The sure word of prophecy, is to the believer, something so vitally linked with the truth of Scripture, and the

faithfulness, sovereignty and omniscience of the Almighty, that it cannot be thrust aside, misapplied, or manipulated

to suit private interpretations, but must ever be the subject of reverent enquiry, and wondrous expectancy. The

prophet Isaiah to quote but one O.T. writer uses this fact of prophetic pre-vision as an antidote to the snare of

idolatry into which Israel was at that time so prone to fall, and also employs it as a positive encouragement to faith.

`Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring

them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider

them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come

hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods' (Isa. 41:21-23; see also 43:9; 44:7,25,26; 46:10; 48:5).

Those who have learned to distinguish between prophetic fulfilment and the present parenthetical interposition

of the dispensation of the mystery, do not look at the present cavalcade of `wars and rumours of wars', or the

recurrence of `famines, pestilences and earthquakes' as `fulfilments' of prophecy, they see clearly that when Israel

became Lo-ammi `not my people' (Hosea 1:9), the prophetic clock stopped (Acts 28:28), and will not go again until

the present parenthetical dispensation is completed. That is one attitude, an attitude of heart and mind that honours

both the Wisdom of God in making known the secret purpose of His will consequent upon Israel's failure, and the

literal and sure fulfilment of the Word of Prophecy when the time comes for Israel's awakening, conversion,

restoration and blessing.

Speaking generally concerning prophetic interpretation, whether to do with Israel or to do with the prophetic

utterances of 1 Timothy 4 or 2 Timothy 3 and 4 (which comprehend practically all that is prophetic in the prison

epistles), there are two main principles to remember.

1. The time, season, day and hour of prophetic fulfilment is hid.

` ... It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power' (Acts 1:7).

`But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only' (Matt. 24:36).

`Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh' (Matt. 25:13).

2. While the day and the hour is unknown, there are `signs' that the believer should `discern'.

` ... When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red ... ye can discern the face of the sky; but

can ye not discern the signs of the times?' (Matt. 16:2,3).

`Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer

is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (He) is near, even at the doors' (Matt.

Let us, in this introductory article, become a little better acquainted with these two complementary principles.

`Which the Father hath put in His own power'.

This passage is translated in the R.V. `Which the Father hath set within His own authority', and as a marginal

reading adds `or appointed by' for the word `set'. Some interpret this passage to mean, that the Father hath appointed

the times or seasons by His own power, but others see that the words mean that the question of times and seasons

have been placed by the Father within His own jurisdiction or authority.

The word translated `power' in Acts 1:7 is the Greek exousia. `Power', should be reserved for the translation of

dunamis as in Acts 1:8, the use of the same word for both Greek words is confusing. The apostles received power,

but the Father retained authority. Dunamis is derived from `ability', but exousia is derived from `being'. For

examples taken from the A.V. where exousia is translated `authority', see, Matthew 7:29; 21:23; Acts 9:14;

1 Corinthians 15:24. The verb tithemi `put' in Acts 1:7 of the A.V. means literally `to place'. It is used in Acts some

twenty-three times, and is translated `laid', `whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple' (Acts 3:2, and six other