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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Month: September 2019

“I Have Told You Everything in Advance”

September 27, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #137 ~

In Mark 13:23, right in the middle of Jesus’ message about the future, He tells us, “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance” (NAS). This is one of the most motivating prophecy verses I know, a verse to stir us to study the subject of prophecy, and find out what Jesus wants us to know. To help you understand this verse, here are some other translations: “Be on your guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (ESV). “Take ye heed; behold I have foretold you all things” (KJV). “So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (NIV). “See! I have told you about these things before they happen” (NLV). “But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand” (RSV). And here’s the parallel verse from Matthew 24:25, “Behold, I have told you in advance” (NAS).

Let me walk you through Mark 13:23, using the NAS version as our text:
* “But take heed…” Jesus wants us to sit up and take notice of what He’s going to say, to see the importance of His next statement. Jesus is telling us to listen up, to pay attention, and realize that He has told us all the things we need to know about the years leading up to His return and the rapture of the church.

* “behold, I…” Jesus is speaking to His disciples, and to us too. And if it’s Jesus talking, then it’s God talking, which means it’s God’s word, what God Himself has to say to us. Might we listen to Him, knowing that what He has to say is far more important and necessary than anything man can say to us. Lots of people share their thoughts on prophecy, and what they believe to be true, but what Jesus says, what God says, is eternally true and vitally relevant for each one of our lives.

* “have told…” Jesus said this, not just a few decades or a few centuries ago, but close to 2000 years ago. The fact that it was spoken before the church age even began means it’s for Christians living during this entire church age. Since the Jews are now back in their land, we know we are living in the end-times, which means that what Jesus told us is now more critical for Christians to understand than at any other time in history.

* “you…” Yes, Jesus is talking to His disciples, but we are His disciples too, and so He is talking to us. The “you” in this verse is plural, which means this is for the entire church, not just for pastors, and not just for some Christians. All believers need to know and believe what Jesus is telling us about the future. Because it is for all Christians, then it is for you individually. Therefore, you need to personally take heed to what Jesus said, especially in these years leading up to the end of this age and the coming of Christ.  

* “everything…” Has God really told you everything about the future, and everything there is to know about prophecy? Of course not. Otherwise, you would be God, for only God knows everything. When Jesus says He has told you everything, it means He has told you all things He wants you to know about the future. It’s this part of the verse that fires me up, that inspires me to study prophecy like nothing else in the world. If Jesus has told me everything He wants me to know about the future, then I want to know everything He wants me to know. Let me say that again: if Jesus has told me everything He wants me to know about the future, then I want to know everything He wants me to know. How about you? Don’t you want to know? Doesn’t this verse motivate you to study God’s prophetic word, and learn everything Jesus wants you to know about the end-times and His return to earth?

* “in advance.” When you look at the original Greek, you see that the verb in this verse is most accurately translated as “have foretold,” which means Jesus told us what was going to happen in advance, beforehand, before it happens. Jesus wants us to know ahead of time what will be happening in the future. Now He didn’t have to tell us anything, He could have left us completely in the dark, or He could have told us just a few things. But He told us quite a bit about the future, all things we need to know, and He told us way in advance. God loves us so much, and wants us, His children, and Jesus’ bride, to not be afraid of or be surprised by the future, but to know from Him what will surely be taking place.  

Now when Jesus says “everything”, what specifically does He mean? Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 1-2 Thessalonians and Revelation, describe in detail what will be taking place before Christ’s coming. In Mark 13 alone, we read about false Christs, false prophets, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, the Jews, abomination of desolation, tribulation, betrayal, preaching the gospel, signs in the heavens, Christ’s coming, and the gathering of the saints. Then in Mark 13:30, a companion verse to Mark 13:23, Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place”, confirming that “everything” Jesus predicted will come to pass.

How loving and wise of Jesus to tell us ahead of time what will be occurring in the future. He really wants you to know what will be taking place on this earth before His return. Might you be thankful to Him, and love Him all the more. While you serve Him on earth, be looking and longing for that time when He will take you from here to heaven so you can be with Him forever. Might we all say, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

P.S. I hope and pray you are excited about studying prophecy passages so you can have strong convictions on this subject, and so you can clearly tell others God’s plans for the future. Relating to this post, here is another good post – “Bible Prophecy Enables Us to See the Future” and this important article, “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.”

