"Chronos or kairos" in Acts 1

Jesus told the apostles in Acts 1, when He was asked if He was going to then (at the point He told them they would receive the Holy Spirit soon) restore the kingdom to Israel, "it is not for you to know the times or seasons (chronos or kairos) the Father has fixed in His own authority."

Reading a little more about the word "chronos", it means the constant, always going sort of time as opposed to the specific and narrower points or stretches of time which are "kairos". Obviously, this phrase impacts us as we seek Him to understand the prophetic scriptures of the things of the end (the kairos of events and longer seasons), but I wonder, too, if it is not for us to know the chronos of God's work overall, or more particularly the question of "how God orchestrated the beginning of all things in heaven and earth". Could it be that we ought to take the words of Jesus in Acts 1 to understand that God has hidden knowledge from us about the things of the beginning and the flow of time generally?

I don't know the answer. I don't know if the question is even right. But, it came to me while reading this morning and I thought I would share it.

Jesus' statement taken at face value seems to indicate we shouldn't be trying to figure it all out.

Do you read it that way?

Well, to the extent it is not otherwise revealed in the Word, I think probably yes. As always, I am open to correction and rethinking, but some knowledge is sealed up with God in Christ until He comes again and we know as we are known because we will see Him as He is and be made like Him.

by dolfan
Could it be that we ought to take the words of Jesus in Acts 1 to understand that God has hidden knowledge from us about the things of the beginning and the flow of time generally?

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. ~ Deut 29:29

There's many notes about this verse but I liked 'Barnes' Notes on the Bible'...

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God - This verse seems to be added as a solemn admonition on the part of Moses, in order to close the series of blessings and curses which he has delivered. The sense seems to be this: "The future, when and how these good and evil things will take effect, it lies with the Lord our God to determine; it pertains not to man's sphere and duty. God's revealed will is that which we must carry out."

God bless,
Lisa

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

JFW, when you think on Proverbs 25:2 on this question, do you get the sense, then, that God hiddenness of things is an intentional way of His to draw us into seeking Him? That searching out a matter is not the same as usurping that which is not given to know? I do.

"JFW, when you think on Proverbs 25:2 on this question, do you get the sense, then, that God hiddenness of things is an intentional way of His to draw us into seeking Him? That searching out a matter is not the same as usurping that which is not given to know? I do."

Yes! and He continues to draw us by His Spirit:)

One of my pastors once explained; "Holy Spirit will go before us and deposit things and then lead us into the situation to discover it, but if we get distracted or refuse to follow we miss out, and often these are not places we want to go but God has something for us to discover in it that will grow us"

The Lord has actually been doing this with me on one issue that I was resisting Him (in ignorance) for apparently years now... it was quite humiliating to discover I had been resisting Him but that was quickly overtaken by the joy of fresh revelation:)