Discerning
the Signs of the Times
(Matthew
16:1-4)
by Gale Maiden
What
times is this Biblical phrase talking about? Is it past times, present times or
future times?
I
am concerned over some current teachings concerning the times in this Biblical
phrase found in the Gospel of Matthew 16:3. My concern is that we are
overlooking the present. We all know that there are many characteristics of
both the past and the future which have viable roles in enabling our seeing and
entering into the at hand Kingdom of God.
Due Season is Now Time
It
is most significant that the Greek word for times found in Matthew 16:3 is
kairos (kahee-ros) which actually means a set or proper time; due season. With
this definition of times we may paraphrase the phrase discerning the signs of
the times as follows: distinguishing or deciding the indicators of due season.
If it is due season indicators which we are to discern then it is present or
now time indicators. Of course we are talking about the now due season of the
presence of the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth.
The
phrase discerning the signs of the times is found only one time in the New
Testament. As you will see, Jesus is teaching emphatically that it is the
present times and not the past or future times with which He is concerned.
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing (in contempt
of) Him asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He answered and said to
them, "When it is evening, you say, '{It will be} fair weather, for the
sky is red.' "And in the morning, {'There will be} a storm today, for the
sky is red and threatening. Do you know
how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot {discern} the signs of the
times? An evil and adulterous generation
seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of
Jonah." And He left them, and went away. (Matt
16:1-4, NAS)
To be Future Minded is to
be in Contempt of the Generated Word of God
The
Pharisees and Sadducees were guilty of contempt of court when asking Jesus to
show them a sign from heaven. How were they in contempt? Contempt means to
openly disrespect or despise. The court and authority of God had declared
throughout the ministry of both Jesus and John the Baptist that the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand, the Kingdom of Heaven is present! Proof of this court of God
authority had been demonstrated before the eyes of the Pharisees and Sadducees
just days before this encounter. Jesus demonstrated multiple signs from heaven
as He miraculously fed five thousand on one occasion and then immediately fed
four thousand.
Did Jesus Forecast or Cast
Forth
Jesus
declared a simple yet profound analogy of how we are to see the ever present
signs of heaven. Jesus said that if one would in the evening look at a red sky,
he would say fair weather. This is not a forecast of the weather but a casting
forth of present conditions. Important is the fact that the phrase it will be
is not in the Greek text of the subject scripture. It will be wrongly being
added signifies a forecast concerning the future. This analogy totally is
talking about the present and not the future.
Are
we to seek signs from heaven? Jesus said, "An evil and adulterous
generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign
of Jonah."
Without
an in depth study of this verse, Jesus was saying that any generation (speaking
forth) of words contrary to the generation of God is evil and adulterous. This
simply means that words which contradict the obvious present tense indicators
of the Kingdom of Heaven are actually evil (as opposed to good) and adulterates
the truth. The truth is that the Kingdom of Heaven is here now and is being
demonstrated continuously if one can see it.
What is the Sign of Jonah
Those
who persist in demanding a sign from heaven will be given the sign of Jonah the
Prophet. The sign from Jonah is that God asked Jonah to demonstrate the present
tense Kingdom of God by immediately going to Nineveh which Jonah initially
refused. As Jonah, all who postpone the present will end up in the belly of a
giant fish and will come forth only by repenting of being futuristic.
The rest of the sign of Jonah to an evil and adulterous generation is that in
Jonah's obedience to preach, a wicked city of 120,000 came into the immediate
presence of God.
Charge
Be
encouraged! Signs from heaven continuously encompass us. To deny this truth is
to generate an evil and adulterous existence. Matthew 24 warns all to beware of
false christs (anointings) which lead many astray. Do not follow after or
associate with those who purport to be waiting on a sign from heaven! Signs
from heaven are to be as readily and instantly discerned as this moment's
weather. As Jonah repented and learned to occupy the NOW, let us continue to
our Nineveh.
I hear the Spirit of God saying, Our future and past is NOW.
Gale Maiden