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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Month: October 2018

The Kingdom of God

October 26, 2018 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #91 ~

The primary, overarching theme of the Bible is God’s kingdom and glory. From Genesis to Revelation, this is the message God wants you to understand and be passionate about. In this post, I will focus on 3 different aspects of the kingdom of God: 1st, the broad and comprehensive view of God’s kingdom; 2nd, the invisible, internal and spiritual aspect of God’s kingdom; and 3rd, the visible, external and physical aspect of God’s kingdom.

1. A long, long time ago, God created the heavens, the earth, and people. Since He is the Creator, since He made everything and everyone, then He was, and is, and will always be the King! He is the King over the stars and planets. He is the King over people, angels, the devil and demons. He is the King over the land and sea, over animals, birds, and fish. He is the King over cities and countries. He is the King over the kings. He is the King over all that is physical and all that is spiritual. He has absolute authority, power and sovereignty over all of His creation. He has perfect knowledge and wisdom, doing exactly what He wants, when He wants, and where He wants! No one can ever stop Him, for He is the King!

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations” (Psalm 145:13). “The Lord shall reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). These and many other verses (1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 9:7, Psalm 22:8, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 66:7, Psalm 90:2, Psalm 103:19) give us the big picture, the broad perspective of God’s kingdom, that He is a sovereign King, and rules over His kingdom, the entire universe, and all people and things in it. But what about His spiritual kingdom?

2. After the creation, Adam and Eve began to rule the world. They were perfect for a while, but then there was a problem. They rebelled against the King, and they spiritually died, becoming spiritually and relationally separated from Him. Because of sin, all creation was cursed, all mankind was cursed, and people became sinners, resulting in their physical death. What was the King going to do? His answer to this problem of sin is given in Genesis 3:15, where it was prophesied that a future Savior and King would crush the head of the devil, and redeem man from this curse of sin. This would result in the King’s spiritual rule in the heart of man, and eventually His physical rule over the entire earth. This Savior-King is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only One who could and would defeat sin, death, and the devil. This is very good news, the gospel of the kingdom! Matthew 4:23

Since the sin of Adam and Eve, God has been building His invisible and spiritual kingdom. Those living before Christ’s coming would look ahead and believe that He would live on earth, and die and pay for their sins. Those living after Christ’s coming would look back, and believe that He did die and pay for their sins. In either case, the person who repents of his sin and believes Christ paid for his sin, is made righteous in God’s sight, and spiritually speaking, becomes a member of His kingdom. Christ the King then lives in his heart, and freely gives him His love, joy and peace. Romans 13:17

For the past 2000 years, God’s spiritual kingdom has continued to grow. Sinners are being born again, and are entering into His kingdom (John 3:5). They are being rescued from the domain of the devil, and transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). All who repent of their sins and receive Christ as Savior and King become members of the church, this spiritual kingdom that He is building. Here is Jesus’ promise to us, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14, Psalm 2

3. Now that we live in the end-times, we know this church age will soon come to an end, and Jesus Christ will return and gather all the believers to Himself. Then during the Day of the Lord, the unbelievers will be rightfully punished. Then it will be said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Jesus Christ will take control of the earth, and for 1000 years, He will establish His visible and physical kingdom over the entire world. “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2). During these wonderful years, God’s spiritual kingdom will still be growing. People will be getting saved, and Christ will be ruling in their hearts, and at the same time, ruling over the world. Psalm 67 prophesied this, “That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all peoples… Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the people’s with uprightness, and guide the nations of the earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God.”

After Christ’s glorious, 1000-year reign on earth, “then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father” (1 Corinthians 15:24). This millennial kingdom will merge into the eternal kingdom. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and all that is physical and spiritual will be perfect. This good news should fill you with great joy, for it will finally and forever be seen that there’s one perfect Kingdom and God is the King, “so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28). “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

P.S. There are two previous posts that directly relate to this one about the kingdom of God: “The Glory of God – The Most Important Thing of All!!!, and “More On the Glory of God, The Most Important Thing of All!!”

