Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: God’s Kingdom (Page 1 of 6)

Blog posts about God’s Kingdom.

The State of the “United” States – Part 3

November 15, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #345 ~

The “times of the Gentiles” is coming to an end, and then the time of the Jews will begin. (Luke 21:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Therefore, the United States will no longer be a global superpower. This relates to the end of this age and Christ’s return to carry out His purposes. Let me explain:

God has always worked through nations. All people are descended from “Shem, Ham, and Japeth,” and Gen. 10 speaks of them as the ancestors of those who had a language and a land, and formed nations. Gen. 12:1-3 promises that from Abram would come a great nation, what we know as Israel. And most of the Old Testament is focused on Israel, that they are God’s people, and are to share His word and show to the world His righteousness, power, and glory.

For much of Israel’s existence, she rebelled against God. The reigns of David and Solomon were exceptions, along with those of a few good rulers – but for the most part, Israel was ungodly. A key theme of the prophets is that God punished her and other evil nations for their sins against Him. The prophets, Isaiah to Malachi, go into great detail about Israel’s sins and how God justly dealt with her. “Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity… they have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel” (Is. 1:4). “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me… and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jer. 1:16, Ez. 16:1-52, Hos. 1:1-13, Obad. 2-9, Mic. 1:2-7, Zeph. 1

The prophets, along with the Psalms, speak of God’s justice and His love. They predicted Christ’s 1st coming, that He would be both God and man, and by dying to pay for our sins and then rising again, He was able to deliver us from sin and death. The gospels, Christ’s biography, talk of His life and ministry on earth, and that He would build the church through God’s children, through Christians. Ps. 22:1-18, 69:21; Is. 7:14, 9:6-7, 53:3-12; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 16:18

Israel, as a nation, rejected Christ, and so God chose the church to be His instrument by which He would speak His truth, display His righteousness, and “make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19-20). In 70 AD and in the years following, the Jews, because of their evil, were “led captive into all the nations”, and Jerusalem was “trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” Lk. 21:24a

After being exiled from their country, the Jews were greatly persecuted. This did not mean God had abandoned them, that His plans for them had been revoked, been rescinded, but only that Israel had been set aside for a while. Instead, God would focus on the church and on the Gentiles (Rom. 11). And as Luke 21:24b informs us, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

So now we are in the church age, and the New Testament speaks extensively of how Christians are to be godly disciples, have faith, hope, and love, and be witnesses and workers for Christ. They also predict Christ’s 2nd coming, that at the end of this age, He will return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and set up His kingdom on earth. Matt. 28:19-20, 24:27-31; Rom. 11:25-27; 1 Thess. 4:14-18, 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:16; Rev. 7-9, 16; Rev. 20

I spoke of the fact that the Jews were exiled from their homeland, and the phrase, the end-times, refers to when they are back in their land. It was in the late 1800’s, according to God’s promises and plans, that the Jews miraculously began returning to their land, and in 1948 Israel once again became a nation. Daniel 12:4, 9, Is. 11:11, Jer. 31:10, Ez. 36:24, Zech. 8:7-8

The gospels and epistles give several side-by-side passages of the Jews and the church. That’s because in the end-times, God is working with both groups, preparing them and using them for His purposes in advance of Christ’s 2nd coming. We will be seeing the fulfillment of many prophecies about the Jews and the church in the end-times, signaling Christ’s soon return to earth. Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27; Lk. 21:12-19, 20-24; Rev. 7:4-8, 9-14; Rev. 12:13-16, 17

What about the United States? What are God’s plans for her? God sovereignly raised her up about 250 years ago, and it was for His purposes. Growing from 13 colonies to 50 states, she has had incredible success – educationally, economically, militarily, technologically, politically, and culturally. Without question, she has been a global superpower, the most prosperous and influential nation on earth these past 80 years. Most importantly, she has had an amazing spiritual effect on this world. Whether it’s with missionaries, materials, or money, the United States has greatly and wonderfully impacted this planet, much more than any other nation.

Yet, the United States is now terribly sick, and it’s because of all her sin. She has stage-4 spiritual cancer and it has affected every part of our country and every aspect of our society – churches, marriages, families, schools, media, government, businesses, and culture – and this cancer is too far advanced to be cured. God’s justice demands that her wickedness be punished. Rom. 1:18-28 outlines this downward spiritual spiral, this progression of perversion, telling us that God delivers unrighteous, unrepenting nations over to impurity, immorality, homosexuality, and depravity, which is what we have been seeing these past 60 years. Consequently, there won’t be a nation-wide revival, and this country won’t be experiencing a long-lasting golden age.

The decline and downfall of the United States is happening not just because of her sin but also because God’s end-time plans must be carried out. Here’s what we learn from God’s word:
1. The Antichrist will come and his kingdom will rule the world, and this means no other nation will be a superpower at that time, including the United States. So this country will soon lose her #1 standing in the world. We don’t know if another superpower or two will rise up before the Antichrist becomes dictator of the world. But there will be a time when we say, “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nations was given to him (the Antichrist). All who dwell on the earth will worship him.” Rev. 13:7-8, Dan. 7:23

2. God prophesied that He will defeat all Gentile nations, including the Antichrist’s kingdom. This hasn’t happened yet, but it won’t be long before it does. “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Dan. 2:44-45, 7:26-27; Psalm 9:4-5; Luke 21:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-9; Rev. 19:11-21

3. God prophesied that He will save a remnant of Jews, and these people, with Christ leading the way, will be a God-blessed nation, a physical and spiritual nation, the most powerful and influential nation in the world. “Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation” (Is. 45:17). “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations… Blessed is the nation (Israel) whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:10-12). “The Lord will rise upon you (Israel) and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Is. 60:2-3

4. God told us that Christ will reign over the nation of Israel for 1,000 years. It’s not the United States or any other Gentile nation, but a Jewish nation that God will supremely bless which will rule with Him and lead the world in worshiping and serving Him. “They will be priests of God and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6; Ps. 18:49-50, 102:18-22, 147:1-2

God told us that all Gentile nations will be defeated, and this includes the United States. Now that we are in the end times, God’s final plans for this world are being fulfilled and, therefore, Christ will be coming soon. The “times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24, Rom. 11:25-26) will end, and the times of the Jews will begin. And Jewish and Gentile believers will worship the Lord together. “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people… Let all the peoples praise Him.” Rom. 15:10-11

“Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing… He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs… as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (Ps. 2:1-6). “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15). “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth…” Ps. 47:6-8, 145:9-11; Is. 60-62; 1 Cor. 15:20-28;Rev. 21-22:5

P.S. You can only understand God’s work with the United States if you understand God’s past, present, and future work with Israel. Here are some posts about that subject – “A Short Summary of God’s Working with the Jews”, “Why the Jews Are Important for You and the Church.” Here’s another post about the future of the United States – “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ.”

