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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: Big Picture (Page 1 of 7)

Blog posts about the Big Picture.

A Difficult Future for Israel – Then Salvation and Blessing

May 18, 2024 /

By StevenJ. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #304 ~

View of the Old City Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives with olive trees in the foreground

The story of Israel is a story of the purpose of God, the glory of God, and the people of God. Around 2050 BC, God promised to Abraham that he and his descendants would be blessed with a great nation of people and a glorious piece of land. For the next 2000+ years, God focused on building and blessing the nation of Israel. Because of their sin and Satan, the Jewish people had a checkered and difficult history. But God, because of His promise, power, and patience, kept them going through all those years. Nehemiah 9

Close to 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to Israel and His people and fulfilled the most important mission in all of history. Christ died on a cross to pay for people’s sins and satisfy God’s demands for justice. Then He was raised from the dead and, shortly after that, ascended into heaven. Since that time, Christ has been building His church, those who truly repent of their sins and truly believe that He died for them. Rom. 5:8

In the 1st century, God set aside the nation of Israel, and for a long time. Then in the 1880’s, He began bringing the Jewish people back to their land. God was restarting His plans for the Jews, for He was committed to keeping His promises to them. That the Jews are now in their land is the strongest evidence that we are living in the end-times, and that Christ will soon rapture the church and carry out His plans for the Jews. Matt. 24:3-36, Psalm 67

During these past 140 years, God has greatly blessed the Jewish people, and in 1948, they became a nation. But their many enemies have greatly persecuted them (Ps. 83). Over 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. Then there were all these wars, one in 1948, one in 1956, one in 1967, one in 1973. Then there were two intifadas, one from 1987-1990, and another one from 2000-2005. Because of God’s purpose, power, and love, Israel prevailed in every war. Now there’s the Hamas war. So what’s going to happen? I’m sure this war will come to an end, and there will be a truce, but it won’t solve all her problems.

So what is Israel’s future? God’s word tells us, explicitly and implicitly. In Luke 21:24, Jesus predicted that “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” This trampling, this persecution, this killing of Jews, this Antisemitism, began shortly after Jesus left Israel, and has continued up to the present day. It will keep going and get even worse “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” which is when Christ returns to earth at the end of Daniel’s 70th week to save a remnant of Jews, and begin His glorious reign over the earth. Psalms 47, 72; Zech. 14:3-

What else does God tell us will happen to the Jewish people before the end of Daniel’s 70th week?
* Matthew 4:4-8 and Luke 21:9-11a speak of birth pains occurring in various parts of the world, famines, earthquakes, plagues, and wars. Some of these will harm, will hurt the Jewish people, signs to them that Christ is coming soon.
* Israel isn’t going anywhere. She will never be defeated. And she won’t be displaced from her land, for God will protect her and keep in mind His promises to her. Ezek. 37:21-23

* Israel, as a nation, will remain sinful and unrepentant, rejecting Jesus as her Messiah until she says, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Matt. 23:37-39
* The Antichrist will be raised up in the coming years. We don’t know exactly when, but he must be a grown man by the start of Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 9:27

* Nations around the world will be realigning, eventually resulting in a strong ten-nation kingdom controlled by the Antichrist during Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 7:19-22
* Most nations in the world will remain strongly opposed to Israel, and this Satanic animosity will get even worse. In the near future, even the United States will betray Israel, leaving her in a very precarious position. This will result in Israel being desperate for someone or some nation to come to her aid, to protect her from her enemies. Zech. 12:3, 8, 9

What I have just written is a brief summary of things happening to Israel from now to the start of Daniel’s 70th week. I will now talk about major prophesied events that will be fulfilled during this 70th week, the most important eschatological period in the end-times.

* Daniel 9:27a – “He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week” At the start of Daniel’s 70th week, the coming Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel, and it will turn out to be a deal with the devil. This extremely evil person, also known as the prince, will provide Israel with the protection she needs, but only for a while. I believe a key component of this covenant is that Israel will be permitted to build a temple in Jerusalem and offer sacrifices.
* Revelation 11:1-2 talks about this important temple and that Jewish worshipers are in it. “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it.”

* Matthew 24:15 (“when you see the abomination of desolation”) confirms the truth of Dan. 9:27b, that this temple un Jerusalem will be desecrated by the Antichrist, resulting in all sacrifices being stopped. It is then that Christians and discerning Jews will know that this man is truly the Antichrist. 2 Thess. 2:3-4 says this about him – “the man of lawlessness is revealed, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god… he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.” This “abomination” occurs at the 3½ year mark, the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week.

* Matthew 24:21-22 tells us of great tribulation, a devilish persecution against Jews beginning in Judea (Dan. 12:1, Rev. 12:13), and then spreading to Christians all over the world. “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matt. 24:9, Rev. 12:17
* Revelation 12:13-16 describes how a remnant of Jewish people will escape the devil and be kept safe during this time of great tribulation. “She could fly into the wilderness… where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time (3½ years).”  Matt. 24:16-25

* Matthew 24:29 speaks of these heart-stopping heavenly disturbances – “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…” These are signs that this evil age has come to an end. Many Jews will know that these signs are predicting the day of the Lord and that they need to turn to the Lord before it’s too late. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered… in Jerusalem there will be those who escape.” Joel 2:30-32

* Revelation 7:1-8 informs us that God will seal 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. This will happen sometime during the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. These godly Jews will be Christ’s bond-servants and will continually be worshiping and serving Him. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” Rev. 14:4

Revelation 11:3-13 talks about two powerful Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week – they will be performing great signs and proclaiming God’s truth to the Jews. “I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days.” And they will be martyred, but then raised from the dead, proving to be God’s special witnesses to Israel and the whole world. “A tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

Romans 11:25-27 – “All Israel will be saved… this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” These amazing but true verses about the salvation of a Jewish remnant will be fulfilled at the very end of Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 9:24 predicted this – “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people… to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…” Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34

Many people nowadays are very confused about the future of the Jewish people. Some even say they will be wiped off the face of the earth. But God wants you, the Christian, to know the truth, that God has a wonderful and eternal future for Israel and Jewish people. We know this because He told us, and because He will fulfill His promises to them. “He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; alll the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God.” Psalm 98:3

P.S. We must not close our eyes to what’s going on in this world, and some of the most important things relate to what God is doing in Israel and with the Jewish people. Keep watching God’s work with them for it relates to His work with you. What an exciting time to be alive! Do read “God’s Plans for the Jews – From Now to the Coming of Christ.”

The New Testament Tells Us the Future of Israel

April 20, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #302 ~

View of Jerusalem with calanit – red poppy flowers, national flower of Israel

The 4,000-year history of Israel has been an up and down journey and, at times, very dangerous and deadly. She has been in her land, out of her land, in her land, out of her land, and now back in her land. The devil has continually been against Israel, but God has always been for her – He has mercifully and faithfully kept her going through all the years. There’s no doubt that God will carry out and complete all His plans for Israel. Psalm 33:10-12

As you know, Israel is again in the middle of another difficult conflict, and you may be wondering what will happen next. But don’t believe what politicians and news people say, for they don’t know. Look to God and His word. The Old Testament gives 100’s of verses about the future of the Jewish people. But what does the New Testament say?

I have discovered 21 New Testament passages that speak about God’s plans for the Jews in these end-times and in the ages to come. So what do they say?  
* Matthew 5:17-19. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets… but to fulfill.” Jesus is telling us that everything God told us in the Law and the Prophets about the future will come to pass. That includes everything that He said about the Jewish people. Is. 46:9-11
* Matthew 5:35. “Jerusalem… is the city of the great King.” When Christ came the 1st time as the Messiah, Jerusalem was not the city of the great King, but it will be when He comes the 2nd time. Then He will be The King of the Jews and will reign over the whole world. Ps. 48:1-2

* Matthew 19:27-28. “You shall sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.” Jesus Christ will sit on His throne in Jerusalem during the coming kingdom age, and His disciples will reign with Him over the tribes of Israel. Matt. 25:31
* Matthew 23:37-39. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Most of the Jews rejected Christ at His first coming and, therefore, were left desolate and were punished. But a Jewish remnant will be glad to see Him at His 2nd coming and will repent, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Isaiah 53

* Matthew 24:15-27. “… the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel…” This describes the Antichrist’s desecration of the Jewish temple, his pursuit of the Jews, the great tribulation he brings upon them, and the coming of Christ for them and the Christians. This occurs sometime during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week. Daniel 9:27
* Luke 21:20-24. “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot… until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Christ predicted that the Jews would be punished, scattered, and gathered back to Israel, all of which has been fulfilled. We also learn that the Gentiles’ influence over Israel will come to a complete end. Then Christ will judge the world, save a remnant of Jews and, from Jerusalem, begin reigning over this earth. Luke 19:41-44

