Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 3)

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #316 ~

If you are going someplace in a car, if you have a certain destination, there are signs you look for that guide you, that help you get where you want to go. Or you may use the GPS system that maps out the roads you need to be on or even speaks to you. But we are talking about the coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. And God has given you His own GPS, and its God’s Prophecy Signs.

We are talking about prophecy and how God has given us signs that must take place before Christ’s coming, signs we will see on this rapture road. And God has told us many signs that we will see on this Son-lit road. He doesn’t want there to be any doubt about the fact that we live in the end-times and that Christ is returning to earth. And as time goes on, He wants us to know that His coming is getting closer and closer – He wants you to “see the Day approaching.” Heb. 10:25

So God has told you exactly what you need to know before the coming of Christ. He greatly loves you and does not want you to be in the dark during what will be a most difficult and challenging time. God wants the road to be well lit with the truth. So what are the signs you need to see before Christ’s coming? Let me summarize what God says will be occurring in the coming years, before the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church and reign over this world.

* The End-times: We are living in the end-times, the last years leading up to Christ’s coming, the rapture, the Day of the Lord, and Christ’s 1000-year reign. That a large number of Jewish people have come back to their land is proof, is clear evidence, that these are the end-times. Dan. 12:4, Ez. 37:21, Matt. 24:3-31

* The Birth Pains: God told us there will be birth pains before Christ’s coming (Lk. 21:7-11, Rev. 6:1-8). These calamitous events – wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, and economic distress – happen in various parts of the world during the end-times. They will increase in intensity and frequency resulting in unbelievers looking for someone to save them from these problems and bring them peace – and this “someone” will be the Antichrist. Referring to the birth pains, Lk. 21:7 tells us, “these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” These birth pains are occurring over a long period of time, and then Christ our hope will return.

* Daniel’s 70th week: This dramatic 7-year period is filled with end-times’ events (Dan. 9:24, 27). It’s marked by the signing of a treaty at the beginning of the week, the revealing of the Antichrist at its midpoint, and the salvation of Jews at its endpoint. During these climactic 7 years, the Jews will offer sacrifices, the Antichrist will rule over the world, there will be great tribulation, the church will be raptured, and the unsaved will be punished. At the end of this week, we will know and say, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15

* The Covenant: Because of increasing opposition, the Jews, in their desparate desire for peace, will sign or confirm a covenant, a treaty. But it wiil be a deal with the devil, that is, with the coming Antichrist. This marks the beginning of Daniel’s 70^th week. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one week.” Dan. 9:27

* The Jewish Temple: A key part of this covenant is that the Jewish people will be permitted to build a temple so as to offer their prescribed sacrifices. This will happen during the first half of Daniel’s 70^th week. “Get up and measure the temple of God.” Rev. 11:1, Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:15

* Increasing Evil: Sin is increasing in this world and will continue to do so the closer we get to the rapture. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13). It will get even worse when the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, is in power – and when “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” 2 Thess. 2:8-11

* Technology: To rule the world, the Antichrist will need a super-sophisticated surveillance, information, intelligence, and financial system. The rapid advance of computers and artificial intelligence will lead to a global-controlling digital technology that will enable the Antichrist to carry out his wicked agenda and persecute Christians and Jews. “… the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed… no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark…” Rev. 13:14-17

* The Antichrist is revealed: In the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week, the Antichrist will be revealed. At this time, Christians and discerning Jews will know for certain that this evil man they see desecrating the temple is the Antichrist, the devil’s man, the most evil man on earth. “The man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god… he takes his seat in the temple of God.” 2 Th. 2:3-10, Dan. 9:27, Rev. 13:3-9

* Great tribulation: The Antichrist’s devilish persecution of Christians and Jews is great tribulation. This global and deadly persecution begins at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week but God cuts it short, evidenced by signs in the heavens and on earth. Immediately after these earth-darkening and earthshaking signs, Christ will come on the clouds and light up the earth and immediately rapture the church. “There will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now.” Matt. 24:9, 21-22; Rev. 6:9, 12-14

* The rapture of the church: At His coming, Christ will mercifully and suddenly snatch all Christians from the earth. They will join with believers from all time, be given an immortal, powerful, and glorious body, and be gathered to Christ. The rapture takes place at an unknown time during the last half of the 70th week.“We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17, Matt. 24:31-36, 1 Cor. 15:50-54, Phil. 3:20-21

* The Day of the Lord: Right after the rapture of the church, God will pour out His wrath on the unsaved, on this wicked world. This fierce and fiery judgment occurs in two parts, Trumpet judgments (Rev. 8-9), and Bowl judgments (Rev. 16). “… the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Rev. 6:16-17, Is. 13:9-13

* The Salvation of the Jews: God will save a large remnant of Jews at the end of Daniel’s 70^th week. These repentant and righteous Jews will join with Jesus in reigning over Israel and the entire world. “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jer. 31:34, Is. 45:17, Is. 61-62, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27

* The Kingdom of Christ: Jesus Christ, ruling from Jerusalem, will reign over Israel and all the nations for 1,000 years. It will be a perfect, just, merciful, and glorious reign. “God is the King of all the earth… God reigns over the nations” (Ps. 47:7-8). “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Is. 6:3, Ps. 67, Ps. 72, Ps. 96, Rev. 11:15, Rev. 20

“Be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time”(Mk. 12:23). It’s good to know that God told us the truth, all we need to know about the end-times, about this road leading to Christ’s return to rapture the church. I really encourage you to follow the Bible’s GPS system as you travel on this rapture road.

You also need faith, you must trust God, you need to believe that He will continue to give you all the grace and peace you need. You must have promises for they give you hope, they help you persevere to the end. Most importantly, you must love God and love others. You need obedience, you need to be doing the work, the “assigned task” God has given you to do (Mk. 13:34). You need fellowship, you need other believers. And you need to be watching, to be waiting and looking for the return of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.

Truth, faith, hope, love, obedience, fellowship, and watching – you need these to endure to the end, to keep going until you see Christ coming to take you home. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory… He will send His angels with a loud trmpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:27, 31

P.S. The charts on this site are extremely helpful in understanding the future that God has in store for you. Here are some charts that are related to this blogpost: “The Kingdom of God”, “Daniel’s 70th Week”, “Matthew 24”, “How Then Shall We Live?”, “The Rapture”, “Before Christ’s Coming.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #314 ~

Hurricane Helene over the Gulf of Mexico. September 26, 2024 Credit: NOAA

NOTE: I am extremely concerned about our country’s spiritual condition, and the fact that most people are asleep and aren’t aware of the great danger we are in. Today’s post, adapted from my sermon this past Sunday, conveys this message.

