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The End of the Age, Christ’s Coming, and the Rapture

The End of the Age, Christ’s Coming, and the Rapture

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #372 ~ 
 

God has given us a great deal of information about Christ’s 2nd coming, which means it’s extremely important. Therefore, we must study it, believe it, and teach it. In the past three posts we have looked at the timing of Christ’s return to rapture the church, and determined that the rapture is pre-wrath and not pre-trib. We learned that Christ is coming to rapture the church at the end of this age, after she goes through great tribulation but before God’s wrath is poured out on the unbelievers. We also learned that the rapture takes place sometime during the 2nd half of Dan. 70th week. Dan. 9:24-27, Matt. 24:3-31 

Today we are carefully examining the end of this age, for it is at this time that Christ returns to rapture the church. Understanding this age and what happens when it ends helps us to discern the timing of the rapture, that it occurs at an unknown time during the last half of Dan. 70th week. 

What is the age we live in? We live in an evil age, one ruled by Satan, one that began with the sin of Adam and ends with the coming of Christ. “(Christ) gave Himself for our sins so that that He might rescue us from this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4). “We speak God’s wisdom… wisdom which God predestined before the ages… which none of the rulers of this age has understood” (1 Cor. 2:7-8). “We know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19 

What are the other ages? The 1st age is when Adam and Eve were perfect, and were perfectly ruling in the garden of Eden. The 2nd age is this present evil age. The 3rd age, the age to come, is the millennial kingdom age, when Christ is reigning on earth. This is followed by the 4th age, the eternal kingdom age. “… He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Eph. 1:20-21, 2:6-7 

How do we know this age is coming to an end? The fact that we are to make disciples until the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20), that the church is raptured at the end of the age (Matt. 24:29-31), that God keeps us strong to the end of the age (1 Cor. 1:8), and that this age is followed by the millennial kingdom (Rev. 20), makes it quite clear that this age is coming to an end. 1 Cor. 15:20-28 

What do people think about this present age? Most people do not understand that this present age must come to an end. They believe this world, apart from rulers, technology, and a few other things, continues on and on and on. During the recent July 4th weekend, many politicians and news people spoke about the possibility of this country going on for another 250 years. Then there are those who speculate that this world can keep going for 1,000’s of years. People who say such things do not know what they are talking about. They do not understand God’s end-times’ purposes and plans, they do not know this world is coming to a sudden and shocking end, and that Christ is returning soon. 1 Thess. 5:1-9 

What is the significance of the end of this age? The end of this age marks the end of this world as we know it. Everything and everyone will change, be dramatically different – believers, unbelievers, Jews, rulers, governments, the economy, music, etc. It will be obvious that man is not in charge, but that Jesus Christ is in complete control, that He is reigning over this earth in a glorious and powerful way. God’s plans, as carried out by Christ, will be evident. “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10; Psalms 47, 67, 72 

 

What do Jewish people think about this age? They believe this age comes to an end. Daniel was told to “seal up the book until the end of time” (Dan. 12:4, 9). Psalmists and Prophets wrote that this age would end with the day of the Lord, with eschatological wrath, with God judging the world, followed by the earthly, eternal reign of the Messiah (Ps. 2; Joel 2:1-11; Is. 2:10-22, 13:6-13; Ob. 1:15; Zeph. 1:1-3, 14-18). They did not know that Christ would first build His church and then, at the end of this age and before the day of the Lord, return to take her to heaven. Matt. 16:18; Rev. 2-3, 6-9 

What is the relevance of the disciples’ questions concerning the end of the age and Christ’s coming (Matt. 24:3)? The disciples knew that the end of this age and Christ’s coming were back-to-back events, that this age would end and be followed by Christ coming to judge the world. But they did not expect Jesus to give them a long list of events preceding the end of this age (vss. 4-28), and then answer their questions with these two signs (vss. 29-30). And they had no idea that Christ would ascend into heaven, build His church, and then return to earth to rapture the church, judge the world, and set up His kingdom. Acts 1:1-11 

 

How are you to live in the years leading up to the end of this age? You are to love the Lord, to rejoice, be humble, pray, sing, trust Him, and obey Him. You are to love people, to forgive, be kind, compassionate, patient, and hospitable. You are to be strong in the Lord, to serve, to use your gifts. Specifically, you are to “make disciples… to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20), to endure “to the end” (Matt. 24:13), to preach the gospel “and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14), and to be “encouraging one another… as you see the day (the end of the age) drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). The fact that Christians are to do these things until the end of the age is unmistakable, undeniable evidence that they will be living on earth at the end of the age. 1 Cor. 1:8-9 

What is the sign of the end of the age? “The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light… and the powers of the earth will be shaken” (Matt. 24:29) before the end of this age, before “the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20). Heavenly lights go out and the earth goes dark, and it’s witnessed by the whole world, by believers and unbelievers. Joel, Amos, and Isaiah spoke of this darkness, as did Matthew (Matt. 24:29), Mark (Mark 13:24), Luke (Acts 2:20, Luke 21:25), and John (Rev. 6:12). Why the repetition, why the emphasis? Because God is declaring, is crying out, is loudly proclaiming the truth that this age has come to an end, and that the world needs to wake up, to wise up, to know that Christ, the Savior, Judge, and King, is right at the door. 

What is the significance of Matt. 24:6 and Matt. 24:13-14? Matt. 24:6 states, “Those things (birth pains) must take place, but that is not yet the end.” Just because birth pains are happening on earth does not mean the end of the age and the rapture are imminent, that these events occur right away. Matt. 24:13-14 states, “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Vss. 13-14 are in the context of great tribulation (vss. 9), which begins just after the midpoint of Dan. 70th week. These verses tell us two things: 1) preaching the gospel and enduring keep going until the end of the age and Christ coming to rapture the church; 2) the rapture of the church must occur after the 3½ year mark. 

When is the end of the age, Christ’s coming, and the rapture? Simply stated, it takes place during the 2nd half of Dan. 70th week. Let’s now go over the order of events as given in Rev. 6-9, for this will help you understand this critical point about the timing of the rapture.