* Acts 3:21. “… the period of restoration of all things…” When Christ returns to rule the world, all things on earth will be physically renewed and restored as was promised by the prophets. (Is. 35, 65:17-25). This restoration happens during the millennial kingdom.
* Acts 15:16-18. “… so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord…” In the age to come, the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt, Israel will be a fruitful and glorious place, Christ will reign over the world, and the Jews will be a godly witness to the Gentiles. Pss. 72, 96

* Romans 8:18-21. “… the creation itself will be delivered from its bondage to decay.” The sons of God, both Jews and Gentiles, will be revealed, the creation will be set free from sin, and God’s glory will be displayed on earth like never before. Is. 6:3
* Romans 9:27-29. “Isaiah cries out,… ‘though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved…’” An important promise that God will fulfill is the salvation of a remnant of Jewish people. Is. 45:17, Dan. 9:24

* Romans 11:25-27. “… all Israel will be saved…” This important promise, that a Jewish remnant will be saved, is repeated. This will take place at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. These Jews will live in Israel and will assist Jesus Christ in His reign over Israel and the entire world. Jer. 31:31-34
* Romans 15:8-13. “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him.” Our hope is that in the coming ages, Jesus Christ will rule over the world, and all people, Jewish and Gentile believers, will be unitedly worshiping Him. Ps. 117

* 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9. “… the man of lawlessness… exalts himself above every so-called god.” The Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. He takes his seat in the Jewish temple and displays himself as God, for he wants to be worshiped by the world. Soon after that, Jesus Christ comes and soundly defeats the Antichrist, and it is Christ who is worshiped by the world. Rev. 19
* Hebrews 8:7-12. “I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” God made a special covenant with Israel, that through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles would be forgiven and know Him. This covenant is being fulfilled during this church age, and when a large remnant of Jews is saved at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. 

* Hebrews 11:1, 8-16, 39-40. “God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared a city for them.” God promised spiritual and physical blessings (salvation and land) to all true descendants of Abraham, all those justified by faith in Christ. These blessings will be realized in the kingdom ages. You will see that the hope of Abraham and the Jews is related to the hope of all believers. Ps. 37:11 – Matt. 5:5
* Revelation 7:4-8. “…we have sealed the bond-servants of our God.” During Daniel’s 70th week, before the church is raptured into heaven, 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, will be sealed and kept for Christ. They will be Christ’s special servants. Rev. 14:1-5

* Revelation 10:1-7. “… the mystery of God is finished” at the sound of the trumpet of the 7th angel. This occurs at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. Then a remnant of Jews will be saved, the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of God, the nations will be judged, and all things will be summed up in Christ. Eph. 1:9-11, Rev. 11:15
* Revelation 11:1-15. “I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1260 days.” During the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, we see this focus on the temple, Jerusalem, the powerful preaching of two godly witnesses, and the glory of God.

* Revelation 12. “She gave birth to a son… who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” Rev. 12 tells us key elements of the Jews’ history. We read of her birth as a nation, her purpose in giving birth to Jesus the King, her lifelong battle with the devil, being persecuted in the end-times, her great escape, and God’s protection of her.
* Revelation 20.1-10. “… The thousand years…” refer to the millennial kingdom and is vividly described in the prophets and Psalms. Christ rules the world during this time, and believers, both Jew and Gentile, reign with Him. At the end of these 1,000 years, Christ will cast the devil and the dead, all unbelievers, into the lake of fire. Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 5:10

* Revelation 21:10-13. “… the new Jerusalem… with 12 gates… names were written on them… the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel.” This glorious city comes down out of heaven at the end of the 1,000-year kingdom age. Then Jewish and Gentile believers will live forever with Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, Husband, and King.

In conclusion, here are several important thoughts to remember:
1. These NT verses about the Jewish people confirm and complement many of God’s OT promises to them. Dan. 9:27 – Matt. 24:15
2. These NT verses about the Jews is overwhelming proof that God did not forget His promises to them, that He won’t go back on His word, that He hasn’t given up on them, and that He will carry out all His plans for them. Is. 46:9-11

3. Reading these NT verses makes it clear that the Jews are back in their land, the land of Israel, and that it’s a special place, a God given and glorious land.
4. The main themes of these NT verses focus on God’s working with the Jews. Primarily, they describe what happens to them during the end-times, their salvation, and the kingdom ages to come.

5. These NT verses say nothing about another country occupying the land God promised to the Jews. Not only that, but there will be no permanent two-state solution. The land of Israel will be occupied by the Jewish people and ruled by Jesus Christ. Gen. 13:15, 15:18-21; Zech. 14:9
6. These NT verses make it clear that God is simultaneously working with both Jews and Christians in these end-times and in the kingdom ages to come.

7. These NT verses tell us that these years before the end of this age will be a very difficult time for the Jews. They will not experience any great blessings and glory until the millennial kingdom when Christ is reigning over them and the earth.
8. Be excited and thankful that you are alive at this time in history, and that you can witness God’s working with both Gentile and Jewish believers. And remember, it won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin His reign over the world.

“All nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed. Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen,” Psalm 72:17-19

P.S. There’s so much going on in the world and, as a Christian, you will be lost and confused if you don’t know what God says about the Jewish people and the end-times we live in. I encourage you to read these previous posts: “A Jewish Reading Lesson”, “Converging Hopes for Jewish and Gentile Believers”, and “Jews and Gentiles Unitedly Glorifiying God.”

God has Good Plans for Israel and Her Land

April 6, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #301 ~

“O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins” (Ps. 85:1-2). Israel – what a people, what a nation, what a land, what a history, and what a future! Around 2,050 BC God promised to Abram that he and his descendants would be a special people. They would inherit a choice piece of land (Gen. 12:1, Ez. 37:21), be ruled by the King of kings (2 Sam. 7:16, Ez. 37:22), be saved from their sins (Jer. 31:31-34, Ez. 37:23), and be greatly blessed. Gen. 12:2, Ez. 37:24-28

The Jewish people first entered their land about 1400 BC (Josh. 3-19). Close to 800 years later, God made them leave because of their sins. Exactly 70 years later, in 538 BC, God mercifully began bringing them back (Jer. 29:10-14). It was about 4 BC when Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world, came to Israel (Lk. 2:1-20). Most of the Jews rejected Jesus, and their leaders had Him crucified. But being killed and then resurrected was God’s sovereign plans for Jesus, the only means by which He could save His people from sin and death. Forty days after Jesus was raised from the dead, He ascended into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of His heavenly Father.

Before He left for heaven, Jesus told us some things we need to know about the future:
1. He said He would build the church, people who were called and saved by God to be members of His spiritual body. And from the day of Pentecost to the end of this age, Jesus has been building His church. Acts 2:1-21; Matt. 16:18, 28:19-20
2. He predicted that He would come back on the clouds just after the end of this age to gather all believers from heaven and earth so they would be with Him. Matt. 24:29-31
3. He told us that the Israelites would be punished and scattered all over the world which happened just like He said. Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24
4. Jesus made it clear that the Israelites would return to their land (Lk. 13:34-35, 21:24). This has been miraculously occurring since the 1880’s – and it had to happen for God to fulfill all His promises to the Jewish people. Ezekiel 37:21-28

That the Jews are back in their land is the #1 sign that we live in the end-times (Dan. 12:4). During these end-times, the final years of this age, God is renewing His work with the Jews and finishing building the church. Evidence for God’s simultaneous working with Jews and Christians is seen in many New Testament prophecy passages. Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27; Luke 21:12-19, 20-24; 2 Thess. 2:1-2, 3-9; Rev. 7:2-8, 9-14; and Rev. 12:1-16, 12:17. (Christians, Jews). Knowing how God is working with the Jews helps us to see the general time frame for Christ’s return to rapture the church. Matt. 24:15-36

I must talk to you about what the New Testament says about God’s end-times’ work with the Jews. Before I do, I need to help you understand an important prophecy passage from the Old Testament – Daniel 9:24-27. Here are some key points from these verses:
* There are 70 weeks decreed for the Jewish people and Jerusalem. The context tells us that each week is 7 years long – therefore, this 70 weeks is referring to a 490-year period. During this time, the Jewish people are living in their land. 
* The purpose of these 490 years is stated in Dan. 9:24: the sin of the Jews will come to an end; there will be atonement for their sins; a Jewish remnant will be saved; the Holy Place (millennial temple) will be anointed; and everlasting righteousness will begin.
* The first 69 weeks, lasting 483 years, began with a decision to rebuild Jerusalem (445 BC), and ended when the Messiah (the Christ), was cut off, was killed in 30 AD.