Imagine a well-known person knocking at your door and walking into your house. And you don’t even acknowledge him. Then he starts talking to you and you don’t listen to Him – you act like he’s not there. You completely ignore this person who is trying to tell you some vitally important information.

This is what, to a large degree, happened from Sept. 26-28. Hurricane Helene, this fast and furious storm, came to millions of people, and it was God who sent her. And all these people saw and felt and were impacted by Helene, but most of them didn’t know that God caused this super-powerful, super-destructive storm, and that He was talking to wake them up.

The vast majority of people in the path of this storm didn’t know God was talking to them. Many thought it was mother nature or climate change – they did not believe that God Himself was speaking to them. But it’s spiritually dangerous and arrogant to ignore God, to not listen to Him, whether it was during the storm, after the storm, or anytime. Ps. 119:70 explains why people didn’t hear God – “Their hearts are callous and unfeeling.” Jer. 2:5, 11-13; Rom. 1:18-25

Let me tell you more about this storm. It was about 420 miles in diameter, about the distance from Tampa to Atlanta. It was a strong Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds when the center of it went by to the west of Tampa.  Even though the storm’s eyewall was far from the Florida coast, we still felt it’s strong winds and waves. This caused an enormous storm surge, immense walls of water that pounded the shores of St. Petersburg and Tampa. This resulted in extensive damage to downtown areas, the homes of both rich and poor being flooded, trees and power lines being knocked down, and thousands losing electricity.

This massive storm continued north, greatly damaging Florida’s west side, until it finally made landfall between Tallahassee and Perry. And it was still a Cat 4 storm when it slammed into this same coastal area that had been recently hit with other hurricanes (Idalia – Aug. ’23, Debby – Aug. ’24). God was once-again speaking to them and, as we now know, to millions of others.

Then it went to Georgia as a Cat 2 storm, which meant big blasts of winds racing around at 100 mph. It rapidly tore though that state, striking Atlanta with some of the worst rain and flooding they had ever seen. Then it continued its destructive work as it traveled north through western S. Carolina, western N. Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and eastern Kentucky.

Along Helene’s God-planned path there was booming-loud thunder, thousands of lightning strikes, 41 trillion tons of rain by one estimate (enough to cover the entire state of N. Carolina with 3.5 feet of water), record high flooding, over 100 tornadoes, road-wrecking landslides, tens of thousands of destroyed cars and homes and businesses, and millions of people shocked, saddened, and devastated by the effects of what many considered to be unprecedented, the “perfect” storm.

The worst hit areas were east of the storm’s path, in Georgia, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, and east Tennessee. People hit by Helene called it apocalyptic, catastrophic, cataclysmic, the biggest and baddest storm ever. Some towns were actually washed away. Other communities are, at this time, completely cut off from the world. The stories I have read or seen on the news are unbelievable, are truly tragic, horrific, and heartbreaking. It is said to be a 100-year storm with close to $100 billion in damages and over 220 people losing their lives.

This last point, that a large number of people died, is most serious and sobering. Matt. 7:13-14 suggests that the majority were non-Christians, which means they are apart from God forever. The rest were Christians, people who know Jesus Christ and went straight to heaven, and who literally saw and talked to Him.

But back on earth: it’s obvious that God stopped us in our tracks and was trying to get our attention. People had plans, things they wanted to do, but God kept them from carrying them out. God stopped us because He wanted our full and undivided attention. The best weather chapter, Job 37, tells us, “So all men that He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor.” Vs. 5

God’s purpose is to wake up millions of both Christians and non-Christians all across this country, those who felt the direct effects of the storm, and those not even in its path, those who live in Texas, Oregon, Vermont, Iowa, and all the other states. “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth” (Ps. 50:1). What is God saying, why does He want to wake us up?

God wants the unsaved to realize their biggest problem, their sin and the spiritual and physical death that results. And God wants them to know that He can save them from sin and death. But what does He want an unsaved person to do? About a “natural” disaster, Jesus said, “Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you too will perish.” Luke 13:4-5

God wants unbelievers to know that they are guilty and deserve to be eternally punished. He wants them to know that they need to repent, to confess to God that they have sinned, and believe that Jesus died to pay for their sins, and then rose from the dead. God wants sinners to look to Him for mercy, to know that only He can remove their guilt and eternal pain and punishment. And all who do will be forgiven, receive eternal life, be fully loved, and soon be in heaven with God, Jesus Christ, and all the angels and saints. 1 Pet. 3:18, Heb. 12:22-24, Rev. 21

But what about the Christians? What does God want us to learn from Hurricane Helene or any other trial that comes our way? He wants us to look to Him and learn about Himself, His character, work, and purpose. Let me share a few things:

First, God is sovereign, He is in charge, He does whatever He wants. He is sovereign over storms, people, the church, the government, and the future. “He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have You done?'” (Dan. 4:35). “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lam. 3:38

Second, God is supremely strong, infinitely powerful. “Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts”(Ps. 145:6). “He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to hit its mark.” Job 36:32 , Isaiah 40:12-26

Third, God is perfectly holy, and punishes sinners for their sin, their rejection of Him. “He loads the clouds with moisture… they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men” (Job 37:11-13a). “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.” Rom. 1:18

Fourth, God is loving. In the midst and the aftermath of Helene, God has been showing people His mercy, goodness, and compassion. God displays His love through nature, individuals, the church, your community, organizations, and even the government. “He brings the clouds… to water His earth and show His love” (Job 37:13). “God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.” Matt. 5:45

Fifth, God is purposeful, and had very good reasons for every single thing He did. He had a plan for all the rain, wind, thunder, and lightning, for floods and storm surges, for the problems people had and will go through, and for those who died, some who are saved forever and others who are lost forever. “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:12

So how does God want us, His children, to respond to Him, to the fact that He is sovereign, powerful, holy, loving, and purposeful? What does He want us to do?

1. God wants us to be humble, to see who we are in relationship to Him, to see that He is God and we are but humans, and that He can do whatever He wants and we can’t do whatever we want. “Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord” (Jms. 4:10). “My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:10

2. God wants us to fear Him, to respect Him, to revere Him, to worship Him as the one, true, and almighty God. This is how that great weather chapter concludes – “Therefore men, fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart.” Job 37:24

3. God wants us to be holy, to say no to sin, to do what is good, right, and true. “The hour has come for you to wake up from your sleep, because 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. 13:11-14

4. God wants us to know His love. He also wants us to know that He restrains Himself from showing us the full weight of His righteousness. “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:10). “The Lord has compassion on those who fear Him, for He knows how we are formed.” Ps. 103:14

5. God wants us to trust Him, to believe who He is, that He is our Lord, Savior, and King, and that He is sovereign, powerful, holy, loving, and purposeful. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). “Have faith in God” (Mk. 11:22) when there is no food or water or power, when help is slow, when the government is incompetent, or when you have lost your home or car or job or even a loved one. James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 1:6-7

6. God wants us to have hope, to know that the future will be infinitely better, that we will be with Jesus Christ, be in heaven, be with believers, be perfected, be rewarded, and have no more problems or sin or sadness or sickness or sorrow. “Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:13). “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17

7. With regards to this terrible and trying storm, what should you do? 1. Pray for the Christians, that God would give them grace and peace. 2. Encourage hurting Christians with God’s word. 3. Pray that God would save unbelievers. 4. Serve those who are suffering, if you can. 5. Give financially to good organizations, like Samaritan’s Purse, those who are directly helping those in need.

