An article on www.Newser.com titled “It May Not Be What Time You Think It Is” caught my attention yesterday. Of course, it was only after I clicked on it that I realized I had been duped. For it proved to be merely yet another article about how the current generation eschews the semi-annual ritual of time change and would like to see it done away with altogether.
Now, for my part, I do not necessarily look forward to time change. It always takes a day or two (or three) to adjust, especially when I lose an hour’s sleep in the morning each spring. And yet, I like the extra hour’s sleep in the fall. Still, I grew up with it; and I happen to like an extra hour of sunlight. So, for this reasons as much as any other, I have come to accept it as an inevitable and normal part of life.
Still, it seems that millennials don’t seem to share my acceptance of fate. And for this reason, they perpetually raise a hue and cry each spring and fall. Hence, the article read, somewhat predictably, as follows…
“Standard time came to an end in most parts of the United States on Sunday. The transition to daylight saving time became official at 2am local time, meaning almost everyone lost an hour of sleep. Until daylight saving time ends in the wee hours of Nov. 5, the sun will rise later in the morning than it has during standard time but it will stay light for longer until the evening. No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas, per the AP.
A 2021 poll found that most people in the United States want to avoid switching between daylight saving and standard time, though there is no consensus behind which should be used all year. The poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only 25% of those questioned said they preferred to switch back and forth between standard and daylight saving time. Forty-three percent said they would like to see standard time used during the entire year, while 32% preferred that daylight saving time be used all year. Some lawmakers are on the case.”
Enough said? Yes, enough said (at least about the insufferable generational divide over something as simple as time change)! For now, at least, I want to return to what intrigued me in the first place – the title of the article: “It May Not Be What Time You Think It Is”.
Forget the tracking of hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year, decade to decade, and/or even century to century. In fact, forget the regulation of temporal things altogether. What I have in mind here is the notion of an eternal clock. That being said, could it be that it is even now later than I, or you, or anyone else actually realizes it is?!
After all, in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 32 and 33, we read: “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.”
The same Jesus Who said this also spent many another discourse expounding on just what He meant by “all these things”. As Matthew 24:3 records, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” To this, our Lord’s answer was manifold…
To begin with, He told us that men posing as Him will try to deceive people in the last days. Matthew 24:23-24 states: “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible.”
Next, He said there would be wars and rumors of wars. In Matthew 24:6, He states: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
Beyond this, He went on to tell us that there would be earthquakes and famines. Matthew 24:7-8, says: “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Add to these earthly signs those in the heavens above us… Luke 21:25-26 says: “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
We are also told that there would also be lots of scoffers. II Peter 3:3-4 tells us: “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He'll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”
And of course, there will also be the coming of the Antichrist. This will certainly be a sign of the end. I John 2:18, tells us: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
Add to all of this the moral conditions that will also be characteristic of society in the last days. II Timothy 3:1-5 tells us: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
Incessant talk of peace and safety are also signs of the last days. I Thessalonians 5:2-3 states: “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
Lastly, the Bible tells us that the Gospel will be proclaimed to the whole world before the end will come. Matthew 24:14 records: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Given the advent of the internet and satellite communications and all these entail, I will ask you to judge as to whether or not this has now been fulfilled.
Little wonder, in light of all of this, that in Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus also admonished us to “… be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return.”
It’s that time of year when most of us focus our attention on the clock. Clearly, however, whatever time it is, it’s later than most people think!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.newser.com/story/332624/it-may-not-be-what-time-you-think-it-is.html.
PROPHECY SOURCES:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/signs-jesus-coming.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/.
Now, for my part, I do not necessarily look forward to time change. It always takes a day or two (or three) to adjust, especially when I lose an hour’s sleep in the morning each spring. And yet, I like the extra hour’s sleep in the fall. Still, I grew up with it; and I happen to like an extra hour of sunlight. So, for this reasons as much as any other, I have come to accept it as an inevitable and normal part of life.
Still, it seems that millennials don’t seem to share my acceptance of fate. And for this reason, they perpetually raise a hue and cry each spring and fall. Hence, the article read, somewhat predictably, as follows…
“Standard time came to an end in most parts of the United States on Sunday. The transition to daylight saving time became official at 2am local time, meaning almost everyone lost an hour of sleep. Until daylight saving time ends in the wee hours of Nov. 5, the sun will rise later in the morning than it has during standard time but it will stay light for longer until the evening. No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas, per the AP.
A 2021 poll found that most people in the United States want to avoid switching between daylight saving and standard time, though there is no consensus behind which should be used all year. The poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only 25% of those questioned said they preferred to switch back and forth between standard and daylight saving time. Forty-three percent said they would like to see standard time used during the entire year, while 32% preferred that daylight saving time be used all year. Some lawmakers are on the case.”
Enough said? Yes, enough said (at least about the insufferable generational divide over something as simple as time change)! For now, at least, I want to return to what intrigued me in the first place – the title of the article: “It May Not Be What Time You Think It Is”.
Forget the tracking of hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year, decade to decade, and/or even century to century. In fact, forget the regulation of temporal things altogether. What I have in mind here is the notion of an eternal clock. That being said, could it be that it is even now later than I, or you, or anyone else actually realizes it is?!
After all, in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 32 and 33, we read: “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.”
The same Jesus Who said this also spent many another discourse expounding on just what He meant by “all these things”. As Matthew 24:3 records, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” To this, our Lord’s answer was manifold…
To begin with, He told us that men posing as Him will try to deceive people in the last days. Matthew 24:23-24 states: “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible.”
Next, He said there would be wars and rumors of wars. In Matthew 24:6, He states: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
Beyond this, He went on to tell us that there would be earthquakes and famines. Matthew 24:7-8, says: “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Add to these earthly signs those in the heavens above us… Luke 21:25-26 says: “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
We are also told that there would also be lots of scoffers. II Peter 3:3-4 tells us: “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He'll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”
And of course, there will also be the coming of the Antichrist. This will certainly be a sign of the end. I John 2:18, tells us: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
Add to all of this the moral conditions that will also be characteristic of society in the last days. II Timothy 3:1-5 tells us: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
Incessant talk of peace and safety are also signs of the last days. I Thessalonians 5:2-3 states: “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
Lastly, the Bible tells us that the Gospel will be proclaimed to the whole world before the end will come. Matthew 24:14 records: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Given the advent of the internet and satellite communications and all these entail, I will ask you to judge as to whether or not this has now been fulfilled.
Little wonder, in light of all of this, that in Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus also admonished us to “… be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return.”
It’s that time of year when most of us focus our attention on the clock. Clearly, however, whatever time it is, it’s later than most people think!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.newser.com/story/332624/it-may-not-be-what-time-you-think-it-is.html.
PROPHECY SOURCES:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/signs-jesus-coming.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/.