Tag Archives: Christ

June 17, 2026 · 7:00 pm

Abide in Me: The Spirit Sent in the Name “Yahshua”

The Name, the Spirit, and the Fruit: Three Threads Woven Into One Revelation

There are seasons when the Spirit lays scattered truths before us, not as finished doctrines but as threads waiting to be woven. These notes, carried in my journal since 2003, have ripened into a single vision. Three truths appear again and again: the Name Yahshua, the abiding of His Spirit, and the bearing of spiritual fruit. At first, they seem like separate teachings, but they are in fact one revelation unfolding in three movements.

Believing the message contained in the Name Yahshua brings the Spirit into us.

The Spirit’s indwelling enables us to abide in the Spirit.

The abiding produces spiritual fruit. Or more tightly: The Name reveals the Savior; the Spirit unites us to Him, and the abiding manifests His life in us.

I. The Name Yahshua — The Revelation of Who Saves

Scripture declares that a man is condemned “because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). Condemnation is not merely unbelief in a person, but unbelief in the message contained in the Name. The Hebrew name Yahshua means “Yahweh is the Savior.”

To believe in His Name is to believe that:

  • Yahweh Himself has come in human form,
  • Yahweh was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself,
  • Yahweh took on flesh to offer that flesh as the sacrifice for sin.

Rejecting this is rejecting Yahweh-in-the-Son. Accepting it is receiving the revelation of who God truly is.

II. The Spirit Sent in His Name — The Indwelling Witness

The Master promised, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Spirit comes in the Name because the Spirit confirms the truth of the Name.

Believing the message inside Yahshua’s Name opens the door for the Spirit to enter. The Spirit is the inward witness that the Father was in the Son, and that the Son is in us. The Spirit brings all things to remembrance because He is the same Spirit that dwelt in Yahshua from the beginning.

This is why John writes, “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” The Spirit enables the doing, and the doing reveals the abiding.

III. Abiding in Him — The Union That Bears Fruit

The Master’s words are clear: “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Abiding (μένω) means to remain, dwell, continue, stay. It is the language of union.

Fruit is not the result of human effort; it is the result of divine indwelling. Christ said, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit… that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16).

Here the three threads meet:

  • The Name reveals who He is.
  • The Spirit enters because we believe that Name.
  • Abiding becomes possible because the Spirit dwells within.
  • Fruit appears because His life flows through us.

To ask “in His Name” is to ask according to the truth of His identity — Yahweh dwelling in the Son, now dwelling in us by the Spirit. Such asking is always answered, for it is the will of God that we bear much fruit.

IV. The Witness Within

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself” (1 John 5:10). The witness is the Spirit. The Spirit is sent in the Name. The Name reveals Yahweh as Savior.

Thus, the believer becomes a living testimony that Yahweh has come in the flesh, that He abides in us, and that His life is now bearing fruit through us.

This is the golden cord tying the three threads together: Believing the Name brings the Spirit. The Spirit enables abiding. Abiding produces fruit. This is the will of God. This is the life of God. This is the revelation of Yahshua. kwh [I pray a blessing on all my readers. If this revelation has met a need, hit that like button and subscribe and make a comment.]

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June 12, 2026 · 8:20 am

The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Antichrist

A Study on the Identity of God and the Discernment of Spirits

The true Spirit of God is identified by one central confession: that Yahweh—the eternal Father and Creator—has come in the flesh as Yahshua the Messiah. Anyone who denies that the Father Yahweh dwelt in the Son is operating under the spirit of antichrist, which means “instead of Christ” from the Greek.

The apostle John teaches that the ultimate test of spiritual discernment is not emotion, religious activity, or outward appearance, but confession—specifically, the confession of who God is and how He came among us. To discern the Spirit of God from the spirit of antichrist, we must begin where Scripture begins: with the name and identity of God Himself.

The Name of God and the Incarnation of Yahweh

The first step in spiritual discernment is to get the name of God right. Scripture reveals that Yahshua is the name of the incarnate Yahweh—Yah in human form. Yahweh is the Father, and Christ Himself testified that the Father dwelling within Him performed the miracles (John 14:10).

