Acts 1:7 · Bible study
Acts 1:7 Commentary: The Father’s Sovereignty Over Times and Seasons
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus redirects the apostles' curiosity about the kingdom's timing to their mission.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus tells the disciples that knowledge of the timing of the kingdom's restoration belongs to the Father alone, not to them.
- Key words: χρόνος (chronos, general time), καιρός (kairos, decisive season), ἴδιος (idios, personal), ἐξουσία (exousia, authority).
- Main debate: Whether this verse forbids all speculation about end times or simply warns against prideful curiosity; whether it implies the Son's limited knowledge during incarnation.
- Theological theme: God's transcendence over time and human responsibility to trust and obey within history.
- Best use: To calm anxiety about the future and redirect energy toward the Spirit-empowered mission of witness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and he said unto them, `It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father did appoint in His own authority;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he said to them, It is not yours to know times or seasons, which the Father has placed in his own authority;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But he said to them: It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y les|strong="G4314, G0846" dijo: No toca á vosotros saber los tiempos ó las sazones que el Padre puso en su sola potestad;
E ele lhes disse: Não pertence a vós saber os tempos ou estações que o Pai pôs em sua própria autoridade.
Il leur répondit: Ce n’ est pas à vous de connaître les temps ou les moments que le Père a fixés de sa propre autorité.
Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Es gebührt euch nicht, zu wissen Zeit oder Stunde, welche der Vater seiner Macht vorbehalten hat;
En Hij zeide tot hen: Het komt u niet toe, te weten de tijden of gelegenheden, die de Vader in Zijn eigen macht gesteld heeft;
Egli rispose loro: Non sta a voi di sapere i tempi o i momenti che il Padre ha riserbato alla sua propria autorità.
Lecz on rzekł do nich: Nie wasza rzecz jest, znać czasy i chwile, które Ojciec w swojej mocy położył.
Он же сказал им: не ваше дело знать времена или сроки, которые Отец положил в Своей власти,
耶穌對 他們 說：「 父 憑著 自己的 權柄 所定 的時候、 日期，不 是 你們 可以知道的。
And he said to them, It is not for you to have knowledge of the time and the order of events which the Father has kept in his control.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 1:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus gently but firmly redirects the apostles' question about restoring the kingdom to Israel. Calvin calls it a "general reprehension of the whole question", a correction of vain curiosity. Barnes notes that God has "uniformly reproved a vain curiosity" on such points, citing 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 and 2 Peter 3:10. Gill connects the verse to a Jewish tradition listing seven things hidden from men, including "when the kingdom of the house of David shall return." The apostles were still expecting a political restoration of Israel; Jesus does not deny that restoration will happen, but declines to give the timing. The consensus sees the verse as a pivot: from speculation about the future to readiness for the mission. The Greek distinction between χρόνους (chronous, time periods) and καιρούς (kairous, opportune seasons) reinforces that God controls both the general duration and the specific moments of his plan. As Vincent notes, χρόνος is "time absolutely" while καιρός is "definite periods, with the idea of fitness." Together they cover every aspect of God's timeline.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God alone determines and knows the timing of future events, and believers are called to trust his authority and focus on their mission rather than speculate on dates.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'times and seasons' | The terms refer to the timing of future events under God's control, both general periods and specific moments. | Some see them as referring specifically to the end of the age and Christ's return, while others understand them more broadly as all events in God's redemptive plan, including the restoration of Israel. |
| Disciples' expectation of the kingdom | The apostles expected an immediate political restoration of Israel as a sovereign nation. | Some interpreters argue that Jesus corrects this expectation altogether, redirecting to a spiritual kingdom. Others hold that Jesus only corrects the timing, not the hope of a future national restoration. |
| Relationship to prophecy and date-setting | The verse clearly discourages setting specific dates for Christ's return or the end of the world. | Some Christians read this as a complete prohibition on inquiring into end-times chronology, while others see it as a caution against prideful curiosity, allowing for faithful study of prophecy within the church's tradition. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The apostles' question in verse 6, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?", reflects a common first-century Jewish expectation. Many hoped the Messiah would liberate Israel from Roman rule and establish a sovereign Davidic kingdom. Jesus had spoken of the kingdom of God in ways that transcended these national hopes, but the disciples still thought in political terms. Now, after forty days of resurrection appearances and teaching about the kingdom (verse 3), they still ask for a date.
Jesus' reply meets them where they are. He does not say the kingdom will never be restored, but that the timing is not for them to know. The word "authority" (ἐξουσίᾳ, exousia) in the phrase "within his own authority" carries the sense of delegated power and right. The adjective ἰδίᾳ (idia), "his own", is strong, meaning personal or private (Vincent). So the Father has reserved this knowledge exclusively to himself.
