{"id":17914,"date":"2020-03-13T07:33:20","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T11:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/?p=17914"},"modified":"2026-06-04T13:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:02:48","slug":"step-by-step-till-we-see-jesus159-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christskingdom.org\/staging\/8402\/step-by-step-till-we-see-jesus159-new\/","title":{"rendered":"Step by Step Till We See Jesus (159)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Step by Step Till We See Jesus<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Steven J. Hogan<\/p>\n

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~ A Saturday Morning Post #159 ~

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At this time in history, what the Bible calls the end-times, we need watchmen, people who know what God has prophesied about the present and the future (e.g. the Coronavirus<\/a>) and are then looking for these things to take place. A watchman for the church needs to know three things:
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# 1, that Jesus Christ is coming back to rapture the church,<\/span> \u00a0
# 2, that God has prophesied specific events and general conditions that need to take place in the world before Christ returns to rapture the church, and<\/span>
# 3, that regardless of whether it\u2019s specific events or general conditions, there are usually steps leading to their fulfillment, what I call pre-conditions.<\/span> As watchmen, God wants us to be seeing these pre-conditions (#3), knowing they are leading to the fulfillment of these prophecies about the end-times (#2), prophecies that are pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ (#1). Let me share some examples that will help you understand this. \u00a0

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First, there are prophesies regarding specific events:<\/span> <\/strong>
The peace treaty. <\/strong>This prophecy is that there will be the signing or confirming of a treaty between Israel and other nations at the beginning of Daniel\u2019s 70th<\/sup> week<\/a>, made possible by the coming Antichrist. (Dan. 9:27). Ever since Israel became a nation, we have been hearing about peace treaties, but so far, no treaty has really worked. Someday, and I believe soon, this Dan. 9:27 treaty will be passed, fulfilling God\u2019s prophecy. Once it is signed and we know it\u2019s signed, then we will realize that Daniel\u2019s 70th<\/sup> week has begun, and that it won\u2019t be long before the church is raptured, and we see Jesus.<\/a>

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The Antichrist.<\/strong> This prophecy is that the Antichrist<\/a> will be revealed at the midpoint of Daniel\u2019s 70th<\/sup> week (Dan. 9:27). Before we see this prophecy fulfilled, people will be rejecting nationalism and be open to the idea of globalism. That\u2019s because they will be looking for a \u201csavior\u201d <\/em>who they hope can solve the world\u2019s problems and bring peace. Then we will see a person (probably from the Mideast) growing in power and forming a 10-nation kingdom, and he will be the Antichrist. Once the Antichrist is revealed, discerning Christians will know that the rapture of the church is less than a few years away. Dan. 7:7-8, Rev. 17:17

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The temple.<\/strong> This prophecy is that the Jewish temple will be desecrated by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Obviously, the pre-condition necessary for the fulfillment of this prophecy is that the temple needs to be built. When you see that this temple has been built in Jerusalem and that sacrifices are being offered by Jewish priests, then you know it won\u2019t be long before this desolation occurs, before the Antichrist sets himself up as \u201cGod\u201d<\/em> in this temple.

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The mark of the beast. <\/strong>This prophecy is that people, to openly buy and sell, must take the mark of the beast, the Antichrist (Rev. 13:16-17). Before this prophecy is fulfilled, people will be wanting their identity and personal information to be more protected, so much so that they are willing to take this mark. There will also need to be a massive, super-secure system that can hold all this information and make all these transactions. As you know, sophisticated technological advances are being made in this area, like the implantation of chips in animals and people. For the first time in history, we are realizing that it is feasible for this prophecy to be fulfilled.

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Second, there are prophecies regarding general conditions:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
Increasing lawlessness.<\/strong> This prophecy is that lawlessness<\/a> will increase in the end-times. (Matt. 24:12). It\u2019s obvious to me and everyone I talk to that lawlessness is getting worse, that there\u2019s more corruption, crime, lying, disrespect, and immorality than 50-60 years ago. It\u2019s true that there\u2019s always been evil in the world, but now that we live in the end-times, we know this prophecy will be fulfilled. Wickedness will get worse and worse, and then the \u201cman of lawlessness,\u201d<\/em> the Antichrist, will take over the world. 2 Tim. 3:1-5

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Apostasy. <\/strong>This prophecy says there will be a great apostasy before Christ\u2019s coming (Matt. 24:10, 2 Thess. 2:3). Most people my age (66) are aware that there are far less churchgoers than there were 60 years ago. It\u2019s quite clear that churches are getting weaker, that God and the gospel are not popular, false teaching is spreading, and the religion of secularism is growing. When we get closer to Christ\u2019s coming, God will send a delusion resulting in most unbelievers being deceived and rapidly falling away from their religions and so-called churches. This apostasy, this falling away of people from fake churches and false religions, will pave the way for the Antichrist to be worshiped all over the world. Rev. 13:3-4

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Great persecution. <\/strong>This prophecy says great tribulation<\/a> and persecution will be directed against Christians in the end-times (Matthew 24:9, 21). Ever since the church started, for close to 2000 years now, she has been persecuted. At this time, our society, academia, media, culture and the government are increasingly anti-God and anti-gospel. It won\u2019t be long before laws will be passed with the sole purpose of silencing gospel-preaching Christians. Then, when the apostasy takes place and the Antichrist is in charge, hate for Christians will suddenly and dramatically increase, and there will be great persecution, and many Christians will be martyred, but many will live to be raptured. Rev. 12:17, 13:7

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Realignment of countries. <\/strong>God prophesied that there will be a ten-nation, Antichrist-led kingdom in the end-times. This means we will see the decline of the United States<\/a> resulting in her no longer being a world super-power. Coinciding with that, there\u2019ll be the realigning and reforming of countries in Europe and the Mideast, fulfilling God\u2019s geographical plan for the end-times, leading to the Antichrist\u2019s takeover of the world. Daniel 2, 7; Ezekiel 38:1-6

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Preaching the gospel.<\/strong> This prophecy is that the gospel<\/a> will be preached to all the nations, and then the end (of the age) will come (Matt 24:14, 28:19-20). At this time, we are all aware that the gospel is being preached and that disciples are being made in nations all over the world, “even to the remotest part of the earth”<\/em> (Acts 1:8). Indeed, Jesus Christ is building His church, and once His work is fully completed, then this age is over, and He will immediately return to earth to take God\u2019s children home to heaven. (A positive and related note is that people from 117 different countries and territories have viewed posts on this blog site in the last year.)

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There are three important things watchmen need to know about the future: #1, Christ is coming back to rapture the church. #2, God prophesied that many specific and non-specific things would happen before Christ\u2019s return. #3, Observant Christians will see the pre-conditions, the step by step working of God, leading to the fulfillment of these prophesies.

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Might you be seeing these pre-conditions as they are happening, realizing that they are part of God\u2019s purposeful and providential working in the world, leading to the fulfillment of His end-time\u2019s prophesies. I have no doubt that God wants you to see this divine process, and the continual progress He is making in bringing about Christ\u2019s return to rapture the church. Mark 13:23, Hebrews 10:25

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P.S. My continued desire and prayer is that you have a good understanding of what needs to take place before Christ comes back. Here are two other posts that will help you learn what needs to happen before the return of Christ – “Bible Prophecy Enables Us To See the Future”<\/a><\/em> and “What the Bible Says About the Future.” <\/a><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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