By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #306 ~
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). This is an extremely significant verse about God’s Word and prophecy. That it’s in the middle of an important prophecy chapter is God’s way of emphatically stating that this entire passage is true. That Matt. 24 is true means it must be believed and understood, especially now that we live in the end-times. (When I use “God’s prophetic word” in this post, I am referring to the end-times, to eschatological prophecy.)
What can be said about the nature and character of God’s prophetic word?
* God’s prophetic word is true, just like the rest of His word is true. Matt. 4:4, 5:17-18
* God’s prophetic word is entirely accurate and inerrant. There are no errors, there is nothing false, nothing wrong with what God has said. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
* God’s prophetic word is absolute, final, and cannot be deleted, altered, or added to. What Christ has prophesied is completely true, and unlike man’s opinions, needs to be accepted and applied. Jeremiah 23:9-40
* God’s prophetic truth is authoritative, powerful, reliable, and commanding, and will be carried out. What God declares to us must and will take place. “Truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it – surely, I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11
* God’s prophetic word is sufficient. God has not told us everything about the end-times, but He has told us everything we need to know. Might we be motivated to learn what God has told us about the future. Mark 13:23
* God’s prophetic word is clear. By this, I mean major truths about the future. For example, Christ is returning to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and reign over the earth. And yes, there are minor points about the future that are debatable and not clearly understood at this time.
* God’s prophetic word is relevant. More than any other time in history, it’s imperative that we know what God has written in Matt. 24 and other prophecy passages. The “day is near”, and God is alerting us about what will be happening in the future, and instructing us how we are to live. Rom. 13:11-14
* God’s prophetic word is essential. Without it, we will be surprised, unprepared, and afraid. God doesn’t want us to be sleeping when Christ comes back – He wants us to be awake, waiting, and working in these last years before Christ’s return. 1 Thess. 1:9-10
* God’s powerful and prophetic word must be our focus and guide, and not this sinful and temporary world, or our flesh. God’s word is future-telling, life-changing, soul satisfying, and God glorifying.
We have talked about the 2nd part of Matt. 24:35, “My words will not pass away”, but what about the 1st part – “Heaven and earth will pass away”? There are several things I believe God wants us to know about this:
* Heaven and earth will pass away. This is a major event and hard to imagine, but it will take place, and that’s because God’s clear-speaking word tells us so. The physical heaven we see and the physical earth we live on will disappear, will no longer exist in the future. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” Rev. 21:1
* That the physical heaven and earth will pass away but that God’s word will not is proof of its primacy, that it is infinitely more important than anything physical, and especially a world which is cursed by sin. Gen. 3:17-19, Rom. 8:21-22
* Most people think this earth will generally stay the same and will not pass away. They mistakenly believe, but for some cataclysmic event like a nuclear holocaust, that this earth will exist for thousands if not millions of years. 2 Peter 3:3-7
* Sinners living on earth at the time of Christ’s coming will be greatly shocked and saddened when they begin to see its destruction. Rev. 18:9, 19
* Most unbelievers do not believe that it’s by God’s word that this world was created and will be destroyed. Gen. 1 – “Then God said”; Ps. 33:6-9; 2 Pet. 3:5-7, 10-13
* One reason Jesus talks about heaven and earth passing away is to make us realize that this evil world will exist only a little while longer, and then there will be a new heaven and earth, and that in two phases, the millennial and eternal kingdoms. Rev. 20-21
* This present earth will be restored at Christ’s coming. It is on this renovated earth that Christ will reign for 1,000 glorious years. Ps. 102:25-26, Is. 65:17-25, Matt. 19:28, Acts 3:20-21
* The brand new earth will replace this restored earth at the end of the millennial kingdom, at the end of Christ’s 1000-year reign. 1 Cor. 15:20-28, Rev 20 – Rev. 21:1
* What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, a world that will pass away, but lose his soul to the devil, and then be sent to the “lake of fire”. Rev. 20:14-15, Matt. 16:36, 2 Thess. 2:9
* Many people are more concerned for this planet that’s passing away than they are for their soul which will live forever, either in heaven or hell. They don’t understand the deadly ramifications of rejecting Christ and the gospel. “These will go away into eternal punishment (‘into the eternal fire’ – Matt. 24:41), but the righteous into eternal life.” Matt. 24:46
Aren’t you glad that God gave us His prophetic word? Aren’t you thankful that He told us all we need to know about the future, what will be happening on this planet, specifically as it relates to Christ’s return to rapture us and take us to heaven. Acts 13:23
What I have a hard time understanding is why so many Christians, including pastors, do not truly know what the Bible teaches about Christ’s 2nd coming and the age to come. Is it that they are worldly? Is it that they are too lazy to study God’s prophetic word? Is it that they don’t believe the clear teaching of His prophetic word? Is it that they are believing some ill-founded error? Is it that they think it is confusing or controversial, and just ignore it? Is it that they don’t think it’s important or relevant?
Most pastors teach extensively on Christ’s 1st coming, about the secret birth of Jesus and how He grows up to be our Savior, but scarcely at all about His visible and glorious 2nd coming, when He returns to be Judge and King of the entire world. Lets pray that Christians have an increased interest in God’s prophetic word in these coming years. And might they be awakened, educated, and excited about the incredible and spectacular future that God has in store for us.
I strongly encourage you to take time to read, study, and learn God’s prophetic truth. Here are several New Testament passages that describe our glorious and God-glorifying future: Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:3-36; John 13:1-3; Rom. 8:18-25; Rom. 11; Rom. 15:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 42-44, 50-58; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Eph. 1:9-14; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 5:1-11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb. 11:8-16, 39-40; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 10-16; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 John 2:28 – 3:3; Jude 21-25; and Revelation. “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20
P.S. We are so blessed to have God’s word, which includes His prophetic word. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing what God wants us to know about the future at this time in history. Here are some related posts – “Prophecy is Predicting the Future”, “What the Bible Says About the Future”, “For Pastors and Preachers in the End-Times.”