Preach the Word in View of Christ’s Appearing and Kingdom

October 4, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #342 ~

Three of the last four posts have focused on preaching the gospel of the kingdom (338, 339, 341). Jesus Christ is coming back soon to establish His kingdom on earth, and we know that because we live in the end-times. Therefore, these three lessons about God’s kingdom are critically important. That’s why eschatology, the study of last things, is a major doctrine at this time in history. Christ’s coming and kingdom comprise a comprehensive truth about the future that must be fully and clearly taught so that it’s fixed in the hearts of all believers.

A church’s teaching must focus on Christ’s death and resurrection, our spiritual growth, and the church age, but should also include truths about being glorified and reigning with Christ in the kingdom ages. We need to know about God’s love, holiness, sovereignty, justification, sanctification, but we also need hope, and therefore must preach and promote doctrines describing our glorious future with Christ and all the saints in heaven and on earth. 

The book of Acts emphasizes the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God, signifying that it’s a primary purpose of the church. Acts 1 starts off by summarizing Jesus’ teaching during His last 40 forty days on earth. He was “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (vs. 3), which would have been both the spiritual kingdom (the church), and the physical kingdom. It’s vital that we know this, and imitate Jesus by doing the same.

Jesus taught His disciples about the entire kingdom of God. He wanted them and us to understand the whole of our Christian life in the context of God’s kingdom, and to then tell people this good news of His death and resurrection, the church age, and the kingdom ages. To live rightly for God, we must have an eternal perspective, God’s great, grand, glorious plan of an eternal life with His Son.

In Acts 3:21, Peter tells us that Christ will return to bring about the “period of restoration of all things”, which speaks of the millennial kingdom. Acts 8:12 says that Philip was “preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” In Acts 14:22, Paul instructs his disciples, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Paul is talking about suffering for God during this life, and then entering His heavenly and physical kingdom.

In Acts 15:13-18, James quotes from Amos 9:11 to let us know that Gentiles will also be part of God’s coming kingdom. “I will return… I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, all the Gentiles who are called by My name.” Acts 19:9 states that Paul was “speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God”. Surely, he was speaking about God’s kingdom from a present and eternal perspective. He told them the good news about the present and future reign of Christ in our lives, and His future reign over this world.

Paul is talking to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:17-38), and what he taught them is for all elders to understand, model, and teach. He wanted them to know that he had declared to believers everything that “was profitable”, that He “went about preaching the kingdom”, and that he taught them “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:20, 25, 27). Equating these three phrases makes it quite clear that God wants us to know and preach the totality of our eternal life, from being justified to being sanctified to being glorified to reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom.

The last chapter of Acts says, “Paul… was… solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus… He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:23, 31). In this conclusion to Acts, this accurate church history, Paul was teaching people about Jesus and His kingdom. I hope you are realizing that God wants His people to always be occupied with the big picture, the person of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. As in the first verses of Acts (Acts 1:3-11), so too in the final verses of Acts, the focus is on Jesus Christ and God’s kingdom.

What does Paul tell Timothy in his last letter? “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). The “appearing” refers to Christ’s coming, that point in time when we are glorified and our 3-part salvation is complete. The “kingdom” refers to the visible, kingdom age when we are with Christ and are reigning with Christ (Lk. 21:28, 31). To all believers, Christ’s appearing and kingdom must be in view, must always be on their hearts.

A believer must not be spiritually static, stagnant, or stuck in the present, or think that he is. He must see the present in light of the future, must have the whole of his eternal life in mind. He must know that he was justified and is being sanctified and will be glorified, and then will enter the kingdom – and he should be longing for it. He must know that what God is doing in his life, in the church, and in the world, is in light of an incredibly amazing future. He must know that he is on a journey, that God is leading and directing him and all believers to the end of this age, to Christ’s coming, and to be glorified, and to the kingdom ages, to when Christ is supremely glorified and we are reigning with Him. Ps. 72:19, Hab. 2:14

A pastor must not forget the hope that he and all believers have. that we will soon and forever be with Jesus Christ. A pastor must remember his primary purpose, to preach God’s word in view of Christ’s appearing and kingdom, whether his teaching is Spirit planned, Spirit prompted, a sentence or two, an entire message, a series of messages, or whether it’s a song, closing verse, benediction, or in a private conversation, etc. To rightly do this, a pastor must diligently study the end-times, Christ’s coming, the Jewish people, the kingdom ages, Isaiah, Daniel, Matt. 24, Luke 21, 1 Th. 4-5, 2 Th. 1-2, Revelation, etc. Then what is in his heart will come out of his mouth – he will declare the whole counsel of God, he will preach God’s word in view of Christ’s appearing and kingdom.

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). “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. Amen.” Jude 24-25

P.S. It’s extremely encouraging and motivating knowing that we belong to the greatest royal family of all time, and that we are children of the King. Here are two more posts on the kingdom: “They Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done”, and “Christ’s Kingdom is Coming.”

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

September 20, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #341 ~

View of Jerusalem

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.”

Preaching Christ and His Kingdom

August 30, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #339 ~

The writers of the New Testament epistles thought about and taught the totality of our salvation. They focused on justification, sanctification, and glorification (Rom. 3-4, 6-8:1-17, 8:18-25), and as we saw in the previous post, they often summed up our 3-part salvation in a few verses or less (Ph. 3:8-11, Tit. 2:11-14, 1 Pet. 1:3-4, 1 Jn.3:1-3). They knew it was important for us to see the future in light of the past and present, to know that our life is not static, but that our past justification and present sanctification is leading to our future glorification.