J.C. Ryle’s Prophetic Creed – An Excellent Read

September 20, 2019 /

~ A Saturday Morning Post #136 ~

Introduction by Steven J. Hogan

One of my favorite authors on Bible prophecy is J.C. Ryle, a well-known and well-respected Christian pastor, teacher and writer. Serving the Lord Jesus in England during the 19th century, his insight into this important area of prophecy is both amazing and instructive. The book that he wrote on prophecy, “Are You Ready for the End of Time?”, is a collection of eight of his sermons on this subject, and were given over 150 years ago. I have wondered what he would think today, with so many Bible-predicted events taking place, and particularly that the Jews are now back in their land. Knowing that Jesus Christ will soon come back to earth, I can’t help but think that he would be passionately and excitedly preaching and teaching on His glorious return. What is written below is J.C. Ryle’s prophetic creed (from his preface to his book). Might our Lord encourage and motivate you as you read it.

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From J.C. Ryle’s book, “Are You Ready for the End of Time?”

The following, then, are the chief articles of my prophetical creed:

1. I believe that the world will never be completely converted to Christianity by any existing agency before the end comes. In spite of all that can be done by ministers, churches, schools and missions, the wheat and tares will grow together until the harvest; and when the end comes, it will find the earth in much the same state that it was when the flood came in the days of Noah (Matthew 13:24-30, 24:37-39).

2. I believe that the widespread unbelief, indifference, formalism and wickedness, which are to be seen throughout Christendom, are only what we are taught to expect in God’s word. Troublous times, departures from the faith, evil men waxing worse and worse, love waxing cold, are things distinctly predicted. So far from making me doubt the truth of Christianity, they help to confirm my faith. Melancholy and sorrowful as the sight is, if I did not see it I should think the Bible was not true (Matthew 24:12; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1, 4, 13).

3. I believe that the grand purpose of the present dispensation is to gather out of the world an elect people, and not to convert all mankind. It does not surprise me at all to hear that the heathen are not all converted when missionaries preach, and that believers are but a little flock in any congregation in my own land. It is precisely the state of things which I expect to find. The gospel is to be preached ‘as a witness’, and then shall the end come. This is the dispensation of election, and not of universal conversion (Acts 15:14, Matthew 24:14).

4. I believe the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the great event which will wind up the present dispensation, and for which we ought daily to long and pray. ‘Thy kingdom come’, ‘Come Lord Jesus’, should be our daily prayer. We look backward, if we have faith, to Christ dying on the cross, and we ought to look forward no less, if we have hope, to Christ coming again (John 14:3, 2 Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 3:12).

5. I believe the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be a real, literal, personal, bodily coming; and that as He went away in the clouds of heaven with His body, before the eyes of men, so in like manner He will return (Acts 1:11).

6. I believe that after our Lord Jesus Christ comes again, the earth shall be renewed, and the curse removed; the devil shall be bound, the godly shall be rewarded, the wicked shall be punished; and that before He comes there shall be neither resurrection, judgment, nor millennium, and that not till after He comes shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord (Acts 3:21, Isaiah 25:6-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, Revelation 20:1, etc.).

7. I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a separate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ, after going through great tribulation (Jeremiah 30:10-11, Jeremiah 31:10, Romans 11:25-26, Daniel 12:1, Zechariah 13:8-9).

8. I believe that the literal sense of the Old Testament prophecies has been far too much neglected by the Churches, and is far too much neglected at the present day, and that under the mistaken system of spiritualizing and accommodating Bible language, Christians have too often completely missed its meaning (Luke 24:25-26).

9. I do not believe that the preterist scheme of interpreting the Apocalypse, which regards the book as almost entirely fulfilled, or the futurist scheme, which regards it as almost entirely unfulfilled, are either of them to be implicitly followed. The truth, I expect, will be found to lie between the two.

10. I believe that the Roman Catholic church is the great predicted apostasy from the faith, and is Babylon and antichrist, although I think it highly probable that a more complete development of antichrist will yet be exhibited in the world (2 Thessalonians 2:3-11, 1 Timothy 4:1-3).

11. Finally, I believe that it is for the safety, happiness and comfort of all true Christians, to expect as little as possible from churches or governments under the present dispensation, to hold themselves ready for tremendous convulsions, and changes of all things established, and to expect their good things only from Christ’s second advent.

