What No One is Telling You About the End Times

I know you have discernment and the Holy Spirit speaks to you, and you might be sensing that there is some rumbling in the realm of the spirit. And I agree. In fact, that happens quite often. There are seasons where spiritual activity increases, and I believe we're in one of those seasons where we're seeing the intensification of the warfare, the intensification of the manifestation of God's power, the intensification of the attacks of the enemy. But I want you to keep the proper perspective. I don't want you to see these days through the lens of defeat, through the lens of fear, through the lens of confusion, through the lens of hype. I want you to see these days through the lens of truth. And in seeing through the lens of truth, you remain at peace even in chaotic times. And so I want you to be aware that the church has developed A doctrine of defeat, especially in the area of the end times. Now, I don't mean to criticize Christ's bride. That's not what I do. But as a teacher, I do point out areas where we need a little bit of improvement. And I don't just criticize, I present the Word in a way, hopefully, that helps to bring healing, that helps to bring clarity, that helps to bridge the gap between our questions and the answers that we think we need. And in so doing, we see the word of God take effect and bring us to spiritual sobriety. Yes, we ought to be aware. Yes, we ought to pay attention to the times in which we live, but no, we should never fear. No, we should never be filled with dismay. No, we should never throw up our hands in defeat. Because many Christians feel like they're backed into a corner. And they're saying to the Lord, things like, just get me out of here. Or they're saying, it's so bad, there's no turning this around. We just got to kind of save the remnant and get out of here. And while I can certainly appreciate the faith behind those kinds of statements, the fact that someone would be willing to stay faithful, even in such a situation, we have to, again, come back to the basics of Scripture. Come back to the teachings of the original church. Come back to the place where we're standing in faith and not in fear. The gates of hell shall not prevail. The Great Commission will not fail. The gospel will not lose its power. The church is advancing. Light will overcome darkness, for this gospel shall be preached to the ends of the earth. And then the end will come. Revival, not retreat, victory, not defeat, will be the posture of the church in these last days. So let's begin by answering this question. Who's in charge? Who has authority? Who reigns? Philippians 2, please. Therefore God elevated him, That's Jesus. To the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is total authority. This is absolute power, sovereignty, Full control. No one has the power to undo what Jesus wants to do. No one's decree has so much weight behind it that it could stop or even slow the agenda that Christ himself has spoken into motion. In Acts 2:32-33, we read, God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. What is the timing of all of this? Verse 33 says, now he is exalted. This isn't describing some future event. This isn't an eventual authority or a throne that will eventually be received. Verse 33 very clearly says, now he is exalted. To the place of highest honor in heaven at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. So this victory that's being described is total victory, absolute power, highest authority. So the question becomes then, when does this take place? Well, we saw one clue here in verse 33, where we read the words, now he is exalted. But let's take a look now at Colossians chapter 2. Let's go further here. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them, On the cross. So it was at the cross that the powers of darkness were disarmed. It was at the cross that the devil was embarrassed. It was at the cross that the kingdom of hell was put to shame. When did he achieve this? The cross. When did he strip the enemy of power? At the cross. It was that sacrifice. that ultimately brought defeat to the powers of darkness. Now look at the book of Revelation, because we see something really interesting here. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the 24 elders said to me, stop weeping. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. Now what's being described here? What animal? The lion. Look, in other words, pay attention, turn to see the lion. That's an instruction. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. So at first, the attention is being called to the lion. Then we go on to read, he is worthy to open the scroll and its 7 seals. But look at verse 6 now, what does it say? Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the 4 living beings and among the 24 elders. He had 7 horns and 7 eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. The prophetic picture that's being painted is quite clear. He became the reigning Lion. by first being the slaughtered lamb. Look, the lion, and then you see the lamb. It was through the cross, through suffering. And this right here, this is the beauty, the mystery, the power of the cross. Even when, you see, I think we take it for granted these teachings that we receive from scripture, the teachings of Jesus, because this thinking is so otherworldly. It is so anti-secularism. It is so against what the culture believes. Think about Roman culture, power, might, victory, strength. If you were wealthy and rich and powerful, you were blessed by the divine. If you were poor and sick and weak, you were cursed by God. That was the thinking. And Jesus had to deal with this. We saw him dealing with this. No one, no one, he's not like this because of anyone's sin, he had to say. And then he tells them the first will be last. You wanna be the greatest, you have to be the least. And now he turns this worldly concept