* There’s a long gap of time between the end of the 69th week and the start of the 70th week. As things look now, I believe it will last at least 2,000 years. During this time, Jesus Christ is focused on building the church.
* Daniel’s 70th week gives us a time frame, a divine time schedule that will help you see and understand the sequence of end-time events.
* The 70th week has not yet begun. We know that because events prophesied in Dan. 9:24-27, Matt. 24:15-26, 2 Thess. 2:3-8, and Rev. 13 haven’t yet happened. And because we are in the end-times, we know it won’t be long before the start of this 70th week.

* Here are some key events occurring during this 70th week: at the beginning of the week, the Jews make a 7-year covenant with the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27); during the first half of the week a Jewish temple is built (2 Thess. 2:3-5); at the 3½ year mark the Antichrist breaks his treaty with the Jews and desecrates the temple (Matt. 24:15); sometime during the 2nd half of the week the church is raptured (Matt. 24:30-36); at the end of the 70th week a Jewish remnant is saved. Rom. 11:25-27
* Jesus Himself speaks of Daniel’s 70th week in Matt. 24:15. Note that the verse says, “Let the reader understand.” God is impressing upon us the importance of this 70th week – and He wants us to know that it is relevant not just to Jews, but also to Christians.

Many non-Christians, along with some Christians, do not believe that the land we know as Israel is for the Jews. Debates and disputes about this are happening in our country at the present time. And many do not believe that God has a future for the Jewish people, one that was extensively prophesied about in the Old Testament. Many believe that God rejected the Jews because of their sin and their past rejection of Christ, and that many of the promises He gave to the Jews are now for the church. But this is just not true!

God keeps His Word! In the next blog post we will examine several passages in the New Testament that are specifically about the Jews and how God is working with them and fulfilling His promises. It’s imperative that you understand and are encouraged by God’s working with the Jewish people. “Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land… The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.” Psalm 85:9, 12

P.S. God raised up the nation of Israel and gave her some land, and He won’t take it away frim her. The post today talks about this, with a focus on Daniel’s 70th week, a key 7-year prophetic period. I encourage you to read the two other posts I have written on this most critical week – “The Divine Timetable, Daniel’s 70 Weeks”, and “Daniel’s 70th Week, One of the Keys to Unlocking the End Times.”

The Continuing Journey of the Jewish People

March 9, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #299 ~

Peaceful orange sunset over the Sea of Galilee, with flower-covered hill slope in the foreground, and the city of Tiberias and surrounding hills, including the Arbel cliff in the background; Israel

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came from heaven to the land of Israel to do the work of His Father. He lived a perfect life, loved everyone, taught the truth, did all kinds of miracles, and trained disciples. Yet, He was crucified, He was killed by His enemies – and it was His Father’s will (Acts 2:23). “Christ died once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18), so that God might forgive us of our sins and give us eternal life. Three days later, Christ rose from the dead, and 40 days after that, He left Israel and ascended into heaven to be with His Father. Heb. 1:1-3

Many Jewish people wanted Christ to remain in Israel to be their King and defeat their enemies. But He had other plans (Matt. 16:18). From heaven, Christ would be building the church, a spiritual body of believers, ones who would be saved from their sins, and then serve Him while they lived on earth. But what about God’s promises to the Jewish people? Would He still fulfill His plans for them? Yes, He would! Let me explain what needed to happen first.

Jesus was in Jerusalem that last week before He died, and He had a strong and sobering message for the Jews. He told them, “… your enemies… will level you to the ground and your children with you… because you did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Lk. 19:41-44). Jesus also warned His disciples about this impending disaster. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then recognize that her desolation is near… these are days of vengeance… there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24, Luke 23:27-31

Jesus, the Messiah, had come to Israel, but most Jews rejected His offer of mercy. God had no choice but to condemn them as a nation and cast them out of their land. Jesus’ own people, ones He loved and wept over, had to be punished. It was around 70 AD that Roman soldiers savagely and mercilessly attacked the people of Israel. The result was that an enormous number of Jews were killed, and a great many others were taken as prisoners to nations all over the world. But would God’s chosen people ever return to the land of Israel? Yes, they would!

Many Old Testament passages predicted that the Jews would return to their land. Here are a few of them: “I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They shall be My people and I will be their God” (Jer. 32:36-44). “I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land… and one king will be king for all of them” (Ez. 37:21-22). “I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.” Zech. 8:7-8  

Jesus Himself predicted that the Jews would return to Israel – “Jerusalem would be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:23). “Until” means “up to the time of the event mentioned.” That is, Jewish people will be in their land and have total control over it only when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, only when the Gentiles no longer have any power or influence over them.

History tells us that the Jewish people were forced out of their land around 70 AD. But in the 1880’s, according to God’s promise, they started returning to their land. And they kept coming and coming and are still coming, and now there are close to 7.2 million Jews living in Israel. To have a people group dispersed from their land for over 1800 years and then return to that same land with the same religion, same language, and same culture is unbelievable, amazing, unheard of, and truly miraculous!

4,000 years have now passed since God first set in motion His plans for the Jewish people. Let me summarize their long and difficult journey: it began with God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). About 600 years later, around 1400 BC, Joshua led the Jewish people into the promised land (Josh. 3-19). Close to 800 years later, they were exiled out of the land of Israel. And exactly 70 years later, in 538 BC, Jewish people began returning to their land. Jer. 29:10-14, Ezra

Finally, in 4 BC, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Israel (Lk. 2:1-20), and He left 33 years later, but promised that He would return (Matt. 24:3-31). Around 70 AD, the Jewish people were, once again, exiled from Israel – and this time they were scattered all over the world (Lk. 21:24). And they were gone from their land a lot longer, for close to 1800 years, until the 1880’s. And now its 2024 AD and nearly half the world’s Jewish population has returned to their homeland.

The fact that the Jews are back in their land means we are living in the end-times (Dan. 12:4, 9), and this is relevant not just for Jews, but also for Christians. The following end-times’ passages testify to this – Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27, Luke 21:12-19, 20-24, 2 Thess. 2:1-2, 3-9, Rev. 7:2-8, 9-14, and Rev. 10-12:1-16, 12:17 – 13 (italics are the church, and bold are the Jews). Note that these eschatological verses about Jews and Christians are sitting side by side, are adjacent to each other. Do you see what God is saying, and is doing? In the last years of this church age, He is renewing His work with the Jews and is finishing building the church.

God is setting the stage, is getting everything and everyone in place for the return of His Son to earth. In a little while, Christ will come back to rapture the church, judge the world, and save a remnant of Jews. Then He will be in Israel and, from there, reign over the world – and we will reign with Him, and be praising Him. “Sing praises to our King… For God is the King of all the earth” (Ps. 47:6-7). “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.” Psalm 48:1-2

P.S. It’s imperative that you understand the history of the Jewish people in their land, from around 2000 BC up to the present day. I have written a series of posts on this subject and encourage you to read them all. They are #’s 290, 291, 292, 295, 296, and this present one, #299. In my next post, #300, I will write out a number of verses on this blogsite’s primary subject – “Christ is Coming Again.”