Yahweh declares plainly: “For I am the LORD [YAHWEH] your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… and beside Me there is no savior.” (Isaiah 43:3, 11) Therefore, the one who confesses that Yahweh is the Savior, and that He has come in the flesh as the Anointed One, is confessing the truth revealed by the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God vs. the Spirit of Antichrist

John gives the test: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist…” (1 John 4:2–3). To “confess Christ come in the flesh” is not merely to acknowledge that a man named Jesus once lived. It is to confess who came in that flesh: Yahweh Himself—the Father—dwelling in the Son.

John later calls this “the Spirit of truth.” The “spirit of error” denies that Yahweh has come in the flesh of Christ. He sharpens the point: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). To deny the Son is to deny the Father, because the Father was in the Son. To deny the Father in the Son is to deny the Son Himself. This is the essence of the antichrist spirit.

The Witness of the Spirit

John also teaches that eternal life is in the Son (1 John 5:11). Paul calls this the “Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2), and John says, “the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6). This Spirit bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16), testifying to the truth of God’s identity.

What truth does the Spirit testify? That Yahweh, the great Creator Spirit, poured Himself into a human vessel—the Son Yahshua—whose very name means “Yahweh is the Savior.” This is the witness the Spirit gives inside every believer.

Believing in the Name of the Son

John concludes his first epistle with this assurance: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13)

To “believe in the name of the Son of God” is to believe that the Father was in the Son, and that through this union Yahweh saves His people from their sins. “He who believes in the Son has the witness in himself” (1 John 5:10). That person has the Spirit. That person has eternal life.

John echoes this in his Gospel: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). To receive Him is to believe in His name—Yahshua, the same name as Joshua of old, meaning “Savior.”

Conclusion: The Foundation of Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth begins with getting the identity of God right. Everything in the life of faith flows from this revelation: Yahweh the Father has come in the flesh as Yahshua the Messiah.

This is the Spirit of truth. This is the confession of the Spirit of God. This is the foundation of eternal life. To deny this is to embrace the spirit of antichrist. To confess it is to walk in the light, to receive the witness of the Spirit, and to enter into the life of the sons of God.

{What are your thoughts on these things? Leave a comment and like and subscribe. kwh}

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June 7, 2026 · 1:45 pm

Doing His Will: The Work That Christ Finishes Through Us

Introduction

Every believer eventually faces the piercing question: What does it truly mean to do the will of God? Christ Himself answered it with startling clarity. Standing beside the well of Samaria, He declared, “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). His very sustenance — His food, His strength — was to accomplish the Father’s purpose.

But what is that unfinished work? And how does He now complete it through His Body?

Thesis: Christ continues the Father’s will through His indwelling life in us — seeking, calling, and raising His elect, the spiritually dead, so that not one whom the Father has given Him will be lost.

The Unfinished Work: A Harvest Ready

Immediately after declaring His purpose, Christ points to the fields: “Lift up your eyes… the fields are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). The harvest is the world; the work is the gathering of the elect.

Those who truly see the Son and believe on Him receive eternal life, and He promises, “I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). Again He says, “Of all which the Father hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).

The will of the Father is unmistakable: Not one of His elect will be lost. Not one will remain dead. All will be raised.

Christ in Us: The Shepherd Still Seeking

Here is the astonishing truth: Christ finishes this work in us and through us.

He is the Shepherd of the lost sheep. And because He dwells in His Body, He goes out — in us — to gather His own.

This is not merely our mission; it is His life expressing itself through our bodies, which are now His temple.

Raising the Dead: The Father’s Will in Action

Jesus declared, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will” (John 5:21).

Who are the dead? Scripture answers plainly: those “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).

And how does He raise them? Through the preaching of the cross, through the word of life spoken by those in whom He dwells. In Yahweh’s timing, empowered by His Spirit, Christ in us calls His elect out of death and into life — and He will raise them up at the last day, losing not one.

This is the will of God. This is the work of God. This is the harvest.

The Vision Opens Only to the Crucified

This vision — Christ using us as His hands, His feet, His voice — opens only when two revelations strike the heart:

  1. Our old man is dead.
  2. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (Galatians 2:20).

When we step aside — when self is crucified — He takes over His temple. Then Christ in us goes forth to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel, gathering every son and daughter whom the Father has given Him.