The Book of Daniel: Kingdoms of Men and THE KINGDOM OF GOD

October 19, 2018 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #90 ~

Without a doubt, Daniel is one of the most important books on prophecy in the entire Bible. It talks about the kingdoms of man and the kingdom of God. Specifically, it tells us about the times of the Gentiles, starting with Israel’s defeat in Jerusalem in 586 BC, going through the church age, and finishing at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. The purpose for this book of Daniel was to encourage exiled Jews by revealing God’s long-range plans for them, from the rule of Gentile kings to the return of Jesus Christ, the Jewish king.

For centuries, the Jews had been living in Israel, and rebelling against God, and finally, in 605 BC, His punishment of them began. Many Jews were exiled to Babylon, including young, innocent Daniel and his three friends. Daniel lived for another 65 years, serving God through the reigns of four kings, and writing down a number of visions about the kingdoms of man and the future kingdom of God. Just before his death, God told Daniel, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time” (Daniel 12:9). After another and longer exile, the Jews are again back in their land, and now we are blessed to be living in the “end-time.” That means these words of Daniel are no longer sealed up. They are for Christians, for you and me in this “end-time”, to read, understand, and believe.

Many valuable and relevant truths are contained in this prophetic book of Daniel:

1. God’s sovereignty. Clearly seen in the book of Daniel is God’s sovereign control over the affairs of rulers, nations and all people. Even during the times of the Gentiles, God is still in charge, carrying out His eternal plans. “His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.” Daniel 4:35, Daniel 2:20-21
2. God’s work with people. You observe God’s work with countries, but you can also see and be encouraged by how He works with and through individual people, like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and even Arioch. Daniel 1:8-17, 2:14-25, 3:12-27, 6:1-23
3. God works through leaders. In ways we cannot see, God works through leaders and kings, even if, at times, they are proud and are unrighteously governing a country. The book of Daniel gives us confidence and hope, for we see God carrying out His plans through a number of rulers: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius (Daniel 2, 4, 5, 6).
4. God works through the Antichrist. There is more said in the book of Daniel about the Antichrist than any other book in the Bible. This means that God wants us to know some of the details about his devilish life, and his evil influence over the world in the end-times. Daniel 7:8, 11, 20-22, 24-26; 8:23-25; 9:26-27; 11:32-45
5. The kingdom chronology: God gives us a divine time frame, Daniel’s 70 weeks, which helps us to more clearly understand His prophetic schedule (Daniel 9:24-27). These 70 weeks are 490 years. The first 69 weeks, 483 years, take us from the rebuilding of the temple (445 BC) to the crucifixion of Christ. Then there’s a long gap of time between the 69th and 70th weeks, and for the most part, this is the church age. This 70th week will soon begin, for we now live in the end-times. In the middle of this week, the Antichrist is revealed, and at the end of the week, Christ is reigning, for “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.” Revelation 11:15
6. Spiritual warfare. In the book of Daniel, God pulls back the curtain, letting us know that the forces of God and of the devil are battling it out, fighting for control of countries and kingdoms. Revelation 12:7 also speaks about this spiritual warfare: “There was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon (devil). And the dragon and his angels waged war.” More than we realize, spiritual battles between invisible forces have been and will be taking place. Daniel 10:13, 20; Ephesians 6:10-13
7. God’s plans for the Jews. During the times of the Gentiles, there will be no divinely appointed king reigning over Israel, but instead, she will be ruled by kings from Gentile nations: Babylon (605-539 BC), Medo-Persia (539-331 BC), Greece (331-146 BC), Rome (146 BC-476 AD) … Rome (end-times). But in the end, God prevails: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed… it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Daniel 2:44
8. The coming of Christ the King. After this evil age is over, when Daniel’s 70th week comes to a close, then Jesus Christ will return and establish His glorious kingdom on earth. This is our hope, and what we must look for and long for, seeing Jesus, our Lord and King, reigning on this earth. “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.” Daniel 7:27, Philippians 2:9-11
9. Christians need insight. “Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many” (Daniel 11:33). The prophet Daniel predicted what would be taking place in the end-times. And now, over 2500 years later, we are actually beginning to see his prophecies come true. What a privilege to be alive at this time in history, and be used by God to tell others about Jesus, our blessed Savior and King.