I also must say that we are now living in the end-times. This means there will be more extreme and devastating events affecting this earth. In particular, there will be “birth pains” – wars, earthquakes, famines, and plagues now being felt around the world, and which will be increasing and growing stronger.

These too are wake-up calls from God, reminding Christians that Christ is returning soon to rapture the church, and that they need to live for Christ, to carry out their “assigned task” (Mk. 13:34). And these birth pains are warning sinners to repent and believe in Christ before its too late, before they physically die or before He pours out His wrath upon them and this sinful world.

Whatever happens, remember that God is doing His work, fulfilling His word, and carrying out His purposes for you, His church, this earth – and for His glory. Yes, life can and will be hard and, at times, extremely difficult – but keep loving the Lord – trust Him, obey Him, and look for Him to return to wrap up His work with the church, and begin His 1000-year reign over this earth. “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

P. S. We live in the end-times, and it will be very dangerous and deadly in the future – and hurricanes are good illustrations of what will be taking place. Here are some previous posts on hurricanes and prophecy. “A Hurricane is Coming – Be Ready, Watching, and Working”, “The Alarm is Ringing – Wake Up America, the Storm is Coming”, and “When the Storms Come, Don’t Be Afraid”.

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #309 ~

I have been a pastor for over 45 years, and now that we’re in the end-times, I am more motivated than ever to help people know the Lord and grow in their relationship with Him. That’s what’s most important now, and in the trouble-filled times ahead!!! “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple” (Ps. 27:4). “Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You” (Ps. 73:25). Speaking of our relationship with Him, Jesus said, “only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Do you get it? Only one thing is truly important, and that’s your personal relationship with the living God! One of the best ways to grow in your relationship with God is to be reading and thinking about the book of Psalms. Without question, this book will greatly help you have a close and intimate walk with Him.

The book of Psalms gives all these examples from the life of David and others who had excellent relationships with God. The Psalms were purposely given to you by God so you can draw close to Him, so you can know His love, and so you can love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. God wants you to learn from the hundreds of examples in this Spirit-inspired book, the longest book in the Bible, the book that more than any other focuses on your relationship with Him.   

Here are some important aspects about Psalms and our relationship with God:
1. Our personal relationship with God is one of the primary themes in the Psalms.
2. The writers of the Psalms are not holding back in their communication with God – they are very honest and transparent.
3. The writers are fearing God, praising God, crying out to God, calling out to God, seeking God, loving God, trusting God, hoping in God, waiting on God, listening to God, learning from God, getting direction from God, and looking forward to being with God.

4. The Psalms will benefit you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
5. There are different themes in the Psalms – God and Jesus Christ, the history of the Jews, the future of the Jews, trials, persecution, prophecy, your relationship with God, and your purpose in life.
6. The Psalms will help you when you are sick, tired, sad, fearful, lonely, angry, discouraged, depressed, proud, afflicted, anguished, abandoned, persecuted, feeling empty, feeling hopeless, feeling guilty, or any combination of the above.

7. The Psalmists desire to be with God, to spend time with Him. They want the truth. And they want love, joy, peace, holiness, comfort, direction, protection, wisdom, hope, strength, encouragement, and a friend. They want to be close to God, to “see” His face, to “feel” His presence, and to “taste” and enjoy His mercy and love.
8. Psalm 119 is essential for your relationship with God. It is extremely detailed in how it speaks of God’s word, giving you insights you won’t find in any other book. Psalm 119 is my favorite chapter in the Bible for it motivates me to read it, instructs me how to study it, and helps me to obey it.

In the article’s section, I have listed out hundreds of verses from Psalms that are examples of a believer’s relationship with God, specifically how he should communicate with God, how he should pray to God and praise God. The reason we know these are personal prayers and praise is that the words “I” , “me”, and “my” are used, which refer to you, and the words “You” and “Your”, which refer to God. As you read the Psalms, I strongly encourage you to look for and learn from these verses, for I’m convinced they will help you to relate to and know God in a more intimate way.

Here is a short sampling of these relational verses: Ps. 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Ps. 16:1 – “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.” Ps. 27:11 – “Teach me Your way, O Lord, lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” Ps. 30:11 – “I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths.” Ps. 31:14-17 – “I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” Ps. 40:8 – “I desire to do Your will, O my God.” Ps. 59:1 – “Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from evildoers.” Ps. 67:3 – “May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the people praise You.” Ps. 71:5 – “You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” Ps. 82:2-3 – “How long will You defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless.” Ps. 92:4 – “You make my glad by Your deeds, O Lord, I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Ps. 101:1 – “I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praise.”

I love the book of Psalms – it’s my favorite book in the Bible. Part of my reading every morning is a Psalm and an 8-verse passage from Psalm 119. They have proved to be precious to my soul, for they have helped me to know, “see”, and experience the living God. I wouldn’t have been able to keep going for God these past 50+ years without them – and I will keep needing and reading them the rest of my life.  

As you know, we are living in the end-times, the last years before Christ’s return – and these are tough and trying times, and it will get worse before it gets better. You might be here when that devilish Antichrist comes and rules over this world, and is greatly persecuting Christians. That’s when you will really need a close relationship with God. To spiritually survive and be spiritually successful at that time, you will need His love, His leading, and His strength, and that’s when the Psalms will prove to be extremely valuable to you. 

But why wait? Being with your Father and being with Jesus is the right thing and the best thing to do now, and so be reading and believing the Psalms, and by so doing, you will be close to God, you will be walking with God, you will be a well-loved and obedient Christian, and you will be preparing for the future. “I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1

P.S. Again, I am stressing your relationship with God, now and forever. And I am focusing on the Psalms, God’s book to help you grow in your relationship with Him. I encourage you to read last weeks post if you have not yet done so – “The Psalms are Needed Now and In the Future.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #307 ~

One of the biggest questions in the world has to do with the land of Israel. Is it the Jews or the Palestinians? If you have read my posts then you know what God tells us in the Bible, that the land of Israel is for the Jewish people. (Gen. 12:1-2, 15:18-21, 17:3-8; Ps. 105:8-11; Ez. 36-37, Zech. 14:1-3; Matt. 24:15-16, etc.). Yet millions of Muslims, Arabs, and Antisemites strongly disagree, and many are even willing to kill, and be killed, for this most valuable land.

