Acts 1:7

The Passover affords a more than usually solemn day for baptism; when, withal, the Lord's passion, in which we are baptized, was completed. Nor will it be incongruous to interpret figuratively the fact that, when the Lord was about to celebrate the last Passover, He said to the disciples who were sent to make preparation, "You will meet a man bearing water." He points out the place for celebrating the Passover by the sign of water. After that, Pentecost is a most joyous space for conferring baptisms; wherein, too, the resurrection of the Lord was repeatedly proved among the disciples [Acts 1:3], and the hope of the advent of the Lord indirectly pointed to, in that, at that time, when He had been received back into the heavens [Acts 1:9], the angels told the apostles that "He would so come, as He had withal ascended into the heavens;" [Acts 1:11] at Pentecost, of course. But, moreover, when Jeremiah says, "And I will gather them together from the extremities of the land in the feast-day," he signifies the day of the Passover and of Pentecost, which is properly a "feast-day." However, every day is the Lord's; every hour, every time, is apt for baptism: if there is a difference in the solemnity, distinction there is none in the grace.

The apostle says: "The day of the Lord shall so come as a thief in the night. When they shall say, Peace and security, then on them shall come sudden destruction." Also in the Acts of the Apostles: "No one can know the times or the seasons which the Father has placed in His own power."

The Son is not lacking in the knowledge of anything that the Father knows, and the Son is not ignorant, because the Father alone knows, since the Father and the Son remain in the unity of the nature. What the Son, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden, does not know is in harmony with the divine plan for maintaining silence. The Lord bore testimony to this when he replied to the apostles who had questioned him about the times, “It is not for you to know the times or dates which the Father has fixed by his own authority.”The knowledge is denied them. Not only is it denied, but they are forbidden to be anxious about the knowledge, since it is not for them to know these times. Naturally, after the resurrection, they now interrogate him about the times, since they had been informed previously when they broached the question, that not even the Son knows, and they could not believe that the Son did not know in the literal meaning of the term, because they again question him as one who does not know. Since they are aware that the mystery of not knowing is according to the divine plan for maintaining silence, they conclude that now, after the resurrection, the time for speaking has at length arrived, and they bring forth their questions.
And the Son does not tell them that he does not know but that it is not for them to know, because the Father has settled this matter by his own authority. Consequently, if the apostles realize that this statement, that the Son does not know, is in keeping with the plan of salvation and is not a weakness, shall we assert that the Son, therefore, does not know the day because he is not God? God the Father has determined it by his own authority, therefore, in order that it may not come to the knowledge of our human comprehension, and the Son, when previously interrogated, had said that he did not know and now he does not make the same reply that he does not know, but that it is not for them to know, and that the Father, however, has decided upon these times not in his knowledge but in his authority. Since the day and moment are included in the idea of time, it is impossible to believe that the day and moment for restoring the kingdom of Israel is unknown to him who is to restore it. But, to lead us to the knowledge of his birth through the Father’s unique power, he answered that it was known to him and, while revealing that the right to acquire this knowledge had not been conferred on them, he declared that this knowledge itself is dependent upon the mystery of the Father’s authority.

“It is not for you to know times or seasons.” He has hidden that from us so that we might keep watch and that each of us might think that this coming would take place during our life. For, if the time of his coming were to be revealed, his coming would be in vain, and it would not have been desired by the nations and the ages in which it was to take place. He has indeed said that he will come, but he did not define when, and thus all generations and ages thirst for him.

That is to say, the knowledge of such a kingdom is not for them that are bound in flesh and blood. This contemplation the Father has put away in his own power, meaning by “power” those that are authorized, and by “his own” those who are not held down by the ignorance of things below.

But neither is the Father deceived nor does the Son deceive. It is the custom of the holy Scriptures to speak thus, as the examples I have already given, and many others testify, so that God feigns not to know what he does know. In this then a unity of Godhead and a unity of character is proved to exist in the Father and in the Son; seeing that, as God the Father hides what is known to him, so also the Son, who is the image of God in this respect, hides what is known to him.

