Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #371 ~

Jesus is coming again!!! After the gospel message, that Christ came to earth close to 2,000 years ago to die for your sins and be raised again so you might become a child of God, the next most important message is that He is coming again to complete your salvation and begin His reign on earth!!! (Rev. 1:5-8). Jesus, who loves you infinitely more than anyone else in the world, who eternally, personally, continually, and powerfully loves you, who always thinks about you, and who prays, cares, and works for you, is coming again! Psalm 86:12-13; 1 John 4:9-10, 16; Revelation 22:7, 12, 20

Jesus wants you to know He is coming again, to be 100% convinced and confident that He is coming again, and that He is coming to take you, His bride, home to heaven so you can always be with Him. “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). “We will live together with Him” (1 Th. 5:10). And Jesus wants you to long to be with Him, to be excited about seeing Him, and to be ready and waiting for Him, this One who loves you so much. 1 Thess. 1:10

Jesus wants you to know when He is coming, that is, the general time of His return. But many Christians are naïve, misinformed, or don’t care about the timing of Christ’s coming. This should not be! Jesus Himself told you, “Behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mk. 13:23), and “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door… this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:33-34). Paul said to you, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light.” 1 Thess. 5:4-5

Many Christians mistakenly think the rapture is pre-trib, just before Dan. 70^th week, but that is not true. The rapture is pre-wrath, after the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, after the Antichrist is revealed, after great tribulation, after the end of this age and before the wrath of God, sometime during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. Matt. 24:3-30, more than any other passage, lists out the key events that must take place before Christ’s return.

The next best text is Rev. 6-9, which we will examine today. Though not as detailed as Matt. 24, it gives the same main events: birth pains (Rev. 6:1-8 – Matt. 24:4-8), great tribulation (Rev. 6:9-11 – Matt. 24:9, 21-22), the end of the age (Rev. 6:12-17 – Matt. 24:29), the rapture of the church (Rev. 7:9-17 – Matt. 24:30-31, 40-41), and also, the wrath of God (Rev. 8-9 – Matt. 24:28). This agrees perfectly with what we have learned so far about the Biblical order of events. But let’s go into more detail.

Revelation 6:1-8, the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th seals, is similar to the birth pains of Matt. 24:4-8. There is deception, wars, and hyperinflation – suggesting there is famine. Death affects, not the entire world, but 1/4^th of it, which goes along with what Jesus stated about birth pains happening in various places. These “seal” events are not part of the end-of-the-age, day-of-the-Lord wrath, but precursors to it.

Revelation 6:9-11, the 5^th seal, focuses on believers who experience great tribulation and are martyred for Christ. They cry out for justice – “Will not God bring justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly” (Lk. 18:7-8). Christians are preaching the gospel until the end of the age (Matt. 24:14), but are also praying for Christ to judge sinners, to pour out His wrath on this world, and to set up His kingdom. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10

Revelation 6:12-17, the 6^th seal, speaks of signs that occur just before the end of the age and the day of the Lord (Matt. 24:9, Acts 2:19-20). A great earthquake shakes the earth and, at the same time, the heavenly lights go out and the world goes dark. “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars… men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Luke 21:25-26). Unbelievers are scared to death for they know God’s wrath is coming soon. They say to the rocks and mountains, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” But the wrath does not begin until Rev. 8. And before that –

Revelation 7:9-10, between the 6^th and 7^th seals, talks of God’s children in heaven after the rapture, after they are delivered from His wrath. “Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes… and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Vs. 14 confirms what we already know, that these believers have “come out of the great tribulation,” out of great persecution (Matt. 24:9, 21-22; Rev. 6:9-11). And they are instantly taken to Jesus and to heaven, where He, “the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd… and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Vs. 17

Revelation 8-9, the 7^th seal and the opened scroll, which lists the trumpet judgments, God’s just and devastating wrath. There will be “hail and fire, mixed with blood… and a third of the earth was burned up” (Rev. 8:7). “A third of the sea became blood… and a third of the creatures which were in the sea… died” (Rev. 8:9). “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 8:13). “… torment for five days… in those days men will seek death and not find it” (Rev. 9:6). “The four angels… were released, so that they could kill a third of mankind” (Rev. 9:15). These trumpet judgments are part 1 of God’s wrath, and the bowl judgments, soon to be poured out on earth, are part 2. Rev. 15-16

To sum up, there are the first four seals – the birth pains, the 5^th seal – great tribulation, the 6^th seal – the end of the age, the rapture of the church between the 6^th and 7^th seals, the 7^th seal – the opening of the scroll and God’s wrath. Or you could simply say: there’s great tribulation in Rev. 6, the rapture in Rev. 7, and God’s wrath in Rev. 8-9. The chronology of end-time events is clearly and unmistakably laid out – and what we learn is that the rapture is not pre-trib but pre-wrath, that Christians experience great tribulation but not God’s wrath.

Jesus, referring to saints, says, “In the world, you have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33). This supports what He says in Matt 24:9 – “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you…” This tribulation is cut short and immediately, Jesus, rapturing us from the earth, “rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Th. 1:10), the wrath that is poured out upon sinners. And what do they say? “‘Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb’; for the great day of their wrath has come.” (Rev. 6:17). Satan’s wrath is seen when he persecutes saints (Rev. 12:12), and God’s wrath is seen when He punishes sinners. Rev. 8-9, 16

It’s obvious, it’s plainly stated that saints go through great tribulation and that sinners experience God’s wrath. But why are many believers pre-trib? Why are they deceived? Why do they think they will be raptured at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week? The world, the flesh, and the devil can even influence Christians. 1) The world tells people to eat, drink, and be merry (Lk. 12:19), opposing the truth that we are to suffer for God (1 Pet. 4). 2) The flesh loves food, fun, and comfort (this country promotes thepursuit of happiness), leading people to be spiritually soft (Lk. 6:20-26). 3) The devil deceives and misleads Christians with regards to the timing of the rapture (1 Tim. 4:1). The answer to the devil’s lies is God’s truth, and being holy, hopeful, sober, and alert.

For three weeks, we have been explaining and proving that the rapture is not pre-trib but pre-wrath, that Christians experience great tribulation but are saved from God’s wrath. After the start of Dan. 70^th week, after birth pains, after the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, after the Antichrist is revealed, after great tribulation, after the end of the age, sometime during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week, Christ comes in the clouds and raptures the church. This glorious event, the rapture, is before the day of the Lord, that horrific and righteous wrath that is poured out upon this evil earth.

In conclusion: “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day… let us be alert… let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing… May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely. And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11, 23

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #370 

Christ is coming again, and it’s soon, very soon. He’s coming to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and reign over this earth. He’s coming after the birth pains, after the revealing of the Antichrist, after the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, after great tribulation, just after the end of this age, and just before the day of the Lord, sometime during the last half of this week. Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:4-31

What I focused on last week, and will continue to do today and next week is the timing of the rapture. I am not talking about the specific time, but the general time (Matt. 24:32-36). Now you would think with all the truth about eschatology, all the verses on this subject, that most believers would have clarity and convictions with regards to the timing of Christ’s coming. But that’s not the case!

Instead, there’s confusion and error, a major one being the pre-tribulation rapture view (2 Th. 2:1-3). This incorrectly states that the entire 7 years of Dan. 70^th week is tribulation and great tribulation, and that Christians are silently and secretly raptured at the beginning of this week. This is not true! Here is the Biblical position: there are birth pains (wars, earthquakes, plagues, etc.) during the 1^st half of this week, great tribulation afflicting Jews and Christians after the 3½ year mark, and Christ returning to rapture the church during the 2^nd half of this week. This is what Matt. 24, 2 Th. 1, and Rev. 6-9 clearly teach us.

Today, I will continue to explain why the rapture of the church is not pre-trib, but pre-wrath. My focus in this post is tribulation and great tribulation. Knowing what it means, how it is used in different verses, and how it is used in the context of Christ’s coming, are critical keys to understanding the timing of the rapture. First, what does tribulation mean? From the Greek word, “thlipsis”, it is also defined as affliction, persecution, distress, pressure, trouble, or anguish.  

Second, God gives many examples of believers experiencing tribulation: John 16:33 – “… so that in Me, you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation.” Acts 14:22 – “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Rom. 8:35 – “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” 2 Cor. 4:17 – “Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.” 1 Th. 3:4 – “We kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction.” Rev. 2:10 – “The devil is about to cast some of you into prison… and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death.” Ps. 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” (Greek Septuagint). Believers undergo affliction, persecution, tribulation, and at times, great tribulation – and they should expect to experience it during their short stay on earth. Never do we read that believers don’t go through it, that they are exempt from it.

Third, a great multitude of Christians go through great tribulation in the end-times. “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). We could call this “great” tribulation, and that’s because of its severity and scope – believers are being killed for Christ, and it’s global in nature. Mark 13:19, 24; Rev. 7:9-14

Matt. 24:10-14 tells us what Christians must know and do during this tribulation: vs. 10 – there will be apostasy (so-called believers falling away from the faith) and betrayal; vs. 11 – there will be false prophets and deception; vs. 12 – there will be more sin, lawlessness, and a lack of love; vs. 13 – Christians are to persevere to the end of the age at which time they will be saved, be raptured; vs. 14 – Christians are to preach the gospel to the end of the age, again, at which time they will be raptured.

Matt. 24:15-21 explains how this great tribulation begins. The Antichrist, possessed by the devil, passionately hates God and His people. At the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, the Antichrist is in Jerusalem and he defiles, desolates, and desecrates the temple (2 Th. 2:3-5). Then he starts persecuting Jews. “Those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains” (vs. 16). Vs. 21 declares, “Then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now” (Mark 13:24). Rev. 12:12 calls this “great tribulation” the “great wrath” of the devil.

