Bible Prophecy

MANY CHURCHES

WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH

"Now the Holy Spirit expressly says
that in latter times some
(churches and church leaders)
will depart from the faith”
(1 Timothy 4:1)

What IS the “Apostasy”?

The term "depart" from the faith which we find in many of our Bible translations comes from the Greek word aphistemi (apostasy), which literally means “to stand away from God’s Word,” and denying that which is professed as truth in the Bible.

The Prophecies

The "Falling Away" of the Churches:

The Bible warns in “the latter times” churches will "depart from the faith"

and will “no longer endure sound doctrine.”

From Bible prophecies we find this "falling away" (Apostasy) would begin with 'some' churches which would then grow into 'many' churches as we approach the coming Apocalypse. After the Rapture it will become 'all' churches (the great Apostasy) ...

"Now the Holy Spirit expressly says (This is God warning us)
that in latter times some
(churches and church leaders)
will DEPART from the faith,
giving heed to deceiving spirits
and doctrines of demons
(denying and opposing God's Law in the Bible)
speaking lies in hypocrisy,
having their own conscience
seared (numbed) with a hot iron,
forbidding to marry ..."
(1 Timothy 4:1-3)

"Beloved, (he is speaking to believing Christians)
while I was very diligent to write to you
concerning our common salvation,
I found it necessary ("compelled")
to write to you exhorting you
to contend earnestly for the faith
which was once for all delivered to the saints.
For certain men (and women)
have crept in unnoticed, (church leaders)
who long ago were marked out
for this condemnation,
ungodly men (and women),
who turn the grace of our God
into lewdness.

But I want to remind you,
though you once knew this,
that the Lord, having saved the people
out of the land of Egypt,
afterward destroyed those
who did not believe (God's Word)."
(God's Laws are the same for every generation.)
(Jude 1:3-6)

"For the time will come
when they
(churches, church leaders, and many Christians)
will NOT endure sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires,
they will gather around them
a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears
WANT to hear.
(and not what the Bible says)
They will turn their ears
away from the truth (as found in God's Word)
and turn aside to myths."
(such as the 'DaVinci Code')
(2 Timothy 4:3-5)

These crucial Bible prophecies and warnings were written for those going to churches in the "latter" times

The problem is not many people today really want to hear what the Bible has to say.

Few will take the time to learn what the Bible actually teaches (or warns) about many of the serious social issues which are now confronting this generation. A deeper knowledge and understanding of God's Word could quickly eliminate much of the anger (or confusion) concerning these things which are dividing many people, churches, and Christians today. Yet, more and more people are basing their knowledge and understanding of God's Word solely on whatever their church or church leaders are choosing to tell them. The Bible warns against developing a higher degree of love and loyalty toward a particular church or church leader than toward God and God's Word.

The Apostle Paul praised the Berean churchgoers because they would eagerly listen to their church leader (and Paul), but would then go home to "search the Scriptures daily" to see if what they were being taught was true ...

"The Bereans were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word (heard the sermon)
with great eagerness,
but then SEARCHED the Scriptures daily
to find out whether these things (they were being taught)
were true."
(Acts 17:11)

The danger in not holding our local churches accountable to the Scriptures is that people can quickly be led to replace the sincere love for (and obedience to) God's Word which God seeks and desires, with a socialized or "works-based" form of Christianity. Even though all Christians should be doing good works in loving, helping, forgiving, and sharing with others as proof of their faith (while also enjoying the friendships and social benefits which can be found when regularly attending a church), we have to remember that our good works (or social activities) can never save us into Heaven ... (but, we are promised rewards for them in Heaven).

All believing Christians know Jesus Christ is God who stepped forth from eternity ("From of old, from everlasting" - Micah 5:2) in order to suffer and die for our sins so we can be "washed clean" of all of our sins by His blood shed on the Cross and then clothed in His perfect righteousness, through faith. We are promised if we turn away from those sins ("repent") which He suffered and died for, and place all of our faith and trust in Jesus having paid the terrible price for all of our sins (past, present, and future) upon the Cross, and believe He rose from the dead on the third day (to offer us a new and eternal life), we will have the full assurance (and God's promise) of everlasting life in Heaven.

God's Word also teaches the Greatest Commandment is to love God above all other things. Now consider the fact that Jesus Christ is not only God manifest in human flesh, but in John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13 we also find Jesus Christ is the "WORD of God."

So, when Jesus (God) says ...