* Rev. 6:9-11 is the breaking of the 5th seal which is great tribulation. Immediately after this tribulation is cut short, there is the 6th seal signaling the end of this age (Matt. 24:22, 29; Rev. 6:12-17). Both believers and unbelievers know that God’s wrath is coming very soon.  
* Rev. 7 speaks of two major events taking place between the 6th and 7th seals. The first is the sealing of 144,000 Jews, and the second is Christians being raptured, being delivered out of great tribulation, and then standing in heaven before Jesus Christ. Rev. 7:1-8, 7:9-14
* Rev. 8:1 is the breaking of the 7th seal, resulting in the opening of the scroll, one describing the trumpet judgments, the pouring out of God’s wrath from that point until the end of Dan. 70th week. Rev. 8:1-13 – 9:1-21; Rev. 10:7, 11:15, 12:6 

So here is the pre-wrath rapture position: Great tribulation begins just after the midpoint of Dan. 70th week, goes on for a little while, and then is cut short, immediately followed by the end of the age, the coming of Christ, and the rapture of the church. This occurs before God’s trumpet-judgment wrath on earth, wrath that goes to the end of Dan. 70th week. All these facts force us to conclude that the rapture is not before great tribulation, but before God’s wrath, and that it occurs at the end of this age, sometime during the last half of Dan. 70th week (Matt. 24:15-34, Rev. 6:9-17, Rev. 7:9-14, Rev 8-9).

Yes, there are a lot of details, but I am glad God told us so much. He wants all Christians, especially pastors (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:1-2), to clearly understand the end of the age, Christ’s coming, the rapture, and the timing of the rapture. He does not want any believer to be naïve, ignorant, or misled with regard to any of these end-times’ truths.  

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying. ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Revelation 7:9-10 

P.S. Just think, you, your children, grandchildren, or friends may be alive when this age comes to an end. Here are two more posts about the future – “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Teaching is False” and “This Age is Coming to an End and Then a New Age Will Begin.”

Christ’s Coming – Climactic, Miraculous, and Life-Changing (305)

Christ's Coming - Climactic, Miraculous, and Life-Changing

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #305

When we talk about the end-times, the number one subject is Christ’s coming, His climactic intervention in human history that will dramatically affect everyone and everything on earth. If you are a Christian, you should be eagerly awaiting His return, for then you will be with Jesus Christ, be glorified, be in heaven, and be with all believers.

In this post, I am commenting on several 2nd coming verses. God wants you to learn about the coming of His Son so you can be encouraged, expectant, and know what to share with family, friends, and fellow believers. Matt. 24:29-31

Matthew 24:13 – “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Christians alive at the end of this age will be physically saved, will be raptured and glorified. To be saved, they are to endure, to persevere, to keep going despite great persecution. This can only happen by the wonderful and powerful grace of God. 2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9-10

Matthew 24:30 – “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” The disciple’s question, “What will be the sign of Your coming?” (Matt. 24:3), is answered. The sign is the brilliant, lightning-like glory of Christ that precedes His coming (Matt. 24:27). Everyone in the world, “all the tribes of the earth” (Rev. 1:7), will see His glory, and immediately see Christ coming on the clouds.

Matthew 24:31 – “He will send forth His angels – they will gather together the elect.” This verse is about the gathering of all the believers. At the sound of a great trumpet, the angels will gather from the earth (“the four winds”) believers who had survived the great tribulation (Matt. 24:9, 22, 29), and gather from the heavens (“one end of the sky to another”) believers who had already died. They will instantly be taken “to meet the Lord in the air.” Mark 13:27, 1 Thess. 4:17, 2 Thess. 2:1

Matthew 24:37-41 – “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah… There will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.” In the days of Noah, the righteous “entered the ark”, were taken to a safe place, and the unrighteous were left on earth to die in the flood, to suffer God’s wrath. In the days of the Son of Man, the righteous will be raptured and taken to Christ, and the unrighteous left on earth will suffer God’s wrath during the day of the Lord. 2 Thess. 1:9-10

Luke 21:25-28 – “When these things begin to take place… your redemption is drawing near.” There will be “signs in the sun and moon and stars”, signals to us that this age has come to an end (Matt. 24:3, 29). The unbelievers will be “fainting from fear (scared to death) for they know “the wrath of the Lamb… has come” (Rev. 6:12-17). Believers will see these signs and then see Christ come “in a cloud with power and great glory”, and immediately be glorified and redeemed, rescued from God’s wrath, and then be taken to Christ the Savior. Matt. 24:32-34, Eph. 1:14

John 14:1-3 – “Believe in God, believe also in Me… I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus knows we get stressed out by the troubles of life. He also knows there will be great troubles, great tribulation in the end-times. So what does Jesus tell us to do? To have faith, to believe that He and His Father will take care of us (Matt. 11:28-29, John 16:33). Jesus also tells us to have hope, to believe that He is preparing an eternal home for us in heaven. Then He says He will return to take us to our most beautiful and glorious home. And we will live forever with Jesus, One who loves us more than anyone else! What a miracle! Rev. 21:1-21

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 – “The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” This prophecy passage about Christ’s 2nd coming tells us what will happen, why it will happen, and when it will happen. First, we learn what happens – that all believers, those in heaven and those on earth will become like Christ Himself (1 John 3:2), be changed, be altogether perfect. Then we learn why it happens, that we must receive an imperishable and immortal body to live in heaven. “O death, where is your victory?” Finally, we learn when it happens, that it takes place at the last trumpet, and that it occurs “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Philippians 3:20-21 – “We eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” At the end of this age, Jesus Christ is coming back to transform our weak, sin-prone body so that it will be like His immortal body. We should be eagerly waiting, be looking forward to being glorified, and being forever with Jesus.

1 Thessalonians. 4:16-17 – “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… 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…” At Christ’s coming, those who have already died will be raised, be glorified. Then those still alive on earth will be glorified, and raptured, caught up with those who were just raised. Then we will meet Christ, and together “we shall always be with the Lord.” What an exciting, exhilarating time this will be, when our salvation is complete, and we are all together with Christ!

