A People who Understand the Times and Seasons
I. GOD IS RAISING UP A PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR GOD
32Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know
their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33And those of the people who understand shall
instruct many (Daniel 11:32-33)
A. The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns there will be a great falling away from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
Out of love for wickedness, because of great deception, fear and offense at Jesus’ activity the love of many will grow cold
(Matthew 24:11-12). People will be persuaded to choose sin over righteousness because they did not understand the
hour in which they were living. They did not know God and could not make sense of God’s activity in time and history.
Scripture is clear that their fate will be the same as that of unbelievers – eternal separation from God.
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law (Proverbs 29:18)
B. In contrast, at the same time, God is going to raise up a people who know their God and possess understanding
of the plans and purposes of God. Daniel tells us that this group will be strong (possess great inner strength/bright
righteousness in the midst of great tribulation), do great exploits (anointed with great power – for “greater works than
these (John 14:12) and instruct many (make sense of God’s activity for others).
C. God is raising up messengers who are filled with right understanding of God’s will and are able to instruct others
concerning the hour in which we live and how to rightly interpret the signs of the times.
D. Today, God is looking for watchmen who will listen, understand and proclaim God’s purposes, to prepare the
people of God for what is coming to the earth; those like Ezekiel; Jeremiah; Zechariah; Anna; John the Baptist; John the
Apostle who were all consumed with the purposes of God.
17"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them
warning from Me (Ezekiel 3:17)
E. God is looking for a people in these days who, like the sons of Issachar, in King David’s day, have understanding
of the times and know how to live on the earth as the people of God. Such a people will not be taken aback or offended
with God’s ways because they have taken time to gain a spirit of wisdom and understanding concerning God’s purposes.
32of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two
hundred; and all their brethren were at their command (1 Chronicles 12:32)
II. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING MEN AND WOMEN OF UNDERSTANDING
A. Right understanding of the will (plan and purpose) of God is critical for the life of the believer and more so as we
approach the End Times. Paul prayed for the Colossians that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding.
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with
the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing
Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according
to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.(Proverbs 4:5)
B. Understanding God’s will includes right (spiritual) understanding about His ways, His judgments and His wisdom.
1. His ways – God’s purpose. Understanding of what God is doing in human history to bring everything under the
leadership of his Son.
2. His judgments – God’s activity. The details of how God must act in order to orchestrate His plan. His decisions
which are based on His perfect justice.
3. His wisdom – God’s strategy. Understanding ¬¬why God acts the way he does. The wisdom of how he orchestrates
history to bring the maximum number of human hearts into the fullness of love towards Him without violating human
freewill and with the least amount of suffering.
III. GOD’S DESIRE FOR A PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH HIS HEART
A. Paul encourages believers to both know (information) and prove God’s will i.e. to test and try it to prove that it is
true so that we can agree with it and say “I love your ways.”
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
B. There is a dramatic difference between (informational) knowledge and agreement. It is important to not simply to
fill our minds with information but also to gain accurate (spiritual) understanding and come into agreement with the will of
God.
C. Information without understanding and agreement (submission) will not move our hearts or cause us to change the
way will live. It is not enough to simply understand the what? of God’s will, we have to gain understanding of the why?
God wants our lives to be conformed to His will.
D. It is easy to focus on understanding the “what?” of the end times without seeking to understand the “why?” This
can create a destructive debating spirit rooted in pride. We can know all the details yet grow offended with God because
we did not understand why.
E. The study of the end times is not a mathematical formula to be figured out with human intelligence – it is about
becoming fascinated with Jesus so that we can effectively partner with him in ministry during the greatest crisis of human
history.
F. Paul outlines four main benefits to the believer that flow from being a man or woman of understanding: a life that
fully pleases God; a fruitful ministry; growth in the knowledge of God; supernatural strength to persevere in times of trial.
G. Agreement with the truth of God’s will and his ways will keep us steady in the hours of trouble that are coming
upon the earth in the last days when God shakes everything that can be shaken (Hebrews 12:26). Conversely, not
understanding God’s ways will cause our hearts to draw back in offense and anger at God as the events of the end times
unfold.
H. Paul understood that staying steady until Jesus’ return was going to require two things: patience and endurance
(longsuffering). We need patience because of the delay until Jesus returns (it is going to take time) and we need
endurance because great trouble is in store for believers in the days ahead (it is going to involve pain).
I. Jesus himself addressed these two issues: He anticipated that many would not stay steady in the place of prayer
until the end, and said that many would faint from fear of what was coming on the earth (tribulation).