upside down on its head. Making it very plain that he is God, yet he suffers, dies a criminal's death, put to shame, beaten, scarred, slaughtered. But in that suffering, there was victory. In that death, there was life and resurrection power. God's ways are not our ways. That's the mystery of the cross. That's the beauty, that it's so opposite of how we think, but that's where the victory comes. And so you look at this biblical prophetic concept that it's through suffering that we experience divine power. That it's through what appears to be weakness that we find strength, that it's in surrender we find victory, that it's in death that we find life, that it's in selflessness that we're enriched. That's the kingdom. You wanna be a lion? You have to go the way of the lamb. And so that's why I don't fret when I see all these things coming against the church. That's why I don't fret when people criticize, when people try to take down God's ministry, when people try to push against our agenda. It's only gonna make us stronger. It's only gonna bring more power. It's only gonna give us access to higher authority. Through Christ, the kingdom was established through his suffering. And it was through that suffering now that he reigns. It was through that sacrifice that he was then elevated to the place of highest honor. Now watch this, go to Matthew 12. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strongman and plunder his goods. Only someone even stronger, someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. So Satan has been bound in the sense that the gospel can now advance and plunder hell. So you often hear about reference to the strongman. Yes, that could be said that it's a reference to the enemy, but the stronger man, well, that's God. That's the Holy Spirit. That's Christ. Amen. And we go in and we plunder those goods through the gospel. So Satan has already been bound. Now the gospel can go forward, people can be saved. We're plundering his goods now. Every time someone turns to Christ, the kingdom of hell has been plundered. But that couldn't happen, listen very carefully, please. That couldn't happen unless you first bound the strongman. Amen. We could not see people saved today. We could not see people rescued today from the kingdom of darkness if the enemy weren't tied, and he is bound. Now, this obviously raises the question of, well, how does Satan work then? How is it we still see evil and wickedness in the world? I'll show you. Matthew 6:9-10, please. Pray like this. Our Father in heaven, May your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Interesting here. Why is this interesting? Because even though the kingdom has been established, that doesn't mean that it can't be expanded. The establishment is the start of something. The establishment is, is the bringing it into existence. But the expansion of it is the widening of its influence. Here's another illustration. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants. Stop there for a second. Jesus is likening the kingdom to a seed in that it first exists in its smallest form, but then begins to grow until when? Watch this. But it becomes the largest of garden plants. It grows into a tree and the birds come and make nests in its branches. Jesus also used this illustration. The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in 3 measures of flour, It permeated every part of the dough. So here again, we see a reference to the kingdom as being a beginning and then an expansion. And so it's established and then it grows. So when Christ embarrassed the kingdom of hell, that was the establishment of the rule and the reign of Christ in the earth. Heaven, earth, below the earth. And now today we pray, let your kingdom come, in that we wanna see it expanded. So notice here, this is the opposite, and I may get in trouble here, but this is where we need to be shaken from the fear. Notice that this is the opposite of what is taught today in modern church eschatology. This is the opposite of what we hear in the modern church concerning the end times. Because we're taught that the kingdom of God is established, the church is established, but then it slowly begins to shrink until it whittles down to just a very, very, very small group that's ultimately rescued from defeat by way of escape from the earth. Wait a minute. Is that what Jesus said the kingdom was? Where do we read that? Because I remember reading that the gates of hell wouldn't prevail. Well, gates don't move. The enemy is not even the one on the offensive. We are. The enemy is trying to defend what little influence he has left. And we have seen the strongman bound. And now we go into the kingdom of darkness, plundering that house. Amen. Through evangelism, through the winning of souls, through the making of disciples, through the planting of churches, through the taking over of the different spheres of influence in this world. The kingdom is expanding, it's growing. Now it may not look like that because of all the demonic propaganda coming through television and social media these days, but the kingdom is expanding. Don't listen to the major news networks. They're liars. The kingdom is expanding. Don't listen to the naysayers and the doubters and the cynics and the critics, because the kingdom is expanding. The gospel is working. The church is growing in dominion and power. That's what's happening. And the enemy wants you to think opposite of that. The kingdom begins small, ends big. The kingdom began in one region, but then spread to the ends of the earth. So Christ reigns now and the kingdom is expanding. When does this expansion stop? Let's look at that. Psalm 110:1-2. The Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand. Who's seated at the right hand? Christ. With that in mind, let's continue to read. Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet. The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom. From Jerusalem, you will rule over your enemies. Let me show you something here. This wasn't here in my notes, but I want you to see this. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Watch this now. And you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere. Where does it begin in Acts 1:8? In Jerusalem. And then look at this now. The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from where? Jerusalem. And then look at Acts, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and where? to the ends of the earth. That's the kingdom. That's the seed. That's the yeast starting small, growing big. From small beginnings to dominion and power and never-ending glory. Not from small beginnings to some fruitfulness, back to a remnant, to where we're all suffering and need to get out of here. Now suffering will come, persecution will come. But remember I talked to you already about how we reign. Persecution is not the end of the church. Resistance isn't the end of the church. The blood of the martyrs, that's the seed in the ground for revival. Persecution spreads the gospel. I'm not saying that's the only way it can spread, but that's what happens. Anytime anyone's ever attempted to stifle the church, the blood of the martyrs becomes the seed in the ground. Amen. For future generations. Psalm 2:7-9. The king proclaims the Lord's decree. The Lord said to me, you are my Son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. This is a reference, a prophetic reference to the reign of Christ. We're supposed to go spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but we make disciples of the nations. You make disciples of the nations. That means we are called to win nations to Christ. Never mind with this, let's hope we can just get a few here or there. That's, that's not what the scripture teaches. Rather, we go in with the mindset of dominion and power, knowing that we are going into regions to win regions, to win cities, to win nations. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26. After that, the end will come when he will turn the kingdom over to God the Father. Keep reading with me, verse 24. Does it say, having been defeated by every ruler and authority and power? No, what does it say? Having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. So then, let's tie together the threads of Scripture. The reign of Christ began at the cross. That influence that came about as that, from that victory, that influence is ever expanding, and it culminates not with shrinking back to its original size, but with growing with such influence that ultimately the enemy is completely defeated. Now I know there are some scriptures maybe going through your mind like, wait, aren't there some indications in scripture that the enemy gains more and more influence until we're taken out of here? No, no, no. And to be clear, I do believe in the rapture of the church. I just don't believe in the rapture of the defeated church. I believe in the rapture of the victorious church. Watch this now, Daniel 7:13-14. As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal. It will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. So it begins and continues. until all enemies are defeated. Now watch this, Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given, and we see past tense, this isn't something that eventually is coming. I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, in other words, because I reign, now you can go and take the nations. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you, and be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Now that term, end of the age, that's a whole different message. But for now, I want you to focus here. Because I've been given authority, you can now go make disciples of the nations. That's the inheritance given to Christ. In other words, I reign, so here's what you can and should do. Now, this raises the question, as I mentioned a moment ago, where people say, well, doesn't Satan rule this world? Isn't he the prince of the power of the air? Well, look at 2 Corinthians 4:4, please. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. So Satan can still deceive those who refuse to believe the gospel, but this doesn't mean that he can stop the gospel from spreading. So it's a subdomain. In other words, for example, when it rains outside, it's raining outside whether you take an umbrella or not. But if you take an umbrella, it doesn't stop it from raining, but it does stop it from affecting you. In the same way, Christ has the overall reign, and some people live under their own umbrella of disobedience, where Satan can prevent the influence of the Holy Spirit from affecting them, only if the person continues to disobey, to not believe, to live in compromise, to live in rebellion, to harden their heart, to allow pride to swell within them. They live under that umbrella, a subdomain, a sub-influence. But overall, generally speaking, Christ still reigns. So the enemy can have pockets of influence. Think about this, jurisdiction. You cross a state line, different laws apply. And so the enemy works or has jurisdiction in the lives of those who live in the state of disobedience. Now, doesn't the Bible teach that things will get worse? Okay, let's look at this. 2 Timothy 3. You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will only love themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others, and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that. They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. Verse 8, These teachers oppose the truth, just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. Those are the sorcerers, the magicians in Pharaoh's court. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. And this is usually where people stop reading. They say, look, see right there, that's proof, it all gets worse. And they stop right there at verse number 8. And they never move beyond to verse number 9, which clearly says what? They are deceived. But they won't get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. Well, there it is. It doesn't last. It doesn't end on that note. It ends in victory. Look at this, Matthew 24:4-14. Jesus told them, don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name claiming I am the Messiah. They will deceive many, and you will hear of wars and threats of wars. Sound familiar? But don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world, but all this is only the first of the birth pains with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world. Because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. And we usually just skip verse 14. We stop right there. Doomsdayers and naysayers and negative minds, propaganda, fear, Paranoia. Why? Because we just don't read everything. Verse 14, and the good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it. And then the end will come. That's why I tell you that victory, not retreat, will be the posture of the church in the last days. Now you look at the historical timeline and you will see, as I said, this, This ebb and flow, this up and down, these cycles, if you will, the intensification of wickedness, the intensification of hellish influence, and then a response from heaven with great revival, a sweeping in of souls, an awakening of sorts. Each time the awakenings become greater and greater and greater. It never ends in defeat for the church. We're winning, he's returning, so get to work. Amen. Acts 1:9-11. After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud where they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, 2 white-robed men suddenly stood among them. Men of Galilee, they said, why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go. So they saw him ascend, Literally, physically. In the same way, we will see him descend literally and physically. Many will be saved and Christ will return victorious. Jesus says, you can enter God's kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it. Now it's important to note some things about this context. A, he's describing this before the cross. B, the way is narrow, yes, and one must repent in order to receive salvation. One must turn to Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. So don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying there are many ways to heaven. I'm not saying that there are different paths to take. There's only one path, and that's through Jesus. But what I also want you to consider is that he's speaking to a very specific stubborn audience here, in this particular context. In fact, if you go down to Matthew 8:11, he says this, and I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world, from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. So in one context, we have a few, in the very next chapter, we see many. It's all about their response to the gospel. So I'm not saying the way isn't narrow, I'm saying God can lead as many down that narrow path as he wills, He's willing that none should perish. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest. Ask him to send more workers into the field. Did he say the harvest was small, minuscule, just a small remnant? No, he says the harvest is great. We just need some workers. And finally, John 1:5, the light shines in darkness and darkness has not overcome it. So Father, give us the faith for the harvest. Thank you, Lord, that you are victorious and that the devil has already lost. And now I pray you give your people boldness and faith to stand on your word, to declare your truth, and to believe for a great harvest of souls in these days. Thank you for the victory. Thank you for an ever-expanding glorious kingdom. In the mighty name of Jesus, we say in faith, amen. Demonstrate your heart for the gospel through giving. Give to this work, and I'll be honest with you, we need your help. This ministry is growing rapidly. The events are growing, the media reach is growing, The church planting endeavors are growing and we need your help. So will you join us today? Will you step out in faith? Will you help us take the gospel to the ends of the earth? Maybe you're someone who's praying for a financial miracle. Give. Maybe you're someone who's blessed abundantly in the area of finances. Give. And each should give in proportion to where they are. Maybe God has given you a great surplus. Maybe you're a business owner or someone who's just blessed in the area of finances. The Lord blessed you in that area so that you can be a blessing to others. You can become a monthly partner with our ministry by going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. Consider a gift of $30 a month or whatever the Lord may put on your heart. Those monthly gifts are extremely helpful because they're very predictable. And because they're so predictable, we can look and see, okay, this is what's gonna come in. So we can plan more accurately for the future as those monthly gifts And as those monthly signups come in. And so you can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. Whoever you are, whatever your circumstance, I challenge you to give in proportion to where you are, give sacrificially. Maybe you're believing for a financial miracle, that's gonna look differently for you than it will for someone who's blessed with abundance in the area of finances. For that person, it's gonna look like something much larger, but whatever the Lord is challenging you to do, Don't delay, obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, give to the ministry today so that we can continue the work, that we can continue to fight for the soul of this generation, so that we can continue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit through media, events, and church planting. And now, if you enjoyed this teaching, you will especially enjoy Right Before God Uses You, the Devil Will Try These Attacks.