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Go! And… Discern The Times — What Is The Issachar Anointing? - 1 Chronicles 12:32 Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Aug 11, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: There are moments in history when God’s people cannot afford to be spiritually asleep. Moments when we must wake up, watch, and wisely walk. In David’s day, the men of Issachar were like this. They understood the signs of the times and knew what Israel should do.
Go! And… Discern the Times — What is the Issachar Anointing? - 1 Chronicles 12:32
1 Chronicles 12:32 (NLT): “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.”
INTRODUCTION — A TIME TO UNDERSTAND
Church, there are moments in history when God’s people cannot afford to be spiritually asleep.
Moments when we must wake up, watch, and wisely walk.
In David’s day, the men of Issachar were like this.
They understood the signs of the times and knew what Israel should do.
That’s what some today call the “Issachar Anointing” — a term not found in Scripture, but drawn from this description.
Some modern preachers use it to describe a prophetic sensitivity, the ability to read current events in light of God’s purposes.
But if we’re going to talk about it biblically, we must ask:
What did this mean in its original context?
How does it point us to Jesus Christ?
How should we live this out today?
1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT — THE MEN OF ISSACHAR IN SCRIPTURE
The setting of 1 Chronicles 12 is the time when David was still a fugitive from King Saul.
Various tribes of Israel were deciding whether to support David as the God-anointed king.
The Tribe of Issachar was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Issachar, the ninth son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 30:17–18). By David’s time, they were known for agricultural skill and hard work (Genesis 49:14–15).
Here in 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read that 200 leaders of Issachar were wise and discerning.
The Hebrew phrase for “understood the signs of the times” is: (binah ba’ittim) — “discernment/understanding in the appointed times/seasons.”
This is not about mystical fortune-telling; it is about wise, God-given discernment of the season they were living in.
They recognised that God’s hand was on David, and they acted accordingly.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT): “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
Proverbs 28:2 (NLT): “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”
John Piper: “Wisdom is not the ability to predict the future, but the ability to use the knowledge you have to live in a way that glorifies God.”
In other words, the Issachar men didn’t have a crystal ball — they had a clear sense of God’s direction.
2. THE MODERN USE OF THE TERM — “ISSACHAR ANOINTING”
In modern charismatic circles, people sometimes talk about the “Issachar Anointing” to describe a special ability to:
Hear prophetically from God about the times.
Interpret current events through a spiritual lens.
Lead others in strategic response.
Now, some of that language is fine if it stays anchored in Scripture.
But here’s the danger — it can drift into subjective impressions, detached from God’s Word.
True biblical discernment is never divorced from the truth of Scripture.
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) reminds us: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
If someone claims to have an Issachar Anointing but their counsel contradicts God’s Word — they’re not walking in the Spirit, they’re walking in the flesh.
R.T. Kendall: “The Bible is the final authority for all Christian faith and practice; any ‘word from the Lord’ that contradicts Scripture is not from the Lord.”
3. THE TRUE BIBLICAL CALL — DISCERNING THE TIMES THROUGH JESUS
Jesus Himself rebuked the Pharisees for failing to discern the times.
Matthew 16:2–3 (NLT): “You know how to read the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!”
The ultimate “sign of the times” they missed was Jesus standing right in front of them — the promised Messiah!
Church, discernment is not just about knowing political trends or cultural shifts — it’s about recognising Jesus and following Him.
Greek word study: The NT word for “discern” is d???µ??? (dokimazo) — to examine, prove, or test so that you can approve what is excellent (Romans 12:2).
When we discern the times biblically, we’re not guessing the news cycle — we’re asking:
How should I live today in light of Christ’s Lordship?
How should I respond to the moral and spiritual climate with faith and obedience?
Charles Stanley: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
That’s Issachar wisdom — obedience, not just observation.
4. PRACTICAL APPLICATION — HOW TO WALK IN ISSACHAR-LIKE DISCERNMENT
a) Saturate Your Mind with Scripture
Psalm 119:105 (NLT): “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
The men of Issachar didn’t have social media feeds, but they had the Torah. Their worldview was shaped by God’s Word, not by public opinion. If you want to walk in godly discernment, you cannot feed more on headlines than you do on Scripture.
