Category: Christ’s Coming (Page 1 of 11)

Blog posts about Christ’s coming.

The Rapture of the Church at Christ’s Coming!!

April 18, 2026 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #361 ~

All that has happened in all of history is leading up to the end of this age and the kingdom of God. And God has it all planned out, from eternity past to the creation of this world to Christ coming as Savior to the present and to His return as Redeemer, Judge, and King. Be assured that this evil age (one starting with the sin of Adam and Eve), this evil world, and the devil’s rule are soon coming to an end (Rev. 11:15). What a blessing this will be for believers! Rev. 7:9-17

We have been going through Matt. 24, the most important eschatological chapter in the New Testament. We have talked about birth pains impacting people around the world, great tribulation affecting Christians, and the Antichrist desolating the temple and persecuting the elect. There’s also lawlessness, deception, betrayal, martyrdom, gospel-preaching, and the need for believers to know this in advance. Understanding these things gives us the wisdom, peace, and hope that we need to live for Him in these end-times. God does not want any of His children, any of the chosen, to be caught off guard. He wants us to be holy, to be ready, and to be working, watching, and waiting for Him. Rom. 13:11-14, 1 Th. 5:1-11

Let’s continue in Matt. 24, specifically examining the rapture of the church at Christ’s coming. But first:
Matthew 24:28 – “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” In this verse, corpse refers to man’s moral corruption, and vultures refer to God’s wrath. Alan Kurschner explains it this way: “It is a pivotal structural verse in that it distinguishes two epochs of human history, conveying the principle that where moral corruption exists, divine judgment is required. When the world’s depravity has reached full to the brim, God eschatological judgment will begin.” (“Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord”, page 69). The judgment of the world begins just after the end of this age and the rapture of the church, which we read about in vss. 29-31.

Matthew 24:29 – “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened… and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This tribulation, this great, global persecution of the elect, of both Christians and Jews, is described in vss. 9, 21-22. And it will be cut short, it will not last the entire 2^nd half of Dan. 70^th week. It will be shortened for the sake of the elect – otherwise, “no life would be saved.” Only God knows when this will happen.

After this tribulation is cut short, the celestial lights go out and the earth goes dark. And there’s a “great earthquake”, and “every mountain and island” is moved out of its place (Rev. 6:12-14). For unrepentat sinners, this will be one of the scariest, most traumatic times on earth. Lk. 21:25-26 says, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world.” Rev. 6:15-16 also expresses the unbelievers’ shock and fear, for they know God Himself is doing it, and that they cannot escape.

Both the prophets and the apostles knew that Is. 2:10-22, Amos. 5:18-22, Zeph. 1:14-18, Matt. 24:29, Lk. 21:9-11a, and Rev. 6:12-14 was describing the warning signs occurring before the day of the Lord, God’s judgment of the world at the end of this age. Then there’s Joel 2:20-31 – “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth… the sun will be turned into darkness… before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” In fact, Peter quoted from Joel when he preached his 1^st gospel message. Acts 2:19-20

Matt. 24:29 is Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question about the sign that would happen before the end of this age. And these are visible, can’t miss signs to all people on earth at that time, Jews and Gentiles, saved and lost. Christians should be thrilled, should be jumping for joy when they see, and feel (Rev. 6:12) them, for it means that Jesus is “right at the door” (vss. 30-34), and that He will immediately take them to heaven, where they will be with Him forever!

Matthew 24:30 – “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” A beautiful bright light suddenly breaks through the darkness that’s covering the earth, and it’s the Shekinah glory of Christ, and it’s visible to everyone. Vs. 30, along with vs. 27, is the sign of Christ’s coming, the answer to the question the disciples asked Jesus in vs. 3. This sign of Christ’s coming (vs. 30) is after the sign of the end of the age (vs. 29), and that’s because this magnificent and glorious light immediately follows and dispels the darkness.

Unbelievers on earth are mourning and, as stated in the Greek, “beating the breast in anguish.” They know the brilliant light overpowering the darkness is evidence that the Judge is coming to pour out His wrath on them. Then they see Christ! Can you imagine how they must feel? It has to be the most heart-sinking, fear-gripping, body-shaking event of their lives (Lk. 21:26). These unrepentant sinners know they will be judged, that they are guilty and deserve to be punished.

As for the believers, relief is flooding their minds, for Christ has returned to deliver them from an evil world, the Antichrist, and great persecution. And they are overcome with joy and gladness, for what they had been praying for, waiting for, and looking for, is finally happening. Their Lord is coming any moment, for He wants to gather His beloved family, and be with them forever!

Then these believers suddenly see Christ! Can you imagine how they feel? For the first time, they see their Savior, Redeemer, and King in all His power and glory. Joy and gladness fill their hearts and praise and thanks fill their mouths. (Job 19:25-27). “I saw One like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe… His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire… His voice was like the sound of many waters… out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” Rev. 1:14-16

Matthew 24:31 – “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.” This is the climax to the events we have been talking about in vss. 3-30. God sends forth His angels to carry out this special assignment of gathering the elect. Then there’s the sound of the trumpet, confirmed by 1 Th. 4:16 – “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.” Christ’s 2^nd coming, unlike His 1^st coming, is not private and quiet but public and loud. God is powerfully and unmistakably proclaiming Christ’s coming, alerting everyone in the whole world that His Son has returned to earth.

The culmination of all these events (Matt. 24:3-31) is the gathering of all believers from all time, those who died and are in heaven, and those left on earth, those who survive great tribulation (Mk. 13:27). We are talking about the resurrection and rapture of believers. 1 Th. 4:17 tells us, “We who are alive and remain (those on earth)will be caught up together with them (those in heaven)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” The words “caught up” are are also translaed as raptured which is from the Latin “rapere”.

The resurrected and raptured believers are glorified! This is you and I and all believers. “I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52). Not all believers will physically die before Christ’s coming, but we will all be changed, we will all be glorified, we will all be imperishable, we will all become like Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 3:2)! And it’s at the sound of the trumpet (Matt. 24:31 that we are glorified (1 Th. 4:16) – and it happens in a split second, “in the twinkling of an eye.”

Here are several more essential truths about Christ’s coming and the rapture:
1. There are many other Christ coming / rapture passages: Mark 13:27, Lk. 21:28, Jn. 13:1-3, 1 Cor. 15:50-57, 2 Th. 2:1, Rev. 7:9-14. And it’s implied in Matt. 24:13, 40, 42.
2. At Christ’s coming, we are relieved from tribulation (2 Th. 1:9), rescued from wrath (1 Th. 1:10), redeemed from the earth (Lk. 21:28), resurrected into glory (1 Cor. 15:35-44), resting from our labors (Rev. 14:13), reunited with believers (1 Th. 4:14), rewarded by Christ (Rev. 22:12), rejoicing in Christ (1 Th. 5:16), and we will reign with Christ (Rev. 5:20) and forever remain with Him. 1 Th. 4:18

3. The rapture does not take place at a different time than Christ’s coming, but is the initial event, the first thing to occur at His coming. Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Th. 4:15, 17; 2 Th. 2:1
4. For Christians living on earth, seeing Christ in the clouds and instantly being with Him will be the most dramatic, awesome, incredible event to ever happen! Being saved from your sins is great and glorious, but to suddenly see Him and be fully saved, to be immortal, to have a perfect mind, soul, and body, and to be with Christ and your believing friends and loved ones, will be the most amazing and spectacular event to ever occur in your life up until that time!

I am telling you the truth, and it’s what you must know and tell others, that Christ is coming soon to rapture and resurrect all believers, and to bring you to Himself, to Him who loves you far more, infinitely more than anyone else. Be encouraged, be excited, and be looking forward to what God has planned out for you! “Behold, I am coming soon… Behold, I am coming soon… Behold, I am coming soon. ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’” Rev. 22:7, 12, 21

P.S. What an important subject – the rapture of the church at the coming of Christ!!! That’s why I have written so much about it. Here are several other posts on this topic: #5, #6, #13, #53, #64, #65, #76, #86, #103, #118, #121, #153, #155, #156, #190, #316.

