As we await that glorious Day when we shall see Christ coming in the clouds, Paul gives us more details about our time now in Romans 8. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (vs. 5-6).
        We know we are children of God, and that gives us hope even in the face of persecution and injustice. Since it is not yet God’s appointed time to deal with evil once and for all, verse 25 tells us that we still eagerly wait for it with perseverance—all while standing in victory and in the light.
          When we come to the point where we don’t know what to pray in these times, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (verses 26-27).
          Even when events don’t turn out the way we think they should, we know that God is greater and can bring something good out of every situation—if we’re willing to learn. He does this because we are called out ones according to His purpose.
         The Chronos Lesson: Paul reminds us that when we see the signs of the extended tribulation, “what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (vs. 31-32). If you’re not sure what things He will freely give us, check out Psalm 91. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (vs. 35).
         Just in case we’re not sure of the answer, Paul answers it for us. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 37-39).
     This is the true definition of predestination. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (verses 29-30). Our destiny as individual believers is to be more than a conqueror, both now through the authority we have in Christ, and at the rapture when we overcome death through resurrection, as our Lord did.

       Jesus visited the Temple for the last time just prior to the Passion Week, (Matt. 24). The few disciples who were with Him remarked about the building’s beautiful construction. They probably expected Him to agree with them, even though He had just rebuked the religious leaders for turning it into a den of thieves yet again. Instead, His next words shocked them. “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
     Jesus had already warned them about His crucifixion, but He hadn’t yet clued them in on what would happen afterwards, except that they would be expected to carry on His ministry. They were still trying to wrap their heads around the idea of the crucifixion instead of a religious coup. So they asked Jesus two questions: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (vs. 3). They wanted to know the timing and how they could tell when these things were about to happen. They wanted to know the kairos signs.
      So the Lord begins to list the signs, which He called the “beginning of sorrows” (vs. 8). They include false Christs and false religions, wars and rumors of wars, nations fighting nations, kingdoms fighting kingdoms, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. Luke 21:9 adds,  “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
         Other signs would follow. This time period would also be marked by persecution and hatred of Christians, lawlessness, and the preaching of the Gospel in all the world.  You’ll see this same list in the three gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke that record this teaching.  It is part of what has become known as Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Teaching) because it occurred on the Mt. of Olives overlooking the Temple. Jesus used the opportunity to explain the timing of His return and to introduce the truth of the rapture.
          All three accounts follow the same sequence of events, although different words are used in a few cases because of the different audiences being addressed. For example, the beginning of sorrows, the tribulation, and the great tribulation all refer to the same signs. Jesus said these signs would begin with the Abomination of Desolation, a term used in Daniel’s prophecies.
        Luke added more description to this key term to help his non-Jewish readers know what Jesus was referencing. The Abomination would be at hand when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies.  That happened when the Roman army surrounded the city at the Siege of Jerusalem, in response to guerilla warfare being carried out by Jewish militia groups. The Jewish people destroyed the Temple from within out of desperation. This happened in 70 AD.
         Jesus then explained that these signs would continue until the final sign that would signal His return. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Mt. 24:29).
       The Chronos Lesson: Do the beginning of sorrows sound familiar? Absolutely, because these are the signs of this age, the Church Age that Jesus called Today and Tomorrow (Days 5 & 6 when counting from Adam). Have we seen the final sign of total darkness simultaneously over the whole earth at one time yet? No. This means we are still in this same period that Jesus called the tribulation. Notice that it lasts an extended period of time—across the two great Days of the Church Age, which is this present age.
         In Rev. 1:9, John describes himself as our brother in the tribulation because he recognized that the tribulation had begun after the Temple was destroyed. His letter, like the rest of the epistles in the New Testament, was written for all of Jesus’ disciples, then and now, who would experience the tribulation of those Days. As we’ve seen many times in this blog, there is no such thing as a 7-year tribulation period. It comes from a misinterpretation of Daniel’s 70th Week.
            Jesus continued His teaching, saying that His disciples “will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of Heaven” (Mark 13:26-27).  Then He reverted back to parables to drive home the point that He would not return until the signs of this age had been seen and the appointed time had arrived.
         When we understand both the kairos signs and the chronos times, Hebrews 10:23-25 exhorts us to “hold fast the confession of our hope [of our future heavenly calling] without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” We can see the Day approaching because we know the signs to look for at the appointed time!  

