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.

ACTS 1:7KJV
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Acts 1:7 (KJV)

What does Acts 1:7 mean?

Acts 1:7 records Jesus telling his disciples that it is not for them to know the specific times or seasons that God the Father has set by his own authority. Jesus is making it clear that the timing of God’s plans is not something people are meant to figure out or control.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to his closest followers after his resurrection, just before he ascends to heaven. The disciples had just asked if he was about to restore the kingdom to Israel, but Jesus redirects their focus away from predicting God’s timetable. Instead, he emphasizes that such knowledge belongs to God alone and is not theirs to manage or uncover.

The Greek behind Acts 1:7

  • χρόνος (chronos, G5550): This word is translated as "times" and often refers to general periods or durations. Jesus uses it here to mean broad stretches of time, not just specific dates.
  • καιρός (kairos, G2540): Translated as "seasons," this word points to specific, appointed moments or opportunities. The distinction shows that both the general flow and the key turning points of God’s plan are under God’s control.
  • ἐξουσία (exousia, G1849): This word means "authority" or "power." The verse stresses that the Father has placed these matters within his own authority, highlighting God’s exclusive right to determine such things.

Why Acts 1:7 matters

  • Acts 1:7 corrects the common expectation that followers of Jesus can predict or uncover God’s exact timetable for future events, especially regarding big changes like the restoration of Israel.
  • The verse shifts the disciples’ attention from speculation about the future to trust in God’s authority and timing, setting the stage for the coming of the Holy Spirit in the next verses.
  • This statement helps clarify that Jesus’ mission was not about immediate political or national restoration, but about something broader and under God’s direction.

Where else these words appear

“times” Greek G5550 · used in 53 verses

  • Matthew 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
  • Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
  • 1 Corinthians 16:7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

“seasons” Greek G2540 · used in 82 verses

  • Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
  • John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
  • Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

“power” Greek G1849 · used in 93 verses

  • Matthew 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
  • Luke 20:20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
  • Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

“put” Greek G5087 · used in 94 verses

  • Matthew 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
  • John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
  • Acts 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.