From my emailed Newsletter
While this is a promotion for a book
Jonathan Brentner has encouraging words in this Newsletter
Don't let the wait dismay you; Jesus is surely coming for us. Please know that it will be well worth the wait!
If you are like me, you anticipated that Jesus would have come for us, His true church, long before now. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the many ways that the Lord has blessed me; I very much do, but I also know that what lies ahead in glory is so much better than this life.
The frenzy over the Rapture happening on September 23-24 attracted worldwide scrutiny. On the social media platform TikTok, some estimate it’s #RaptureTok drew as many as a billion views. However, the widespread attention led to an unprecedented display of mockery as an estimated 70% of the responses on TikTok consisted of scoffing and jokes directed at our blessed hope.
Why did these dates attract so much excitement in the first place? It was the hundreds, if not thousands, of dreams and visions reported on social media pointing to these days as the time Jesus would appear to take us home.
Why did the Lord allow that to happen?
Could it have been His way of warning the world concerning our soon departure and and with it the start of the Day of the Lord? If the Rapture were to happen this month or before the end of 2025, what might the multitude of scoffers from the unbelieving world think? How might they explain the sudden disappearance of so many?
The scoffing we witness today, from both inside the church and the world, also testifies to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the last days (2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 17-19). Could it be that one of the most ridiculed scriptural beliefs of all time is about to be validated before the unbelieving world? Could this be one of the reasons that lead to the vast multitude of Tribulation saints we read about in the book of Revelation?
After Jesus gave many signs of the end of the age that would signal the nearness of His return to the planet, He said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).This is not a proud tilting upward of the head, but rather that of looking away from the chaos in our world in anticipation of Jesus’ imminent intervention in our world.
The Lord said we would hear rumors of wars, which has been the case for several years. But now, it’s off the charts in terms of the number of flashpoints and the global impact of what might happen. The recent chatter points to conflicts fitting with the seal judgments of Revelation 6:1-8. Talk of a war between the NATO nations and Russia occurs daily.
The lawlessness that Jesus’ warned about in Matthew 24:12 has already reached epidemic proportions and the Tribulation has not yet started. The Lord started His talk about the end times by referring to the great deception of the last days (24:3). We are already well on our way to the time when deception will reach its zenith at the midpoint of the Tribulation (see Revelation 13).
We might not know the when, but we are quite certain that we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing.
I cannot leave my discussion of the signs without mentioning the future peace treaty between antichrist and the many, which will include Israel (Daniel 9:27). In Isaiah 28:14-20, the Lord referred to this coming deal as a “covenant of death.”
This prophecy coincides with the world’s end time obsession with Jerusalem and the dividing of the Land of Israel (Zechariah 12:1-3; Joel 3:1-3).
We are already there. All that’s missing is the unveiling of antichrist and the conflict that will cause the leaders of Israel to trust his guarantee of security.
As such, we have already arrived at the time for greater intensity in our watching for Jesus’ appearing, that of lifting up of our heads in recognition that our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28).
Please know that I’m not saying the Rapture will happen this month, in 2025, or in 2026. On the other hand, I believe it would be unwise to discount that possibility.
The words of Scripture
Jesus’ preeminence
God’s character
If you have any doubts about whether or not we will indeed miss the Tribulation, or perhaps desire to see how God’s Word verifies your hope, please consider purchasing my book. It’s available on Amazon and on several other ministry websites.
I realize that some might question the value of understanding the season in which we live. Is there an advantage to heeding the counsel of the Apostle Peter who wrote, “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13)?
Yes! Regardless of when Jesus comes to takes us home, knowing our future as New Testament saints is the key to understanding our current lives. Paul David Tripp, noted author and pastor, wrote these insightful words on the matter:.
“You see, a sound biblical doctrine of the future is the only way to arrive at a sound biblical understanding of the present. If there is a glorious destination for all of God’s children, then this time is not a destination, but a preparation for that destination.”
So many believers live as though this life is their final destination despite what the Bible says about the glory ahead for all those in Christ. The antidote for such a misplaced focus is to watch for Jesus’ return, which by the way, He instructed us to do in Matthew 24:36-44.
By Jonathan Brentner
While this is a promotion for a book
Jonathan Brentner has encouraging words in this Newsletter
Don't let the wait dismay you; Jesus is surely coming for us. Please know that it will be well worth the wait!