2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “… when He (Christ) comes to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” Jesus Christ is coming back to be glorified in His holy ones, in the lives of all those who trusted in Him for their salvation. That Christ will be glorified in us is another way to say that we will be glorified, that we will become like Him. Just after this, God will begin judging all those on earth who don’t know God, who weren’t chosen, who didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1 – “… with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him…” This verse clearly states that it is at Christ’s coming that we will be gathered to Him. Matt. 24:31 also speaks of being gathered to Christ – “the angels… will gather together His elect…” And we are glorified, we receive our brand new bodies just before we “meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17

1 John 3:2-3 – “We know that when He (Christ) appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” Can you imagine having a body like Christ’s, one that is powerful, immortal, glorious, and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:42-44)? It is “at His coming” (1 Jn. 2:28), when Christ appears, that we will be made like Him, that we will be glorified. And for the first time, we will see Him and be with Him. “In my flesh I shall see God; I will see Him with my own eyes… How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25-27

I want to conclude with more verses that talk about Christ’s coming. Mark 13:27 – “Then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.” Luke 12:40 – “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Rom. 8:23 – “We groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Col. 3:4 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” 1 Thess. 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 – “… looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Heb. 10:37 – “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” James 5:8 – “Be patient, for the coming of the Lord is near.” 1 Pet. 1:13 – “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ.” Rev. 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.” Rev. 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

P.S, I have written many posts on Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church, and that’s because it is so important for Christians to understand. Here are some more: “The Rapture of the Christians at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ”, “The Coming of Christ and the Triumph of the Church”, “The Timing of the Rapture”, “A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ”, and “The Rapture Won’t Happen Until…”

 

It’s True! Christ is Coming Again! (300)

It's True! Christ is Coming Again!

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #300 ~

There’s an enormous volume of verses about the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Obviously, God wants you to be convinced of this most important truth. It’s imperative that you realize its relevance, especially now that we are living in the end-times. Christ’s coming is not a minor, secondary truth, but a major, primary truth. Just think, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could come back in your lifetime. You may actually see Him return on the clouds to rapture you and the church.

That God gives us so many verses about Christ’s coming means that it must be a subject He really wants you to know and understand. My purpose in this post is not to address all the details in these 2nd coming verses, but to impress you with this singular message, that Jesus Christ is coming again!

The verses I have written out are those containing the word coming, appearing, and revealing. The word coming is in both a noun form, speaking of Christ’s arrival and presence, and a verb form, referring only to the fact that Christ will arrive. Appearing means to shine forth, telling us that Christ will be visibly evident to the whole world – no one will miss Him. Revealing speaks of the uncovering, the unveiling of our coming Lord and King. Jesus Christ is very much alive, and for Christians, He is spiritually in our hearts, but now He is physically in heaven and hidden from view. Soon enough, Christ will physically come, physically appear, and physically be revealed, and the entire world will see Him in all His glory. What a day that will be!!!

Here are 54 verses about the coming of Jesus Christ:
Matthew 23:39 – “I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Matthew 24:3 – “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:27 – “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:30-31 – “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another.”
Matthew 24:37-38 – “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:42 – “Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Matthew 26:64 – “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 8:38 – “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Luke 12:37-38 – “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them…”
Luke 12:40 – “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
Luke 17:29-30 – “On the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”
Luke 18:8 – “However when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
John 14:3 – “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Acts 1:11 – “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
1 Corinthians 1:8 – “You are not lacking any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will keep you strong to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 – “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.”

Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
1 Thessalonians 2:19 – “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?”
1 Thessalonians 3:13 – “… so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 – “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not proceed those who fall asleep. 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 5:23 – “… may your spirit and soul and body be persevered complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “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 who have believed.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – “We request you brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 – “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”

1 Timothy 6:13-14 – “… keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will being about at the proper time.”
2 Timothy 4:1-2 – “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort…”
Titus 2:12-13 – “… live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 9:28 – “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation, without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
Hebrews 10:37 – “In a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.”
James 5:7 – “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it.”
James 5:8 – “Be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”
1 Peter 1:7 – “… so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:13 – “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 5:4 – “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

2 Peter 3:3-4a – “In the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’”
1 John 2:28 – “Now little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”
1 John 3:2 – “We are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be… when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”
Revelation 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is He who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.”
Revelation 22:20 – “Behold, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Here are 49 more verses about Christ’s coming, ones that are either duplicates, Old Testament verses, or do not have the words coming, appearing, or revealing in them. Job 19:25-27; Ps. 2:6, 98:9; Is. 40:10; Joel 2:30-32; Zech. 14:4:9; Mal. 4:5; Matt. 16:28; Mark 13:26-27, 13:33-35; Luke 12:42-46, 17:24, 21:27-28, 34-36; Acts 3:20-21; Rom. 8:22-25; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Phil. 1:6, 1:10, 2:16, 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 2 Thess. 1:6-7; Jude 21.

I encourage you to read and reread all the above verses. Study them, and study them in their context. And share them with others. May they encourage your soul and give you hope. Now more than ever before, be looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, your Savior, Lord, and King.

P.S. In my opinion, the truth that Christ is coming back is the single most important subject about the future. Here are four other posts about Christ’s coming: “The Rapture Occurs at the Coming of Christ”, “When is Christ Coming Back?”, “What Will Happen When Christ Comes Back?”, “Why is Jesus Christ Coming Back?”

the machine-enhanced body or THE GOD-GLORIFIED BODY (269)

the machine-enhanced body or THE GOD-GLORIFIED BODY

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #269 ~

Have you heard how scientists are trying to develop a machine-enhanced body? I’m talking about transhumanism, and the use of nanotechnology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, etc. to augment a person’s physical and mental capabilities. Many scientists, humanists, and philosophers believe that improving people in this way is the answer to many of their problems. While I’m not dismissing some of these developments, I must say that I’m extremely concerned about the overall direction of transhumanism.

You see, unbelievers involved in this technology have turned away from God, have rejected His creation of man, and have little to no understanding of the human soul. Their definition of life is terribly messed up and eternally flawed. It seems these people are trying to postpone death by creating a new man in their own image, their own superman or, might I say, their own god.

They fail to see that a person’s real problem is his sin, resulting in physical and spiritual death. And the answer is not found in enhancing the physical and mental capabilities of a person. Sin is a problem of the soul, and no person can solve that problem. Only God can, and He already did, and it was through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Those who repent of their sins and believe that Christ paid for their sins and rose again are saved, are given eternal life. This salvation, this eternal life, means they received a new spirit, and will receive a new body. (Rom. 8:30). And believers won’t have this new body until Jesus Christ returns to earth at the end of this age. 1 Corinthians 15:23

These last three posts have been all about a believer’s new body. But why is it so important that you know about this glorious body that God will be giving you?
1. Because God wants you to know all about it – it’s in His word, and it’s a huge subject.
2. Because your salvation is only complete when you receive your brand-new body. Phil. 1:6
3. Because there’s confusion about why, when, where, and how you receive your new body.
4. Because people are fixated on their weak, decaying human bodies, and God wants to make sure you know what He says about the powerful and immortal body that He will be giving you.