Rev. 12:13-17 gives added insight to what we read in Matt. 24:9-21. “When the dragon (devil) saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (Jews) who gave birth to the male child (Jesus).” By God’s power and mercy, many Jews miraculously escape. And what does the devil do? He is furious, mad as hell, and he goes after Christians – “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 on to the testimony of Jesus.” The persecution of the Jews we read about in Rev. 12:13-16 leads to the persecution of Christians in Rev. 12:17. Matt. 24 tells us the same thing, that the persecution of the Jews spoken of in vss. 15-21 leads to the persecution of Christians in vs. 9.

Matt. 24:22-28 gives more information about this time of great tribulation. Vs. 22 says that for the sake of the elect, this tribulation is cut short, which means it does not last the entire 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. Vss. 23-24 warn us of false signs and wonders designed to deceive the elect (Rev. 13:12-14). Vss. 25-26 is Jesus telling us in advance that false teachers will try to lead us astray with regards to His coming, wrongly saying that He will first appear on land. Vs. 27 states that Christ’s coming will brilliantly light up the sky, meaning He will first be seen returning in the air. Vs. 28 is a very sobering verse, which, I believe, is referring to those who die because of birth pains and tribulation, and to those who will die during the day of the Lord. Rev. 19:17-18

Matt. 24:29-31 is the culmination, the climax of what we have read so far in this all-important end-times’ chapter. We find out the answers to the disciples’ questions about the signs to the end of the age and Christ’s coming – and they occur immediately after this tribulation is cut short by Christ. First, the sky-lights of the universe go out, and there’s great darkness, signifying the end of this age. Second, the amazing, magnificent glory of Christ lights up the earth, signifying His coming. Then Christ comes in the clouds and all believers from all time, those who have died and are in heaven and those still on earth, are glorified and gathered to Christ. “He will send forth the angels and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of earth to the farthest end of heaven.” Mark 13:27

From vss. 29-31, we understand that the rapture occurs after great tribulation. Vs. 13 concurs with this, for it instructs us to persevere to the end of the age, at which time this tribulation is cut short (vss. 21-22, 29) and Christians are saved from it and physically raptured and glorified. So vs. 13 and vss. 29-31 completely agree – the rapture of the church takes place after great tribulation and, as we will soon learn, before God’s wrath, before the day of the Lord. 1 Th. 1:10, 5:9; Rev. 6-9 

2 Thess. 1:4-10 also communicates this essential end-times’ truth, that the rapture is not pre-trib, but pre-wrath. We learn that the 1^st century Thessalonian church was being afflicted, was experiencing tribulation (vss. 4-5). We also know, as Paul said in Acts 14:22 and Col. 1:24, that this tribulation, this persecution of believers, occurs throughout the church age. And we realize that this tribulation is great tribulation in those last few years before Christ’s coming.

Then what? “It is only just for God to repay with affliction (wrath) those who afflict (persecute) you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven…” (2 Thess. 1:6-7). Christians are given relief from this affliction, this tribulation, when Jesus is revealed from heaven, when He comes in the clouds to save and rapture them. As vs. 10 states, this is “when He comes to be glorified in His saints”, when He physically transforms them. Phil. 3:20-21

2 Thess. 1:7b-9 speaks rightly and strongly about God punishing the sinners, which begins soon after Jesus is revealed. We already know the correct order, that saints are given relief from this tribulation, and then retribution is dealt out to sinners, “to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction.” For these evil-doers, it is in three parts: the day of the Lord on earth, Hades for 1,000 years, and then the lake of fire for all eternity.

Revelation 6-9 spells out the same sequence of events, that Christians encounter great tribulation, are raptured, and then non-Christians experience God’s wrath. I will summarize this now but explain it more fully next week. Rev. 6:9-11 (the breaking of the 5^th seal) speaks of great tribulation believers are experiencing. Rev. 6:12-17 (the breaking of the 6^th seal) describes cosmic earth-darkening disturbances signaling the end of this age. Rev. 7:9-14 (between the 6^th and 7^th seals) tells us that the church is delivered from great tribulation and is gloriously and suddenly “standing before the throne and before the Lamb”. Rev. 8:1-2 (the breaking of the 7^th seal) results in the scroll being opened. Rev. 8 and Rev. 9 describe the trumpet judgments, the day of the Lord, God’s wrath being poured out upon the unbelievers still on earth. “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth…” Rev. 8:13

Again, we see the Scriptural order of end-time events, that Christians go through great tribulation but are rescued from the day-of-the-Lord wrath during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. This agrees with what we learned last week, that the rapture, the 1^st event at Christ’s coming, occurs after the coming of the Antichrist, after the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, and during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. It also goes along with the fact that the rapture is not imminent, that it does not happen before the beginning of Dan. 70^th week, but takes place after a number of signs that occur during the 1^st half of Dan. 70^th week and conclude during the 2^nd half.

So the rapture of the church is pre-wrath, not pre-trib. Believers on earth in those last years before Christ’s coming will go through great tribulation but then be rescued from God’s wrath. These will be super-tough times, but for the Christian, what a blessing to live for the Lord and, maybe, die for Him. But take heart. Trust the Lord. Love the Lord. Be strong in the Lord. Wait for the Lord. And remember that most-important last verse of the book of Revelation, the final verse of God’s word – “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” Revelation 22:21 

P.S. I would encourage you to read my recent nine-part series on Matthew 24 if you have not yet done so. It starts with “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Passage.” You may have heard about the two recent earthquakes in Venezuela – here is a post that talks about them and how they are one of the beginning birth pains – “Earthquakes and the End-Times.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #369 ~ 

There’s a lot of confusion about the timing of the rapture, whether it’s at the beginning (pre-trib), the midpoint (mid-trib), or the end (post-trib) of Dan. 70^th week – or whether it’s sometime during the last half (pre-wrath) of this prophecy-packed 7-year period. Some even joke about it saying that it’s pan-trib, that it will all pan out in the end. But it’s no laughing matter. We must know the truth – and we must be sober and alert. 1 Thess. 5:4-10

Can you imagine what it will be like for Christians who are mistaken about the timing of Christ’s return, especially those who believe in the pre-trib position, who assume He is returning at the start of Dan. 70^th week? They think they should be in heaven but are still on earth, and then: they are hearing about or experiencing birth pains – wars, famines, etc.; the world is increasingly lawless; that devilish man, the Antichrist, is revealed, and he is persecuting Jews and Christians; they are forced to worship the image of the beast, the Antichrist, or else be killed; they must take the mark of the beast to openly buy and sell; family and fellow church members turn them in to the authorities. Unsuspecting believers will be shocked, terribly upset, and in great fear, wondering what’s happening. Without question, it will be the most Satanic, traumatic, hellacious time in history. “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.” Rev. 12:12

I promise you, extremely difficult days are coming! But those who ascribe to the pre-trib theory do not understand this – they think they will be out of here before these things happen. In these last years before Christ’s return, we need discernment and clarity with regard to the truths of His coming. God does not want any of His children to be surprised, to be caught off guard, but to have convictions, to clearly know what He says about the timing of His Son’s return to rapture the church. 2 Thess. 2:1-5

The primary view among Christians as to the timing of the rapture is that it’s pre-trib, that it’s at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week, before this so-called 7-year tribulation period. But I am 100% convinced that it’s pre-wrath, that we go through a time of great-tribulation, but are then delivered from the wrath of God that’s poured out on earth. So why is the pre-trib theory incorrect? Why is it error? Why is the rapture pre-wrath and not pre-trib, or for that matter, any other position? In His Word, God tells us why? In these next three posts, I will be looking at several reasons, showing and proving that the rapture occurs after we go through great tribulation but before God pours out His wrath. Let’s begin.  

1. There is only one coming of Christ. The first error of those believing in a pre-trib rapture is that there are two comings, or a 2-phase coming, a secret coming of Christ at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week to rapture the Christians, and one at the end when He redeems a remnant of Jews and is said to rescue a large group of newly saved Christians. But the Bible says there is only coming, not two (Matt. 24:3, 27; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Th. 4:15, 5:23; 2 Th. 2:1, Jms. 5:7, etc.). This word coming is singular, and is defined as arrival and consequent presence. Christ comes back and is in charge, is orchestrating all that happens on earth, from the rapture to the wrath to the salvation of the Jews to the defeat of the Antichrist to the chaining of Satan to the setting up of His 1000-year kingdom.

The rapture occurs at the coming of Christ, and it’s the first event to occur at His coming. Believers on earth will see Christ appearing in the clouds and immediately be raptured and gathered to Him (Matt. 24:30-31). Paul tells us, “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen sleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… 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. 4:15-17). Equating vs. 15 with vs. 17 makes it unmistakably, unquestionably clear that Christians are raptured, are caught up at the coming of the Lord, and not at any other time.

Alan Kurshener explains it this way: “Paul teaches that those who survive (‘who are left until the coming of the Lord’) live right up to the Parousia. This shows that there is no gap of time between the rapture and His coming; the rapture is the initial event of the Parousia of Christ” (Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord, p. 76). 2 Thess. 2:1 also tells us that we are gathered to Christ at His coming. So the rapture is not separate from Christ’s coming, but is the first event to occur at His coming.

The rapture takes place sometime during the last half of Dan. 70^th week. You see, the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of this week (Dan. 9:27), and 2 Th. 2:8-9 states that Christ’s coming is after the Antichrist’s coming. Since the rapture occurs at Christ’s coming, we can conclude that it occurs after the midpoint, sometime during the 2^nd half of this week. This Scriptural order of events is also seen in Matt. 24:15-31. The abomination of desolation, caused by the Antichrist, happens at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week (vs. 15). After the midpoint, there’s great tribulation but it’s cut short (vss. 21-22, 29), and then there’s Christ’s coming, and the rapture and gathering of believers to Himself (vss. 30-31). So there’s Christ’s coming, and the rapture occurs at His coming, and His coming takes place at an unknown time during the last half, the last 3½ years of this week.

