Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

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Earthly Work That Results in Heavenly Rewards

July 2, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #220 ~

We all understand the importance of work, for this is how we survive, how we make a living, how we buy food and clothes, pay bills, and provide for our family. But first and foremost, you are to work for God. He is your Master – “it is the Lord Christ whom you serve”, and He will reward you for “from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Col. 3:24). Knowing we are to work for God while we live on earth, and that we will be eternally rewarded in heaven is most encouraging.

Do you think about how God wants to richly reward you for your work for Him? Do you realize that your heavenly reward from God for working at a job is infinitely more than your earthly pay for working at that job (Eph. 6:5-8)? Do you understand that being rewarded relates not to whether your earthly employer sees you working, but knowing that your heavenly Father sees you working all the time (Matt. 6:3-4)? Do you realize that being rewarded has nothing to do with whether you are young or old, single or married, slave or free, rich or poor, black or white, sick or healthy, employed or unemployed, or retired (Luke 2:36-38)? Do you know that being rewarding is not so much about what abilities you have, but how you faithfully use your abilities (Matt. 25:21)? Do you see that working for God is not a part time thing or 40 hours / week, but a 24/7 week and years of godly living? Think about how God wants to greatly reward you for a lifetime of service to Him. “In keeping them, there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11 

What specifically can you do to be rewarded by your Father? “Whoever gives a cup of water to drink because of Christ… he will not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41). “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35). “Sell your possessions and give to charity” and then you will receive “an unfailing treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:32). “Give to the poor”, “pray”, “fast”, for then “your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18). Seek God for “He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). If people “insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me… your reward in heaven is great” (Matt. 5:11-12). By doing these things for the Lord, you will be wonderfully and everlastingly blessed.

The above verses clearly state how you can be personally rewarded for working for God. But keeping other commands also results in you being rewarded. Here are some of them: “let your light shine before men” (Matt. 5:16); “go make disciples” (Matt. 28:19); “love one another” (John 15:17); “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15); “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21); “look out… for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4); “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness…” (Col. 3:12); “devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2); “encourage one another” (Heb. 3:13); “be holy yourselves in all your behavior” (1 Pet. 1:15); “as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another” (1 Pet. 4:10). Yes, it takes time and effort to do these things; yes, you need to sacrifice your life, and sometimes suffer; but it’s for the glory of God, the good of others, and for your eternal benefit. There is no doubt that God will make your earthly work extremely and eternally worthwhile, that your work for Him in this world will result in untold and unbelievable treasures in heaven. 

In the Bible, there are many examples of godly people loving and serving the Lord. There’s Enoch walking with God, Noah building an ark, Abraham being obedient, Moses enduring ill treatment (“he was looking to the reward” – Heb. 11:26). There’s Rahab welcoming the spies, David conquering kingdoms, and others being stoned, sawn in two, and put to death with the sword. There’s Deborah being a leader, Jael killing Sisera, Ruth being loyal, Esther being courageous, and Mary being humble. There’s Peter preaching, Peter’s mother-in-law serving, Mary Magdalene loving Jesus, John writing the revelation, Anna praying, Stephen being fearless, Dorcas making all those clothes, and Paul being an apostle to the Gentiles (“there’s laid up for me the crown of righteousness” – 2 Tim. 4:8). There’s Prisca and Aquila risking their lives, Mary and Persis working hard, and Epaphroditus being a minister to Paul. All these saints will all be greatly rewarded for their love and service to God. Might the lives of these who served God in the past motivate you to serve Him in the present. “… fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Rom. 12:11

What do you need to do to receive eternal rewards from your heavenly Father? “Whatever you do, do your work heartily… knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Col. 3:23-24). Wow! It’s whatever you do! This means that every single thing you think, say, or do has potential to be rewarded by God. “Whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord (Eph. 6:8). “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done” (2 Cor. 5:10). These truths about rewards shows God’s incredible love for you, that He really wants to bless you forever for all you do for Him during your short time on earth? “In Your presence is fulness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

“Whatever you do” – think about this for your own life. It can mean singing to the Lord, saying a quick prayer for a friend, joyfully doing the dishes, cheerfully mowing the lawn, faithfully doing the laundry, dutifully caring for your children, having lunch with a believer, diligently working at your job, wisely using your money, trusting God when you are sick, giving to a person in need, being kind to a stranger, compassionately caring for your elderly parents, encouraging someone who is discouraged, patiently driving in heavy traffic, lovingly texting a friend, thanking God for the weather, rejoicing when faced with a trial, attending a mid-week Bible study, etc., etc., etc.

What’s important is not just doing “Christian” things, but doing them for God with a right heart and right motives. “Wait until the Lord comes who will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts, and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). What do these motives relate to? Paul speaks of “your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you” (1 Thess. 1:3-4). It’s having faith in God, relying completely on Him. It’s doing what you do because you love God with all your heart and want to please Him. It’s having hope, knowing that your reward is not on earth, but in the future and in heaven. It’s walking with the Lord Jesus and God the Father, knowing that you are always with them and they are always with you, and that they always love you and see you. And “your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:4

Remember what Jesus told us, “I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12). That we are now living in the end-times means Christ is coming back very, very soon, and so it won’t be long before you receive your reward from Him. “The time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18

P.S. As Christians, we know that we are to be working for God every day of our life. But many different things can short-circuit our desire to serve Him. One of them is worry and anxiety, which affect all of us to some degree or another. I recently finished a two-part series that talks about about how God wants us to give us victory over our worries, over being nervous: Do Not Be Anxious and Anxiety, Worry and Stress. I encourage you to take the time to listen to them.

God Really Wants To Reward You

June 24, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #219 ~

Do you think about how God wants to bless your life in the future? Do you understand that God will eternally reward you for your earthly service for Him? Most people have jobs during their time on earth – they work 40 hours a week or so and get paid for their work. But do you realize how much God will reward you when you are working for Him instead of for yourself? (This includes a mother staying at home whose work is raising her children.) Your reward from God will be out of this world, infinitely more than anything you will ever receive from some job on earth. You may have earthly bank and retirement accounts, but are you storing up “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys”? Matthew 6:20

This subject of rewards is no small matter, no minor subject in the Bible, but sadly, most Christians don’t know much about it, or if they do, don’t think much about it. They are not focused on future blessings but on present fulfillment. They are thinking about their life on earth, on their jobs, house, money, friends, and fun things to do, but they are forgetting that God wants to greatly reward them in heaven. “Blessed are you who are poor… who hunger now… who weep now… be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven… But woe to you who are rich… who are well fed now… who laugh now… woe to you when all men speak well of you.” Luke 6:20-26

One of the keys to being rewarded by God is desiring to please Him, is realizing that you are not to seek praises from men but are to give glory to Him. “You are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6

God wants to generously reward His servants for the work they do for Him, but it must be done by faith, it must be done by depending on Him, and not by trusting in self or living for self. “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, but those who come to Him, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6). “By faith Moses… refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26

God will reward each person’s work. God does not give out family rewards, church rewards, community rewards, only individual rewards. “Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:8). The work, the faithfulness of each and every individual believer who has ever lived will be tested and judged by Jesus Christ. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

Only a person’s good deeds will be eternally rewarded. If a believer’s works are not done to please the Lord, if they are not done in faith, “if any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). I hope you realize that receiving rewards from God has nothing to do with your salvation. And I hope you know that a true believer can never lose his salvation, but he can lose the rewards God wants to give him. By your good and faithful service to God, you will most certainly be wonderfully and forever blessed. “Watch yourselves… that you may receive a full reward.” 2 John 2:8

Isn’t it amazing that God watches you all the time with the mindset to reward you, to eternally compensate you for everything you do? On earth we think of getting paid for the 40-50 hours we work each week, but God is talking about your 24/7 week. Might you have the mindset that your entire life is for God, and that everything you think, say, or do has the potential to be rewarded by Him. We are incredibly blessed to have such a giving and gracious Father, One who carefully observes our life to see how He can personally reward us. “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:4). “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24

The real value of your life will not be known until the future, when Christ returns, and then you will learn what aspects of your earthly work were eternally profitable or only temporally profitable. “Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it (the foundation, who is Christ) remains, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor. 3:10-14). Now we live in the end-times, and it won’t be long before Christ returns to rapture the church and give us our rewards. He has told us, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done” (Rev. 22:12). Knowing that God greatly loves you and wants to richly reward you in the future should super-charge your heart, and motivate you to love Him and live for Him all the more!