I have recently been focusing on what the Bible says about the Jewish people and their land, but I thought it would be good to give proof of their right to possess the land from a historical perspective. Just recently I discovered an excellent and enlightening article on this subject, “A Palestinian State: Fact or Fiction?” . Without a doubt, it’s the best one I have ever read on this relevant subject, and I strongly encourage you to read it as well.

Here is a quote from the beginning of this important article about who has the right to possess the land of Israel. It is continued in its entirety in the “Article” section of this blog site.

“The eyes of the world are often turned to the Middle East, Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount. We are told again and again of the great struggle for a homeland for a race of people know as ‘Palestinians’. They desire, we are told, the restoration of their homeland, usurped by the Israelis and the United Nations.”

“In addition, they are willing to conduct a ‘jihad’ (holy war) to protect the sanctity of the third most sacred spot of Islam – the Temple Mount. All of this is presented to us on an almost daily basis as fact. But is it indeed factual, or have we been sold a ‘bill of goods’? An understanding of the historical background of everything involved will help us to put it all in perspective.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #283 ~

It won’t be long before Jesus Christ, the Son of God, comes back to rapture the church, judge the world, and begin His 1000-year reign on earth. But these days and years leading up to Christ’s return are becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous. Thankfully, our loving Father gives us all the grace we need. Not only that, but He told us what will be taking place, and how we are to live for Him during these turbulent times. Today, I’m focusing on how we are to live, specifically that we are to be patient, persevering, and preaching.

James 5:7-9 – “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and the late rains. You too be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” Christ’s 1^st coming took place about 2000 years ago, and that we’re now living in the end-times means His 2^nd coming is very, very near (Heb. 10:37). And God wants you to be preaching and patient until the coming of His Son.  

What does it mean to be patient? A patient person has a long temper, he is willing to suffer for a long time. This word patience usually has to do with people, not events or circumstances. You are wronged by someone, you are discriminated against, you are taken advantage of, or you are being persecuted, and you don’t get angry, you don’t retaliate, but instead you endure. Being patient with unsaved and unrighteous people is a godly and loving response. “Love is patient.” 1 Cor. 13:4

Why should you be patient? Because God is still saving people, and He wants you to be patient until that last soul is saved, until Christ comes back to rapture the church. Being from Iowa, I understand what James says about farmers being patient until the harvest. Did you know that corn is planted in April but it’s not harvested until October, six months later? Like farmers, we must patiently wait until it’s just the right time to reap the harvest, when Christ returns to rapture the church.  

A key to being patient is to be spiritually strong. In the tribulation days of the end-times, there will be opposition, hardships, and persecution like you’ve never seen before. You will need God’s strength to not only endure, to persevere, but to encourage the saints, to be sharing the gospel, to keep going for Jesus until you see Him coming in the clouds. “… encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25  

Then there’s the example of the prophets “who spoke in the name of the Lord”, who suffered and patiently persevered. God gives us His promise – “We count those blessed who endured. You have… seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” (James 5:10-11). God is compassionate and merciful towards you as you suffer for Him in the last years of this evil age, and then in the ages to come, He will give you great glory and blessings. 2 Cor. 4:17

2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Like James 5:5-7, this is also in the context of Christ’s coming. In the end-times, unbelievers will mock us and sneer at us – “Where is the promise of His coming?” In view of their unbelief, God wants you to know two things: 1) The flood destroyed the world in the days of Noah and, so too, the world will be judged and destroyed in the day of Christ. 2) God is patient and delays His justice, for He knows many people will repent of their sins and turn to Christ for forgiveness in the final years leading up to His coming.

Before Christ comes to judge the world, He will be rescuing the lost. So until He returns, be patient like God is patient, pray for unbelievers, and share the gospel with them in hopes that some will be saved from their sins. “What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” 2 Peter 3:11-12

Matthew 24:9-14 – “… You will be hated by all nations… many will fall away and betray one another… Many false prophets will arise… lawlessness is increased… the one who endures to the end will be saved… This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world.” Jesus summarizes what will be taking place during these super-trying, great-tribulation days. So-called believers will defect, evil will be running rampant, and Christians will be greatly hated, betrayed, and killed for their faith in Christ. How are you to respond to all this? You are to endure, to persevere, to keep preaching the gospel. And “… then the end will come,” at which time those Christians still alive on earth will be raptured.

Luke 21:12-19 – “They will lay their hands on you, and persecute you… It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony… I will give you utterance and wisdom… you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death… By your endurance you will gain your lives.” This too is in the context of the end-times. And we learn the same things as the previous passages, that you will be persecuted, that you are to share the gospel, and that you are to endure, to patiently persevere until you are with Jesus, whether that’s by martyrdom or rapture. 

The message in these four end-times’ passages is purposely repeated, and for good reason. Because these three points, patience, perseverance, and preaching, are keys to successfully living for the Lord. But it’s not just when times get really tough – this lesson is relevant today. “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. The night is almost gone, and the day is near.” Rom. 13:11-12

We have been witnessing the rapid spiritual decline of the world these past few years. I know I’ve been surprised by how fast this world is going dark, is going down. There is no doubt that the day is near. Most of you can see that Christians are increasingly being hated and would say that full scale persecution is coming soon. Yes, many of us will be treading the valley of the shadow of death before we see the Lord (Ps. 23:4). And what does God tell us? Now is the time to preach the gospel, to be patient, and to persevere, all the way until the coming of Christ. “Go make disciples of all the nations… lo, I am with you always, even to the end of this age.” Matt. 28:19-20

P.S. I have shared on three things that God wants us to be doing during these tribulation times, but God has told us much more. Here is a post and an article that summarizes what God wants us to do – “How Then Should We Live in the End-Times?”, and “What Does God Want Me to Do in the End-Times?”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #258 ~

A huge, potentially catastrophic storm could be heading to Tampa, the worst in over 100 years. Here in Tampa, we are listening to meteorologists, and looking at spaghetti models, storm tracks, wind speeds and possible rain amounts, etc. But only God knows exactly where it will go and what will happen, and that’s because He has planned it all out – it is His storm and it is for His purposes and glory. And what God really wants is for both believers and non-believers to get their eyes off the storm and on Him, to see that He is God, that He is powerful and holy, and that He can do whatever He wishes. And He wants us to bow down to Him, to humble ourselves in His presence. So pray for us in west central Florida that we would be humble, would draw close to Him, would trust Him, and that He would protect us, and show us His mercy and grace.