5. Because your temporal, earthly body is growing old and wearing out, and you need hope, you need to look forward to the eternal, heavenly body that you will be getting from God. Rev. 21:4
6. Because it won’t be long before you receive your new body. Christ is returning soon, and it’s at His coming that you will be given your perfect, Christ-like body. 1 Corinthians 15:23, 42-44
7. Because God wants you to know that He has a wonderful, glorious future for you, and your new body is absolutely necessary if you’re to eternally worship and serve Him in the way that He has planned out for you. Revelation 1:6, 5:10, 20:6

8. Because you can be too occupied with your own body, specifically as that relates to food, health, exercise, and clothes. Spending some time on these things is necessary, but too much time is a selfish and fruitless endeavor. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:25-33). “Bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8). “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). God has given you a body so that you can now use it for His eternal purposes and glory, and then you will be forever blessed and glorified.

God gives us a great number of verses on your new glorified body, and here are most of them:
* Job 19:25-27 – “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.”
* Luke 20:34-36 – “Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.’”
* John 5:21 – “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”
* John 11:25-26 – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”
* Romans 8:19 – “The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God… we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoptions as sons, the redemption of our body.”

* Romans 8:29 – “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
* Romans 8:30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called, and these whom He called, He also justified, and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
* 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 – “By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that just as it is written, ‘Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
* 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 – “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
* 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”

* 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 – “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed… for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality.”
* 2 Corinthians 5:1 – “If the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven… while we are in this tent we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.”
– Ephesians 1:14 – “You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession.”
* Philippians 1:10 – “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

* Philippians 3:10 – “… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection… in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
* Philippians 3:20-21 – “Our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
* 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “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 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

* 2 Thessalonians 2:10 – “… when He (Lord Jesus) comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.”
* 1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
* Revelation 7:9-10 – “Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robles, and palm branches were in their hands, and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

P.S. What’s the extent of your salvation? It’s being justified, it’s being sanctified during this life, and then being glorified at Christ’s coming. I hope you are excited about all that God has in store for you. If you haven’t done it already, I encourage you to read the two previous posts: “Your New Body – Immortal, Powerful, Glorious, and Spiritual”, and “Absent from the Body and At Home with the Lord.”

Rescued from the Punishing Day of the Lord (214)

Rescued from the Punishing Day of the Lord

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.”

The Coronavirus – Fear and Panic, or Faith and Peace (160)

The Coronavirus - Fear and Panic, or Faith and Peace

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #160 ~

Most of you have been following the Coronavirus crisis which has now affected more than 150 countries in the world. For many people, it has been extremely frightening to see this epidemic so quickly become a pandemic, to see more and more people getting sick and dying. Coupled with that, many are concerned, and rightly so, about their families, jobs, financial situation, and future. But as Christians, God doesn’t want us to be afraid, to panic, but to have faith, to be trusting Him, knowing that He will give us all the grace and peace we need. For those of you who don’t know Christ, I encourage you to turn from sin and turn to Him, believing that He died to pay for your sins so you could be forgiven and be given eternal life. “For Christ also died fir sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

Because of the present distress, I have been studying faith and fear, and it’s a big subject in the Bible. My purpose in these next two posts is to share some lessons I have learned about this. I have also written out a number of verses for your personal encouragement and study.

Here are some lessons:
1. God does not want you to be afraid. God is your heavenly Father and knows it’s not good for you when you are afraid. He wants you to see that you are His child and that you are to go to Him when you are fearful. His desire is for you to be filled with His perfect peace, which is not a natural or human emotion, but a spiritual and godly experience. This peace is a fruit of the Spirit, what God freely and abundantly gives to you and every one of His children. Gal. 5:22, John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

2. Everyone has fears, no person is immune from them. But for the Christian, God doesn’t want us to try to resolve our fears in a fleshly or worldly way, but in the way He tells us in His Word. Yes, there are human ways of dealing with fears, but they do not solve the real problem. Without God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit, we cannot truly get rid of our fears, for only God has written out the right prescription for us. “He who abides in Me and I in Him, he bears much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

3. What’s ultimately important is fearing God. This is a major theme in the Bible, for if you are not fearing God, you will be fearing people and things. Fearing God means you are in awe of Him, that you revere and respect Him, that you know He is holy, all powerful, and sovereign. If you are seeing God for who He really is, and you know He loves you, then there is nothing and no one to be afraid of. When God is first and central in your life, then you won’t be an anxious, worried and a fearful person. Isaiah 8:12-13, Luke 12:4-5 – “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast you into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!”

4. God allows fearful situations to test you, to teach you to trust Him, to believe in Him, to be close to Him so you experience and are encouraged by His peace, comfort and power. John 14:1, 2 Cor. 1:3-11, James 1:2 – “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
  

5. This present Coronavirus pandemic is a test, a trial for you and all Christians. How are you doing during this crisis? Are you trusting God and depending on Him? God wants you to learn this lesson of not being afraid, but of trusting Him with your life, family, job, finances, and future. By His grace, might you not just pass this test, but ace it. Psalm 56:4, 1 Peter 1:6-7 – “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

6. God’s love drives out all human fear. If you are afraid, worried, or scared, then you are not experiencing the love of God like you ought. You are like a little child who is crying and distressed because he cannot see His mother or father. And so, when you are afraid and feel alone and helpless, look to God, knowing that He is with you, and that He is gentle, loving and kind. Let Him hold you and help you, and then you will find peace. 1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

7. God does not want you to be afraid like the unbelievers in the world, but instead to be at peace, and to be confident and courageous. Then you will be a light to the lost, a witness to the worriers, and seen as one who knows God the Father, and Jesus, His Son. Matt. 5:16, Acts 4:13 – “As they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

8. Now that we are in the end times, there will be more and more “birth pains.” Plagues, (e.g. this Coronavirus) are but one of them, along with wars, earthquakes, famines, and financial problems (Matt. 24:4-8, Rev. 6:1-8). Now is the time, in this calm before the big storms, to learn this lesson of trusting Him, for these global calamities will continue to occur, and increasingly so, in these last years before Christ returns to rapture the church. I cannot help but believe that God is getting His people ready now for what lies ahead, when things become even more difficult, especially when there is great tribulation. Luke 21:11 – “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines.”