P.S. It’s important that you think about how your life after this life will be so dramatically affected by all the rewards God will pour out upon you. And when we talk about rewards, we are talking about one specific of our hope. Learn all you can about your hope, what God has planned out for your future. I encourage you to read these posts from the past –“You Need Hope To Get Through Life” and “Your Great Hope and Most Glorious Future.”

Living With Evil in the End Times

June 11, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #218 ~

We live in an evil age with evil people, and this makes life extremely difficult for Christians. But this is God’s sovereign plan, and the way it’s going to be until Jesus, His Son, returns to earth and takes us home to heaven. In fact, it will keep getting worse up until that day when we are raptured and gathered to Jesus. But how does God want us to live with sinners? What are we to say and do? In His word, God has told us everything we need to know about how we are to relate and respond to sinners at this critical time in history, the closing years of this increasingly evil age.

1. Remember, the unsaved are sinners and will do what is sinful, even terribly wicked things. They don’t have God’s Spirit in them. They are children of the devil (1 John 3:10), and their minds are blinded by him (2 Cor. 4:4). There is no fear of God before their eyes (Rom. 3:18). They are proud, selfish, angry, covetous, immoral, unholy, and unloving. And they curse, swear, and slander, and they hate you, hurt you, and get mad at you. (Rom. 1:28-32, 2 Tim. 3:1-5). Never be surprised by the evil and devilish things that sinners say and do.

2. Love the lost, the unsaved sinners, for this is what Jesus commands you to do. “I say to you, ‘love your enemies’” (Matt. 5:44). This is not a feel-good love, but an agape love, a spiritual and supernatural love – it’s being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, and forgiving (Col. 3:12-13). Unbelievers need to know what God is really like, and loving them is one way they find out. Remember Jesus’ example – “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Might we love like Jesus loved. Eph. 5:1

3. Pray for the unsaved, even those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44). Ask God to have mercy on their souls, to forgive them, “for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Pray that God would break through their sin-hardened hearts and open their devil-blinded minds, that they would see their need for a Savior, one who can rescue them from sin and death. Pray, for only God can do this amazing, soul-saving work in their lives. Psalm 107:10-16

4. Overcome evil with good. Sinners may say bad things to you, slander you, revile you, or do something worse. Oftentimes, our usual reaction is to get angry, and to want to get even and retaliate, but you are “not to be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). Be forgiving, gentle, and kind – this is true Christian love – and this may cause sinners to wonder why you are different, and can open a door for the good news of Christ.

5. Don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t get mad when sinners do evil things. It’s easy to get upset at sinners when they are just plain evil, when they are callously and blatantly sinful, but you are to keep trusting the Lord and keep doing what is good and right. My favorite chapter about how we are to live with sinners is Psalm 37 – it gives God’s perspective, it shows that He is in control, it tells you what to do, and it promises that He will protect you and bless you. “The humble will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalm 37:11

6. You may be persecuted, you may suffer, and even greatly so. Jesus has told you – “if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Consider it a badge of honor if God wants you to suffer for Him (1 Pet. 4:19). Be thankful when you are persecuted, knowing that God will use it for His purposes and your good. Remember Paul, that his circumstances “turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12-14). And if you are here during great tribulation times and are turned in to evil authorities, then love your persecutors, and maybe “it will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.” Luke 21:12-17

7. Share the gospel with the lost, with those who are walking on that road leading to hell. Remember what Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). Is not sharing the gospel with the helpless and hopeless one of the main reasons God left you on earth? As you see the day of Christ drawing near, be bold, and tell the unsaved the good news so they can be saved from their sin, from hell on earth and hell in hell, and so they can be with Jesus, and be blessed forever in a new heaven and on a new earth. Heb. 10:25, 12:22-24

8. Know the future of unsaved sinners. Do you ever think about unbelievers who seem to be successful, who seem to get away with evil, or even with murder? Do you know what God says about those who stay unsaved, who never repent and turn to Christ? “They will wither quickly… evildoers will be cut off… a little while and the wicked will be no more… his day is coming… their sword will enter their own heart… the wicked will perish… like smoke they vanish away… he passed away, and lo, he was no more… transgressors will be altogether destroyed” (Psalm 37:2, 9, 10, 13, 15, 20, 20, 36, 38). Be assured, for God is perfectly just, and he will make sure that unrepentant sinners get what they deserve, for sooner or later you will see them no more – they will leave this world, and be punished forever in hell. Matt. 25:40, 46; John 3:16

9. You must have hope. An essential key to living in an evil age with sinners who hate God and who hate you is having hope. It’s knowing that living for God on earth will be worth it in heaven, for then you will be greatly rewarded, then you will be wonderfully glorified, then you will see and be with Jesus your Savior and King, and after that, you will reign with Him during the millennial kingdom, which is a good age, not an evil one like now. Be excited and encouraged by the fact that the best days of your life are in the future. Rom. 8:18-25

10. Most importantly, have a good relationship with Jesus. To successfully live with sinners in a sinful world, you must know Jesus as your Lord and Shepherd and stay close to Him (Ps. 23:1-4). The way to have a close relationship with Jesus is to love God’s word (Ps. 119:105), trust Him (Jer. 17:7), pray to Him (Matt. 7:7), obey Him (John 14:21, 23), be Spirit-filled (Eph. 5:18), live a holy life (1 Pet. 1:15-16), be in a good church (Acts 2:42), and not be friends with sinners. 1 Cor. 15:33

I don’t think we realize how evil it will be in the last years of this evil age. Yes, it is bad now, for sinners are unrestrained and sin is rampant, but the Antichrist isn’t even here yet. When this most evil man, this man of lawlessness, this son of destruction, is ruling the world, then sinners will be unbelievably ungodly and wicked. (2 Thess. 2:1-12). They “will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim 3:12). “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matt. 24:9

As you apply these truths today, tomorrow, and in the years ahead, you will see God making you into the man or woman He wants you to be, one who is loving, strong, trained, and ready for whatever assignment He has planned for you. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will distress, or tribulation, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Rom. 8:35-39

P. S. We live in a sinful world, and I am sure you know it’s getting worse and worse. And so don’t be sinful and worldly – be holy, and know that God is training you to be a special service soldier for these days and the future He has in store for you. “Your Spiritual Service: A Member of the Special Forces” is an important article about how God is raising you up so you can be a strong-and-courageous fighter for Him, especially in the end-times, these last years of this evil age.

The Fierce and Deadly Day of the Lord

June 3, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #217 ~

1. God is a perfectly righteous judge. Because God is holy and hates sin, then He must judge sin. Throughout history, whether it’s in individuals, families, cities, countries, or the entire world, God has judged sin. Then there’s God’s eschatological wrath, also called the day of the Lord, His just judgment of the entire world, which will happen soon. What’s so amazing is that the holy God judged His own Son, Jesus Christ, who took our sins and paid for them by dying on a cross so all who repent of their sins and believe in Christ are forgiven and receive eternal life – and they will never be judged for their sins. Mark 1:14-15; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21

2. The eschatological day of the Lord, the climactic judgment of this world, takes place at the end of this present evil age, which won’t be long from now. This awesome and righteous judgment will devastate the entire planet as well as human life, the greatest global demonstration of justice since the Noahic flood. Revelation 8-9, 16

3. God’s holiness is the reason for His wrath during the day of the Lord. God is perfectly just in unleashing His wrath upon an unjust world, which will be a vivid display of His righteousness and will bring Him great glory. Rom. 3:4-6, Rev. 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”

4. The day of the Lord results in the exaltation of Christ, the vindication of the saints, the punishment of unbelievers, the defeat of the Antichrist, the end of Satan’s rule on earth, and the beginning of Christ’s rule. Rev. 1:4-7, Rev. 8-9, Rev. 19:20-21, Rev. 20:1-6