This is only a brief summary of the book of Daniel, which are some of God’s end-time instructions for us. I encourage you to read and study this book yourself, and pass on to others the truths you learn from it. “He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed; His dominion will never end.” Daniel 6:26

P.S. I just finished a needed article about the difficulties of life during the time of great tribulation and the Antichrist. It’s something you, your family, and your friends need to know: “A Little Suffering and a Lot of Glory.” There are two other posts I want to encourage you to read that relate directly to this post on the book of Daniel: “The Divine Timetable, Daniel’s 70 Weeks”, and “Daniel’s 70th Week, One of the Keys to Unlocking the End-Times.”

Christ the King is Coming!

October 12, 2018 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #89 ~

What does this world need? Individual people need a Savior to save them from their sins. That’s why, about 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to this earth. But what do the cities, states and countries of this world need? They need a king! Look around the world and you see all kinds of rulers and leaders, some good, some bad, and some wicked, but none are perfect. There are still crimes, conflicts and corruption, and problems in every part of this planet; and only one person can solve them all, and that too, is Jesus Christ. That’s why Christ is coming again, to be the perfect King, to take over this world and make everything right, to rule and to reign, and bring peace to this earth.

A long time ago, God promised that He would send His Son to be the King of this world: “A child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of His peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Part of this promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born in that little town of Bethlehem. Thirty years later, at the start of His ministry, Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Then after three years of crisscrossing the nation of Israel, preaching to the people and making disciples, Jesus died on a cross to pay for the sins of all those who repent and believe in Him. But most of the Jews rejected Jesus as their Savior, and therefore rejected Him as their King.

But the Jews’ rejection of Jesus did not negate His victory over sin, death and the devil. In fact, just before His death, Jesus declared, “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:31). Jesus Christ was lifted up on a cross, dying for sinners and providing the means for their salvation. But His death and resurrection also resulted in the defeat of the devil, and the outworking of that defeat is continually seen in the lives of Christians, and in the churches on this earth. At Calvary, Jesus Christ paid the purchase price to reign over a redeemed people and a redeemed world (Colossians 2:14-15).

The day will soon come when the devil, the ruler of this world, will be completely cast out of this world, and Christ will reign as King over this earth. Verse after verse speaks of this glorious victory. In Psalm 2:6, God says, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” The prophet tells us, “The Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day, the Lord will be the only One, and His name the only One” (Zechariah 14:9). We read, “Sing praises to our King… for God is the King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:7). Psalm 22:28 also makes it clear, “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.” 

It won’t be long before the return and reign of Christ. You see, we are living at the end of this church age, for the Jews are back in their land, and Israel, once again, is a nation. But that impostor of a king, that most wicked man, the Antichrist, must come first, and rule this world, but only for a very short while (Revelation 13). His devilish dictatorship will suddenly be interrupted by the return of Christ and the rapture of the church. Then comes the Day of the Lord, God’s righteous and punishing wrath being poured out upon the unsuspecting and evil unbelievers still living on this earth. Revelation 5-9

Finally, it’s the end of Daniel’s 70th week, and loud voices in heaven will triumphantly proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Shortly after that, in one of the most dramatic and breathtaking scenes you could ever imagine, Christ returns to earth, “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True… and on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ ” Revelation 19:11-16

For exactly one thousand years, Jesus Christ will reign on this earth, and all glorified believers will be joyfully reigning with Him (Revelation 3:21, 5:10, 20:6). I can’t wait for this to happen, for I get so tired of this evil age and sinful world! To know that we will soon see Jesus perfectly governing this planet should bring great joy and hope to our hearts. As King of the world, He will possess all authority, power and wisdom, resulting in justice, righteousness and peace on this earth. Here is God’s promise to Mary, and to all believers: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:32-33

P.S. The truth about the future reign of Christ is one of the most encouraging things you need to know, for it gives you hope, and gives you a reason for living for the Lord during your time on earth. The Return of the King is the article that tells us why Christ is coming back. You will be amazed and encouraged when you read all the reasons for His return.