Conclusion

So let us go out — not in our strength, but in His. Let us yield our bodies to the indwelling Christ. Let us join Him in the work He delights to finish:

seeking, saving, quickening, and raising every elect soul the Father has given Him — losing not

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June 4, 2026 · 3:24 pm

When Sheep Become Shepherds: The Mystery of Christ in Us

Most people assume they can recognize God when He speaks. Christ says otherwise. According to Him, only His true sheep—those born of His Spirit—can hear His voice, discern truth from deception, and follow Him into the life of the Kingdom. Everyone else, no matter how religious, remains deaf to the Shepherd standing right in front of them.

John 10 reveals that Christ’s sheep are those chosen by the Father, born of His Spirit, who enter the Kingdom through Christ the Door and become vessels through whom the Shepherd Himself continues His work.

The Sheep Who Hear the Shepherd

The Pharisees stood before Christ with His miracles blazing in their sight, yet they could not believe. The works of God were happening through the Son of God, but spiritual blindness kept them from seeing Yahweh walking among them. Christ explained the reason for their unbelief: “You believe not, because you are not of My sheep.” His sheep hear His voice; they recognize the Spirit speaking through the Son.

Christ promises these sheep eternal life, and He declares that no one can pluck them from His hand or the Father’s hand—because the Father’s hand and the Son’s hand are one. The invisible Spirit works through the visible Son. “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

The Parable of the Sheep and the Shepherd

John tells us that Christ spoke these things as a parable (John 10:6). A parable is a “dark saying”—a truth deliberately veiled so that only those appointed to receive it can understand. As Christ said elsewhere, “Unto them who are without, all these things are done in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand.” The parables reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 13:11). So what mystery lies hidden in this parable?

Christ’s sheep are those whom the Father has chosen and given to Him. These elect ones will not follow the voice of strangers. They will not be deceived by the false teachings of churchianity. They know the Shepherd’s voice because His Spirit lives in them.

Entering the Sheepfold: Entering the Kingdom

Christ begins the parable with a mystery: “He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold… is a thief and a robber.” The sheepfold represents the realm of God’s Kingdom. John has already told us that “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Entering the sheepfold and entering the Kingdom are the same spiritual reality.

Christ then declares, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” No one enters the Kingdom except through the Door—Christ Himself.

But then comes the hidden truth most readers miss.

The Hidden Mystery: Those Who Enter Become Shepherds

Christ says, “He that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” We usually apply this only to Christ, the Good Shepherd. But the parable reveals more. Those who enter through the Door—those born of His Spirit—are not merely sheep. They become shepherds under the authority of the Good Shepherd.

Why? Because the One who shepherds is Christ in us.

Paul declares, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” The Shepherd lives in His sons and daughters. The Spirit of the Anointed One guides them, speaks through them, and tends the flock through them. Christ is the Shepherd—through His body.

Thus the mystery unfolds: Christ the Shepherd forms a body of shepherds. His Spirit in them continues His work of tending the flock of Israel. This is the destiny of the elect: not merely to be sheep who hear, but to become vessels through whom the Shepherd Himself leads His people.     Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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May 29, 2026 · 10:31 am

When Family and Friends Become the Furnace of Love

Nothing tests the reality of our conversion like the people who know us best. Their resistance becomes the very fire God uses to forge His love in us.

When our friends and family reject our newfound faith, we must not grow frustrated. Christ commands us to forgive, bless, and love them — and in doing so, His Spirit grows within us.

Christ said, “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). It is often our families and closest friends who resist us the most when we begin to share the gospel. Their pushback can feel like a deep wound, especially when our hearts burn with new faith and we long for fellowship with them.

The Birth of Agape Love

But we must understand something vital: our Creator includes this resistance as part of His plan for our spiritual growth. Through these painful moments, He is cultivating agapē love in us. This is how we add love to our faith.

By faith we seek God, and by faith we receive into our spirit the love that flows from His divine nature. Agapē is described in 1 Corinthians 13 — patience, kindness, humility, endurance. These qualities are not learned in comfort. They are formed in us through suffering, especially through rejection.