Great Distress and Deception Before Christ’s Coming

April 11, 2026 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #360 ~

Daniel’s 70 weeks, a key prophetic time clock, was stopped at the end of the 69^th week, at the point of Jesus’ death. It’s about 2,000 years later, and it will start up again, and soon. This 70^th week, a prophecy-packed seven years is, in my opinion, the most significant seven years in all of history. In Matt. 24, the most crucial prophecy chapter in the New Testament, Jesus draws our attention to this critical last week, the 70^th week. Dan. 9:24-27

At the beginning of the 70^th week, the coming Antichrist confirms a treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27). During the first 3½ years of this week, “birth pains” are occurring in various parts of the world – deception, wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues, and hyperinflation (Matt. 24:4-8). These “birth pains” are God’s way of waking us up, of alerting us to the fact that Christ is coming soon to rescue believers, punish unbelievers, and set up His earthly kingdom. It’s also during this first half of the 70^th week that practicing Jews will be offering sacrifices in their newly built temple.

Jesus then tells you about great tribulation, this persecution that Christians will experience after these birth pains. “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). And Jesus instructs us to persevere, and to preach the gospel to all the nations until the end of this age. (Matt. 24:9-14). Then He warns us, “Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation that was spoken of through the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…” (Matt. 24:15). Jesus uses the word “therefore” to connect what He says in vss. 15-20 with regard to the Jews to what He says in vss. 9-14 with regard to the Christians.

This “Desolation”, occurring at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week (Dan. 9:27), is when that devilish Antichrist desecrates the temple of God by turning it into a temple of Satan. Jesus concludes vs. 15 with “Let the reader understand.” He says this because it’s extremely relevant for Christians, for this is when they and discerning Jews know for certain that this brazen idolater is the Antichrist, the evilest man to ever live on earth, and that He will be coming after them to kill them.

“Then those who are in Judea must flee for their lives” (Matt. 24:16-20). When this “Desolation” happens, Jesus tells the Jews to run for their lives, and to not go back home, for that would mean certain death at the hands of the devil. This God-ordained persecution is described in Rev. 12:12-13 – “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time… he persecuted the woman (the Jews).”

Matt. 24:21-22, some very sobering verses, sum up what will be happening to Jews and Christians. “Then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Christians must know that these verses are for them! The great persecution that begins in Jerusalem for the Jews intensifies and spreads to Christians all over the world. We read about this in Matt. 24:9, but here it is repeated and amplified, and then validated by Rev. 12:17 – “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children (Christians),who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

Sad to say, there’s confusion among Christians as to whether this tribulation affects them or not. So I must share several points to help you understand this devilishly dark and troubling time:
* Tribulation is from the Greek word “thlipsis”, and is translated as distress, pressure, tribulation, affliction, and persecution. And wrath is from the Greek word “orge”. So wrath and tribulation are different in the Greek and do not have the same meaning.
* The Bible never says that tribulation or great tribulation is God’s wrath, but that it’s Satan’s wrath. “The devil has come down to you, having great wrath.” Rev. 12:12
* Great persecution (Rev. 6:9-11) occurs before God’s wrath (Rev. 6:16). Rev. 7:14 agrees with this, for it too speaks of great tribulation happening before God’s wrath (Rev. 8-9).

* The Bible never says the entire 7 years of Dan. 70^th week is tribulation or great tribulation.
* Christians on earth at the midpoint of Dan. 70th will experience great tribulation brought on by Satan, but will be rescued from God’s wrath, the day of the Lord, when Christ returns to rapture the church. 1 Th. 1:10, 5:9, 4:17; Rev. 6:9-17, 7:9-14
* This great tribulation is not to be confused with birth pains. That’s because birth pains affect both believers and unbelievers, but tribulation affects only the elect. Also, Matt. 24:9 tells us that tribulation begins after the birth pains, and this is substantiated by Rev. 6:1-11.

* Great tribulation begins at the midpoint of Dan. 70^th week (Dan. 9:27), but it’s cut short (Matt. 24:22). It’s not that the 70^th week is cut short, but that great tribulation is cut short.
* The Bible never says the rapture occurs at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week, before this so-called seven years of tribulation / great tribulation, but at some God-only-knows time during the 2^nd half of it.
* The rapture occurs after this tribulation is cut short and this age comes to an end, but before God pours out His wrath on earth. Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Th. 1:10, 5:9; Rev. 6:9-17, 7:9-14

* Great tribulation is the greatest persecution of Christians in all of history. Matt. 24:21
* Great tribulation affects the elect, those who are saved and those who will be saved, both Jew and Gentile. Matt 24:22, 24
* This end-times’ tribulation is also described in 2 Th. 1:5-6 and Rev. 6:9-11, 7:14, 13:7 – “It was also given to him (the beast, the Antichrist) to make war with the saints and to overcome them.”

* In the New Testament, tribulation speaks primarily of how it impacts Christians: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).“Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).“Who will separate us from the love of God? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). “Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). “We sent Timothy… so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this” (1 Th. 3:3). “We ourselves speak proudly of you… for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions” (2 Th. 1:4).“Do not fear what you are about to suffer… you will be tested and have tribulation for ten days” (Rev. 2:10).“These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14

Matt 24:23-24 – “… False Christs and false prophets will rise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Many God-fearing Jews, ones who are most likely expecting the Messiah to come and reign as King, are trying to escape from that evil, devil-possessed man, for he is chasing after them and trying to kill them. “When the dragon (Satan) saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (the Jews) who gave birth to the male child (Jesus).” Rev. 12:13

But God has good plans for these Jews, these elect, for He wants to physically save them from Satan so He can spiritually save them from sin, which won’t happen until the end of the 70^th week. In the meantime, God protects them from their #1 enemy, that wicked devil of a man. “The two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman (the Jews), so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time” (Rev. 12:14). A large remnant of Jews miraculously escapes, and it maybe by airplanes. The phrase that speaks of time, times, and half a time, refers to 3½ years, the last half of Dan. 70^th week, that time when the Jews are pursued by the devil but protected by God. Rev. 12:6

“The dragon was enraged with the woman…” (Rev. 12:17a). Satan is really mad, is furious that these Jews have escaped, but he doesn’t give up. He knows they are hiding but he doesn’t know where. Satan and the Antichrist have the same mindset for they greatly hate both Jews and Christians, and are going after them so as to kill them. And they use deception, employing false Christs and false prophets to lure the elect from their hiding places. They “will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matt. 24:24, 2 Thess. 2:8-12

The devil’s goal is to make people believe that Jesus is on earth, out in the wilderness or in some house, and doing miracles. “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven in the presence of men and he deceives those who dwell on earth” (Rev. 13:13-14). Billions of people will be misled, be deceived, be worshiping the Antichrist and taking his mark (Rev. 13:15-17), but not the saved or those who will be saved. As for that protected and special group of Jews, they will be safe and secure until the day of salvation at the end of the 70^th week. Then they will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Matt. 23:39

“Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matt. 24:25). God did not tell us everything He knows about the end-times, but everything we need to know. Yes, there is a lot of information to learn, for there’s the Old Testament (Is., Dan., Zech., the Psalms, etc.), and the New Testament (Matt., Luke, Rom., Eph. 1, 1-2 Thess., 1 Pet. 1, Rev., etc.). In these end-times, in this calm before the storm, we should be excited to learn all this important information about Christ’s coming and kingdom. Matt. 24:25, 35, 45, and 2 Tim. 4:1-2, more than any other verses, motivate me to study and teach God’s prophetic word. “Who 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

Matt. 24:27,“just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be”, is the climactic conclusion to this prophetic passage, Matt. 24:15-26. Deceivers are saying that Jesus is on earth, but this verse makes it clear that He is coming in the air. To illustrate His coming, Jesus talks about it as if it looks like a magnificent bolt of lightning. As we know, lightning is sudden, directional, brilliant, bright, powerful, visible, and breath-taking. So too it will be with Christ’s coming. And verse 27, the sign of His coming, complements verse 30. “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky… and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” Rev. 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

P.S. Here is a link to the most read post or article on this blog site, “Matthew 24 – The Most Important Prophecy Chapter in the Bible.” I encourage you to read it so you can understand more clearly what God has planned out for His people in the last years of the end-times.