2. A series of observable events must occur before Christ’s coming and the rapture. The second error of those who believe in a pre-trib rapture is that it is imminent, is that it can happen at any moment, that no signs or prophesied events need to occur before the rapture of the church. This is incorrect for Christ tells us that many things must happen before the rapture, and that there is a particular generation of Christians who see all these things take place.

These verses generally state that the rapture is not imminent: Heb. 10:25 – “… encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” A generation of Christians know these events must occur before Christ’s coming and then see them happen. And they are encouraged for it means their Savior’s return is soon, and they are to encourage others with this good news.

“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’, then destruction will come upon them suddenly… But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light… so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (1 Th. 5:4-6). The story is about a person who is asleep and caught off guard when the thief comes. The lesson is that non-Christians will be surprised when Christ returns. But as Christians, we are not to be surprised, we are to be awake.We have been told that Christ is coming, and we know the signs showing us that His coming is drawing near. And as believers we are to be watchmen, we are to be sober and alert, and observe all these prophesied events occurring in the world around us.

These verses specifically state that the rapture is not imminent: “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:33-34). This is referring to that last generation of Christians who see all these prophesied events take place, and know that Christ “is near, right at the door”, that their “redemption (physical) is drawing near” (Lk. 21:28). Jesus, in Matt. 24:4-30, lists “all these things”, 22 different things that must happen before He comes back. And Jesus is detailed and chronological. We read about false teaching, increasing wars and earthquakes, apostasy, betrayal, abomination of desolation, preaching, great persecution, martyrdom, heavenly signs, etc. Rev. 6:1-8

What strikes me is the exclamatory, emphatic verse that follows vss. 33-34 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Yes, heaven and earth will pass away, impossible as that may seem. But the words that tell us that Christ is coming back, and that all these things will happen before His coming, and that there is a generation of believers who see all these things (vss. 4-30), will never pass away. Jesus wants you to be assured, to be absolutely convinced that He is telling the truth about His 2^nd coming – and He wants this sequence of events to be firmly set in your mind, and know that they will occur during Dan. 70^th week. Luke 21:28-33

Pre-trib believers want us to think we won’t see any of these things happen before the rapture, but just the opposite is true, for all these things must occur before this glorious event, and a generation of believers will see them come to pass. And God wants all Christians, especially that last generation to know these events, and to be 100% convinced they will happen, and to be excited about Christ’s coming, and to be expecting Him and looking forward to seeing Him. 1 Thess. 1:9-10, 4:18

Pre-trib thinkers wrongly believe they will be raptured at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week, and that Matt. 24:32-34 (this last generation of believers who “see all these things”) is referring to a large, distinct group of Christians who will be saved during that 70^th week, but that is just not true. God never says that. And it’s their way of putting the pieces of the prophetic puzzle together, but they are wrong. They are trying to force square pegs into round holes, but they don’t fit.

I have talked about how the rapture is not pre-trib, not before this so-called 7-year tribulation period, but that it’s pre-wrath, that it happens sometime during the last half of Dan. 70^th week. I have also talked about how Christ’s coming is not imminent, that it can’t happen at any moment, and that there’s one last generation of Christians who will see all these prophesied events occur, and who will know with certainty that Christ’s coming is right at the door, will happen very, very soon.

In the next two posts, I will continue sharing with you why the pre-trib position is wrong, is error.
* I will explain that the 70^th week is not a 7-year period of tribulation.
* I will talk about how the rapture does not take place before Matt. 24:4.
* I will look at how Matt. 24 is specifically speaking to a last generation of Christians, the final “you”.
* I will explain to you that the church is talked about after Rev. 3.
* I I will show you that Rev. 6-7 and Matt. 24 go hand in hand, and need to be looked at together.
* I will talk about how pre-trib believers focus on certain “rapture” verses, but they must connect these verses with many others on Christ’s coming that relate to the rapture.

“I, Jesus, have sent the angel to testify to you these things for the churches. Revelation 22:16

P.S. A relevant post on this subject that I encourage you to read is: “The Pre-Trib Rapture Teaching is False.” This article is about your heavenly Father: “The Father’s Love for His Children”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #368 ~

Dr. David Jeremiah, a pastor / teacher who has extensively studied the subject of eschatology, said this, “Matthew 24 and 25 offer the broadest, most comprehensive prophetic truths regarding the end of the world… The Olivet Discourse is one of the most complete outlines of prophecy in all of Scripture. Jesus put all this information together so that we could see and understand the times.” (Signs of the Second Coming – pages 11, 23).I completely agree with Dr. Jeremiah! Without question, Matt. 24 is an extremely important chapter on end-times’ prophecy, which is why I just completed a nine-part series on it! To help you understand it more fully, I will restate and expand on its key truths.

1. A Literal Interpretation – When you read Matt. 24, you must take it literally, at face value, in its normal, natural, customary sense. You see, Matt. 24 is for the average, everyday Christian, not just for “scholars”. Yes, some parts may be hard to comprehend, but the overall meaning is plain and simple, clear and obvious – it’s understandable. “Let the reader understand.” Matt. 24:15c 

2. The Two Questions – Jesus’ disciples ask Him two important questions: “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). In Matt. 24:4-28, Jesus shares all these things that must occur before His coming and then, in vss. 29-30, answers these two questions. And He gives us all this advance notice because He wants us to be ready, excited, and looking forward to His coming. 

3. Daniel’s 70^th week: This 70^th week is a 7-year period, a critical time during which many prophesied events take place. “He (Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (Israel) for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering… one who makes desolate” (Dan. 9:27). At the start of Dan. 70^th week, the one who will soon be known as the “Antichrist” confirms a treaty with Israel. “In the middle of the week”, the Antichrist is revealed. This devilish man shows his true colors by desolating the temple (Matt. 24:15, 2 Th. 2:4), and then persecuting Jews and Christians (Matt. 24:9, 21-22). Since the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint, the 3½ year mark, and since Christ’s coming is after the Antichrist’s coming (2 Th. 2:8-9), then we can conclude that the rapture, the first event at Christ’s coming, occurs after this midpoint, sometime during the last half of this week. At the 7-year mark, the end of this week, a remnant of Jews is saved. Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27

4. Beginning Birth Pains – The beginning birth pains are comprised of wars, famines, earthquakes, and plagues. “Those things must take place, but that is not yet the end (of the age)” (vs. 6), meaning that these birth pains are not telling us that the end of the age is imminent, that Christ is coming right away. We learn that these wars, famines, etc. occur in various places and are being heard about (vss. 6-7), signifying to us that most people in the world do not experience them (Rev. 6:8). It must also be noted that these beginning birth pains are not the Day-of-the-Lord wrath or any part of it. Rev. 6:1-8, 16-17

5. Great Tribulation – The ending birth pain is great tribulation. “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me.” (Matt. 24:9). All over the earth, the elect is being persecuted and killed (vss. 9-10, Rev. 6:9-11). This tribulation is also called Satan’s wrath (Rev. 12:10), for it’s instigated by the Antichrist, Satan’s man on earth. It begins in Jerusalem at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, being directed at Jews, but then spreads to Christians (Rev. 12:16-17). This persecution is cut short by God, at which time this age ends and Christ comes back to gather the believers to Himself, those on earth, and those who have gone to heaven. Vss. 29-31, 2 Thess. 2:1 

6. The End of the Age – We live in an evil age controlled by the devil (Gal. 1:4, 1 Jn. 5:19). This age ends after the events prophesied in Matt. 24:4-26 take place. Vs. 13 informs us that “the one who endures to the end (of the age), he will be saved”, that is, physically saved, raptured. Vs. 14 says that “the end (of the age) will come” after the gospel is preached in the whole world. The sign of the end of the age are cosmic disturbances, which result in the world going dark (vs. 29). Vss. 22, 29 say that this age ends immediately after great tribulation is cut short, which is sometime during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. So it’s at the end of this age that Christ returns to rapture the church. Vss. 29-31

7. The Coming of Christ – Christ’s coming is the primary theme of Matt. 24. “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (vs. 27). The word coming is a noun, and it’s singular. There’s only one coming of Christ, and it begins just after the end of this age (vss. 29-31). This word means arrival and ongoing presence. And it’s at His coming that we see Christ clearly carrying out His plans on earth (Rev. 11:15). Again, His coming takes place after the Antichrist’s coming (2 Th. 2:8-9), sometime during the 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. The initial event to occur at Christ’s coming is the rapture, the gathering of all believers to Himself. 1 Thess. 4:15, 17 

8. The Rapture – Christians usually focus on the rapture, but this word describes only one aspect of what happens when Christ returns for the believers on earth. Matt. 24 speaks of it in three ways: 1) Believers on earth at the end of this age are saved, are physically delivered and glorified (vs. 13). 2) Angels will “gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another” (vss. 30-31). 3) Believers on earth are taken to be with Jesus, but unbelievers are left behind (vss. 40-41). Many other words are used to communicate what takes place when believers are raptured: made alive, transform, redeem, change, relief, rescue, etc., and we will talk about these at another time. 