Our loved ones “rub” against us. Through their unbelief they withstand us, just as Cain withstood Abel, Esau resisted Jacob, and the Pharisees opposed Christ. David faced pagan nations, but he also endured Saul and Absalom and his wives — enemies from within his own house. Without this friction, there would be little spiritual growth. Our spiritual muscles grow when we forgive.

Christ taught that our enemies would arise from our own home. Yet He also commanded us not to reject them, not to curse them, but to bless them, pray for them, and love them. They are not obstacles to our maturity — they are instruments of it.

Did not Christ say, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44)? And why? “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (v. 45). When we respond with divine love, we grow into His likeness. When we bless instead of retaliating, we mature. When we forgive instead of resent, we bear fruit. This is walking in the Spirit.

Christ gave us a new commandment: love your enemies. When someone puts us down, the old spirit of vindictiveness tries to rise. But this is the moment to exercise the divine nature within us. He has given us power to resist the old reactions that ruled us before our conversion. This is the first step in the journey of spiritual growth — knowing, doing, and being — the path toward 30‑fold, 60‑fold, and 100‑fold fruit‑bearing. This is what Christ was teaching in the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23. And it begins right where it hurts the most: forgiving those closest to us.     Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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May 18, 2026 · 12:48 pm

Rejecting “the God of his fathers”—Tracing the Antichrist’s Lineage

We learned in the May 13, 2026, post that there are certain things that must happen before Christ can come back to earth. A major sign is the “man of sin,” the Antichrist, will be revealed to God’s elect. The elect will recognize him. The whole world will be deceived, but Christ’s followers will not be. We, the chosen ones, will be studying and digging deep into world history and the word of God for clues as to his identity. Each of us so inclined will uncover little mosaic tiles of knowledge and share it with others until the full mosaic portrait of the man of sin be finished. The following is one of those mosaics of knowledge as to the identity of the Antichrist.

Introduction

Students of biblical prophecy have long recognized that Scripture presents a final adversary under several titles: the king of the north (Daniel 11), the little horn (Daniel 7–8), the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2), and the beast (Revelation 13). Though these names appear in different books and eras, the biblical writers describe a single eschatological figure whose rise, character, and rebellion culminate at the end of the age. The key to identifying this individual, lies in Daniel 11:36–37, where the king of the north exalts himself above every god and rejects “the God of his fathers.” When these details are compared with Paul’s and John’s descriptions, a unified portrait emerges. This essay argues that the king of the north in Daniel 11 is the same end‑time figure elsewhere called the Antichrist or man of sin, and that Daniel’s historical pattern provides the framework for understanding his future manifestation.

Historical Foundations of Daniel 11

Daniel 11 is one of the most detailed prophetic chapters in Scripture. Verses 1–35 trace the historical conflict between the Ptolemaic kingdom in the south and the Seleucid kingdom in the north, culminating in the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC). Antiochus, ruling from Syria, was literally “north” of Judea and became the prototype for the blasphemous ruler described in the latter portion of the chapter. Scholars note that verses 36–39 abruptly shift from Antiochus to a ruler whose arrogance, power, and timing exceed anything in the second century BC. This shift marks the transition from historical fulfillment to eschatological prophecy.

The Seleucid kings thus form the historical template for the “king of the north.” Antiochus foreshadowed a future world ruler whose empire will again be centered north of Israel and whose actions will surpass those of his historical predecessor. This pattern—near fulfillment followed by ultimate fulfillment—is common in biblical prophecy.

The Eschatological Shift in Daniel 11:36–45

Daniel 11:36–37 describes a ruler who “exalts himself above every god” and speaks “marvelous things against the God of gods.” He prospers “until the indignation is finished,” indicating a time period associated with the final tribulation. This language parallels Paul’s description of the man of sin, who “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God” and sits in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). The same blasphemous self‑exaltation appears in Revelation 13:5–7, where the beast speaks “great things and blasphemies” and wages war against the saints for forty‑two months.

