going to a church?
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Verse 21 tells us of a future time of Great Tribulation. It is a tribulation that is so great that there has never been such a tribulation in the history of the world. Then verse 24 tells us the character of this tribulation. It is a spiritual tribulation that plagues the churches. Notice that false christ's are arising. Since Christ has worked in the churches, these false christ's, of whom Satan is the chief, will work in the churches. That is why they are called false christs. These false christ's are coming with all of their false doctrines, which is what we see in the churches today.
Notice the signpost that God gives us, namely, they come with signs and wonders. As mentioned above, gospels of signs and wonders, including tongues, are prevalent in the church today, like no other time in history. This is a big evidence. As we continue in this study, we will learn much more about these gospels of signs and wonders.
God also indicates that there will come a time in history in which Satan will be victorious over the body of believers. We read in Revelation 13:7:
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The saints are those in the churches and congregations. It was given to Satan to make war with the corporate body and to overcome it. Notice that it was "given unto him." God has given him this victory. We read in Revelation 9:1-3:
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of the great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
What is going on?
The "star" here is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one with the key to the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit is a reference to hell. Christ is the one who loosed Satan to come against the church. This explains what were read in II Thessalonians 2:1-4, which tells us that the man of sin (Satan) will take his seat in the temple. From I Corinthians 3, we know that the temple is a reference to the corporate body, the churches and congregations, and the man of sin is Satan, and finally, to take one's "seat" is to rule. We will go into more details on these verses later in this study.
The Old Testament Book of Daniel also speaks of this time. We know this because God has directed us to look back into the book of Daniel in Matthew 24:15. We read in Daniel 7:21 and 25:
I beheld, and the same horn made warn with the saints, and prevailed against them;
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until the time and times and the dividing of time.
Verse 21 is very similar to Revelation 13:7. Satan is the "little horn" who will make war with the churches and will prevail. The changing of "times and laws" refers to Satan working in the churches to change the rules of the Bible. This identifies exactly with what we have seen. In the short list above, we can see many areas in which the churches have changed the laws of the Bible to suit their own desires.
God has not only allowed the churches to fall away, but has appointed Satan as the ruler of the churches.
Therefore, we can see from this short sampling of verses that the Bible does speak of this time, and it indicates that it is a dreadful time, because God has not only allowed the churches to fall away, but He has appointed Satan as the ruler of the churches. We must remember that to "sit" or to take one's "seat" means "to rule."
Therefore, we can see that the Bible is not silent about the falling away that we see today. The Bible actually has a whole lot to say about what is
What is going on?
happening today. And as we proceed in this study, we will see that the "Great Tribulation" that we are experiencing today is very well documented in the Bible. There are many more Bible passages that describe the time in which we are living.
What is God's Response to the Churches Falling Away?
We have seen that the churches and congregations have departed from the truths of the Bible, and that there appears to be little or no fear of God in the hearts of church leaders today. As we have compared what churches do and teach versus the Bible, we see the flippant disregard for the laws of God. Also, we have seen that the Bible is not silent about this time, but rather that God has declared that this time would come, and that it would be a dreadful time. We have seen these two important points, and now we are faced with the next logical question: What is God's response to this open rebellion? Is God just going to sit idle while all of this is occurring? Has God simply written about this so that the believers are not in shock when this happens? Is God going to allow all of this without any response?
We will find that the Bible answers these questions with a definite NO! Let us look briefly at a few passages to get an introduction to this topic. First, we read in I Peter 4:17-18:
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Just as God will examine all of the unsaved of the whole world on the last day, as we read in Revelation 20:11-15 and in other passages, God is insisting in I Peter 4:17 that His judgment begins in His own house, in His churches and congregations. Now, just as in the final judgment on the last day when God will show no mercy, we will see in this study that there is no mercy in God's judgment upon the churches. This is truly a dreadful situation; it is a situation of such magnitude that God speaks about it in many parts of the Bible. For example, God speaks about this same judgment in Jeremiah 25. In Jeremiah 25, God expands the explanation of I Peter 4:17.
We read in Jeremiah 25:15-26:
For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and
What is going on?
be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them
If we examine this language carefully, we see that it must be talking about Judgment. Notice how God emphasizes judgment upon all the nations of the world. He lists many known nations of that time and then transitions to speaking about all of the nations that are "upon the face of the earth." This can be only the final judgment, which includes the final five months of hell on earth, (Revelation 9),after the true believers have been raptured. This will be followed by the final day of the earth's existence, when God will destroy everything (2 Peter 3:10).
Notice where this judgment begins. It begins at Jerusalem and Judah. This parallels I Peter 4:17. Also, look at verses 28 and 29:
And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Notice God's response if the peoples of the world complain that judgment has come on them. God declares that those in the world who have had no connection with the churches of God will be judged but God has begun with His
Chapter 1. What is going on?
own house. God is insisting that He is not a respecter of persons. His judgment upon the unsaved in the churches is no less severe than it is on those outside. We see the exact parallel between Jeremiah 25 and I Peter 4:17-18. Judgment begins with the corporate body, the people of God, the churches and congregations, then it transitions to the whole world. No one will be able to complain that God is unfair because He began with His own people.