9. Deception and Lies – The devil continually lies about the truths of Christ’s coming and, nowadays, many Christians naively believe these lies. So three different times, Jesus warns you about false teachers misleading people with regards to these truths. “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4, 11, 23-25; 2 Th. 2:3). Jesus does not want you to be deceived or misled, but to know the truth, and to be on the lookout for the devil’s deception, for his lies and misinformation. It’s paramount that pastors carefully study eschatology, especially in these end-times, and get it right, and to their church, refute the lies and teach the truth. 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:1-2 

10. The Timing of the Rapture – Why would Jesus give us all this information (Matt. 24:4-26) about what needs to happen before His coming if it was imminent, if no prophesied events needed to occur before the rapture, if it could happen today or tomorrow or, as many pre-tribulation advocates say, before vss. 4-26, before beginning birth pains and great tribulation? God gave us all this information because He wants us to know the season. “So, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (vs. 33). Of course, we don’t know the specific time of His coming, “the day or hour” (vs. 36). But we can know the general time, we can “see the day drawing nearer” (Heb. 10:25). The generation of believers who see all these things take place will know what to expect, will have hope, will be encouraged, and will be thrilled that they will soon see Jesus. Lk. 21:28 

11. All the Signs – “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). Twenty-two different events or series of events must happen before the rapture of the church (Vss. 4-28). God told us all these things in advance because He wants us to know these things, to have hope, and to be telling our children and our church. There is a specific and special generation of Christians who will see all these things, and He does not want them to be surprised, to be caught off guard; He wants them to be alert, and to be watchmen, to be looking for all these things to happen. I call this the last generation, and I believe it’s the next generation, or the one after that. O “that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born.” Ps. 78:6 

12. Living for Christ – How are we to live for Christ in these days? God tells us several things in the New Testament, but I want to focus on Matt. 24. 1) Get your “PhD” in Matt. 24. Carefully study it so you fully and clearly understand what will be taking place before Christ’s coming. 2) Do not be fooled by the lies of the devil (vs. 4). 3) Do not be afraid – “See that you are not frightened” (vs. 6). 4) Be holy, and be loving people, both saved and lost. “… lawlessness is increased…” (vs. 12). 5) By God’s grace, endure, persevere to the end (vs. 13). 6) Preach the “gospel of the kingdom” (vs. 15). 7) Be alert, be ready (vss. 42-44). 8) Serve the Lord, be using your gift – be a “faithful and sensible slave” (vs. 44). 

Let me conclude with a statement that summarizes Matthew 24 and the coming of Jesus Christ. In the end-times, there will be beginning birth pains in various places around the world, after which time the Antichrist, at the midpoint, the 3½ year mark of Dan. 70^th week, desolates the temple in Jerusalem, at which point, he persecutes Jews and then Christians. This great tribulation affects the elect, but it’s cut short, does not last the entire 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week and then, at an unknown time, the skies suddenly go dark and this age comes to an end, at which time, the skies suddenly light up and Christ is seen coming on the clouds, and at the blast of a great trumpet, He sends forth His angels and they gather together all believers from all time and bring them to Himself. 

“For this we say by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

P.S. I am thankful that you are reading this particular post, for it summarizes key truths about one of the most important chapters in the Bible, and what you and all believers need to understand at this time in history. The most read article on this website is “Matthew 24 – the Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.” Read it when you get time!

BY Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #367 ~

In the previous post, we talked about knowing God, specifically knowing who He is, His identity – what He is like, His character – and what He does, His purpose. Jesus told us, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:30). Eternal life is knowing God, it’s knowing Him personally, spiritually, and eternally. It’s relating and responding to God, it’s having a continuing relationship with Him. It’s experiencing God’s divine life and power, it’s being loved, encouraged, and satisfied, and it’s fulfilling His purpose, now and forever. 2 Peter 1:2-3 

Knowing God is foundational, it’s the heart and soul of your life on earth and in heaven. Luke 10:38-42 says that Mary “was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word” – and Jesus said, “only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Mary was experiencing the good life – she listened to Jesus, was loved by Him, and learned from Him – and this is what God wants for you. He wants you to know Him, to experience His love, joy, and peace, to have a growing, ongoing relationship with Him, and for your life to have present and eternal value. John 15:16 

Enoch and Noah walked with God – they had a close relationship with Him. What resulted, what flowed from their relationship with God was that they fulfilled His purpose. He wanted them to carry out His plans, and they listened to Him and did exactly what He wanted. Enoch was a prophet (Jude 14-15), and Noah built a boat, the ark of salvation. “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God… Thus, Noah did, according to all that God had commanded him” (Gen. 6:9, 22). Their lives are examples to you, for you too are to know God, walk with Him, and obey His word. 

David was also righteous, and he had a close walk with God. He wrote a good portion of Psalms, most of it focusing on his relationship with God. The Psalms make it very clear that David and others who helped write it knew God – who He was, what He was like, and what He did. What is also clear is their response to God, their love for God, and their desire to do His will. Without question, Psalms is the book that best explains how you can have a quality relationship with God, and He wants you to learn from it. In this post, I give many examples of how its writers related and responded to God. 

* I know You are my God. “O God, You are My God” – Psalm 63:1.
* I am Your servant. “O Lord, surely I am Your servant” – Psalm 116:16, 119:25.
* I will bless You, I will honor You. “I will bless You as long as I live” – Psalm 63:4, 113:2, 145:1-2.
* I call upon You. “I have called upon You, for You will answer me”– Psalm 17:6, 18:3, 86:7, 116:2.
* I hold on to Your word. “I cling to Your testimonies” – Psalm 119:31.
* I confess my sins to You. “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” – Psalm 32:5, 38:18; Ps. 51.
* I cry out to You. “I cried out to You, O Lord” – Psalm 142:5, 3:4, 27:4, 57:2.
* I am excited about obeying You. “I delight to do Your will, O my God” – Psalm 40:9; Ps. 119:35, 47.

* I gladly worship You. “I will extol You, O Lord” – Psalm 30:1, 66:17, 145:1.
* I delight in You. “I will be glad and exult in You” – Psalm 9:2, 5:11.
* I revere You, I respect You. “Fear the Lord, you His saints” – Psalm 34:9, 110:10.
* I hope in You, I rely on You. “Hope in the Lord” – Psalm 131:3, 42:5, 71:14, 130:7.
* I am a faithful follower. “I will keep Your laws continually” – Psalm 119:44, 4, 9, 17, 33.
* I glorify You. “Magnify the Lord with me” – Ps 34:3, 35:27, 40:16, 69:30.
* I know You. “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You” – Psalm 9:10, 91:14.
* I want to know Your ways. “Make me know Your ways” – Psalm 25:4; 119:33, 15, 27, 32.

* I learn from You. “Teach me, O Lord” – Psalm 119:26, 33, 64, 108, 124; Ps. 32:8.
* I lift up my whole being to You. “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul” – Psalm 25:1, 86:4, 143:8.
* I will live with You forever. “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” – Psalm 23:6; 27:4, 84:1-4.
* I truly love Your word. “O how, I love Your law” – Psalm 119:97, 14, 16, 24, 159.
* I really love You Lord. “I love You, O Lord, my strength” – Psalm 18:1, Ps. 116:1.
* I love Your commandments. “I love Your commandments above gold” – Psalm 119:127, 6, 32, 47, 48.
* I meditate, I think about Your works. “I meditate on all Your doings” – Psalm 143:5, 111:2, 145:5.
* I meditate on Your word. “I love Your law, it is my meditation all the day” – Psalm 119:97, 15, 99.

* I praise You, O Lord. “I will praise Your name forever” – Psalm 145:2, 9:2, 103:1-2; Ps. 148.
* I pray to You, I cry out to You. “To You, I pray” – Psalm 5:2-3, 3:4, 57:2, 69:13, 86:6.
* I rejoice in You, O Lord. “I will rejoice and be glad in Your love” – Psalm 31:7, 13:5, 21:1.
* I remember Your word. “I have remembered Your ordinances, O Lord” – Psalm 119:52, 16, 109.
* I am kept safe in You. “In the Lord I take refuge” – Psalm 11:1, 2:12, 7:1, 18:2, 71:1.
* I see You, O Lord. “I have seen You in the sanctuary” – Psalm 27:4, 63:2.
* I seek you, O Lord. “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek” – Psalm 27:8, 34:4, 105:4.
* I sing to You. “I sing praise to Your name, O Most High” – Psalm 9:2, 13:6, 33:1, 47:6, 105:2.

* I will tell of Your deeds. “I will declare Your mighty acts” – Psalm 145:4-6, 9:1, 26:7, 40:10, 105:1.
* I thank You, O Lord. “I will give thanks to You, O Lord” – Psalm 57:9, 9:1, 69:30, 111:1.
* I thirst, I am hungry for You. “My soul thirsts for You” – Psalm 63:1, 42:2, 84:2.
* I prize Your word. “I have treasured Your word in my heart” – Psalm 119:11, 37:31.
* I depend on You. “I trust in You, O Lord” – Psalm 31:14, 21:7, 33:21, 56:11, 62:8, 143:8. 
* I wait for You. “I wait for You” – Psalm 25:21, 27:14, 40:1, 62:5, 119:81, 130:5.
* I walk with You. “I will walk in Your truth” – Psalm 26:3, 86:11.
* I know You are my King, now and forever. “O God, You are my King” – Psalm 44:4; Ps. 2:6, Ps. 47.

God created you, saved you, loves you, and cares for you far more than anyone else. And He wants your best, most important relationship to be with Him. God wants you to know Him, praise Him, love Him, trust Him, and obey Him, and to have a great relationship with Him. And these verses are instructive, for they will help you grow in knowing and loving God. I encourage you to think about them, and how you can apply them in your walk with God. 

I know you spend time with people, but are you spending time with God? He is your Father and you are His child, and getting with Him is essential, is what you must do. So don’t ignore Him, or say you are too busy, or think you don’t need Him. You must get quality time with God, and in a quiet place where there are no distractions, no interruptions. When you are with Him, thank Him and praise Him; be open with Him; tell Him you love Him; read His word and learn who He is and what He is like, and who you are and what He wants you to do; and ask for wisdom, strength, courage, direction, protection, and for the lives of others. And don’t be in a hurry with God. Ps. 42:2, Ps. 100, Phil. 1:9-11 

This blogsite is about the future. And God wants you to know what occurs in the end-times, and when the Antichrist is ruling the earth and persecuting believers like never before. He wants you to know that Christ is returning to rapture the church, save a remnant of Jews, judge the world, and rule for 1,000 years. But today I am focusing on how you are to live, and this subject of knowing God and growing in your relationship with Him is critical, foundational, more necessary than understanding all the details of the future. Having a close relationship with God is the key to being holy and fruitful, to being an overcomer, and to persevering, whether it’s at this time or in the last years before Christ’s coming.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me… Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:1, 3, 6). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

P.S. One of the most important subjects in the book of Psalms is God’s love for you, and you need to experience and be satisfied by His love. So I encourage you to read this article, “The Eternal Love of God.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #366 ~

Knowing God is most important in your life. And knowing God is knowing who He is, His identity, and what He is like, His character, and what He does, His purpose. God’s word is filled with stories of people who knew God. Enoch knew God’s presence and walked with Him. Abraham knew God’s goodness and trusted Him. Moses knew God’s holiness and obeyed Him. David knew God’s love and worshiped Him. Mary knew God’s mercy and trusted Him. Peter knew Jesus is Lord and lived for Him. Paul knew God’s grace and died for Him. These believers and others like them knew God, and therefore loved Him and served Him. And God wants you to truly know Him, to have a close walk with Him, and to forever do what is good, right, and true. 2 Chron. 31:20-21 

A person first knows God’s identity, character, and purpose when he is born again. “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). “God… is the One who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is an eternal relationship with the living God, is knowing Him personally, spiritually, experientially, and eternally. 