And this he says, because he was very careful to honor them and to conceal nothing from them. Therefore he refers it to his Father, both to make the matter awesome and to dispel further inquiry on what was said. If this were not the reason, but he is ignorant, when will he know? Will he only know at the same time we do? Who would say this? He knows the Father clearly, just as the Father knows the Son. Is he then ignorant of the day? Furthermore, “the Spirit searches everything, even the depth of God.” But are we to say that he does not even know the time of the judgment? But he knows how he must judge, and he understands the secrets of each. Was he to be ignorant of this, which is much more general? And, if “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being,” how was he ignorant of the day? For he who made the ages clearly made the times also, and if the times, then also the day. How, then, is he ignorant of what he made?

"Wilt Thou at this time," say they, "restore the kingdom to Israel?" They so well knew his mildness, that after His Passion also they ask Him, "Wilt thou restore?" And yet He had before said to them, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet," nor shall Jerusalem be taken. But now they ask Him about the kingdom, not about the end. And besides, He does not speak at great length with them after the Resurrection. They address then this question, as thinking that they themselves would be in high honor, if this should come to pass. But He (for as touching this restoration, that it was not to be, He did not openly declare; for what needed they to learn this? hence they do not again ask, "What is the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" for they are afraid to say that: but, "Wilt Thou restore the kingdom to Israel?" for they thought there was such a kingdom), but He, I say, both in parables had shown that the time was not near, and here where they asked, and He answered thereto.

But just as when we see a child crying, and pertinaciously wishing to get something from us that is not expedient for him, we hide the thing, and show him our empty hands, and say, "See, we have it not:" the like has Christ here done with the Apostles. The disciples asked to have something, and He said He had it not. And on the first occasion he frightened them. Then again they asked to have it now: He said He had it not; and He did not frighten them now, but after having shown the empty hands, He has done this, and gives them a plausible reason: "Which the Father," He says, "hath put in his own power." What? Thou not know the things of the Father! Thou knowest Him, and not what belongs to Him! And yet Thou hast said, "None knoweth the Father but the Son" (Luke x. 25); and, "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. ii. 10); and Thou not know this! But they feared to ask Him again, lest they should hear Him say, "Are ye also without understanding?" (Matt. xv. 26.) For they feared Him now much more than before.

Since then their minds are elevated, He also speaks to them in a higher strain. For He no longer tells them, "Of that day not even the Son of Man knoweth" (Mark xiii. 32); but He says, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power. Ye ask things greater than your capacity, He would say. And yet even now they learned things that were much greater than this. And that you may see that this is strictly the case, look how many things I shall enumerate. What, I pray you, was greater than their having learned what they did learn? Thus, they learned that there is a Son of God, and that God has a Son equal with Himself in dignity; they learned that there will be a resurrection; that when He ascended He sat on the right hand of God; and what is still more stupendous, that Flesh is seated in heaven, and adored by Angels, and that He will come again; they learned what is to take place in the judgment; learned that they shall then sit and judge the twelve tribes of Israel; learned that the Jews would be cast out, and in their stead the Gentiles should come in. For, tell me, which is greater? to learn that a person will reign, or to learn the time when? If the greater be with power, much more the other.

"Which the Father hath put in His own power." And yet He declared the Father's power and His to be one: as in the saying, "For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will." (John v. 21.) If where need is to work, Thou actest with the same power as the Father; where it behooves to know, dost Thou not know with the same power? Yet certainly to raise up the dead is much greater than to learn the day. If the greater be with power, much more the other.

But when His disciples (who are our apostles) put this question to the all-knowing Christ, they were told: "It is not yours to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power." [Acts 1:7] What if Christ, who knows what is expedient for us, knows this knowledge not to be expedient? Through Him I know that it is not ours to know the times which God has placed in His own power; but concerning the origin of souls, I am ignorant whether it is or is not ours to know. If I could be sure that such knowledge is not for us, I should cease not only to dogmatize, but even to inquire. As it is, though the subject is so deep and dark that my fear of becoming a rash teacher is almost greater than my eagerness to learn the truth, I still wish to know it if I can do so. It may be that the knowledge for which the psalmist prays: "Lord, make me to know mine end," [Ps. 39:4] is much more necessary; yet I would that my beginning also might be revealed to me.

