We are in the midst of the final moments, my brothers and sisters, those who truly believe in and love Jesus. I’ve studied prophecy for over thirty years, and I am expecting Jesus to appear and take His bride any time now. Every day that passes, the truth of it becomes more clear. Jesus said, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). The hour of trial is coming upon a world that has rejected Christ, and it will be a terrible time of testing and wrath. From what I understand from Greek scholars, He will keep us “out of” that time. Here is a short article that discusses it.

For those of us who have called upon the name of the Lord to be saved, we will be saved. For those of us who cling to him in faith and hope, that faith and hope will be manifested into our reality when our Creator, our Redeemer, comes for us (John 14:1-3). I believe the Spirit has been preparing those who love Jesus for this moment, sanctifying us in His truth, drawing us away from the ways of the world, and setting us apart as we approach the moment that will change everything. I have experienced this personally, and I have observed it in a lot of other believers.

One thought that comes into my mind is for those who wonder about the words that Jesus will speak to some in Matthew 7:23 at the time of judgement, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” These were people who did things in His name. That is unsettling, but we need to remember the time, place, and people that Jesus taught this saying. I could go into detail, but I want to encourage you instead. The question that I have grappled with is who does Jesus know?

A powerful statement is made by the prophet, Nahum just after detailing the wrath that was coming against Nineveh. “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him” (1:7). We know that our faith is all about trusting in our Savior and Redeemer, He is our stronghold in the day of trouble. So, if you trust in Jesus, then He knows you. I want to emphasize that. He knows you!

Paul tells us clearly, “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him” (1 Corinthians 8:3). If you love the Lord, then He knows you. He knows you! That is the greatest commandment that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. There is nothing more important than Him. He is everything to me, and I know He is everything to all those who truly trust in and love Him.

So, when the Lord says what He does to those people in Matthew 7:23, we know that group did not love or trust Him. He never knew them.