Birth Pains Before the Coming of Christ – Matthew 24:1-8

March 21, 2026 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #357 ~

Jesus is with His disciples on the Mount of Olives and they ask Him three questions. A few days before it is said of the disciples – “they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately” (Lk. 19:11). Jesus then makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the crowd is shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Lk. 19:38). Like most Jews, the disciples were thinking that it wouldn’t be long before Jesus was anointed as King of Israel.

So they ask Jesus these questions – “When will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). The first referred to something Jesus had said earlier about their beautiful temple being torn down, that “not one stone here will be left upon another” (Matt. 24:2). I don’t believe Jesus answers this question in Matt. 24, but it is answered in Lk. 19:41-44, 21:20-22, 23:27-31. And the temple was destroyed around 70 AD.

As for the next two questions, the disciples were probably thinking that before the end of the age of man, before Jesus was anointed as King that He would give some spectacular signs, like angels appearing, trumpets blasting, or a great celestial light. But they had no idea that there would be a church age. The disciples completely missed the meaning of the parable Jesus had recently shared – “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return…” (Lk. 19:12-15). They did not realize the questions they asked and the answers they received would be more relevant to a future generation of disciples, for those living in the end-times.

So let’s look at these last two questions. First, let’s examine the two key terms in vs. 3, “coming” and “age”. The word coming, from the Greek “parousia”, conveys two thoughts, arrival and presence. It’s a singular noun that speaks of a person’s arrival at a place and ongoing presence. Christ’s 1^st coming occurred about 2,000 years ago and lasted close to 33 years, and His 2^nd coming will begin in the near future. This word coming appears in Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, and 39. And in Matt. 24:27, 30, 42, 44, 46, and 50, there’s the word, “erchetai”, a verb translated as coming or arriving. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky.” Matt. 24:30

The second key term is the word “age”. It’s defined as a period of time or history marked by a central figure or feature. Gal. 1:4 speaks of “this present evil age”, that time from when Adam and Eve sinned and the devil became the leading evil influence in the world (1 Jn. 5:19) until that time when Christ returns and is perfectly ruling the earth. And in vss. 6, 13, and 14, Jesus speaks of the “end”, and He’s referring to the end of this age.

The disciples asked Jesus for two signs and His answers are in vss. 29-30, but they didn’t really understood them at that time. But Jesus told them and us a lot more than just these two signs. Jesus loves us and doesn’t want those living in the end-times to be surprised, to be caught off guard. He wants us to see all the signs described in vss. 4-30 so we are on the alert, so we are ready for His return, so we are looking forward to being with Him. Heb. 10:25

Let’s go to Matt. 24:4-8. These verses describe what Jesus calls “birth pangs” or birth pains, and they affect all kinds of people – Christians, non-Christians, Jews, Gentiles. Birth pains are what a mother experiences before her baby is born. They usually start slow, but pick up in frequency and intensity – there are more and more of them and they get harder and harder. Just as birth pains don’t begin at the start of a mother’s pregnancy, so too the birth pains described in Matt. 24 don’t begin at the start of the church age but are occurring now in the last years of this age. And similar to how the birth pains of a mother result in the birth of her child, so too the birth pains are an essential part of God’s plan to bring about the return of His Son.

The first birth pain is deception, that many will come in Christ’s name and deceive people, mislead people, lie to people. Of all that Jesus has to say in vss. 4-30, this is first for a reason. He does not want any person, saved or lost, to be tricked, to believe error, to be duped by disinformation. Jesus rightfully and strongly hates deceivers, these false Christs, these fake pastors, these “fools… blind guides… hypocrites… serpents… brood of vipers.” Matt. 23:16-33

With increasing lawlessness and calamities in these end-times, life will be extremely difficult, and people will be looking for answers, for peace and safety. They will be vulnerable and susceptible to false teaching, fake churches, and AI error. So Jesus warns us to “see to it”, to be on the lookout for liars who don’t tell the truth, who promote a false gospel. He wants us to be discerning, to know the difference between what is true and false, what is of God and what is of the devil. In a key prophecy passage, Paul tells us, “Let no one in any way deceive you.” 2 Thess. 2:3

Second, there will be wars and rumors of wars – and Jesus says they “must take place.” Yes, some leaders seek peace in this evil world, but only Jesus will bring true and lasting peace. Now most people in the world will be hearing about these wars, whether it’s from the TV, internet, or a person. So some countries are having wars, but many will not. And if only some people are experiencing these wars, then they are only happening in “various places”, which is what vs. 7 says with reference to famines and earthquakes. Rev. 6:8 substantiates this point, for it says that only a “fourth of the earth” will be affected by these birth pains.

Jesus tells you, “See that you are not frightened”, which is relevant for the entire end-times. And whether a person hears about these catastrophic events or experiences them, the normal, natural tendency is to be afraid. During the first week of the Iran war, this blog site saw a 50% increase in views. That’s because people are fearful when they hear about wars – they worry about what might happen. So remember, Jesus tells you not to be afraid. Get truths, commands, and promises from God to bolster your faith and strengthen your soul. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God… I will help you.” Is. 41:10

Note what vs. 6 says – “these things must take place, but that is not yet the end,” that is, not the end of this age. We will be witnessing more and more wars, but just because we do doesn’t mean that Christ is immediately coming back, that He is “right at the door” (vs. 33). Vss. 7-30 list many other things that need to happen before Christ returns to rapture the church.

Third and fourth, there will be famines and earthquakes (vs. 7). Famines, a scarcity, a lack of food, can be caused by drought, wars, natural disasters, the economy, etc. It’s easy to see how famines are now and will be occurring in this world because of the above factors. And there will be earthquakes, the sudden rupture of the earth’s crust which causes a great shaking and cataclysmic damage. Again, they will not be happening in every country, in every place, but only in some places, in “various places.”

Vs. 8 gives the conclusion to this passage about birth pains. “All these things” that we just talked about “are merely the beginning of birth pains.” This verse goes along with vs. 6 – “these things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” I believe these verses describe the present condition of our world relative to Christ’s coming, that we are at the beginning of this end-times’ stage that leads to the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church.

A pregnant woman who is experiencing early labor, beginning birth pains, knows her baby is coming soon, and it’s not usually in a few minutes, but in hours. I don’t believe Christ’s coming is a few years away, but at least a decade or two, if not more. As we will see in the coming verses and in the coming years, many more things must occur before believers on earth will head to heaven to be with Jesus. And only God knows how long these beginning birth pains must last before we get to the next stage, the transition, the tribulation, which we’ll examine in vss. 9-14.

There are a few more things I need to say about birth pains:
* These birth pains are talked about in other passages – Mark 13:5-8, Luke 21:8-11a, Rev. 6:1-8.
* Luke 21:11a includes plagues as one of the birth pains, and Rev. 6:5-6 speaks of economic distress, what seems to be hyperinflation.
* Deception, wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and hyperinflation have all occurred throughout history, but will be more frequent, intense, and destructive in the end times.
* God does not tell us when the birth pains start. Some think they start at the beginning of Dan. 70^th week and others before the beginning of this week.

* The birth pains are not part of God’s end-times’ wrath, also called the Day of the Lord. Why not? Because the birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8) occur before the signs in the heaven (Matt. 24:29) and the signs in the heavens occur before the Day of the Lord (Acts 2:19-21). Therefore, the birth pains must occur before the Day of the Lord, and thus are not part of God’s end-times’ wrath. Rev. 6:1-8, similar to Matt. 24:4-8, also makes it clear that these birth pains happen before God’s end-times’ wrath (vss. 16-17).
* The birth pains are wake-up calls, are to alert us to the fact that we are in the end-times, and that Christ is coming soon to rapture the church and pour out His wrath on earth. Pray for the saved to be spiritually awakened so they are ready for Christ’s return (Rom. 13:11, Matt. 24:42), and for the lost to be spiritually shaken so they repent of their sins. Luke 13:1-5

Matt. 24 is for our time, is for those of us who are living in these end-times, in these last years before Christ’s return. More than anyone else in history, we need to know these God-given signs, for they show us that Christ will be coming soon to take us home to heaven. Matt. 24 is a great summary of what will be happening in the end-times. Might God give you the grace to study it, understand it, be stirred by it, and then share it with others. “I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you” (Jer. 42:4). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… baptizing them… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20

P.S. The road is rough in the years leading up to Christ’s coming, for there will be birth pains, but God will lead, strengthen, and bless the believers on earth at that time. Here is a good summary of Matthew 24, this most important chapter for believers at this time in history – “Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End Times”.