Eternal life, knowing God, is not based on the ways of the world, the teachings of men, or the lies of the devil. It is not obtained by having money, fame, fun, power, or friends, but by knowing God and having Him fill your life with His love, joy, peace, and purpose. (Luke 6:24-26). Jeremiah says: “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast of his might, and let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises love, justice, and righteousness on earth.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

Eternal life, the Christian life, is forever experiencing the life of God. Peter tells us, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us… that… you may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:2-3.) Living the Christian life is being a partaker of this divine life, is knowing God and experiencing His grace, His power. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.” (2 Pet. 3:18). Make it your goal to know God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.  

What does it mean to know God? First, it means you know who He is, His identity. You know that God is the Creator, the One who made the entire universe and everyone and everything in it. You learn that He is the Lord of all, of all beings, people, and things. You know He is your spiritual and heavenly Father. You understand that He is the Judge, that He knows every thought, word, and deed, and decides what is right and wrong, and rewards the righteous and punishes the unrighteous. You believe that God is a Giver of what is good, that He blesses and empowers you for His purposes and glory. Isaiah 43-45

You know that Jesus is the Lord of all. You know He is the Creator. You know He is the Savior, for He saves you from sin. You learn that He is your Redeemer, for by His death, He buys you out of slavery, rescuing you from the devil. You believe that He is the Reconciler, enabling you to be a friend of God. You know He is the Head of the church, the leader of the church. You understand that He is the Judge. And you realize He is the King, for He rules His kingdom. 1 Cor. 15:24-28, Heb. 1

You know that the Holy Spirit is your Helper, for He helps you to live for God. You believe He is the Creator. You understand that He is your Teacher, for He teaches you what you need to know and do. You learn that He is your Leader, guiding you in a godly and purposeful way. You see that He is your Strength, giving you the power to do what is right. You know He is the Sanctifier, for He makes you holy. John 14:16, 16:13; Rom. 8:14

Second, you know what God is like, His attributes and character. You understand that God is self-existent, that He never came into being, that He forever exists in and of Himself. You realize He is self-sufficient, He does not need anything from anyone; You know that He has all He needs – all power, wisdom, love, etc. You understand that He is immutable, never changing in His character or plans, and therefore always dependable and trustworthy. You know that He is omnipotent, having all the power to fulfill all His plans, to do whatever He desires. You believe He is omniscient, knowing all that can be known about everyone and everything, past, present, and future. Ps. 139

You know God is omnipresent, He is everywhere, not necessarily in a physical way, but in a spiritual way. You believe He is wise, always making the best decisions regarding everyone and everything; He has devised perfect plans and He fulfills them. You understand that He is faithful, He never forgets and never fails to do what He has planned, and that’s because He is wise, omniscient, powerful, and sovereign. You realize He is just, always doing what is holy, what is in accordance with His word and character; He metes out justice for sin, either by Christ’s atoning death for those who believe in Him, or by eternal wrath in hell for those who reject Him.

You know God is good, He is kind, benevolent, generous, a blessing to all, especially to believers. You know He is merciful and forgiving, not giving a person what he deserves. You understand that God is gracious, giving to a believer the grace he does not deserve to do whatever He has planned for him to do. You know He is loving, that He is always thinking about His people; that He is always concerned, patient, caring, and available. You believe He is holy – He is unique, unlike anyone else; and that He is sinless and perfect, forgiving those who repent and who believe that Jesus died to pay for their sins, and then rose from the dead.

You know God is eternal, that He has always existed and will never cease to exist. You learn that He is incomprehensible, never able to be completely understood, for He never fully reveals Himself. You realize that He is transcendent, that He is above all things and exalted above all things; and that He can never be contained or limited by His creation. You believe that He is sovereign, supreme, and has all authority, perfectly ruling the universe so as to carry out His divine will. You know that He is glorious, great, majestic, divine, beautiful, magnificent, and awesome, words describing the sum of His attributes and character, and inspiring the glory and praise that is due Him and Him alone.

Third, you know the purposes and plans of God, the triune God, by knowing that He is Lord, Father, Head, Creator, Giver, Savior, Judge, King, Helper, Teacher, Leader, Sanctifier, etc. And God’s character, His omniscience, power, wisdom, love, justice, sovereignty, glory, etc., enable Him to carry out His purposes and plans.

Knowing God’s identity, who He is, and His character, what He is like, and His purposes, what He does, is essential if you are to know your identity, if you are to have character, and if you are to fulfill God’s purposes. And I am not talking about head knowledge, but knowing God experientially, knowing Him in a personal way. You can only walk with God, you can only love Him, trust Him, obey Him, and have a good relationship with Him, if you know Him. It was only because Peter knew God that he was a man of God and lived his life for Him. In the very last verse of his very last epistle Peter commands us, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

The identity, character, and purpose of God is also illustrated by the word “name.” Ps. 9:2 – “I will sing praise to Your name.” Ps. 9:10 – “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.” Ps. 20:7 – “We will remember the name of the Lord.” Ps. 29:2 – “The glory that is due His name.” Ps. 54:1 – “Save me, O God, by Your name.” Ps. 72:17 – “His name shall endure forever.” Ps. 89:16 – “In Your name shall they rejoice.” Ps. 102:21 – “Declare the name of the Lord.” Ps. 116:13 – “Call upon the name of the Lord.” Ps. 124:8 – “Our help is in the name of the Lord.” God’s name, His identity, character, and purpose, is the basis for everything, from praising to preaching to praying. Jesus said, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). So pray “in Jesus’ name.”

One reason a Christian struggles and does not grow, love, and serve God like he should is because he does not truly know God. Hosea rightly and strongly states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hos. 4:6). He goes on to say, “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord” (Hos. 6:3).Ultimately, it is God Himself who enables us to know Him. “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord and they will be My people and I will be their God” (Jer. 24:7). Paul prays for the Ephesian believers to grow in knowing God – “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” Ephesians 1:17

You can know a gazillion things in this information age, but most importantly, you must know God. You must know He is Lord; you must know His love; and you must know His purpose. This is especially true in this post-Christian culture, in these increasingly lawless times, and in the years leading up Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church. Knowing God in an intimate way in the tough years ahead is what you need more than anything else! But what should you do to grow in your relationship with God, in your experiential knowledge of Him?

* Determine to know God. Be like Paul who said, “I want to know Christ.” Phil. 3:10
* Study God’s word, specifically the stories and truths that reveal His identity, character, and purpose.
* Think about God’s identity, God’s character, and God’s purposes.
* Observe the lives of godly Christians, and get with them, and learn from them.
* Read Christian biographies, and read good books on God’s attributes.
* Pray for yourself and others that you grow in your relationship with God, in your experiential knowledge of Him.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me” (Jn. 10:14). “Love is from God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 Jn. 4:7). “The Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so we may know Him who is true.” 1 John 5:20

P.S. We finished a 9-part series on Matthew 24, a most important chapter that speaks at length about the troublesome days ahead. That’s why I wrote this post, to stress our need for having a good, solid relationship with God. Here is a post about how He will be our strength during the years ahead – “God Will Keep You Strong to the End.”  

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #365 ~ 

Matthew 24:3 – “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” The disciples knew they were living in an age ruled by Gentiles, and that Jesus, who had been with them for nearly three years, was the Christ, the King who would defeat their enemies and begin ruling over Israel and the entire world. But they wanted to know when, and so they ask Jesus to give them signs that would alert them to the end of this age and His coming. 

Their questions for Jesus are extremely relevant, especially in these end-times, and He answers them in Matt. 24:29-31. But before that, He tells them many things that will happen in the years leading up to His coming. Jesus does this because He does not want you to be caught off guard, but to be expecting Him, and looking forward to being with Him. In this post, I focus on the end of this age, Christ’s coming, and the rapture of the church as described in Matt. 24 and other related verses. 

There are three points I must make before we begin looking at Matthew 24:
* Christ’s coming occurs after the end of this age. Jesus answers the disciples’ questions by saying the skies go dark (Matt. 24:29), signaling the end of this age – and then after that, the skies light up, signaling His coming (Matt. 24:30-31). So the coming of Christ is just after the end of this age. 

* The rapture of the church is the first thing to happen at Christ’s coming. 1 Th. 4:15 says, “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord…” 1 Th. 4:17, the classic rapture verse, says, “We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds…” There is the exact same wording in the first part of both vss. 15 and 17, and equating them makes it clear that the rapture takes place at Christ’s coming. This is also seen in Matt. 24:29-31 and 2 Thess. 2:1. 

* Believers are glorified at Christ’s coming. “… so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:22-23).The phrase “made alive” means to be glorified – and vs. 23 explicitly says this occurs at Christ’s coming. 1 John 2:28, 3:2 also explain that we will be glorified at Christ’s coming. “When He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming… We know that when He appears (at His coming), we will be like Him.” And to be like Jesus is to be glorified. Note Phil. 3:20-21.