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Steve’s P.S. “What the Bible Says About the Future” lists 40 specific statements that describe our future and how we are to live in the time leading up to the return of our Lord, Savior and King. I encourage you to read this previous post so that you know what our Lord has in store for you.

A People-Blessing, God-Glorifying Kingdom

September 13, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #135 ~

I love Psalm 67, another promising passage that speaks about the future. As Christians, we can apply parts of this Psalm to our lives, but the main focus is on the Jewish people, and God affecting the world through them, especially during the millennial kingdom. But you ask, was this not applicable to the Jews during the Old Testament times? Of course, God’s desire for the Jews was to be a witness to the Gentiles so they too would worship Him, but that happened in a very limited way (2 Chronicles 9:8). This Psalm is primarily speaking of the coming kingdom age when Jesus Christ is King, and ruling and reigning over the world.

Psalm 47, which we looked at last week, was a command to the peoples of the world to praise God, but Psalm 67 is a prayer for the peoples of the world to praise God. Verse 1 starts out as a prayer for God’s mercy and grace, for His face to shine upon “us”, the Jewish people. “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.” God wanted to bless the Jews, to give them what they didn’t deserve. But why? Verse two gives an awesome, far-reaching answer. “That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.” It’s so God’s way and purpose would be made known around the world, with the result that salvation, mercy and deliverance from sin, would be experienced by the Gentiles, by unbelievers in all the nations.

Psalm 96:3-4 amplifies on what will be taking place during this kingdom age: “Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among the peoples. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” With Christ ruling the world, and a large number of Jews and glorified believers proclaiming His gospel message, I am convinced we will have the greatest evangelistic effort ever, with great multitudes turning to Christ and being saved.

What else is being prayed? Verse 3 says, “Let all the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.” This too will be answered, for the result of people repenting of their sins and receiving God’s mercy is that they will be praising Him. Isn’t that God’s primary purpose in life, for people to praise Him? Yes, yes, people are to love, worship and praise God with all their heart. “Sing praises to our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). This will definitely take place during the millennial kingdom, for it will be a good and glorious age when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” (Habakkuk 2:14), and people all over the world will be worshiping the Lord like never before. 

The glory God receives from His people goes hand in hand with the blessing they receive, which is what verse 4 tells us: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy.” This again is a prayer, a prayer that God will answer. All over the earth, people will be glad-hearted and singing for joy, joy springing from the fact that they know God’s mercy and soul-satisfying love. Not only that, but they are seeing and experiencing God’s righteous rule on earth, “For You will judge the world with uprightness.” Christ will be completely in charge, and through His servants, He will be leading and judging the nations. Lawlessness will not be the way of the world anymore, for Christ will be quickly executing true justice. Just think what it will be like to be serving our Savior and King during this time. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

The prayer continues with verse 5, which repeats verse 3, and for good reason, to emphasize God’s main purpose, that He be whole-heartedly praised by all the people. “Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.” With this verse, the prayer is completed, and during this millennial kingdom it will finally, and fully, be answered, and we will witness Christ’s wonderful and God-glorifying work.

Psalm 67:6 gives another result of Christ’s amazing and perfect work, that “the earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us.” Now we’re talking about agriculture, for the blessings during this kingdom age are not just spiritual but also physical. Psalm 65:9-13 tells us, “You visit the earth and cause it to overflow… You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth… The meadows are clothed with flocks.” The creation, being freed from its slavery to corruption (Romans 8:19-22), will be both picturesque and productive, a beautiful display of God’s work, a glory to God and a blessing to us. “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the fields exult, and all that is in it.” Psalm 96:10-12

The last verse assures us that this prayer will be answered, for “God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.” God will bless both Jewish people and glorified saints, for their good, and so the world will fear Him and give Him glory. Can you imagine being with Jesus Christ and fellow believers for one thousand years? Wow! What a great, God-glorifying time this will be! “Every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11  

P.S. I cannot say it enough, that as Christians, we need to have perspective if we are to rightly live for our Lord and Savior. Here are two previous posts that will help you see the big picture of your life, and of God’s working: “Jesus Christ, the Savior, Judge, Redeemer and King,” and “This Age is Coming to an End, and Then a New Age Will Begin.”