Talking to a Christian About Christ’s Coming

February 7, 2026 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #353 ~

You are talking to a Christian and they are interested in prophesy. They want to know what will be happening in the future, they want to know God’s plans for them and this world. What do you tell them? As you know, this is a huge subject, and there is much God tells us in His Word, much He wants you to learn, and much you need to share with interested believers. Let me summarize a number of things you need to tell them about the future of a Christian and of this world:

You tell them that Christ is coming again, that this is the first and most important thing they need to know. You tell them that when He returns, the lives of everyone, both saved and lost, will be dramatically changed. You tell them that Christ is coming soon, and that’s because we live in the end-times, and we know this because the Jews are back in the promised land. You tell them that Christ is returning to rescue Christians from an evil world, to judge unrepentant sinners, to redeem a remnant of Jews, to reign over a restored earth, and to bring glory to God. Rev. 22:7, Rev. 7-9, Luke 21:24, Is. 57:1, 1 Cor. 15:42-44, Ps. 47, Hab. 2:14

You tell them that many difficult and trying things will occur before Christ’s coming. You tell them that this world will become a more wicked place, that lawlessness will get much worse in the years leading up to Christ’s return. You tell them that Christians will be greatly hated and persecuted, and that many will be martyred. You tell them that there will be an increase in false teaching, and only by knowing God’s word can they escape error and the lies of the devil. Matt. 24:32-34, Matt. 24:12, Matt. 24:9, Matt. 24:4-5

You tell them about “birth pains”, about earthquakes, wars, famines, plagues and economic problems afflicting people in various parts of this earth. You tell them that the United States is in decline and being judged by God because of her sin. One result is that the Antichrist, sometime in the future, will be raised up and rule over this world, and be seen as a savior. You tell them that God is actively working with the Jews, and how they need to be watching what’s happening in Israel so they can see how God is fulfilling His prophetic word in this world. You tell them that the Jews will confirm a treaty with the Antichrist in the near future, and then be able to build a temple and offer sacrifices. Matt. 24:6-8, Rev. 6:1-8, Rom. 1:20-32, Rev. 13:4-8, Matt. 24:9-26; Luke 21:20-24, Dan. 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:4

You tell them about a great, global earthquake and the sun and moon going dark, that these are signs of the end of this age, and that unbelievers will be shocked and scared to death. You tell them that immediately after this, a brilliant bright light will appear in the sky, and this is the sign of Christ’s coming. You tell them that the whole world will see Christ, but believers will be glorified and raptured, and then be with Him forever. Rev. 6:12-17; Matt. 24:27, 29-31; 1 Th. 4:17

You tell them that God will justly judge all unbelievers still on earth, and this is the day of the Lord, a dreadful but deserved punishment for those who have rejected Christ and not repented of their sins. You tell them that God will rightly judge the Jews, but that a large remnant, one-third of them, will be saved, will become believers. Rev. 8-9, 16; Zech. 13:8-9; Rom. 11:25-26

You tell them that the Christians who were raptured, along with those resurrected, will be in heaven only a short time, and then return with Christ to defeat the Antichrist and his evil kingdom. You tell them that Christ will gloriously, powerfully, and righteously rule for 1,000 years with both Jewish and Gentile believers. Then Christ will subject Himself to the Father, and God will be all in all, and we will forever be worshiping and serving Him in the eternal kingdom. Rev. 7:9-12, 19:11-21, 20:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:23-28

This is a short summary of what will be taking place, and it’s important to study these verses so you have convictions and so you can clearly and confidently tell others what God has taught you. God does not want any of His people to be surprised and fearful when there are calamities and great persecution in the end times. Instead, He wants them to be ready, watching, and waiting for Christ to return and to be working for Him while they wait. Might God use you to tell others about their future, about what God has in store for them and this world.

“Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mk. 13:23). “They themselves report… how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10

P.S. I have many posts detailing the future. Here are some of them: “What the Bible Says About the Future”, “Filling in the End-Times’ Outline”, and “Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End-Times.”

P.P.S. For more encouragement for everyone, including some of our new friends we met at the airport in Charlotte (Wendall, Carolyn, and Andrew!) – here are the two links to a number of excellent, God-glorifying Scripture Songs (Scripture Songs – Our Legacy – Volume 1 and Volume 2) that our church music team recorded when I was in Tampa.

Christmas – A Crucial Part of the Big Picture, of God’s Eternal Purposes

December 24, 2025 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #348 ~

During this time of the year we focus on Christmas, a celebration of God becoming man and being with us, of the incarnation and of Immanuel. In this post, we look at God’s word to see how Christmas fits into the broader picture, in God’s eternal plan, from the past to the present to the future. I examine key events and people leading to Jesus’ birth and up to the present day and then to the glorious future God has in store for His children.

John 1:1-2. In the beginning, in eternity past, was the Word, the One who is the Son of God, and He was with God, and He is God. That Jesus is the Word means He is a communicator, and His purpose is to tell the world the truth of God through His life and His words. Heb. 1:1-3

John 1:3. The Son of God is the Creator, for by Him all things are made and are sustained, spiritual beings and physical beings, things you see and cannot see, things animate and inanimate. His most important creation are humans, for only we are made in the image of God. Gen. 1:26

Genesis 3:1-10. The 1^st humans were Adam and Eve and they were perfect, but they sinned against God, resulting in them and this entire earth being cursed by God. And their sin was passed on to all their descendants, to all mankind (Rom. 5:12). Since God is holy, then He must punish a person’s sin, for He cannot let the guilty go unpunished. Exod. 34:7

Genesis 3:15. The first one to sin against God was Lucifer, who tempted Eve to sin. That he rebelled like this means he is an enemy of both God and man. This “1^st gospel” predicts that a descendant of Eve, One we know as Jesus Christ, would defeat this devil. That Jesus would descend from Eve means He would be a man. That the devil would bruise Jesus’ heel means that He would be wounded. That Jesus would bruise the devil’s head means that he would be defeated.

Genesis 3:21. The garments of skin worn by Adam and Eve signifies that an animal was sacrificed and blood was shed, symbolizing the fact that God would kill a substitute to atone for man’s sin – and this is Jesus Christ, God the Son, One who would be God and man, and a mediator between God the Father and man.

Genesis 12:1-3. God wants to bless the families of the earth, even though people sin against Him. Gen. 3:15, 21 hints as to how this would happen, but there’s more. Abram is the father of the Jewish people, and God wanted Jesus Christ to descend from him. That is, Jesus would be a Jew. The rest of the Old Testament describes the history of the Jews and of Israel. Matt. 1 and Luke 3 give us Jesus’ genealogy, the names of His human ancestors. So it was through Jesus, Abram’s descendant, that the world would be delivered from its curse and then forever blessed.

Isaiah 7:14. God gave a sign to the Jews so they would know the identity of the Savior. The sign was that Jesus would miraculously be born of a virgin. So Jesus would not come into the world as a grown-up man, but would be born, be a child, and be a Son. We also learn that He is called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” That God wanted to do this shows His great, amazing love for us – and only since Jesus is both God and man could this happen and would it happen. That Jesus becomes a man means He is like us, can relate to us, talk to us, and love us, and that we can see Him, be with Him, talk to Him, and love Him.

Isaiah 9:6-7. This prophecy, like Is. 7:14, says that the coming Savior would be a child, a son, one born of a woman. We also discover that He would be a descendant of David, that He would be a wise, loving, and powerful King over the whole world, One who would bring peace and rule forever and ever.

