 11 and verse, uh, we'll start in verse 15, because in this text that it says, then the seventh angel sounded. So this happens at the sounding of the seven angel. And there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. He shall reign forever and ever. Then let's go down to verse 18. The nations were angry and your wrath has come. And the time of the dead that they should be judged and that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints and those who fear your name small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. Doesn't sound like a mass conversion to me. Sounds like some people got destroyed at that time. I think that's all that we want to say on that particular point. We've got another little minor point that we're going to bring in and we'll talk about it in the next video. So stay tuned for that. Be sure and subscribe to our channel. Also hit the notification bell. So you get a message every time we upload a new video, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter at allthingsfulfilled.com forward slash subscribe. It's free, no charge unsubscribe anytime you choose. And also leave us a comment regarding the things that we shared with you. But this idea of times and seasons being in the plural, and that's why it can't refer to the one coming of Christ just doesn't cut the mustard. And hence, when Paul said, when Peter said, repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ to before was preached to you whom heaven must receive until the time of restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the age began. So no intermediate coming between that you can't get a historical premillennial or any other pre-parousia coming until the parousia. I'm William Bell. You have a great one. We'll see you in the next video.