9. God tells us how to overcome fear. First, know that you are exceedingly valuable in God’s eyes, that you are His precious child, and He doesn’t want you to be afraid. Second, trust God, believe in Him. And to trust Him, you need to know Him and His character of love, power, wisdom, goodness, sovereignty, etc. Third, seek Him, asking Him to take away your fears, and instead give you peace, the tranquil spirit of knowing that everything is all right, for your Father is much stronger and much smarter than everyone else, and He will let nothing hurt you. Matt. 10:31, Psalm 34:4, Phil. 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

10. Do not be afraid of the future, of tomorrow, next week, next year, of the unknown. God knows your future, has wisely planned out your future, and will carefully carry out His plans for you, leading you in the way you should go. You see, God has gone ahead of you, and will then go with you, and be with you every step of the way. Learn to take one day at a time and, like Enoch, walk with God. You need not fear the future, but be like the godly woman of whom it is said, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.” Prov. 31:25, Gen. 6:22, Psalm 32:8, Matt. 6:34, Deut. 31:7-8 – “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land… The Lord is the One who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Here are some verses about fear, faith, the future and the work and glory of God.
* Genesis 15:1 – “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.’”
* Exodus 14:13-14 – “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today… the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
* Exodus 20:20 – “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”
* Numbers 14:9 – “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
* Deuteronomy 3:22 – “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is fighting for you.”

* Deuteronomy 20:3 – “Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic or tremble before them.”
* Deuteronomy 31:7-8 – “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land… The Lord is the One who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
* Joshua 1:7-9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and very courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
* Judges 6:23-24 – “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die. Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it the Lord is Peace.”
* 2 Kings 6:15,16 – “Behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”

* 2 Chronicles 20:3,17 – “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord… ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf… Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”
* Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with Me.”
* Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?”
* Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
* Psalm 46:1-2, 10 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea… Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

* Psalm 56:4 – “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid… What can mere man do to me?”
* Psalm 112:5-7 – “It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
* Psalm 118:6 – “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?
* Isaiah 8:12-13 – “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy,’ in regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread.”
* Isaiah 26:3 – “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”

P.S. So many people are wondering what is happening with COVID-19, and we really need to know how it relates to prophecy and the end-times. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to read my posts titled, “The Coronavirus, Plagues and the End-Times,” and “When the Storms Come, Don’t be Afraid.”

The Coronavirus, Plagues, and the End-Times (157)

The Coronavirus, Plagues, and the End-Times

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #157 ~

I assume you have heard of the coronavirus, the contagious flu virus that started in China and has been spreading to other countries. This respiratory ailment, also called COVID-19, can be deadly, particularly with the elderly, and the sick. This can be frightening, especially when you hear about quarantines, lock-downs, social distancing, cancellations, and see people wearing masks and, worst of all, that many are dying. As of today (3/11/20), reports (worldometers.info) are that 125,810 people have been infected, and that 4,607 have died, most of these in China. On one hand, there’s reason to be afraid, for there’s presently no proven cure, and we don’t know where it will spread, and how many more will die before scientists develop a vaccine. 

That being said, some say this virus is being hyped-up, that it is not now and will not in the future be as deadly as plagues in the past. At “cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index”, we read, “CDC estimates that influenza (in the U.S.) has resulted in between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually since 2010.” Those are huge numbers of people dying just because of the flu. Then there’s the 1918 influenza pandemic with an estimated 50 million deaths worldwide (“cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources), a number that dwarfs the now known deaths from COVID-19. But to be honest, there are too many unknowns to predict what is going to happen with this particular virus.

Regardless of how many will die from what has just been declared to be a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, there have always been contagious diseases (plagues), and they will continue in the future. One reason we know this is because the Bible says so. Now only one verse in the New Testament talks about plagues and, interestingly, it is found in a passage that describes the end-times and Christ’s coming. What does it say? “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11). Jesus is talking, among other things, about plagues. Vine’s dictionary defines it as “a pestilence, and deadly infectious malady, (it) is used in the plural in Luke 21:11.” A plague is a pestilence, an infectious disease which can be deadly and is usually widespread.

What does God want us to learn about plagues in the end-times?
1. Jesus tells His disciples many things that will be occurring in the end-times before His 2nd coming, and one of these is plagues. He gives us advance notice so we aren’t afraid, and so we are alerted to the fact that He will soon be returning to rapture the church.

2. The immediate context lists other things that will be taking place: wars, famines, great earthquakes, terrors and great signs from heaven. In addition to these, Matt. 24:4-26, 2 Thess. 2:1-8, and Rev. 6:1-14 describe conditions and different events occurring on the earth before Christ’s return. There will be increasing lawlessness, financial meltdowns, persecution, deception, apostasy, the Antichrist on earth, and the desolation of the temple. Therefore, the rapture of the church is not imminent, and cannot happen at any time.

3. These plagues, along with wars, famines and earthquakes, will be occurring in “various places” around the world. This means none of these particular events are happening all over the world, just in “various places.” With regards to these plagues, this seems to say that there will never be a global pandemic. For example, as of now, only a handful of people in the United States have been diagnosed as having this coronavirus, which means the vast majority are just hearing about it, but are not experiencing it. Matthew 24:6

4. Matthew 24:8, in reference to these plagues and other end-time signs, says, “All these things are… birth pangs.” Before a woman gives birth, she experiences birth pains, which increase in both intensity and frequency, and likewise, these plagues and other events will increase in both intensity and frequency. In context of the larger picture, it must be seen that this present plague, COVID-19, is one of many birth pains. The accumulated effect of these birth pains will be deteriorating conditions around the world, which will result in people wanting a “savior.” Sadly, billions of people will be deceived when this “savior”, this evil, devilish man, the Antichrist, begins ruling the earth. But always remember, these birth pains are pointing to that time when Jesus Christ will come back to rapture the church and defeat the Antichrist.

5. With regards to these signs and events, Jesus says, “these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately” (Luke 21:9). In Matt. 24:8, Jesus tells us, “All these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” As you probably know, a pregnant woman has beginning birth pains, which are not extremely painful, but her pain intensifies the closer she is to giving birth. So too, the plagues, earthquakes, famines, wars are just beginning signs indicating that Christ’s return is drawing near. As time goes on, these prophesied events will continue to take place, and increasingly so. When I look at God’s word, and look out at what’s happening in the world, I believe we are now at this beginning stage, that we are living in the last years of this church age. But many more things still need to happen before Christ comes backs to take His bride to heaven, particularly, events related to Daniel’s 70th week and the Jewish people.

6. These plagues and other events taking place are wake-up calls for the Christians, are to alert us and make us aware that it won’t be long before our Savior returns to rapture the church. Luke 21:28 says it this way, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Romans 13:11 tells us, “Do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation now is nearer than when we first believed.”

