"God Winked at Their Times of Ignorance"

This article deals with God’s unfolding timeline and puts His last day’s remnant and His call for them to come out into a biblical and historic perspective.

At various times and seasons God intervenes in the course of human affairs to bring change. At pivotal junctures in the unfolding timeline of God’s people He has called forth prophets, watchmen, reformers, firebrands and spiritual agitators to stir God’s people from their lethargy and compromise - a Moses, a Gideon, a Deborah, an Elijah, a “John the Baptist” and a Stephen. Many paid the ultimate price for their brashness and prophetic insight. God has placed such individuals in strategic junctures in time to challenge, rebuke, convict and point the way forward. This often happens when the affairs of men reach a point in the fulness of time known only to Him.

The coming of Jesus to the nation of Israel was an example. The calling of Peter to the House of Cornelius to open the door of salvation to the gentiles was another. The reformers were others who God raised up to begin the process of slowly restoring the cardinal truths that were stripped away by the Great Whore of Rome. This pattern continues to this day when the moment arrives when God desires His people to move further forward.

Today, we are facing a critical transition phase between what has been and what will be. It is unfolding rapidly as God leads His people out of the manmade chaos and confusion of denominational Babylon, New Age churchianity, and the dead patterns and traditions of the church man has built. Yes, He has tolerated His people’s works and understanding according to the measure of scriptural knowledge and understanding they possessed during their generation but He will not always do so. He is not winking at their ignorance any longer!

The principle of “proportional accountability” that Paul alludes to when speaking about Christian giving holds true in realms of service, stewardship and ministry. “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” – (II Cor. 8:12) In His longsuffering and patience, He has allowed men a period of time in which he must be responsible, in good conscious to the measure of biblical revelation they possess and not what they do not yet possess. During those seasons His people just weren’t equipped with the understanding needed to move forward so God only held them accountable for the measure of truth they had and not what they had not. But inevitably there comes a point in “Pilgrim’s Progress” to take the next step forward.

Yes, today is one of those pivotal moments in the spiritual evolution of His people. He is raising up men and women with a fresh message. It is not that God is adding some new, “extra-biblical” nonsense to the scriptures but shedding new light on our limited understanding of what has always been there. It is not about deeper truths or special revelations but about a return to our spiritual roots, biblical authenticity and simplicity in Christ.

We are no longer living in an 8th century or 15th century revelation of God. It is not just that culture, customs and times have changed so radically over the centuries but we now have the benefit of greater scriptural understanding, hindsight, experience and historical perspective. The old ways of churchianity and the traditions of men have ended. He is no longer putting up with the limited understanding and ignorance of men He has long tolerated the church that man has built, often with good intentions, but we have reached a point in God redemptive timetable when He is saying “enough!”

When Paul preached to the Athenians on Mars Hill gave a brief overview of God’s dealings with the gentiles up to that point in history. In his speech he said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” – (Acts 17:30 KJV) In the Greek¹ the expression “winked at” means He “overlooked, bore with, or tolerated” their “times of ignorance” - or age when they lacked sufficient “knowledge, perception and understanding.”

This is what has happened with the course of God’s people at crucial moments in the history. The time arrives when God no longer overlooks our ignorance and limited understanding - when He will no longer tolerate us remaining so. Times such as these are pivotal crossroads in time when God emphasizes a greater degree of biblical understanding, prophetic revelation and accountability among His people.

Rest assured, that which He benignly tolerated in the past is over. That which men did with the fragmented knowledge they had has come to an end. He is now speaking to His people clearly and the message of His “still small voice” is growing louder. “Come out of her My people!” “I will build My church!” “Come and follow Me!” “Let the dead bury the dead!”

Today He is holding His people accountable to what He is revealing today. We can no longer fall back on the limited awareness and understanding of days gone by. He’s not winking at it any longer!

1. “WINKED AT” = (Greek, Hupereidon): ”To overlook, bear with, tolerate, look the other way” and “IGNORANCE” – (Greek, Agnoia): “Lack of knowledge, perception and understanding”