Jesus Christ – Living in Israel Doing the Work of God

February 24, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #298 ~

To truly know where things are headed in this world, you must understand God’s purpose and plans for Israel. It started about 4,000 years ago when God promised to Abraham and his descendants that they were to be His people, that He would give them a special piece of land, and that He would greatly and eternally bless them. Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-16, 17:1-8

It was around 1845 BC when Israel was born in the nation of Egypt. She grew to be about 2,000,000 people, and then in 1445 BC, Moses miraculously led her out of Egypt. And 40 years later, Joshua led her into the promised land. For about 800 years, she lived in this good land, but God drove her out because of all her sins. In 538 BC, exactly 70 years after she was exiled, God sovereignly brought a Jewish remnant back to Israel. Indeed, God kept His promise to His people – “When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place,” Jeremiah 29:10-14

What was the main reason God brought some Israelites back to their land? Because He wanted His Son to save people from their sins. And for that to happen, His Son, Jesus, needed to be the Son of man, a descendant of Jewish people, and be born in this land of Israel. For the next 500+ years, God was getting everyone and everything in place, and it all went according to His plans. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His inheritance.” Psalm 33:10-12

The 2000-year history of the Israelites was culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ, of God’s Son to earth. And Jesus came to the land of Israel, not to Persia, Magog, Edom, Italy, Greece, Assyria, Egypt, Ethiopia, or any other place. It was in Israel that God would accomplish His most important work, the suffering, death, and resurrection of His own Son, so as to save souls from sin, death, and hell. Matthew 26-28; Romans 3:23, 6:23

Finally, “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). The Son of God was born of a woman and, thus, was also the Son of man, and He had to be God and Man to fulfill His most important work. The last 3 years of Jesus’ 33-year life were the most critical, for He was completely focused on the people and carrying out God’s work. “I brought You glory by completing the work You gave Me to do.” John 17:1-4

During those last few years of His earthly life, Jesus was crisscrossing the land of Israel, going from villages to cities, to places like Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, Bethany, Jericho, Bethsaida, Bethesda, Chorazin, and Jerusalem. Jesus dearly loved the people; He was always gentle, patient, and kind; He worked extremely hard; He healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead; He was continually teaching the truth; He was devoted to training disciples; and He “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” Luke 5:16

Jesus was also fulfilling prophecy, predictions about His life when He was in the land of Israel, ones God had made 100’s of years earlier. Mic. 5:2 said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Is. 9:1-2 told us He would be a great light in the land of Galilee. Is. 35:5-6 spoke of miracles being performed in Israel, which Jesus did. Zech. 9:9 predicted that that this Messiah would come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. These prophecies and many others came true, confirming Jesus’ identity, and the plans God had for His Son. Matthew 1:18-2:6

By all He said and did, Jesus proved that He was God in the flesh. Jesus made it clear that He was and is the greatest man ever, not just in Israel, but in all the world. Yet, for loving people and sharing the truth, He was mocked, slandered, beaten, flogged, and killed. In all this, Jesus wasn’t thinking about Himself but others – He was humbly, willingly, and lovingly sacrificing His life for the lives of others. Philippians 2:1, 5-8

It was just outside the city of Jerusalem where Jesus Christ, a perfect man, died on a cross to pay for the sins of all those who would repent and believe in Him. Shortly after He died, He was buried, and three days later He was raised from the dead, proof that He had gained the victory over man’s sin by satisfying God’s demands for justice. Rom. 3:21-26, 4:24-25, 5:6-11, 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18

Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He lifted off from Israel and went to heaven to be with His Father. His work to save people’s souls was completely finished. Ten days after His ascension, Jesus, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, began building the church. (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 2:19-22). It’s now close to 2000 years later, and Jesus is still in heaven and the church is still growing. But is He returning to earth and to Israel? Yes, He is! Jesus kept telling us He would come back, and He will definitely keep His word! Matt. 24:27, 30-31, 37-42; John 14:1-3; Rev. 22:12

Why is Jesus Christ coming back? He’s coming back to rapture the church, those on earth at the end of this age, and take them to Himself and then home to heaven. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another” Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Jesus is coming back to judge an unbelieving world, those on earth after the church is raptured. “The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations” (Zech. 14:3). “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war… From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations… and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” Revelation 19:11-21

Jesus is coming back to Israel so as to reign over her and the entire earth. “… In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem… the Lord will be King over the whole earth” (Zech. 9:4, 9). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.” Psalm 67:4. Psalm 2:7-9, Psalm 47:2-4, Matthew 19:28

What a great time to be alive! Now we can look back over the last 4000+ years and see all that God has done with the nation of Israel and with the church. And now we live in the end-times, the final years before Christ returns to rapture the church, judge the world, and begin reigning over this earth. Be excited and rejoicing! Be worshiping Christ, working for Him, and waiting for His coming! “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 57:11

P.S. Jesus Christ came to the land of Israel, the land where He would do the work to save us from our sins, and the land He will return to in the near future. The following post will help you see the importance of the land of Israel in the past, present, and future – “God Promised ‘The Land’ to Israel.”

God’s Plans for 2024 and Beyond

January 6, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #294 ~ 

What’s going to happen in 2024? It’s similar to what happened in 2023 and 2022 and 2021 and 2020 and 2019 and 2018 and 2017 and so on. You see, in His word, God predicted the general condition of the world during this time, what is called the end-times (Dan. 12:4), a period related to the reoccupying of the land of Israel by the Jews. God wants us to know that the same kind of events will be taking place in these last years before Christ’s coming. What occurred in 2023 is similar to what will happen in 2024 which is similar to what will happen in 2025 and so on. And all these God-predicted events that have been and will be taking place are progressive, purposeful, and part of His plan leading to His Son’s return to rapture the church and rule over this world – “with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, the summing up of all things in Christ.” Eph. 1:10

What does God tell us about the end-time events, about 2024 and the years beyond?
Birth pains – “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines” (Luke 21:10-11). “… These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt. 24:6-8). There have been and will continue to be birth pains occurring in various places around the world. They are designed by God to wake people up to the fact that Jesus Christ is coming back, and soon. These birth pains are wars (Ukraine, Israel, etc.), earthquakes (Japan, Turkey, etc.), plagues (Covid 19, etc.), and food shortages (Africa, Asia, etc.). As time goes on, these birth pains will be getting stronger and becoming more frequent. Rev. 6:1-8

Lawlessness – “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” (Matt. 24:12) – “In the last days, difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self… lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God… evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse” (2 Tim. 3:1-4, 13). Have you noticed the increasing lawlessness in our country? Anyone can see that there’s more wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, slander (Rom. 1:29-30), that there’s rampant crime and theft, that there’s the horrendous trafficking of children, that there are millions of border-breakers, that sexual sin is more perverted than ever, that unborn babies are still being killed, that evil is “good” and good is “evil”, etc., etc., etc. This rebellion against God resulting in sin and lawbreaking will get much worse before Christ comes back and pours out His wrath upon this world. Rev. 8-9, 16

False Teachers – “It is the last hour; just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18). “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many” (Matt. 24:11, 2 Peter 2). We live in a post Judeo-Christian age and are consequently witnessing a rapid decline in church attendance. It’s not just that people aren’t interested in God and don’t go to church, it’s that many hate Jesus Christ and His gospel message. But we haven’t seen anything yet – wait until the Antichrist comes, for then he and his evil minions will oppose the truth of God and spew out the lies of the devil like never before. “He opened his mouth in blasphemies against God.” Rev. 13:6

Persecution of Christians – “They will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons… for my name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony” (Luke 21:12-13). Persecution against Christians has clearly been getting worse in the past few years. The enemy, calling us Christian Nationalists, extremists, etc., is arresting us for little to no reason at all. They want to shut us down to stop the spread of the gospel and our opposition to their sin. But that won’t happen, for the preaching of the good news of Christ’s mercy for sinners will continue to the coming of Christ. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you.” 1 Peter 4:12-19, Matt. 24:9

Antisemitism – “They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). Antisemitism has been occurring since the birth of the Jewish nation close to 4,000 years ago. This devilish persecution has been directed against the Israeli nation and against Jewish people all over the world. Most recently, you’ve seen the horrific, Hamas-led attacks against Israel. Sadly, but sovereignly, some of the worst Antisemitism is still to come, when the Antichrist rules the world. This punishing persecution continues until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and a remnant of Jews are saved. Psalm 83; Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:3-4, 7-9, 13-17; Rom. 11:25-27

Nation / Kingdom Reconfiguration – “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meschech and Tubal… I will bring you out, and all your army… Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote part of the north with all its troops.” (Ezek. 38:1-6). This is one of many passages that lists out countries and / or kingdoms that are key parts of the global end-times’ landscape. Dan. 2:40-45, Dan. 7:15-27, Dan. 8:21-26, Dan. 9:26-27, Dan. 11:36-45, Zech. 12:1-9, Rev. 12:1-6, and other passages also give us clues as to what the world looks like in the end, when the Antichrist and the Christ are present. But I believe its too early to be able predict the exact configuration of nations at that time.

I believe it is evident that the United States is in steep decline and will not be a world power broker in the last years of this age. I also believe that the locus of major kingdom activity will be in European, African, and Mideastern nations, especially the latter (Dan. 8:23-25, 9:26-27). In the years ahead, God will continue to reshape and realign countries and kingdoms all over the world. In 2024, there will be a big election in this country, but there will also be over 40 foreign national elections involving nearly half the world’s population. God Himself will elect the rulers in these countries who will then continue to carry out His end-time plans leading to the establishment of Christ’s kingdom on earth. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings.” Daniel 2:21

Seventy Weeks – “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity… he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” (Dan. 9:24, 27). We’ve been talking about the general conditions of a general time period, the end-times, ones which show us that it won’t be long before Christ returns. These verses describe Daniel’s 70th week, a 7-year period during which several specific and critical events occur, ones which will make it very clear that Christ’s coming, for both Christians and Jews, is only a few years away.

