Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.
- KJV And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
- NKJV And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
- NASB But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority;
- NLT He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus tells them the Father alone holds authority over times and seasons, which are not theirs to know. It calls believers to trust God's sovereign timing rather than speculate.
Overview
Jesus redirects the apostles from calculating dates to faithful mission. The timing of the kingdom's consummation rests in the Father's authority. This guards the church against date-setting and grounds it in trust and obedience while awaiting Christ's return.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 24:36No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
- 1 Th 5:1–2Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you.
- Mark 13:32No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
- Deut 29:29The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
- Mark 10:40But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
- Dan 2:21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Eph 1:10as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
- Luke 21:24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
- 1 Tim 6:15which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time.
- 2 Tim 3:1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
- Matt 20:23“You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”
- Acts 17:26From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 1:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.