5. A scroll written by God contains instructions for the day of the Lord. This scroll has seven seals, and Jesus Christ is the only One who can break these seals. Once He does, then the scroll is opened, and there is the blowing of the seven trumpets, the outpouring of God’s wrath, resulting in Christ reclaiming the earth and receiving power and great glory. Rev. 5:12-13

6. The events associated with the first six seals are not part of this “day of the Lord” wrath, but are judgments happening here and there, and they are also wake-up calls, signs that Christ is coming soon. The first four seals are the “birth pains.” The fifth seal is great tribulation which affects both Christians and Jews. The sixth seal speaks of signs in heaven and a massive earthquake, and is proclaiming to the world that the day of the Lord is at hand. Matthew 24:4-9, 29; Rev. 6:1-17

7. Christ’s coming will be like a “thief in the night” to non-Christians. Unbelievers will not know and / or not believe what will soon be hitting the world. Suddenly they will see these heavenly signs and feel this huge earthquake, and be shocked, scared to death, and try to escape, for they know God’s wrath will soon be poured out upon them. 1 Thess. 5:1-9

8. The coming of Christ and His wrath will not be like a “thief in the night” to Christians. Most Christians “are not in darkness” and are not surprised by these cosmic signs announcing the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a wicked world. They know that the signs are not just signaling the wrath of God, but also the imminent rapture of the church. Matt. 24:29-31

9. A vast number of Jews will be protected during the day of the Lord and not experience God’s wrath. Between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals there will be the sealing of 144,000 Jews. There will also be a remnant of Jews who escape from the devil (the Antichrist) when he comes chasing after them. Matt 24:15-20; Rev. 7:1-8, 12:13-16

10. At Christ’s coming the church is raptured, which happens before the day of the Lord. Thus, all Christians will escape these fierce judgments, for “Jesus… rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9). The rapture occurs between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals, and at a time completely unknown to us. Matt. 24:36, Rev. 7:9-14  

11. The day of the Lord begins right after the rapture and on the same day. Luke 17:26-35

12. The day of the Lord is comprised of the trumpet and bowl judgments. The trumpet judgments (Rev. 8-9) begin after the rapture, after the breaking of the seventh seal, and during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week. The bowl judgments (Rev. 15-16) begin after the blowing of the 7th trumpet, and after the end of this 70th week.

13. The breaking of the 7th seal results in the scroll being completely opened. Once this seal is opened, there will be exactly 30 minutes of silence before God’s wrath begins on earth. This will be a most sobering and suspenseful time for unbelievers, for they will be in utter agony, dreading the destructive and deadly day of the Lord. Zeph. 1:7, Zech. 2:13, Rev. 8:1

14. Just before the trumpet judgments, the pleasing smell of incense mixed with our prayers arises up to God. Then this censer, filled with incense, prayers, and fire, is thrown down to earth, a signal to the world that God’s wrath is starting. Rev. 8:1-5

15. Seven angels, standing before God, prepare themselves to sound their trumpets. These angels are carrying out His righteous work. They know that the trumpet blasts are a battle cry for God’s justice, for His wrath to be poured out upon a very wicked world. Psalm 103:20-21

16. The blowing of the seven trumpets happens consecutively, one after another, the first, then the second, and all the way to the seventh. After the blowing of the seventh trumpet, there is the outpouring of the seven bowls, and these too do not happen simultaneously, but are consecutive, each one occurring after the previous one. Rev. 16

17. The fact that the judgments are sequential, and take place over a period of time, tells us that the entire day of the Lord is not quick and sudden. The effect on the unrepentant unbelievers will be tormenting and torturing, mentally, emotionally, and physically, resulting in great fear, great pain, and death – and rightfully so. Rev. 16:9-10

18. We do not know how long the trumpet judgments will last. They begin after the rapture, at an unknown time during the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. The fifth judgment goes on for five months, and they conclude with the seventh, at the end of the 70th week. They will last at least five months, but less than 42 months, and I’d say, much less, for the great tribulation, I believe, will go on for quite a while. Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:36

19. The first three trumpet judgments are cataclysmic, destroying plants, animals, rivers, and seas. The fourth judgment impacts the sun, stars, and moon, darkening the earth. The fifth one results in unbelievers being tormented by scorpion-like-locust stings for five months. The sixth one is the worst, for 200 million horsemen go out and kill one third of mankind. 

20. Three things result from the blowing of the seventh trumpet: 1. Daniel’s 70th week comes to an end (Dan. 9:27). 2. The mystery of God is finished, and many Jews are saved. (Rev. 10:7). 3. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). This important point in history enables Jesus Christ to establish His reign on earth.

21. The Antichrist is present on earth during the day of the Lord. He is given authority to rule for 42 months, lasting from the midpoint to the end of Daniel’s 70th week. At the sound of the seventh trumpet his role as world ruler is over. The bowl judgments are a transitional phase from the Antichrist’s rule to Christ’s rule. Rev. 13:4-5, 16:12-16, 17:14, 19:20-21

22. The bowl judgments are the final phase of God’s wrath on this earth. These bowls, being wide and shallow, are quickly poured out, meaning this aspect of God’s justice happens fast, for only 30 days, yet it’s terribly destructive, wiping out the Antichrist’s kingdom. Rev. 16

23. The bowl judgments are extremely painful and deadly. The first bowl judgment results in unbelievers receiving “loathsome and malignant” sores. The second one causes the seas to become blood, resulting in the death of all sea creatures. The third turns the rivers into blood. The fourth causes the unbelievers to be “scorched with fierce heat.” The fifth results in the Antichrist’s kingdom being darkened. And the result is that the unbelievers “gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven…” Rev. 16:11

24. No one repents of their sins. It is incredibly sad that after all these hard-hitting judgments there are still all these hard-hearted sinners who won’t repent of their sins. Not only did they not repent but they were angry and blamed God – “they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.” Rev. 16:1-11

25. The battle of Armageddon. The pouring of the sixth bowl prepares the world for the battle of Armageddon. But there’s no battle. God’s enemies don’t have a chance, not against the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” The Antichrist and false prophet are quickly seized and thrown into the lake of fire, and “the rest were killed with the sword” of the Lord. Rev. 19:11-21

26. “A loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’” The most destructive bowl judgment is saved for last. There is a mighty earthquake, and all the cities collapse. Hundred-pound hailstones rain down from the sky, killing millions of sinners. Indeed, God’s righteous wrath will be poured out upon a most wicked world. Rev. 16:17

27. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Rev. 18:2). There’s Rev. 17-18, which give more detail about the devil’s world system and the Antichrist’s kingdom. We read about Babylon the Great, which refers to the religious and economic systems of the world. And we learn about the Antichrist’s evil and ungodly empire. These are all destroyed by God’s catastrophic judgments.

28. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God’s wrath is completed. The Antichrist’s authority comes to an end at the blast of the 7th trumpet, but it is by the pouring of the 7th bowl that the Antichrist is fully defeated, the world system is destroyed, and Christ’s authority is finally established on earth. The saints and angels in heaven will wholeheartedly praise God for His awesome victory over the enemy. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” Rev. 19:1-6

29. The greatest world war is between God and Satan, and God is the winner. Since the sin of Adam, there has been a great battle, raging between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan, between the forces of God and the forces of the devil (Gen. 3:15, Eph. 6:10-13). We are now close to that time when God’s plans for believers and planet earth will be completely carried out, and we will see the “summing up of all things in Christ.” Eph. 1:9-11

Let me summarize what we can expect in the years ahead: we will see this spiritual battle intensify, from the birth pains to the Antichrist to the great tribulation to the rapture (Matt. 24:4-31) to the outpouring of God’s wrath (Rev. 8-9) to the salvation of a remnant of Jews (Rom. 11:25-26) to the defeat of the Antichrist (Rev. 16, Rev. 19:20) to Christ reigning over the earth – “The Lord will be King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). You are wonderfully blessed to be part of God’s eternal plans, and to be on earth at this momentous time in history. Rev. 1:6-7

30. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth” (Psalm 98:9). Be excited and thankful, for we are close to the end of this age and Christ’s return to rapture the church. Don’t be fleshly or worldly, and don’t be ignorant of what will be happening on earth (Rom. 13:11-14). This is our time to live for God and do the work He wants us to do. Tell sinners to turn from their sin to Christ. Warn them that if they don’t, then they may be here for that dreadful day of the Lord, and from there, descend to a fiery hell (2 Thess. 1:9). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:58

Note: This post is a shorter version of an article I just posted. When you get time, I strongly encourage you to read this article, entitled: “God’s Wrath on Earth at the End of This Age.”