At the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week, there’s the signing of a covenant between Israel and the coming Antichrist; at the midpoint of this week, the Antichrist is revealed; and at the end of this week, a remnant of Jewish people is saved. Other major events will take place during this 70th week: offering sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem, the great tribulation, the mark of the beast, and most importantly for us, Christ’s return to rapture the church. Matt. 24:9, 15, 21-22, 30-31; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:16-17

The Gospel – “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” (Matt. 24:14). The gospel will be preached to all nations in the last years of this church age. This is the work of Christ, and our work too. With all the trouble that’s going on in this world, might the gospel message be on our heart, mind, and lips. What a joy to labor for and with Jesus our Lord, knowing that He’s spiritually with us to the end of the age, and will physically return to earth to glorify us and take us home to heaven to forever be with Him. Matt. 6:33, 16:18, 28:19-20; 1 Thess. 4:15-18

No one knows exactly what will be taking place in 2024 but we know, in general, that there will be more birth pains, lawlessness, false teachers, persecution, and Antisemitism. We also know that God, “who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), has all the end-time details figured out, and that He is specifically working with every nation, ruler, and person, for each is part of His plan to send Jesus Christ back to this planet.

“So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:23). Don’t be sleeping – be awake and alert, and aware of what God is doing during these final years, knowing that He is getting everything ready to return His Son to earth to rapture the church, save the Jews, and gloriously reign over this world. “‘Behold, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20-21

P.S. Here in this country, people are so consumed with the Presidential election in November. But might we see the big picture, and that it won’t be long before God sends His own Son back to earth. Here are three other posts that talk about how the Bible predicts the future: “Prophecy Is Predicting the Future”, “Bible Prophecy Enables Us to See the Future”, “Forecasting the Future of the World.”

From Baby Jesus to King Jesus

December 22, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #293 ~

The world has all kinds of ideas about what Christmas means, but what God does say, what does God’s word tell us, what is the whole message? Matt. 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” A foundational truth about Christmas is that there was a woman named Mary who miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to a baby named Jesus. This Son of Man was the Son of God – and He was both God and man so He could be Immanuel, so He could live with man.

There are a number of reasons why God wanted Jesus to be both God and man – let me share with you seven of them:
1. Jesus had to be God and man to fulfill Bible prophecy. Many prophecies in God’s word had to be fulfilled by Jesus, for only a person who was both God and man could fulfill them. 
– Isaiah 9:6-7 – This child, this son, is the Mighty God, and He will rule over the world forever – and this can only be speaking of Jesus, one who is God and man.
– Micah 5:2-5 – This person is born in Bethlehem, and He’s eternal and He’s a King, a ruler who brings peace to the ends of the earth. This describes one who would have to be both God and man, and we know His name is Jesus.
– Many prophecies speak of the Messiah, one who would be a Savior, King, Judge, and Redeemer. To fulfill these roles, He would have to be both God and man, and indeed, this is referring to Jesus Christ. Isaiah 40-66

2. Jesus is both God and man so He could reveal God to mankind. God revealed Himself to mankind through creation (Rom. 3:20-21), but most importantly He revealed Himself through Jesus. Heb. 1:3 says, “Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” The word radiance means to send forth light, and Jesus is sending forth the light and glory of God. Think about the sun – you don’t actually see the sun, but you see the light, the rays of the sun. And just as the sunlight reflects the sun, so Jesus reflects God. When you see Jesus, you see the exact representation of God’s nature. You see His power, love, supremacy, authority, holiness, goodness, mercy, and His purpose. John 1:29

“Jesus is the image of the invisible God”(Col. 1:15). God is invisible but Jesus is visible, and therefore, He can show us who God is and what He is like. Jesus represented God perfectly when He was on earth. By His words and teaching, by His actions and miracles, by what He said and did, Jesus was manifesting God, was making God visible, was revealing God to us.  The way we know God the Father is by knowing God the Son. John the Baptist said, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten of God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him”(John 1:18). And Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

3. Jesus is both God and man so He could take our sins upon Himself. He would pay the penalty for our sins, that is, be punished for our sins with the result that God the Father would be satisfied by the justice that Jesus carried out for us, and then declare us righteous and give us eternal life (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus became a man so He could be our Savior, so He could save us from the consequences of our sin, from Satan, death, and hell. Rom. 5:8, 6:23; 1 Pet. 3:18

4. Jesus is both God and man so He could be with us forever. One of Jesus’ names is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” This is a powerful and wonderful truth, that God actually came down to earth to love us, to live like us, to live with us, and to be with us forever. This is unbelievable, this is amazing that Jesus, that God Himself wants to live with us.

To think that God would come down to our level so we can live with Him, so we can see Him and His smile and His love for us, so we can hear Him speak to us, so we can talk to Him, and so we can have fellowship with Him is so encouraging. John 14:16-18, 14:1-3. During this church age, Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit, but soon enough Jesus will come back and we will be glorified, and physically and forever be with Him in heaven and on earth. Rev. 21:1-3, 10-21

5. Jesus is both God and man so He can be an example to us. Matt. 5:48 says that we are to be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect, and Eph. 5:2 says we are to imitate God. Since Jesus is God, then we can be like God by looking to Jesus, by seeing His life and hearing His words. We need human examples and Jesus is the best one we have, a perfect one.

6. Jesus is both God and man so He can defeat death and perfectly reign over this earth. Adam, the 1st man, was created by God to rule this earth, but he sinned and failed in his mission. The result of Adam’s sin was that he spiritually and physically died – and his sin was passed on to his descendants resulting in spiritual and physical death to all of mankind. Not only that, but the entire creation was corrupted by his sin. Rom. 5:12-21, Rom. 8:19-22

So God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, the 2nd Adam, a perfect man, to earth. He was the only One who could save both us and this world from sin and death. If we believe that Christ died and rose again for us, we will be saved from sin and death and spiritually be made alive. And at Christ’s coming, when the church is raptured, we will physically be made alive, we will receive brand-new, glorified bodies. 1 Cor. 15:20-23

But what about this earth? Who can redeem this world from sin, Satan, and hell? Who is worthy and able to rule this world? Who can break the seals that initiate the whole end-time process that leads to Christ’s return? Only Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, can defeat the devil, and renew and restore this earth. Rev. 5:1-5, Col. 2:14-15

After Christ returns, the restoration process of the earth begins. He will take back the earth from Satan and all the evil authorities and powers. (1 Cor. 15:24-28, 1 Jn. 5:19, Acts 3:20-21). We don’t know exactly how this restoration process will happen, but it will occur when Christ is ruling over this earth during the 1000-year millennial kingdom. At the end of that time, the earth will be restored to God’s original design. Ps. 98:4-8, Is. 65:17-23

Christ’s final act, the culmination of His reign, of all His work, is to turn this world back over to the Father. Then, as 1 Cor. 15:28 says, “The Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” John MacArthur summed up Christ’s work on earth this way: “When He took the assignment of salvation from His Father, Christ came to earth as a baby, and lived and grew up as a man among men. He taught, preached, healed, and did miraculous works. He died, was buried, was raised, and ascended to His Father, where He now intercedes for those who are His. When He returns, He will fight, conquer, rule, judge, and then, as His last work on the Father’s behalf, forever subdue and finally judge all the enemies of God, recreate the earth and heavens, and finally deliver the kingdom to the God and the Father.”

Jesus had to be both God and man to carry out this salvation process, the saving of souls from sin and death, and the restoring of this earth. MacArthur goes on to say, “From the time of the Incarnation until the time when He presents the kingdom to the Father, Christ is in the role of a Servant.” That is, Jesus is serving as God and man from the Incarnation, from the birth of Jesus, until the end of the millennial kingdom. And Jesus will keep being God and man forever and ever – and continue His close and affectionate relationship with His Father and with us.

Why am I taking so much time on this 6th point? So you can better understand the meaning of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas not just to celebrate Jesus’ birth, but to uunderstand the totality of Christ’s purpose, His whole reason for coming to this earth. We are not focused on the baby Jesus but we are looking at the big picture, that Jesus was commissioned by His Father to save man and this world from sin, death, and corruption. During this church age, Christ has been doing just that, and as Christians, we are to be worshiping Christ and working with Him, sharing the saving message of the gospel. Indeed, it’s a wonderful life, a fruitful, exciting, eternal, and God-glorifying life that we have.

