"the times and the seasons"
(I Thess. 5: 1)
Climate Change?Today we hear a lot about "climate change" and "global warming." This of course has to do with the weather of the planet. The climate is supposedly deteriorating and getting worse and the cause of it is supposedly carbon emissions. Many people are frightened of the future and saying "the sky is falling." But, with all this concern about the climate of the physical environment of earth, where is the concern and fear about the changing (and worsening) "social" or "political" climate? So, what is meant by the "social climate"?
In "What Is Social Climate?" (here) an informed source writes (emphasis mine):
"The term "social climate" is a sociological term that refers to the general feelings, attitudes, beliefs and opinions on a subject within society. Social climate is closely related to ideas such as the political climate, which refers to the general feelings of the public about modern political issues, and the Zeitgeist school of thought, which refers to the dominant intellectual beliefs of society during a particular time frame."
One can consider social climate to be how a population feels about particular issues affecting a given time. These beliefs and opinions often arise from prominent individuals in society who share their beliefs and accomplishments on a mass scale, leading others to adopt those beliefs. Some main subsets of the social climate in America are the racial, political, and economic climates.
Some important shifts in social climate can be observed throughout history, such as the enlightenment of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, when Individualism began to dominate sociopolitical schools of thought, and the 1960s in America, when the culture began emphasizing changes regarding sexual freedom, women's rights and pacifism. The Western world is in what has been dubbed "the information age," and issues such as technological advancement and social media are at the forefront of the modern social climate."
Who can doubt that in America, and in many other parts of the world in 2020, the social and political climate has become very destructive? Does the bible speak of the social climate of the very last days? If so, where and how?
Keep in mind as we look into the characteristics of the time under the red horse rider that we are trying to find the causes for the whole world suddenly struck with a kind of insanity that will lead neighbor to seek to kill neighbor. We know God is the cause, but what means will he use? What will be the effect of the removing of divine restraints upon the wrath, hubris, and varied sin of man?
The Seasons (Grk. "kairos")
Paul spoke of "the times and seasons" (τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν) connected with the coming again of the Lord Yeshua. "Chronon" is translated "times" and "kairon" is translated "seasons." Though these two Greek words are seemingly used interchangeably in some scripture passages, yet there is a clear difference in the meaning of each. Wrote one writer:
"While the words times and epochs both relate to time and are on occasion used interchangeably, they are not equivalent terms. For example, the ancient writer Ammonius remarked that times (chronos) denotes quantity and the epochs (kairos) quality. As discussed more fully below, chronos designates time in its duration, whether a longer or shorter period, while kairos draws attention to the characteristics of the period. Chronos deals with the measurement of time, while kairos deals with the suitable or critical nature of the time." (PreceptAustin- here)
"Kairos" deals with social and political climate. Within a chronos of one year we have four seasons (kairos). Each of those seasons are characteristically different within the chronology. Chronos deals with the length of time, or quantity of time, while kairos "the suitable or critical nature of the time," or the quality.
"The times have to do with the chronology of future periods, the seasons (epochs) with the characteristics of those periods." (Morris, Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)
"Hiebert explains that "The times (chronos) point to the chronological ages that may intervene before the parousia (Second Coming of Christ) takes place; the dates (epochs - kairos) indicate the times in their critical character, the occurrences that will distinguish these times. Involved is the thought of the opportune seasons that have their own distinctive characteristics calling for an appropriate response."
What will characterize the time of the four horsemen? What will distinguish it?
The days of the rider on the red horse will see a dark and foreboding environment of fear ("a day of darkness"), and among the world's masses will be an air of licentiousness, a climate of hate and violence. Further, using the weather analogy for the social and political environment, we can also say that the climate (or weather) will become very "stormy" in the time of the red horse rider.
A Climate Of Rage
Having called attention to the central sin of hubris, and of the general lawlessness, violence, and widespread depravity of the last and most wicked generation, and of the other evils that attend that state (arrogance, insults, shaming the weak, etc.), we now enlarge upon those other sins of those "evil days," and of course, in doing so, we must speak of man's unjust wrath and rage, of which the apostle says - "the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1: 20) The anger and wrath of depraved man will become a violent rage at the time of the Apocalypse.
Said the apostle Peter:
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." (Acts 4: 25-28 citing Psalm 2: 1)
This literally occurred when Christ's enemies were "enraged against" him as Peter describes. But, such a thing not only characterized the mass of the peoples when Christ came the first, but will also characterize the state of the masses (and their leaders) at the time when the first seal opens, at Christ's coming the second. The rulers and the people in general will be filled with rage. The word "rage" (Greek ἐφρύαξαν) is interesting. "Only here in New Testament. Originally, to neigh or snort like a horse. Of men, to give one's self haughty airs, and to act and speak insolently." (Vincent's Word Studies) The Greek word was primarily used of "the snorting, neighing and prancing of horses;" hence, metaphorically, of "the haughtiness and insolence of men," Act 4:25. In the Sept., Psa 2:1." (Vine) Strong adds that it includes the idea of being "high-spirited," and of men "taking on lofty airs," and "behaving arrogantly," and being "tumultuous."
What a "social climate" that will be!
"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (Rev. 11: 18 kjv)
There is a lot of anger and wrath, rage and outrage, in Revelation! There is the anger of "the nations (or races)," and the "wrath" of the devil (Rev. 12: 12), and of course lots of references to "the wrath of God" and "of the Lamb." Along with hubris is a society of angry hot tempered people.
"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute." (Prov. 15: 18)
"An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression." (Prov. 29: 22)
The times and seasons connected with the coming of the four horsemen will see the hubristic "wrath of man" unrestrained and the effect of it will be "strife" and "abounding transgression." Jude described these enraged people, saying:
"Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (Jude 1: 13 kjv)
The metaphor of raging sea waves denotes that these wicked men were "turbulent and furious in their tempers and manners." Said Barnes: "They are like the wild and restless waves of the ocean. The image here seems to be, that they were noisy and bold in their professions, and were as wild and ungovernable in their passions as the billows of the sea." (Commentary) The words "wild" and "untamed" are involved in the Greek word for "raging." It is generally agreed that Jude had this verse from Isaiah in mind: "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." (Isaiah 57: 20) "Casting up mire and dirt" means "stirring up wrath and strife." About wrath and its allies Paul wrote:
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4: 31-32)
Notice the grouping of the words and concepts in these words. The anger of man in the very last days of this age will be accompanied by bitterness, wrath, clamour, malice, and evil speaking. What an awful climate! There are other sinful attitudes that are often associated with rage, such as hate, malice, envy and jealousy, strife, etc. Other sins that prevail at the time of the red horse rider: anger and wrath, implacable ness and intolerance, violently arrogant, and murderous hate. When peace is taken from the earth under the red horse rider, this will be the terror filled state of things.
Today we hear a lot about "hate crimes." These will be frequent when people are killing one another at the time of the coming of the red horse rider.
The life of the truly lawless and depraved is described in the story of the Prodigal Son who spent his all in "riotous living." (Luke 15: 13) The Greek word translated "riotous" means:
"wastefully" (akin to A, No. 1), is translated "with riotous living" in Luk 15:13; though the word does not necessarily signify "dissolutely," the parable narrative makes clear that this is the meaning here." (Vine); And, what is the meaning of dissolute?
"lacking restraint; especially: marked by indulgence in things (such as drink or promiscuous sex) deemed vices." (Merriam-Webster)
"Lacking restraint"! "Riotous living"! That well describes wicked men at the time of the return of Yeshua.
"The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted."
(Psa. 46: 6 kjv)
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