Worshiping the KING – The Greatest Celebration Ever

September 6, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #134 ~

You have been to celebrations, birthday parties, weddings and graduations. They are joyous and exciting events, giving recognition and honor to a particular person or two. But they cannot compare to the millennial kingdom, when Christ will be King over all the earth, and when you will be part of the greatest celebration ever. Psalm 47 describes this most important aspect of the coming age, the glorious praise that will be given to our great God and King, and the reasons why He will be receiving this praise.

Verse 1 starts off with a command given to the entire earth, “O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy.” The whole world, every single person, is to be greatly rejoicing, celebrating, giving wholehearted praise to God. Verse 2 tells us why, “For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.” It will be clearly evident that God is the Lord is the King, and in fact, the greatest King; and finally, He is on earth, ruling over the world, over every square inch, and over every living creature. In all the earth, He is the Most High, the One to be feared, respected, and given glory and praise. Not only is He God, but He is Jesus Christ, the One who was victorious over sin and Satan and, therefore, has the right to rule over the world. Revelation 5:1-9

Verses 3-4 give us another reason why Jesus Christ is to be honored and praised. It is that He, the great King, the Lord Most High “subdues people under us.” And who is “us”? It’s the Jewish believers living in Israel during this kingdom age. Because of God’s special love for Israel, God subdues peoples and nations, choosing them to be Israel’s inheritance, that is, the glory of Jacob. The privileged prominence and place of the Jewish people will be obvious during this kingdom age, for during this time, Israel, along with glorified believers, will be ruling over the world (Revelation 5:10). And like the Jews and the believers, these people and nations, are to praise the Lord. Psalm 117 also tells us this: “Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us.” Romans 15:10 repeats this truth: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

Psalm 47:5 continues with the exaltation of Christ, telling us, “God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of the trumpet.” Christ the King will have ascended to His throne, most likely, at the beginning of this kingdom age. Psalm 48:1-2 gives us more details: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King.” You see, Jesus is in the city of Jerusalem and, as the King, has triumphantly gone up to His throne, for everyone in the world to see. There’s also the trumpet blast, the “shofar” having sounded forth for everyone in the world to hear.

Then what happens? Five times, I am telling you, five different times it says, “Sing praises.” “Sing praises to God… sing praises… sing praises to our King… sing praises… sing praises with a skillful Psalm” (verses 6-7). One of the themes of this Psalm is that we are to worship the King, to glorify Him, and here, the people are instructed to sing to Him. Can you imagine what this will be like? I don’t believe we know for sure who will be singing. But nevertheless, it will be an awesome experience, a most majestic and glorious time, as we sing to the King. It says with a skillful psalm, which means the music and words of this praise song will be wonderfully and perfectly suited for our King.

The main theme of this Psalm is stated again: “God is the King of all the earth.” Yes, God is presently the King of the whole universe (Daniel 4:34-35). But during this millennial kingdom age, Jesus Christ will be King in a direct, visible, powerful and more glorious way, and the whole world will know that He is the King. Christ will be sitting on His throne in Jerusalem and, with absolute authority, He will be reigning, making loving, righteous and wise decisions, sovereignly working through His people, which includes the Jewish believers, and us, and all the glorified believers. Psalm 47:7-8

Some of these people Christ is ruling with are described in verse 9. They are “princes,” the noble ones, the willing servants of God, gathered together in Jerusalem. They are “shields,” God’s royal guard, some of the King’s armed forces, and they are attending and assisting the King (perhaps these are the 144,000 Jews spoken of in Revelation 7:4-8). This Psalm fittingly concludes, “He is highly exalted.” Indeed, Christ will be exalted on His throne and exalted in people’s hearts, for He is the “great King over all the earth.”

Might this picture of our future, of this most exhilarating and Christ-exalting celebration, fire up your heart, and fill you with extreme joy and hope, knowing that you will be on the earth at this time, worshiping and serving our Savior, Lord, and King. And remember, it’s all about the King and His glory, and even now, during this age, He is “greatly to be praised.” “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised.” Psalm 145:2-3

P.S. I just finished a two-part sermon series on how you are to love God: “Loving God” and “Loving God With All You’ve Got.” When you get time, I would strongly encourage you to listen to them, for it is the Great Commandment. And here’s a previous post that relates directly to this theme of Jesus Christ receiving all the praise and glory: “The Glory of God – The Most Important Thing of All.”

© 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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