Today we will look at the gospel of the kingdom, which speaks about the entirety of our eternal life, including this 3-part salvation. It tells us of being born again and entering God’s kingdom with the result that we are members of the church, a spiritual kingdom, and in the future, of His physical kingdom. It talks of Christ dying to pay for our sins and our need to believe in Him to be spiritually saved and then physically saved with the result that we will be able to wholly and perfectly live for Him in the ages to come. Let’s look at the gospel of the kingdom:

* Matthew 4:23 – “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”  The “gospel of the kingdom” is good news about Jesus being Savior, Lord, and King. This is shown in that He saves people from their sins, is Lord in their lives, and is head of the church, a spiritual kingdom. In the coming ages, He will be King over this whole wide world, over a spiritual, physical, glorious, God-glorifying kingdom.

The gospel of the kingdom was evident during Jesus’ ministry years when He displayed His power over diseases, demons, and storms, and when He defeated sin and death. In the kingdom ages, His power will be absolute, universal, and always visible. This gospel of the kingdom is supreme and comprehensive, embodied in our lives and encompassing the entirety of our eternal life from being justified to being glorified to perfectly worshiping and serving God in the millennial and eternal kingdoms.

* Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Again, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, and it was at hand because He, as God in the flesh, was with people, and was revealing to them His holiness, love, power, and purpose. A primary goal of His teaching during His 1st coming was telling people their need to repent of their sins and believe the gospel, the good news that He was Lord and Savior, that only He could save them from their sins and open the door to His eternal kingdom.

* Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” A person has to be poor in spirit, he has to be humble to be saved from sin and death and become a member of God’s kingdom. He must see his spiritual poverty, his need for salvation, his need for God to show him mercy. A person poor in spirit is desperate, like a beggar. Once he is humble and believes in Christ to save him, then he is supremely blessed, immediately becoming a member of the kingdom of heaven, one that is forever holy, loving, joyful, and peaceful.  

* John 3:5 – “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” A person becomes a member of God’s kingdom by being born again, by being born of the Spirit, a supernatural work of God in his soul. Once a person is saved, he can spiritually see Christ, and he knows he is a member of His kingdom. In the coming ages he will physically see Christ and the kingdom of God. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:13-14

* Acts 1:6-8, 11 – “He… appearing to them over a period of 40 days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God... They were asking Jesus, saying, ‘Lord is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs… but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem… and to the remotest part of the earth.’… He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out their sight… This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Jesus had just been resurrected from the dead, and He wanted to be with His disciples and teach them, for He knew He would soon be leaving them. And what was the main subject? It was “the kingdom of God”! Jesus wanted them to see the big picture, from the present to the future. But the disciples didn’t really understand the full gospel, the good news of the kingdom from the church age to eternity future – they were thinking about prophecies that stated that Christ would be King over a physical kingdom. Jesus, by not denying or dismissing there would be an earthly kingdom, was confirming it was true. But He told them they didn’t need to know the “times or epochs” as to when His kingdom would be established on earth. Matt. 24:32-36

The disciples were to concern themselves with being witnesses to the world, with working with Christ in building the church, a spiritual kingdom (Matt. 16:18). He had already instructed them, “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). And He had commanded them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20

After Jesus ascends into heaven on a cloud, two angels tell His disciples that He would come back in the same way. Jesus had previously told them He would come back on a cloud, and it was at that time they would be redeemed and gathered to Himself, and after that He would come back to earth and set up His physical kingdom. Matt. 24:31; Luke 21:27-28, 31; Rev. 11:15

One of the main lessons of Acts 1, this introductory chapter to the early history of the church, is the kingdom of God. And it was the whole kingdom of God that was being proclaimed, from the present spiritual kingdom to the eternal physical kingdom, from the good news about our salvation in Christ to the good news about Christ eternally reigning over His kingdom. Dan. 7:27

The book of Acts clearly tells us that the primary message being proclaimed to the masses, the disciples, and us was Christ and the kingdom of God. “… Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 8:12). “He (Paul) entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God”(Acts 19:8). “… solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ… I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself… 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, will no longer see my face…” (Acts 20:20-25). “Paul… testifying solemnly about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus…” (Acts 28:23). “He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31

Might we realize the importance of Jesus Christ and the truth of the kingdom of God in our own lives, and of preaching Jesus Christ and the truth of the kingdom of God to others. Let’s also “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). Let’s pray, “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). Let’s “speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Our kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Ps. 145:1-3). Let’s long for that day when we say, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Rev. 11:15

P.S. I can’t stress enough the importance of understanding the entirety of our salvation, from justification to glorification to the kingdom ages. Here are more posts that tell us about God’s kingdom how it relates to us: “The Kingdom of God”, “The King in Your Heart, and His Kingdom on Earth”, and “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

See What GOD Has Done!!!

April 12, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #328 ~

I couldn’t believe it when I saw the stats for this blogsite! Over 1.2 million people from 214 nations and territories have viewed this post over the past 8 years! I am extremely encouraged to see God working in this way, and I am thankful to Him for it’s been by His grace. Indeed, He gets the credit and the glory. So you can know specifically how God has worked, here are the nations and territories, and the views for each one.

United States (199,668), Mexico (106,322), Columbia (83,558), Venezuela (71,061), Nicaragua (40,020), Argentina (47,172), Peru (44,110), Philippines (42,946), Nigeria (39,130), El Salvador (35,475), Chile (34,455), Kenya (30,588), South Africa (30,311), Paraguay (27,775), Dominican Republic (25,910), Guatemala (24,463), Ecuador (21,999), Honduras (21,527), Trinidad and Tobago (19,376), Brazil (18,331),

Bolivia (18,280), Indonesia (17,977), Malaysia (15,025), Vietnam (13,522), Spain (12,147), Cameroon (10,411), United Kingdom (9,840), Costa Rica (9,513), Guyana (9,369), Belize (8,769), Canada (7,908), Zambia (7,846), Tanzania (6,563), Italy (6,204), Puerto Rico (5,450), Panama (5,397), Ethiopia (4,590), Ghana (4,446), Liberia (4,219), Australia (3,589),