Let’s now look more closely at the end of this age and Christ’s coming:
Matthew 24:4-8. Jesus wants us to know that these birth pains, the deception, wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes, are “not yet the end” (vs. 6), that the end of the age and Christ’s coming is not yet, is not imminent, is not right at the door (vs. 33). Vs. 8 says the occurrence of “these things are merely the beginning of birth pains” – that is, much more needs to happen before this age comes to an end. 

Matthew 24:9-14 focuses on Christians who are experiencing tribulation, and I believe it’s great tribulation, for vs. 9 says they (unbelievers) “will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations.” During this time of tribulation, Jesus instructs us to preach the “gospel of the kingdom… to all the nations, and then the end will come” (vs. 14).It’s after great tribulation and the preaching of the gospel to the whole world that the end is come, that this age is over, and Christ returns to rapture the church. 

Matthew 24:13 tells us, “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Again, we read about the “end”, and the one who perseveres, who overcomes to the end of the age will be saved. The word saved is not speaking about spiritual salvation, but about physical deliverance, that Christians who endure to the end of this age will be rescued from an evil world – and then glorified. James 5:7 also talks about endurance – “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” The word patient is similar to endure, and God encourages us to not quit, to be patient, to keep going until the Lord’s coming. 

Matthew 24:15-21 focuses on the Jews. Vs. 15 speaks of the “abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel.” The setting is Jerusalem, and the Antichrist defiles, desecrate the Jewish temple, for he “takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Th. 2:4). Dan. 9:27 predicts that this takes place in the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week, at the 3½ year mark. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 says that the coming of Christ is after the coming of the Antichrist. Vs. 1 speaks of “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him.” From vss. 2-4, we learn that the Antichrist is revealed for who he really is when he desolates the temple, and that this occurs before Christ’s coming and the day of the Lord. This is confirmed by vs. 8: “That lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming, that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan.” 

These verses make it abundantly clear that the Antichrist comes, is revealed, and then Christ comes, and He returns to gather all the believers. Since the Antichrist desolates the temple at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, then Christ’s coming must take place sometime after this. So it happens during the 2^nd half of the 70^th week, but we don’t know when, we don’t know the day or hour. 

Matthew 24:22-27. Great tribulation begins in Jerusalem and spreads to the elect, to the chosen, to those in the world who aren’t worshiping the Antichrist – and it’s the worst persecution ever (Matt. 24:9, Rev. 13:14-17). And the devil does all these signs and wonders to deceive, to mislead people (Rev. 13:11-13). One of his goals is to get the elect to believe that Christ is already on earth. But that’s a lie. To convince us that He’s coming in the skies, Jesus says, “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (vs. 27). Like lightning, Christ’s coming is seen in the sky above, and it’s sudden, dramatic, brilliant, and unmistakable. Matt. 24:30 

The evidence is clear that Christ’s coming (vs. 27) is after the Antichrist’s coming (vs. 15), and that Christians are living on earth during the evil rule of the Antichrist and his persecution of the church. But then Christ comes to save them out of this world, to glorify them, and take them to Himself. 

Matthew 24:29-31. The disciples’ questions are answered. So what do we learn? 1) Great tribulation is cut short by God. 2) Skies go dark, the sign of the end of the age. 3) Christ’s shekinah glory, a brilliant light, the sign of Christ’s coming, precedes His coming and shatters the darkness. 4) Those on earth “see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” 5) There’s a great trumpet sound, and Christ sends His angels to gather the elect from the “four winds (believers on earth) and from one end of the sky to the other (believers in heaven).” Note Mark 13:27. 

Matthew 24:32-36. All these things (22, in fact) must occur before the end of this age and Christ’s coming. The people who see and hear about these things know the general time of His coming. And God has appointed a specific generation of believers who will witness all these things and sense that Christ’s coming is drawing near (Heb. 10:25). So we can know the general time. We also know that His coming happens after the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, but we don’t know the specific time. Jesus stresses the point that we don’t know the day or hour for it’s stated 6 different times, Matt. 24:36, 42, 44, 50; Matt. 25:13; Mk. 12:32. But we can know the season, the general time of Christ’s coming, and I believe it will be our children’s or grandchildren’s generation. 

Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” This emphatically emphasizes the truth, supremacy, power, and eternality of God’s word. This kind of verse is rare, is scarcely found in God’s word. And it could be in any chapter, highlighting the truth of that chapter. But it’s here in Matt. 24, pounding home the reality of these few verses, and of the entire chapter. This eschatological, exclamation point is shouting, “Listen up, Jesus is coming back and He told you what happens before His return. He told you because He doesn’t want you to be surprised by the birth pains and great tribulation, and so you are excited and looking forward to His return – and are telling others about it!” Christ’s 2^nd coming is the most exciting, most important thing to happen since His 1^st coming, and God wants you to be ready, waiting, and doing His work! Rev. 22:7, 12, 20 

Matthew 24:37-41 – “The coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage…” In the final years before Christ’s coming, unbelievers are living like everything is normal. But they are evil, hate Christians, and turn them in to the authorities (vss. 9-12). They mock Christians, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pet. 3:4). We live in a sinful world, but it will be much worse in the last days, especially when that lawless man, the Antichrist, is ruling the world and persecuting Christians. 

So unbelievers are eating, drinking, buying, and selling, oblivious to what is about to happen (Lk. 17:28). Suddenly, the skies grow dark, but are immediately lit up by Christ’s coming. The sinners, in great shock and scared to death, know they cannot escape from Jesus Christ, the Almighty God, the holy Judge, the King of the world. “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.” Christians are saved from a very wicked world, taken off the earth, and glorified!!! 

A generation of Christians living on earth will witness all these events leading up to the end of this age and the coming of Christ. There will be the beginning of birth pains; the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week; and there’s great tribulation. Then sometime in the next 37 months, Christ comes back. At that time, He gathers all God’s children to Himself, and takes them home to heaven. “… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 

1 Thess. 2:19-20 – “Who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming. For you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thess. 3:13 – “… that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” 1 Thess. 4:15 – “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep… we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them…” 1 Thess. 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved compete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

P.S. Here is an article that shows you the importance of Christ’s second coming: “Over 100 New Testament Verses on Christ’s Second Coming.” I would also encourage you to use the search bar to look for posts on the rapture, and there are many of them.

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #364 ~

Matthew 24, the single most important end-times’ chapter, concludes by contrasting the lives of saints and sinners. The believer lives for Christ, expects His soon return, and is eternally blessed. The unrepentant unbeliever lives for self, is not expecting His return, and will be eternally cursed. 

Matthew 24:42 – “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” No one but God knows the day and hour of Christ’s coming, but we can know the season, the general time. That’s because vss. 4-30 tell us 22 different things that must occur in the years leading up to His coming. So what is Jesus’ instruction? Be on the alert – be awake, aware, and looking for these things to happen, and by doing this, you can sense, you can “see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). “We are not of night nor of darkness; let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” 1 Thess. 5:5-6 

Being on the alert is not just a physical thing. At its core, it’s spiritual in nature, it’s being holy and godly. We can only be truly excited, expecting, and looking for our Lord’s return if we are living a holy life. (1 Pet. 1:13-16). “Do this, knowing the time, that it’s already the hour for you to awaken from sleep, for now salvation is nearer to us than we believed. The night is almost gone and the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light…” Rom. 13:11-14 

Matthew 24:43 – “If the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and not allowed his house to be broken into.” This is not saying that Christ is a thief, but that He is coming like a thief. Just like a thief does not announce when he is breaking into a house, Christ has not told us the exact time of His coming and, in fact, He Himself does not know (Matt. 24:36). So you can’t be alert to the specific time of Christ’s coming for God has not told you the time. God does not want you to set your alarm for the exact day and hour of Christ’s coming, and be sinful and worldly in the meantime. 

Matthew 24:44 – “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” God wants you to be ready, prepared, and living a holy life in these last years leading up to Christ’s coming. You must be ready because you do not know the exact time of His coming, and also because He will be “coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” So don’t spend your time trying to figure out the day or hour of Christ’s coming. 

Christ tells you many details leading up to His return, and He wants you to see these events so you can be ready and alert, so you can be excited and looking forward to His coming. I am thankful God did it this way, that He did not tell us the exact time of His coming, but the general time. He knew that if He did, we’d be more tempted, more prone, more wanting to live a worldly life up until that last month or two before Christ’s return. 

It’s like having a friend come to your place sometime in the afternoon, and you don’t know when. But you know he’s coming in a time span of several hours, and you are looking forward to seeing him, and you are waiting for him. And your place is ready, is clean, and the table is set, and the food is ready. Think how this relates to the end-times. As I have said, many things are taking place in these final years before Christ’s return. But the event that should really get your attention as to when He is coming is the revealing of the Antichrist at the midpoint, the 3½ year mark of Dan. 70^th week. Know that great tribulation, the great persecution of Jews and Christians, begins soon after the revealing of the Antichrist. And this persecution lasts a little while but God cuts it short, and then this age comes to an end, and Christ returns to rapture the church. Matt. 24:15, 22, 29-31 

The last 3½ years of Dan. 70^th week is comprised of great tribulation affecting the church, the rapture, and God’s punishing wrath upon unbelievers. We don’ know how long tribulation lasts, but one aspect of God’s wrath lasts exactly 5 months (Rev. 9:5). And 3½ years is 42 months, and 42 – 5 = 37. Since the Antichrist desolates the temple at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week, then Christ must come sometime in the next 37 months, but surely many months less than that – and that’s because great tribulation goes on for a little while, but we don’t know how long. The point I am making is that God wants you to be ready and alert during these end-times, specifically during the birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8), and especially after the Antichrist is revealed (Matt. 24:15) at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week. 