Isaiah 52:13-15–53:1-12. This speaks about Jesus Christ and that He would be God’s servant, and would suffer and sacrifice His life for the sins of people, and then be greatly exalted, and greatly influence all the kings of this world. More than any other Old Testament passage, Is. 53 explains the gospel, that Jesus, at His 1^st coming, would suffer and die to forgive the sins of all the people who would repent of their sins and believe that He died on the cross to be punished for their sins. Rom. 5:8, Rom. 6:23, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 3:18

Micah 5:2-5. This prophecy is precise, for it tells us exactly where Jesus would be born, the little town of Bethlehem Ephrathah. It also makes it clear that Jesus will be a ruler, that He “will be great to the ends of the earth”, that He will shepherd His people, and that He will bring peace to the world.

Revelation 12:3-4. This sums up the life and death struggle between the Jewish people, who were to bring forth Jesus into the world, and the dragon, the devil, whose goal was to wipe out the Jews to prevent the birth of Jesus. The Old Testament describes in great detail this battle between the Jews and the devil. The 7 heads and 10 horns represent 8 empires the devil works through so as to defeat the Jewish kingdom. Vs. 4b refers to the Roman empire, specifically to Herod’s failed attempt to kill baby Jesus, for God foiled him. Lk. 2:1-8, 16-18

Galatians 4:4. Since eternity past, God had planned out the perfect time for His Son to be born of a woman, to be the God-man, to be God and man at the same time, which is an increible miracle, what we call the Incarnation (John 1:14-18). The Old Testament times of the Jews and about 400 “silent years”, along with all the other events and people in the Gentile world during that period, led to the birth day of Jesus. Not only that, but the Savior would come into this world at the right time, when the rulers, languages, roads, and nation of Israel were just what God wanted and had already planned them to be. Is. 46:9-11

Luke 1:26-35. The angel Gabriel tells Mary that she is the “favored one”, for she would be the mother of the Savior, the Son of the Most High. He also informs her that her son would be a King, and that He would “reign over the house of Jacob forever.” Mary was surprised but thrilled to know that as a virgin, she would bear a son, who we know to be Jesus Christ, and that He was the son of man but also the “Son of God”, the Savior, her Savior, and the Judge and King of the world. Luke 1:46-55

Matthew 1:18-25. An angel tells Joseph that Mary, his future wife, would give birth to a son, and that would be a miracle for she was a virgin. So her son would be the Son of God, be both God and man (“For in Him, all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form” – Col. 2:9, John 1:14, Phil. 2:5-7). He also tells Joseph that her son’s name would be Jesus, and that’s because His purpose was to be a Savoir, for He would “save His people from their sins.” Not only that, but Jesus would be “Immanuel”, which means “God with us.” Put together, these three powerful and unbelievable truths sum up the main message of Christmas, that God wanted His Son (1) to be a man (2) so that He would save us (3) and we would be with Him forever (3). To know that the great and perfect God wants to be with us and have an intimate and wonderful relationship with us for all eternity is amazing, astonishing, the best and greatest gift and blessing imaginable.

Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2. The central message of Christmas is summed up in the previous point, but there’s much more to this story, and it’s found by examining the entire Matt. 1-2, Luke 1-2 narratives. Let me sum it up: 1) Jesus Christ is Immanuel, Lord, Savior, Judge, King, the Son of God, and son of man. 2) Jesus is the main character but there’s a supporting cast: the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s parents; Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Joseph, her husband; Simeon and Anna, two godly believers who were expecting the coming of the Messiah; lowly and humble shepherds; three wise men worshiping the King; the angels; and that evil king Herod. Apart from Herod, all of these characters are godly, righteous, humble, devoted, faithful believers.

What else do we learn? 3) There are the ancestors of Jesus. 4) A huge spiritual battle was taking place, for enemy forces, the devil along with Herod, tried to kill Jesus. 5) Prophecies relating to the birth of Jesus were fulfilled – about Him being King over His kingdom, Abraham and his descendants receiving land, and the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles. 6) Both people and angels worshiped Jesus. 7) Glory was given to God. 8) God’s character, His wisdom, power, love, joy, holiness, faithfulness, greatness, humility, sovereignty, etc., was manifested. 9) God’s plans and purposes were perfectly carried out and fulfilled. All this big-picture information is part of the larger Christmas story, taking us from long before the birth of Jesus up to His birth over 2,000 years ago, and then up to the present day, and then to the eternal future when, with His Father, He is reigning as King over the world, and being worshiped by all.

Mattthew, Mark, Luke, and John. From these four gospels, we read about Jesus’ life, how He was both God and man. We see examples of His perfect character, His love, compassion, zeal, patience, forgiveness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, diligence, and perseverance. We learn about His purpose: He was preaching the gospel, teaching the people, discipling believers, and predicting the future. We read about His suffering and death, that He died on a cross for us, that He was punished for our sins, and thus paid for all the sins of those who would believe in Him. We know that Jesus was raised from the dead, thereby proving His victory over sin and death. We find out that there were many witnesses to His death and resurrection, which is historical proof of these most important events.

Matthew 16:18. There is the church age, beginning on the day of Pentecost and ending with signs in the heavens and the world going dark (Acts 2:17-21). During this age, Jesus is building His church, working through His word, the Spirit, and believers. The gospel is preached, His word is obeyed, disciples are made, the church is growing, and Christ is victorious, defeating sin and death in those who believe in Him. That the Jews have returned to Israel, to their homeland, is the #1 sign that we now live in the end-times, and that we are fast approaching the end of this age, that time when Christ the King returns to rapture the church, judge the world, save a Jewish remnant, and begin His 1000-year reign over the world.

Matthew 24. This outlines what occurs in the end-times, what happens before the end of this age and Christ’s coming. We read of birth pains, wars, famines, and earthquakes. We learn about the great persecution of the church, that Christians are betrayed and killed, and that they are to persevere and keep preaching the gospel of the kingdom until the end of this age. There’s the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9:27), the abomination of desolation, when the Antichrist desecrates the temple, and then greatly persecutes the Jews.

All this persecution of Jews and Christians is suddenly cut short and, at a time unknown to us, Christ returns to rapture the church. As believers, we should be excited about Christ’s coming, be watching and waiting for our Savior and King to come back to rapture the church and punish the world. The information in this chapter is extremely important at this present time, along with Dan. 7, 9; Luke 21; 1 Thess. 4-5; 2 Thess. 1-2; and the book of Revelation.

Revelation 12:5. This, as well as Isaiah 9:6-7, are the perfect end-times’ Christmas verses. Rev. 12:5 tells us that the woman gave birth to a male child, referring to the birth of Jesus 2,000 years before this time. But it does not talk about His life on earth at His 1^st coming, or about Him being born to be a Savior, or about His death and resurrection. It does talk about His ascension into heaven, and that Jesus was born to be a King – and that He will rule the nations of the earth with force, with a rod of iron, which happens at Jesus’ 2^nd coming.

The Christmas story about Jesus being born is only fully complete when we realize that it’s about Jesus being a Savior (Ps. 22) at His 1^st coming, a Shepherd (Ps. 23) during this church age, and a Sovereign at His 2^nd coming (Ps. 24). This true story about Jesus being born, becoming a man, and being Immanuel, God with us, is not the beginning or end of God’s working on this earth, but a key part, a continuation of the story of Jesus, the story of man, the story of our eternal life and eternal reign with Jesus Christ in His eternal kingdom. Rev. 1:4-8, 5:10

Isaiah 9:6-7. “A child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

P.S. Indeed, Christ always lives for us, and may we always live for Him. To read the rest of my Christmas posts, go to the search bar and enter the word Christmas. May the Lord Jesus greatly bless you this Christmas season, and in the years to come, and forever and ever.

Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, The Whole Counsel of God

September 20, 2025 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #341 ~

The gospel message is a kingdom message and you can’t separate the two. Understanding the gospel is understanding the truth of an eternal life and the truth of an everlasting kingdom. Look at how God says it in Rev. 1:5-7 – “To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood – and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds…”

The gospel message describes the entirety of your Christian life, from the moment you are saved and enter His kingdom (John 3:5) through all eternity, from this church age, this spiritual kingdom, to the kingdom ages (Rev. 20-22). And this is how Jesus taught. “Jesus was… teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). We previously saw from the book of Acts that Paul and others taught the same way. In this post we will continue to learn about the gospel of the kingdom, a relevant and essential subject.