"IF you love me,
you will keep my commandments."
(John 14:15)

We can't love Him if we reject, deny, oppose, or reject any of His Word, including any of His Laws, statutes, rules, or commandments. Remember, that except for those laws which were given specifically to Israel (to separate them from all other people and nations), all of God's Laws and Rules were given to Mankind from a loving God in Heaven to protect us from the Evil One and from the terrible effects and consequences of sin.

The Bible warns "The Falling Away," the "Rapture,"

The "Antichrist," and the "Apocalypse" are all closely linked ...

"Now brethren,
(He is warning believing Christians)
concerning the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our gathering together to Him (the ‘Rapture’ and escape)
Let no one deceive you by any means,
for that Day (The terrible Apocalypse ... after the Rapture)
will not come unless
the falling away ('departing from the faith' ... the Apostasy)
comes FIRST
(just like we are now seeing)
And the man of sin (the coming Antichrist)
is revealed, (when he enforces a peace upon Israel)
the son of perdition (another title of the Antichrist)
who opposes and exalts himself
above all that is called God
or that is worshiped,
so that he (the coming Antichrist)
sits as God in the Temple of God,
(a new Temple will be built in Jerusalem)
showing himself that he is God.
(this event will trigger the Great Tribulation)
Do you not remember
that when I was still with you
I told you these things?"
(In Acts we find Paul was with them for only 3 weeks!!)
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-5)

This prophecy goes on to tell us the Antichrist cannot be revealed until sometime AFTER the Rapture ...

"For the mystery of Lawlessness
is already at work;
Only He who now Restrains (the Holy Spirit)
will do so UNTIL He is taken out of the way.
(The Rapture/removal of all those filled with the Holy Spirit)
And THEN the Antichrist ("Lawless One")
will be revealed, (when he enforces a peace upon Israel)
whom the Lord will consume
with the breath of His mouth
and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The coming of the Lawless One (Antichrist)
is according to the working of Satan,
with all power, signs, (this leader will perform miracles)
and lying wonders,
AND with all unrighteous deception (mixing Biblical truth with lies)
among those who perish,
because they did NOT receive
the love of the truth, (God's Word)
that they might be saved." (Into Heaven)
(2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)

The Bible warns many deceitful teachers

will successfully infiltrate into our churches ...

"For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers,
(Warning: They will look and sound very Christian)
transforming themselves
into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder!
For Satan himself
transforms himself into
an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing
if his (Satan's) ministers
ALSO transform themselves
into ministers of righteousness, (or reverends, or priests)
whose end will be
according to their works."
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

The "God is Love" passage will be misused to deceive many into ignoring God's Law ...

"Beware of false teachers (prophets),
who come to you in sheep's clothing,
(they will look Christian and sound so caring)
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
(Matthew 7:15) (Leading many away from the protection of God's Law)

Jesus clearly warns those who willfully practice this (or any) form of "Lawlessness" ...

"NOT everyone
who says to Me (Jesus), 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
(These people consider themselves Christians)
MANY ('most' or 'majority' who call themselves Christian)
will say to Me in that Day
'Lord, Lord, have we not taught (prophesied)
in Your Name,
cast out demons in Your Name,
and done many wonders in Your Name?
(They may have been very busy in church)
And then (at the Judgment)
I (Jesus) will declare to them
'I never knew you, (through love, faith, trust, and obedience)
DEPART from Me (out of Heaven)
you who practice Lawlessness.'" (Willfully disobeying and ignoring God's Law)
(Matthew 7:21-23) (The spirit of the "Lawless One" will convince many to deny God's Word)

A Warning to the Churches

Jesus warns ‘lukewarm’ churches (and Christians) will place their "opinions" above God's Word as found in the Bible ...

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen,
the Faithful and True Witness, (the Bridegroom is now speaking)
the beginning (head) of the Creation of God:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.
I could wish you were cold or hot.
So then, because you are LUKEWARM, (in love, faith, trust, and obedience to God's Word)
and neither cold nor hot,[
I will VOMIT you out of My mouth"...
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
To him who overcomes
I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame (at the Cross)
and sat down with My Father on His throne.
“He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
(Revelation 3:14-16,19-22)

In Greek, Laodicea can be translated "Peoples Opinions" (See below). In John 1:1 and Revelation 19:11-14 we find one of Jesus Christ's "Names" is "The Word of God." The whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the Word of God.

We find here the Laodicean style churches have put "The Word of God" (Jesus) outside as they teach, preach, and believe their own "opinions" as to what is "right or wrong" and "good or evil," even if it denies, or opposes, or ignores what God's Word actually says.

