There are two main types of time mentioned in the Bible: chronos and kairos. Chronos is how we think of time—as we measure it on clocks, seconds, minutes, hours, etc. It is measurable time. Kairos time is different. It teaches us something vital about God’s kingdom and trusting God’s timing.
Kairos is a favorable moment for a decision or action.
We see this word used outside the Bible in several ancient Greek sources. For example, it appears in The Suppliants, a classic Greek text by Euripides. As the Scholarly Community Encyclopedia, one scene features the character Adrastus explaining the ability to change and influence another person’s mind as “aiming their bow beyond the kairos.”
There are several instances of kairos in the Bible. The examples of kairos in the Bible are not too different from those outside the Bible—meaning it refers to the same concept. English translations usually use the phrase “right time.”
Deuteronomy 11:14 states, “I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.”
Similarly, Jeremiah 5:24 states, “The people of Judah never say to themselves, ‘Let’s fear and respect the Lord our God. He gives us autumn and spring rains at just the right time. He makes sure that we have the harvest at just the right time.’”
Kairos appears multiple times in Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 states that for everything, there is a right time, and all things on earth will happen at the right time. It details many examples, contrasting each activity with its opposite. For example, there is:
- a time to come alive and a time to pass away.
- a time for planting and a time to dig up plants
- a time to take down and a time to construct.
- a time to surrender and a time to prepare for battle.
- a time for embrace and a time to let go.
- a time for battles and a time for calm.
Ecclesiastes 8:6 states, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything. You must decide what you should do, even when it might cause problems.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “God gave us the ability to think about his world, but we can never completely understand everything he does. And yet, he does everything at just the right time.”
Mark 1:15 states, “He said, ‘The right time is now here. God’s kingdom is very near. Change your hearts and lives, and believe the Good News!’”
Galatians 4:4 states, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, who was born from a woman and lived under the law.”
Kairos’ meaning and the Bible teach us a thing or two about the kingdom of God. Jesus talks about how kairos relates to the kingdom of God.
“Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, ‘When will God’s kingdom come?’ Jesus answered, ‘God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you can see it. People will not say, “Look, God’s kingdom is here!” or “There it is!” No, God’s kingdom is here with you.’” (Luke 17:20-21)
The kingdom of God did not come in the way we would naturally expect. It came in kairos time. The kingdom of God came at the proper moment.
And yet, at the same time, it is not fully here. It is a now, not yet scenario. The kingdom of God appeared on earth at the proper moment, yet it is still on its way as we wait for its ultimate fulfillment. It will be fully completed in kairos time.
The kingdom of God does not work on our timing because God does not work on our timing.
Trusting God’s timing can be difficult. We are human, and we want to know everything. We want God to work on our timetables. But kairos’ meaning and the Bible teach that trusting in God’s timing is the right thing to do and doing it is actually for our benefit.
Several verses in the Bible recommend waiting for God’s help. Psalms 27:14 commands us to be strong, brave, and wait for God’s help. The Bible is commanding us to trust in God’s timing.
Similarly, Psalms 37:7 commands to trust in God and wait quietly for his help—another command to trust in God’s timing.
In Psalms 42:11, the author asks why he is so sad and upset. But then he tells himself to wait for help from God. Again, the message is clear: trust in God’s timing.
The Bible also gives examples of those who trusted God’s timing.
1. The author of Micah 7:7 states that he will look to God for help and wait for God to save him. Micah trusted in God’s timing, and so should we.
2. The author of Psalms 130:5–6 states that he is waiting for God to help him. His soul waits for God. The author trusts what God says. He writes that he waits for God like a guard waiting for the morning to come.
3. Lamentations 3:26 states that waiting quietly for God to save one is good.
The Bible also makes it clear that those who trust in God’s timing will be rewarded.
1. Lamentations 3:25 states that God is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who search for him. God is good to those who trust in his timing.
2. Hebrews 6:12 states that those with faith and patience will receive what God promised. Those who trust in God’s timing will get what God promised.
4. Isaiah 30:18 states that God is waiting to show his mercy to one. He wants to rise and comfort one. God does the right thing, so he will bless everyone who waits for his help. God will bless everyone who trusts in his timing.
5. Psalms 37:34 commands to wait for God’s help, and God will reward those who do so. If we trust in God’s timing, he will reward us. Since we will be rewarded if we trust in God’s timing, that gives us more reason to trust in his timing.
6. God’s ways are higher than ours. God is eternal (Psalms 102:26-27). He was, is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8). God always was and always will be (Psalms 90:2). To God, a thousand years is like a few hours (Psalms 90:4). He does not work on our timetables (2 Peter 3:8).
7. Isaiah 55:8–9 explains that God says his thoughts are different from ours. He says that our ways are not like his. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so his ways are higher than ours, and his thoughts are higher than ours. God’s ways, and therefore his timing, are infinitely higher than ours, so they are better and trustworthy.
8. God does everything at just the right time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Because he does everything at the right time, because he is all-knowing and all-powerful, we can rest in his perfect timing.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Aree Thaisagul
Jared Salomon is a writer and editor, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing from Taylor University. He is an associate product developer for Childress Ink. He writes Christian fiction, realistic fiction, and fantasy. In his free time, Jared enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing sports (especially tennis).
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