Sierra Leone (3532), Congo – Kinshasha (3,346), Poland (3,261), Uganda (3,167), Lesotho (2,859), Ukraine (2,842), Taiwan (2,658), India (3,652), Ireland (2,388), Botswana (1,907), Germany (1,879), Singapore (1,460), Thailand (1,392), Netherlands (1,216), Uruguay (1,181), European Union (1,159), South Sudan (1,087), Malawi (1,058), Cuba (1,046), France (997),

Romania (846), South Korea (722), China (650), New Zealand (596), Hong Kong SAR China (560), Switzerland (414), Jamaica (391), United Arab Emirates (368), Japan (363), Sri Lanka (314), Isle of Man (292), Finland (289), Sweden (288), Israel (276), Austria (275), Saudi Arabia (264), Zimbabwe (239), Norway (209), Portugal (205), Turkiye (200),

Belgium (199), Papua New Guinea (186), Aruba (183), Pakistan (171), Russia (170), Bahamas (148), Bangladesh (143), Namibia (139), Greece (134), Qatar (123), Barbados (115), Eritrea (104), American Samoa (104), Nepal (98), Denmark (98), Mauritius (93), Czechia (85), Curacao (85), Egypt (83), Bahrain (80),

Equatorial Guinea (79), Fiji (73), Hungary (71), Kuwait (65), Cambodia (65), Serbia (64), Rwanda (63), Lebanon (63), Myanmar (Burma) (62), Bulgaria (59), Morocco (56), Luxembourg (56), Slovakia (54), Haiti (53), Sudan (50), St. Lucia (48), Croatia (48), Eswatini (47), U.S. Virgin Islands (46), Malta (39),

Cyprus (39), St. Vincent and Grenadines (38), Oman (38), Antigua and Barbuda (38), Cayman Islands (37), Guam (36), Suriname (35), Grenada (35), Albania (33), Central African Republic (32), Somalia (30), Caribbean Netherlands (30), Guinea (29), British Virgin Islands (27), Mozambique (27), Lithuania (27), Solomon Islands (26), Latvia (25), Dominica (24), Cote d’Ivoire (24),

Angola (24), Georgia (23), Brunei (23), Moldova (22), Benin (22), Samoa (21), Slovenia (21), St. Kitts and Nevis (20), Bermuda (20), Togo (18), Seychelles (18), Kazakhstan (18), North Macedonia (17), Iraq (17), Estonia (17), Bosnia and Herzegovina (17), Sint Maarten (16), Gambia (16), Reunion (15), Andorra (15),

Jordan (14), Iceland (14), Azerbaijan (14), Mongolia (13), Tunisia (12), Macao SAR China (12), Gabon (12), Algeria (12), Turks & Caicos Islands (11), Senegal (11), Northern Mariana Islands (11), Guinea-Bissau (11), Burundi (11), Chad (10), Martinique (10), Anguilla (10), Yemen (9), Vanuatu (9), Madagascar (9), Libya (9),

French Guiana (9), Burkina Faso (9), Micronesia (8), Afghanistan (7), Timor-Leste (6), Tonga (5), Niger (5), Montenegro (5), Laos (5), Guadeloupe (5), Gibraltar (5), Djibouti (5), Cook Islands (5), Belarus (5), Armenia (5), Syria (4), Kyrgyzstan (4), Jersey (4), Guernsey (4), Faroe Islands (4),

Cape Verde (4), Palau (3), Maldives (3), Kosovo (2), Uzbekistan (2), Palestinian Territories (2), French Polynesia (2), Norfolk Island (2), Montserrat (2), Mali (2), St. Martin (2), Congo – Brazzaville (2), Nauru (1), New Caledonia (1).

It’s amazing, a miracle of God, that people from all these countries and territories have been viewing and / or reading this blogsite, believers and unbelievers wanting to know about the end-times, Christ’s coming, and the kingdom ages. Pray for those who have been and will be reading this. May God speak to their hearts and change their lives. “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” Mark 11:17 

As churches, we are to make disciples of all the nations – and every person is to do his work. “It is like a Man away on a journey, who upon leaving His house and putting His slaves in charge, assigning to each one His task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert” (Mk. 13:34). God wants every Christian to do His work but also see the big picture, that he is an instrumental part of God’s plans for this world. The following verses will help you know how you can serve the Lord. 

* Pray for the coming of Christ and His kingdom – “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). This well-known, world-changing prayer instructs you to pray for Christ’s coming and the establishment of His kingdom on this earth. Rev. 11:15

* Pray for workers – “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). Workers are Christians who are carrying out God’s commands to reach people and the world for Christ. In these final years of the church age, pray for yourself and others to be active in the harvest field, to be helping bring about Christ’s return and His kingdom on earth.

* Pray for the lost – “My heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation” (Rom. 10:1). Should we not love the lost, and pray for them, and share the good news with them, helping them see their need to repent of their sins and believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died to pay for their sins, and rose again?

* Proclaim 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 shall come” (Matt. 24:14:15). Testify for Christ. Share the gospel with them, knowing that your witness is part of God’s plan, and results in getting us closer to the end of the age and the coming of Christ. “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” Colossians 4:2-6

* Make disciples – “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). Be involved in a disciple-making church. Use your spiritual gift and do what you can to influence others for Christ, whether that’s locally or going on a mission trip.

* Give financially – “At the first preaching of the gospel… no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone, for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs” (Phil. 4:15-16). Give financially to those actively involved in evangelism, and to missions, either through your church or personally. 2 Cor. 8-9

* Learn from missionaries – “Being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren… they reported all that God had done for them” (Acts 15:3-4). It’s really motivating to hear Christians share stories of how God is mightily working around the world. “Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness.” Psalm 145:5

* Encourage the workers – “Let us consider how to stimulate others to love and good deeds… encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25). We get spiritually weary (Gal. 6:9) and at times are discouraged, and some are suffering for their faith. Be thanking and encouraging those working in the harvest field, whether that’s in your own church or in other cities, states, or countries. 1 Thess. 1:2-8

What a wonderful opportunity to be able to serve the Lord in these days, to do our part in helping finish His work on earth. Jesus told us, “Do you not say, ‘there are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest… I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:35-38

What a privilege to be living for God and working for Him in these end-times. Here are two posts about working for God; “Working for God While Waiting for Christ”, “Laboring for the Lord, Now and Forever.”

