Over the past few days, we’ve tried to see in a very short manner, some topics from the essentials of the christian faith. Well today we’ve come to a crucial topic of the christian faith, our future hope. For us Christians, to hold fast to what we believe and not fall away by the world, it's important to know the hope that God has put forth onto us by believing in his name.
This is the age that’s hard to hold fast as a christian. In this world right now, we see pain and suffering so hard to grasp. So much pain so much suffering by everyone. We see horrible wars where thousands die, many children are left orphaned. We see lethal viruses, taking away our loved ones. We see so much human evil in this world, all of us have experienced some sort of horrific act by another human. The sin of man is uncountable. It’s super hard to even see hope, it’s hard to fathom happiness, it makes us all deeply saddened. We all are in constant emotional turmoil by what we see in this world. Well this is because our current age is Satan's age, it is the age of the rule of sin. It is the age of darkness and evil.
We are hopeful creatures always hoping to improve things. We always strive to better our lives, work hard and change the lives of our family. Heck even some of you reading this might dream about changing our extremely poor country and bring it to prosperity.
But there’s a sad truth about this age, it will not get better but worse. However much we labor, evil will persist in this world, Satan will rule. The ungodly, the unrighteous will get prosperity and love and adoration from the world. Sin will continue, injustice will continue. Worse wars will arise, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and other horrific natural disasters will come. Even the church won’t be peaceful, many devious teachers, people described as wolves in sheep’s clothing, shall arise and trick many out of the way of the gospel. Now during this age, and the worsening of this age, even though we can’t change the hurt that’s incoming, we are called to be the light of this world. Other people don’t have the hope we have, don’t have the flowing water of our lord Jesus Christ. So we are to show them the light, so that they also might drink from the imperishable fountain. So they too might get the hope that God want’s all people to have.
But there’s a beautiful thing about the worsening of times, however somber that might be, it is a sign of the coming of the end times. These are the signs Jesus told us to watch out for, to know that soon He will come. And they are here, the signs are incoming and there are specific signs that are happening for us to know that the coming of our Lord is near. For a simple example, a sign that has occurred is the re-establishment of the nation of Israel which was told in (Ezekiel 37:21). This happened in 1948, that’s after nearly 2500 years without them having their own country. They were spread throughout the world, and magically the Jews all gathered from all around the world and formed a state. The end is for sure near.
Thanks to the grace of God, we know that for Christians the end isn’t really the end. We know we have eternal life waiting. We know we have an imperishable inheritance waiting, and it is through this we can hold fast and live in light of the hope we’ve gotten. It’s a bit like this, say you’re thrown into a very dark room, with no light, no food nothing to do, but then you’re told after 24 hours, we’ll take you out, and you’ll be the richest person in the world. Now in those 24 hours, would you be hopeless and scared and sad? Probably not, you’d be excited, you can’t wait for the 24 hours to end, and you’ll be joyous for what will happen after those 24 hours.
Just as in the dark room example, we are in a world of darkness and evil, but we know after this world we shall have eternal paradise. We know we shall have an indescribable joy. We know we shall have eternal happiness. So if we truly believe the things that are foretold in the bible, if we truly believe what God has promised to us, we surely should be joyous full of hope for the hope to come. Surely we shall constantly sing Maranatha (God come fast). Surely we shall constantly dream of seeing our lord in his full glory.
The final sign we shall get before the end is the rise of the antichrist. The antichrist will be a very powerful and charismatic leader who’ll emerge on the global stage. He will deceive many through his charismatic words and his glorious signs and miracles. And many will be deceived. Israel will accept him as the messiah, they will take him in place of the true messiah (Jesus Christ). This time will be the most difficult for Christians, there will be persecution like none other. This will be a test like no other. It’ll be the most somber and saddest of times, where it’ll truly seem like evil has won, darkness has prevailed. It’s normally called the tribulation period, a period of 7 years when even the bible says woe is it to those who are pregnant in those days. Because it’ll truly be tribulation like none other, there will be tribulation that’ll make the world wars seem like a peaceful time.
But this tribulation period doesn’t concern us Christians, we will pass from the hardship, th3 pain shall not befall us. For Christ will take away His bride the church before this period, in what we normally call the rapture. Imagine a moment when time itself seems to stand still, when the world is filled with an otherworldly stillness. In an instant, everything changes. The sky above begins to shimmer and glow with an ethereal light, a radiant brilliance that captures your attention and fills your heart with awe. Suddenly, you feel a strange sensation, as if an invisible force is gently lifting you off the ground. It's a feeling of weightlessness and freedom, as if you're being released from the constraints of this earthly existence. You look around and see that others around you are experiencing the same amazing phenomenon. In that breathtaking moment, you realize what is happening – it's the rapture!
You are being caught up, snatched away from the troubles and sorrows of this world. Joy and exhilaration flood your soul as you ascend higher and higher, leaving behind the cares and worries of earthly life. As you rise, you notice a sense of transformation within yourself. Your body feels lighter, stronger, and more vibrant than ever before. It's as if you're shedding the limitations of mortality and stepping into a glorified state. You look at your hands and see that they radiate with a divine light, a reflection of the new life that awaits you.
