I hope the freshness of the new year energizes you and that you are as excited as I am about the gospel possibilities in 2026. I hope to see many more Jewish people coming to faith in Jesus as the day of His return draws closer.
Paul reminded the Roman believers,
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.(Romans 11:25–26)
We know for sure a day is coming when your Jewish friends, coworkers, and relatives will turn to Jesus—assuming they are still alive at the moment of His return, which is what I believe the verse is literally teaching. This passage implies, in my understanding, that one of the signs of His soon return will be an incremental increase in the number of Messianic Jews around the globe, especially in Israel, where we see the modern Messianic movement growing.
At the end of chapter 11, Paul clearly explains to the Roman believers that he has a deep sense of certainty about the future of Jewish evangelism—because of God’s unbreakable covenants and unchanging character! He is and will be faithful to His chosen people. I am not implying that Jewish people can go to heaven without believing in Jesus, but rather the day is coming when “all Israel will be saved”—by accepting Jesus as their savior. This will happen at the very end of the last days, but I believe we will begin seeing this phenomenon of faith increase in the days approaching His return.
We have dozens of staff who are sharing the gospel on the streets, in homes, teaching Bible studies, leading congregations, hosting Israelis, and on campuses, making the good news of the Messiah known every day.
We will never give up because God’s promises for the full spiritual restoration of the Jewish people are plainly taught throughout Scripture . . . if you take His word as literally as I do!!
I believe with my whole heart that the very next major event in human history will be the second coming of the Messiah Jesus. We must preach the gospel today with the urgency of a certain tomorrow shaped by the promises of God. We know that the Lord is coming soon, and we now have the opportunity to point all people to a future hope promised by God through the mouths of His prophets. As Isaiah wrote in chapter 2 verses 1–3:
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
We must embrace the future as promised by God Himself.
Yet, many believers seem to shy away from this future hope, absorbed mostly by their present circumstances. These days, there seem to be fewer books, conferences, sermons, and personal Bible study about the Second Coming. When our focus on the Second Coming is diminished, our deep-seated desire to reach the Jewish people—and all people—for Jesus seems to wane.
Scripture Applies to Today and Points to Tomorrow
It can be quite frightening to think about the future, especially if you read the Bible and take it seriously! The romanticized happy ending we all love in literature, theater, and the movies is simply not part of the divine script for human history. The future will be unyielding and selective, holding good news for some and bad news for others.
Jesus calls us to engage with the modern world, but not to overly attach ourselves, even to our very temporary existence on earth. Believers, like everyone else, tend to embrace the world’s dream of a better life—to live longer, to enjoy a “no worries” mentality, to live for the moment, to change what we can on earth, and not to become overly concerned with the future. But we know that, contrary to the world, our Messiah wants us to join Him in being crucified daily, forsaking the things of this passing planet to follow Him in obedience to all that He has taught. We sometimes behave as if God has given the future to humans to control, but the future that God planned for us before the foundations of the earth is inevitable and coming soon.
Humanity is not meandering through the ages, as God has a plan and purpose for the conclusion of our present age. This future will not be ethereal or nondescript; it is outlined with great detail in Scripture. It will include a full itinerary of unavoidable events. Rather than remaining passive participants in the future God has prepared for humanity, we should study the Scriptures to discover what He has planned so that we become active participants.
God’s Future Plans Are Unstoppable
Today, many thoughtful evangelicals gravitate toward a more undefined view of the future, spiritualizing the kingdom message of the Old Testament prophets. We tend to take the Bible’s teaching about the future less literally than in previous years. We say, “Thy kingdom come,” but have only a minimal understanding of the kingdom we expect.
Eschatological or “end times” agnosticism is more common today than digging deeply into Scripture to find out what God has in store for those who love Him. In so many good and practical ways, the church has worked to alleviate present suffering and injustice. Yet, this focus on the present can also obfuscate Scripture’s teaching about our future hope. We sometimes behave as if nurturing a future hope is less godly than working toward a better present. But our sure hope for the future can strengthen our resolve to face the present and help us be His instruments for bringing godliness to a fallen world.
We often quote the Sermon on the Mount to undergird our concern for the present: “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). But the Lord is simply encouraging us to trust Him with our tomorrows and to believe He will provide for our needs as we “seek first His kingdom.” Using this text to minimize the significance of God’s future plans is a misunderstanding of the text. Jesus never avoided the future!
The Lord is not telling us to ignore the future, as He said the opposite in Matthew 24:32–33, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”
Our Biblical Future
Learning more for ourselves and teaching others about the coming kingdom is one of our duties as disciples of Jesus. We are not only part of God’s kingdom today, but we also have starring roles in His forever-story! We must discover what He has planned to the best of our ability and allow the future to shape the way we live and serve in the present.
This is precisely why He addressed the future in His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). What we do today in obedience to Jesus only makes sense considering the future that awaits us. We recognize that our days are numbered and that life as we know it will soon end. We also believe that the time is short to let the world know about salvation, the abundant life, and God’s plan for the future.
If we are not telling people about the events of the end of the age, then we are not doing what Jesus instructed us to do. It is the recognition of our temporal nature and of our few remaining days on earth that compels us to devote our lives to fulfilling His Great Commission. It was the hope of His coming and the reminder of what He has planned for us that motivated His disciples to carry out this holy commission.
Jesus taught His disciples that the “end of the age” is as certain as His death and resurrection. Should we then concern ourselves with the details? Of course! As His present-day disciples, we should not trivialize what mattered so profoundly to our Savior. If so, we demonstrate that we have not learned, followed, and observed what He taught, thereby denying the very teaching He called us to pass along.
The day is coming when we will run out of time to fulfill the commission He has given us, and it is for this reason that Jesus linked the Great Commission to the future that He planned before the foundations of the earth. That future includes the salvation of the Jewish people through embracing Jesus as Messiah and Savior.
The end is near, dear friend, and we have a great role to play in this drama of redemption. We must remember that the Jewish people also have a prophetic role in the end times, so let us pray and work toward the salvation of Israel. I hope you will take up the mantle of Jewish evangelism and allow God to use you to bring the message of hope to your Jewish friends and family.
Your Mission to the Jewish People has many ways we can help you take up the mantle of making Jewish people jealous (Romans 11:11). We offer numerous videos, books, training opportunities for hosting Israelis in your homes, and so much more.
We need your prayers, encouragement, participation, and support. Join hands with us and walk with boldness toward the future God has prepared for all, especially for those who love Him.
Dr. Mitch Glaser 