When I was at Church recently at the Calvary Chapel I attend in South Jersey, my Pastor brought up a great example, and I wanted to share it with you. It involves the Sons of Issachar (1 Chronicle 7:1).
For those of you who don’t know who Issachar was, He was one of the sons of Jacob born to Leah (Genesis 35:23).
Something very interesting was said about the sons of Issachar. We are told they had an understanding of the times:
1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV – “of 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;”
If you’re a student of Bible Prophecy in the world today you can clearly discern the times we are living in, but most of the church has no clue about the times and seasons that God so clearly laid out for us in His Word. I want to bring our attention to the rebuke Jesus gave to those around Him who were not paying attention to the times during His first coming:
Luke 12:54-56 KJV – “And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?”
So we are told that the Sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times, but the people did not discern the signs of the times during Jesus’ first coming.
The people, however, were without excuse to not understand and be watching, because over 300 detailed Prophecies had foretold that Christ was coming.
The Old Testament provided a description of the circumstances around which the promised Messiah would be born, the bloodline He would come through, the events that would take place in His life, as well as, His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of these in His first coming to the earth. It is worth noting that even their rejection of Christ was also Prophesied (Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 22:6, etc.)!
The people could discern by looking at the sky if good or bad weather was coming, but they could not discern the promised coming of their Messiah to be watching and waiting for it.
That also sounds similar in our world today, doesn’t it? All of the signs Jesus told us to look for to signal His soon Return are staring us right in the face, and yet the majority of the world could care less and have no clue about what is about to come upon this world:
Luke 21:35 KJV – “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.”
Is there a connection between the sons of Issachar and those of us around the world today that are watching for the Lord’s Return, recognize the season we are in and know that Jesus is about to Rapture His Church (1 Thess. 4:16-18, 1 Corin. 15:51-53)? I would say absolutely!
Again, we are told that the sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times, which means they were aware of what time they were living in. We are told very clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5 that we (The Children Of The Light) will have an understanding of the times, and we will see the day approaching! The Bible also tells us that that day should not catch us off guard like a thief in the night. Unfortunately for the majority of the world, it will catch them off guard because they are not watching!
1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 KJV – “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Which one of these two groups do you fall into? Are you like those of the world who blind themselves to the magnificent fulfillment of Prophecy as it stares them in the face? Or are you like the sons of Issachar, who understood in advance what incredible times they lived in and watched in anticipation?
If anyone is reading this, that doesn’t believe we are living in amazing times and the season of the Lord’s soon Return, I implore you to be like the sons of Issachar, be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and do your due diligence to confirm for yourself what season we are living in.
We are rapidly approaching the end of the dispensation of the church age (The Age Of Grace), and it’s time for us Children of the Light to be in the word. Let us not cease to teach and preach that Jesus is coming soon! Tell them it’s time to repent, believe the Gospel, and be converted to a new life in Jesus Christ today! Explain to them with simplicity (Not Religion) the gospel of our salvation (1 Cor 15:1-4, Romans 10:9-10).
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