But we also have hope, we have a future, a most glorious future. This is what Mary tells us. She knew it wasn’t just about baby Jesus, but that her son was God’s Son, the Messiah, and that He would grow up to be the Savior, and the King who would forever rule over the world. (Luke 1:30-33). And as Christians we are so blessed, for we will be living with Christ, reigning with Christ, and loving Christ forever and ever. Rev. 5:10, Rev. 21

We are now very close to the end of this age, to that time when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge this world, begin His reign over the earth, and begin this restoration process. I love what 1 Chron. 12:32 says – “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” As Christians, we need to understand these times that we are living in, and know what we are to do, that we are to love God and live for Him, and that we are to use our gifts and do our part in building up His kingdom. Mark 12:30, 1 Peter 4:10-11

7. Jesus is both God and man so that He and the Father will be greatly glorified. God knew that much more glory would be brought to Him and His Son if His Son would become a man, and be the Savior of sinners, the Shepherd of believers, the Judge of the world, the King of this earth, and reign with Him over the eternal kingdom. “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Ps. 72:18-19). “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:4-5

P.S. The Christmas message is so important, so instructive, and so encouraging. Here are my six previous Christmas messages: #49 – First Coming to Church Age to Kingdom Age; #99 – The Christmas Story and Christ’s Second Coming; #149 -Christmas is More Than Baby Jesus; #201 – The True Meaning of Christmas; #233 – It’s Not Just About the Baby Jesus; #264 – When I Think of Christmas….

God’s Plans for the Church and Israel are Connected

October 21, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #288 ~

What does this war in Israel have to do with Christians? How does it relate to the future God has mapped out for us? One of the keys to understanding God’s plans for the church is knowing how He is working with Israel. Today, I will give you a brief overview of Jewish history from Christ’s 1st coming to His 2nd coming to the kingdom ages. As you track God’s working with the Jewish people, you will more clearly see the future God has planned out for Christians, and for you.

1. 4 BC – 29 AD. The salvation of believers is definitely connected to Israel, most specifically and importantly to the most famous Jew, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, Jesus, at the age of 30, began His 3-year ministry, during which time He traveled all over Israel, teaching, doing miracles, and making disciples. He was unjustly crucified and killed, and then was buried, and then was raised from the dead. Jesus’ suffering and death is the payment for the sins of all those who repent and believe that He died for them (Mk. 1:15). Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the church began. 

2. 70 AD – late 1800’s. The Jewish people, because of their rebellion against God and rejection of Christ, were greatly persecuted and then led captive into all the nations. Throughout the centuries, the Jews continued to be hated, harassed, persecuted, and killed, but they were never wiped out, for God faithfully protected them. And now we are living in the church age, and the growth of the church is related to the fact that God isn’t focusing on the Jews, but on the Gentiles. Luke 21:20-24, Rom. 11:25-27

3. Late 1800’s. By the promise and power of God, the Jewish people miraculously began coming back to their homeland – and this is what I call the beginning of the end-times. And the Jews kept coming and coming. That the Jews have been returning to their land is God’s sign to Christians that Christ will soon return to rapture the church. and that He will in the near future begin fulfilling His final plans for Israel. Gen. 12:1-3, Is. 45:17, Ez. 36-37, Dan. 12:4, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 11:15

4. Late 1800’s to the end of this age. Birth pains (wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues) are impacting various parts of this planet, affecting unbelievers, the church, and the Jews. These physical signs are spiritual alarms, designed to awaken us and the whole world to the fact that this age will soon come to an end, and Christ will return to rapture the church. Matt. 24:3-8, 29-31; Rev. 6:1-8

5. 1937-1944. One of the most barbaric atrocities on this earth was the murder of over 6 million Jews during WW2. This led to the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948, a clear signal to the church that God had not abandoned His people, and that His promises to them of land, salvation, and a King, would be fulfilled (Ez. 37:21-23). Ever since this holocaust, strong, Satanic opposition continues to plague the Jews. But God keeps them going and growing, their population in Israel now being close to 7.2 million people.

6. OCTOBER 7, 2023 – ???. THERE’S NOW A WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. Here is what you need to know about this war, and about Israel’s future and our future: 1 – This war is against Hamas, but many other Jew-hating nations also hate and oppose Israel. 2 – This war will come to an end. 3 – This war will lead to increasing Antisemitism around the world. 4 – This war is part of God’s sovereign and detailed plan leading to the coming of the Antichrist and the coming of Christ. 5 – Israel, realizing that they can’t depend on the United States to protect them, will be looking to others for help. 6 – This war is to awaken you to the fact that the rapture of the church is getting closer and closer. “… encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). And as a church, we are to keep praying for Israel. Psalm 122:6-9

7. End-times: In the Bible, many passages about Israel are adjacent, are sitting side by side with passages about the church that are eschatoloigcal, that are speaking of the future. This is one of the strongest proofs that God’s plans for the church and Israel are connected, are intimately related. Here are some of them: Matt. 24:9-14 – 24:15-26; Luke 21:12-19 – 12:20-24; 2 Thess. 2:1-3 – 2:4-6 – 2:7-9; Rev. 7:4-8 – 7:9-12; Rev. 12:13-16 – 12:17

8. The beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. Israel will continue to see the need for peace, and in the near future will naively and foolishly sign a 7-year covenant with the coming Antichrist. This results in a temporary “peace”, and also allows the Jewish people to build a temple in Jerusalem and offer sacrifices. (Dan. 9:27). The church may or may not know when this signing takes place, but they will see the consequences of this covenant, and be further reminded that the coming of Christ is very, very near.

9. The midpoint (3½ years) of Daniel’s 70th week. At the 3½ year mark, the Antichrist is revealed. This is when Christians and Jews realize that he is the Antichrist, for he “takes his seat in the (Jewish) temple of God, displaying himself as God” (2 Thess. 2:4). It’s at this time that believers know the rapture of the church is less than a few years away. Before that happens, the church will have to endure great tribulation. This world dictator, this most devilish man, begins persecuting Jews in Israel, but many escape and are protected by God. The Antichrist then goes after Christians all over the world, persecuting and killing them. (Matt. 24:9, 15; Rev. 12:16-17). But this great tribulation is mercifully cut short by God, at which time, Christ returns to rapture all the Christians on earth. Matt. 24:29-31, 1 Thess. 4:15-17

10. The end of Daniel’s 70th week. At this 7-year point, a great number of Jews, having been physically protected from God’s wrath, are spiritually saved. (Ps. 98:1-3, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27, Rev. 12:13-16). At this point in time, the church is in heaven, keenly watching the fulfillment of God’s glorious salvation plan for these Jews, these chosen people. And they know what is soon to come.

11. Soon after the salvation of the Jews begins the 1000-year kingdom age when Christ is ruling over this earth. Here are some things to note: 1 – The earth will be renovated (Is. 65:17-25, Acts 3:21). 2 – Jews and Christians will be reigning with Christ (Is. 61, Rev. 5:10). 3 – Jews and Christians will inherit the earth (Psalm 37:11, Matt. 5:5). 4 – God’s purposes will be fulfilled: Christ is the King of the world (Ps. 47); God’s power, holiness, justice, mercy, and glory are seen in Christ, being displayed all over the world (Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14); the gospel is proclaimed in every nation resulting in great multitudes being saved (Ps. 96); and all Christ’s enemies, including death, are defeated. 1 Cor. 15:25-26

12. In eternity future, all Jewish and Gentile believers will be living together in their eternal home. “… the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… It had a great and high wall, with 12 gates, and at the gates 12 angels… names were written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel… and the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones, and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.” (Rev. 21:10-14). It’s quite significant that our eternal home pictures and recognizes all God’s people, those of the Old Covenant and of the New Covenant.

As believers, our primary purpose is bringing glory to God. Rom. 15:8-12 is one of the best passages describing this eternal purpose that Jews and Gentiles, believers from all ages, will be worshiping God together. “Therefore, I (Jews) will give praise to You among the Gentiles… Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people (Jews)… Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him… There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” Do you see this? It speaks of both Jews and Gentiles. And in eternity future, all believers will unitedly be worshiping the Lord. Psalm 117

Finally, why is it that we get so fixated on our immediate problems, and I’m talking about the war in Israel? We must have perspective, we must see the big picture, we must know what God says about our future. Thankfully, God has given us His Word, and it’s the only book that truly maps out our future. You need to read what God says about the Jewish people in both the Old and New Testaments. And be a watchman – find out what is presently taking place in Israel and around the world (Ez. 3:17, Luke 12:56). Doing this will help you more clearly see God’s plans for Israel, but also God’s plans for the church. “The men of Issachar understood the times, and knew what they should do” (1 Chron. 12:32). “The people who know their God will display strength, and take action.” Daniel 11:32

P.S. Too many Christians are naive, ignorant, or in error about the future God has for the Jewish people and the church. This must not be! Here are a few more posts about the plans God has for Israel and the church: “Why the Jews are Important for You and the Church”, “Converging Hopes for Jewish and Gentile Believers”, “The New Testament Tells Us God’s Plans for the Jews.”