I have printed out Job 37 which, in my opinion, is the best weather chapter in the Bible. I love it, for it tells us about God, the weather, and lessons we need to learn. I strongly encourage you to read the entire chapter, and note what it says. In particular, look at vs. 7, that God stops us in our work, and that is sure true in Tampa. Look at vss. 12-13, that God brings the storm to either punish or show love. Look at vs. 14, that God wants us to stop and consider His wonders, to think about Him and His awesome power and glory. Look at vs. 24, the bottom line, the most important lesson, that God wants the weather to cause us to revere Him, to fear Him.

JOB 37

“At this my heart pounds
    and leaps from its place.
² Listen! Listen to the roar of His voice,
    to the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
³ He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.
⁴ After that comes the sound of His roar;
    He thunders with His majestic voice.
When His voice resounds,
    He holds nothing back.
⁵ God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    He does great things beyond our understanding.
⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
⁷ So that everyone He has made may know His work,
    He stops all people from their labor.
⁸ The animals take cover;
    they remain in their dens.
⁹ The tempest comes out from its chamber,
    the cold from the driving winds.
¹⁰ The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.
¹¹ He loads the clouds with moisture;
    He scatters his lightning through them.
¹² At His direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever He commands them.
¹³ He brings the clouds to punish people,
    or to water His earth and show His love.
¹⁴ “Listen to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.
¹⁵ Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes His lightning flash?
¹⁶ Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
    those wonders of Him who has perfect knowledge?
¹⁷ You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
¹⁸ can you join Him in spreading out the skies,
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
¹⁹ “Tell us what we should say to Him;
    we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
²⁰ Should He be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
²¹ Now no one can look at the sun,
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
²² Out of the north He comes in golden splendor;
    God comes in awesome majesty.
²³ The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
    in His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress.
²⁴ Therefore, people revere Him,
    for does He not have regard for all the wise in heart?

P.S. Here are four previous posts that all relate to hurricanes, storms, and difficult times, and the purposes God has for them. “A Hurricane is Coming – Be Ready, Watching, and Working”, and “The Alarm is Ringing! Wake Up America! The Storm is Coming!”, and “A Big Storm is Coming, and I Don’t Mean Hurricane Irma”, and “When the Storms Come, Don’t Be Afraid.”

By Steven. J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #257 ~

In these past few weeks, three things came to my mind about rulers. First, there was the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth, and then this attention on King Charles III, a king with no real power. Second, there’s all this coverage about the coming midterm elections, with most candidates foolishly promising some kind of change. Third, there’s all this evil being promoted, permitted, and protected by evil rulers, resulting in an increasingly corrupt and spiritually cancerous country. Our only hope is Jesus Christ, the true Savior and King! Only He can save us from our primary problem, sin and death, and then bring real peace and prosperity to this world, and that’s in the kingdom age to come.

Today I want to focus on Christ Jesus the King. Here are some things God wants you to know:
* Psalm 2:1-3 sums up the present and future condition of this world with regards to kings and the King. At the present time, “the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against His Anointed (Christ the King)” (Ps. 2:2). In a little while, God will carry out His plan, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion” (Ps. 2:6). There are now all these kings and rulers on this earth, but it won’t be long before Christ will be King over the whole world. “God is the King of all the earth.” Psalm 47:7

* Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man, the perfect person to be King and rule over this world. “You will bear a son… He… will be called the Son of the Most High.” Luke 1:31-32
* Jesus Christ has the right to reign over this earth, for by His death, He paid for our sins and defeated the devil, thereby giving Him the authority to be King of this world. “Grace to you and peace… from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us… Behold He is coming…” Revelation 1:4-8, 12-18

* God promised that His Son, Jesus Christ, would be King over this world, and He will keep His promise. “I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16
* Jesus Christ, our coming King, is the only hope for this world. No one but Christ can perfectly rule over this planet and bring true justice, joy, and peace. “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.” Psalm 67:4 

* We now live in the end-times which means we are fast approaching the end of this evil age. Christ the King is coming soon, and when He does, the church will be raptured (Matt. 24:31), the world will be punished (Rev. 8-9), the Antichrist will be defeated (Rev. 19:20), a Jewish remnant will be saved (Rom. 11:25-26), and Christ will begin reigning over this earth. “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15, Zech. 14:9

* Jesus Christ will be a perfect, holy, truthful, wise, powerful, loving, merciful, sovereign, and all-knowing King (Jer. 10:10). “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure… He has sent redemption… Holy and awesome is His name.” Psalm 111:7-10
* Christ’s reign in the coming kingdom age will last for exactly 1000 years. Revelation 20:1-6
* True believers will be glorified in body, soul, and spirit, and will reign with Jesus Christ in the kingdom age, helping Him to establish His righteous rule over this earth. Revelation 5:10, 20:6

* Jesus Christ will reign over the entire world from the city of Jerusalem. Psalm 48
* Every person who has ever lived will bow down to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord and King. He will be feared by all people, and loved and worshiped by all believers – and this will take place during the millennial kingdom. “Every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11; Psalm 72:5-11
* During the millennial kingdom, the entire earth will be full of Christ’s glory. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

* During this kingdom age, it will be obvious to all that Christ is the greatest King this world has ever seen. “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2
* In this coming kingdom, believers will be giving thanks to Christ, singing praises to Him, and shouting for joy. And why? Because of their salvation (Is. 12:1-2), because Christ is defeating their enemies (1 Cor. 15:25), because they are experiencing His incredible blessings (Ps. 67), and because He is “a great King over all the earth.” Psalm 48:2

* During Christ’s kingship, the nation of Israel will have a special place and role on this earth. Christ will rule from Israel (Ps. 48). He will bless Israel in such a way that they are a blessing to the whole earth (Ps. 67:1-2, 7). Salvation in Christ will be proclaimed by the Israelites to all the world (Ps. 96:1-3). “Their (Israel’s) offspring will be known among the nations” (Is. 61:9). Nations will come to Israel because she is so blessed by Christ (Is. 60:3). “The wealth of the nations will come to you (Israel).” (Is. 60:5). Jerusalem will be the most renowned city in the world – “They will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14

* During His millennial kingdom reign, Jesus Christ will defeat all His enemies, and this includes death. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 20:14
* At the end of this 1000-year kingdom age, Jesus Christ, the King of the earth, will hand “over the Kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority… when all things are subjected to Him, 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 Corinthians 15:24-28
* God commands us to pray for the coming of Christ and His kingdom. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