THE ELECTION, THE CHURCH, AND CHRIST’S KINGDOM!

November 2, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #317 ~

The King is coming back! And for 1,000 years, Christ the King will perfectly reign over this earth, bringing justice, peace, and love. Now you live in an evil world that is increasingly becoming more sinful and corrupt (Matt. 24:14). And you need hope – you must know that Christ is returning soon to clean up this world and begin reigning over it.

But now you live on earth, and there’s an important election in this country. As a Christian, vote for that person who most aligns with God’s truth and values, who promotes freedoms that enable you to share the gospel, and to “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-6 ). May God have mercy on us!

But don’t ever put your hope in a human king or leader. God commands you, “Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to earth” (Ps. 146:3-4). It is true that God ordains governing authorities at this time (Rom. 13:1-7), but you must never put your trust in them.

Psalm 146:5 goes on to say, “How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” You must trust in God, for He is the only One who can really help you. Only He can spiritually bless you, can save your soul, forgive your sins, and take you to Jesus. If there’s any physical blessing from human leaders, it’s God who wanted it, ordained it, and caused it to happen. Truly, both spiritual and physical blessings are from God. Ps. 103, Ps. 146:6-10

So don’t be overly focused on elections – don’t ever think that what some leader may do for you is most important, for it’s not. What’s most important is your relationship with God, loving Him, knowing Him, and experiencing His love, joy, and peace in your heart. What’s important is setting your mind on the things above, on the kingdom of God, not on the things below, on the kingdoms of men. Ps. 73:25-26, Ps. 91:14-16

It’s being preoccupied with doing God’s will, knowing that He will physically bless you, will meet all your needs. So what is God’s will, what does He want you to do?
– Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Matt. 6:33
– Jesus says, “I will build the church” (Matt. 16:18). Work with Jesus in building the church.
– Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world… and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). Join with the church in preaching the gospel.
– Jesus says, “Go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them… and 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). Do your part in making disciples.

(Notice the word “end” in the last two verses? God wants you to do His will in view of the fact that Christ will come back at the end of this age. You can only carry out God’s plans as you see the big picture, as you have hope, as you are looking for Christ to return to take you to heaven, and then set up His kingdom on earth.)

So God tells you what to do but He also instructs you to pray: “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). What can you learn from this and related verses?
1. That God will establish His kingdom on earth, and it will be a 1000-year kingdom, immediately followed by an eternal one. 1 Cor. 15:24-28, Rev. 20-21
2. That God’s kingdom is heavenly and godly kingdom in nature. And God’s will, His holy and heavenly purpose for earth, will be carried out during this time.
3. That God wants you to be regularly praying for Him to set up His kingdom on earth.

4. That this kingdom will be led by Jesus Christ. He is holy and will reign on this earth, fulfilling all God’s purposes, enacting justice and giving mercy. Ps. 72
5. That we need hope. We live on an evil earth, in a corrupt, unjust, unloving world. And you must know that things will get supremely better, and you should be looking forward to the coming of Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. But be patient and persevere, wait on God and trust His timing. Jms. 5:7-11

6. That we live in the end-times – that’s because the Jews came back to their land, to Israel. Therefore, it won’t be long before the church is raptured, the world is judged, Jews are saved, and Christ sets up His kingdom on earth.
7. That you are to do the work God assigned to you. Your work, in conjunction with the work of all the believers on earth at this time in history, is part of God’s overall plan in sending His Son back to this world. Mk. 13:33-34, 1 Thess. 1:9-10
8. That Christ will be building both a spiritual kingdom and a physical kingdom during this 1000-year age. But now, during this church age, we are to be focusing on the church, the spiritual kingdom. Matt. 6:33, 16:18, 24:14, 18:19-20

Let me conclude with a number of verses about Christ the King, and His kingdom:
* Zech. 14:3, 4, 9 – “The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle… In that day, His feet will stand on the mount of Olives… And the Lord will be King over all the earth.”
* Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms but will itself endure forever.”

* Luke 1:32-33 – “He (Jesus) will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David; and He will reign over the house of David forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”
* 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.”

* Rev. 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
* Rev. 19:15-16 – “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
* Psalm 2:6 – “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

* Psalm 47:2 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”
* 1 Cor. 15:24 – “Then comes the end, when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
* Psalm 10:16 – “The Lord is the King forever and ever.”
* Psalm 145:1, 13 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever… Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”

P.S. For me, thinking about the coming kingdom age is extremely motivating. Here are two other posts on this most important subject: “God’s Kingdom Work”, and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

Prophetic Psalms About the King and His Kingdom

September 7, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #312 ~

It’s obvious that we live in the end-times and, therefore, it is essential to learn what God wants us to know about the coming of Christ and the future He has in store for us. God has given us a good outline of what will be taking place along with instructions as to how we are to live – and He has given us hope.

One book that is often overlooked when it comes to studying the future is the Psalms. (Yes, the Psalms was written to the Jews, but it’s also written to you.) My purpose in this post, and in the related article, “The Psalms and Prophecy”, is to give you an extensive list of prophecy verses from the Psalms that I am convinced will be very helpful to you. I encourage you to read them, share them with others, and use them as a basis for more extensive study.

Here are the subjects that are covered: 1) The Salvation of the Jews; 2) The Judgment of the Wicked; 3) The King and His Kingdom; 4) The Land; 5) The Millennial Kingdom; 6) Your Future Relationship with God. In this post, I have listed out only some of the verses. Article 55 is much longer and more detailed for it contains my complete list of verses. 

1) The Salvation of the Jews: God promised to save a remnant of Jews at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. This chosen race, this royal priesthood, this holy nation will be living in Israel, helping repopulate the earth, and worshiping and serving Christ the King. (Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Ps. 98:2-3 – “The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel.” Ps. 111:9 – “He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.” Ps. 130:7-8 – “For with the Lord is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption, and He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

2) The Judgment of the Wicked: God is most holy, and He will not let the guilty go free. All the wicked who have ever dwelt on this earth, those who have not repented of their sins and turned to God for mercy, will perish, will be righteously and eternally punished. (Is. 24; Matt. 24:41, 46; Rev. 7-8, 16, 20:15). Psalm 1:6 – “The way of the wicked will perish” (6). Ps. 9:5 – “You have destroyed the wicked, You have blotted out their name forever and ever.” Ps. 11:6 – “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.” Ps. 81:15 – “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, and their time of punishment would be forever.” Ps. 83:17-18 – “Those who hate You have exalted themselves” (2). Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever.” Ps. 92:7-8 – “When the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.”

