The Coming Storm
Repeatedly, the New Testament warns believers that before Jesus returns his Church will find itself under assault from within by deceivers, “false anointed ones,” and “false prophets.” Moreover, before the “Day of the Lord” begins, his disciples will be confronted by the “Man of Lawlessness,” a malevolent figure linked directly to the “Apostasy,” the final great “falling away” from the true faith.
Jesus
warned us to beware of the “many deceivers” who come “in his name”
and thereby “deceive many,” namely, “false prophets” and “false
messiahs” who cause “lawlessness” to spread among his people, spread
false information about the “coming of the Son of Man,” and use impressive
“signs and wonders” to deceive, “if possible,” the very “elect.”
Only the believer who perseveres through this onslaught will be saved -
(Matthew 24:5, 23-27).
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| [Photo by NOAA on Unsplash] |
Likewise, in the Book of Revelation, the “False Prophet” performs “great signs” that deceive many, causing them to give their allegiance to the “Beast from the Sea” rather than to the “slain Lamb.”
Already in the first century, deceivers had infiltrated
the Seven Assemblies of Asia, “false apostles,” the “Nicolaitans,”
and the “prophetess, Jezebel,” causing some members to engage in
idolatry and otherwise compromise with the surrounding pagan society.
Even in those early congregations, “Mystery
Babylon” was at work attempting to destroy them from within, the same way
that Satan has been attacking the Church over the last twenty centuries, often
with great success. His efforts will only intensify during the last phase of
the present age.
Moreover, in Revelation, Satan does not
wage “war” against Israel or other nation-states, but on the “saints,”
those who have the “faith of Jesus” and his “testimony,” the very
ones who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” This “war” includes the
invasion of the church by deceivers, false prophets, and rather clever
deceptions.
The Apostle Paul was specific when writing the Thessalonians.
The “Day of the Lord” and the “arrival” of Jesus would not come until
two events occurred – the “Apostasy” and the “revelation of the Man
of Lawlessness.”
Consistently in the Greek scriptures, the term “apostasy”
or ‘apostasia’ refers to the abandonment of the true faith. When Paul
warned that this “Lawless one” would deceive those who “refuse the
love of the truth,” he was describing believers who apostatize. This
conclusion is borne out by his declaration that the “truth” believers
must cling to is the “tradition you received” from him and his coworkers.
This master deceiver will “seat himself in the
Sanctuary of God.” Elsewhere, Paul consistently refers to the Body of
Christ as the “Sanctuary of God,” not a stone building in Jerusalem;
thus, the “Lawless One” will target the Church of Jesus Christ.
HOLD FAST TO THE TEACHINGS
Paul also warned Timothy
about this coming apostasy. The time is approaching when “some will depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” In
the last days, “evil men and howling imposters will wax worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived.” Considering what was coming, he exhorted Timothy:
- “To preach the word, and be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the SOUND DOCTRINE, but having itching ears, they will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts and will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to fables” – (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:13, 4:1-4).
We should note Paul’s stress
on “sound doctrine” as the antidote to the coming plague of deception,
as well as the believer’s best defense against the many deceivers who will
invade the Church before the end.
The Apostle Peter also warned of “false prophets” and “false teachers” who will disseminate false doctrines and wreak havoc in the church before the end of the age - (2 Peter 2:1-3).
In his epistles, John speaks
of the coming “Antichrist,” but of more immediate concern to him were
the “many antichrists” that were active IN THE CHURCH. The “Last
Days” were underway, and that was demonstrated by the “Spirit of Antichrist”
that was at work through the deceivers who were disseminating false teachings among
believers already two thousand years ago – (1 John 2:18-22, 4:1-3).
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| [Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash] |
Scripture provides a clear and consistent warning. Before the return of Jesus, the Church will experience the “Apostasy” fomented by “false prophets” and other deceivers and the unveiling of the “Man of Lawlessness” among believers. While persecution will certainly come, the stress is on the danger posed by false teachers and false prophets working in the Assembly.
However, the Church of Jesus Christ is neither
defenseless nor without hope. The very fact that Jesus and his apostles warned
of these coming events indicates that his disciples can avoid deception and darkness,
and this is accomplished by heeding the teachings of Jesus and his apostles.
As Paul assured his readers, faithful
believers will not be overtaken by the “Lawless One” despite his mighty
“signs and wonders” IF they “hold fast” to the APOSTOLIC
TRADITION handed down by him and his fellow Apostles, and that “tradition”
is preserved in the Greek New Testament – (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17).
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