Matthew 24:45 – “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom His master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” God is addressing Christians, and He calls you a slave, which means you are to be serving Him full time, 24/7. You are owned by God, the most loving Master in the universe, and you are to work day and night for Him. And God has good works, special assignments for you to do. Esth. 4:14, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Eph. 2:10 

The work God wants you to do usually relates to your spiritual gift(s). “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10). In addition to a spiritual gift(s), God has given you money, time, talents, and energy. As God’s slave and steward, you are to use these things for His purposes and glory. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven… who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10 

Christ instructs you to be faithful, to be reliable, dependable, and trustworthy, and to be sensible, to be wise, prudent, and discerning, doing what is best with what God has entrusted you. Don’t take lightly the gifts and abilities God has given you for His work, for your work in serving others. So how do you respond to Christ’s question, “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave…?” Tell Him that you are His slave, His servant. Say to Him, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8 

God has given you a divine stewardship and responsibility in the work of Christ for this momentous time in history. And He wants you to be like John the Baptist, to help “prepare the way of the Lord” (Lk. 3:4). It won’t be long before Christ returns to rapture the church and take over the world. That’s when you and everything else will suddenly and wonderfully change. “We will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” 1 Cor. 15:52, Acts 3:20-21 

Matthew 24:46-47 – “Blessed is that slave whom His master finds so doing when he comes? Truly I say to you that He will put him in charge of all His possessions.” The Christian who is serving God, who is faithfully doing His work until Christ’s return, will be blessed, recognized, and rewarded with more work, important responsibilities in the kingdom ages. “Well done, good slave; because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.” Luke 19:17 

Matthew 6:1-8, 16-21 talks about serving God in secret, specifically, giving, praying, and fasting. It could also be praising, trusting, and obeying God, studying His word, etc. “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:18). It’s truly amazing that God will reward you for everything you think, say, or do for Him. 

There’s much more on this important subject of rewards than people realize: “He who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to what he has done” (1 Cor. 3:8). “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Col. 3:23-24). “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” Rev. 22:12 

Matthew 24:48-51 – “If that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellows slaves and eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The actions and consequences of sinners, of unrepentant unbelievers, are the complete opposite of the saved, of true believers. 

These sinners, these Christ-rejectors, are evil, are children of the devil, and will be punished when Christ comes back. Those on earth at the end of this age will go through the Day of the Lord, the devastating trumpet and bowl judgments (Rev. 8-9, 16); then they go to hell, to Hades, for 1,000 years (Lk. 6:23, Rev. 20); and then they will be “thrown into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:11-15 

“Depart from me accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46). “The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:7b-9 

Wow! What a chapter! Matt. 24, more than any other chapter, describes what is happening in the end-times and at Christ’s coming, and you must learn these things. And tell family, friends, and fellow church members. And be expecting, watching, and waiting for Christ’s return. And be looking for these events signaling His return. And encourage fellow believers when you see them happen. Most of all, be looking for Christ to come back in the clouds, for then you will be glorified, and finally and forever be with Him and other believers. “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 7:12

P.S. Here are two good posts, one about how to live for the Lord in the end-times, and the other about the rewards He gives us for living for Him: “How Then Should We Live in the End Times?”, and “Earthly Work that Results in Heavenly Rewards.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #363 ~

Christ’s coming is the primary theme in Matt. 24 which, in my opinion, is the most important, must-read end-times’ chapter in the Bible. We are slowly working our way through this very instructive and important passage. We have already talked about Christians, Jews, and the rapture of the church at Christ’s coming – and today we are seeing what God says about the unrepentant unbeliever.

Matthew 24:37-38a – “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage…” Lk. 17:28, a related passage, states, “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building.” In the last years before Christ’s coming, the unsaved are going along like usual, are living their “normal”, everyday lives – eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, and building. They aren’t expecting God to intervene and put a stop to what they are doing, and then pour out His wrath on them.

Matthew 24:37-38a talks about sinners in the end-times, and many more verses describe what they are like. In Lk. 6:23-26, Jesus says they are seeking fortune, food, fun, and fame. In Lk. 12:19, He tells us, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” Rev. 13:3-4 talks about the sinner’s relationship with the devil. “The whole earth (not the elect) was amazed and followed after the beast (Antichrist); they worshiped the dragon (Satan)… and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’” These non-Christians are definitely not worshiping God – they are worshiping the devil (Rev. 13:13-14); and they are not obeying God – they are doing what the devil wants them to do.

Revelation 13:16-17 speaks of another beast, the false prophet (Rev. 19:20), the Antichrist’s right-hand man. He causes the unsaved to take the mark of the beast, “a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.” Only when a person worships the devil and takes the mark is he “able to buy or to sell.” But know that the Holy Spirit will not allow any of God’s elect to take the mark. 1 Cor. 3:16

Revelation 18 is a sobering chapter about satisfied sinners in the end-times, about idolaters, those who truly love the world. Rev. 18 is the kind of passage that should put the fear of God in you. In it, we find out that “Babylon the great”, a dwelling place of demons and evil spirits, describes the kingdom of Satan in the last years of this age. “Her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (vss. 4-5). “She glorified herself and lived sensuously.” vs. 7

We learn that the music, wealth, food, cars, furniture, clothes, merchants, and manufacturers of the world will be no more, that “all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you” (vss. 11-14). We discover that “in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong” (vs. 8). This world is worldly now, but in her final few years, she will be extremely worldly. But God says, “Woe, Woe.” Rev. 18:16

2 Tim. 3:2-4 identifies some of the sins of unbelievers, specifically that they are “lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Sadly, the ungodly don’t understand the consequences of their sin, what happens if they don’t repent. As in the days of Lot and Noah, they don’t realize that there are disastrous, cataclysmic events from which they won’t escape, and that they will then be cast into hell, an eternally painful and punishing fire (Matt. 25:41, 46). “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). “Our God is a consuming fire.” Heb. 12:29

Matthew 24:14 – “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.” You wonder if these last days’ sinners had heard the gospel. We know some people are being born again, but most people in the world are rejecting God (Matt. 7:13). They don’t understand that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for peoples’ sins and was raised from the dead, and that if they repent of their sins and believe in Him, they would be forgiven, receive eternal life, and be children of God. (Rom. 5:8, Mk. 1:15, Jn. 1:12-13). Instead, they turn from God, ignoring the evidence of the creation (Rom. 1:18-22) and the fact of the flood. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man…” (Rom. 1:23). “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Rom. 1:25

Ephesians 4:18 says that the lost are “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God… because of the hardness of their heart”. When the unrighteous don’t believe God and his word, they are “darkened” in their thinking. Because of unbelief, they don’t understand the gospel and that sin has consequences, that they will be punished at the end of this age, and forever and ever. Luke 3:9, 17; Rev. 20:15

Matthew 24:12 – “Because lawlessness is increased, most peoples’ love will grow cold”. The unrepentant are extremely lawless, rebellious, and wicked in the end-times. Jn. 3:18 tells us, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness, for their deeds were evil.” The corruption, sensuality, immorality, and depravity on this earth in the last years is similar to what occurred in the days of Lot and Noah. Mk. 7:20-23, Rom. 1:24-32, Gal. 5:19-21, and 2 Tim. 3:1-4 list specific sins that were true back in their day, are true today, and will be even more accepted, prevalent, blatant, and “legal” when the Antichrist is ruling in the last days of this age.

2 Peter 3:3-6 helps us understand what many unbelievers will be thinking and saying. “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creating.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed being flooded with water.”

John 15:20 – “If they persecute Me, they will also persecute you”is what Jesus told us. The sinners are mocking, ridiculing, laughing at, and persecuting Christians. Peter told us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.” 1 Pet. 4:12-14

What happens when God has had enough, when wickedness in the world is filled up to the brim? Matthew 24:38-41 – “They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field, one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left.” In the days of Noah, sinners were doing normal, everyday activities right up to when the rain from above and the waters from below began covering the earth. What immediately followed was that Noah and his family were saved from the flood, from God’s wrath, but a world of sinners was judged, was punished by the flood, by God’s holy wrath. Gen. 6:9-13

Luke 17:29-30 gives us Lot’s example – “On the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” The unsaved in the time of Lot did not understand what was coming. They were so godless, so hardened, so deep in their sin, and they had no idea what would be happening.  

The stories of Lot and Sodom, and of Noah and the world, illustrate what happens to believers and unbelievers at Christ’s coming. The unbelievers, oblivious to God, are going along living their sinful lives. Then once again, this world is filled up with sin, and this age comes to an end. Suddenly, Christ returns to rapture the church, and God begins to punish the sinners. Luke tells us that God’s mercy on saints and His justice on sinners are back-to-back events, and occur on the same day. In fact, Rev. 8:1 tells us that only 30 minutes separate the two, the rapture of the church and the beginning of God’s wrath upon the unrepentant.   

Matthew 24:40-41 give examples of what this looks like. There are two stories of two people working together, and in each case, one is saved and one is lost. Without warning, the world goes dark but is then lit up by Christ’s coming, and immediately the saved are gone, glorified, and with their Savior. But the lost are in shock, terrified, and scared to death. “There will be signs in sun, moon, and stars… men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Lk. 21:26). “The kings… and the rich… and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves… and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb’” (Rev. 6:15-16). The ungodly realize that God, the Judge, sees them, and that they cannot escape, and that He will soon pour out His wrath on them.

At Christ’s coming, there is a sudden separation of those who are saved and those who are lost, of believers and unbelievers. For the saints, it’s the best day of their lives, and for the sinners, it’s their worst day. For the children of God, they are with Christ and the believers, and will be blessed forever. For the children of the devil, they are with the wicked, and will be punished forever. 

As a Christian, you need to know what Matt. 24 is telling you will take place in the last years of this age. If God has you here, know that it will be a very tough time, a time of great evil, hate, persecution, and martyrdom, a time when the Antichrist rules the earth. But know that it’s a very short time compared to being forever with Jesus in heaven in a glorified body and with believers (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Yes, you may experience Satan’s wrath on earth for a little while, and you may, like Lot, be “oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men” (2 Pet. 2:7), but it’s nothing compared to experiencing God’s everlasting wrath in hell.