God is Sovereign – He is in Charge and in Control

April 22, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #274 ~

God is sovereign, He is in control, even though it may not seem like it, even though sin and wickedness in our country is worse than ever before. And how does God say it? “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lamentations 3:37-38

We are witnessing an accelerated and devilish transformation of our country. When I think about what’s going on in our society, this is what comes to mind: human trafficking, liars, totalitarianism, two-tiered justice, socialism, artificial intelligence, hate, Satan clubs in schools, massive debt, political and societal division, free speech?, anger, parents not parenting, leaders promoting evil, fentanyl deaths, schools teaching error and evil, transgenderism, major border problems, drag shows, selfishness, increasing surveillance, pride, anti-Christian hostility, the Ukraine war, millions of abortions, DEI, CRT, ESG, Marxism, Chinese infiltration, lack of respect, communism, spy balloons, stealing, digital currency, ChatGPT, a chip in the hand, false teachers, sick churches, lawless D.A.s, criminals going free, greed, high inflation, racism, anti-racism, rampant immorality, nations uniting against US, people not fearing God, etc., etc. 

After reading this, you might be quite discouraged, and want to throw in the towel and move to a quiet place in the country. What you need to do is believe this wonderful and powerful truth, that God is sovereign, even over evil (Acts 2:23-24, 4:27-28). He is reigning over all people and all things, and all that happens, even the evil, is part of His eternal and perfect plan – and it’s leading to Christ’s return to rapture the church and rule over the earth. “God changes times and seasons” (Dan. 2:21). “His dominion is an eternal dominion… He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’” (Dan. 4:34-35). “His (the Most High’s) kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.” Daniel 7:27b

What would it be like if God wasn’t in charge, if He wasn’t ordaining and orchestrating the events of this world? If you thought humans were in charge and could do whatever they want, you might go crazy. But in a way you cannot understand, God controls the lives of people and all that occurs in this world. “Man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “The steps of man are ordained by the Lord. How then can man understand his way?” (Prov. 20:24). “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1

When I think of God’s providential and sovereign working in this world, I think of four major areas – Israel, the church, your personal life, and everything else. Let’s go over each of these:

First, there’s Israel. It’s obvious that God is directing the nation of Israel. Close to 4,000 years ago, God raised up Israel in the nation of Egypt. After about 400 years, God led her out of Egypt, through the desert, and into the promised land. Later on, God exiled Israel because of her great sin – but mercifully, after 70 years, He brought her back to her land. Through the Jews, God brought Jesus into the world, and He lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and was raised from the dead. But the Jews rejected Jesus and His gospel message and so in 70AD, God scattered them all over the world. Exodus, Ezekiel 36-37, Luke 21:20-24, Luke 23-24

This dispersion lasted until the 1880’s, at which time, God miraculously started bringing these homeless Jews back to their land. In 1948, and against all odds, God made her a nation. Now it’s 2023, and there are close to 6.8 million Jews living in Israel. That the Jews are again in their land is the main reason we know we are living in the end-times. So it won’t be long before God fulfills His promises to His chosen people (Gen. 12:1-3, Ezek. 37:21-23, Matt. 24:15-27, Rom. 11:25-26). “‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill My purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” Isaiah 46:10-11, Psalm 33:10-12

Second, there’s the church. Jesus Christ greatly loves His church, and He will build His church (Matt. 16:18). The church will preach the gospel to the entire world (Matt. 24:14), and make disciples in all the nations (Matt. 28:19-20). Yes, she has her ups and downs, but God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, is sovereignly and powerfully carrying out His purposes for her. At the end of this age, His plans for her will be fulfilled, and God will send Christ to earth to rescue the church, judge the world, and begin His kingdom. Matt. 24:29-31, Acts 3:20-21, Revelation 20

Third, there’s you, God’s beloved child, and you are extremely and eternally important to Him. God was sovereign over your salvation (Eph. 1:4-5). God is sovereign over your spiritual growth (Phil. 2:13), over the work you do (Eph. 2:10), over how long you live (Ps. 139:16), over your whole life (Rom. 8:28), and over your successful arrival in heaven. 2 Tim. 4:18, Jude 24-25

Romans 8:28-29, very encouraging Bible verses, tell us that God will fulfill His purpose for us. “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When it says, “all things”, it means everything in your life from the time you were born to the moment you die or are raptured. It means your upbringing, family, salvation, church, job, trials, sin, health, friends, enemies, weaknesses, abilities, ministry, etc.

That God is sovereign means He’s lovingly, wisely, powerfully, and perfectly causing “all things” in your life to work out for your good. This good, one of His primary purposes for you, is stated in vs. 29 – “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). You will be conformed, you will become like Christ (1 Jn. 3:2), you will be glorified (Rom. 8:30). “We eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” Philippians 3:20-21

Fourth, there’s everything else. In addition to what was said in par. 2, God is also sovereign over the angels, the devil, demons, stars, planets, rulers, countries, wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, weather, atoms, cells, fish, birds, ants, animals, plant life, crime, religions, all nations, all rulers, every person on the planet, the economy, your family, your friends, sports, music, movies, technology, the Antichrist, etc., etc. It’s true and truly amazing that God is sovereign over all things, and if He was not sovereign, if He was not in control, then He would not be God.

What is now taking place in this world may be confusing to you, and seem like a huge puzzle, but not to God. He knows exactly what He is doing, and He doesn’t make any mistakes. Since the creation of the world, He’s been perfectly putting every single piece in the right place at the right time, and that’s trillions of pieces. God has been orchestrating and directing every bit of history and now we are living in the end-times. This means that this God-designed, global puzzle is close to being completed. Soon enough, Christ’s church-age work will be finished, and He will return to rapture the church, and the Day of the Lord will begin. After that Christ will come back to Jerusalem as the King and begin His reign on earth. Zech. 14:9, Revelation 11:15

Eph. 1:10-11 sums up God’s end-time plans for this world. It tells us that His work with all things (“who works all things after the counsel of His will”), is leading to the end of this age (“fullness of the times”), and then Christ will be reigning over the universe (“summing up of all things in Christ”), and you will be part of God’s glorious plans (“having been predestined according to His purpose”). “Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Rev. 19:6b, Rev. 6-20

So how does God want you to live, and what does He want you to do?
* Keep looking to the Lord, loving Him, trusting Him, and obeying Him. Psalms 33:18-22, 105:4
* Know that God’s sovereignty over your life does not negate your personal responsibility, your duty to obey all His commands. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Phil. 2:12-13, Ps. 119:44
* Believing that God is sovereign results in God being exalted and you being humbled, and being filled up with real joy, peace, and hope. 
* Be a light to the people around you. Be praying and looking for opportunities to share the gospel, for it’s the only answer to the problems in a person’s soul. Matt. 5:14-16, Col. 4:2-6
* Study end-times’ prophecy, be a watchman, and prepare the way of the Lord. Tell others what you learn in God’s word and what you see happening in the world that relates to the end-times. 1 Chron. 12:32, Ezek. 3:17, Matt. 24:45-46
* Be thankful that God wants you to live at this time in history. Be excited about the future, and remember that it won’t be long before Christ takes you home to heaven. Heb. 12:22-24 – “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God… to myriads of angels… to the general assembly and church… to God… and to Jesus…”

You must know that God is sovereign over the world and your life if you are to live rightly for Him. I encourage you to read these two other posts that speak on this neglected but most important subject: “God is in Charge of Everything”, and “God is in Charge of Your Life.”

The Suffering and Glory of Jesus – Psalm 22

April 6, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #273 ~

The chapter in the Bible that best talks about the suffering and glory of Jesus Christ is Psalm 22. It was written by David, and there’s no doubt he experienced some of what he wrote in this Psalm, but its primary focus is Jesus. Psalm 22 vividly tells us what Jesus was thinking and feeling when He was suffering on the cross, but it also shares His hope, a glorious future that centers on Him and directly affects us. And so, it’s unique for it describes aspects of both Jesus’ first coming and second coming. Let’s go through this Psalm and see what it says about Jesus’ suffering and glory.

