Live Q&A with Pastor Jack
Understanding End Times, Theology, and Spiritual Life: Key Insights from “It’s Time to Question Your Pastor”
This discussion explores complex theological questions regarding eschatology (end times), the nature of God, death, and Christian living, emphasizing discernment and biblical interpretation.
End Times and the Role of the Antichrist
Satan’s Strategy in the End Times
Satan, as a created and fallen creature, does not know the day or the hour of the Lord’s coming or the future. Like humanity, Satan must watch the “times and seasons” for signs. Because Jesus stated that “nobody knows the day or the hour” of the rapture, and given that the wicked one (the Antichrist) is revealed only after the Church is raptured (2 Thessalonians chapter 2), Satan must always have an Antichrist type ready for every generation. Historical figures often speculated to be the Antichrist include Hitler, JFK, and Henry Kissinger.
The true Antichrist will be:
- Brilliant.
- Rise out of obscurity.
- Extremely demonically persuasive.
The seven-year period of God’s focus on Israel and the Christ-rejecting world begins with the Antichrist signing a peace treaty with Israel. During the first three and a half years, Daniel reveals that the Antichrist deceives the world through peace and prosperity. The latter half of the period involves extremely violent demonstrations of God’s wrath upon the earth.
Interpreting Matthew 24 and the Rapture
It is crucial to understand that Matthew chapter 24 is Jewish and nowhere does Jesus refer to the Church in this text. Jesus is speaking about events that occur after the Church is raptured.
The common phrase “one taken, one left” does not refer to the rapture of the Church:
- Those taken away are taken to judgment.
- Those left behind remain on Earth to enter the millennial kingdom.
Jesus clarifies the nature of those taken away: “Wherever the carcass is there the unclean birds will be eating”. The original Greek language uses the word for corpse or dead, rotting flesh, which is consumed by vultures (unclean birds). This confirms that the “taken” are those facing judgment.
The Judgment of the Nations
Following the Tribulation, Matthew chapter 25 describes the judgment of the nations determined by one primary criterion: how they treated Christ’s Jewish brethren (who became believers) during the Tribulation period. Those who showed kindness to the Jew who had become a follower of Christ will enter the millennial kingdom. The Church, referred to as the bride of Christ (Revelation 19), will have already returned with Him.