P.S. As a pastor, I teach from the Bible every Sunday. I have been going through 1 Peter, one of the most important epistles on suffering – which makes it extremely relevant for Christians living at this time. I encourage you to go to Sermon Audio, and there you will find and be able to listen to these messages and download my notes. The last three messages are on the importance of humility, and how to get victory over anxiety.

P.P. S. I would encourage you to look the charts that are linked in points 2, 3, 6, 7 & 30. They will be very helpful to you in seeing the big picture in regards to the wrath of God.

Eating, Drinking, Being Merry – And Suddenly, Shockingly…..

May 20, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #216 ~

The following is J.C. Ryle’s realistic description of what unbelievers will be doing in the days and months leading up to Christ’s second coming. Even though Ryle wrote this back in the 1860’s, it is extremely relevant today, more so than ever before, for now we live in the end-times. It’s engrossing, compelling, yet very sobering – you need to read this, for it will motivate you to live a more holy and purposeful life for the Lord in the last years of this evil age. From chapter one, entitled, “Watch” – (pg. 25-29) of J.C. Ryle’s Are You Ready for the End of Time? –

“Whenever Christ does come again, it will be a very sudden event. I draw that truth from the verse in the parable (Matt. 25:1-13) which says, ‘At midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him.’

I do not know when Christ will come again. I should think it most presumptuous if I said that I did. I am no prophet, though I love the subject of prophecy. I dislike all fixing of dates, and naming of years, and I believe it has done great harm. I only assert positively that Christ will come again one day to set up His kingdom on earth, and that whether the day be near or whether it be far off, it will take the Church and the world exceedingly by surprise.

It will come on men suddenly. It will break on the world all at once. It will not have been talked over, prepared for and looked forward to by everybody. It will awaken men’s minds like the cry of fire at midnight. It will startle men’s hearts like a trumpet blown at their bedside in their first sleep. Like Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, they will know nothing till the very waters are upon them. Like Dathan and Abiram, and their company, when the earth opened under them, the moment of their hearing the report of the visitation will be the same moment when they will see it with their eyes. Before they can recover their breath and know where they are, they shall find that the Lord is come.

I suspect there is a vague notion floating in men’s minds that the present order of things will not end quite so suddenly. I suspect men cling to the idea that there will be a kind of Saturday night in the world, a time when all will know the day of the Lord is near; a time when all will be able to cleanse their consciences, look at their wedding garments, shake off their earthly business and prepare to meet their God. If any reader of this address has got such a notion into his head, I charge him to give it up forever.

If anything is clear in unfulfilled prophecy, this one fact seems clear, that the Lord’s coming will be sudden, and take men by surprise. And any view of prophecy which destroys the possibility of its being sudden – whether by interposing a vast number of events as yet to happen, or by placing the millennium between ourselves and the advent – any such view appears to my mind to carry with it a fatal defect. Everything which is written in scripture on this point confirms the truth, that Christ’s second coming will be sudden. ‘As a snare shall it come’, says one place; ‘As a thief in the night’, says another; ‘As lightning’, says a third; ‘In such an hour as ye think not’, says a fourth. ‘When they shall say, peace and safety,’ says a fifth. Luke 21:35; 1 Thess. 5:2; Luke 17:24; Matt. 24:44; 1 Thess. 5:3

Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself uses two most striking comparisons when dwelling on this subject. Both are most teaching, and both ought to raise in us solemn thoughts. In one He compares His coming to the days of Lot. In the days when Lot fled from Sodom, the men of Sodom were buying and selling, eating and drinking, planting and building. They thought of nothing but earthly things: they were entirely absorbed in them. They despised Lot’s warning.  They mocked at his counsel. The sun rose on the earth as usual. All things were going on as they had done for hundreds of years. They saw no sign of danger. But now mark what our Lord says: ‘The same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed’. Luke 17:28-30

In the other passage I allude to, our Lord compares His coming to the days of Noah. Do you remember how it was in Noah’s day? Stay a little, and let me remind you. When the flood came on the earth in Noah’s time, there was no appearance beforehand of anything so awful being near. The days and nights were following each other in regular succession. The grass and trees and crops were growing as usual. The business of the world was going on. And though Noah preached continually of coming danger, and warned men to repent, no one believed what he said. But at last, one day the rain began and did not cease: the waters rose and did not stop; the flood came, and swelled, and went on, and covered one thing after another; and all were drowned who were not in the ark. Now mark what our Lord says: ‘As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man: they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all’ (Luke 17:26-27). The flood took the world by surprise, so also will the coming of the Son of Man.  In the midst of the world’s business, when everything is going on just as usual, in such an hour as this, the Lord Jesus Christ will return.

Reader, the suddenness of the Lord’s second advent is a truth that should lead every professing Christian to great searchings of heart. It should lead him to serious thought, both about himself and about the world.

Think for a moment how little the world is prepared for such an event. Look at the towns and cities of the earth, and think of them. Mark how most men are entirely absorbed in the things of time, and utterly engrossed with the business of their callings. Banks, counting house, shops, politics, law, medicine, commerce, railways, banquets, balls, theatres, each and all are drinking up the hearts and souls of thousands, and thrusting out the things of God. Think what a fearful shock the sudden stoppage of all these things would be, the sudden stoppage which will be in the day of Christ’s appearing. If only one great house of business stops payment now, it makes a great sensation. What then shall be the crash when the whole machine of worldly affairs shall stand still at once? From money counting and earthly scheming, from racing after riches and wrangling about trifles, to be hurried away to meet the King of kings, how tremendous the change! From dancing and dressing, from opera going and novel reading to be summoned away by the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, how awful the transition! Yet remember, all this shall one day be.

Look at the rural parishes of such a land as ours, and think of them. See how the minds of the vast majority of their inhabitants are buried in farms and allotments, in cattle and corn, in rent and wages, in rates and tithes, in digging and sowing, in buying and selling, in planting and building. See how many there are who evidently care for nothing, and feel nothing, excepting the things of this world, who reckoned nothing whether their minister preaches law or gospel, Christ or antichrist, and would be utterly unconcerned if the Archbishop of Canterbury was turned out of Lambeth Palace, and the Pope of Rome put in his place. See how many there are of whom it can only be said that their bellies and their pockets are their gods. And then fancy the awful effect of a sudden call to meet the Lord Christ, a call to a day of reckoning, in which the price of wheat and the rate of wages shall be nothing, and the Bible shall be the only rule of trial! And yet remember, all this shall one day be.

Reader, picture these things to your mind’s eye. Picture your own house, your own family, your own fireside. What will be found there? Picture, above all, your own feelings, your own state of mind. And then, remember that this is the end toward which the world is hastening. There will be no long notice to quit. This is the way in which the world’s affairs will be wound up. This is an event which may possibly happen in your own time. And surely you cannot avoid the conclusion that the second coming of Christ is no mere curious speculation. It is an event of vast practical importance to your own soul.

‘Ah!’ I can imagine some reading say, ‘This is all foolishness, raving, and nonsense; this writer is beside himself. This is all extravagant fanaticism. Where is the likelihood, where is the probability of all this? The world is going on as it always did. The world will last my time.’ Do not say so. Do not drive away the subject by such language as this. This is the way that men talked in the days of Noah and Lot, but what happened? They found to their cost that Noah and Lot were right. Do not say so. The Apostle Peter foretold, eighteen hundred years ago, that men would talk in this way. ‘There shall come in the last day scoffers,’ he tells us, ‘saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation’ (2 Peter 3:3-4). Oh, do not fulfil his prophecy by your unbelief!