Jesus was with His disciples, and “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). That’s quite the statement, that the summary of Jesus’ teaching during those 40 days was the kingdom of God. And it wasn’t just the spiritual kingdom, the church, it was more than that. The text goes on to say that Jesus’ disciples, who knew God’s promises to Israel about a physical kingdom, ask Jesus if He was “restoring the kingdom to Israel” at that time. (Acts 1:6). It’s obvious that the disciples really wanted Jesus to restore the kingdom to Israel.

If there was to be no kingdom, if God’s promises to the Jews were canceled, then this would have been the perfect time for Jesus to say so. But He doesn’t do that! Jesus’ answer is that they didn’t need to know when it was going to happen, followed by His instruction to focus on being His witnesses to the world (Acts 1:8), on building the spiritual kingdom of God. Matt. 16:18

During those 40 days, Jesus’ purpose was to help His disciples understand the gospel of the kingdom, to teach them about the entirety of the kingdom age, from the spiritual kingdom to the physical kingdom. God further assures them of its reality in the future by sending two angels to tell them that His Son would be coming back (Acts 1:11-12). And it is at that time that Jesus raptures the church, judges the world, and begins His 1000-year kingdom. Rev. 11:15, Rev. 20

What else do we learn in Acts and other passages about the kingdom of God?
* Acts 8:12 – “… when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…” Philip was one of the apostles who heard Jesus talking about the kingdom of God, and was now himself preaching this gospel. He was sharing the truth about Christ, sin, salvation, and the church, the spiritual kingdom (Rom. 14:17). And he surely told them about Christ returning to set up His physical kingdom on earth.

* Acts 19:8 – “He entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.” The truth of God’s kingdom was on Paul’s heart and lips. For three months, he communicated this comprehensive, big-picture message. He was powerfully proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogue, reasoning with the Jews about the good news concerning the present and future reign of Christ in our lives, and His future reign over this world. After that, and for two more years, Paul focused on His disciples, continuing to teach them the transforming truth of God’s kingdom.

* Acts 20:24-25 – “… that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom…” Paul preached the gospel of God’s grace and he was “preaching the kingdom.” He taught people the necessity of God’s grace during this church age and the kingdom ages. God’s grace is His power, and is what we need if we are to be active and fruitful members of His holy, eternal, God-glorifying kingdom.

* Acts 28:23 – “Paul… was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus.” Acts 28:31 – “He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” The gospel message preached by Paul was not two separate messages, about Jesus and about the kingdom. It was a unified message that Jesus, as Lord and King, is to spiritually rule in our hearts and over the church during this present age, and to physically rule over the world in the coming kingdom ages. Paul knew the overarching importance of this kingdom message and he kept preaching it.

* Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Our work on earth is to seek God’s kingdom, to work with Christ in building His spiritual and internal kingdom during this church age. And we should all have an eternal perspective, that our present-day kingdom work relates to and results in a visible, everlasting kingdom. In this future kingdom, we will wholeheartedly worship and serve the King and have intimate fellowship with the believers. “They will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9

* Matthew 6:9-10 – “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” A major theme in this well-known prayer is that we are to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, which means both the present spiritual kingdom and the future physical kingdom. We are to pray for Christ to be King in people’s hearts during this church age and in the kingdom ages. We are now seeing God’s “will being done on earth as it is in heaven” in the church in a limited way. But in the kingdom ages, His will is always and fully carried out all over the world. Phil. 2:9-11

* Matthew 24:14 – “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.” What are we to do when the Antichrist is ruling the earth and persecuting Christians? We are to preach “the gospel of the kingdom… to all the nations.” We are to proclaim the entirety of the gospel. We are to tell people how they can be part of God’s eternal kingdom, how they can be saved, sanctified, glorified, and reign with Christ during the kingdom ages.

* Luke 21:28, 31 – “Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near… so also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.” In this prophetic passage about the end-times, Jesus tells the disciples that redemption is near, redemption referring to being glorified at His coming. Then Christ says that the kingdom of God is near, this referring to a short time later when He begins reigning over this renovated earth. That we now live in the end times means that two life-changing, world-changing events will soon take place, the completion of our salvation, and the beginning of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

We have been talking about the gospel of the kingdom, the good news that speaks of the entirety of our eternal life. We have talked about Christ dying for our sins and our need to believe in Him to be spiritually and physically saved with the result that we will be fit and ready to live with Him and for Him in the coming kingdom ages.

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word…” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). What do we learn from Paul’s final words to Timothy and to all preachers of God’s word? Pastors are to preach God’s word in view of, in light of Christ’s appearing and His kingdom.

At His appearing we will be judged, be rewarded for our work on earth. We will also be glorified, be completely saved, able to wholly live for Christ from that point through the kingdom ages, through eternity future. From Sunday to Sunday, pastors are to keep the big picture in mind and teach believers all the truths of God’s word. They are to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God. Living for Christ in hopes of a glorious future must be repeatedly taught and fixed in the hearts of all God’s people. “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable… I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:20, 27

Might we all have this eternal perspective of the kingdom of God. Knowing these truths will definitely and positively affect your relationship with God and how you live for Him. Here are two more posts on the kingdom of God: “Kingdom Instructions for the Church” and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

Why It’s Important to Preach on Prophecy

July 19, 2025 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #336 ~

We live in a world where true churches teach the gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins and rose again from the dead, and all who repent of their sins and believe that He died and rose again for them receive eternal life, are forgiven, are God’s children – and this is most important. But some of these churches don’t adequately and accurately teach about the end-times, Christ’s 2^nd coming, and the kingdom ages. A pastor’s message is often lacking for it does not match the width and depth of God’s prophetic word, and therefore, is imbalanced, is not strong in hope. (2 Tim. 4:1-2). Not only that, errors are often taught or are allowed to be taught.

It’s not good, it’s not right for Christians to inadequately know or be mistaken about the incredible future God has in store for them. So why is there a lack of solid teaching on this essential subject? Why are believers uninformed? Why is there naivety, confusion, and a lack of interest? It’s the devil, the flesh, pride, unbelief, worldliness, and laziness, not diligently studying these significant portions of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:1-2). Christians, especially the pastors, ought to be excited and hungry to know the truth about Christ’s return to rapture the church, judge the sinners, and reign over this world.

Today I want to share some specific reasons why it’s necessary to teach these prophetic truths.
* Christ taught extensively on prophecy, and if He taught it, then we must teach what He taught, just what He taught, and what He commands us to teach. “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name… you will be hearing of wars… just as the light comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matt. 24:4-27, 28:19-20

* Prophecy consists of major doctrines and these must be taught. Being with Jesus Christ and being glorified are major doctrines. The millennial kingdom, reigning with Christ, and the future of the Jews are major doctrines. Eternal life, having a personal relationship with Christ for an infinite number of years, is also a major doctrine. “… we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17b, Heb. 12:22-24

* Thousands of prophecy verses in God’s word demand that it be taught. The sheer volume of unfulfilled prophecy found in Genesis, the law of Moses, the Psalms, the major and minor Prophets, the four gospels, Romans, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Peter, Revelation, and other books, makes it crystal clear that it’s a major, major subject in God’s word, and must be taught, is waiting to be taught, and needs to be understood and believed by the church. Luke 24:44

* Only by understanding prophecy can you see the big picture, can you have an eternal perspective, can you know the beginning from the end, can you see that the past and the present is leading to a God-glorious future. “I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end form the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” Isaiah 46:9b-10

* Prophecy needs to be taught because we live in the end-times. More than ever before, now is the time to teach on prophecy. God wants us to be knowledgeable, grown-up Christians at this time in history and have a clear understanding about what will be taking place in these last years leading up to Christ’s coming and the kingdom ages to follow. “These words are concealed and sealed up until the end time” (Dan. 12:9), and now in these end-times they are unsealed. “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” Mark 13:23; Eph. 1:20-21, 2:7

