By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #3 ~
Throughout the years, I have loved to get up on top of hills, and on the top floors of big buildings and parking ramps. I have loved to look out over the land and get some perspective, for too easily I know that I can focus on my own life and my own little world. As Christians, we need Biblical perspective, spiritual perspective – we need to see things from God’s point of view. But I’m not talking about what is presently going on in the world – I am talking about a historical and prophetic perspective. And it’s what the Bible says about our past and our future that gives us this big picture, and should then motivate us to live for Him in the last years of this church age.
Let’s break down the past, the present, and our future into four parts:
– First, there was the time of Adam and Eve, and they were perfect, and they were perfectly ruling over a perfect world. This is Genesis 1-2.
– Second, there’s the present evil age, an age that began with the sin of Adam and Eve. During this age, Satan, the most wicked and sinful being ever, has been ruling over an evil and corrupt world. This is our time to live! This is Genesis 3 – Revelation 19.
– Third, there’s the next age, the 1000-year kingdom age, when Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior and King, will perfectly rule over a far better, though still not perfect world. This is Revelation 20.
– Fourth, there will be the eternal kingdom, when God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will perfectly, wonderfully, and forever be ruling over a perfect heaven and a perfect earth. This is Revelation 21-22.
Do you see this? Do you see where this world has come from, and where this world is going? Do you get the big picture? And do you see where you and I are at right now? This present evil age (Galatians 1:4), that started with Adam’s sin, is now in its “last days” (Acts 2:17), the church age. Not only that, but with the Jews back in their land, we know that we are at the very end of this evil age, this church age. This means that Jesus Christ will soon return to rapture the Christians who are on earth and take them up to heaven. At that time all believers saved during this evil age, both Old and New Testament saints, will join together to worship and serve the Lord, and reign with Him over this earth. Hallelujah!!!
This future is our hope, and we should be extremely excited and looking forward to it. We are so close to this monumental juncture in the history of our world when this evil age will end – when we will see the return of the King, and the beginning of the next age. Our salvation will be complete, we will be glorified, and the good age, Christ’s kingdom age, will begin. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 summarizes this by saying, “But each in his own order: Christ, the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the Kingdom to God the Father.” Ephesians 1:21, speaking of Christ’s rule and authority says, “in this age, but also in the age to come.”
But this is 2020, and this is our time, our time to live for the Lord! To think that God purposed and planned for you and I to be alive, not back in the days of Moses or David or even at the time of Christ’s 1st coming, not in the Dark Ages or at the time of Luther or out in the wild west, but now in the end times, and so very close to Christ’s 2nd coming. In all of human history, this is the time God wants us to be alive on this earth, and this should greatly motivate us to want to live for Him, and be a part of what He is doing in this world. The parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27) instructs us, “Do business until I come back.” Might we be living all out for the Lord, using our time, talents, and treasure for Him, building up the church, encouraging the believers, and reaching out to the lost. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
PS – Always notice the little man in the charts. That’s you and me. Do you see where we are? And do you see where we are going? It won’t be long before Christ returns to rapture the church and takes us home to heaven.