Up ahead, you catch a glimpse of a figure, majestic and radiant beyond imagination. It's Jesus, the one who loved you and gave Himself for you. His arms are outstretched, welcoming you into His presence. As you draw near, you feel an overwhelming surge of love and acceptance, a deep sense of belonging and purpose. In the presence of Jesus, you are filled with a profound peace and joy that surpasses anything you've ever known. You realize that all the struggles, pain,and tears of this earthly journey were worth it. Every trial and hardship fades away in the light of His glory.
Together with countless others, you enter into a realm of unimaginable beauty and perfection. It's a place where all things are made new, where tears are wiped away, and where love reigns supreme. You are home, surrounded by the presence of God and the fellowship of believers from all ages. As you take in the splendor of this new reality, you realize that this is just the beginning.
The rapture is the gateway to an eternity of unimaginable blessings, adventures, and discoveries in the presence of the One who created you and loves you beyond measure. So, let the anticipation of the rapture fill your heart with excitement. Look forward to that glorious moment when you will be caught up in the arms of Jesus, released from the limitations of this world, and embraced by the wonders of eternity. The rapture is a breathtaking event that promises an everlasting joy beyond anything we can comprehend.
After the great tribulation, when the world has witnessed unprecedented turmoil and suffering, a dramatic shift occurs. The heavens open, and in a blaze of glory, Jesus Christ descends from above with power and authority. The sky is filled with the radiant light of His presence, and His arrival is accompanied by the sound of trumpets and the voices of angels.
As Christ descends, the earth trembles and the atmosphere is charged with anticipation. Every eye beholds the majestic figure, clothed in splendor and majesty, riding on the clouds. His appearance is awe-inspiring, as He comes as the conquering King, the rightful ruler of all creation.
At the moment of His arrival, the dead in Christ are resurrected. The graves burst open, and the bodies of believers, transformed and glorified, rise to meet their Lord in the air. Simultaneously, those who are alive in Christ are changed in an instant, their mortal bodies transformed into imperishable, incorruptible forms.
As Christ's presence fills the sky, a great assembly of believers, both resurrected and transformed, gather around Him. This glorious company joins Him in His triumphal entry. The world stands witness to the fulfillment of God's promises and the vindication of His faithful followers.
With His return, Jesus establishes His millennial kingdom on Earth. He reigns as the righteous King over all nations, bringing an era of peace, justice, and restoration. The effects of sin and evil are gradually removed, and the earth begins to experience the fullness of God's redemption and renewal. During the thousand-year reign, Satan is bound, and the influence of evil is greatly diminished. The world experiences a foretaste of the perfect harmony that will characterize the eternal kingdom of God. Creation flourishes, and people live in righteousness and harmony with one another. At the end of the millennial reign, a final rebellion against God occurs. Satan, who had been bound but is released for a short time, deceives the nations and gathers them for battle against Christ and His saints. However, this rebellion is swiftly and decisively defeated by the power of God, and Satan is ultimately defeated and cast into the lake of fire.
After Christ’s 1000 year reign, it is now the end. It’s the time we shall all be eager to reach. This is the time where the righteous (people who were imputed upon Christ's righteousness) will receive their eternal reward, while the wicked will receive the punishment they deserved. The present heavens and Earth will be destroyed, and God will create a new Heaven and a new Earth where believers will dwell with the eternal God forever. This feels like a fairy tale like no other, but it’s the most incredible news ever isn’t it? This is the truth, this is what we will receive through Christ. This is the hope that awaits us, eternal peace with our Lord and creator.
We all have at some point or another been asked what will you do if today is the last day you’ll ever live? We all had answers, perhaps skydiving, maybe going on Mount Everest or any number of other things we might enjoy. And people usually use this as an exercise to know what they should be doing right now. Or at least the goals they have to set, or maybe the hope that pushes them while you’re working to achieve your dreams.
Well we all would want eternal life don’t we? So that must lead us, and much more thoroughly so, to think what we must do now to get the hope of Christ, of eternal life. And this was the question, the Jews asked Jesus on John 6:28, and on John 6:29, Jesus answered them: "Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'" This is all the work God requires you to do, believe in the one He has sent. Trust Him for and with your life, and He shall give you eternal life.
“ሁሉንም የሚገዛ ጌታ አምላክና በጉ መቅደስዋ ናቸውና መቅደስ በእርስዋ ዘንድ አላየሁም። ለከተማይቱም የእግዚአብሔር ክብር ስለሚያበራላት መብራትዋም በጉ ስለ ሆነ፥ ፀሐይ ወይም ጨረቃ እንዲያበሩላት አያስፈልጓትም ነበር። አሕዛብም በብርሃንዋ ይመላለሳሉ፤ የምድርም ነገሥታት ክብራቸውን ወደ እርስዋ ያመጣሉ፤ በዚያም ሌሊት ስለሌለ ደጆችዋ በቀን ከቶ አይዘጉም፤ የአሕዛብንም ግርማና ክብር ወደ እርስዋ ያመጣሉ። ለበጉም በሆነው በሕይወት መጽሐፍ ከተጻፉት በቀር፥ ጸያፍ ነገር ሁሉ ርኵሰትና ውሸትም የሚያደርግ ወደ እርስዋ ከቶ አይገባም።” — የዮሐንስ ራእይ 22-27
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” — Revelation 21:4
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” — Matthew 24:44
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew 6:19–21