7. These events, like loud-sounding sirens warning of danger, are also for the unsaved. It is not physical death that is to be feared, not a plague, an earthquake or a war, but Christ Himself, the Judge of all the earth. Might unbelievers be terrified by these events, so they turn from their sin and turn to Christ. The greatest disease is not a physical disease, but the spiritual disease called sin, a spiritual cancer that kills the soul – and the only cure is Jesus Christ. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “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). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but receive eternal life” (John 3:16). If Jesus Christ has not saved your soul, if you have not yet been forgiven of your sins, then now’s the time to turn to Him and receive eternal life. Do this before it’s too late, before Christ returns to rapture the church, before you are left on earth fearfully trying to hide from Him, knowing you will be judged forever by the Holy and Mighty One. But “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

P.S. It’s important that we are not afraid during difficult times like these. Here’s a post that I believe will help you to have the peace God wants you to have – “The Coronavirus – Fear and Panic, or Faith and Peace.” And here is another post that will help you understand what God wants you to know about the end-times. “Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?”

The Rapture Won’t Happen Until ……. (156)

The Rapture Won't Happen Until .......

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #156 ~

I am concerned that millions of Christians are mistaken about the timing of the rapture. I fear they will be completely caught off guard when various prophesied events begin to happen, for they thought they’d already be gone from the earth. They are ones who believe the rapture is imminent, that no signs or prophesied events need to occur before Christ returns to take us home to heaven. In fact, they think the rapture could even happen today, this week, or this year, that Christ could suddenly speed down from heaven and snatch us from the earth. But this is error, and must be corrected, for Christians need to know the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Last week, I explained why the rapture isn’t imminent, and can’t happen at any moment. We know this for two reasons: First, the Bible says the rapture takes place at His coming and not at some other distinct time (Matt. 24:27-31, 1 Cor. 15:23, 1 Thess. 4:15-17, 2 Thess. 2:1). Second, the Bible specifically points out many prophesied events that will occur before Christ’s coming and, therefore, before the rapture. An extensive list of these events is found in Matthew 24:4-31 and 2 Thess. 2:1-12 – earthquakes, wars, plagues, the coming of the Antichrist, the desolation of the temple, great tribulation, deception, apostasy, and the skies going dark. Knowing that the rapture occurs at Christ’s coming, and that prophesied events take place before His coming, is conclusive proof that the rapture is not imminent.

But I need to continue with this theme, and in particular, explain why many people believe the rapture is imminent. Here’s how they think:
1. They correctly say that Christians are rescued from God’s wrath. John 3:36, 5:24; 1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9
2. They incorrectly believe that the tribulation spoken of in Matthew 24 is God’s wrath.
3. They incorrectly say the entire 70th week of Daniel is tribulation and great tribulation, leading them to believe that this 70th week, this entire 7-year period, is God’s wrath.
4. Their correct understanding (point 1), along with their two incorrect assumptions (points 2 and 3), lead them to incorrectly conclude that the rapture takes place before this tribulation, this so-called wrath, which they believe occurs during the entire 70th week. This is called the pre-tribulation rapture view.  
5. Since many major prophesied events occur during Daniel’s 70th week, they also incorrectly conclude that the rapture happens before all these events and, therefore, is imminent, can happen at any time, and without notice.  

Let me elaborate on why points 2 and 3 are incorrect, and lead to a wrong conclusion. With regards to point 2, we know tribulation is not God’s wrath because no place in the Bible says tribulation is God’s wrath. What we do know is that this wrath is God punishing unbelievers, but tribulation is what believers experience during the church age. Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33). Paul said, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Paul said, “Momentary, light tribulation is producing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). These verses and others clearly communicate that Christians go through tribulation during their time on earth. Rom. 8:35, 1 Thess. 3:1-4, Rev. 7:14

Prophecy passages also talk about this tribulation. 2 Thess. 1:4-10 says Christians will suffer tribulation right up to the end of the age, when Christ is revealed and gives us relief from it by rapturing us to heaven. Then in Matt. 24:9, Jesus says, “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Notice that the “you” in these verses refers to Christians. Then in Matt. 24:21-22, Jesus talks about “great tribulation” affecting the Jews, and then greatly affecting the Christians, which we just read about in Matt. 24:9, and which is also described in Rev. 12:13-17. What you need to know is that tribulation and great tribulation refer to the persecution and suffering that Christians will go through until the end of the age, when Christ raptures the church.

Let’s now talk about point 3, that oft believed assumption that the entire 70th week of Daniel is tribulation and great tribulation. This point is easy to answer, for the Bible never says the entire 70th week of Daniel, this 7-year period, is tribulation and great tribulation, which is wrongly assumed to be wrath. What the Bible tells us is that there will be tribulation and great tribulation affecting the Christians, and wrath affecting the non-Christians.

Let me explain this further: Daniel 9:27 says the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week and then desolates the temple, a point Jesus refers to in Matt. 24:15. Shortly after that, in the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week, great tribulation begins, starting with the Jews and then spreading to the Christians. Both Jews and Christians had been experiencing tribulation before this time, but now it intensifies becoming great tribulation. This great tribulation continues for a short while, but is suddenly cut short. The skies are darkened, then immediately lit up by Christ’s coming, and the church is raptured, Christ suddenly taking her from the earth. After the rapture, God’s wrath is poured out on an unbelieving world. This divine chain of events is also described in Rev. 6-9 – there’s persecution (Rev. 6:9-11), signs in the heavens (Rev. 6:12-14), rapture (Rev. 7:9-14), and wrath (Rev. 8-9).   

The main point of this post is to help you understand that the rapture is not imminent, that many prophesied events must happen before the rapture. In summary, Christians alive on earth during Daniel’s 70th week, having undergone tribulation and great tribulation, will be raptured, not at the beginning of that week, but sometime during the 2nd half of it, a time known only to God. Because God loves us, He gives us advance notice about the upcoming tough times, and when we see these prophesied events happen, we know we will see Him soon. Of course, we don’t know the exact day and hour, but we will know that Christ’s return and the rapture is getting closer (Hebrews 10:25). By God’s grace and with hope in our heart, we will persevere, and those alive during that time will all see Jesus, some by being martyred, and some by being raptured. Either way, it will be glorious for us, and a great glory to God.

P.S. God wants Christians to know the general timing of Christ’s return and the rapture, and that’s why I continue to write posts related to this subject. Here are three previous posts that will help you understand this: “The Timing of the Rapture”, “Christians Will Go Through Great Tribulation”, and “The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Teaching is False.”