This teaching has deep roots in Jewish Scripture. Daniel 2:21 declares that God "changes the times and the seasons." Deuteronomy 29:29 draws a line between secret things that belong to God and revealed things given for obedience. The apostles needed to learn that not every question about God's plan has an answer for them. The context immediately after this verse shows the redirection: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me..." (Acts 1:8). The unknown timing is replaced by a known mission. The book of Acts itself is the record of that mission. The apostles who wanted to know when soon learned the power of what.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 1:7. The manuscript tradition is consistent across major families. Some early Latin and Syriac versions omit the article before "times" and "seasons," but this does not affect the meaning. The Greek text is stable.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Acts 1:7 has been a key text for cautioning against date-setting. During the Reformation, Calvin appealed to it to argue that believers should focus on the commands of Christ rather than the hidden counsels of God. In the nineteenth century, Adam Clarke used the verse to argue for God's "infinite liberty" against deterministic systems. Across traditions, the verse has served as a reminder that the future belongs to God and that the church's energy is best spent on witness, not calculation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Question That Misses the Point, The apostles still expect a political kingdom. Their question shows limited understanding, but Jesus does not dismiss them. He answers with a correction.
- The Answer That Reveals Sovereignty, Jesus redirects their focus from the question to the questioner. The times and seasons belong to the Father alone. His authority is personal and exclusive.
- The Redirect That Commissions, Instead of giving a date, Jesus gives a task. The disciples are to be witnesses empowered by the Spirit. The unknown future is the context for faithful action.
Five-point outline
- The context: disciples still thinking in terms of national restoration (Acts 1:6).
- The correction: "It is not for you to know", a boundary on curiosity.
- The Greek nuance: χρόνος (general time) and καιρός (decisive moment) both belong to the Father.
- The source of security: not in knowing dates but in trusting the One who holds all authority.
- The commission: from asking "when" to being witnesses "in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Illustration hooks
- A child asking "are we there yet?" during a long car trip, the parent knows the answer but knows the child needs to wait.
- Waiting for medical test results, the uncertainty forces you to rely on the doctor's expertise rather than your own guesses.
- Watching a football game when you could fast-forward, but you don't, because the process matters.
Questions your congregation is asking
- "If we can't know the times, why do so many Christians keep setting dates for the end of the world?"
- "Does this mean we shouldn't study prophecy at all?"
- "How do I live faithfully when I don't know what the future holds?"
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts our desire for certainty about the future. The apostles wanted to know when Jesus would restore the kingdom. Jesus gave them something better: a mission. As you discuss, resist the urge to fill in what God has kept secret. Instead, ask what he has revealed for you to do.
Discussion questions
- Read Acts 1:6-8. What were the apostles expecting when they asked about the kingdom? Why might Jesus have declined to answer their question directly?
- The Greek words for "times" (chronos) and "seasons" (kairos) suggest both duration and decisive moments. How does God's control over both comfort you?
- Deuteronomy 29:29 distinguishes secret things from revealed things. How does this verse help you decide what to focus on in your Christian life?
- In what areas of life do you find yourself asking "when?" rather than "what now?"
- How does the promise of the Holy Spirit in verse 8 equip you for the mission Jesus gives?
- Why is it dangerous to set dates for Christ's return? What does this verse say to such efforts?
- How can your small group encourage one another to focus on witness rather than speculation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 29:29 | The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. |
| Daniel 2:21 | He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding. |
| Matthew 20:23 | He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” |
| Matthew 24:36 | “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. |
| Mark 10:40 | but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.” |
| Mark 13:32 | “But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. |
| Luke 21:24 | They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. |
| Acts 17:26 | He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a sharp line between appointed times and the specific seasons within them, insisting God is never trapped by His own decrees. He argues God always retains full freedom to act or refrain as His wisdom sees fit, free from any necessity or fate that would compel Him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that God withholds the exact time of future events not because they will not happen, but to prevent a vain curiosity and keep believers from living in constant terror. Knowing our death day would make life like a condemned criminal's, so God hides it to spare us that bondage.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin warns against two opposite errors: vain curiosity that pries into what God has kept hidden, and lazy ignorance that hides behind that caution to avoid learning the mysteries Christ actually revealed. The right path is to learn everything the Master teaches and willingly stay ignorant of what He conceals.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools notes that the two figures in white are angels, but the description "men" follows a common Jewish idiom for angelic or divine messengers. The commentator cites a Talmudic tradition in which a high priest saw an "Ancient one clad in white" understood as the Holy One himself, reinforcing the link between white garments and the divine presence.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And hee saide vnto them, It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his owne power,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill specifies that the times and seasons Jesus refers to are not past events or agricultural cycles but the hidden day of His own return and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. He stresses that the Father has kept this knowledge entirely to Himself, so it is both vain and sinful for people to pry into such hidden matters.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Jesus' reply carries a double implication: not only was knowing the timing withheld, but the question itself was irrelevant to the apostles' present calling and future mission. Their concern should be their work, not the schedule.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the disciples' question about restoring the kingdom to Israel may have been a protest against handing power back to the chief priests who killed Christ. Jesus redirects them from political speculation to their true mission: receiving the Holy Spirit and becoming witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws a precise distinction between two Greek words for time: chronos refers to time as a blank measure, while kairos points to definite periods marked by appropriateness or fitness. He also notes that the phrase rendered "his own" uses a stronger possessive, carrying the sense of something private or personal.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a careful distinction between "times," meaning longer periods, and "seasons," meaning shorter spans. He then stresses that the Father has kept the knowledge of both entirely within His own authority, to be revealed only when and to whom He chooses.