* Prophecy must be taught because the Old Testament talks extensively and primarily about the Jewish people and God’s eternal plans for them. And His purposes and promises for the Jews, His chosen people, have not and, I repeat, have not been changed or canceled. In these end-times and in the coming ages, God will surely carry out His plans for them with regards to their land, their King, and their salvation (Ezek. 37:21-23). “The Lord will be the King over all the earth.” Zech. 14:9

* Knowing prophetic truth about the Jews is necessary to knowing prophetic truth about the church. We now know that many Old Testament prophecies about the Jews include God’s plans for Christians, specifically those referring to the kingdom ages. Ps. 37:11, speaking of Jews, says, “the humble will inherit the earth”, and Matt. 5:5, speaking of Christians, states, “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.” These verses about Jews and Christians are related, and they refer to the earth during the millennial kingdom, a time when believers will “reign upon the earth.” Rev. 5:10

* Prophecy warns you about the calamitous last years of this church age, about lawlessness, birth pains, the Antichrist, great persecution, the most difficult time on earth for Christians – and God wants you to hear and heed His warnings so that you are not surprised or confused when there’s danger and great tribulation. You must be awake and alert, and understand what God wants you to know and do. “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” 1 Thess. 5:6

* Prophecy makes it clear that the Christian life is not boring, directionless, or meaningless. Prophecy helps you see where you are and where you are going in these end-times, and that you are always moving ahead and going in the path God planned for you. Knowing that your life is being directed by God and is making progress is invigorating and motivating for it helps you see that you are an integral part of His divine purpose on earth. Every day is a new day, an exciting day, one day closer to completing God’s plans, one day closer to home. “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:12-14

* Prophecy needs to be understood so you can teach, warn, and encourage others, whether that’s your wife, children, grand-children, friends, those in the church, or those out in the street. “He… appointed a law in Israel which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children.” Ps. 78:5

* Prophecy must be taught because it tells you about the completion of your salvation. The gospel speaks of Christ’s death and resurrection which is the basis, the foundation of your salvation. And salvation is explained in 3 parts: justification (past – freed from the penalty of sin), sanctification (present – being freed from the power of sin), and glorification (future – freed from the presence of sin). A Christian’s salvation is continuing in the present and will be completed in the future, not at his death, but at Christ’s coming. Matt. 24:27, 31; 1 John 3:2-3

You can’t separate what God did in the past from what He will do in the future. God began His work in you and will finish His work in you. “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). God justified you and will glorify you. “These whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). God spiritually united you with Christ and will physically unite you with Christ. The gospel is foundational to the completion of your salvation, to being physically resurrected, to receiving a new body, one that is powerful, immortal, spiritual, and glorious. 1 Cor. 15:20-23, 1 Thess. 4:15-17

* The book of Revelation, 22 chapters long, the last book in God’s word, focuses on prophecy, and must be understood. It’s not optional. You don’t skip the last chapter when you read a book, so why would you skip the final book in the Bible? Revelation is a needed book, one that ties everything together, that bridges the end of this church age to the coming kingdom age – and it must be clearly and rightly taught in conjunction with all of prophecy. It communicates God’s plans for believers, unbelievers, and the whole world, and you need to know it, believe it, and teach it. And by God’s illuminating Spirit, you can know what it says – it makes sense, it’s not too hard to understand. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place… Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near.” Rev. 1:1, 3, John 14:26

It’s sad that many Christians know little about God’s plans for their future and therefore, aren’t looking forward to being with Jesus. In these end-times, let’s pray that God gives more and more Christians the desire to study this critically important subject. Let’s ask God to revolutionize the thinking and understanding of churches with regards to their hope, Christ’s coming, and the glorious years we will have with Him in heaven and on earth. “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10

P.S. I am encouraging all Christians, especially the leaders, to be teaching on prophecy. Now is the time to move full speed ahead in telling the church about the glorious future God has for us, most importantly being with Jesus our Lord. Here are two good posts that relate to this: “For Pastors and Preachers in the End-Times”, and “For Pastors, Preachers, and Teachers.”

Present Suffering and Future Glory

March 1, 2025 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #326 ~

Suffering – this is not what the world or your flesh wants, but it is definitely part of God’s plan for Christians. Suffering is for God’s eternal purposes and glory and results in a believer’s eternal glory. I share this with you because it’s true and it’s personal, and because you need to know that we are living in the end-times, and that the persecution of Christians will increase as we get closer to Christ’s coming.

Today, I want to look at some key passages that speak about suffering and glory:
Psalm 22 is about Jesus Christ, that He suffered and died for us and then will be glorified, and the whole world will see His glory. He suffered at His 1^st coming – “A band of evildoers has encompassed Me; they pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones…”, but He will be glorified at His 2^nd coming – “You who fear the Lord, praise Him, all you descendants of Jacob glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him.” Vss. 16-17, 23

Philippians 2:7-11 tells us that Jesus Christ humbled Himself, that He “became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Then “God highly exalted and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name… so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Christ is our #1 example – and He suffered extremely so, and will be supremely glorified. Hebrews 12:2-3

1 Peter 1:10-12 speaks of the “sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” 1 Pet. 5:1 tells us that Peter was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glories to follow.” Christ will be greatly glorified and all believers will share in that glory. Col. 3:4 elaborates on this – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” This is so encouraging, for we will soon be with Christ, and will join Him in experiencing the wonderful glory of God.

Matthew 5:10-12 wants us to know that all believers who suffer, who are insulted, maligned, and “persecuted for the sake of righteousness”, will inherit the kingdom of heaven and be greatly rewarded. So it’s suffering first and then receiving and experiencing God’s amazing grace and glory.

Romans 5:2-3 instructs us to rejoice in two things – we are to “exult in hope of the glory of God” and we are to “exult in our tribulations”. Tribulation and suffering come first, occurring during our life on earth. And in heaven and in the ages to come, we will share in God’s incredible glory. All of us should have this hope, this expectation of glory, “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 5:5

Romans 8:18-39 – The first verse sums up the main message: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Life may be extremely difficult, but our temporary sufferings are nothing compared to the eternal glory we will experience after our life on this earth. Vss. 19-39 give more details about God’s sovereign working with regards to our suffering, and that we can “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us”, and that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Vss. 37, 39

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” This theme is repeated, that our suffering, our problems, troubles, and trials result in receiving God’s glory. But our suffering is momentary, lasting only a short time compared to an eternity of glory. And our suffering isn’t that difficult compared to the weight, the greatness of the glory God gives us. Without question, it’s really worth it to suffer for God, for Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-10. As Christians, we suffer, we go through afflictions, even great afflictions, for God’s glory and our glory. Not long from now, “He (Christ) comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” This happens at Christ’s return, and is when our salvation is complete, for Christ is “glorified in His saints,” meaning that we receive new bodies, ones like Christ’s, ones that are powerful, immortal, glorious, and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:42-44). Suffering for Christ results in being spiritually and physically glorified, which is what God planned for us in eternity past. Romans 8:28-30

1 Peter 1:3-9 is one of the best big picture passages in the Bible. It says that a necessary part of life is suffering, is going through various and distressing trials, is being “tested by fire” – but it’s only for a little while. And we have hope, for we know we will get through it and receive an unbelievable inheritance. Indeed, suffering for Christ will “result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7). Two keys to having hope and receiving this glory are loving God, and faith, believing God and His promises. 1 Peter 1:8

1 Peter 5:10 again communicates this truth of suffering and glory. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Yes, you will suffer, but you will also witness and experience God’s eternal glory. In the meantime, God is sanctifying you, strengthening, perfecting, and molding you into Christ’s image. All of this is by God’s grace, and by His promises and power working in your life. 2 Peter 1:2-4

The Christian life is knowing God and His truth, power, love, goodness, and much more. It’s also being humble, seen by serving, sacrificing, and suffering for Him. Living for God like this results in God being greatly glorified, you being glorified, and you receiving His never-ending glory.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

As you truly live for Christ, you will suffer for Him. And that’s a good thing, good for God and His glory, and good for you and receiving His glory. Here are two previous posts about suffering and glory – “The Glory of Suffering for Jesus” and “Suffering for Jesus in the End-Times”.