The continuity of language—exalting himself, speaking blasphemies, prospering for a limited prophetic period—demonstrates that Daniel, Paul, and John are describing the same figure. Daniel 7:24–25 adds further confirmation: the little horn arises after ten kings, speaks great words against the Most High, changes times and laws, and rules for “a time, times, and half a time,” the same three‑and‑a‑half‑year period found in Revelation 13. The king of the north in Daniel 11:36 performs the same actions, linking all these passages into a single prophetic portrait.

“The God of His Fathers”: Clues to Lineage

One of the most intriguing statements in Daniel 11:37 is that the king of the north “shall not regard the God of his fathers.” The Hebrew phrase elohei avotav (“the God of his fathers”) is used throughout the Old Testament to refer specifically to the God of Israel—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Psalm 50:1 identifies El as Yahweh: “The mighty God, even the LORD,” better rendered, “The mighty El, even Yahweh.” This indicates that the king of the north rejects the very God his ancestors once acknowledged.

This detail suggests that the final adversary arises from a lineage historically connected to the covenant people. While Scripture does not specify his tribe or nation, Daniel’s language implies that he descends from a people whose forefathers once knew Yahweh. This aligns with the prophetic theme of the scattered northern tribes, who were exiled by Assyria in 722 BC and dispersed among the nations. The northern kingdom’s scattering forms part of the backdrop for Daniel’s repeated references to “the north,” both geographically and symbolically.

Geography and the Northern Pattern

In biblical prophecy, “north” is always defined from the perspective of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 1:14 declares, “Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.” Daniel follows this same orientation. The historical Seleucid kingdom lay to Israel’s north, and the eschatological king of the north follows this pattern.

Ezekiel 38–39 reinforces this northern motif. Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, comes “from the far north” in the “latter years” to invade Israel, only to be destroyed on the mountains of Israel. The invasion pattern, timing, and northern origin resonate strongly with Daniel’s description of the king of the north.

Connection to the Revived Roman World

Daniel 7:23–24 identifies the fourth kingdom as Rome, which historically expanded into Europe and the Mediterranean. Revelation 17 describes a ten‑king confederacy that gives power to the beast, suggesting a revived form of the Roman world. Daniel 11:40’s reference to “many ships” implies a Mediterranean reach consistent with this revived empire.

Thus, the king of the north emerges from a region historically tied to both the Seleucid north and the broader Roman world—geographically northern, politically western, and prophetically connected to Israel’s ancient enemies.

Conclusion

When the historical background of Daniel 11 is combined with the eschatological details of verses 36–45, a unified picture emerges. The king of the north is not merely a regional monarch but the final world ruler described throughout Scripture. His blasphemous self‑exaltation matches Paul’s man of sin and John’s beast. His rejection of “the God of his fathers” suggests a lineage once connected to Yahweh. His northern origin aligns with the prophetic geography of Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. And his political power fits the revived Roman confederacy of Revelation. Taken together, these strands reveal that Daniel’s king of the north, Paul’s man of sin, and John’s beast are one and the same—the final adversary who rises at the end of the age to oppose the Most High before being destroyed by the appearing of Christ.

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May 13, 2026 · 11:25 am

Christ Cannot Come Back Tonight

Here Is Why

In 54 A.D., the believers in Thessalonica were troubled by the idea that Christ could return at any moment. Paul writes his second letter to correct this very fear. He tells them plainly that the day of Christ will not come until certain events take place. His warning is sharp: “Let no man deceive you.” False teachers were already spreading the idea of an any‑moment return. The same deception echoes today in pulpits across the land: “Christ could come back tonight!” they proclaim.

But Paul contradicts that notion. He lays out a sequence—clear, unavoidable, prophetic markers that must unfold before Christ returns.

1. The Falling Away

Paul’s first sign is a great apostasy: “There shall come a falling away first” (2 Thess. 2:3). This is not a minor drift but a wholesale departure from the apostolic faith. Many who claim Christ, will abandon the truth. They will embrace darkness while believing themselves enlightened. They will exchange the gospel of the Kingdom for “another gospel,” crafted by false teachers who preach a Christ of their own imagination.

The devil’s ministers will not proclaim the righteousness of God’s Kingdom. They will offer a counterfeit Christianity—comfortable, powerless, and blind. This falling away is not merely doctrinal confusion; it is spiritual rebellion, and it is already happening in many churches.

