By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #316 ~
If you are going someplace in a car, if you have a certain destination, there are signs you look for that guide you, that help you get where you want to go. Or you may use the GPS system that maps out the roads you need to be on or even speaks to you. But we are talking about the coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. And God has given you His own GPS, and its God’s Prophecy Signs.
We are talking about prophecy and how God has given us signs that must take place before Christ’s coming, signs we will see on this rapture road. And God has told us many signs that we will see on this Son-lit road. He doesn’t want there to be any doubt about the fact that we live in the end-times and that Christ is returning to earth. And as time goes on, He wants us to know that His coming is getting closer and closer – He wants you to “see the Day approaching.” Heb. 10:25
So God has told you exactly what you need to know before the coming of Christ. He greatly loves you and does not want you to be in the dark during what will be a most difficult and challenging time. God wants the road to be well lit with the truth. So what are the signs you need to see before Christ’s coming? Let me summarize what God says will be occurring in the coming years, before the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church and reign over this world.
* The End-times: We are living in the end-times, the last years leading up to Christ’s coming, the rapture, the Day of the Lord, and Christ’s 1000-year reign. That a large number of Jewish people have come back to their land is proof, is clear evidence, that these are the end-times. Dan. 12:4, Ez. 37:21, Matt. 24:3-31
* The Birth Pains: God told us there will be birth pains before Christ’s coming (Lk. 21:7-11, Rev. 6:1-8). These calamitous events – wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, and economic distress – happen in various parts of the world during the end-times. They will increase in intensity and frequency resulting in unbelievers looking for someone to save them from these problems and bring them peace – and this “someone” will be the Antichrist. Referring to the birth pains, Lk. 21:7 tells us, “these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” These birth pains are occurring over a long period of time, and then Christ our hope will return.
* Daniel’s 70th week: This dramatic 7-year period is filled with end-times’ events (Dan. 9:24, 27). It’s marked by the signing of a treaty at the beginning of the week, the revealing of the Antichrist at its midpoint, and the salvation of Jews at its endpoint. During these climactic 7 years, the Jews will offer sacrifices, the Antichrist will rule over the world, there will be great tribulation, the church will be raptured, and the unsaved will be punished. At the end of this week, we will know and say, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15
* The Covenant: Because of increasing opposition, the Jews, in their desparate desire for peace, will sign or confirm a covenant, a treaty. But it wiil be a deal with the devil, that is, with the coming Antichrist. This marks the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one week.” Dan. 9:27
* The Jewish Temple: A key part of this covenant is that the Jewish people will be permitted to build a temple so as to offer their prescribed sacrifices. This will happen during the first half of Daniel’s 70th week. “Get up and measure the temple of God.” Rev. 11:1, Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:15
* Increasing Evil: Sin is increasing in this world and will continue to do so the closer we get to the rapture. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13). It will get even worse when the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, is in power – and when “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” 2 Thess. 2:8-11
* Technology: To rule the world, the Antichrist will need a super-sophisticated surveillance, information, intelligence, and financial system. The rapid advance of computers and artificial intelligence will lead to a global-controlling digital technology that will enable the Antichrist to carry out his wicked agenda and persecute Christians and Jews. “… the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed… no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark…” Rev. 13:14-17
* The Antichrist is revealed: In the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, the Antichrist will be revealed. At this time, Christians and discerning Jews will know for certain that this evil man they see desecrating the temple is the Antichrist, the devil’s man, the most evil man on earth. “The man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god… he takes his seat in the temple of God.” 2 Th. 2:3-10, Dan. 9:27, Rev. 13:3-9
* Great tribulation: The Antichrist’s devilish persecution of Christians and Jews is great tribulation. This global and deadly persecution begins at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week but God cuts it short, evidenced by signs in the heavens and on earth. Immediately after these earth-darkening and earthshaking signs, Christ will come on the clouds and light up the earth and immediately rapture the church. “There will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now.” Matt. 24:9, 21-22; Rev. 6:9, 12-14
* The rapture of the church: At His coming, Christ will mercifully and suddenly snatch all Christians from the earth. They will join with believers from all time, be given an immortal, powerful, and glorious body, and be gathered to Christ. The rapture takes place at an unknown time during the last half of the 70th week.“We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17, Matt. 24:31-36, 1 Cor. 15:50-54, Phil. 3:20-21
* The Day of the Lord: Right after the rapture of the church, God will pour out His wrath on the unsaved, on this wicked world. This fierce and fiery judgment occurs in two parts, Trumpet judgments (Rev. 8-9), and Bowl judgments (Rev. 16). “… the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Rev. 6:16-17, Is. 13:9-13
* The Salvation of the Jews: God will save a large remnant of Jews at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. These repentant and righteous Jews will join with Jesus in reigning over Israel and the entire world. “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jer. 31:34, Is. 45:17, Is. 61-62, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27
* The Kingdom of Christ: Jesus Christ, ruling from Jerusalem, will reign over Israel and all the nations for 1,000 years. It will be a perfect, just, merciful, and glorious reign. “God is the King of all the earth… God reigns over the nations” (Ps. 47:7-8). “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Is. 6:3, Ps. 67, Ps. 72, Ps. 96, Rev. 11:15, Rev. 20
“Be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time”(Mk. 12:23). It’s good to know that God told us the truth, all we need to know about the end-times, about this road leading to Christ’s return to rapture the church. I really encourage you to follow the Bible’s GPS system as you travel on this rapture road.
You also need faith, you must trust God, you need to believe that He will continue to give you all the grace and peace you need. You must have promises for they give you hope, they help you persevere to the end. Most importantly, you must love God and love others. You need obedience, you need to be doing the work, the “assigned task” God has given you to do (Mk. 13:34). You need fellowship, you need other believers. And you need to be watching, to be waiting and looking for the return of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.
Truth, faith, hope, love, obedience, fellowship, and watching – you need these to endure to the end, to keep going until you see Christ coming to take you home. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory… He will send His angels with a loud trmpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:27, 31
P.S. The charts on this site are extremely helpful in understanding the future that God has in store for you. Here are some charts that are related to this blogpost: “The Kingdom of God”, “Daniel’s 70th Week”, “Matthew 24”, “How Then Shall We Live?”, “The Rapture”, “Before Christ’s Coming.”