Topical Bible: Time: Particular Periods of, Mentioned: The Time of Visitation

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of "The Time of Visitation" in the Bible refers to specific periods when God intervenes in human history, either to bring judgment or to offer grace and deliverance. This term is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, illustrating moments when God makes His presence known in a profound and often transformative way.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the "time of visitation" often signifies a period when God visits His people to execute judgment or to fulfill His promises. For instance, in Isaiah 10:3, the prophet warns of a coming time of visitation: "What will you do on the day of reckoning, when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?" . Here, the visitation is associated with divine judgment against those who have turned away from God's commandments.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 8:12, the prophet speaks of a time when God will visit the iniquities of His people: "Were they ashamed of the abomination they committed? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD" . This visitation is a time of reckoning for the sins of the nation.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the concept of visitation takes on a more redemptive tone, particularly in the context of the coming of Jesus Christ. In Luke 19:44, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, "They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God" . Here, the visitation refers to the coming of Christ, the Messiah, and the missed opportunity for the people to embrace Him and His message of salvation.

The apostle Peter also speaks of a time of visitation in 1 Peter 2:12, urging believers to live exemplary lives among the Gentiles: "Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" . This suggests a future visitation where God will reveal His glory, and the righteous conduct of believers will serve as a testimony to His grace.

Theological Implications

The "time of visitation" underscores the dual aspects of God's nature: His justice and His mercy. It serves as a reminder that God is actively involved in the world, holding individuals and nations accountable for their actions while also offering redemption and hope through His interventions. This concept calls believers to be vigilant, recognizing the signs of God's presence and responding appropriately to His call.

Throughout Scripture, the time of visitation is a pivotal moment that demands a response, whether it be repentance, faith, or obedience. It is a testament to God's sovereign control over history and His desire to engage with His creation in meaningful ways.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 46:21
Also her hired men are in the middle of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come on them, and the time of their visitation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 50:27
Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe to them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Daniel
... interest is concentrated upon one particular person, who must, in ... it to be a product
of the time of Antiochus ... in the Authorized Version) into three periods, viz ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/daniel.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... individualized by the mention of particular wild beasts ... their destruction, since,
at the time of their ... hostile invasions extending over longer periods, which he ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

The Hebrew Prophecies.
... a succession of deliverances, extending through long periods of time ... of the time,
and part of the time he was ... to make the holding of any particular theory of ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter v the hebrew prophecies.htm

The Fifth Theological Oration.
... both in common, partly against these latter in particular. ... in these there is no
distinction in time, nor are ... in three different forms and periods of revelation ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/the fifth theological oration.htm

Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was Called...
... And to this particular the experience of facts, nay, before ... and hard pressed, and
having but little time to take ... 340, and so again at several periods afterwards ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii spoken in antioch.htm

Prolegomena.
... the successive years of each of such periods being called ... apostolic See, and viewed
at that time generally as ... this display of it in particular, and expressing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/prolegomena.htm

St. Gregory the Great.
... sentence of us both, the above-mentioned Honoratus was ... In process of time this sort
of political order ... which Augustus had received in successive periods of ten ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter v st gregory the.htm

On the Soul and the Resurrection.
... for it to be clasped all round at one and the same time by the rays, and necessarily,
on whatever side the sun's rays may fall on some particular point of the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the soul and the 2.htm

On the Interpretation of Scripture
... followed on all occasions and to last for all time? ... to the history or circumstances
of particular nations ... of the principles, rules, or truths mentioned, as for ...
/.../on the interpretation of scripture.htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... as was the apostle Matthew, whom we mentioned before, is ... you, to speak thus well
of himself at this time? ... was not grounded upon any particular natural privilege ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm