Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

The Rapture of the Church at Christ’s Coming!!

April 18, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #361 ~

All that has happened in all of history is leading up to the end of this age and the kingdom of God. And God has it all planned out, from eternity past to the creation of this world to Christ coming as Savior to the present and to His return as Redeemer, Judge, and King. Be assured that this evil age (one starting with the sin of Adam and Eve), this evil world, and the devil’s rule are soon coming to an end (Rev. 11:15). What a blessing this will be for believers! Rev. 7:9-17

We have been going through Matt. 24, the most important eschatological chapter in the New Testament. We have talked about birth pains impacting people around the world, great tribulation affecting Christians, and the Antichrist desolating the temple and persecuting the elect. There’s also lawlessness, deception, betrayal, martyrdom, gospel-preaching, and the need for believers to know this in advance. Understanding these things gives us the wisdom, peace, and hope that we need to live for Him in these end-times. God does not want any of His children, any of the chosen, to be caught off guard. He wants us to be holy, to be ready, and to be working, watching, and waiting for Him. Rom. 13:11-14, 1 Th. 5:1-11

Let’s continue in Matt. 24, specifically examining the rapture of the church at Christ’s coming. But first:
Matthew 24:28 – “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” In this verse, corpse refers to man’s moral corruption, and vultures refer to God’s wrath. Alan Kurschner explains it this way: “It is a pivotal structural verse in that it distinguishes two epochs of human history, conveying the principle that where moral corruption exists, divine judgment is required. When the world’s depravity has reached full to the brim, God eschatological judgment will begin.” (“Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord”, page 69). The judgment of the world begins just after the end of this age and the rapture of the church, which we read about in vss. 29-31.

Matthew 24:29 – “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened… and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This tribulation, this great, global persecution of the elect, of both Christians and Jews, is described in vss. 9, 21-22. And it will be cut short, it will not last the entire 2nd half of Dan. 70th week. It will be shortened for the sake of the elect – otherwise, “no life would be saved.” Only God knows when this will happen.

After this tribulation is cut short, the celestial lights go out and the earth goes dark. And there’s a “great earthquake”, and “every mountain and island” is moved out of its place (Rev. 6:12-14). For unrepentat sinners, this will be one of the scariest, most traumatic times on earth. Lk. 21:25-26 says, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world.” Rev. 6:15-16 also expresses the unbelievers’ shock and fear, for they know God Himself is doing it, and that they cannot escape.

Both the prophets and the apostles knew that Is. 2:10-22, Amos. 5:18-22, Zeph. 1:14-18, Matt. 24:29, Lk. 21:9-11a, and Rev. 6:12-14 was describing the warning signs occurring before the day of the Lord, God’s judgment of the world at the end of this age. Then there’s Joel 2:20-31 – “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth… the sun will be turned into darkness… before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” In fact, Peter quoted from Joel when he preached his 1st gospel message. Acts 2:19-20

Matt. 24:29 is Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question about the sign that would happen before the end of this age. And these are visible, can’t miss signs to all people on earth at that time, Jews and Gentiles, saved and lost. Christians should be thrilled, should be jumping for joy when they see, and feel (Rev. 6:12) them, for it means that Jesus is “right at the door” (vss. 30-34), and that He will immediately take them to heaven, where they will be with Him forever!

Matthew 24:30 – “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” A beautiful bright light suddenly breaks through the darkness that’s covering the earth, and it’s the Shekinah glory of Christ, and it’s visible to everyone. Vs. 30, along with vs. 27, is the sign of Christ’s coming, the answer to the question the disciples asked Jesus in vs. 3. This sign of Christ’s coming (vs. 30) is after the sign of the end of the age (vs. 29), and that’s because this magnificent and glorious light immediately follows and dispels the darkness.

Unbelievers on earth are mourning and, as stated in the Greek, “beating the breast in anguish.” They know the brilliant light overpowering the darkness is evidence that the Judge is coming to pour out His wrath on them. Then they see Christ! Can you imagine how they must feel? It has to be the most heart-sinking, fear-gripping, body-shaking event of their lives (Lk. 21:26). These unrepentant sinners know they will be judged, that they are guilty and deserve to be punished.

As for the believers, relief is flooding their minds, for Christ has returned to deliver them from an evil world, the Antichrist, and great persecution. And they are overcome with joy and gladness, for what they had been praying for, waiting for, and looking for, is finally happening. Their Lord is coming any moment, for He wants to gather His beloved family, and be with them forever!

Then these believers suddenly see Christ! Can you imagine how they feel? For the first time, they see their Savior, Redeemer, and King in all His power and glory. Joy and gladness fill their hearts and praise and thanks fill their mouths. (Job 19:25-27). “I saw One like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe… His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire… His voice was like the sound of many waters… out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” Rev. 1:14-16

Matthew 24:31 – “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another.” This is the climax to the events we have been talking about in vss. 3-30. God sends forth His angels to carry out this special assignment of gathering the elect. Then there’s the sound of the trumpet, confirmed by 1 Th. 4:16 – “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.” Christ’s 2nd coming, unlike His 1st coming, is not private and quiet but public and loud. God is powerfully and unmistakably proclaiming Christ’s coming, alerting everyone in the whole world that His Son has returned to earth.

The culmination of all these events (Matt. 24:3-31) is the gathering of all believers from all time, those who died and are in heaven, and those left on earth, those who survive great tribulation (Mk. 13:27). We are talking about the resurrection and rapture of believers. 1 Th. 4:17 tells us, “We who are alive and remain (those on earth)will be caught up together with them (those in heaven)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” The words “caught up” are are also translaed as raptured which is from the Latin “rapere”.

The resurrected and raptured believers are glorified! This is you and I and all believers. “I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52). Not all believers will physically die before Christ’s coming, but we will all be changed, we will all be glorified, we will all be imperishable, we will all become like Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 3:2)! And it’s at the sound of the trumpet (Matt. 24:31 that we are glorified (1 Th. 4:16) – and it happens in a split second, “in the twinkling of an eye.”

Here are several more essential truths about Christ’s coming and the rapture:
1. There are many other Christ coming / rapture passages: Mark 13:27, Lk. 21:28, Jn. 13:1-3, 1 Cor. 15:50-57, 2 Th. 2:1, Rev. 7:9-14. And it’s implied in Matt. 24:13, 40, 42.
2. At Christ’s coming, we are relieved from tribulation (2 Th. 1:9), rescued from wrath (1 Th. 1:10), redeemed from the earth (Lk. 21:28), resurrected into glory (1 Cor. 15:35-44), resting from our labors (Rev. 14:13), reunited with believers (1 Th. 4:14), rewarded by Christ (Rev. 22:12), rejoicing in Christ (1 Th. 5:16), and we will reign with Christ (Rev. 5:20) and forever remain with Him. 1 Th. 4:18

3. The rapture does not take place at a different time than Christ’s coming, but is the initial event, the first thing to occur at His coming. Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Th. 4:15, 17; 2 Th. 2:1
4. For Christians living on earth, seeing Christ in the clouds and instantly being with Him will be the most dramatic, awesome, incredible event to ever happen! Being saved from your sins is great and glorious, but to suddenly see Him and be fully saved, to be immortal, to have a perfect mind, soul, and body, and to be with Christ and your believing friends and loved ones, will be the most amazing and spectacular event to ever occur in your life up until that time!

I am telling you the truth, and it’s what you must know and tell others, that Christ is coming soon to rapture and resurrect all believers, and to bring you to Himself, to Him who loves you far more, infinitely more than anyone else. Be encouraged, be excited, and be looking forward to what God has planned out for you! “Behold, I am coming soon… Behold, I am coming soon… Behold, I am coming soon. ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’” Rev. 22:7, 12, 21

P.S. What an important subject – the rapture of the church at the coming of Christ!!! That’s why I have written so much about it. Here are several other posts on this topic: #5, #6, #13, #53, #64, #65, #76, #86, #103, #118, #121, #153, #155, #156, #190, #316.

Great Distress and Deception Before Christ’s Coming

April 11, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #360 ~

Daniel’s 70 weeks, a key prophetic time clock, was stopped at the end of the 69th week, at the point of Jesus’ death. It’s about 2,000 years later, and it will start up again, and soon. This 70th week, a prophecy-packed seven years is, in my opinion, the most significant seven years in all of history. In Matt. 24, the most crucial prophecy chapter in the New Testament, Jesus draws our attention to this critical last week, the 70th week. Dan. 9:24-27

At the beginning of the 70th week, the coming Antichrist confirms a treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27). During the first 3½ years of this week, “birth pains” are occurring in various parts of the world – deception, wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues, and hyperinflation (Matt. 24:4-8). These “birth pains” are God’s way of waking us up, of alerting us to the fact that Christ is coming soon to rescue believers, punish unbelievers, and set up His earthly kingdom. It’s also during this first half of the 70th week that practicing Jews will be offering sacrifices in their newly built temple.

Jesus then tells you about great tribulation, this persecution that Christians will experience after these birth pains. “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name” (Matt. 24:9). And Jesus instructs us to persevere, and to preach the gospel to all the nations until the end of this age. (Matt. 24:9-14). Then He warns us, “Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation that was spoken of through the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…” (Matt. 24:15). Jesus uses the word “therefore” to connect what He says in vss. 15-20 with regard to the Jews to what He says in vss. 9-14 with regard to the Christians.

This “Desolation”, occurring at the midpoint of Dan. 70th week (Dan. 9:27), is when that devilish Antichrist desecrates the temple of God by turning it into a temple of Satan. Jesus concludes vs. 15 with “Let the reader understand.” He says this because it’s extremely relevant for Christians, for this is when they and discerning Jews know for certain that this brazen idolater is the Antichrist, the evilest man to ever live on earth, and that He will be coming after them to kill them.

“Then those who are in Judea must flee for their lives” (Matt. 24:16-20). When this “Desolation” happens, Jesus tells the Jews to run for their lives, and to not go back home, for that would mean certain death at the hands of the devil. This God-ordained persecution is described in Rev. 12:12-13 – “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time… he persecuted the woman (the Jews).”

Matt. 24:21-22, some very sobering verses, sum up what will be happening to Jews and Christians. “Then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Christians must know that these verses are for them! The great persecution that begins in Jerusalem for the Jews intensifies and spreads to Christians all over the world. We read about this in Matt. 24:9, but here it is repeated and amplified, and then validated by Rev. 12:17 – “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children (Christians),who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”  

Sad to say, there’s confusion among Christians as to whether this tribulation affects them or not. So I must share several points to help you understand this devilishly dark and troubling time:
* Tribulation is from the Greek word “thlipsis”, and is translated as distress, pressure, tribulation, affliction, and persecution. And wrath is from the Greek word “orge”. So wrath and tribulation are different in the Greek and do not have the same meaning.
* The Bible never says that tribulation or great tribulation is God’s wrath, but that it’s Satan’s wrath. “The devil has come down to you, having great wrath.” Rev. 12:12
* Great persecution (Rev. 6:9-11) occurs before God’s wrath (Rev. 6:16). Rev. 7:14 agrees with this, for it too speaks of great tribulation happening before God’s wrath (Rev. 8-9).

* The Bible never says the entire 7 years of Dan. 70th week is tribulation or great tribulation.
* Christians on earth at the midpoint of Dan. 70th will experience great tribulation brought on by Satan, but will be rescued from God’s wrath, the day of the Lord, when Christ returns to rapture the church. 1 Th. 1:10, 5:9, 4:17; Rev. 6:9-17, 7:9-14
* This great tribulation is not to be confused with birth pains. That’s because birth pains affect both believers and unbelievers, but tribulation affects only the elect. Also, Matt. 24:9 tells us that tribulation begins after the birth pains, and this is substantiated by Rev. 6:1-11.

* Great tribulation begins at the midpoint of Dan. 70th week (Dan. 9:27), but it’s cut short (Matt. 24:22). It’s not that the 70th week is cut short, but that great tribulation is cut short.
* The Bible never says the rapture occurs at the beginning of Dan. 70th week, before this so-called seven years of tribulation / great tribulation, but at some God-only-knows time during the 2nd half of it.
* The rapture occurs after this tribulation is cut short and this age comes to an end, but before God pours out His wrath on earth. Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Th. 1:10, 5:9; Rev. 6:9-17, 7:9-14

* Great tribulation is the greatest persecution of Christians in all of history. Matt. 24:21
* Great tribulation affects the elect, those who are saved and those who will be saved, both Jew and Gentile. Matt 24:22, 24
* This end-times’ tribulation is also described in 2 Th. 1:5-6 and Rev. 6:9-11, 7:14, 13:7 – “It was also given to him (the beast, the Antichrist) to make war with the saints and to overcome them.”

* In the New Testament, tribulation speaks primarily of how it impacts Christians: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).“Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).“Who will separate us from the love of God? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). “Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). “We sent Timothy… so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this” (1 Th. 3:3). “We ourselves speak proudly of you… for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions” (2 Th. 1:4).“Do not fear what you are about to suffer… you will be tested and have tribulation for ten days” (Rev. 2:10).“These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14

Matt 24:23-24 – “… False Christs and false prophets will rise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Many God-fearing Jews, ones who are most likely expecting the Messiah to come and reign as King, are trying to escape from that evil, devil-possessed man, for he is chasing after them and trying to kill them. “When the dragon (Satan) saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (the Jews) who gave birth to the male child (Jesus).” Rev. 12:13

But God has good plans for these Jews, these elect, for He wants to physically save them from Satan so He can spiritually save them from sin, which won’t happen until the end of the 70th week. In the meantime, God protects them from their #1 enemy, that wicked devil of a man. “The two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman (the Jews), so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time” (Rev. 12:14). A large remnant of Jews miraculously escapes, and it maybe by airplanes. The phrase that speaks of time, times, and half a time, refers to 3½ years, the last half of Dan. 70th week, that time when the Jews are pursued by the devil but protected by God. Rev. 12:6

“The dragon was enraged with the woman…” (Rev. 12:17a). Satan is really mad, is furious that these Jews have escaped, but he doesn’t give up. He knows they are hiding but he doesn’t know where. Satan and the Antichrist have the same mindset for they greatly hate both Jews and Christians, and are going after them so as to kill them. And they use deception, employing false Christs and false prophets to lure the elect from their hiding places. They “will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matt. 24:24, 2 Thess. 2:8-12

The devil’s goal is to make people believe that Jesus is on earth, out in the wilderness or in some house, and doing miracles. “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven in the presence of men and he deceives those who dwell on earth” (Rev. 13:13-14). Billions of people will be misled, be deceived, be worshiping the Antichrist and taking his mark (Rev. 13:15-17), but not the saved or those who will be saved. As for that protected and special group of Jews, they will be safe and secure until the day of salvation at the end of the 70th week. Then they will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Matt. 23:39

“Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matt. 24:25). God did not tell us everything He knows about the end-times, but everything we need to know. Yes, there is a lot of information to learn, for there’s the Old Testament (Is., Dan., Zech., the Psalms, etc.), and the New Testament (Matt., Luke, Rom., Eph. 1, 1-2 Thess., 1 Pet. 1, Rev., etc.). In these end-times, in this calm before the storm, we should be excited to learn all this important information about Christ’s coming and kingdom. Matt. 24:25, 35, 45, and 2 Tim. 4:1-2, more than any other verses, motivate me to study and teach God’s prophetic word. “Who is the faithful and wise slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” Matt. 24:45

Matt. 24:27,“just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be”, is the climactic conclusion to this prophetic passage, Matt. 24:15-26. Deceivers are saying that Jesus is on earth, but this verse makes it clear that He is coming in the air. To illustrate His coming, Jesus talks about it as if it looks like a magnificent bolt of lightning. As we know, lightning is sudden, directional, brilliant, bright, powerful, visible, and breath-taking. So too it will be with Christ’s coming. And verse 27, the sign of His coming, complements verse 30. “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky… and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” Rev. 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

P.S. Here is a link to the most read post or article on this blog site, “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.” I encourage you to read it so you can understand more clearly what God has planned out for His people in the last years of the end-times.

The Antichrist Before the Coming of Christ

April 4, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #359 ~

The coming of the Antichrist is before the coming of Jesus Christ. Now God’s word has much to say about the Antichrist, the most devilish man to ever live on earth. This wicked man hates all people, especially Christians and Jews. And he is called the Antichrist (1 Jn. 2:14) because he is against Christ and wants to take His place, to be in charge. He is also called the little horn (Dan. 7:13), a king (Dan. 8:23), the prince (Dan. 9:26), the Assyrian (Mic. 5:5), the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction (2 Th. 2:4), and the beast (Rev. 13:3-4).

God’s word has much more to say about Christ, and His coming. And Matt. 24 contains critical information about what happens before His coming – and you need to know these things. There are “birth pains” affecting people in various parts of the world – deception, earthquakes, wars, famines, plagues, and hyperinflation (vss. 4-8). This describes the present condition of our world, this end-times’ stage that leads to the end of this age and Christ’s coming. These “birth pains” are to wake us up, to alert us to the fact that Christ will be coming soon. Then there is great tribulation, the world-wide hate, persecution, and martyrdom of Jews and Christians. Vss. 9-14

Today we are looking at Matt. 24:15-22, which focuses on the Jews. This is one of five side-by-side passages of Jews and Christians (Lk. 21:12-24, 2 Th. 2:1-10, Rev. 7:4-17, Rev. 12:13 – Rev. 13), evidence that God’s end-times’ work with the Jews coincides and is in conjunction with His end-times’ work with the church. And what happens to the Jews, as described in vss. 15-22, leads to, precipitates the great, global persecution of Christians that is described in vss. 9-14.

Matt. 24:15 – “Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…” Jesus is referring to Daniel’s prophecy in Dan. 9:24-27, and the prince, the person in vss. 26-27, is the Antichrist. It’s at the beginning of what we call Dan. 70th week that this prince confirms a 7-year treaty with the Jews. Then there’s the “Abomination of Desolation” and it occurs at the midpoint, at the 3½ year mark of this significant, prophecy-packed 70th week. That the Antichrist desolates the temple means that he has broken the treaty with the Jews, and that is very bad news for the Jews.

At this point in time, there is no temple in Jerusalem, and that it will be desolated tells us that a new one will be built in the near future, another sign that Christ is coming soon. I believe the holy place is referring to the most sacred part of the temple, the place of God’s presence. Now an “abomination” is an object of disgust, of abhorrence and, Biblically, it means ungodly, idolatrous. And this “Abomination” causes “Desolation”, the devastation, the desecration, the defilement of this holy place.

2 Thess. 2:3-4, speaking of the same event, says it this way, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” So the Antichrist is revealed and discerning Jews and Christians realize that this proud, godless person in the Jewish temple is this great enemy of God who had been prophesied by the prophets. They see that the Antichrist is strongly opposed to God, so much so that he openly defies God, and exalts himself above God, acting and speaking like he is God. “He opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle.” Rev. 13:6

2 Thess. 2:1-4 also tells us that the Antichrist must be revealed and must desolate the temple before Christ’s coming and the day of the Lord. That is, the coming and revealing of the Antichrist must occur before the coming and revealing of Christ. The phrase, “With regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him” (vs. 1), states that the rapture of the church occurs at Christ’s coming. Since the Antichrist is revealed before His coming, then he desolates the temple and is persecuting Jews and Christians before the rapture. Many Christians don’t want to hear this, but it’s true. And Paul emphasizes this truth by saying, “let no one in any way deceive you.”

Here are two more points from Matt. 24:15. We are informed that we will see the “Abomination of Desolation.” This doesn’t mean we will be in Jerusalem and be watching it happen but because of our present technology, we will see it on our TV’s, the internet, or our phones. And God wants us to see it for He wants to warn us that the Antichrist is alive and about to begin ruling this world, and about to begin persecuting and killing Jews, and then Christians.

Then there’s the phrase, “Let the reader understand.” The conclusion to vs. 15 exhorts us to not just read it but to understand it. Throughout history Christians have read this verse, but now that we are in the end-times, it’s imperative to understand the present-day relevance of these words. And it’s not just saying the Antichrist is alive but that he has been revealed for who he really is, and that he will be going on the warpath, he will be persecuting and murdering the elect (vss. 21-22). Do you see that God is alerting His people to the fact that life on earth will soon be extremely difficult? (Rev. 12:13, 13:3-10). The good news is that this tribulation won’t last long before Christ returns to rapture the church, which will happen within three years after the Antichrist is revealed.

Matt. 24:16-21 – “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains…” What happens after the devil possesses this wicked man, this Antichrist? This devil, this God-hater, uses this evil man to do his devilish work. This godless Antichrist also hates God and His people, both Jews and Christians. Full of rage and wrath, he sends his armies after some of the Jews, those who are god-fearing and expecting the Messiah to come. But they are not yet true believers, ones who recognize that Jesus is the Messiah, and who repent of their sins and believe in Him.

Now most Jews are ungodly and deceived and stay in Israel, for they don’t realize that this sharply dressed, smooth talking, “super” man is the Antichrist. But he is a fake, the most evil man to ever live on earth. These Jews may even think he is the Messiah, but he can’t be, for he is a Gentile and not a true Jew, not a descendant of Abraham. And his desire is to usurp the throne of the rightful King, and be worshiped by the world. Matt. 4:8-9, Rev. 13:4-5

So God instructs the Jews to run for their lives, and to not go back home, for that would mean certain death at the hands of the enemy. Rev. 12:12-13 describes this time of terror: “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. And when the devil saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (the Jews)who gave birth to the male child (Jesus).”

God tells us that the flight of the Jews will be extremely difficult, especially for women and children, and some will die. But a good-sized remnant will escape and be protected from this great tribulation, a persecution “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will” (Matt. 24:21, Zech. 13:7-9). And those who escape, those whom God physically saves from the Antichrist will be spiritually saved at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27

I must say it again – this persecution of Jews leads to the persecution of Christians. The great tribulation we learn about in Matt. 24:21-22 is followed by the great tribulation of Christians that we read about in Matt. 24:9. Rev. 12:17 tells us the exact same thing – “The dragon was enraged with the woman (the Jews), and went to make war with the rest of her children (the Christians),who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

In summary, the coming of the Antichrist (vs. 15) and great tribulation (vss. 9, 21-22) take place before the coming of Christ (vss. 27: 30-31). Now Matt. 24:22 tells us that this great tribulation caused by the Antichrist is cut short, and Matt. 24:29-31 then states that Christ comes after this tribulation is cut short, at which time He raptures the church. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened… the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky… they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds… and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Amen! Amen! Amen!

P.S. This Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the victory of God over sin, death, and hell. And it is the resurrection power of God that results in our justification, sanctification, and glorification. Here are three posts on this most important subject: “Christ’s Resurrection Means the Best is Yet to Come”, “The Answer to Death is Christ’s Resurrection”, and “The Life-and-Death-Changing Results of the Resurrection.”

Great Tribulation Before the Coming of Christ

March 28, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #358 ~

Most of you have seen a movie about an existential threat that could result in the annihilation of this planet – a nuclear war, a massive meteor, an invasion from aliens. This may be interesting and entertaining to watch, but it’s fiction. But God speaks the truth, and He has told you all you need to know about what will happen on this earth in the years leading up to Christ’s return and immediately after, and it’s catastrophic and apocalyptic, and all part of God’s pre-determined and perfect plan. And Matt. 24 gives you more vital information about the end-times and Christ’s coming than any other chapter in the Bible.

The disciples ask Jesus for signs about the end of this age and His coming (Matt. 24:3), and He answers them in Matt. 24:29-30. But Jesus shares many other things that need to take place before that happens. In the last post we learned there will be deception, wars, earthquakes, and famines – and that all “these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Matt. 24:4-8

Then there’s vss. 9-14, an extremely weighty passage describing what Christians will experience in the last few years before Christ’s return to rapture the church. Let me summarize what it says: so-called Christians are falling away from the faith, and there’s more deception, and lawlessness like never before, and true Christians are being betrayed, persecuted, and martyred on a global scale. The Christians are to preach the gospel until the end of the age, and those who persevere, who survive, are saved, are raptured into heaven to be with Christ. Let’s now look carefully at this extremely important end-times’ passage.

Matt. 24:9 – “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” I cannot think of a more sobering, more challenging, more intense verse in all of Scripture. The word “Then” tells us that what is written in vss. 9-14 comes after the birth pains (vss. 4-8). The specific timing of these vss. is clarified by the next section (vss. 15-22), which is about the Antichrist desolating the temple at the midpoint (3½ yrs.) of Dan. 70th week. Shortly after this unholy desecration, the devil, working through the Antichrist, goes after the Jews and greatly persecutes them, and this is great tribulation (vss. 21-22). As explained in Rev. 12:13-17, this is followed by the persecution of Christians. Since believers are being martyred and since it’s on a global scale, then we must conclude that vs. 9 is also speaking of great tribulation.

The enemy’s motivation to murder is fueled by the hate they have for God. Jesus told us, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you… all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake” (Jn. 15:18, 21). It’s obvious that increasing numbers of sinners aren’t holding back in their disgust, their disdain for believers, and it’s leading not just to hate speech, but to physical violence. We can see that this hate for Christians is getting worse and worse in this world, and will eventually lead to believers being killed all over all this earth (Rev. 6:9-11, 12:17, 13:4-8). “Keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

The next three verses give more reasons for this unbridled, unrestrained hate of Christians.
Matt. 24:10 – “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.” In this world there are weak churches, churches that don’t faithfully teach the whole counsel of God. There are also so-called churches, and these aren’t real churches for they don’t preach the gospel, that people are sinners whose only hope is to repent, and believe that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for their sins, and rose again. Rom. 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13

When there are birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8), deceptive signs (2 Th. 2:9-12), people being forced to worship the Antichrist or die (Rev. 13:15), people having to decide whether to take the mark of the Beast or not be able to buy or sell (Rev. 13:16-17), then so-called believers, people who think they are Christians but are not, will fall away, will apostatize, will leave their weak or so-called churches and begin following the Antichrist (1 Jn. 2:18-19, Rev. 13:4). The polarization, the division in this world in the last few years of this age will be stark, be black and white – people will be for Christ or against Christ, for Christians or against Christians, for the Antichrist or against the Antichrist.  

One of the most difficult things in the end-times will be when your own family members spew out hate, and turn against you, and turn you in to the authorities. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death” (Matt. 10:21). “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matt. 10:34-36). This may even happen to you. But God will give you the grace to keep following Christ, to love and forgive, and to keep sharing the gospel.

Matt. 24:11 – “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Another reason for so much hate against Christians is that so-called religious leaders will be misleading and deceiving people. Out of utter hate for God, these fakes, these hypocrites, will be speaking lies about Jesus Christ and the gospel, and they will be defaming, will be slandering God and His children. The result is that a great many naïve and foolish people will believe their lies and betray true Christians, even their own family members.

Matt. 24:12 – “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” Like never before, we are seeing lawlessness in our country. Leaders and all kinds of people are breaking the law, and it’s getting much worse. 2 Tim. 3:14 tells us, “Evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse.” We are witnessing the beginning years of depravity, people with no conscience, people who have lost their minds, who are crazy, who have totally rejected God. Without question, many wicked people are calling “evil good, and good evil.” Is. 5:20

The result is that “most people’s love will grow cold” which means there will be little to no kindness, or patience, or forgiveness, or gentleness, or empathy, but instead hate, anger, selfishness, abuse, slander, malice, and just plain meanness. This will be seen in families, in relationships, in the work place, and out on the street. And when the Antichrist is revealed and ruling the world, it will be much worse for he is the “the man of lawlessness” (2 Th. 2:3), the chief perpetrator and promoter of lawlessness, the one who enforces laws that are lawless.

Matt. 24:13 – “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” All over the world believers will be dying for the Lord, be martyred for their faith, but a large remnant will endure, will persevere to the end. By means of God’s Spirit, word, love, power, by means of the church, and by means of their faith, hope, and obedience, they will continue on until the end of the age, at which time they are saved, are glorified. “He will keep you strong to the end so that you are blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful.” 1 Cor. 1:8-9

We usually think of “save” in a spiritual sense, that God spiritually saves a person from sin, death, and hell. In this context, it means physical salvation, that God enables a person to survive, to make it through this tough, intense great tribulation and therefore, is alive on earth when Christ returns, and he is saved, he is raptured and becomes like Christ (Rom. 8:29, 1 Jn. 3:2). So vs. 13, along with vss. 31, 41-42, are rapture verses. “We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” 1 Th. 5:17, Rev. 7:14

In view of what Jesus says in vss. 9-13, what should Christians do? Vs. 9 would indicate that we need to know God’s love, and be battling, be overcoming for Him (Rom. 8:35-39, Eph. 6:10-18). Vs. 10 suggests that we must not be naïve, but wise, and be praying for our enemies. Vs. 11 is saying that we need to counter the lies of the devil with the truth of God’s word. Vs. 12 is telling us to be holy, to not live like the world, but to love both the saved and the lost. Vs. 13 instructs us to not grow weary, to not give up, but to keep going, to endure, to persevere to the very end of this age. Finally, there’s vs. 14, the conclusion to this most critical passage for Christians.

Matt. 24:14 – “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Your primary job in these last years is to preach the gospel, to tell people the good news, the message of salvation, how they can be saved from sin, death, and God’s wrath on earth and a fiery, eternal punishment in hell (Rev. 8-9, 16, 20:15). So do your part, and as God gives you opportunities, tell people this kingdom message about their entire life, their eternal life, and that it means loving and serving the King of kings, and being blessed forever and ever. Ps. 23:6; Lk. 21:12-15; Jn. 3:5, 3:16; Col. 4:2-6

Jesus Christ is leading churches, believers, and mission teams in this final global evangelistic effort – and it’s encouraging that the gospel is being proclaimed all over the world. It won’t be long before that last person hears the gospel and is saved, and it’s the end of this age and the church is fully grown (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 2:19-22). At this point, Jesus Christ returns for His bride and raptures her from the earth, and all believers from all time will be gathered to Him, and together, they will be taken home, will go to heaven. Jn. 14:1-3

Here are some concluding thoughts:
* You don’t want to ignore, or hope this message goes away, or believe it isn’t relevant to you, your family, and the church, or think that you will be raptured before this happens. Jesus Christ clearly states: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Matt. 24:35
* God knows everything and is sovereign over all who will be on earth in these last years. Rom. 8:28

* Christ personally trains all believers who are on earth in the end-times. Ps. 18:30-36, 144:1
* This passage is God’s warning to you about these final years, and to be forewarned, to know what will happen, is to be forearmed, to be truly ready for that time. “Take heed, behold, I have told you everything in advance.” Mark 13:23, Ezek. 33:7, Rom. 13:11-14

* Throughout history, believers have undergone great tribulation, but in the end-times it won’t be local but global, unlike anything we have ever seen before. Acts 8:1 (Act 11:19), 2 Cor. 11:21-29
* Those of you on earth in these last days must see this as a great privilege, a great honor to be here to love, to serve, to suffer, and to survive or be martyred for the Lord. And remember that God will give you all the grace you need and that the Holy Spirit is in you. Matt. 28:19-20, Eph. 1:13-14, 1 Cor. 6:19, 2 Cor. 9:8, 1 Pet. 2:21

* I can’t emphasize, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking to heart all that Jesus tells you about the future. Know and understand these things, and share them with your friends, fellow church members, and family – especially your children and grandchildren. 2 Tim. 4:1-2
* “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

P.S. I spoke about great tribulation, and many Christians believe they will not experience it, but that’s not true. Here are two posts that clearly explain why Christians will go through this severe persecution in the end times: “Christians Will Go Through Great Tribulation” and “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Teaching is False.”

Birth Pains Before the Coming of Christ – Matthew 24:1-8

March 21, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #357 ~

Jesus is with His disciples on the Mount of Olives and they ask Him three questions. A few days before it is said of the disciples – “they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately” (Lk. 19:11). Jesus then makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the crowd is shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Lk. 19:38). Like most Jews, the disciples were thinking that it wouldn’t be long before Jesus was anointed as King of Israel.

So they ask Jesus these questions – “When will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). The first referred to something Jesus had said earlier about their beautiful temple being torn down, that “not one stone here will be left upon another” (Matt. 24:2). I don’t believe Jesus answers this question in Matt. 24, but it is answered in Lk. 19:41-44, 21:20-22, 23:27-31. And the temple was destroyed around 70 AD. 

As for the next two questions, the disciples were probably thinking that before the end of the age of man, before Jesus was anointed as King that He would give some spectacular signs, like angels appearing, trumpets blasting, or a great celestial light. But they had no idea that there would be a church age. The disciples completely missed the meaning of the parable Jesus had recently shared – “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return…” (Lk. 19:12-15). They did not realize the questions they asked and the answers they received would be more relevant to a future generation of disciples, for those living in the end-times.

So let’s look at these last two questions. First, let’s examine the two key terms in vs. 3, “coming” and “age”. The word coming, from the Greek “parousia”, conveys two thoughts, arrival and presence. It’s a singular noun that speaks of a person’s arrival at a place and ongoing presence. Christ’s 1st coming occurred about 2,000 years ago and lasted close to 33 years, and His 2nd coming will begin in the near future. This word coming appears in Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, and 39. And in Matt. 24:27, 30, 42, 44, 46, and 50, there’s the word, “erchetai”, a verb translated as coming or arriving. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky.” Matt. 24:30

The second key term is the word “age”. It’s defined as a period of time or history marked by a central figure or feature. Gal. 1:4 speaks of “this present evil age”, that time from when Adam and Eve sinned and the devil became the leading evil influence in the world (1 Jn. 5:19) until that time when Christ returns and is perfectly ruling the earth. And in vss. 6, 13, and 14, Jesus speaks of the “end”, and He’s referring to the end of this age.

The disciples asked Jesus for two signs and His answers are in vss. 29-30, but they didn’t really understood them at that time. But Jesus told them and us a lot more than just these two signs. Jesus loves us and doesn’t want those living in the end-times to be surprised, to be caught off guard. He wants us to see all the signs described in vss. 4-30 so we are on the alert, so we are ready for His return, so we are looking forward to being with Him. Heb. 10:25

Let’s go to Matt. 24:4-8. These verses describe what Jesus calls “birth pangs” or birth pains, and they affect all kinds of people – Christians, non-Christians, Jews, Gentiles. Birth pains are what a mother experiences before her baby is born. They usually start slow, but pick up in frequency and intensity – there are more and more of them and they get harder and harder. Just as birth pains don’t begin at the start of a mother’s pregnancy, so too the birth pains described in Matt. 24 don’t begin at the start of the church age but are occurring now in the last years of this age. And similar to how the birth pains of a mother result in the birth of her child, so too the birth pains are an essential part of God’s plan to bring about the return of His Son.

The first birth pain is deception, that many will come in Christ’s name and deceive people, mislead people, lie to people. Of all that Jesus has to say in vss. 4-30, this is first for a reason. He does not want any person, saved or lost, to be tricked, to believe error, to be duped by disinformation. Jesus rightfully and strongly hates deceivers, these false Christs, these fake pastors, these “fools… blind guides… hypocrites… serpents… brood of vipers.” Matt. 23:16-33

With increasing lawlessness and calamities in these end-times, life will be extremely difficult, and people will be looking for answers, for peace and safety. They will be vulnerable and susceptible to false teaching, fake churches, and AI error. So Jesus warns us to “see to it”, to be on the lookout for liars who don’t tell the truth, who promote a false gospel. He wants us to be discerning, to know the difference between what is true and false, what is of God and what is of the devil. In a key prophecy passage, Paul tells us, “Let no one in any way deceive you.” 2 Thess. 2:3

Second, there will be wars and rumors of wars – and Jesus says they “must take place.” Yes, some leaders seek peace in this evil world, but only Jesus will bring true and lasting peace. Now most people in the world will be hearing about these wars, whether it’s from the TV, internet, or a person. So some countries are having wars, but many will not. And if only some people are experiencing these wars, then they are only happening in “various places”, which is what vs. 7 says with reference to famines and earthquakes. Rev. 6:8 substantiates this point, for it says that only a “fourth of the earth” will be affected by these birth pains.

Jesus tells you, “See that you are not frightened”, which is relevant for the entire end-times. And whether a person hears about these catastrophic events or experiences them, the normal, natural tendency is to be afraid. During the first week of the Iran war, this blog site saw a 50% increase in views. That’s because people are fearful when they hear about wars – they worry about what might happen. So remember, Jesus tells you not to be afraid. Get truths, commands, and promises from God to bolster your faith and strengthen your soul. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God… I will help you.” Is. 41:10

Note what vs. 6 says – “these things must take place, but that is not yet the end,” that is, not the end of this age. We will be witnessing more and more wars, but just because we do doesn’t mean that Christ is immediately coming back, that He is “right at the door” (vs. 33). Vss. 7-30 list many other things that need to happen before Christ returns to rapture the church.

Third and fourth, there will be famines and earthquakes (vs. 7). Famines, a scarcity, a lack of food, can be caused by drought, wars, natural disasters, the economy, etc. It’s easy to see how famines are now and will be occurring in this world because of the above factors. And there will be earthquakes, the sudden rupture of the earth’s crust which causes a great shaking and cataclysmic damage. Again, they will not be happening in every country, in every place, but only in some places, in “various places.”

Vs. 8 gives the conclusion to this passage about birth pains. “All these things” that we just talked about “are merely the beginning of birth pains.” This verse goes along with vs. 6 – “these things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” I believe these verses describe the present condition of our world relative to Christ’s coming, that we are at the beginning of this end-times’ stage that leads to the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church.

A pregnant woman who is experiencing early labor, beginning birth pains, knows her baby is coming soon, and it’s not usually in a few minutes, but in hours. I don’t believe Christ’s coming is a few years away, but at least a decade or two, if not more. As we will see in the coming verses and in the coming years, many more things must occur before believers on earth will head to heaven to be with Jesus. And only God knows how long these beginning birth pains must last before we get to the next stage, the transition, the tribulation, which we’ll examine in vss. 9-14. 

There are a few more things I need to say about birth pains:
* These birth pains are talked about in other passages – Mark 13:5-8, Luke 21:8-11a, Rev. 6:1-8.
* Luke 21:11a includes plagues as one of the birth pains, and Rev. 6:5-6 speaks of economic distress, what seems to be hyperinflation.
* Deception, wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and hyperinflation have all occurred throughout history, but will be more frequent, intense, and destructive in the end times.
* God does not tell us when the birth pains start. Some think they start at the beginning of Dan. 70th week and others before the beginning of this week.

* The birth pains are not part of God’s end-times’ wrath, also called the Day of the Lord. Why not? Because the birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8) occur before the signs in the heaven (Matt. 24:29) and the signs in the heavens occur before the Day of the Lord (Acts 2:19-21). Therefore, the birth pains must occur before the Day of the Lord, and thus are not part of God’s end-times’ wrath. Rev. 6:1-8, similar to Matt. 24:4-8, also makes it clear that these birth pains happen before God’s end-times’ wrath (vss. 16-17).
* The birth pains are wake-up calls, are to alert us to the fact that we are in the end-times, and that Christ is coming soon to rapture the church and pour out His wrath on earth. Pray for the saved to be spiritually awakened so they are ready for Christ’s return (Rom. 13:11, Matt. 24:42), and for the lost to be spiritually shaken so they repent of their sins. Luke 13:1-5

Matt. 24 is for our time, is for those of us who are living in these end-times, in these last years before Christ’s return. More than anyone else in history, we need to know these God-given signs, for they show us that Christ will be coming soon to take us home to heaven. Matt. 24 is a great summary of what will be happening in the end-times. Might God give you the grace to study it, understand it, be stirred by it, and then share it with others. “I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you” (Jer. 42:4). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… baptizing them… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20

P.S. The road is rough in the years leading up to Christ’s coming, for there will be birth pains, but God will lead, strengthen, and bless the believers on earth at that time. Here is a good summary of Matthew 24, this most important chapter for believers at this time in history – “Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End Times”.

Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Passage

March 14, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #356 ~

I believe Matthew 24 is the most important prophecy passage in the Bible, and my favorite, and why? Because it tells us so much about Christ’s coming. I have read this chapter more than any other with the exception of Ps. 23, and I love it. It’s so instructive, clear, and necessary for you to know in the last years of this age, in these final years before Christ’s return. And it’s very sobering.

This post is the first in a series of posts I am planning on writing in the coming weeks on Matt. 24. Let me share with you why I believe it’s essential to read and understand it:
* It is chronological. It gives the order of major end-time events that God wants all Christians to know.
* It covers the basics. It talks about birth pains, great tribulation, the end of the age, Christ’s coming, and the rapture of the church.
* It is comprehensive. It tells you much more than the basics, and much more than any other end-times’ chapter. You learn about deception, preaching the gospel, lawlessness, the Antichrist, persecution, perseverance, the general time of Christ’s coming, death, and hell.  

* It doesn’t sugar coat the future, it speaks of difficult subjects, of what will surely be taking place, and of what you and other believers must know. Now’s the time, in the calm before the storm, to learn these things.  
* It tells you what you need to do, that you need to learn and understand these end-time truths, and be alert, ready, and telling these truths to others.
* It gives information that relates to all groups of people, for those in the world (vss. 4-8), for Christians (vss. 9-14, vss. 29-31), for Jewish people (vss. 15-27), and for unbelievers (vss. 37-39).
* It gives you hope, for it focuses on the future, on Christ and His coming, on One who loves you, prays for you, and can’t wait to take you home to heaven so you can be with Him, and so He can then bless you and show you His glory like never before. John 17:24

The title says, “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Passage”, and this is my opinion, my strong opinion. I believe it’s most important because of what I just told you. If you could have just one chapter about end-times’ prophecy, this is the one you need to study and understand. I will never forget what my mentor and friend, Marv Rosenthal, told me, that I need to know this subject like the back of my hand and for me, that means Matthew 24.

My plan in the weeks ahead is to cover what is most relevant in Matt. 24, not necessarily verse by verse, but section by section – vss. 1-8, vss. 9-14, vss. 15-28, vss. 29-31, vss. 32-36, vss. 37-41, and vss. 42-51. I want to encourage you to read Matt. 24 ahead of time, and let me suggest, again and again. Think of the words, the phrases, the meaning, the chronology, the relevance, your purpose, and that Jesus is personally telling this to you, for you are one of His disciples.

Not long ago, I had a vivid dream, and I can’t ever remember having a dream like this. It wasn’t a dream or vision about something related to prophecy that might happen in the future. In this dream, I was talking to a pastor, and we were talking about the subject of Christ’s coming, and the need to teach Christians the truth about the future. And in it, I made it clear to him that we need to tell our children.

I said “children” because this is how I think, and this is what I tell my wife. We are both in our 70’s and I don’t believe we will be alive on earth when Christ comes back. As I study God’s word and am watching what’s going on in the world, I feel strongly that it will be our children and feel very strongly that it will be our grandchildren who are here on earth when Christ returns to rapture the church. So now’s the time to understand what Jesus is telling us, and the time to tell this to our children, to help them know it, to help them not be afraid, to help them be spiritually strong and looking forward to seeing and being with Jesus.

Jesus, in the context of what I believe is the most important prophecy passage, asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matt. 24:45). Might you tell Jesus that you want to be faithful and wise, that you desire to feed these truths to your household, to your family and your church. “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Rev. 22:7

P.S. The most read post or article in this whole blog site is this article, “Matthew 24 – the Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.” It would do you well to read this. What I am writing in these coming posts will have similar information, but more thoughts, insights, and arguments. Also, I appreciate your prayers for my wife and I as we continue to write about Christ’s coming and the kingdom ages, in this spiritual battle for the truth.

Israel, Iran, the United States, and the End-Times

March 7, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #355 ~

Sadly, sovereignly, and purposely, there’s another war going on, this one with three internationally significant countries – Israel, Iran, and the United States. But how does this war relate to the end-times, to the future God has planned for us? Politicians, academians, the news media, and other so-called experts all have opinions as to the nature of this war and what will happen next. But as Christians, we shouldn’t focus on what man says, but on what God tells us in His word.

First, let’s look at some general truths:
1. God’s eschatological word is true (Ps. 119:143), is what we must believe, and what instructs us about what is occurring in our world now and in the future. God gives us a good outline about what will be taking place, but He doesn’t tell us everything, only what we need to know. And don’t speculate and say things about this world and its future that aren’t based on God’s word.  

2. God always works with nations (Gen. 10, Dan. 2:20-21). In these final years before Christ’s coming and earthly reign, God is realigning nations according to His end-times’ plan. That He brought Israel back to her land is the #1 sign that we live in the end-times (Ez. 37:21-24). Be thrilled that God’s prophetic word is now being fulfilled in this world.

3. God’s purposes and plans will be carried out, completely and perfectly so. No ruler, nation, devil, or person can thwart what God has decreed from eternity past. (Ps. 2; 33:10-12). The war that Israel and the United States are waging is what God wants them to do, for He is sovereign, and He uses countries for His divine purposes. “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure, calling… the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly, I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.’” Is. 46:9-11

4. God’s end-times’ plan for the Jews are related to His end-times’ plan for the church. Look at these side-by-side passages that show that God is working concurrently with both the Jews and the church. (Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27; Lk. 21:12-19, 20-24; 1 Th. 2:1-9; Rev. 7:4-8, 9-17). It’s by knowing God’s word and what’s taking place in this world that you realize that it won’t be long before Christ returns for His church. That Christ is coming soon should truly stir your heart with love for Him. “I myself will see Him with my own eyes… How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25-27

Here are some eschatological events that will be happening in these end-times:
1. Birth pains: Matt. 24:6-8 talks of birth pangs, and one is “wars and rumors of war.” This Iran war is a birth pang, and there will be more and more wars, and famines and earthquakes too. Vs. 8 tells us that “these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” which means we are not to think that Christ’s return will happen right away. “These things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” Lk. 21:9

2. Confirming a covenant: Dan. 9:27 states that Israel will confirm a treaty with many nations at the beginning of Dan. 70th week. A key player in this confirmation is a person known as the Antichrist (1 Jn. 2:18). The primary reason Israel is fighting Iran is to gain peace and security, but it sure won’t happen because of this present war or this future treaty, but only because Christ will return and defeat His enemies at Armageddon, one of which will be Iran, aka Persia.

3. Abomination of desolation: Dan. 9:27 and 2 Th. 2:4 tell us that the Antichrist will show His hate for the Jews by desecrating and desolating their temple in Jerusalem. This happens at the midpoint of Dan. 70th week. Soon after this, the Antichrist will begin persecuting both Jews and Christians, but only for a short time. Matt. 24:9, 21-22; Rev. 12:13-17

4. Rapture of the church: Christ returns to rapture the church at the end of this age, at His coming, which is immediately after this persecution is cut short and just before God’s wrath is poured out on earth, sometime during the last half of Dan. 70th week. (1 Th. 1:10, 4:15-18). Israel and Iran, and I believe the United States too, will still exist on earth after the rapture.

5. Salvation of a remnant of Jews: At the end of Dan. 70th week, God will spiritually save a large remnant of Jews. “All Israel will be saved, just as it is written. ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’” Rom. 11:25-26, Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34

6. Defeat of Antichrist’s kingdom: Rev. 16 speaks of the fast-happening bowl judgments. They describe God’s plan to justly punish unrepentant unbelievers on earth, as well as to destroy Antichrist’s kingdom – which happens at the battle of Armageddon. Iran will be part of this final battle and will be royally defeated. Rev. 16:13-21, 19:20-21

7. The millennial kingdom: Christ’s kingdom will begin (Rev. 20) after the defeat of Antichrist’s kingdom. The saved Jewish remnant will live in Israel and, along with other believers, reign with Christ over the world ((Is. 60-62, Rev. 5:10). This glorious kingdom will display the power, love, goodness, justice, and rule of Christ on earth. “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet… When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor. 15:25

Let me now tell you how the United States, Iran, and Israel each relate to end-times’ prophecy:
1. United States: Since its beginning days, close to 250 years ago, the United States has been extremely blessed – economically, technologically, militarily, and spiritually. Since WW 2, they have been the most powerful, prosperous, and influential country in the world. Without question, God raised up the United States and is now using her for His purposes in these end-times. And this war is an important part of God’s perfect plan to bring about the return of His Son – and only God knows exactly how this war will affect this country.

Know also that the United States, especially since the ‘60’s, has been in severe spiritual decline. And it’s because of her sin, her widespread evil, her rebellion against God. Rom. 1:18-32 sums up this decline and depravity that we are now witnessing. Yes, there is a spiritual remnant in this country, but God cannot ignore this spiritual, stage-4 cancer. He has to judge her! Read more about the United States in these recent posts – 343, 344, 345, 346, and 347.

The United States, because of her grave sin, will grow sicker and weaker, and will soon lose her status as the world’s most significant and powerful nation. And we don’t know what country will replace her, will become the #1 global power. But sooner or later, the Antichrist, along with his 10-nation kingdom, will be #1 and will rule this earth, and be worshiped all over the world. Rev. 13:3-5

2. Iran: Iran is one of the longest, continually existing countries and civilizations. Biblically, we go back to Cyrus the Great, who conquered Media and created the Medo-Persian empire in 550BC, which went on to defeat the Babylonian Empire in 539BC (Dan. 5). Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah all lived in Medo-Persia, as did King Xerxes and King Artaxerxes.

Dan. 2:39, 7:5, and 8:20 all speak of Medo-Persia as existing in the end-times. Dan. 10:20 talks of “the prince of Persia”, an evil angel, fighting against Michael, a good angel, “one of the chief princes” (Dan. 10:13, Rev. 12:7-8). This is in the context of “what will happen to your (Daniel’s) people in the latter days” (Dan. 10:14). Revelation, the last book in the Bible, talks of “a great, fiery red dragon” (12:3) and this is “the devil and Satan” (12:9). The devil has already inspired seven different kingdoms to defeat Israel, a chief enemy – and these include Medo-Persia (vs. 3). But the devil has always failed, for God is holy, wiser, and infinitely stronger. Dan. 4:34-35

Spiritual battles are continuing in 2026 in countries all over the world. This war in Iran is physical in nature, but also spiritual (Eph. 6:10-12). Ez. 38, like Dan. 10, is about this physical / spiritual battle in“the latter years” (Ez. 38:8), the final battle on this earth. Ez. 38:5 tells us that Persia is one of the countries united with the Antichrist in opposing God and Israel – but the Antichrist and his kingdom is easily defeated by Jesus Christ. “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Dan. 2:44

It’s true that the United States and Israel are hammering, are pounding Iran with tons of bombs, and it’s deserved. “Let the nations be judged” (Ps. 9:19b). The news is that Iran is militarily being degraded, decimated, and diminished, but Daniel wants us to know that she won’t be totally destroyed, at least not at this time. None of us know how Iran will recover from what looks like certain defeat, but God’s word, the “Scripture of Truth” (Dan. 10:21), is making it clear that she will continue on until that day when Jesus Christ defeats her. Ez. 38-39

3. Israel: God planned for Israel to be a great nation and a blessing to the whole world, and he told this to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). The Old Testament focuses on God’s patient working with Israel, on her victories and sins, and on her history (Gen. 12 – Mal. 4). Through Israel, Christ was born (Rev. 12:5). But during Christ’s ministry years, the Jews, as a whole, rejected Him as their Messiah and, consequently, were scattered all over the world (Lk. 21:20-24). God began gathering them back to their land in the late 1800’s (Jer. 32-37-41), and in 1948, they once again became a nation. Since then, they have continually had enemies, and this is true today. But Israel, because of God’s word, because of His promise to her, has not been wiped out – and though the whole world fights against her (Zech. 12:3), she will keep going and be victorious.

As mentioned earlier, the next major event is Israel confirming a treaty with the Antichrist at the beginning of Dan. 70th week (Dan. 9:27). At the midpoint of those 7 years is when the Antichrist desolates Israel’s temple and begins greatly persecuting them. Miraculously, many Jews will escape (Rev. 12:13-16), be saved at the end of that 70th week, and take back all their land (from the River to the Sea), and reign with Christ over the world during the kingdom ages (2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16). Indeed, Israel will be an eternally and greatly blessed nation.“Praise the Lord, all nations, laud Him, all peoples! For His love is great toward us (Israel), and the truth of the Lord is everlasting.” Ps. 117, Ps. 72:18-19

Here are some concluding statements:
1. God is reconfiguring the geopolitical landscape of the world in these end-times so that it’s just the way He wants it to be. God has given us an idea of what this will look like, but none of us will know all the details. But it’s all coming together and leading to the return of Jesus Christ, His Son.
2.  God is now working with every nation, person, and event – all the pieces must pefectly fit together to bring about Christ’s coming, the rapture of the church, your glorification, the judgment of the world, the salvation of the Jews, the defeat of the Antichrist, and Christ’s reign over this world. Rom. 8:28-30, Eph. 1:9-12

3. Don’t ever be afraid! Know the Lord and what He says in His word, and you will be filled with faith, hope, and courage, and “see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25
4. God works with individuals, churches, and nations. So learn about the end-times, work with Christ in sharing the gospel with individuals, build the church, and make disciples of all the nations. Matt. 24:3-46, 24:14, 16:18, 28:19-20

5. Be a watchman (“keep watch” – Matt. 24:42), and tell others everything you know about about Christ’s return. Be a “faithful and wise slave.” Matt. 24:45
6. The United States may win this war, but don’t forget that she is now being judged by God because of her sin. Sooner or later, she will decline in power and no longer be very influential in this world. Iran will survive this war with Israel and the United States, and continue on until Christ defeats her and the Antichrist’s kingdom. Finally and eventually, Israel will, with Christ, defeat all her enemies, and then forever reign over the world with Him.
7. As for yourself, remember that God is victorious, and that you are an overcomer. “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”  Rom. 8:35-39

P.S. I love the fact that by reading and studying God’s word, we can get a basic understanding of our future. So be reading and studying. Here are two posts that will help you understand what I am talking about today: “World History and International Studies“ and “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ.”

The Eschatological Word of God Is the WORD OF GOD!!!

February 21, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #354 ~

Why should we want to know what God says about the last days, the end times, our future? Why study God’s eschatological, prophetic word? Because it’s the word of God – and it’s true, supreme, powerful, personal, and relevant! Today, I am looking at these and other truths about God’s word, and they give us good reasons, strong reasons to study eschatology and share it with others. “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable… I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” Acts 20:20, 27

* God’s eschatological word is true, it’s not error, falsehoods, or half-truths. “Your law is truth” (Ps. 119:143). God’s prophetic word is true and fully trustworthy. There are many who doubt it, twist it, allegorize it, or lie about it, saying this portion of Scripture means something other than what it says, or that it has already occurred. But it must be taken in its normal, natural sense, at face value. In Matt. 24, a key prophetic passage, Jesus warns us about false teachers and prophets, those who are not telling the truth (Matt. 24:4, 11, 24). In another end-times’ passage, Paul firmly states, “Let no one in any way deceive you.” 2 Th. 2:3

* God’s eschatological word is altogether true. “The sum of Thy word is truth” (Ps 119:160). The overall meaning of God’s prophetic word is not contradictory, does not change, is consistent, remains the same, and is the truth. And similar to fitting together the pieces of a puzzle to give the whole picture, so too with prophecy. Verses about God’s eschatological word need to be looked at in conjunction with other verses. They should not be examined apart from other verses, in isolation, but must be connected to get the entire eschatological truth, which enables us to know God’s plans for His people. An example is Matt. 24, which can only be fully understood by also looking at passages like Dan. 9:27; Lk. 21; 2 Th. 2:1-8; Rev. 6, 12.

* God’s eschatological word is supreme. Like the rest of God’s word, it too is supreme, it too is inerrant, powerful, and necessary, for it tells you the truth about God and the end-times, and how to live for Him during what will be one of the most difficult times in the history of our world. “You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word” (Ps 138:2). That God’s prophetic word is supreme also means its authoritative, that it has authority, that God has the right and the power to bring it about. What God says He plans to do will happen, and no person or devil can thwart Him, can stop Him from carrying it out. “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” Is. 46:9-11, Ps. 33:9-12

* God’s eschatological word is powerful. “Is not My word like fire and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” (Jer. 23:29). Since God is powerful, His word is powerful, and thus He can do all that He says He will do, whether it’s in a person’s life, church, leader, country, or the world. In the future, when His prophetic word is being fulfilled, we will see an amazing and awesome display of His power. In Is. 55, a prophecy passage, God states, “So will be my word which goes forth from My mouth, it will not return to Me empty without accomplishing what I desire” (vs. 11).“The voice of the Lord is powerful.” Ps. 29:4

* God’s eschatological word is instructive. God gives many verses that explain how He wants us to live for Him in these last years leading up to the rapture of the church. We learn that we are to be evangelizing (Matt. 24:14), alert (Matt. 24:42), faithful (Matt. 24:45), discipling (Matt. 28:19-20), having faith (Lk. 18:8), holy (Rom. 13:11-14), standing firm (Eph. 6:13), serving (1 Th. 1:9), waiting for Jesus (1 Th. 1:10), sober (1 Th. 5:6), loving (1 Th. 5:6), having hope (1 Pet. 1:13), unafraid (Rev. 2:10), overcoming (Rev. 12:11), persevering (13:10), and wise (Rev. 13:18). Yes, these verses are always applicable in our lives, but especially so in the context of the end-times and Christ’s return to rapture the church.  

* God’s eschatological word is life-changing. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). All Scripture, including God’s eschatological word is life-changing, is transforming. Not learning the truth about the end-times and Christ’s coming will diminish your wisdom, holiness, hope, growth, and fruitfulness. It’s imperative to know what God tells you about the future so you can live in just the way that He wants. “… be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Rom. 12:1-2

* God’s eschatological word is sanctifying. A foundational chapter in the book of Revelation, that last great prophetic book, is Rev. 4. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (vs. 8). Knowing that Jesus Christ, the Holy One, is coming soon, and that one of His primary purposes is to bring justice to this world should truly motivate you to be holy, pure, and obedient. “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 Jn. 3:3, Jn. 17:17, Rom. 13:11-14, 1 Pet. 1:13-16

* God’s eschatological word gives joy, peace, and hope. “Do not let your heart be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may also be” (Jn. 14:1-3).“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose… to be conformed to the image of His Son.” (Rom. 8:28-29). These eschatological passages are helpful now, but I believe even more so in the near future when times are extremely tough. Here are several more: Ps. 23:6; Rom. 8:18-25, 15:13; 1 Cor. 1:8-9; 1 Th. 4:13-18; Jude 24-25; Rev. 22:12

* God’s eschatological word is personal. “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end” (Ps. 119:33). God loves you more than you know and, as your Father, He wants to teach you, lead you, and comfort you. Through the Holy Spirit, you are to apply God’s word to your life. “He (Spirit)will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (Jn. 16:13). As we see the day of Christ drawing near, when it’s obvious that His coming is at hand, then you will be seeing or hearing of birth pains, false teachers, persecution, and martyrdom, and God’s truths, commands, and promises, including His prophetic word, will have special meaning to you. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says… To him who overcomes… I will give a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Rev. 2:7

* God’s eschatological word is sufficient. “Behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mk. 13:23). God did not tell you everything He will do in the future, but everything He wants you to know – and therefore, you should want to know it. Without question, a good understanding of God’s eschatological truth gives you the wisdom you need so you can be His faithful servant in the final years leading up to Christ’s coming.“The unfolding of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:130). God told you about the future in advance because He wants you to know His plans, not at the last minute, and not before it’s too late, but at this time, in the calm before the storm.

* God’s eschatological word is His will, what He purposed and planned to happen in the end-times, at Christ’s coming, and in the kingdom ages. Not all of God’s prophetic will is in His Word, but what is revealed in His Word is what God wants you to know and understand. Here are several verses that speak forth His will: Matt. 24:3-51; Mk. 13:3-23; Lk. 21:3-36; Rom. 8:18-25; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 35-57; Phil. 2:9-11, 3:21; 1 Th. 4:13-5:10; 2 Th. 1:5-10, 2:1-12; 1 Pet. 1:13-16; Rev. 4-22. “He made know to us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth” (Eph. 1:9-11). “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Eph. 5:17

God’s eschatological word is a blessing. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:1-3). These verses, in the introduction to the book of Revelation, should motivate you to study God’s prophetic word and apply it to your life. God wants to bless you, to do you good, to grant you favor, to give you grace, to encourage you, to make you spiritually happy. And one way this happens is by reading, learning, and heeding God’s prophetic word.“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the word of the prophecy of this book.” Rev. 22:7, Lk. 11:28

* God’s word, including His eschatological word, is relevant. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). God’s word is vital for your life, is what you need today and all the days leading up to when you go to be with Jesus. His word helps you spiritually, mentally, relationally, and emotionally. It gives meaning to what’s going on in your life, your family, the church, and in the world around you. Without it, there’s confusion, fears, worries, worldliness, and questions with no answers. Without it, you will fall into error, be affected by lies, and be led astray. More than that, when the times are really troubling, know that God’s word is the truth and a means to the power you need to live for Him. In the middle of Matt. 24, what I believe is the most important prophecy passage, Jesus states, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). God wants you to be convinced that His word, including His eschatological word, is relevant, is necessary, must be read, learned, and followed in these end-times, in the last years of this age.

* God’s eschatological word is eternal. “The word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Pet. 1:25).  Since God is eternal, since He has always existed, then His word is eternal, is everlasting, and His truth, His will, and His purpose endure, continue through all generations, through all the ages – and this includes the truths describing Christ’s coming, the day of the Lord, the Jewish people, and the kingdom ages. When we say eternal, it means God’s eternal work with regards to the eternally lost, those who spend eternity in hell, and to the eternally saved, those who receive eternal life, who at the end of this age will be fully saved, will receive immortal bodies and be eternally worshiping and serving God. And here we are, at the very end of this church age and, more than ever before, we should be looking forward to being with Jesus, our eternal Savior, Lord, and King, and learn all we can from God’s eternal word about the eternal future He has planned out for each one of us. “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Ps. 145:2, Jude 24-25

God’s eschatological, prophetic word is essential for your growth, security, hope, fruitfulness, and for God’s glory in the end-times. Now that we are in the final years of this age, it’s all the more imperative that we study it and teach it to others. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim. 4:7 

P.S. I couldn’t write this blog site if I didn’t believe it was founded, if it was based on the truth of God’s eschatological word. I am so thankful that we have God’s word, that in a sinfully crazy world, we know what is true and false, what is right and wrong. Here is an important example of God’s eschatological truth –“Over 100 New Testament Verses on Christ’s Second Coming.”

Talking to a Christian About Christ’s Coming

February 7, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #353 ~

You are talking to a Christian and they are interested in prophesy. They want to know what will be happening in the future, they want to know God’s plans for them and this world. What do you tell them? As you know, this is a huge subject, and there is much God tells us in His Word, much He wants you to learn, and much you need to share with interested believers. Let me summarize a number of things you need to tell them about the future of a Christian and of this world:

You tell them that Christ is coming again, that this is the first and most important thing they need to know. You tell them that when He returns, the lives of everyone, both saved and lost, will be dramatically changed. You tell them that Christ is coming soon, and that’s because we live in the end-times, and we know this because the Jews are back in the promised land. You tell them that Christ is returning to rescue Christians from an evil world, to judge unrepentant sinners, to redeem a remnant of Jews, to reign over a restored earth, and to bring glory to God. Rev. 22:7, Rev. 7-9, Luke 21:24, Is. 57:1, 1 Cor. 15:42-44, Ps. 47, Hab. 2:14

You tell them that many difficult and trying things will occur before Christ’s coming. You tell them that this world will become a more wicked place, that lawlessness will get much worse in the years leading up to Christ’s return. You tell them that Christians will be greatly hated and persecuted, and that many will be martyred. You tell them that there will be an increase in false teaching, and only by knowing God’s word can they escape error and the lies of the devil. Matt. 24:32-34, Matt. 24:12, Matt. 24:9, Matt. 24:4-5

You tell them about “birth pains”, about earthquakes, wars, famines, plagues and economic problems afflicting people in various parts of this earth. You tell them that the United States is in decline and being judged by God because of her sin. One result is that the Antichrist, sometime in the future, will be raised up and rule over this world, and be seen as a savior. You tell them that God is actively working with the Jews, and how they need to be watching what’s happening in Israel so they can see how God is fulfilling His prophetic word in this world. You tell them that the Jews will confirm a treaty with the Antichrist in the near future, and then be able to build a temple and offer sacrifices. Matt. 24:6-8, Rev. 6:1-8, Rom. 1:20-32, Rev. 13:4-8, Matt. 24:9-26; Luke 21:20-24, Dan. 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:4

You tell them about a great, global earthquake and the sun and moon going dark, that these are signs of the end of this age, and that unbelievers will be shocked and scared to death. You tell them that immediately after this, a brilliant bright light will appear in the sky, and this is the sign of Christ’s coming. You tell them that the whole world will see Christ, but believers will be glorified and raptured, and then be with Him forever. Rev. 6:12-17; Matt. 24:27, 29-31; 1 Th. 4:17

You tell them that God will justly judge all unbelievers still on earth, and this is the day of the Lord, a dreadful but deserved punishment for those who have rejected Christ and not repented of their sins. You tell them that God will rightly judge the Jews, but that a large remnant, one-third of them, will be saved, will become believers. Rev. 8-9, 16; Zech. 13:8-9; Rom. 11:25-26

You tell them that the Christians who were raptured, along with those resurrected, will be in heaven only a short time, and then return with Christ to defeat the Antichrist and his evil kingdom. You tell them that Christ will gloriously, powerfully, and righteously rule for 1,000 years with both Jewish and Gentile believers. Then Christ will subject Himself to the Father, and God will be all in all, and we will forever be worshiping and serving Him in the eternal kingdom. Rev. 7:9-12, 19:11-21, 20:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:23-28

This is a short summary of what will be taking place, and it’s important to study these verses so you have convictions and so you can clearly and confidently tell others what God has taught you. God does not want any of His people to be surprised and fearful when there are calamities and great persecution in the end times. Instead, He wants them to be ready, watching, and waiting for Christ to return and to be working for Him while they wait. Might God use you to tell others about their future, about what God has in store for them and this world.

“Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mk. 13:23). “They themselves report… how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10

P.S. I have many posts detailing the future. Here are some of them: “What the Bible Says About the Future”, “Filling in the End-Times’ Outline”, and “Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End-Times.”

P.P.S. For more encouragement for everyone, including some of our new friends we met at the airport in Charlotte (Wendall, Carolyn, and Andrew!) – here are the two links to a number of excellent, God-glorifying Scripture Songs (Scripture Songs – Our Legacy – Volume 1 and Volume 2) that our church music team recorded when I was in Tampa. 

God is in Charge of the Weather!!!

January 25, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #352 ~

Much of the eastern half of the United States is being hit by an extremely bad storm. And it’s God Himself who is doing it – for He is in charge, He is commanding all the weather, all the wind, every lightning strike, every bit of rain, ice, and snow, and the cold that goes with it. I have previously written on the weather as it relates to hurricanes, but in view of this present storm, I thought it would be good to refresh our memory with the truth of God’s word, of Job 37. I believe that this is the best chapter in the entire Bible on the weather, for it describes it in a physical way, but it also makes a spiritual application. As you read it, ask yourself what God wants you to learn.

Job 37

1 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
9 “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

14 “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

21 “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 “The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
24 “Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Here are a few of my thoughts on this weather chapter:
* God is in charge, He is sovereign over every aspect of the weather.
* One reason for the weather is so we look to God, so that we see that He is behind the weather. According to Google, a moderate size snowstorm, one about 2,000 square miles, will produce 5 quintillion (5×10^18) snowflakes) and, as you know, every snowflake is unique. So God Himself designed, created, and set in motion every snowflake. And here I’m just talking about the snow.
* God uses the storm to stop us in our tracks – He does not want us to think we can do whatever we want. And there’s probably close to 200 million people who are affected by this powerful storm. “That all men may know His work.” Vs. 7

* “That it may do whatever He commands it”( vss. 12-13). God uses the storm for His purposes – for correction, to show us His love, and to humble us. God does not have regard for the proud, for the “wise of heart”.
* We learn that God is awesome, that He is infinitely more intelligent, powerful, wiser than any person, and He is perfectly righteous.
* At the right time, God Himself will bring this storm to an end, for the sun once again will shine in the sky (vss. 21-22). So too with the trials of life, we are going through “the valley of the shadow of death.” Ps. 23:4
* The conclusion is that men and women are to fear God – we are to humble our hearts, to bow down to Him, to worship Him, and Him alone. Vs. 24

I love Job 37, for it’s all about God and what He does – and what He does is to show us that He is God, that He is in charge, is sovereign. And He is sovereign over all things. When I think of these few days of “bad weather”, I also think of the troublesome times that will increaslingly affect and afflict this country, the birth pains, but more importantly, the suffering and great tribulation Christians will experience. But praise the Lord, then the Son will shine, for we will “see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:27

Let me conclude with one of my favorite end-times’ verses on the sovereignty and will of God. Eph. 1:9-11 – “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. “

P.S. Here is a good post on God’s sovereignty and purpose in your own life. “God Is in Charge of Your Life.” Finally, “Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph. 1:2

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