Where is the raving fanaticism of the things which I have been saying?  Show it to me if you can. I calmly assert that the present order of things will come to an end one day. Will anyone deny that? Will anyone tell me we are to go on as we do now forever? I calmly say that Christ’s second coming will be the end of the present order of things. I have said so because the Bible says it. I have calmly said that Christ’s second coming will be a sudden event, whenever it may be, and may possibly be in our own time. I have said so, because thus and thus I find it written in the Word of God. If you do not like it, I am sorry for it. One thing only you must remember, you are finding fault with the Bible, not with me.” 

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At the end of this age, billions of unbelievers will be surprised, shocked, and scared to death. In the days and months before Christ’s coming, non-Christians will be living what you would call “normal lives”, and not expecting anything unusual to happen. But Christians know better, for we know the truth, what the Bible predicts will happen in the years leading up to the end of this age. We should not be surprised, shocked, or scared by the coming of Christ – “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:4). Now that we are living in the end-times, we can “see” the day of the Lord approaching – it’s clearly evident that this dreadful “day” is getting closer and closer. Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 24:4-14, 32-35

O Christian, you must warn the lost, and whether they believe it or not, you must tell them that “all hell” will soon break forth on this earth. More than ever before, you must tell the unsaved this bad news, but also, the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they need to repent of their sins and trust in Him for salvation, so they can escape this end-time’s wrath on earth and the eternal wrath in hell, and then forever be with the Lord in heaven. “Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those who are staggering to slaughter” (Prov. 24:12). This is our duty, our solemn responsibility. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

John the Baptist made this prediction about Jesus Christ, and what we now know will soon be fulfilled: “His winnowing fork is in His hands, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12). You want to be the wheat, and not the chaff! And you want to be like John and “make ready the way of the Lord.” Matthew 3:2

P.S. This message about Christ’s return, and God’s wrath being poured out upon the world is a most important message at this time in history. The coming of Christ is soon to happen, and people need to know the truth, both believers and unbelievers. Here are two more relevant messages: “J.C. Ryle’s Prophetic Creed – an Excellent Read”, and “Evildoers in the End-Times.”

They are Scared to Death!!!

May 8, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #215 ~

As Christians, it’s important to think about what our lives will be like in the end-times. But what about the non-Christians? What will their lives be like? When we study the Bible, we discover there is a lot said about the sinful thinking and actions of unbelievers in those last few years before Christ’s return to rapture the church. That’s because God doesn’t want Christians to be surprised by the lives of sinners, for they will affect us much more than we realize.  

First, God wants you to know the state of an unbeliever’s heart, how he will be thinking. 1 Thess. 5:4-5 says the unsaved will be living in darkness – they will be sinning, and therefore,  spiritually sound asleep. They don’t think Christ is coming to judge the earth and punish people like themselves – they believe the world is going along just fine, and they aren’t expecting anything to change. To them, Christ “will come just like a thief in the night.” 1 Thess. 5:2

From 2 Thess. 2:12, we learn how much the non-Christians love their sin, for they “took pleasure in wickedness.” As Rom. 1:25 says, they do not love God or God’s truth, but in fact, love the lies of the world and the devil. They are terribly deceived with the result that their sinful minds are depraved – they are not thinking right, they have “lost their minds.” God will reject these God-rejecters and send “upon them a deluding influence” (2 Thess. 2:11). These fools will “oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith” and they “will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Tim. 2:8, 13). The Antichrist will be wickedly influencing the sinners at that time – they will be so deceived that they will actually worship and follow this most devilish man.

Second, how will the unsaved be living? It will be like the days of Lot: “they were eating and drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building” (Luke 17:28). Workers will be at their jobs, children will be going to school, businessmen will be making money (Rev. 18), and retirees will be taking it easy. This reminds us what the rich man said to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool.’” Luke 12:19-20

These godless sinners will be living life with no thought of a soon-coming world catastrophe. Like the days of Noah, they will also be “marrying and giving in marriage” (Matt. 24:38). They will not just be carrying out daily activities but will be making plans for the future. It’s not that they won’t know about Christ’s coming, it’s that they won’t believe it, and will even mock those who tell them the shocking, sobering truth about what’s to come, that God Almighty will be pouring out His wrath upon the entire world. Laughingly, they will ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” 2 Peter 3:4

What’s more amazing is that these sinners will actually be saying, “Peace and safety.” Wars, famines, and economic problems (birth pains) will have subsided, due in large part to the power, charm, and rule of the Antichrist. Most unbelievers will have received the mark of the beast, with the result that they will have what they need – and life will seem good. Not only that, but the Antichrist will be hunting down those “dumb and crazy Christians”, who along with the Jews, will be the most hated people on earth. Great numbers of them will be taken into custody, and most of them will be martyred. Many sinners will assist the evil Antichrist by betraying and turning in the saints, some who are their own family members (Mark 13:11-13). For Christians, it’s going to be very bad, and very hard – it will be great tribulation (Matt. 24:9). But for unbelievers, there will be a sense of peace in the world at that time, but it will be a fake peace, a false peace, one that will soon be shattered.

The last day of this age will be like most other days – people will be eating, drinking, studying, working, shopping, playing, partying, sleeping, relaxing, and sinning. Suddenly “there was a great earthquake… the sun became black… the whole moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to earth… and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains” (Rev. 6:12-15). The sinners will be scared to death, crying, anguishing, shouting, screaming, swearing – and running for safety. But there will be none – for they will not be able to hide from the presence of God and the wrath of Christ. A world of wicked people will be “fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). Without a doubt, they will know that “the great day of Their wrath has come.” Rev. 6:17

These peace-shattering signs are only the beginning of the end, the dreadful and deadly end for most unbelievers on earth. Immediately after these signs, all Christians will be wonderfully rescued from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:10) and be quickly taken up and away to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). It is said, “there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left… two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34-36). “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52), millions of Christians will be raptured from the earth, with a world of sinners witnessing the greatest escape in history.

What will these sinners think when they see this? They may be confused, or because they are in shock, because they are scared, so gripped by an all-consuming fear, they won’t care. The massive earthquake, the darkened sky, the mysterious rapture – everything will happen so fast, and the unsaved will only be thinking about finding a safe place, a refuge. But there will be none.

Then what? Thirty minutes of the most sobering silence will be heard all over the world, anticipating the holy day of the Lord, the outpouring of His wrath. First, it will be the Trumpet judgments, and then the Bowl judgments, destructive and devastating calamities occurring over a period of many months, or maybe years. It will be drawn out, unrelenting, and tortuous, a series of events tormenting the unrepenting unsaved. One of the judgments will be so bad that “men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them” (Rev. 9:6). The very next judgment results in one third of mankind being killed, which will be billions of people (Rev. 9:18). Sadly, and stubbornly, “the rest of mankind… did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21). In a future post, I will give a more detailed summary of the Day of the Lord, God’s glorious, righteous, end-time judgment of the world.

Before the day of the Lord, Christians on earth will be persecuted, and only for a little while. But the unsaved will be punished, the day of the Lord being the very beginning of a just and eternal penalty for all their terrible sins. “The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.” 2 Thess. 1:7-10

What do Christians need to know and do during these most times?
– Stay close to Jesus. Love Him with all your heart. Read His word and remember His promises. Psalms 63:1-8, 105:4, 119:5; Luke 10:40-42
– Be thankful for all things and in all situations. 1 Thess. 5:18
– Remember what God told you about the end-times, and tell others. Mark 13:23, Rev. 1:3
– Make sure you love your enemies, those who persecute you – and pray for them. Matt. 5:44
– Share the good news with the unsaved. Tell them how they can be saved from their sins and the coming wrath on earth and an eternal and punishing hell. Tell them to turn from their sin and to believe in Jesus Christ before it’s too late. Matt. 24:14, John 3:16, Col. 4:2-7
– Keep trusting God, have faith in Him, the God of the impossible. Prov. 3:5-6, Luke 18:8
– Have hope – think about the wonderful future God has in store for you. Rom. 8:23-28
– Encourage one another during those difficult times, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Heb. 10:25
– Be praying for Christ’s kingdom to be established on earth. Matt. 6:10
– Fervently love the Christians, and always pray for them. Eph. 6:18, 1 John 4:7-21
– In the evil day, as the battle rages, resist the enemy and stand firm. Eph. 6:13
– Persevere, knowing that God will give you all the grace you need to keep going to the end. Matt. 24:13, 2 Cor. 12:9-10
– Keep looking for Jesus to come and take you to be with Him and then home to heaven. “Wait for His Son” (1 Thess. 1:10). “Be on the alert… you also must be ready.” Matt. 24:42-44

P.S. Most people don’t think much about God’s coming wrath on earth, but they need to, for it’s a holy, sobering exercise, motivating us to live for the Lord and to tell the lost the good news of Jesus Christ. We all wish that better days for our world were ahead but I can’t say that. For all you Christians, I encourage you to read two other important posts – “It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better” and “Christians Will Go Through Great Tribulation.”

