By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #356 ~
I believe Matthew 24 is the most important prophecy passage in the Bible, and my favorite, and why? Because it tells us so much about Christ’s coming. I have read this chapter more than any other with the exception of Ps. 23, and I love it. It’s so instructive, clear, and necessary for you to know in the last years of this age, in these final years before Christ’s return. And it’s very sobering.
This post is the first in a series of posts I am planning on writing in the coming weeks on Matt. 24. Let me share with you why I believe it’s essential to read and understand it:
* It is chronological. It gives the order of major end-time events that God wants all Christians to know.
* It covers the basics. It talks about birth pains, great tribulation, the end of the age, Christ’s coming, and the rapture of the church.
* It is comprehensive. It tells you much more than the basics, and much more than any other end-times’ chapter. You learn about deception, preaching the gospel, lawlessness, the Antichrist, persecution, perseverance, the general time of Christ’s coming, death, and hell.
* It doesn’t sugar coat the future, it speaks of difficult subjects, of what will surely be taking place, and of what you and other believers must know. Now’s the time, in the calm before the storm, to learn these things.
* It tells you what you need to do, that you need to learn and understand these end-time truths, and be alert, ready, and telling these truths to others.
* It gives information that relates to all groups of people, for those in the world (vss. 4-8), for Christians (vss. 9-14, vss. 29-31), for Jewish people (vss. 15-27), and for unbelievers (vss. 37-39).
* It gives you hope, for it focuses on the future, on Christ and His coming, on One who loves you, prays for you, and can’t wait to take you home to heaven so you can be with Him, and so He can then bless you and show you His glory like never before. John 17:24
The title says, “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Passage”, and this is my opinion, my strong opinion. I believe it’s most important because of what I just told you. If you could have just one chapter about end-times’ prophecy, this is the one you need to study and understand. I will never forget what my mentor and friend, Marv Rosenthal, told me, that I need to know this subject like the back of my hand and for me, that means Matthew 24.
My plan in the weeks ahead is to cover what is most relevant in Matt. 24, not necessarily verse by verse, but section by section – vss. 1-8, vss. 9-14, vss. 15-28, vss. 29-31, vss. 32-36, vss. 37-41, and vss. 42-51. I want to encourage you to read Matt. 24 ahead of time, and let me suggest, again and again. Think of the words, the phrases, the meaning, the chronology, the relevance, your purpose, and that Jesus is personally telling this to you, for you are one of His disciples.
Not long ago, I had a vivid dream, and I can’t ever remember having a dream like this. It wasn’t a dream or vision about something related to prophecy that might happen in the future. In this dream, I was talking to a pastor, and we were talking about the subject of Christ’s coming, and the need to teach Christians the truth about the future. And in it, I made it clear to him that we need to tell our children.
I said “children” because this is how I think, and this is what I tell my wife. We are both in our 70’s and I don’t believe we will be alive on earth when Christ comes back. As I study God’s word and am watching what’s going on in the world, I feel strongly that it will be our children and feel very strongly that it will be our grandchildren who are here on earth when Christ returns to rapture the church. So now’s the time to understand what Jesus is telling us, and the time to tell this to our children, to help them know it, to help them not be afraid, to help them be spiritually strong and looking forward to seeing and being with Jesus.
Jesus, in the context of what I believe is the most important prophecy passage, asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matt. 24:45). Might you tell Jesus that you want to be faithful and wise, that you desire to feed these truths to your household, to your family and your church. “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Rev. 22:7
P.S. The most read post or article in this whole blog site is this article, “Matthew 24 – the Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.” It would do you well to read this. What I am writing in these coming posts will have similar information, but more thoughts, insights, and arguments. Also, I appreciate your prayers for my wife and I as we continue to write about Christ’s coming and the kingdom ages, in this spiritual battle for the truth.