Look at the world around you! For the most part, it’s a wicked planet ruled by evil leaders, by evil “kings.” Doesn’t this make you long for the true King, for Jesus Christ to return and reign over this earth? I can’t wait to see King Jesus ruling over this earth, for then there will be perfect justice, love, peace, and glory to God like never before. But for now, keep working and waiting for our Lord, and soon enough He will return, judge the world, and then we will join Him in reigning over this earth. “They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). “Then all nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed… may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.” Psalm 72:17-19

P.S. In this world of politics, rulers, and corruption, you must understand what God says about His spiritual kingdom, and the kingdom ages to come. Here are four related posts I would encourage you to read – “The Kingdom of God”, “The King in Your Heart and His Kingdom on Earth”, “Kingdom Instructions for the Church”, and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #256 ~

God is holy, holy, holy!!! God is the Holy One – He is sinless, blameless, and perfectly pure! And praise be to God that through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, He has made us forever holy, righteous, and pure. And now that we are holy ones, we are to live holy lives. This theme of being holy is a most important message in the Bible and should be our constant and continual endeavor. Hundreds of verses instruct us to live holy lives, and wouldn’t you know it, many are in the context of Christ’s coming. And since we now live in the end-times, we must understand them, and see how they relate to our life, our purpose, and Christ’s return. Let’s look at some of them. 

Revelation 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” The book of Revelation is about the end-times, Christ’s coming, and the ages to come. And Rev. 4 is foundational, for it focuses on worshiping the holy God, setting the stage for Christ’s return, the coming of the Holy One. Revelation teaches us that God wants a holy church to welcome His Son, and a holy earth upon which He will reign. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3, Acts 3:20-21

Romans 13:11-14 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone and the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light… put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.” This age is coming to an end, the day of Christ is near, the time for the church to be raptured and for all believers to be glorified is at hand! And God wants you to be awake, alert, holy, and full of hope. The nearness of Christ’s return should greatly motivate you to be inwardly and outwardly holy. “Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Psalm 24:3-4

Ephesians 4:30 – “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” When you get saved, you are given the Holy Spirit, and one of His purposes is to protect you, to keep you safe until the day of Christ, the day of redemption, the day you are glorified. “… Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit… with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession” (Eph. 1:13). Another purpose of the Spirit is to make you holy – so do not grieve Him, “do not quench the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19) – live a holy life. Eph. 4-6 explains what this looks like.

Philippians 1:10 – “I pray that your love may abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” How should you pray? That you grow in your love for God and others, which results from knowing God’s truth, making wise decisions, and living a holy and blameless life – and all this is in view of the day of Christ, for at that time “each man’s work will become evident, for the day will show it because it is to be revealed…” 1 Corinthians 3:13

Colossians 3:4-10 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry… put on the new self.” When Christ returns, He will immediately be revealed – and then you will be revealed with Him in His kingdom. In view of Christ’s holy and glorious coming, say no to the old self, and “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:24

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 16-17 – “This is the will of God, your sanctification… the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The coming of Christ is a major theme of 1 Thessalonians, and it too highlights the need for holiness. We are “sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5). Therefore, fervently desire to be “holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:27), especially since you will soon be seeing your Savior. Revelation 22:12

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8 says the same thing – “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You must recognize God’s role in making and keeping you holy. Yes, you are to do your part when it comes to being sanctified, to being holy, but ultimately it is God who enables you to live a righteous life. And again we see that living a holy life is connected to Christ’s coming.

Titus 2:11-13 – “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope, and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” How are you to live? You are to live a righteous and godly life by saying no to sin and by doing good deeds – and you are to be looking for Christ’s return and the revealing of His kingdom and glory which happen after the end of this present age. Matthew 24:3-31

1 Peter 1:13-16 – “Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in Spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” It cannot be any clearer, for again you are exhorted to be holy in the context of Christ’s coming, and you are to be obedient, and to have hope, to be excitedly looking forward to His return.

2 Peter 3:11 – “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” Why love this sinful world? Since this evil earth will soon be destroyed, why live like a sinner? Rev. 18:2-4, speaking of this wicked world, “a dwelling place of demons”, tells you, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins.” Knowing that Jesus is coming to rapture the saints and punish the sinners should greatly motivate you to live a holy life, and to share the gospel with the lost, thereby, hastening His coming.

1 John 3:3 – “When Jesus appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Jesus is glorious and perfectly pure, and when He appears, we will be like Him, perfectly pure, and altogether glorious. And having hope, wanting to see Jesus, has a positive, purifying, and powerful effect on your life.

Here are some key truths about holiness and how it helps you to live a holy, God-glorifying life.
* The best blessing of being holy is having a close relationship with God. Matt. 5:8, Heb. 12:14
* God is pleased, honored, and glorified when you are holy. Eph. 5:6-11
* To be useful to God, to be able to do His work, you must be holy. 2 Tim. 2:21
* If you are in sin, then repent and confess your sin. 1 John 1:5-9; Rev. 2:5, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:14
* God wants to bless you, but you need to be holy, obedient, and seeking Him. Psalm 119:1-8
* Learn from the epistles, for they will greatly help you to grow in holiness. Ephesians 4:17-24
* Share the gospel by living a holy life and by speaking the truth about sin and Jesus. Titus 3:1-8
* Living a holy life will result in being eternally rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
* God will keep you holy all the way to heaven, and enable you to “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. This past Monday was Labor Day, and so my Sunday message was Working for the Lord. I went into great detail about how, no matter our age, we are to always be working for the Lord. I shared 18 different points from God’s word, ones that I believe will help you be a more successful worker for God in these last years before the coming of Christ. There is also a PDF text of my sermon notes available on that same page.

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #255 ~

Throughout history, people have wondered how this world will come to an end. Some say it will just keep going for 1000’s of years, and others say it could end in the next decade or two. Some worry whether it will be destroyed by some catastrophic event(s). In the 1960’s, there was talk about nuclear war; in the 1970’s, it was an ice age; in the 1980’s, it was the ozone layer; in the 1990’s, it was global warming; and since the early 2000’s, there’s been talk about EMP’s, solar flares, super volcanoes, and climate change.