¿Cuándo Jesucristo va a Raptar su Iglesia?

¿Cuándo Jesucristo va a Raptar su Iglesia?

Por Steven J. Hogan

Traducido por Mario Meneses

~ Un Mensaje del Sábado por la Mañana #153 ~

Esta es una pregunta importante, una no debe ser ignorada, sino una que necesita ser respondida. Algunos podrían decir que esta pregunta ni siquiera debería hacerse. Pero los profetas querían saber (1 Pedro 1:11). Los ángeles querían saber (1 Pedro 1:12). Los discípulos de Jesús querían saberlo (Mateo 24:3). Y todos los cristianos, especialmente en este momento de la historia, deberían querer saberlo. La verdad es que Dios quiere que sepas, y te da toda la información que necesitas para que puedas saber cuándo Cristo regresará para  raptar  la iglesia. ¿Qué nos dice Dios?

* Vivimos en los últimos tiempos (Daniel 12:4, 9), ese tiempo durante el cual ocurrirá el rapto. Que el pueblo judío se haya reunido en su tierra significa que Dios está, una vez más, llevando a cabo activamente Sus planes para ellos, y es una prueba de que vivimos en los  últimos tiempos.  Daniel 7-12 describe muchas condiciones que deben estar en su lugar antes de que Cristo venga y cumpla Sus promesas a los judíos. Luego, Mateo 24:4-27, Lucas 21:8-33, 2 Tesalonicenses 2:1-9 y Apocalipsis 6-7, nos muestran que lo que sucede con la iglesia en los últimos tiempos corresponde  y/o coincide con lo que les sucede a los judíos en los últimos tiempos. Por lo tanto, en estos últimos años antes del regreso de Cristo, es imperativo saber lo que Dios dice acerca de los judíos y los cristianos, ya que Su obra con ambos grupos culmina en la venida de Cristo, dando lugar a que la iglesia sea raptada, un remanente judío siendo salvo, y Su reino siendo establecido en la tierra. 

* El éxtasis de la iglesia tiene lugar en la venida de Cristo, y es el primer acontecimiento que ocurre en Su venida. No hay dos venidas. No sucede el éxtasis, y más tarde, la venida de Cristo. Sólo hay  una venida de Cristo, momento en el que sucede el éxtasis de la iglesia, la ira de Dios y muchos judíos siendo salvos. Mateo 24:27-31, 1 Tesalonicenses 4:15-17, 2 Tesalonicenses 2:1

* La venida de Cristo no es inminente, no puede suceder en cualquier momento, y no sucede sin que Dios nos dé aviso por adelantado. Algunas personas creen que no es necesario que ocurran eventos/señales o acontecimientos profetizados antes de la venida de Cristo, pero eso no es cierto. Dios nos dice  muchas cosas que deben tener lugar antes de la venida de Cristo y el rapto de la iglesia (Mateo 24:4-30, Lucas 21:4-28, Apocalipsis 6). Mateo 24:33 deja este punto muy claro:  “Cuando veas todas estas cosas (eventos enumerados en Mateo 24:4-30), reconoce que está cerca, justo en la puerta.”

* No sabemos el momento específico del regreso de Cristo. Cualquiera que diga que sabe exactamente cuándo Cristo está regresando está equivocado. Jesús lo dijo mejor:  “Pero de aquel día y hora nadie sabe, ni siquiera los ángeles del cielo, ni el Hijo, sino solo el Padre.” Mateo 24:36

* Sabemos el tiempo general de la venida de Cristo. Como se dijo anteriormente, muchos acontecimientos ocurrirán antes de la venida de Cristo y el éxtasis. La  última generación  de cristianos que viven en los últimos tiempos verán estas cosas teniendo lugar y se darán cuenta de que el regreso de Cristo está cerca (Mateo 24:32-34). Dios quiere que sepamos que el regreso de Su Hijo está cada vez más cerca. Quiere darnos esperanza, y estar esperando con ansias la venida de Cristo, y estar “ no dejando de congregarnos, como algunos tienen por costumbre, sino exhortándonos unos a otros, y mucho más al ver que el día se acerca.“. Hebreos 10:25

* Entender la semana setenta de Daniel es clave para saber cuándo Cristo regresará a raptar la iglesia. Al comienzo de esta  semana 70ª se firmará un tratado de paz entre los judíos y el Anticristo; al punto medio de esta semana se revela el Anticristo; y al final de este plazo de 7 años, se salva un remanente judío (Daniel 9:24-27). Luego aprendemos, como veremos a continuación, que el éxtasis ocurre en algún momento durante la última mitad de esta semana 70a

* La iglesia es raptada después de que el Anticristo es revelado. Daniel 9:27 nos informa que el Anticristo se revela en el punto medio de la semana 70a de Daniel. Mateo 24:15-31, Marcos 13:14-27 y 2 Tesalonicenses 2:1-9 dan una cronología de los acontecimientos de los últimos tiempos, haciendo claro que la venida de Cristo ocurre después de la revelación del anticristo. Por lo tanto, el éxtasis, el primer evento a la venida de Cristo, tiene lugar después de que se revela el Anticristo, lo que significa que sucede en algún momento durante los últimos 3 años y medio de la semana 70a de Daniel, en un momento desconocido para nosotros.

* Las últimas señales que tienen lugar antes de la venida de Cristo y el éxtasis de la iglesia son un gran terremoto, el sol se oscurece y los poderes del cielo son sacudidos. ¡Estos eventos que sacudirán la tierra marcan el fin de esta era! Inmediatamente después de esto, los cielos se iluminan – “como el relámpago viene del este y parpadea hacia el oeste, así será la venida del Hijo del Hombre” (Mateo 24:27-31). “El Señor mismo bajará del cielo, con un fuerte mandato, con la voz del arcángel y con la llamada de trompeta de Dios; y los muertos en Cristo se levantarán primero.” Los cristianos que aún están en la tierra, viendo, sintiendo y escuchando todas estas cosas, sabrán que su Salvador ha venido a llevarlos al cielo. “Los que aún estamos vivos y nos quedamos seremos atrapados junto con ellos en las nubes para encontrarnos con el Señor en el aire. Y así, estaremos con el Señor para siempre.” 1 Tesalonicenses 4:16-17