3) The King and His Kingdom: In a world filled with evil and evil rulers, we must be convinced that the King will be coming soon, and that He will establish His kingdom on this earth. The Psalms doesn’t clearly differentiate the two future kingdoms, the 1000-year kingdom and the eternal kingdom, but we do know that He will be perfectly reigning over a world filled with His glory. (2 Sam. 7:16, Is. 42:1-4, Ez. 27:21-28, Dan. 7:13-14, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 20). Psalm 2:6 – “As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” Ps. 10:16 – “The Lord is King forever and ever.” Ps. 22:28 – “The kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Ps. 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Ps. 47:2 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.” Ps. 67 – “Let all the peoples praise You, O God” (3). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth” (4). Ps. 102:15-16 – “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the Lord has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory.”

4) The Land: God promised to Abraham and to all believing Jews the land from the River to the Sea. But more than that, it will be the entire earth. And Christians, as coheirs with Christ, as part of this chosen race, will also inherit the earth. (Gen. 12:1-3; Jer. 32:40-41; Ez. 37:21-22; Matt. 5:5). Psalm 37:29 – “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever” (29). Ps. 85:1 – “You showed favor to Your land, You restored the captivity of Jacob.” Ps. 105:8-11 – “He has remembered His covenant forever…the covenant… to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you will I will give the land of Caanan as the portion of your inheritance.’” Ps. 136:16, 21-22 – “To Him… who gave their land as a heritage, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, even a heritage to Israel His servant.”

5) The Millennial Kingdom: We live in a devil-ruled, sin-corrupted world. Not long from now we will live in a Christ-ruled and restored world. There will be justice, peace, love, and glory like we have not seen since the beginning days of this earth. Both the people and the land of this glorious kingdom will be blessed. And believers will be reigning with Christ the King. (Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Acts 3:20-21; Rom. 8:19-22, Phil. 2:9-11, 1 John 5:19, Rev 20:6). Psalm 22:27-28 – “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s.” Ps. 47:7-8 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations.” Ps. 65:8-9 – “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. You visit the earth and cause it to overflow.” Ps. 72 – “May He judge Your people with righteousness” (2-3). “May He also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (7-8). “He will have compassion on the poor and needy” (13). “… may the whole earth be filled with His glory” (17-19). Ps. 96 – “Sing to the Lord, all the earth” (1). “Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations” (2-3). Ps. 98 – “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (3-4). “With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar and all it contains” (5-8).Ps. 102 – “You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her” (13). “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory” (15-16). Ps. 145:12 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

6) Your Future Relationship with God: Having a loving, continual, never-ending relationship with Jesus Christ is, without question, the best part of your future. Dwelling in His house, seeing His face, being perfectly satisfied, learning from Him, loving Him and being loved by Him – it can’t get any better than this. (Lk. 10:42; Jn. 17:3; Eph. 1:17, 3:18-19; 2 Pet. 1:2.) Psalm 11:7 – “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” Ps. 16:11 – “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Ps. 17:15 – “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” Ps. 23:6 – “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Ps. 63:2-3 – “Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

What a glorious hope! And you must know this hope, what God has planned out for you in the future, if you are to live rightly for Him in the present. I say this with utmost earnestness, sobriety, and conviction. Way too many Christians are asleep – and they need to know God’s prophetic word and wake up to the times we live in. “You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky but why do you not analyze this present time?” (Lk. 12:56). “The night is almost gone, and the day is near” (Rom. 13:12). “Therefore, be on the alert” (Matt. 24:42). “… encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25

Please look at the related article. You will be amazed and excited by how many prophecy verses are found in the book of Psalms!!!

I strongly suggest that you read my three-part series on this subject in the articles section – Prophecy Psalms for You and the Jew – “Part 1“, “Part 2”, “Part 3”. You will find them very instructive and encouraging.

Kingdom Prophecies from the Psalms

August 24, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #311 ~

The purpose of this post is to get you thinking about the future that God has in store for you, and to give you hope. In the past few weeks, we’ve focused on the book of Psalms, especially as it describes your relationship with God. There’s no question that having a close walk with God is what’s most important in life. That means in your day to day life, and in these end-times when we “feel” the birth pains, and when we are going through great tribulation. Matt. 24:4-9

What many Christians don’t realize is the enormous amount of truth in the Psalms about the hope God has given them. I’m convinced you will find it to be an invaluable source of information about your future. In this post, I am sharing five critical points about prophecy in the Psalms, and then summarizing some key prophetic passages. 

1. The primary themes in the Psalms are: a) God – His being, character, and purpose; b) the history of the Jewish people; c) the Lord, Savior, and Judge; d) God’s past, present, and future relationship with His people; e) the end-times; f) the coming King; g) the kingdom age; h) persecution, suffering, and deliverance; i) the judgment of the wicked; j) worshiping the Lord God Almighty.

2. The primary prophecy themes in the Psalms are: a) the coming King; b) the judgment of the wicked; c) the kingdom age. You will see these themes repeated many times, which means that we need to know them, and be encouraged by them. For example, Psalm 2 covers all three of these subjects.

3. Jesus wants you to know the prophecies in these Psalms: “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44). Jesus was stressing the importance of the Psalms as they relate to the future. Prophecies in the Psalms about Jesus’ 1st coming have already been fulfilled, but prophecies about His 2nd coming and the kingdom age will be fulfilled in the future.