7And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8I tell you
that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
(Luke 18:7-8)
26men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth (Luke 21:26)
J. Paul said that it was understanding of and agreement with God’s will that will strengthen believers for all patience and
endurance. If we are not in agreement with God’s will we will end up in opposition to Him. We will choose our will over that of
God. God will give us over to that which we choose.
IV. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO AGREE WITH GOD’S WILL?
…that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2)
A. It is important that we understand these three important premises about God’s will. To the extent that we are
unable to agree with any one of these statements, we have not yet entered into full agreement with God’s will. Paul
exhorts the Roman believers (concerning God’s purposes for Israel in the end times) to come into a place where they
can say that God’s will is not only true but it is good, acceptable and perfect.
B. God’s will is always good. The way God chooses to administer his plans and purposes will not violate justice and
righteousness. It is neither arbitrary nor capricious. His will is good because He is good.
C. It is agreeable or pleasant (acceptable) when we rightly understand it. It will bring delight to our hearts as we
come into agreement with it.
D. God’s will is perfect. It cannot be improved upon either by adding to it or taking away from it. It has been fully
thought through and, though it may at times take us by surprise, it has been fully thought through by the eternal triune
God as being the best way to bring about His purposes.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine
gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:9-10)
V. THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
A. Paul prays for the Colossian believers to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding
(Colossians 1:9). The book of James tells us that the nature of God’s wisdom is the opposite of earthly wisdom.
15This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (James 3:15-17)
B. God has deliberately hidden the mysteries of his will and purpose so that they cannot be understood through
human reasoning and wisdom.
14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
C. It is important that we do not approach the study of the end times through a grid of human intellectualism for God
has blinded the eyes of those who are wise according to human wisdom.
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not
know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe….25Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:20-21,25)
8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9"For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
D. Those who seek to understand God’s purposes with human wisdom will end up opposing God Himself because
God’s will seems offensive to them. This is the testimony of Church history.
25For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery (God’s wisdom), lest you should be wise in
your own opinion (Romans 11:25)
E. The wisdom of God can only be understood by revelation of the Spirit of God – something that is available to every
believer (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). This is why Paul prays for the Colossians to receive an impartation of wisdom and
spiritual understanding.
VI. HOW DO WE BECOME A PEOPLE OF SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING?
A. Weak and broken human beings can know God’s mysteries. God has given human beings the glory and dignity
of knowing and understanding His will and the secrets of his heart.
…that you may prove (Romans 12:2)
…it is the glory of God to conceal a matter; but the glory of kings is to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2)
B. Daniel tells us that in the end times, God is going to release understanding (skill to understand (Daniel 9:22))
of his plan and purpose to those who are “wise”.
10Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall
understand, but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10)
C. Gaining a spirit of revelation and understanding is a two-fold process involving diligent searching and preparation
by the believer and the sovereign impartation of God’s Spirit.
D. We enter into true understanding primarily in the place of prayerful study. Daniel 9 gives great insight into how we
gain right understanding of God’s will. The passage shows us how Daniel received one of the greatest revelations of
God’s end time purposes for Israel and the Nations.
1. Understanding “by the books” (Daniel 9:2) – diligent study of the God’s Word
2. A lifestyle of prayer and fasting (Daniel 9:3-4)
E. We receive “skill to understand” (Daniel 9:22) as we are faithful with the little we have received.
F. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul gives practical insights on how we, like Daniel, should position our hearts to gain right
(spiritual) understanding of God’s will and purpose. How do we re-orient our lives to gain greater measure of revelation
and agreement with God’s will? What does it mean to live as one who is wise (Daniel 12:10)
G. Offer your whole life to God
Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God (Romans 12:2)
1. We consider ourselves dead to the wisdom of the age and our own fleshly desires, but alive to Christ and His
wisdom. We acknowledge that God’s will is supreme over ours.
2. We offer ourselves to Him in every area of our lives through prayer (time), fasting (strength), giving (power),
loving our enemies (forgiveness) (see Romans12:9-20)
3. Commitment to wholehearted obedience.
H. Don’t Live According to the World’s Wisdom
Do not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2)
I. Change Your Mind and be Transformed
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)
J. We must be those, like Daniel, who meditate and pray around the mysteries of God in weakness and with limited
understanding. The Lord will surely break in with more. Not because we said the right things but because He wants to
reveal His mysteries to His children who seek them. Like Paul, we must make it a priority to ask the Lord to fill our minds
and our hearts with the knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:1-9) so that we may fully please Him and that we may be
those who instruct many in the days ahead.