Psalm 22:1. Shortly before Jesus died, He cried out to His Father – “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Jesus feels absolutely terrible, worse than He had ever felt before. Jesus is physically suffering. Every inch of His body is hurting; He’s in great pain; and He’s exhausted. Jesus is emotionally hurting. He, the Son of God, is being mocked and laughed at; He, an innocent man, is being punished for our sins; surely, He feels guilty; and He’s all alone. Jesus is relationally separated from His Father. They had been perfectly united since eternity past, but now His Father rejects Him and isn’t talking to Him because He’s bearing our sin. Jesus is spiritually separated from His Father. He’s experiencing and feeling the holy wrath of God. But Jesus’ suffering and death is the only way a person can be saved. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh.” 1 Peter 3:18, John 14:6

Psalm 22:2. Jesus keeps crying out to His Father, but to no avail. His Father is completely silent – He could not answer Jesus because He’s treating Him like a sinner – He has to be just, He has to punish His own Son. “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Psalm 22:3-5. Jesus knows He’s bearing the guilt of sinners and that His Father is doing the right thing by punishing Him. So what does He do? He thinks about the saints of old, many who were persecuted, and yet they trusted God. Here is Jesus in extreme physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish, and He too is trusting God, for He’s convinced that He will be delivered and be greatly blessed. “I trust in You, O Lord… How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You.” Psalm 31:14-19

Psalm 22:6-8. Jesus is hated and so He’s persecuted – He’s taunted and ridiculed. “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross… He saved others, He cannot save Himself” (Matt. 27:39-44). But Jesus knows He’s doing the right thing, that He’s dying for sinners so they can be saved from their sins. And He knew the plan and power of His Father, that He would miraculously raise Him from the dead. “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your holy One to undergo decay” (Psalm 16:10). “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death.” Acts 2:23-24

Psalm 22:9-10. Jesus trusted in His Father His entire life, as a fetus, a baby, a toddler, a boy, a youth, a teenager, a young man, during His ministry years, and now on the cross. Jesus’ faith, His complete and total reliance on His Father is critical, for it enabled Him to live a perfect life, have a successful ministry, and die on the cross to pay for all the sins of all the people who would ever believe in Him.

Psalm 22:11-13. Jesus again prays to His Father. Big time trouble is near, for Jesus’ enemies are like animals, like mad bulls and roaring lions. They hate Him with a passion, they can’t wait until He’s dead.

Psalm 22:14-18. Jesus pours out His heart to His Father – He tells Him that all His bones are out of joint. Can you imagine how excruciatingly painful this must have been? The physical stress Jesus is experiencing is putting incredible pressure, an unbelievable strain on His heart, so much so that His heart feels like wax. Jesus is so dehydrated that His tongue cleaves to His mouth. And He feels extreme pain in His hands and feet, for they had been pierced through by huge spikes. Every time Jesus pushes up to get some air, this screaming pain shoots through His hands and feet.

All these evildoers are around Jesus, staring at Him and making fun of Him – and they are gambling for His clothes. Trouble is upon Jesus in every way imaginable, and only by faith, by trusting His heavenly Father can He make it through these horrendous and hellish six hours. What helps Jesus is knowing that this is His Father’s will – “You lay Me in the dust of death.” And He knows it won’t be long before He dies and His work on the cross to pay for our sins is finished. John 19:30

Psalm 22:19-21. Again, Jesus prays to His Father, and He calls Him Lord, the One who directs His life. Jesus asks Him for help, and to hurry up, to bring this unbelievably difficult ordeal to an end. He wants to be rescued from His enemies, ones who are like lions, oxen, and dogs, like wild animals.

Then there’s a dramatic change in the direction of this Psalm. The first 21 verses describe Jesus’ suffering on the cross. But 9 of the last 10 verses speak of Jesus’ hope, of His future (“will” is stated 11 times), and this hope helps Him endure to the end, to finish the work of paying for our sins. But it’s verse 24 that explains why this sudden change in the Psalm.

Psalm 22:24. Jesus knows His Father has not looked down upon Him, detested Him, or disregarded what He’s going through. He knows His Father deeply loves and cares for Him and has not forgotten Him, and that He will answer His prayer. And this is what vs. 24 tells us – “when He (Jesus) cried to Him (God the Father) for help, He heard.” That Jesus’ Father heard Him and was satisfied that He paid for our sins is the reason He had hope and is looking forward to the future.

Jesus knows the plan and promise of His Father, that He would physically die and immediately be with Him, and then 3 days later, be raised from the dead, be given a glorified body. He understood that His victory on the cross was the basis, the reason for a glorious future, for the coming church and kingdom ages. He realized His death and resurrection would bring eternal glory to Him and His Father, and would greatly, powerfully, and eternally affect every person who would ever live, resulting in incredible blessings for a great multitude of people, ones who would be His spiritual brothers and sisters. Jesus has hope – He knows the future is extremely bright for Him and all who put their faith in Him.

So what is this hope? Hundreds of Old Testament verses describe the hope God has given to His people, and these last verses of Psalm 22 give us a glimpse of what is soon to come. And in my understanding, these are fulfilled during the kingdom age, but some may also be referring to the church age.

Psalm 22:22-23, 25. God is being praised, and it’s the main theme in these “hope” verses that are primarily speaking about the kingdom age. We read, “In the midst of the assembly I will praise You,” and who is the “I”? It could be referring to David, but there’s no doubt that Jesus, who is in Jerusalem at this time, is honoring His Father. In John 17:2, Jesus prays, “Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.” Phil. 2:10-11 says, “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus wanted His Father glorified and the Father wanted Jesus glorified. Speaking of Jesus, Psalm 47:6 says, “Sing praises to our King, sing praises.”

Then we read, “all you descendants of Israel” – all these Jewish people are praising the Lord and standing in awe of Him. That it says “all” means this is not taking place during this church age for not “all” descendants of Israel are worshiping the Lord at this time, but they will be during the kingdom age.

Psalm 22:26. The afflicted are the poor, the needy, the humble, and they are seeking God, and He’s helping them, saving them, and they live forever, they have eternal life, and He’s forever satisfying and blessing them. “He will deliver the needy when he cries for help… He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy He will save.” (Ps. 72:12-13). This could be speaking of both church age and kingdom age believers, for people are turning to Christ and getting saved during both these times.

Psalm 22:27. Everyone on earth, all nations and all peoples, and all Jews and Gentiles, including unbelievers, will be worshiping the Lord. Again, Phil. 2:10-11 predicts this – “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” – and this sure isn’t occurring now, which means it must happen during the coming kingdom age. Psalm 67:3

Psalm 22:28. There will be a kingdom, and this is Christ’s kingdom, and He’ll be reigning over the world and ruling with a rod of iron. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). “The Lord will be the King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). Psalm 2:9, Matthew 6:10

Psalm 22:29. All those who are rich, whether they’re saved or not, are not just eating good food but are worshiping the Lord. This must take place during the kingdom age because there’s no way all rich people are worshiping Christ during this age. Not only that, but all those who die, who go down to the dust, will bow to the Lord. God makes His point loud and clear that all people, whether they live or die, whether they are rich or poor, will worship Jesus Christ. Again, we’re seeing the truth of Phil. 2:10-11, that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

Psalm 22:30-31. Our posterity, our spiritual descendants, will worship and serve the Lord, in this age and the next (Matt. 4:10). And how? By telling people that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, by proclaiming His righteousness and their unrighteousness, by telling them that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins (“He has done it” – He finished the work to pay for people’s sins), and if they repent of their sins and believe Jesus died for them and rose again, they’ll be forgiven and be given eternal life.

This big-picture Psalm is all about Jesus’ suffering and glory. Be very thankful that He suffered and died to save your soul and give you eternal life. But now’s our time to serve our Lord and suffer for Him. Rom. 8:18 tells us, “suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” 2 Cor. 4:16-17 says, “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.” Now we suffer, but in the future, we will be glorified, and be blessed forever, and worship and serve the Lord forever! Hallelujah, what a Savior! “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever. For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12-13

P.S. This is what’s most important, that Jesus Christ died and rose again to save our souls, to give us His life, to bless us forever that we might worship and glorify Him forever. Keep thinking about what He did for you so that you might love Him all the more. Here are three posts about Christ’s resurrection: “The Resurrection and the Rapture of Believers”, “Christ’s Resurrection Means the Best is Yet to Come”, and “The Resurrection: Death to Life in Body – and Spirit.”

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