4. The Psalms are for Jews, and also for Christians, for we share in their blessings. Truths about Christ the King, the millennial kingdom, and the land of Israel are a very important part of the future we have as Christians. Along with believing Jews, you will worship the King (Ps. 47:6 – Rom. 15:10-11), reign with the King (Ps. 47:8 – Rev. 5:10), and inherit the land. Ps. 37:22 – Matt. 5:5

5. To understand the prophecy portions of Psalms, you must know three key covenants God made to the Jewish people: the Abrahamic Covenant – the promise of land (Gen. 13:14-17 – Ps. 37:29); the Davidic Covenant – the promise of the King (2 Sam.7:12-16 – Ps. 89:28-29); and the New Covenant – the promise of salvation. Jer. 31:31-34 – Ps. 111:9

6. The fact that we live in the end-times means that many 2nd coming prophecies in the Psalms will soon be fulfilled. These prophetic portions in the Psalms are critically important for Christians living at this time in history – more than ever before, you need to read and understand them. God knows that you must be instructed, encouraged, hopeful, and ready to meet your Lord and King.

Here is a list of some important 2nd coming prophecy passages from the Psalms:
* Psalm 2 – This is about the enemy’s global opposition to God, His judgment of these evildoers, and Christ’s reign as King over the world. 
* Psalm 22:22-31 – This speaks of believing Israelites glorifying the King, the nations of the world worshiping Him, and believers being satisfied by Him.
* Psalm 37 – This encouraging Psalm keeps repeating the truth that the wicked will soon be taken away and judged, but the righteous will remain and inherit the land of Israel and the entire world.

* Psalm 46 – Earthquakes and wars will soon devastate the earth but you are not to be afraid, for God will make them cease, at which time He will be exalted in the earth and among the nations.
* Psalm 47 – The main point of this Psalm is that Christ the King will rule over the world and be worshiped by all those who live on this earth.
* Psalm 48 – We learn about Christ the King being praised, and about the “city of our God… Mount Zion… the city of the great King”, names for His earthly dwelling place, for the city of Jerusalem.

* Psalm 72 – This prophetic Psalm gives us details about the millennial kingdom. The kings are bringing tribute to Christ the King, the needy are blessed by Christ, the land is producing an abundance of grain, and the whole earth is filled with God’s glory.
* Psalm 96 – Christ is reigning, He is physically blessing the earth, the gospel is being proclaimed all over the world, and God is being glorified.
* Psalm 98 – During the kingdom age, the world will understand the gospel with the result that people will be worshiping the Lord, and nature will be “singing” to Him.
* Psalm 102:12-28 – We read of a future generation living during the kingdom age. Christ will appear in His glory; nations will fear the Lord; men will praise the Lord, and tell of the name of the Lord; and the earth will be physically restored.  

These verses as well as many others in the Psalms give us a great deal of information about our glorious future. It’s no small subject which means it’s a critical book in our study of prophecy. And it’s especially relevant in these end-times for we are now witnessing all this moral evil and social upheaval in this country and all over the world. But be assured that God is reigning, and that all His purposes and promises will be fulfilled.

It won’t be long before we see “the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:9-12). Hallelujah!!!

“All the 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. Again, I must say that you need hope. And to have hope, you must know God’s prophetic word. Don’t be like many Christians who are ignorant of the glorious future that God has in store for us. I encourage you to read the article, “You Have to Have Hope”, and the post, “In a Wicked World, You Have to Have Hope.”

Pray for the Coming of Christ’s Kingdom

September 30, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #286 ~

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread…” Matt. 6:9-10

One of the most well-known prayers in church history is the Lord’s prayer, also called the disciple’s prayer. As you know, we live in an extremely sinful world, one controlled by the kingdoms of evil men, and the only way these kingdoms can be truly dealt with is for Christ to return and set up His own kingdom. And God promised this would happen, and He told you to pray for it to happen. So be fervently praying for the coming of Christ’s kingdom, for the “summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” Eph. 1:9-10

Here are several truths about this kingdom prayer and the coming kingdom:
* This prayer is directed to our heavenly Father, One who is holy in every way, perfectly righteous, loving, wise, powerful, and sovereign. And His plan is to establish His glorious kingdom on earth – and only He has the power and authority to do this. 1 Chron. 29:10-13
* This kingdom will be a 1000-year kingdom, a millennial kingdom. Rev. 20:1-10
* That God has not yet answered this coming-kingdom prayer means He has more work to do in building the church, His spiritual kingdom on earth. And we are to help Christ complete His work by seeking His kingdom (Matt. 6:33), by assisting Him in building the church (Matt. 16:18), by preaching the gospel (Matt. 24:14), and by making disciples. Matt. 28:19-20

* The whole world lies in the power of the devil (1 Jn. 5:19). But the devil has not stopped Christ from doing His work in building the church. In fact, God is actually using the devil to help fulfill His plans. And in the kingdom age to come, we will see God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, perfectly carry out His plans for this earth, just as it is in heaven. Acts 2:22-24, Eph. 2:19-22, Zech. 14:9
* When this church work is finished, this age will come to an end, and Christ will return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin building His kingdom on earth, one that is both physical and spiritual in nature. Psalm 72, Matt. 24:29-31, Luke 21:20-31, Rev. 7-9

* The unholy kingdoms of men won’t be here in the age to come, for they can’t coexist with the holy kingdom of Christ. There will be no kingdoms like the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Sauda Arabia, the UN, BRICS, etc., and no Antichrist’s kingdom. All evil, earthly kingdoms will slowly die or be suddenly destroyed. Ps. 2, Dan. 2:44, Rev. 18
* In the coming kingdom age, sinners will be living on earth, and Christ will be executing justice and enforcing obedience to God. With the devil in chains and Christ in charge, life on earth will be dramatically and wonderfully different, and you will be here to see it. The coming age will be a good age, totally unlike this present evil age. Ps. 67, Phil. 2:9-11|

* The word “come” conveys the idea of being instantaneous. The coming of Christ and His kingdom will not happen gradually like some people think but will take place suddenly, and powerfully and gloriously. Matt. 24:27-31
* In the millennial kingdom age, the earth will be restored and renovated, fit for Christ the King. Matt. 19:28 – “… in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne.” Acts 3:21 – “… the period of restoration of all things.” Rom. 8:21 – “… the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption.”
* The coming kingdom will be the fulfillment of many promises God made to the Jews. All believers, both Jew and Gentile, will assist Christ in reigning over the world during this millennial age. Isaiah 2, 4, 12, 60-62, 65; Heb. 11:39-40; Rev. 5:10

Now what were Jesus’ disciples thinking? They believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, but wrongly thought He’d set up His kingdom on earth at that time. In fact, just before Jesus ascended into heaven they asked, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6-7). But they didn’t understand the timing of God’s plan, for Jesus goes on to tell them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

Ten days later, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, these disciples begin preaching the gospel and building the church, God’s spiritual kingdom on earth. And here we are, close to 2,000 years later, and we are still preaching the gospel and building the church. Obviously, Christ has not yet restored the physical kingdom to Israel, for the church age is still continuing.