Everywhere there is a barrier of knowledge separating them from what is to come, not as if they are ignorant, but as if they gain nothing from this knowledge concerning salvation of the soul; therefore he speaks to them vaguely and more generally: "But you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:5) If you ask, "Why then does the Spirit not descend immediately, or does this not also indicate a delay?" Learn that the Spirit does not come immediately after the ascension, so as to make the reception of it more eagerly desired; not on a definite day, but making them more earnest and more fittingly prepared for the coming.

It must be noted whether this statement brings any importance to those wishing to remove the certain limit or fate of human affairs. For to say, "which the Father appointed to his own authority," abolishes fate. But if the father has placed, it is clear that the son also; for all things that belong to the Father also belong to the Son.

People did not realize what they should not know, and the Son of God was not in any sense unaware of this through weakness of the flesh. But if we were to suspect that the divine Majesty cloaked ignorance (a thing it would be irreverent to say), then that ignorance would be found stronger than the divine nature, and could—to speak foolishness—bring down the providence by which all things were created. But since we are taught that this is quite ridiculous, we must believe that the whole Trinity, whose nature is one and all-powerful, has always an unfailing knowledge of all things.

Now it is very properly that the affliction indeed of blessed Job is told, but the length of time that he was under the affliction is kept back, for we see the tribulation of Holy Church in this life, but know nothing for how long she is here to undergo bruising and delay; and hence it is spoken by the mouth of Truth, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power." Herein then, that the suffering of blessed Job is told us, we are taught what we are made acquainted withal by experience; and herein, that the length of time that he continued in his suffering is withheld, we are taught what it is we must remain ignorant of.

It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has placed in His own authority. He said this, indicating that the time of that (kingdom) is so secret that it lies within the knowledge of the Father alone. And when He says: It is not for you to know, He shows that He Himself knows, whose are all the things that are the Father's, but it is not expedient for mortals to know, so that always uncertain about the coming of the judge, they may live every day as though they were to be judged on another day.

Therefore He also converses with them without insistence, because He no longer says that "of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son" (Mark 13:32), but rather says: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons." He did not ascribe the knowledge of the fulfillment of times to the Father because He Himself did not know, but because the question itself was superfluous; and therefore He profitably answered it with silence. His purpose in this was to cut short the excessive curiosity of His disciples, since He was sending them to preach the Kingdom of Heaven, and not to designate the number of times. He does not tell them about this time, though He taught them far greater things — with the purpose that, as we have mentioned more than once, He might compel them to be watchful, and also because, not knowing this, they lost nothing, since He revealed to them truths far higher than this — He revealed that He is the Son of God, that He is equal to the Father, that He rose again, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, that judgment will come, and that He sat down at the right hand of the Father. Tell me then, what is more important — to know that He will reign, or when? Moses learned the beginning of the world and when and over how many ages it was created, and he counts the years, although to know the beginning is generally harder than the end. However, the apostles were not asking the Lord about the final consummation of the ages, "saying: is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" But He did not reveal even this to them, and as He had answered before, deflecting them from this thought so that they would not think that deliverance from afflictions was near, but would know that they would yet be subjected to many dangers, so He answers now as well, only more gently: "but you shall receive power." Then, so that they would not ask Him again, He immediately ascended. Moreover, so that they would not ask: "Why do You leave us in perplexity regarding this matter?" — the Son says: "which the Father has placed in His own authority." But the authority of the Father is, of course, also the authority of the Son, because "as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will" (John 5:21). If in those cases where something extraordinary and miraculous must be accomplished, the Son acts with the same authority as the Father, then all the more so in cases requiring knowledge, because to raise the dead, and moreover with authority equal to that of the Father, is far more important than to know the day.

And yet, even in the meantime a spiritual kingdom will thrust itself forth. In vindicating and protecting this kingdom, God demands their service, as for the rewards, let them be his concern. So they are to give up their desiree to know what they should not know; prepare themselves for events that lie at hand.