The truth is that God has already told us how this world, as we now know it, will come to an end. His word tells us that Jesus Christ will return to rapture the church, and then judge the earth, pouring out His righteous world-ending wrath. This is called the day of the Lord, and it will be destructive, deadly, and deserved. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness.” Psalm 98:9

The Bible talks extensively about the day of the Lord, and that’s because God doesn’t want us to be ignorant – He wants us to know what will happen, and warn others. Most importantly, we need to tell people to turn from their sin and turn to Christ, believing that He died to pay for their sins and rose again. If they do, they will be forgiven, receive eternal life, and won’t be here on earth when God pours out His wrath. And they won’t go to hell, where they would have been justly and eternally punished for their sins but, instead, will go to heaven, and forever be with God, Jesus Christ, and all the believers. “He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

Here are some important questions and answers about the day of the Lord:
1. What is the “day of the Lord”? This phrase refers to a period of time when God judges sinful people living on this earth. It speaks of specific times in the past (recorded in the Old Testament) when God poured out His powerful and punishing wrath on people and nations. But there is another day of the Lord, a future, fiery, global judgment that will take place just after the end of this age. It is this eschatological day of the Lord that is the focus of this post.

2. Why must God carry out this “day of the Lord”? Because He is perfectly holy and must punish all sin. God has no choice but to judge people’s great and grievous sin. Not only that, but He also needs to clean up this sin-polluted world before His Son begins His holy and glorious 1000-year reign on a restored earth. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 4:8, Acts 3:20-21

3. Does God predict this coming “day of the Lord”? Yes! “The day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation, and He will exterminate sinners from it… I will punish the world for its evil” (Is. 13:6-13; Joel 2:30-32; Zeph. 1:1-3, 14-18; Amos 5:18-20; Acts 2:19-20; 1 Thess. 5:1-4). These many references to the day of the Lord mean that God is deadly serious, that His coming judgment is most severe. Here we are in the end-times, not long before Christ’s coming and the day of the Lord, and God is now sounding the alarm with all these birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8, Rev. 6:1-8). God’s purpose is to wake up and warn people about His world-wide wrath that will result in massive devastation and destruction.

4. Are there other phrases that predict and describe this end-of-the-age eschatological wrath? Yes! Here are some of them: “judgment day” (Is. 10:3), “the day of His burning anger” (Is. 13:3), “the day of vengeance” (Is. 34:8), “the day of the Lord’s wrath” (Zeph. 1:8), “in those days” (Joel 3:1), “the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26), “the day of wrath” (Rom. 2:5), “the day of judgment” (2 Pet. 2:9), “the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6), “the great day of God” (Rev. 16:14). Again, there are many references to this time of judgment which means it’s an extremely important subject, one that both the saved and the lost need to hear and understand.

5. Will Christians be physically affected by the day of the Lord? No, not at all! That’s because God will rescue Christians who are alive on earth from this crushing, cataclysmic wrath. God tells us “to wait for His Son from heaven… Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10), and that He “has not destined us for wrath.” 1 Thess. 5:9

6. How should the coming day of the Lord spiritually affect Christians? First, we should be very thankful that God’s Son was punished for us (Rom. 5:8), that God had mercy on us, that we will escape this end-times’ wrath, and not go to hell, but instead go to heaven (John 3:16). Second, we should be sobered as we think about our just God pouring out His wrath upon this wicked, super-sinful world (1 Thess. 5:5-8). Third, we should be motivated to live holy lives in these last years leading up to the day of the Lord. (Rom. 13:11-14, Rev. 18:4). Fourth, we should love the lost, warning them of the terrible wrath to come and sharing the gospel with them. Luke 21:12-17

7. How will unbelievers be living in the final years before the day of the Lord? They won’t be expecting this coming wrath – they will be living like everything is going to stay the same. “They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying… they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building” (Luke 17:27-28). They will mock the Christians – “… in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” (2 Pet. 3:3). They will be greatly and grossly sinning – they “did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12). They will be persecuting Christians – “They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you.” Matthew 24:9

8. What will be the response of unbelievers when they realize the day of the Lord is about to begin. They will be scared to death – “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). They will be completely caught off guard – “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly… and they will not escape” (1 Th. 5:3). They will try to hide from God but they can’t – “The kings of the earth, the great men, the commanders, the rich, the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.’” Revelation 6:12-17

9. What events need to happen, what conditions need to met before the destructive day of the Lord? Birth pains (false christs, wars, famines, earthquakes, famines); increasing lawlessness; the signing of a treaty by the Jews; the building of the Jewish temple; a great apostasy; great persecution of Jews and Christians; the coming of the Antichrist and his desolation of the temple in Jerusalem; a ten-nation kingdom ruled by the Antichrist; the world worshiping the Antichrist; the false prophet doing great signs and false wonders; unbelievers taking the mark of the Beast, the Antichrist; and the gospel being preached to all nations. All these things must occur before Christ returns to rapture the church and pour out His wrath upon this ungodly world. Matthew 24:4-29, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10, Revelation 13

10. What will be the final warning sign before the day of the Lord? “I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come” (Acts 2:19-20). There will also be a great earthquake. Revelation 6:12-14

11. When does the day of the Lord begin? Sometime after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week. Let me explain. The day of the Lord begins just after the rapture of the church, the rapture being the first event to take place at Christ’s coming. (Matt. 24:29-31, 1 Thess. 4:15-5:2). And Christ’s coming occurs after the coming of the Antichrist. (2 Thess. 2:8-9) – and the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week (Daniel 9:27). Therefore, we can conclude that the day of the Lord begins sometime, an unknown time, after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70^th week.

12. What are the trumpet and bowl judgments? They refer to the two major aspects of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 8-9, 16). First, seven trumpet judgments begin during the 2^nd half of Daniel’s 70^th week. The first six speak of hail, fire, and blood thrown to the earth; part of the world being burned up; seas, rivers, and springs being polluted with blood; demonized locusts inflicting tormenting pain on the people; and a third of mankind being killed. It will be a most dreadful, devastating, and deadly time. At the end of this 7-year week, the 7^th trumpet is blown, and voices in heaven proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). It is at this time that Jesus Christ becomes King of the world. Psalm 47, Zechariah 14:9

Second, seven bowl judgments begin just after the end of Daniel’s 70^th week and the blowing of the 7^th trumpet. Unbelievers are covered with ugly and malignant sores; the seas, rivers, and springs become blood, and all living things in them die; the unrepentant are scorched with fierce heat, and the Antichrist’s kingdom becomes totally dark (the sinners “did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16:11). The 6^th bowl prepares the world for the climactic judgment of the nations and the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon. The 7^th bowl results in the greatest earthquake ever, and huge hailstones pounding the people on earth – and they still “blasphemed God.” And so “it is done” (Rev. 16:17) – the day of the Lord is over, and the righteous, catastrophic wrath of God is completed.