2. The Man of Sin Revealed

The second sign is even more sobering: “That man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” This is not merely a spirit of deception but a specific human being—Satan’s masterpiece of delusion. He will possess extraordinary power, granted by God as judgment upon a world that “received not the love of the truth.” Because they rejected truth, God sends them a strong delusion (2:11). They will believe the lie, and the masses will follow this man straight into perdition.

Before Christ returns, the elect will recognize this man. His identity will not be hidden from those who walk in the light. Therefore, the modern claim that Christ could return “tonight” collapses under Paul’s teaching. If the elect cannot identify the Antichrist, then the day of Christ is not yet here.

3. The Antichrist in the Temple

Paul gives the defining mark of this man of sin: he will oppose God and exalt himself above God. How? By sitting “in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This is not symbolic language. It is a literal act of blasphemous self‑exaltation.

But there is no temple in Jerusalem today. Therefore, the temple must be rebuilt before this prophecy can be fulfilled. Christ Himself confirms this sequence in Matthew 24. After the early birth pangs—wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes—He points to a specific event: the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel. This abomination is the Antichrist enthroning himself in the temple as God (Matt. 24:15; Daniel 9:23).

This moment will ignite the Great Tribulation: “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world” (Matt. 24:21). It will be the darkest hour humanity has ever known. Yet for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened. God will not allow His chosen ones to be swept away with the wicked. But this also means the elect are still on earth during the tribulation—so much for the escapist fantasy of a secret rapture. The rapture doctrine says that all Christians will be raptured before the great tribulation. Christ says that the elect will be going through the Tribulation Period and will come close to annihilation.

The True Sign of Christ’s Return

As this age draws to its close, Scripture gives us one unmistakable sign: the revealing of the Antichrist in the rebuilt temple. This false messiah will blaspheme God before the nations, and the world will marvel after him. His rise will mark the final counterfeit kingdom of Satan before the true King appears.

Therefore, Christ cannot come back tonight. Not because we doubt His promise, but because He Himself told us what must happen first. The temple must rise. The man of sin must be revealed. The abomination must stand in the rebuilt temple declaring himself God. Only then will the heavens open and the Son of Man appear in power and great glory.

Watch for the counterfeit kingdom. Watch for the man of sin. These are the signs that the end is truly near. Comment on how you see these things. Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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May 3, 2026 · 5:13 pm

The Fig Tree Generation: Why Some Alive Today Will See Christ’s Return

When the Fig Tree Buds: Israel’s Rebirth and the Final Generation

Something remarkable has unfolded in our lifetimes, something no generation before us has witnessed. After more than two thousand years without sovereignty, the ancient nation of Israel has been reborn. Many Christians sense that this event is prophetically significant, that history is accelerating toward the return of Christ. Yet many also believe that no one can know anything about the timing of His coming. But Jesus/Yahshua Himself gave signs—clear, observable signs—that would mark the nearness of His return. And He anchored those signs to a specific parable: the parable of the fig tree (Mt. 24:32–34)

This essay will argue from Scripture that there are people born in 1948, who will still be alive when Christ returns. To demonstrate this, we will first show that the fig tree is a biblical metaphor for the tribes and nation of Israel. Then we will examine His parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24 and show that it refers to Israel’s national restoration. Finally, we will consider Christ’s statement that some people would not “taste of death” until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. This reinforces the idea of a final generation alive at His return (Matthew 16:28).

Israel as the Fig Tree in Scripture

Before interpreting this parable, we must establish that the fig tree is not a random plant but a prophetic symbol for Israel. The Old Testament repeatedly uses the fig tree to represent the tribes of Israel in their covenant relationship with God. Hosea records God saying, “I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig tree at her first time,” identifying Israel’s ancestors with the early figs of a fig tree (Hos. 9:10). Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs—good and bad—and God explained that the figs represented the people of Judah in their spiritual condition (Jer. 24:1–10). Joel describes an invading nation that “barked my fig tree,” a clear metaphor for Israel under judgment (Joel 1:6–7). And Micah speaks of the Messianic age when every man will sit under his vine and fig tree, symbolizing Israel’s restored peace (Mic. 4:4).