     John, the fisherman turned fisher-of-men, closes his Gospel with this final truth: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (Jn. 21:25).
      Luke, a physician and right-hand-man to Paul, closes his Gospel with these final words: “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:50-52).
     After the four historical gospels, the next book in the New Testament is called Acts. It, too, is an historical book. We could call it the “Gospel Sequel” because it picks up with the historical account of Jesus appearing after His resurrection and then ascending to Heaven, and how the Church spread the Gospel during the first century after Christ.
       The book is divided into 28 chapters, but even that is not the end of the historical account. You see, as Jesus’ disciples, we’re still writing the story. More “living stones” are being added to God’s House. We’re closing in on the final chapters of the middle section of the story. We’re nearing the end of this age.
      There is more to the story because Peter says we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). We are the “called out ones,” the Body of Christ, His Church, and His Bride.
        The Chronos Lesson: We’re still in the time when Satan has been judged and sentenced, but not yet incarcerated. His incarceration will happen during the first few years of the last Day, which is Christ’s millennial reign over the earth from Heaven. Until then, our assignment is to counter Satan’s lies and deceptions with the light of the Gospel.
         Of course, since Satan definitely qualifies as a violent one, he isn’t going to let this go easily. It is the nature of lawlessness to accelerate like a snowball rolling down a mountain. But there is coming a time when that snowball shall smash against a Stone and be crushed.
        I can assure you that at the appointed time in the age to come (the last Day), we will play a part in casting down Satan from the heavenlies. Until that time, trying to do so is wasted effort, which, of course, Satan loves to watch. We will also play a part in sending Him and his armies to the Pit, and ultimately, to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. More on that later. All of this can only happen at God’s appointed time. Even Jesus couldn’t do this before the appointed time.
        Matthew records an exchange between some demons and Jesus in the Decapolis, the area east of the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus and His crew come ashore, they are met by two demon-possessed men. The men are possessed to such an extent that they live in a cave and no one dares to come near the place because they are so violent.
         Suddenly they cry out, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:28-29). Notice the time reference. Note, too, that they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Wow, they know more than the Pharisees and religious scholars of that time! Yet they insinuate that Jesus can’t get rid of them because it’s before the time. What time? The appointed time.
        Surprisingly, Jesus could not incarcerate them and send them to the Lake of Fire at this point in the plan. But He wasn’t powerless, either. He could and did deliver the men from the demons. He could and did send the demons out of the men and into the “wilderness” by way of a herd of swine that promptly ran off a steep seaside cliff and drowned. Either way, the demons no longer had an earthly body—either men or unclean pigs—to house them.
       The bottom line for every believer here is that individually we have authority over Satan in the name of Jesus. That is why James 4:7 says to submit to God and resist the devil. The only way Satan can influence or oppress a believer is if he or she lets him. However, we can open the door to the devil by submitting to the world’s ways instead of God’s ways. We always have a choice. 

     As Jesus was preparing His disciples once again concerning His timely departure, He explained that boot camp would soon be over for them and they would be sent into action. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12). The passage goes on to say that they would do this through the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
        As far as the Kingdom of God goes, our works have nothing to do with our status with God. But they do have something to do with our earthly assignment. Again, these works aren’t our own doing. That is another pitfall facing the Church in these times: Just go out and do it.
         They’re not our works; they’re His workmanship. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Everything we do in terms of service to God is His workmanship—His power working through us, and not our own doing.
       The Chronos Lesson: Jesus gave us our marching orders just before He ascended. Matthew records them this way. “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-19).
      There are two truths we need to notice. First, Jesus said all authority has been given to Him. We’ve already seen that Jesus in turn gave this authority to His disciples. So if you’re His disciple, then you have His authority--all authority over the enemy and what he tries to bring upon you.
         The second truth is that we use this authority to make disciples, not just converts. One of the reasons the Church has been so feeble in the face of lawlessness is that most Christians accepted Jesus as their Savior, but were never taught how to be His disciple. They don’t know who they are in Christ. They don’t know how to stand in the victory Jesus secured for them.
        Mark recorded our marching orders this way. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mk. 16:15-18).
        Let’s focus in on two more truths. The first is that we preach the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. The original language actually calls it the too-good-to-be-true-news. Jesus summarized this beyond-comprehension-good-news as, “It is finished.” The prerequisite aspects of the divine to-do list found in Daniel 9 were accomplished with Jesus’ first coming. It is what allows us to release the authority and will of God on earth as it is in Heaven. The remaining objectives of the to-do list shall be accomplished with His second coming, thereby bringing the restoration of all things.
        Our boot camp assignment is to continue preaching this good news across the world. But notice that it’s not just talk. There’s also the walk. That is, confirming the truths of God’s Kingdom through signs and wonders and miracles. The things we see Jesus doing in the four Gospels, we’re to be doing as well by the same power of the Spirit working through us. We need to be about Father’s business as Jesus was, and not simply what we think needs to be done in our society to fix things. We use His authority to reveal Jesus’ finished work and the nature of the Father.
        If we’re not seeing this in our lives, then we need to get into the Word and really see it—that a-ha moment where we finally get it. We need to spend time meditating on His Word until we can see ourselves being His workmanship, not in our own power, but by the Spirit. We need to get as many people into the Ark that is Jesus Christ before the end comes.
        Psalm 115:16 affirms that “the heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.”    Hebrews 6:18 tells us that it is impossible for God to lie. Psalm 89:34 reveals the awesome power of His grace and mercy towards us. Despite Israel breaking the covenant over and over on their end, God declares, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.”  Psalm 138:2 David proclaims, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” A person’s name is only as good as his word. We can trust God’s Word and the mystery-plan within it.
         To this Hebrews 1:2-3 affirms God’s awesome power at work in us because we are in Christ: “whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”