We also find Jesus Christ (the Word of God), having been placed outside these churches, has to knock to get back in. We then find there are still some individuals in these churches who will open the door and invite Him into their lives, and with open arms and with tears of joy they will be welcomed and received into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Churches Teaching Opinions and Not the Word of God

From Moriel.org: The name "Laodicea" is built of a compound Greek name "lao" and "dikeaomai", meaning "people's opinions." These people and churches base their teachings and beliefs on "opinions" and not on God's Word as found in Scripture.

God has also warned us through other prophecies

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD,
That I will send a FAMINE on the land,
NOT a famine of bread,
NOR a thirst for water,
But of HEARING the words of the LORD."
(Amos 8:11)

This prophecy could be somewhat analogous to a monstrous tidal wave. If we're standing on a beach and see the water rapidly start to recede from the shore we know it signifies a tidal wave is rapidly approaching which will at some point devastate and destroy everything in its path.

In our scenario, the receding water represents the teaching (and hearing) of God's Word, the shore represents our churches and synagogues, and the Tidal Wave represents the coming Apocalypse which will one day devastate and destroy almost every living thing on planet Earth. The coming Apocalypse is the fierce and terrible "Day of the Lord" which prophet after prophet has cried out and warned us to watch for and to escape from by drawing near to God who will lovingly hide and shelter all who will draw near to Him before "that Day."

A Recent Voice of Warning

One of the most popular and respected Bible teachers of the 20th Century was J. Vernon McGee who started sounding the alarm concerning the falling away (“apostasy”) of the established churches over 40 years ago! Dr. McGee’s warnings and writings included the following:

“We are seeing in our day an amazing, an alarming, and an awful apostasy of the church. There has always been a question among students of prophecy about just how far the organized church would go into the apostasy before the Rapture occurs.

Some of us did not believe that we would see the organized churches plunge this far into a departure from the faith before the true church — that is, the body of believers who actually trust in Christ as Savior, recognizing they are sinners and their only hope is in Him — would be taken out of the world. When Dr. William Culbertson was here in Los Angeles speaking at the Prophetic Conference, he said to some of us privately, “The things I am seeing today I thought would not take place until the Tribulation!” And I’m sure that this is the viewpoint of many students of prophecy today.

In this sense, therefore, it’s an amazing apostasy that has come upon us. Suddenly the church has departed from the faith, and many of us thought that by the time this happened the true church would be gone.

It's an alarming apostasy ... and an awful apostasy. For this reason I think we can accurately say that we are right now in an amazing and alarming and awful apostasy in the church.”

HOW FAR WILL THIS GO?

The coming "One-World" Religious System

The Bible warns around the time of the coming Apocalypse a global religion or religious system will begin to gather and rise which will draw Protestants, Roman Catholics, Islamics, Jews and other religions together through deceptive and seductive promises of "Peace" and "Love." This rising religious system will one day have a very powerful leader who will be looked upon as "a man of peace." One of this man's 33 titles found in the Bible is "the Antichrist."

The only groups who will be excluded from this coming One-World Religion will be Bible-believing Christians and Jews.

The coming Antichrist will have a RELIGIOUS partner

“Then I saw ANOTHER beast
coming up out of the Earth,
and he had two horns like a lamb
and spoke like a dragon.
And he exercises all the authority of the
first beast (the Antichrist) in his presence,
and causes the Earth and those who dwell in it
to worship the first beast (Antichrist),
whose deadly (head) wound was healed.”
(Revelation 13:11-12)

The Antichrist will not be alone. Another man, also empowered by Satan, will rule alongside the Antichrist. This powerful and deadly religious leader or “beast” (as God sees him) will rise to world power with the Antichrist. In this prophecy God reveals some important information and details concerning this religious man of power ...

“Two horns like a lamb,” tells us he will emerge with Christian credentials or doctrine, but “Spoke like a dragon” tells us he will be a liar and a deceiver who is controlled and directed by Satan. This person, along with the coming religious system he will lead, is also referred to in the book of Revelation as “The Woman Who Rides the Beast.” We are warned this all encompassing, one-world religion will rise to power out of the "City of Seven Hills" (Rome).

This coming ecumenical Religious System will one day imprison and execute millions of believing Christians

A number of years ago a Bible teacher warned that one day we would hear "ecumenical" Christians saying, "If we could just get rid of that 10% of extremist Christians (those "fundamentalists" who actually believe the Bible), the world would be a much better place."