Verse 21 tells us of a future time of Great Tribulation. It is a tribulation that is so great that there has never been such a tribulation in the history of the world. Then verse 24 tells us the character of this tribulation. It is a spiritual tribulation that plagues the churches. Notice that false christ's are arising. Since Christ has worked in the churches, these false christ's, of whom Satan is the chief, will work in the churches. That is why they are called false christs. These false christ's are coming with all of their false doctrines, which is what we see in the churches today.
Notice the signpost that God gives us, namely, they come with signs and wonders. As mentioned above, gospels of signs and wonders, including tongues, are prevalent in the church today, like no other time in history. This is a big evidence. As we continue in this study, we will learn much more about these gospels of signs and wonders.
God also indicates that there will come a time in history in which Satan will be victorious over the body of believers. We read in Revelation 13:7:
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The saints are those in the churches and congregations. It was given to Satan to make war with the corporate body and to overcome it. Notice that it was "given unto him." God has given him this victory. We read in Revelation 9:1-3:
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of the great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
What is going on?
The "star" here is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one with the key to the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit is a reference to hell. Christ is the one who loosed Satan to come against the church. This explains what were read in II Thessalonians 2:1-4, which tells us that the man of sin (Satan) will take his seat in the temple. From I Corinthians 3, we know that the temple is a reference to the corporate body, the churches and congregations, and the man of sin is Satan, and finally, to take one's "seat" is to rule. We will go into more details on these verses later in this study.
The Old Testament Book of Daniel also speaks of this time. We know this because God has directed us to look back into the book of Daniel in Matthew 24:15. We read in Daniel 7:21 and 25:
I beheld, and the same horn made warn with the saints, and prevailed against them;
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until the time and times and the dividing of time.
Verse 21 is very similar to Revelation 13:7. Satan is the "little horn" who will make war with the churches and will prevail. The changing of "times and laws" refers to Satan working in the churches to change the rules of the Bible. This identifies exactly with what we have seen. In the short list above, we can see many areas in which the churches have changed the laws of the Bible to suit their own desires.
God has not only allowed the churches to fall away, but has appointed Satan as the ruler of the churches.
Therefore, we can see from this short sampling of verses that the Bible does speak of this time, and it indicates that it is a dreadful time, because God has not only allowed the churches to fall away, but He has appointed Satan as the ruler of the churches. We must remember that to "sit" or to take one's "seat" means "to rule."
Therefore, we can see that the Bible is not silent about the falling away that we see today. The Bible actually has a whole lot to say about what is
What is going on?
happening today. And as we proceed in this study, we will see that the "Great Tribulation" that we are experiencing today is very well documented in the Bible. There are many more Bible passages that describe the time in which we are living.
What is God's Response to the Churches Falling Away?
We have seen that the churches and congregations have departed from the truths of the Bible, and that there appears to be little or no fear of God in the hearts of church leaders today. As we have compared what churches do and teach versus the Bible, we see the flippant disregard for the laws of God. Also, we have seen that the Bible is not silent about this time, but rather that God has declared that this time would come, and that it would be a dreadful time. We have seen these two important points, and now we are faced with the next logical question: What is God's response to this open rebellion? Is God just going to sit idle while all of this is occurring? Has God simply written about this so that the believers are not in shock when this happens? Is God going to allow all of this without any response?
We will find that the Bible answers these questions with a definite NO! Let us look briefly at a few passages to get an introduction to this topic. First, we read in I Peter 4:17-18:
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Just as God will examine all of the unsaved of the whole world on the last day, as we read in Revelation 20:11-15 and in other passages, God is insisting in I Peter 4:17 that His judgment begins in His own house, in His churches and congregations. Now, just as in the final judgment on the last day when God will show no mercy, we will see in this study that there is no mercy in God's judgment upon the churches. This is truly a dreadful situation; it is a situation of such magnitude that God speaks about it in many parts of the Bible. For example, God speaks about this same judgment in Jeremiah 25. In Jeremiah 25, God expands the explanation of I Peter 4:17.
We read in Jeremiah 25:15-26:
For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and
What is going on?
be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them
If we examine this language carefully, we see that it must be talking about Judgment. Notice how God emphasizes judgment upon all the nations of the world. He lists many known nations of that time and then transitions to speaking about all of the nations that are "upon the face of the earth." This can be only the final judgment, which includes the final five months of hell on earth, (Revelation 9),after the true believers have been raptured. This will be followed by the final day of the earth's existence, when God will destroy everything (2 Peter 3:10).
Notice where this judgment begins. It begins at Jerusalem and Judah. This parallels I Peter 4:17. Also, look at verses 28 and 29:
And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Notice God's response if the peoples of the world complain that judgment has come on them. God declares that those in the world who have had no connection with the churches of God will be judged but God has begun with His
Chapter 1. What is going on?
own house. God is insisting that He is not a respecter of persons. His judgment upon the unsaved in the churches is no less severe than it is on those outside. We see the exact parallel between Jeremiah 25 and I Peter 4:17-18. Judgment begins with the corporate body, the people of God, the churches and congregations, then it transitions to the whole world. No one will be able to complain that God is unfair because He began with His own people.
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