Never forget what God says about the day of the Lord. People have all kinds of wrong thoughts about the future – but now you know what God says about this coming wrath, the day of the Lord. Wake up, be sober, and don’t live for yourself, live for God! It won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church and pour out His wrath upon this evil world. Make sure you tell your saved friends about the day of the Lord. And again, warn the unsaved about this end-of-the age, world-ending wrath. Tell them to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus before it’s too late. Again, be very thankful that you won’t be here for the day of the Lord, but instead, will be in heaven with Jesus and all the believers, and in a brand-new body. “Surely, goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

P.S. You have been reading about the coming wrath of God, but you also need to be reading and thinking about hope, that you have a most glorious inheritance, and will be in heaven with Jesus and all your Christian friends. I encourage you to read these two posts – “You Need Hope to Get Through Life”, and “HOPE: The Who, What, When, How and Why.”

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #232 ~

As Christians, we need to see the big picture, where we have come from and where we are going, and how that fits in with God’s overall plans. Having this perspective of His plans for our lives and the world greatly affects how we think about life and live for Him. As you know, people have all kinds of ideas about what has happened in the past, and what they think will take place in the future. Personally, I believe there are four distinct ages, and we are now living in the second one. You may have a different opinion on this, but this is what I believe God says in His word. Let me explain what I mean by these four different ages and four different earths:

The first age was a perfect age and Adam and Eve, perfect people, were living on a perfect earth. There were no sins, problems, or imperfections affecting mankind, animals, or nature – everything was perfectly good. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it’… God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:27-28, 31). Genesis 1-2 describes this age when God created this sinless world and Adam and Eve were perfectly ruling over it.

The second age is an imperfect age, an evil age (Gal. 1:4), the time in which we now live. It began with the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-7), sin which resulted in death (Gen. 2:17), and which spread to all people (Rom. 5:12-21) and to all generations, corrupting mankind, animals, and nature. “Cursed is the ground because of you… for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:17-19). “The creation was subjected to futility… the whole creation groans… even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:19-23). Adding to man’s sin is the fact that the devil rules the world during this second age. “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn. 5:19). Because of the devil and this deadly curse, life can be spiritually, physically, and relationally difficult for Christians living during this sinful age.

Most of the Bible, from Gen. 3 to Rev. 19, focuses on this evil age. During this long period of time, God has worked through the Jews, sent His Son to die for our sins, and is now building the church. As part of the church, it’s now our time to love God, live for Him, and be a bright shining light in this dark world (Matt. 5:16). We know this age has ended when we feel a great earthquake and see great signs in the heavens. Rev. 6:12-14

The third age is the millennial kingdom age, that 1000-year period when Jesus Christ, the perfect One, perfectly rules this world. This world will be restored (“the period of restoration of all things” – Acts 3:21), be regenerated (“in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne” – Matt. 19:28), and be set free from sin (“the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” – Rom. 8:21). Jesus Christ cannot rule over a corrupt earth, but only over one that has been restored and regenerated. There will be sin during this age, but there will be perfect justice, for Christ will rule this world with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9. Ps. 72). And yes, there will be death, but it will be rare, for “the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed.” Isaiah 65:20

This kingdom age, spoken of six times in Rev. 20, is described in detail in the Old Testament. There we read about the reign of Christ – “God is the King of all the earth (Ps. 47:7, Zech. 14:9), Jews and Gentiles being blessed – “God blesses us so that all the ends of the earth may fear Him” (Ps. 67:6-7, Gen. 12:2-3), and a renovated earth – “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” Psalm 98:8, Isaiah 65:25

It is at this time that “He (God) has put all things in subjection under His (Christ’s) feet” (1 Cor. 15:27, Ps. 2:6). Therefore, “God (Christ) reigns over the nations” (Ps. 47:8). Glorified believers (Rom. 8:23, 1 Cor. 15:40-42) will have inherited the earth (Ps. 37:11, Matt. 5:5), and will be reigning with Christ (Rev. 5:10, 20:6). “Then comes the end (of the kingdom age), when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule, authority and power. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Cor. 15:24-26

The fourth age is the eternal kingdom age. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away” (Rev. 21:1). The new city of Jerusalem will come down to earth (Rev. 21:1-3). There will be no more sin and death, and the devil, along with all demons and unbelievers, will be gone from this world, for they are forever being punished in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:4, 8; Rev. 20:14-15). All believers will be completely satisfied by God (Rev. 21:5-7, Rev. 22:1-5), and be living with Jesus in the holy city of Jerusalem (Rev. 21:9-27). God will be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). Heaven and earth will be filled with God’s glory (Is. 6:3). All believers will be eternally worshiping and serving God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 145:1-2, Rev. 22:3

There you have it, four ages and four earths. Each of these ages is associated with a distinct earth related to God’s purpose for that period of time. During the 1^st age, when there is no sin and death, there is a perfect earth ruled by Adam and Eve (Gen. 1-2). During the 2^nd age, when there is sin and death, there is a corrupt earth ruled by Satan (Gen. 3 – Rev. 19). During the 3^rd age, when there is still sin and death, there is a restored earth perfectly ruled by Jesus Christ. (Rev. 20, Psalm 67:4). During the 4^th age, when there is no sin and death, there is a perfect heaven and perfect earth ruled by God and Jesus Christ. Rev. 21:1 – Rev. 22:5

Here are a few more points about these ages, particularly as it relates to the future.
1. Once this present evil age comes to an end, the church will be raptured, God’s wrath will be poured out upon this wicked world, a remnant of Jews will be saved, the Antichrist will be cast into the lake of fire, and the devil will be chained for 1000 years (Rev. 7-19). Then the next age (Rev. 20) will begin.
2. The fact that we live in the end-times means this age is almost over, and in a little while the millennial kingdom age will begin, and we will be reigning with Christ over this world.

3. 1 Cor. 15:20-28 speaks about the last three ages, this age (vss. 20-23), the millennial kingdom age (vss. 24-27), and the eternal kingdom age (vs. 28).
4. Eph. 1:21 and Eph. 2:7 also speaks of these three ages. Eph. 1:7 says, “… in this age but also in the one to come,” which refers to this present evil age and the coming millennial kingdom age. Eph. 2:7 tells us, “… so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace,” which speaks of the millennial kingdom age and the eternal kingdom age.

5. Knowing what God says about this age and future ages helps you understand the errors of unbelievers, who say this earth may catastrophically come to an end by nuclear war, meteorites, climate change, etc.
6. Be encouraged and excited by the fact that we now live in the end-times of this second age, that it’s our turn to “run the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith….” Hebrews 12:1-2
7. It won’t be long before Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church and, shortly after that, we will begin reigning with Him over a restored and glorious earth. “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” Habakkuk 2:14

P.S. God wants you to know some things about the future, and it’s an amazing and incredible future that He has planned out for you. Here are some very instructive and related posts – “The Big Picture: the Present Age and the Ages to Come,” and “The Present Church Age and the Kingdom Age.”