What makes the 1st century and the 21st century different is not just 2,000 years, but that now we live in the end-times, for millions of Jewish people have returned to Israel (Luke 20:21-24). That we are in the end-times means Christ will soon come back to earth to rapture the church, glorify the believers, and establish His kingdom on earth, a kingdom for both Jews and Gentiles. Rom. 15:8-12, Heb. 11:39-40

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). “The Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one; and His name the only one” (Zech. 14:9). And all believers will say, “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” Psalm 47:7-8

P.S. As we help Christ build the church, keep praying for His coming and the coming of His kingdom on this earth. That Christ is coming and establishing His kingdom on earth is our hope. I encourage you to read these two related and encouraging posts – “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done”, “Christ’s Kingdom is Coming.”

Are You Seeking the Kingdom of God?

September 16, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #285 ~

It’s easy, and wrong, to spend too much time, energy, and money on earthly kingdoms, on governments, rulers, and elections. As Christians, it’s imperative that we don’t get caught up in these worldly matters. What’s most important is knowing that we are members of the kingdom of God, and that our primary purpose is to work with Jesus Christ in building His kingdom. Matt. 6:33, 28:19-20

In His teaching, Jesus did not focus on the kingdoms of man, but on the kingdom of God. At the outset of His ministry, Jesus told us, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). A person needs to repent of his sins and believe in the gospel, that Jesus died to pay for his sins and then was raised from the dead. And it’s only by a spiritual birth, only by the Spirit, that he can enter this kingdom. Jesus made it very clear, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3, 5

So too, Paul focused not on the kingdoms of man, on who ruled the country, but on the kingdom of God. He told the Ephesian elders that his purpose was “to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), and said, “I went about preaching the kingdom” (Acts 20:25). Paul was preaching the kingdom of God, and proclaiming to these pastors that it was by believing the gospel that a person becomes a member of this kingdom. The same thing was stated by Paul in the last verse of Acts – he “was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31

As for you and me, we too should be focused on the gospel, for it’s only by believing this good news that a person becomes a member of the church and, in a larger sense, a member of the kingdom of God. Aren’t you amazed and thrilled by this truth? What’s more important, what’s better than this? It is truly a miracle that God “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:13-14

Ever since Pentecost, Jesus Christ has been personally working in the lives of believers, and collectively building a kingdom (Eph. 2:19-22) that is spiritual in nature, what is called the church. “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). And what Christ is doing in the church, in God’s kingdom, is not a matter of mere words, but is a spiritually powerful and eternal work. “The kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20). More than you realize, the devil was defeated, lives are being dramatically transformed, and God is being glorified.

Building the church, this spiritual, Word-directed, Spirit-powered kingdom, is Christ’s primary work at this time in history (Matt. 16:18). And a Christian’s primary purpose is helping Him build His kingdom. So don’t be focused only on your family, or be exclusively building your business, or spending all this emotion and energy trying to elect some politician. Be “preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). Be “workers for the kingdom of God.” Col. 4:11

We learn more about this spiritual kingdom in several parables given to us in Matt. 13. The Jewish people were expecting Christ to set up His kingdom on earth, and so He needed to explain some important details about the church, this interim kingdom that spiritually exists in the hearts of believers. Here are some of the lessons He taught His disciples, and is now teaching us:

1. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field” (Matt. 13:44). Christ wants us to realize the supreme and glorious value of God’s kingdom, and therefore the need to sacrifice our lives and work with Him and fellow believers in building it.

2. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants… so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matt. 13:31-32). The church started small but has kept growing throughout the centuries, and is now large and very prominent in the world. Consequently, it is a wonderful blessing, primarily in spiritual ways, but also in social, cultural, legal, scientific, and economic ways.

3. “… so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire… then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:40-43). At the end of this age, at Christ’s coming, the wicked and the righteous will suddenly be separated, and the wicked will be judged, and the righteous will be blessed. And our work as Christians is to sow the seed, God’s word, in hopes that God grants mercy to the unsaved. Matt. 13:18-23, John 4:34-38

What else can be said about the kingdom of God?
4. Jesus Christ has absolute authority over the church, this invisible kingdom. He is the head of the church, working through the Holy Spirit, who indwells, teaches, and empowers every believer.
5. Being a member of the kingdom of God means you are not to be running your own life, but Christ Himself is to be reigning in you. He is your Lord and King.
6. Don’t be deceived by the lure of worldly kingdoms. Be sober, intent, and determined on building God’s kingdom. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Matt. 6:33

7. Be encouraged and hopeful, for whether by death or rapture, you will be taken to God’s heavenly kingdom. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.” 2 Tim. 4:18
8. You must pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). Pray for Christ to come soon, set up His earthly kingdom, and begin carrying out His Father’s will.
9. That we live in the end-times means it won’t be long before this phase of God’s kingdom building will be concluded, and then Christ will return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and establish His glorious kingdom on earth.

10. Always remember the big picture. God is sovereign, and He has always been building and ruling over His kingdom on earth (Ps. 145:11-13). Now we live in the church age, and the spiritual kingdom of God is being built by Christ. In the age to come Christ will spiritually and physically reign over this earth, establishing a kingdom that lasts for 1000 years (Pss. 47, 67, 72; Rev. 20). Then there’s the eternal kingdom – “Then comes the end when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to God the Father… When all things are subjected to Him (God the Father), then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor. 15:24-28

I can’t tell you how much it saddens me that so many Christians are embroiled in the politics of the day. Don’t they see what’s most important? Here are three more posts on the kingdom of God and the church: “Kingdom Instructions for the Church”, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God”, and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

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