If you are like me, you anticipated that Jesus would have come for us, His true church, long before now. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the many ways that the Lord has blessed me; I very much do, but I also know that what lies ahead in glory is so much better than this life.
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The World Is Focused On . . . The Rapture
The frenzy over the Rapture happening on September 23-24 attracted worldwide scrutiny. On the social media platform TikTok, some estimate it’s #RaptureTok drew as many as a billion views. However, the widespread attention led to an unprecedented display of mockery as an estimated 70% of the responses on TikTok consisted of scoffing and jokes directed at our blessed hope.
Why did these dates attract so much excitement in the first place? It was the hundreds, if not thousands, of dreams and visions reported on social media pointing to these days as the time Jesus would appear to take us home.
Why did the Lord allow that to happen?
Could it have been His way of warning the world concerning our soon departure and and with it the start of the Day of the Lord? If the Rapture were to happen this month or before the end of 2025, what might the multitude of scoffers from the unbelieving world think? How might they explain the sudden disappearance of so many?
The scoffing we witness today, from both inside the church and the world, also testifies to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the last days (2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 17-19). Could it be that one of the most ridiculed scriptural beliefs of all time is about to be validated before the unbelieving world? Could this be one of the reasons that lead to the vast multitude of Tribulation saints we read about in the book of Revelation?
We Live in the Season of Jesus’ Appearing
The worldwide mocking of the Rapture is not the only sign pointing to the nearness of the Rapture. In fact, there are far too many of them to even mention in this newsletter.After Jesus gave many signs of the end of the age that would signal the nearness of His return to the planet, He said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).This is not a proud tilting upward of the head, but rather that of looking away from the chaos in our world in anticipation of Jesus’ imminent intervention in our world.
The Lord said we would hear rumors of wars, which has been the case for several years. But now, it’s off the charts in terms of the number of flashpoints and the global impact of what might happen. The recent chatter points to conflicts fitting with the seal judgments of Revelation 6:1-8. Talk of a war between the NATO nations and Russia occurs daily.
The lawlessness that Jesus’ warned about in Matthew 24:12 has already reached epidemic proportions and the Tribulation has not yet started. The Lord started His talk about the end times by referring to the great deception of the last days (24:3). We are already well on our way to the time when deception will reach its zenith at the midpoint of the Tribulation (see Revelation 13).
We might not know the when, but we are quite certain that we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing.
Antichrist’s Peace Covenant
I cannot leave my discussion of the signs without mentioning the future peace treaty between antichrist and the many, which will include Israel (Daniel 9:27). In Isaiah 28:14-20, the Lord referred to this coming deal as a “covenant of death.”
This prophecy coincides with the world’s end time obsession with Jerusalem and the dividing of the Land of Israel (Zechariah 12:1-3; Joel 3:1-3).
We are already there. All that’s missing is the unveiling of antichrist and the conflict that will cause the leaders of Israel to trust his guarantee of security.
As such, we have already arrived at the time for greater intensity in our watching for Jesus’ appearing, that of lifting up of our heads in recognition that our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28).
Please know that I’m not saying the Rapture will happen this month, in 2025, or in 2026. On the other hand, I believe it would be unwise to discount that possibility.
Why Do We Believe In a Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
In my most recent book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast, I defend our belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture based upon:The words of Scripture
Jesus’ preeminence
God’s character
If you have any doubts about whether or not we will indeed miss the Tribulation, or perhaps desire to see how God’s Word verifies your hope, please consider purchasing my book. It’s available on Amazon and on several other ministry websites.
Why Does It Matter?
I realize that some might question the value of understanding the season in which we live. Is there an advantage to heeding the counsel of the Apostle Peter who wrote, “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13)?
Yes! Regardless of when Jesus comes to takes us home, knowing our future as New Testament saints is the key to understanding our current lives. Paul David Tripp, noted author and pastor, wrote these insightful words on the matter:.
“You see, a sound biblical doctrine of the future is the only way to arrive at a sound biblical understanding of the present. If there is a glorious destination for all of God’s children, then this time is not a destination, but a preparation for that destination.”
So many believers live as though this life is their final destination despite what the Bible says about the glory ahead for all those in Christ. The antidote for such a misplaced focus is to watch for Jesus’ return, which by the way, He instructed us to do in Matthew 24:36-44.
By Jonathan Brentner
