Understanding the Signs of the Times: What David’s Empty Seat and Jesus’ Words Still Teach Us Today
1 Samuel 20:18-42 Matthew 24:29-36.
There are moments in scripture that feel bigger than the story itself. An empty seat at a dinner table. A fig tree beginning to bloom. A father raging at his son because deep down he knows his kingdom is slipping away.
When we slow down and really pay attention, both 1 Samuel and Matthew reveal something powerful: God is always moving, even when people fail to recognize the season they are in.
David’s story and Jesus’ teaching about the end times may seem unrelated at first, but together they paint a clear picture about divine authority, spiritual awareness, and the importance of recognizing what God is doing before everyone else sees it.
David’s Empty Seat Was Saying More Than Anyone Realized
In 1 Samuel, David is noticeably absent from Saul’s table during the new moon festival. On the surface, it seems like a simple absence. Jonathan tells Saul that David asked permission to attend a family sacrifice in Bethlehem.
But Saul immediately knows something deeper is happening.
Why? Because David’s seat represented more than a place at dinner—it represented a throne.
Saul understood what many others were still missing: God had already chosen David. Even though David had not yet stepped fully into kingship, heaven had already made the decision. Saul could sense that his reign was coming to an end, and instead of humbling himself before God’s plan, he resisted it.
That resistance exposed the real battle taking place—not David versus Saul, but human authority versus divine appointment.
Saul wanted to hold onto what God was removing. David, meanwhile, was learning how to wait faithfully for what God had promised.
That tension still exists today. Sometimes we struggle because we are trying to preserve things God is transitioning us out of. Other times, we are discouraged because we have been called to something we have not fully stepped into yet.
David’s empty seat reminds us that God’s promises are often established long before they are visible.
Saul’s Reaction Reveals the Danger of Pride
One of the saddest moments in the story is Saul’s response to Jonathan defending David. Saul becomes furious, irrational, and even violent.
Why such a strong reaction?
Because pride has a hard time surrendering control.
Saul knew David was God’s choice, but instead of aligning himself with God’s will, he fought against it. The more he resisted, the more unstable he became.
There’s an important lesson here: resisting God’s direction will always create frustration, fear, and conflict. Peace comes when we trust that God’s plans are better than our own—even when they challenge our comfort or position.
Jonathan, on the other hand, recognized what Saul could not. He understood that God’s hand was on David, and he chose loyalty to truth over loyalty to pride.
That kind of discernment matters in every generation.
Jesus Told Us to Pay Attention to the Season
In Matthew 24, Jesus shifts the conversation toward the future and begins speaking about the signs surrounding His return.
He describes wars, deception, tribulation, and even cosmic signs in the heavens. The sun darkening and stars falling are not casual statements—they are reminders that creation itself will respond to the return of Christ.
But one of the clearest illustrations Jesus gives is surprisingly simple: the fig tree.
When a fig tree begins to bud, you know summer is near. In the same way, Jesus says believers should recognize spiritual signs and understand the season they are living in.
Notice what Jesus did not say. He did not tell us to obsess over exact dates or predictions. Instead, He called us to awareness.
He wants His people awake, discerning, and spiritually grounded.
Just like Saul failed to recognize what God was doing with David, many people miss what God is doing because they are spiritually distracted or too attached to their own expectations.
Staying Spiritually Awake Matters More Than Ever
Jesus makes it clear that no one knows the exact day or hour of His return. That uncertainty is intentional. It keeps us dependent, watchful, and anchored in Him daily.
The danger is complacency.
It becomes easy to drift spiritually when life feels normal. Distractions, opinions, fear, and endless noise can slowly pull us away from truth if we are not rooted in scripture.
That’s why discernment is so important in this season.
Not every voice speaking confidently is speaking truth. Not every interpretation online is rooted in God’s Word. Jesus warned repeatedly about deception because He knew people would be tempted to follow fear, confusion, and sensationalism instead of remaining anchored in Him.
Spiritual vigilance does not mean living in panic. It means living prepared.
It means staying close to God, staying grounded in scripture, and remaining sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
What These Passages Teach Us Today
David’s empty seat and Jesus’ warning about the fig tree both point to the same truth: God gives signs, seasons, and invitations for those willing to pay attention.
Sometimes the signs are obvious. Sometimes they are subtle.
But throughout scripture, God consistently calls His people to discernment.
We are reminded that:
- God’s authority will always outlast human systems and human pride.
- Spiritual seasons can be recognized by those who stay close to God.
- Readiness for Christ’s return is not about fear—it is about faithful living.
- Discernment comes from knowing scripture and walking daily with the Lord.
As believers, we are not called to speculate endlessly about the future. We are called to remain faithful in the present.
And maybe that is the real lesson behind both passages: God is always moving His plan forward, whether people recognize it or not.
The question is whether we will have the discernment to recognize the season we are living in—and the humility to respond when He speaks.