These passages show that the fig tree is a long‑standing biblical metaphor for Israel. When Yahshua spoke of a fig tree putting forth tender leaves, His Israelite audience would have immediately recognized the symbol. He was speaking of Israel’s national life, its restoration, and its prophetic destiny (Hosea 9:10).

The Parable of the Fig Tree and Israel’s Rebirth

With the metaphor established, we turn to Christ’s words: “When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” Just as new leaves signal the approach of summer, He said that certain prophetic signs would signal the nearness of His return. He then added the crucial statement: “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” The question is: Which generation? (Matthew 24:32–34).

If the fig tree represents Israel, then the budding of the fig tree represents Israel’s national rebirth. After centuries of dispersion, Israel became a nation again in 1948, fulfilling what many see as the budding of the fig tree. The “tender branch” and “new leaves” symbolize new national life after a long season of dormancy. Christ said that the 1948 generation, when this budding occurs, “shall not pass” until all end‑time events are fulfilled.

“Summer” in the parable represents the harvest—the end of the age. Earlier in the chapter, the disciples asked Christ, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” He answered with a series of signs and concluded with the fig tree parable. The budding of the fig tree is therefore the sign that the end‑time harvest is near (Matthew 24:3).

“Some Standing Here Shall Not Taste of Death”

Yahshua made another statement that reinforces the idea of a final generation: “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” This could not refer to the disciples themselves, for they all died long before Christ’s return. Therefore, the “some standing here” must refer to a future group of people located in the land of Israel—people who will live to see His coming. (Matthew 16:28)

If the fig tree generation begins with Israel’s rebirth in 1948, then His words in Matthew 16:28 harmonize with Matthew 24:32–34. There will indeed be people alive from that generation who will not die before Christ returns. This does not reveal the “day or hour,” but it does shed light on a year. This gives a prophetic timeframe anchored in observable history (Matthew 24:36). These points confirm that we indeed are living in the time of the end, that Christ’s return is very near.

Conclusion

Jesus did not leave His followers in darkness about the general timing of His return. Though He affirmed that no one knows the exact day or hour, He also gave unmistakable signs—foremost among them the budding of the fig tree, the prophetic rebirth of Israel. Scripture consistently uses the fig tree as a symbol of the tribes of Israel, and He declared that the generation witnessing its renewed life “shall not pass” until all end‑time events are fulfilled. Taken together, the biblical metaphor and Christ’ own words strongly suggest that there are people alive today who will still be alive when Christ returns. This is not a prophecy, but a reasoned supposition based on the timeline Christ provided. If the fig tree began to bud in 1948, then the generation born in that year would still have survivors when He returns. Many people live to 100 years or more, placing the outer edge of that generation around 2048 and slightly beyond. While this does not reveal the precise day or hour, it does offer a sober and compelling window into the season of His coming.      

[What do you think of this? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Like and share.] Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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April 23, 2026 · 8:48 am

Dying With Christ, Living Through Him: The Miracle of the New Nature

It is not enough to believe that Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Scripture calls us to believe something far more personal: that our old Adamic nature died with Him, was buried with Him, and that by believing in His resurrection, we too are “raised to walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). This is His requirement for true discipleship.

It is not difficult to believe that Christ existed or that He endured what Scripture records. “Even the devils believe…and tremble” (James 2:19). But Christ calls His followers to go all in—to lay everything on the line, to put real skin in the game. That means surrendering our old lives, ambitions, addictions, habits, and identities. He tells us to “count the cost” and see whether we are willing to undergo the spiritual growth process necessary to become like Him. Not merely improved versions of ourselves, but like Him.

We must first understand that when Christ expired on the cross, your sin nature and mine died with Him. That was us dying there. He took our sins upon Himself and, through death, eradicated them. All the sins of humanity—and the old nature that produced them—died when He died (Romans 6:1–15). This is precious knowledge, rarely heard in pulpits today.

Christ was buried, and with Him was buried every sin ever committed. Your sins, my sins, and the old nature that generated them were laid in that tomb.