Politicians, Judges, and Jesus, Our Coming King

October 5, 2018 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning  Post #88 ~

Sidewalk Launches in Washington DC

For those of us in the United States, it’s obvious that we are living in a super-charged political climate. When you watch the news on TV or on the internet, you cannot miss what’s going on – this hot, hyped-up and turbulent atmosphere. There’s the President, Congressmen and women, Judges, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, the media, and who’s right? In the upcoming elections, who’s going to win? People get so emotional and passionate about all this, and for many, it’s because politics is their religion. But for Christians, what does our “religion”, what does our Bible say? “Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

First, let me share a little bit of my story, for it has greatly affected how I think about politics, prophecy and God’s will for my life. In August of 1976, I was attending a church conference in Kansas City, and for part of the time, we marched around Kemper Arena, carrying signs and promoting a Presidential candidate. In 1980, our association of churches was in New York City during the Democratic National Convention, encouraging everyone to “Vote Morality.” Three months later, on the Sunday morning before the national election, my church passed out 40,000 flyers supporting a senatorial candidate. Five years later, our association of churches started “Americans for Biblical Government,” for some believed that the Bible, not the Constitution, was the book delineating the laws by which we were to govern this country. You can clearly see that I was involved with churches that felt strongly about trying to influence the course of this country.

Those were the “Moral Majority” years, which for many churches meant persuading people to be moral, for we thought if we had a moral majority, we could win elections, and change the country. This thinking was partially based on Amillennialism, a belief which states that there’s no future millennial kingdom, no 1000-year period when Christ is ruling the world. This erroneous belief says that Christ will return after the Christians, during this church age, have made this world to be a more loving and just world.

As time went on, I learned that my thinking with regard to these areas was wrong. The problem was not the President, the government or the culture, but the sin in a person’s heart. Yes, my church understood the problem of sin, and the solution to be the gospel of Christ, but we had gotten way off track. When Jesus was on earth, He could have easily routed the Romans and began ruling the world. But He didn’t do that, for that was not His purpose at that time. God’s will and vision, then and now, is to build the church, to preach the gospel and make disciples of all the nations. Matthew 16:18, 24:14, 28:19-20

As Christians, this is our purpose – to build the church. We are not to seek the kingdoms of men, but the kingdom of God, a kingdom that is now seen in the church and is spiritual in nature (Matthew 6:10, 33). We are to pray for the souls of men, not for seats in Congress. We are to put our hope and trust in God, not in rulers (Psalm 146:3-6). Even if we elected a Christian president, and passed many new laws, it wouldn’t make a difference. It’s not new laws we need, but new hearts, not new political leaders but godly preachers.

Our country is on the downgrade, for she’s not so moral anymore, but she’s becoming more immoral. There’s pride, greed, hate, anger, selfishness, injustice and disrespect. There are corrupt politicians and corrupt people. In fact, the entire world is increasingly becoming lawless. But as Christians, we must stay the course that Christ gave us, to build the church, preach the gospel, and make disciples of all the nations. The Jews are now back in their land, Jerusalem is her capitol, a peace treaty will soon be signed, and Christ’s return and the rapture of the church, and the salvation of a remnant of Jews, is at hand. Now is the time to remember that it’s more important to win souls than to win elections, and to raise up pastors than to raise up politicians. Luke 12:32-53

What about your role in politics? It’s alright to be involved, but it shouldn’t be your top priority, and you shouldn’t get mad if a bad law is passed, or an unrighteous person wins an election. Yes, you should vote. Yes, you should pray for your leaders. Yes, you can help in some election. In fact, I still write letters to the Senator our church helped elect in 1980, for he is a Christian, and I want to encourage him to keep doing what is right.

Here we are, living in the end times and in a country that’s going downhill. There are two things you need to do. First, do your part, use your gifts, and serve the Lord, right up to the return of Christ. Second, remember the hope you have from God. “Evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9). Abraham “was looking for the city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10). You should be super-excited about that future time when Jesus Christ, the perfect King, will rule this imperfect world with a heart of gold and a rod of iron. Then there will be perfect justice, abounding love, great glory, and world peace! “Clap your hands, all you nations… God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:1, 8). “… Your salvation among all nations… Let the nations be glad and sing for joy… You will guide the nations of the earth.” Psalm 67:1-4

P.S. In the midst of all this political passion, we need to be reminded of our real purpose, and with that, I encourage you to read the article, “What Does God Want Me to Do in the End Times?” I mentioned in this article why A-millennialism is not true. To understand why, I would suggest you start with “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part One,” the first of five articles on this subject.

© Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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