Rescued from the Punishing Day of the Lord

April 27, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #214 ~

The Bible talks extensively about the “day of the Lord,” a phrase referring to a frightening, devastating period of time when God intervenes in the affairs of this world and judges the ungodly. In the Old Testament, the prophets described in detail many of these “days”, times when God righteously punished deserving sinners, cities, and nations. Here are some examples: “I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their sin” (Isaiah 13:11); “The day of the Lord is awesome and very terrifying – who can survive it?” (Joel 2:11); “You will get exactly what your deeds deserve” (Obadiah 1:15); and “I will destroy people and animals.” Zephaniah 1:3

The most dreadful and destructive “day of the Lord” is still coming, and it will occur at the end of this age, when the holy, powerful, and sovereign God judges the entire world. Matt. 24:29 speaks of these celestial signs suddenly darkening the skies, alerting and warning everyone on earth that this day of doom is soon to begin. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light… and the powers of heaven will be shaken.” Rev. 6:12-14 also tells us that there will be a “great earthquake… and every mountain and island were moved out of their place.” Every single person on this earth will know that something dramatic and cataclysmic is going to happen, and they seem to know what it is, for they say, “Hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Rev. 6:16-17

This severe judgment will be unleashed upon this sinful world during the second half of Daniel’s 70th week, a seven-year time frame. The Antichrist will be ruling the world, unbelievers will be living in “peace”, and Jews and Christians will be undergoing persecution. Then these cosmic disturbances will darken the skies, alarming the unbelievers. Not long after that, seven “trumpets” will be blown resulting in fiery and deadly judgments killing billions of people and animals. “There came hail and fire… a third of the living creatures in the sea died… torment for five months… they would kill a third of mankind.” Rev. 8:7, 9; Rev. 9:5, 15

Soon after that, there will be seven more judgments, for the “bowls” will be quickly poured out resulting in more death and destruction. “It became a loathsome and malignant sore… every living thing in the sea died… men were scorched with fierce heat… they gnawed their tongues because of pain… and huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men” (Rev. 16:2, 3, 9, 10, 21). And the evil unbelievers living on earth still “blasphemed the God of heaven… and did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16:11). Without question, these wicked sinners will deserve to be greatly punished. “Righteous are You, who are and who were, the Holy One, because You judged these things.” Rev. 16:5

Then Jesus Christ will suddenly appear on the scene. The “King of kings and Lord of lords,” along with the armies of God, will come racing down to earth and strike down the nations. “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15-16). He will royally crush that devilish Antichrist and his evil partner, the false prophet. “These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20). “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Rev. 19:6

What about the Christians? What happens to them during this time? They will not be on earth during this wrath!!! That’s because of “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10). But there’s still some confusion among Christians as to what will happen to them in the end-times, and when. Matthew 24, the most important prophecy chapter in the Bible, gives us the order of end-time events: First, there are birth pains – wars, famines, earthquakes, and plagues (Matt. 24:4-8). These events, affecting both Christians and non-Christians in various parts of the world, are not part of the day of the Lord, God’s wrath, for they take place before it even begins. Second, there’s great tribulation, the persecution of Christians and Jews brought on by the Antichrist. Matt. 24:9-14 talks about this tribulation as it affects the Christians, and Matt. 24:15-26 tells us the origin of this great tribulation, that it’s instigated by the Antichrist and starts in Jerusalem, and that it affects the Jews. Rev. 13:13-17

Matt. 24:27 describes a brilliant light flashing from east to west, the glorious, celestial signal that Christ is coming, and obviously, this happens after the birth pains and great tribulation. Then Matt. 24:28 gives a most sobering message, that vultures gather which means people are dying during this time. But there’s something else we need to know – that this great tribulation is cut short by these sky-darkening signs (Matt. 24:29) which, as Acts 2:20 tells us, are “before the great and glorious day of the Lord.” This can only mean that this great tribulation, this period of persecution, is before the day of the Lord, the period of punishment. Matt. 24:30 then informs us that immediately after these celestial-darkening signs, the skies will be lit up by Christ’s glory (Matt. 24:27). It is at that point that Christ will gather together all the believers from all time, those still on earth and those already in heaven. “He will send forth His angel with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:31, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, 2 Thess. 2:1

This should make it clear to Christians that the rapture takes place after the great tribulation has ended but before the day of the Lord, before God’s wrath begins. People who say the birth pains and great tribulation are part of the day of the Lord are wrong, are in error. Great tribulation is when Christians and Jews are persecuted by the Antichrist, and the day of the Lord is when unbelievers are punished by God. Yes, we may be persecuted but we won’t be punished. As 1 Thess. 5:9 says, “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This “salvation” refers to physical salvation, to being raptured and rescued from God’s wrath, the disastrous and deadly day of the Lord. 2 Thess. 1:6-10 tells us the same thing, that there will be relief from tribulation for Christians, but retribution and eternal destruction for disobedient and ungodly unbelievers.

What 21st century Christians need to understand is that the church will still be on earth during the birth pains and great tribulation, but not during that dreadful day of the Lord, which is only for unbelievers. The order and nature of end-times’ events, shown also in Rev. 6 – Rev. 8, make this very clear. In Rev. 6:1-8 we read about the first four seals, which speak of the birth pains. Rev. 6:9-11 talks about the 5th seal, which is Christians suffering great tribulation and being martyred. Then Rev. 6:12-17 tells us about the 6th seal, which describes the sign of the end of the age, the world-waking celestial disturbances warning us of God’s coming wrath. But this wrath, pronounced by the 6th seal in Rev. 6:16-17, is not poured out on the earth until after the breaking of the 7th seal (Rev. 8:1), which then results in the opening of the scroll and the trumpet judgments (Rev. 8:2-9:21). In between Rev. 6 and Rev. 8 is Rev. 7, which tells us two things, the sealing of 144,000 Jews, and the church, just having been delivered out of great tribulation, worshiping God in heaven.

Since we are so close to the end of this age, it is extremely important that all Christians know this order of end-time events: 1. birth pains; 2. great tribulation. 3. celestial signs (darkness and then light). 4. the rapture of the church. 5. the wrath of God on earth. It is now 2021, and at this time, we’re in phase 1, the birth pain stage. But great tribulation is coming soon, and right after that, catastrophic, life-altering, earth-shaking, God-judging events will impact the entire world. Everything on earth will change, and if you are a Christian, you will be changed too, for you will be glorified. “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:51-52

What a time to be alive! As Christians, it’s absolutely imperative that you know these things, and then tell others who don’t know, and especially those who aren’t Christians. Tell the unsaved that today is the day of salvation, that now is the time they need to turn from their sin to Jesus Christ. Tell them not to wait, for the time is coming when it will be too late, and they will be left behind, and suffer, and be punished, and not just on earth during the day of the Lord, but in an extremely painful and everlasting hell. Matt. 25:30, 41, 46; Rev. 14:10-11

Tell the unsaved that God is holy, and that He must judge sinners who rebel against Him, who reject the truth of the gospel – but also tell them that God is merciful, that He offers forgiveness to all who come to Him and believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the only One who can save them from their sins, and from that terrible day of the Lord on earth, and from that punishing wrath in hell. “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

P.S. You need to know about the Day of the Lord, the coming wrath of God on this sinful earth. Understanding this subject will sober you up, make you more holy, and motivate you to tell the lost about what they will experience if they don’t turn from their sin to Christ for salvation. Here is another post that will help you understand this most important subject – “The Day of the Lord, the Wrath of God on Earth.”