Romans – Christ’s Coming and God’s Glory

February 15, 2025 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #325 ~

In the epistles, we find all this spiritual gold relating to our present life on earth. But we also discover spiritual gems describing our hope. The book of Romans, for example, has much to say about justification, but it also speaks about Christ’s return and the future glory of God. Today I will look at eight glorious gems that are found in this book – Rom. 5:2, Rom. 8:18-25, Rom. 8:28-31, Rom. 11, Rom. 13:11-14, Rom. 14:10-12, Rom. 15:8-13, and Rom. 16:25-27.

Romans 5:2 – “We exult in hope of the glory of God.” I get tired of this evil, people-exalting, devil-controlled world. Don’t you? But God gave us this important example instructing us to be excited about His coming glory – His truth, power, holiness, justice, wisdom, love, mercy, goodness, majesty, etc. It won’t be long before God’s glory is on display all over the world, in the creation, in the lives of Jews, Gentiles, and glorified saints, and most importantly, in the life and work of Jesus Christ the King. Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Ps. 72:18-19

Romans 8:18-25 – “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Vs. 18). Life can be hard – we hurt, we suffer, we get sick, we are persecuted. We live in a world that is groaning and in a body that is groaning. But our hope is that this physical world will be set free from sin – be restored, and that our physical body will be set free from sin – be glorified. “The creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption… we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:21, 23; Phil. 3:20-21

Romans 8:28-30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called, and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (vs. 30). This is an excellent summary of God’s overall plan of salvation, climaxing in God’s ultimate goal for us, that we be glorified. It’s at Christ’s coming that our salvation will be complete, for that’s when we will be glorified, “be conformed to the image of God’s Son”, and when we will be able to love and live for God like He purposed and planned in eternity past.

Romans 11 – “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (vs. 36). One of the biggest ways God receives glory is through His plan of salvation with regards to Jews and Gentiles. In His wisdom, God first focused on the Jews, but during this church age, their hearts being partially hardened, God has focused on the Gentiles. After the end of this age, when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (25), a remnant of Jews will be redeemed. God’s saving work with both Jews and Gentiles will result in Him being greatly and eternally glorified.

Romans 13:11-13 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” Do you know what time it is? Do you know that we are very close to the end of this age? That’s when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin reigning over the world? So don’t be asleep! Wake up! And be holy and lively for the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is how you glorify God!

Romans 14:10-12 – “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” A person’s primary purpose is to serve God and give Him glory. Knowing that we are in the end-times and that it won’t be long before we see Christ and give an account of how we have lived our life (our “work will become evident” – 1 Cor. 3:13-15), should motivate us to be holy and wholly loving God and living for Him.

Romans 15:8-13 – “Christ has become a servant… to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy.” God’s prophetic word promises a coming age when Christ is ruling over both Jews and Gentiles who are unitedly glorifying Him. This passage concludes with an encouraging, forward-looking prayer, that all believers would be looking forward to God’s glory – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 16:25-27 – “To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” God Himself will keep us going to the end of our life or the end of this age, and for all eternity. The gospel and the truths of Christ are the basis by which we are established and become strong and give glory to God during this life and forever.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.” Jude 24-25

P.S. God has much to say about our future, about Christ’s coming, and God’s glory, and so much more than we realize. The most well read article is about Matthew 24, what I consider to be the single most important prophecy chapter for Christians.

Troubling Times Are Leading to Christ’s Coming and Great Glory

October 19, 2024 / stevenj777

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #315 ~

Many conflicts, tragedies, and calamities are presently afflicting this earth. In times like these many people become unsettled and afraid, wondering what’s happening, or even if the world is coming to an end. I understand why non-Christians may think like this, but confusion, fear, error, and hopelessness should never be true of Christians. That’s because God has told you all you need to know about the future. Jesus said, “Be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mk. 13:23). “He made know to us the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9). God has told you exactly what He wants you to know – He has told you what you need to know – He has told you the key players and parts of His end-times’ plan for you, the church, Israel, and the world.

God also wants you to know that He is in complete control of all that is and will be happening on this earth. In churches, in the lives of both saved and lost, in states and countries, in governors and presidents, in Israel and Iran, and in you and your family, God is sovereignly, powerfully, righteously, and lovingly working. And He’s not just overseeing the affairs of this world, He is intimately involved in everything that happens. Every single second, God is precisely and wisely carrying out His plans for planet earth and for every person on this earth.

God is continually leading, moving, and bringing you and this entire world closer to the end of this age and the coming of Christ. From God’s perspective, what’s occurring from now to Christ’s coming is like a trillion-piece puzzle, and God is putting all the pieces together. He “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will” (Eph. 1:11). And this global puzzle, God’s plan for this world, for this present age, will be completed at Christ’s coming.

At this time in history, Rom. 8:28 and Rom. 8:29 is truer than ever before. Rom. 8:28 says, “We know that God causes all thing to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And what is God’s purpose for you? Rom. 8:29 tells us, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son?” His purpose for you is to be like Jesus, to be perfect, to be powerful, to be immortal, to be glorious. 1 Cor. 15:42-44, Phil. 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2

We often look at Rom. 8:28 microscopically, thinking about the small events of our daily life. But you must see the big picture, you must know where your life is headed, that you will see Jesus, and be like Jesus, that you will be glorified. You must understand Rom. 8:28 in its context, you must connect it to Rom. 8:29 and Rom. 8:30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified, and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Do you realize the everlasting , life-changing truth of this last verse? It’s one of the best, big-picture verses in the Bible. In eternity past, God planned out the entirety of your life, your eternal life, from justification to glorification to eternity future. Rom. 11:33-36

Next to knowing and growing in Christ, next to understanding the truth and eternal value of His first coming, you need to understand the truth and eternal value of His 2^nd coming, and what’s leading up to Christ’s return to earth. No Christian should be naïve, ignorant, speculating, or worrying about the end-times and the truth of Christ’s 2^nd coming. God has told you everything He wants you to know about the future, for He’s convinced it will increase your hope, and your faith, love, and peace (Col. 1:3-5). I pray that you want to know these truths, and then tell others, encouraging the saved and warning the lost. 2 Tim. 4:1-8

So read, pray, study, and learn what God has planned out for you, the church, Israel, and the world. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). I encourage you to take all the time you need to read and understand the book of Revelation, as well as Matt. 24, and Mark 13, and Luke 17:22-37, and Luke 21:5-36, and Rom. 8:18-25, and Rom. 11, and Rom. 13:11-14, and Rom. 15:8-13, and 1 Cor. 15:20-28, and 1 Cor. 15:50-58, and 1 Thess. 4:13-18, and 1 Thess. 5:1-11, and 2 Thess 1:3-12, and 2 Thess. 2:1-12, and Heb. 10:25-31, and Heb. 12:22-29, and James 5:3-11, and 1 Peter 1:3-16, and 2 Peter 3:3-13, and 1 John 2:28-3:3.

In the next post, I will talk about eschatological prophecy, I will describe the key players and parts of God’s plan from now until the millennial kingdom. I will briefly talk about the Jewish people, the nations, the end-times, the birth pains, increasing evil, technology, the peace treaty, the Jewish temple, the Antichrist, great tribulation, the rapture, the day of the Lord, the salvation of the Jews, and the millennial kingdom. Each of these are key parts of God’s perfect plan as it relates to Christ’s coming and to you, the church, Israel, and the world.

“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:11-12). “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

P.S. It’s vitally important that you know what will be taking place before Christ’s coming – and I have talked about it at great length on this blog site. Here are a few other posts on this subject: “Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End-Times”, “When Is Christ Coming Back?”, and “What Needs to Happen Before Christ’s Return?”

Category: Christ’s Coming (Page 1 of 11)

The Rapture of the Church at Christ’s Coming!!

Great Distress and Deception Before Christ’s Coming

Birth Pains Before the Coming of Christ – Matthew 24:1-8

Talking to a Christian About Christ’s Coming

Christmas – A Crucial Part of the Big Picture, of God’s Eternal Purposes

Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, The Whole Counsel of God

Why It’s Important to Preach on Prophecy

Present Suffering and Future Glory

Romans – Christ’s Coming and God’s Glory

Troubling Times Are Leading to Christ’s Coming and Great Glory

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