* Dios nos da una lista de acontecimientos que deben ocurrir antes del regreso de Cristo y el éxtasis de la iglesia. Habrá falsos Cristos, dolores de nacimiento (terremotos, hambrunas, plagas, guerras), creciente anarquía, la firma de un tratado por los judíos, una gran apostasía, la construcción de un templo en Jerusalén, la desolación del templo por el Anticristo, la predicación del Evangelio a todo el mundo,  una gran persecución contra judíos y cristianos, la formación de un reino de diez naciones dirigido por el Anticristo, el obligar a la gente a adorar al Anticristo y tomar su marca, un gran terremoto, luces oscureciendo. Entonces el mundo entero “verá al Hijo del Hombre venir sobre las nubes del cielo con poder y gran gloria.” Mateo 24:3-31; Lucas 21:7-8; 1 Tesalonicenses 4:15-17; 2 Tesalonicenses 2:1-9; Apocalipsis 6, 13, 17

* Lo que Dios dice sobre el regreso de Cristo y el momento de Su regreso es 100% cierto, y eso es porque la palabra de Dios  es 100% verdadera. Es decir, la razón por la que sabemos el  “qué”  y el  “cuándo” acerca de la venida de Cristo es porque Dios nos dice, y Dios nunca miente – Siempre dice la verdad. Para enfatizar ese punto, en medio de cinco versículos que realmente hablan del momento de Su regreso, Cristo dice esto acerca de la palabra profética de Dios: “El cielo y la tierra pasarán, más mis palabras no pasarán.“ (Mateo 24:35). Con absoluta certeza, Dios les está diciendo que Su Hijo Jesucristo viene de nuevo, y que vendrá pronto, en algún momento durante la segunda mitad de la semana 70 de Daniel.   “Amén. ¡Ven, Señor Jesús!”

Nota: Otro post que te ayuda a entender cuándo ocurrirá el éxtasis es “El Tiempo del Rapto”.

What Happens When Christians Are Raptured? (154)

What Happens When Christians Are Raptured?

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #154 ~

When we speak of the rapture, we are talking about a most spectacular, life-changing, and God-glorifying event! It’s when Jesus Christ comes back in the clouds and powerfully and lovingly snatches all the Christians from the earth and brings them to Himself. The rapture is a specific event occurring at a specific time, but many believers use this term in a general way, referring to it as more than Christ coming and taking the Christians from the earth. Today, we will look at some verses in this general sense, helping you see that your life will immediately, dramatically and wonderfully be changed when Christ returns.

* 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – “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.” This is the classic “rapture” verse. Now the words “caught up” are from the Greek “harpagisometha”, which was translated as “rapiemur” in the Latin Vulgate, from which we get the English word “rapture.” This phrase caught up, or rapture, means to snatch, seize, carry off, or take by force. When Christ returns, Christians will be suddenly, quickly and forcefully taken from the earth to forever be with their Savior. That it says “caught up together” means Christians will be jetted off the earth to be instantly united with all believers from all of history, and then together be taken to the Lord.

* Matthew 24:29-31 – “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Jesus Christ will come from heaven with His angels and dispatch them to the world below and the skies above, gathering to Himself all the believers, those still living on earth, and those who have already died. This glorious “rapture” event will occur at the end of this age, after the skies are suddenly darkened, and then immediately lit up by Christ’s coming.

* 2 Thessalonians 2:1 – “We request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” Again, we read that the believers will be gathered together to be with Jesus Christ. This gathering takes place at Christ’s coming, and is, in fact, the first event to occur at His coming. Verses 2-9 tell us that the rapture and the gathering take place after the apostasy, and after the “man of lawlessness” is revealed, which happens at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. This most evil man is the Antichrist, a devilish man who desecrates the Jewish temple.  

* Luke 17:34, 36 – “On that night 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 will be left.” When the rapture occurs, believers and unbelievers will suddenly be separated, for Christ, with “lightning speed” quickness, will lovingly take His bride from the earth. For some Christians the rapture happens at night, and for others it’s during the day. For the saved, it means immediate perfection, and for the unsaved, it means wrath on earth and wrath in hell.   

* Luke 21:8 – “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” The “redemption” takes place at the rapture. One result of the rapture is that earth-dwelling believers will be redeemed, delivered, rescued, and quickly escape from a wicked world and their sinful body, and be taken to Jesus.

* John 14:3 – “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus comforts His troubled disciples by telling them that He is coming back to bring believers to Himself, and to a special place in heaven that He has prepared for them. That you now live in the end-times means there is a strong possibility that the rapture may happen in your lifetime.

* 1 Corinthians 15:52 – “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 verse tells us many things that take place at the rapture. First, it will happen quickly, “in a moment,” in a split second. Second, it will occur at the loud blast of the last trumpet. Third, the believers who have already died will, at that time, be resurrected, be glorified. Fourth, immediately after the resurrection of these heavenly believers, the Christians who were living on earth will be changed, be glorified, be given brand new bodies!

* 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “To give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” Throughout history, Christians have suffered and been persecuted, and so too in the end times. God will give rest and relief to His children who are greatly suffering on earth. This happens when the rapture takes place, when Christ is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. What a relief the rapture will be for the Christians, but not for the unsaved unbelievers.

* Matthew 24:13 – “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Jesus had just mentioned four difficult things affecting the believers – great tribulation, being betrayed, false prophets, and increasing lawlessness. So He tells us to endure, to persevere, with the result that we will be saved. This word “saved” is not referring to spiritual salvation, but physical salvation that occurs at the rapture, when we are suddenly and safely taken from the earth and miraculously glorified, and are then with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

* 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” Judgment and wrath are coming, for Christ is coming to judge the world. Thanks be to God that He is sending His Son down to earth to rescue us from this world-deserving, world-devastating wrath.

* 1 John 3:2 – “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” At Christ’s coming, He appears, and we will see Him, and be like Him, meaning we will be given a glorified soul, mind and body. That we will have a Christ-like body shows God’s incredible mercy and kindness, for then we will finally be with Jesus, have fellowship with Him, be greatly loved by Him, and be able to greatly love Him.

* How do we respond to this good news, this most glorious news? 1 Peter 1:13 – “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 – “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Matthew 24:42 – “Be on the alert, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – “Encourage one another with these words.”

P.S. The rapture is a most important subject which is why I write so much about it. Here is a list of many of my rapture posts: “The Rapture, a Love Story”, “The Rapture Occurs at the Coming of Christ”, “When Does the Rapture Take Place?”, “The Return of Christ and the Rapture of the Church”, “The Resurrection and Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18”, “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church“.