Holy Communion – From Christ’s Cross to Christ’s Crown

April 15, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #213 ~

Every Christian is to take communion, to take the bread and cup on a regular basis. And why? God commands you to, for He knows how vitally important it is for your relationship with Him. At its core, Christianity is about God’s love for you, and consistently observing communion helps you know this love, and also fuels and fires your love for Him. 1 John 4:19

When we have communion, we are looking back and remembering that Jesus Christ died on the cross, His saving death being a demonstration of His love for us (Rom. 5:8). But we are also looking ahead and thinking about being with Christ in the kingdom ages and, specifically, at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), when as Christ’s Bride, we will be with Him and freshly experience His love for us. Taking communion helps us to not only remember the past, but to look forward to the future, with the result that we are renewed by His love in the present. In this post we will look at communion from the past to the present to the future, from Christ’s cross to Christ’s crown.

1) Luke 22:14-20 (past). It was the last supper, Jesus’ final meal with His disciples before He suffered and died on the cross for us. We also know this as the first Lord’s supper, that time when Jesus transformed the last Passover meal into the first communion meal. Christ was signaling the end of the Old Covenant with the holy place, priesthood, and sacrifices, and the beginning of the New Covenant, which was accomplished by His death, the shedding of His blood on the cross for us, the means by which our sins would finally and forever be forgiven.

The church age was soon to begin, and Jesus Christ was instituting communion for the church, and for every Christian in the church, and not as a ritual to be repeated, but as a time to intimately remember Him. We all know how easily we forget things, but you never want to forget Christ and what He did for you on the cross. God knows you need to regularly be reminded of His love for you, of Christ’s death for you, by which all your sins are forgiven – and taking communion with other Christians is one of the best ways to do this.

Note what Jesus said, “I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Jesus was looking ahead to when all the people to be saved would be saved, when the church age would be over, when all believers would be together during the millennial kingdom age. He was vowing to not take the bread and cup until His work in building the church was complete, at which time He and His Bride would have their first meal together at this special marriage supper. For emphasis, Jesus says it again, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). It’s so encouraging to see Jesus’ loving heart, His passionate desire to be with us. As Jesus is excited about seeing us, might we be excited about seeing Him and being with all the believers. Without a doubt, it will be the greatest, grandest, most glorious wedding reception this world has ever seen.

2) 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (present). The command for Christians to take communion is stated again. God is stressing this point because it’s what every Christian in every church in the entire world needs to be doing. Having communion is to be a continual constant in the lives of Christians during this church age. Paul reminds us what Jesus said, “This is My body, which is for you” (1 Cor. 11:24). I cannot overstate the significance of this verse, for Jesus gave His body which means He gave His entire life “for you”, and His life was perfect, and therefore would be the perfect sacrifice. Jesus loved you so much, shown in that He gave His life for you, the innocent One substituting His life for the guilty ones, and all to make you holy and perfect forever (Heb. 10:14). This divine, spiritual exchange is the heart of the gospel, the most important transaction, the most wonderful news in the world, that Jesus took your sins, and gave you His life. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

Again, we read Jesus’ words, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you do this, in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:25). The Jews who were celebrating the Passover were to realize that the lamb’s blood which had been smeared on doorposts allowing their forefather’s escape from Egypt had been pointing to, and was now replaced by, the Lamb’s blood, which enabled them and all believers in Christ to eternally escape sin and death. The cup that represented the lamb’s blood was now representing Christ’s blood. Indeed, this new covenant is God’s sure promise to us that Christ could and would save us, for “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrew 9:22

“As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).Taking communion means we are not just looking back but looking forward – and we are to keep proclaiming Christ’s death which was in the past, His victory over sin and death, “until He comes”, which is in the future. Truly observing communion means having faith in what Christ did for you on the cross, and hope for what He will do for you in the coming Kingdom. And this faith and hope produces a real and present love in your heart for your most amazing and gracious Savior.

What Paul said about proclaiming “the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26), reminds us what Jesus said about how He would not be drinking the fruit of the vine “until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:18). Just as Jesus was thinking about the future, of that time when He would be with us, might we also be thinking of the future, of that time when we will be with Him. From the day of Pentecost and the start of the church until the signs in the heavens and the end of this age, Christians are to be taking communion, remembering and loving the Lord, and looking forward to seeing Him face to face and being with Him forever.

3) Revelation 11:15 (the future) – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever.” Jesus Christ told us that the kingdom of God would be coming (Luke 22:18), and it’s at the very start of this kingdom that all believers will be together with Him at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9), this most holy wedding reception, the greatest banquet ever – and Christ will be at the head table, hosting this glorious and magnificent occasion.   

Finally, Jesus Christ breaks His fast, for He told us at the last supper, at the first communion, “I shall never again eat it until is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Christ has been waiting for close to 2000 years for this time when we, His Bride, celebrate our divine and eternal marriage with Him. Now that we are in the end-times, it won’t be long before all believers will be with Christ having sweet fellowship with Him, and the most wonderful meal.

The purpose of this post is to help you more clearly understand the importance of taking communion. Remember, it’s a faith event, for you are to be believing, to be remembering what Christ did for you in the past when He died on the cross. It’s a hope event, for you are to be looking ahead and thinking about what God has planned for you in the future, that you will be with Jesus during the kingdom age, and specifically that you will be with Him and all the believers at the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” the first of many meals with your Lord and Savior. And it’s also a holy event, for you are thinking about the most holy Christ and thanking Him for making you holy forever (Heb. 10:12-18). And again, it’s a love event, for thinking about what Christ did for you in the past and what He will do for you in the future will fill your heart with love for Him in the present, and the desire and strength to keep living for Him until He comes. “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. God wants us to keep taking communion during our time on earth to help us keep loving Him and living for Him. Never forget this, for you don’t want to lose your first love for Him. Here are two more posts about your love for the Lord in these days: “The Rapture, A Love Story”, and “Loving the Lord and Longing to See Him.”

Christ is Coming Back to Earth, and Soon

April 9, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #212 ~

Jesus Christ is coming again – He’s coming back to this earth. That’s the truth, and it’s going to happen very soon – and He needs to, for its obvious that this world is becoming more and more of a sinful mess. And when Christ comes, everything will dramatically change, and every person on this planet will be greatly affected. “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27

How do we know? Because God told us so – “… that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things.” (Acts 3:20). Jesus Christ, the Creator, the Son of God, and Lord of lords, first came to this world about 2000 years ago. When He was here, Jesus Himself told us that He was coming again. “Behold, I am coming soon.” Rev. 22:12

Do we know when Christ will return? We do not know the exact time, but we will know the general time, and that’s because God told us many clear, visible signs and events that will be occurring before His Son returns to earth. “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matt. 24:32-34
* The Jewish people will miraculously return to their land and become a nation, which has already taken place. Ezekiel 36-37, Matt. 24:15-20
* Most people will hear about, and some will experience “birth pains” happening around the world – earthquakes, wars, plagues, famines, and economic distress. Matt. 24:4-8, Rev. 6:1-8
* There will be an extremely evil man, the Antichrist, who will rule the world for a short time, who will force people to worship him and take his mark, the “mark of the beast”. Rev. 13
* Both Christians and Jews will be greatly persecuted all over the world. Matt. 24:9, 21-22
* The Jews will be offering sacrifices in a newly built temple in Jerusalem. 2 Thess. 2:3-4
* There will be increasing lawlessness and evil, which is now quite evident in every country. Matt. 24:12
* The gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached in all the nations in the world. Matt. 24:14
* God has given us these signs to alert us, to warn us, to wake us up to the fact that His Son is coming back soon. And He does not want us to be surprised!