According to Bible prophecies, these people will someday soon get their wish ...

The Bible-believing Christians we find below who WILL one day be imprisoned, tortured, and executed by this coming One-World Religion for their faith and trust in God's Word are those who will turn back to the Lord AFTER the Rapture, and are sometimes referred to as the "Tribulation Saints."

God will take the sting out of death for these millions who will die in faith, and wants them
to know they will be blessed in Heaven ...

“Then I heard a voice from Heaven
saying to me, “Write:
‘Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord from now on.’” (This is during the Apocalypse)
“Yes,” says the Spirit,
“that they may rest from their labors,
and their works follow them.”
(Revelation 14:13)

“Then I saw the souls
of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus
and for the Word of God,
who had not worshiped
the beast (Antichrist) or his image,
and had NOT received his mark
on their foreheads or on their hands.”
(Revelation 20:4)

“I saw under the altar
the souls of those who had been slain
for the Word of God
and for the testimony which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
“How long, O Lord, holy and true,
until You judge and avenge our blood
on those who dwell on the Earth?”
Then a white robe
was given to each of them;
and it was said to them that
they should rest a little while longer,
until both the number of their
fellow servants and their brethren,
who would be killed as they were,
was completed.”
(Revelation 6:9-11)

Jesus warns ...

“Now brother will betray brother to death,
and a father his child;
and children will rise up against parents
and cause them to be put to death.
“And you will be hated by all men
for My Name's sake.
But he who endures to the end
shall be saved.” (Into the Kingdom of Heaven)
(Mark 13:12-13)

Remember, one of Jesus Christ's names in the Bible is "The Word of God" (see John 1:1 and Revelation 19:11-14). We are already starting to see people in this country and around the World being accused of "hate crimes" for simply referring to verses and passages found in the Bible, God's Word.

Where does your church stand on Bible Prophecy?

Most churches today either reject or deny Bible Prophecy saying it's just symbolic or has already happened in the past. Others will say they refuse to teach it because "it's too divisive." Others simply ignore or avoid it because of their lack of knowledge or training in this area.

How important IS Bible Prophecy in God's Word?

Overall about 25% - 30% of the entire Bible is prophetic. Out of the 216 chapters found in the New Testament, there are 318 prophecies referencing the Second Coming of Christ. This represents about one out of every thirty verses just in the New Testament! Then consider that 23 out of the 27 books in the New Testament include prophecies. We also find that for every prophecy about Christ's first coming, there are eight concerning His Second Coming. Yet, many of you have attended church for over 25 years and have never heard any detailed teachings on Bible Prophecy.

Jesus rebuked and held the religious leaders of His day accountable for not knowing and teaching the Bible prophecies.

Many of you reading this may never have been taught and weren't even aware of most of the Bible prophecies found on this page, or on this site. If a church or church leader never includes Bible Prophecy in their teaching, then how will the people ever know whether or not that church is one of the churches which these many prophecies concerning the Apostasy or the "falling away" are warning against? Or how will the people know whether we might now be drawing near to the coming Apocalypse? Or how will the people know how to escape (or be removed from) the coming Apocalypse in order to prepare and protect their families and children?

For Jesus warns ...

“WATCH therefore,
and pray ALWAYS
that you may be counted worthy to ESCAPE
all these things that will come to pass.” (through faith in His worthiness … not ours)
(Luke 21:36) (We have to be taught what things to "Watch" for!)

Other prophecies also warn ...

“Before the decree is issued,
before the day passes like chaff,
before the LORD’S fierce anger comes upon you,
before the Day of the LORD’S Anger comes upon you!
Seek the LORD,
all you meek of the Earth, who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness,
seek humility.
It may be that you will be HIDDEN
in the Day of the LORD’S anger.” (The coming Apocalypse)
(Zephaniah 2:2-3)

God has taken a lot of time and effort in His Word trying to lovingly warn us of this "falling away" (Apostasy) of the churches which will trap many well-intentioned churchgoers and families unaware. God loves us and wants us to know the grave danger of being subtly and deceptively led away from the safety and the protection of His Word which was sent forth and given to save us from such things.

Yet, we will never know if we are being led astray until we take the time and effort to diligently study, search, and learn more of God's Word to see if these things are true.

God will never punish us for obeying His Word, as written.

Now, I hope you will test the Bible Prophecies found on this page and on this site, and "Search the Scriptures daily" to see if these things are true.