If you are on earth at that time, remember that the Spirit is in you, and that God will give you an abundance of peace, strength, and hope. So keep believing, keep loving, and keep persevering to the end. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).“Encourage one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). “In a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay” (Heb. 10:37). And remember the last verse of the book of Revelation, of God’s word – “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.” Rev. 22:21

P.S. Knowing about the unbeliever in the end-times is a motivation for sharing the gospel with them, and for personal holiness. Here are three important posts about the unbeliever – “What About the Unrighteous Unbeliever in the End Times?”, “Sinners and Saints in the End Times”, “They are Scared to Death.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #362 ~

Let me be clear from the start. We do not know the exact time of Christ’s coming, but we do know the general time, the overall sequence of events leading up to His coming and the rapture of the church. This is the message of this post and what each of you need to clearly understand.

Matthew 24:32 – “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near…” A parable is a story that communicates, that illustrates a spiritual truth. This story is about a fig tree whose branches are becoming tender and are growing new leaves. When this happens, we know for certain that summer is near, that it’s coming soon.

Matthew 24:33 – “… so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” When we see the things happening that Jesus spoke about in vss. 4-30, we know His coming is near, that He is right at the door, that He will soon rapture the church. It’s not saying Israel is the fig tree and that becoming a nation in 1948 is the sign that Jesus’ coming is near, but it’s a lesson about how we can know the general time, the season of His return.

Likewise, Luke 21:28-33 tells us the parable of the fig tree, but its lessons are more specific. First, we learn that our redemption is near, for it is at Christ’s coming that we are redeemed, that we are delivered from our fleshly body and are glorified. Second, we learn that the kingdom is near, for Christ is the King, and it is at His coming that He begins His kingdom on earth. Rev. 11:15

Here is a list of the things from Matt. 24:4-30 that must occur before Jesus’ coming. There’s deception, false Christs, wars, rumors of war, famines, earthquakes, great tribulation, martyrdom, hate, apostasy, betrayal, lawlessness, an unloving world, Christians persevering, preaching the gospel, the abomination of desolation (Antichrist is revealed), Jews fleeing from Judea, false prophets, signs and wonders, great tribulation shortened, the sign of the end of the age, and the sign of Christ’s coming.

These 22 things must take place before Christ returns to rapture the church. Christians need to know that there’s this sequence of end-times’ events – that this one thing happens, and then this next thing happens, and so on. And Christians should expect them to happen, look for them to happen, see them happen, and be encouraged when they do happen, for each of them is a signpost pointing to Christ’s coming.

I need to remind you of Daniel’s 70^th week, a 7-year timetable of prophetic events (Dan. 9:24-27). It starts with the confirming of a treaty between the Antichrist and Israel; at its midpoint, the 3½ year mark, the abomination of desolation occurs and the Antichrist is revealed; at its endpoint, a large remnant of Jews is saved. The 22 things listed in Matt. 24 take place during this week. I believe that wars, famines, etc. begin sometime before Dan. 70^th week and continue into the first half of that week (Matt. 24:4-8). I also believe that the building of the Jewish temple occurs during the first half of this week. Most importantly, Christ returns to rapture the church sometime during the last half, the last 3 1/2 years of this week, a time known only to God the Father. Matt. 24:36

Matthew 24:34 – “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” We read about all these things taking place, and now we learn that there will be a select, special group of people living during a certain period of time who will not pass away until they see all these things happen. When they see them happen, they know they won’t have to wait long to be with Jesus, for they see “the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25), that “their redemption is drawing near” (Lk. 21:28), that “the kingdom of God is near” (Lk. 21:31), and that “He (Christ) is near” (Matt. 24:33).

When Jesus said these things, He was speaking like a prophet. He was talking to the apostles, to His disciples, but He was also speaking to a future generation of disciples who needed to be alerted, who needed to know these things would be taking place, and who were to be watchman (1 Chr. 12:32, Ex. 3:17). So Jesus is talking to a future “you”, and this is us, and our children, grandchildren, and great-children. As I look at God’s eschatological word and observe the world around us, I believe it is in the coming decades that Christ will return to rapture His church. This is an amazing and astounding truth, a sobering but exciting reality that a future generation of Christians will, not long from now, see, not just a few of these things take place, but “all these things take place.” Matt. 24:34

This is what Jesus tells you in Matt. 24: “See to it that no one misleads you” (vs. 4); “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened” (vs. 6). “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations” (vs. 9); “When you see the abomination of desolation… “(vs. 15); “If anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’… do not believe him” (vs. 23); “Behold, I have told you in advance” (vs. 25); “when you see all these things, recognize that He is near” (vs. 33); “be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (vs. 42).

Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” That heaven and earth, as we now know it, will pass away, will not exist forever, is a momentous, unfathomable event. This is contrasted with the ultimate truth, that God’s holy, eternal, perfect, personal, prophetic word will never pass away. God is emphasizing the power, the supremacy, the certainty, the necessity of His word, specifically, in this area of eschatological truth.  

Matt. 24:35b, in its immediate context, is reinforcing the truths of vss. 33-35a, that all these things are going to take place because God’s word said they would (vss. 4-30), including the fact that heaven and earth will pass away (Ps. 102:25-26, Rev. 21:1). God also said they would occur before Christ’s return to rapture the church, and that there’s a generation of believers who will see them happen. Not only that, but all these things will happen because God will cause them to happen. Is. 46:9-11, Eph. 1:9-11

We must also see Matt. 24:35 in its larger context, for God placed it right in the middle of this critical end-times’ chapter. But why did God do it? To convince you that His eschatological word is true, absolutely, 1000% true; to stress the extreme importance of end-times’ truth at this time in history; to help you see that the prophetic truth in Dan. 9; Matt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 17, 21; Rom. 8, 11, 15; Eph. 1; Phil. 3; 1 Th. 4-5; 2 Th. 1-2; Tit. 2; James 5; 1 Pet. 1; 2 Pet. 3; 1 Jn. 2-3; and Rev 1-22 is no small thing, no minor doctrine, but a major doctrine, and must be seen and taught as such, especially for those living in these last years before Christ’s coming, and specifically for that generation who will be watching all these end-times’ events. 2 Tim. 4:1-2

I hope you are realizing that Christ’s coming is not imminent, that it can’t happen at any moment, that it can’t happen today, tomorrow, or next year. Nothing in God’s word says that no signs or prophesied events need to occur before the rapture. In fact, it says just the opposite. It’s telling you that all these things listed in Matt. 24 must take place before Christ’s coming and the rapture. And I hope you understand that the rapture is the 1^st event at His coming. All these things spoken of in vss. 4-30a take place before Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church which do not happen until vss. 30b-31. This truth is also taught in 1 Cor. 15:22-23; 1 Thess. 4:15, 17; 2 Thess. 2:1-9; 2; and Rev. 6:1 – Rev. 7:14.

As I just said, Matt. 24 explicitly says that “all these things” will occur before Christ’s coming and the rapture, and that we will see them happen. Heb. 10:25 tells us that we will “see the day drawing near”, which means we will be literally seeing these events happening in the world that Matt. 24 says are leading to Christ’s returns to rapture the church. 2 Thess. 2:1-10 says that Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church take place after Antichrist’s coming. Christians living on earth at this time will see the Antichrist before they see Jesus and before they are raptured.

Many Christians believe that the rapture of the church is imminent. But that is not true, for nothing in God’s word says it is true, and many verses tell us that it is false. The imminency of Christ’s coming must be recognized as error. And it is not without harm, for it causes Christians to think they won’t be here when the Antichrist is revealed, and that they won’t experience great persecution. Our loving Father wants us to know what will be happening and not be surprised.

Matthew 24:36 – “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” I am amazed that some people set a specific date for Christ’s return when Matt. 24:36 makes it clear that no one but the Father knows the exact time. No date is given to us in Matt. 24 or any other place in the Bible. What we do understand, what is clearly explained in vss. 32-34, is that we can know the season, the general time period of Christ’s return. Again, that’s because Christians living on earth in the very last years of this age will witness all these Biblically identified events leading up to Christ’s coming.

We have spent a lot of time in this and recent posts talking about different events that are happening before Christ’s coming. Some of these events, like more wars, increasing lawlessness, and great tribulation, are general in nature. But some are specific, like the abomination of desolation by the Antichrist, for this is a singular event occurring at a precise time, the 3½ year mark of Dan. 70^th week. Those who are here when this happens know that Christ’s coming is less than 37 months away (Rev. 9:5 — 42 months – 5 months = 37 months) – but we don’t know the exact time.

2 Thess. 2:4 refers to a Jewish temple in Jerusalem, but there’s no temple at this time. When we see this temple being built, we can say that Christ is coming very soon. But we can never say we know the day or the hour of His coming. As time goes on, we will be getting closer to Christ’s return and more Matt. 24-described events will be happening, giving us more and more certainty and confidence that “He is near.” Finally, we will see the sign of the end of the age and the sign of Christ’s coming, and we will say that He is “right at the door.” Matt. 24:33

What an exciting time to be alive, for Christ is returning soon to rapture the church. God gives us a needed and sufficient outline of what will be taking place before that happens. That’s because He loves you and really wants you to know the general time and sequence of end-times’ events. He doesn’t want you to be ignorant, worldly, afraid, confused, in error, or sleeping, but to be knowledgable, holy, courageous, discerning, wise, and wide awake when Christ comes back. And God wants there to be watchman in every family and church, ones who know His prophetic word and how it relates to events in the world. Might you be one!!! “Consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds… encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:24-25

P.S. Here are some important posts about the timing of Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church: “When Does the Rapture Take Place?”, “Antichrist Revealed, and Then the Rapture – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4”, “When is Christ Returning to Rapture the Church?”