And then Christ rose from the dead. But it was not only He who rose—we rose with Him. In His mercy, He provided a way for us to receive a new life before our physical bodies return to dust. He rose; we rise—by believing His word. He said it. He wrote it. Our task is to believe it.

So the issue is not merely believing that Christ rose. It is believing that we rose with Him. All we possess are His words, written nearly two millennia ago, promising this new life. Believing those words requires faith—trusting what we cannot yet see.

The Seed Germinates

When we truly believe in our own death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, the light of truth ignites within us. It is like a seed planted in the soil. The warmth of the sun and the moisture of the earth work together, and then a miracle occurs.

The seed ceases to exist in its former state. Its outer shell decays, returning to dust, while its hidden life breaks forth toward the light. So it is with God’s offspring. We are reborn like those garden seeds—by miracle.

The original spiritual Seed is the Word of God. Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. An author writes the script, and this Author wrote the play of Life by coming in flesh, giving Himself as a ransom, and embodying the Word on earth. That Word became the Seed. When we believe that Word—about Him and about our union with Him—we become “new creatures in Christ.” We become part of the divine drama. He is in us, enacting His love, which is the heart of the Script.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Christ was that wheat seed. Had He not died, He would have remained alone. But by dying, He produced many grains—many sons and daughters in His likeness.

If a person refuses to die with Christ, he faces the lonely tomb of death. But if we choose His way, our old sinful heart dies, and we are freed from its tyranny. Once slaves to sin, we are now liberated.

Like that garden seed, through belief in the Word of promise, we rise with the Creator’s life surging through our new being.

Sprouted Wheat Becomes Grain

We, like freshly sprouted wheat, become potential grain the Master mills into flour for the spiritual “bread of life.” But we must grow to maturity—“first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head” (Mark 4:28).

We are His seed, His children, destined to grow into His likeness and to be used in His purpose. If we are not growing, something is wrong.

To mature, we must “purge out the old leaven”—the false teachings handed down by well‑meaning people. We must “dig deep,” study His word diligently, and endure the opposition that will come, often from those closest to us.

This is the path of the Seed. This is the way of growth. This is how Christ reproduces Himself in His people.

—Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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April 19, 2026 · 10:58 am

Entering the Celestial City

The Way into New Jerusalem

How deep is our conviction that there truly is a celestial city—a real New Jerusalem—that will descend out of heaven and settle upon the site of the present earthly Jerusalem?

Is New Jerusalem merely a myth, a poetic exaggeration born from John’s apocalyptic vision? After all, this is the same John who saw strange beasts and fantastic scenes throughout the book of Revelation. But reducing New Jerusalem to imagination ignores the long, unbroken testimony of Scripture.

The patriarchs and prophets contemplated this city long before John ever saw it. They understood that the celestial city was the wellspring of their hope. It was the anchor of their faith through seasons of abundance and seasons of famine. They knew that belief in New Jerusalem lay at the very heart of God’s covenant with them.

They trusted His promise of a transformed spiritual body—raised from the weakness of this “mortal coil” into an everlasting, Spirit‑empowered vessel. For the Spirit of God has much cosmic work yet to accomplish in us throughout the ages to come.

Knowing Christ and the Power of His Resurrection

But everything begins with knowing who God truly is. When that knowledge takes root, everything else follows. Paul prayed that “the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17).

Paul himself counted every achievement of his former life as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ: “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Why does God honor the losses we endure? Paul answers: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (v. 10).

Christ’s death marks the end of our old life. His resurrection marks the beginning of our new one. And with Him, we have been raised—according to His promise—to sit with Him in the celestial city. This is the very promise Yahweh made to the patriarchs and prophets: that we would become resurrected citizens of New Jerusalem. That is eternal life—the life of the Son of God.

We derive our life from His life. By believing in His resurrection, we participate in it. And through that participation, we receive His promise of dwelling eternally with Him in His city.

This is the promise. Our movement toward the heavenly city is not a shallow “going to heaven because I go to church.” It requires a deeper, more profound faith—one that grows only after “the loss of all things.” Death produces loss, but through the loss of our old self, we gain eternal life in Him.

And eternal life is what fills New Jerusalem.

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