What will happen when Christ comes back to earth? Five major, global events will occur:
1. The first thing to happen when Christ returns is the rapture, when He suddenly, powerfully, and lovingly takes all the Christians from this earth to be with Himself. At that time, all believers who have ever lived, those from earth and those already in heaven, will be glorified, be given brand-new, immortal bodies, and be gathered to Christ. Matt. 24:30-31, 1 Cor. 15:42-44
2. The wrath of God will be poured out upon this earth. This is the Day of the Lord, a most dreadful time when billions of people will be punished and die, and deservedly so, for sinning, for rebelling against God. You do not want to be here when this happens! Revelation 8-9, 16

3. The redemption, the salvation of a large remnant of Jews will take place at the very end of Daniel’s 70th week, a seven-year period of time. Daniel 9:24, Romans 11:25-26
4. The Antichrist and the devil will be soundly defeated. 2 Thess. 2:8-9, Rev. 20:1-3
5. Christ’s reign on earth will begin. His glorious rule will last exactly 1000 years, during which time the earth will be repopulated. “God is the King of all the earth… God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:7-8). People will be saying, “Peace on earth,” and there will be love, justice, and harmony like never before.

How about you? What will happen to you when Christ comes back? Will you experience God’s mercy and be raptured, or be left behind and experience God’s wrath? “It’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). You do not want to ignore, dismiss, or forget what God is telling you about His Son’s return to this planet. With respect to our future, Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). If you happen to be living on earth when Christ comes back, your life will be greatly changed, one way or another. Which way will it be?

The only answer to all your problems is Jesus Christ. And your biggest problem is sin. It’s rejecting and disobeying God. It’s not loving Him but instead loving yourself and other things, being an idolater (Psalm 115:4-8, Col. 3:5-6). About 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to this world to take care of our sin problem. He lived a perfect life, and then died on a cross, being punished by His Father for peoples’ sins, taking the wrath they deserved.

To get right with God, to receive God’s mercy and be forgiven, to go to heaven, you must tell God that you are sorry you sinned against Him, and believe that Christ died for you, was punished for your sins and paid the penalty you should have paid. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

It’s not going to be long before Christ returns to earth and changes everything! “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming, will come, and will not delay” (Heb. 10:37). Again, don’t be left behind! “You will see the Son of Man… coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). “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, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

P.S. Next to the gospel of Jesus Christ, how you can be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life, the coming of Christ back to this earth is the most important subject there is. I have written a number of posts on this subject. Here are a few more I encourage you to read: “Christ is Coming Again, and He’s Coming Soon”, “Jesus Christ, the Savior, Judge, Redeemer, and King”, and “Everything on This Earth Is Going to Change.”

The Resurrection: Death to Life in Spirit — and Body

April 2, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #211 ~

Our biggest problem, by far, is death. People physically die, and all people are spiritually dead – and that’s the truth. Now there are two kinds of death, physical and spiritual – and they are related in that sin is the cause of both. People physically die because of their sin, and people are spiritually dead because of their sin. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1

The sobering truth is that people who are physically alive are spiritually dead, which means they are separated from God and spiritually lifeless, unless they have been spiritually saved. And the person who is not spiritually saved during his life on earth, and then physically dies, will be eternally dead, painfully separated from God forever. What is so sad is that many people don’t understand this enormous spiritual problem of sin and death. They have been deceived by their wrong thinking, and by the devil himself. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving” (2 Cor. 4:4, 11:13-15). Some people don’t even believe in sin, others believe you can sin but there are no consequences, and others think they will be annihilated, will go out of existence when they die, but that’s just not true – these are all deadly errors, much worse than having a physical disease, like Covid-19. 1 John 1:8-10

In our world, most people focus on the physical. There are doctors, nurses, hospitals, special diets, medicines, nursing homes, supplements, gyms, and exercise. None of these are wrong in and of themselves, but “bodily discipline is only of little profit” (1 Tim. 4:8). Most people are overly concerned about physical issues but don’t realize that sin and death are their primary problems. You know that Covid-19 has resulted in global havoc, and has now consumed and controlled people’s lives for over a year. Think of the virologists and immunologists, and the efforts by countries to solve this one little, but big, physical problem. I am not saying we shouldn’t have doctors, nurses, etc., and shouldn’t do what we can to help people be safe and well. The point I am making is that we tend to focus on the physical and not the spiritual. Our far bigger problem is sin, ignoring God, rebelling against Him, disobeying Him, worshiping idols, but not loving Him. And the consequences of not dealing with this deadly sin problem are not just temporal, but eternal, and are not just physical, but spiritual.

Most people who focus on the spiritual do not have the correct answers, many of whom should know better, like ministers, rabbis, imams, swamis, etc. To sum it up, most of them say that the way to get right with God is by our own efforts, that we need to carry out religious duties, that our good deeds will outweigh our bad deeds, and then we can go to heaven and live forever. But this thinking is not right – it’s terribly wrong and spiritually dangerous, and the results are eternally deadly and extremely painful. People need to know that hell is real, is justly deserved, and a devilish place where sinners are punished forever. “‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil’… these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41, 46

What then is the answer? The answer is not “what” but “who”? It’s the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came down to earth about 2000 years ago and become a man and, therefore, a mediator between God and man. Sin is man’s main problem, the cause of both spiritual and physical death, and Christ, the perfect God-man, could pay for our sin. Christ dealt with our sin by taking it upon Himself while dying on a cross, His Father then pouring out His wrath upon His Son instead of upon us. That’s why Christ cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Everyone needs to know that there are only two options – either you pay for your own sin by being punished forever in hell, or Christ pays for it Himself. 

The person who repents of his sin, who sincerely tells God he is sorry he sinned against Him, and believes that Christ took his place and paid for his sin is born again, is forgiven, becomes spiritually alive (Eph. 2:1-5). This is good news, the greatest and most important news in the world, that through Christ we can defeat both sin and death – and it’s because of God’s great love for us. “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus Christ didn’t stay dead, and He couldn’t, and that’s because He was God and as God and man, He defeated sin and therefore death, seen when His Father raised Him from the dead. The only answer to our problem of being spiritually and physically dead is Jesus’ death-and-resurrection. And Jesus’ resurrection clearly proves He is the Victor, the Conqueror of sin and death, thereby being the One who can give us both spiritual and physical life. “This man… you nailed to a cross… and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:23-24). And a person who is physically alive on earth becomes spiritually alive when he believes in Christ, and after he physically dies (unless he is raptured), he will be glorified, be given a perfect body, be physically alive forever. (1 Thess. 4:15-17). Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (hell).” Revelation 1:17b-18

Jesus speaks of our new spiritual life and new physical life this way: “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). We are spiritually made alive when we believe and are physically made alive when Christ raises us up. Paul says it this way: “These whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:31). We were justified, spiritually made alive, when we believed in Christ, and are glorified, physically made alive, when the church is raptured “on the last day.” Paul also tells us, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). And you see this gap of time between becoming spiritually alive and physically alive. For Christians, this good work of salvation began in the past when we were born again, and it will be completed in the future when Christ returns to rapture the church.

The greatest chapter in the Bible on the resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15. The main message is that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and therefore Christians will be raised from the dead – and we are talking about physical resurrection and life. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:22-23). Christ’s resurrection took place about 2000 years ago, but our resurrection will take place in the future, “at His coming.” It’s sad that many Christians do not even think about how their salvation is not yet complete. But be excited and filled with hope, for it will happen soon, at the end of this age, at the coming of Christ, which is not many years from now. “…waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.” Romans 8:23-24

Since we live in the end-times, it won’t be long before Christ’s comes back to glorify us, to give us our brand-new body, to “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:42-44). This most amazing transformation takes place at the sounding of the last trumpet – “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep (physically die), but we will all be changed (physically glorified), in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. This perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

How should you live during this church age, knowing this wonderful news about Christ’s resurrection in the past and your resurrection in the future? You are to live a holy life, a brand-new life. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so too we might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). You are to know that you have the resurrection power of Christ and can carry out all His plans for your life. “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened, so that you will know… what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:18-20). You are to know the Lord and have this close relationship with Him, daily experiencing His resurrection power in your life. “I count all things to be loss… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” Phil. 3:8-10

Finally, be exceedingly thankful and wholeheartedly working for the Lord, knowing that it won’t be long before you leave this earth and are with Him forever. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

P.S. As a Christian, you need to know and be excited about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and about your resurrection in both spirit and body. Here are three previous posts on the importance and the blessings of the resurrection – “The Resurrection and the Rapture of the Believers”, and “Christ’s Resurrection Means the Best Is Yet to Come”, and “The Resurrection and the Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.”

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