The Number One Sign We ARE At the VERY END of the End Times!
What is the most obvious sign that, not only is the Antichrist about to be revealed, but that we are standing on the precipice of the start of the tribulation? And how can we know for sure that this particular sign does indeed mean we are that close?
To answer this question, let’s take a look at 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Verse three specifically tells us “that” Day will NOT come UNLESS the falling away comes first. Are we seeing the falling away? I believe so.
The church has been given over to an ear tickling message and their leaders who preach it. 2 Timothy 4:3-5 tells us, “3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (As a side note, I would also like to add, for those of you who feel warning people is ungodly or unbiblical; verse 5 commands us to be watchful in ALL things and DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST, which is warning people and telling them the truth about Jesus Christ!)
We are seeing a deluge of false teachers, preachers, and people who have given themselves over to their ear tickling messages.
Your Jaw Will Hit the Floor On This One! The Church Just Took One Step Closer To Hell!
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GotQuestions.Org had one of the best, biblical articles on the matter:
The Bible indicates that there will be a great apostasy during the end times. The “great apostasy” is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The KJV calls it the “falling away,” while the NIV and ESV call it “the rebellion.” And that’s what an apostasy is: a rebellion, an abandonment of the truth. The end times will include a wholesale rejection of God’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world.
The occasion of Paul’s writing to the Thessalonians was to correct some of the errors concerning the end times that the believers had heard from false teachers. Among the falsehoods was that “the day of the Lord has already come” (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Christians in Thessalonica were afraid that Jesus had already come, they had missed the rapture, and they were now in the tribulation. Paul had already explained the rapture to them in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Paul writes his second letter to assure them that, contrary to what they had heard, and despite the persecution they were enduring, the “day of Christ” had not yet come.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul makes it clear that the day of the Lord, a time of worldwide judgment (Isaiah 13:6; Obadiah 1:15), will not transpire until two things happen. First, the falling away, or great apostasy, must occur. Second, the “man of lawlessness” must be revealed, he who is called the “son of perdition,” also known as the Antichrist. Once this person makes himself known, the end times will indeed have come. Numerous speculations about the identity of the man of sin, beginning in the first century, have included Caligula, Caius Caesar, Mohammed, Napoleon, and any number of Roman popes. None of them were the Antichrist
The man of lawlessness, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, is the one who “will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Clearly, this has not yet happened; no one since Paul’s time has set himself up as God in the Jewish temple. Two thousand years have passed since the epistle was written, and the “day of the Lord” has not yet come. Paul assures us that it will not come until the falling away comes first.
The Greek word translated “rebellion” or “falling away” in verse 3 is apostasia, from which we get the English word apostasy. It refers to a general defection from the true God, the Bible, and the Christian faith. Every age has its defectors, but the falling away at the end times will be complete and worldwide. The whole planet will be in rebellion against God and His Christ. Every coup requires a leader, and into this global apostasy will step the Antichrist. We believe this takes place after the church has been raptured from the earth.
Please pay close attention to the next paragraph here:
Jesus warned the disciples concerning the final days in Matthew 24:10–12: “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” These are the characteristics of the great apostasy of the end times.
Here are important bullet points from the above verse about the characteristics of the great apostasy of the end times:
-Many will turn away from the faith (Would you say that many people have turned away from the truth of God’s Word? Following a watered down, politically correct, corrupt version, which is a lie, instead?)
-Many will betray and hate each other (Have you noticed both in the news, and looking around in your own life at others, that more and more people seem to be betraying one another for their own personal gain or selfish reasons? And, not only are betraying one another, but filled with hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness as well?)
-Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (How many self-proclaimed prophets have you seen on the internet who are hearing from God with dates, time frames, warnings, messages and more? Many have similar messages, and many are also different. Have what these people proclaimed come to pass? Is what their proclaiming something that is also recorded in the Bible almost word for word? Aren’t many people losing hope and faith as a result of false prophecies that never come to pass?)
-An increase of wickedness (Just turn on the news or look at the news on the internet. It’s pretty obvious wickedness is on the rise every day. Sexual immorality, murder and abortion, child abuse, hatred, hate crimes, witchcraft, violence, no conscience, love of money, children killing their own parents, parents killing their own children, etc. The list could go on and on.)
-As a result of an increase of wickedness, the love of MOST will grow cold (The world has moved so far away from the true Biblical definition of love it’s not funny. We live in a narcissistic self-absorbed society. People are in a hurry and do not have time to care about other people. As the old saying goes, “It’s a dog eat dog world,” which means “ruthless and competitive.”)
I will leave the answer to the question up to you. Open your eyes and look around at everything going on in the world, particularly the church (and I don’t mean a building). Given all that you see, do you feel the falling away spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 has taken place? And, if so, according to that same verse, doesn’t it mean the “man of sin, son of perdition (Antichrist), is next on the agenda and at hand?
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, I strongly urge you today to consider. Here is a plan of salvation from AllAboutGod.Com:
Plan of Salvation: Rebirth is the Answer to Life’s Most Important Question
Plan of Salvation — We think life’s most important question is “Are you going to heaven when you die?” It is not a question of how good you are, whether you go to church, or how much money you give to charity. God says, in order to go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3).
Plan of Salvation: How can we be Born Again?
The plan of salvation is right in the Bible. God gives us His clear plan for being “born again.”
First, we must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, and accept our humble position in God’s creation. “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11).
Next, we must realize that we are sinners. “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Because we are sinners, we are condemned to death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God.
But God loved each of us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear our sin and die in our place. “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how, God said our sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. Jesus became our substitute.
In the Bible, a jailer asked his prisoners, Paul and Silas: “’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.’” (Acts 16:30-31).
It’s very clear in the Bible, believe in Jesus as the one who bore your sins, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. It’s Christ’s blood and resurrection that assures us of everlasting life when we call on Him as our Lord and Savior. “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13). “Whosoever” includes each and every one of us.
Therefore, if you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin, then you understand the plan of salvation. The question is – are you ready to implement the plan, by receiving God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord:
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
If you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God’s family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.
- Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
- Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
- Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
- Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
- Find a local church where you can worship God. (Added by Lyn Leahz: make sure you find a good, Bible believing, truth-telling church that preaches the convicting message of truth, not the ear-tickling watered down false love message)