Throughout human history God has dealt with humanity in three distinct categories: Society in general. The Jews in particular. The Christian church in specific.
SOCIETY: By this I mean the aggregate of all individuals throughout all recorded time, from Eden to the present. God has dealt with society in terms of morals, laws, culture, government, and religion. With respect to the end of time, in Matthew 24 Christ described society this way: But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark (NKJV).
In the last days, society will be like the time of Noah. People went about life in their normal, usual way. Family life, commerce, and pleasure were indulged in without any regard for god or conscience. It was so bad that Genesis 6:5 says: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. NKJV
THE JEWS: All of history that really matters spiritually, before the birth of Jesus, was the tale of the Jewish nation and God’s dealings with Israel. The clock of God’s dealings with Israel is about to strike midnight. It began more than a century ago when Jews began returning to their homeland of Israel. This prophetic timeline accelerated in May 4, 1948 with the establishment of the Jewish state in the Holy Land. On this date the United Nations officially recognized the State of Israel, thus fulfilling a biblical prophecy going back more than two millennia. This “gathering of exiles,” also known as the “Aliyah,” fulfilled the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 30:3.
THE CHURCH: This is where we focus now, the Great Apostasy, referred to in 2 Thess. 2:3-4: 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( NKJV). For several weeks we’ve focused on how COVID-19 is a presage, a demonic preparation, what I’ve called a “scrimmage,” a dress rehearsal for the final act of mankind’s drama of life. If we are in the Last Days, then we should be able to recognize the signs of this apostasy even now. We need a broader understanding of this matter. First the word “apostasy” means the renunciation of a religious belief. In more practical terms, it is a turning away from the Christian faith to embrace spiritual rebellion, “witchcraft” more specifically.
1) The spirit of Jezebel is more rampant that ever. I’ve done deliverance 40 years, and decades ago I would encounter this spirit somewhat frequently. But today, it is every day, and sometimes many times in a single day. Jezebel was the ultimate apostate, who sought to destroy the nation of Israel and the worship of Jehovah with her sorceries.
2) The eclectic syncretism of pagan concepts of spirituality is greater today than ever. “Eclectic” means borrowing from a wide variety of sources and syncretism means blending and assimilating different religious beliefs into one.
Here are the signs of the Great Apostasy.
1) A “crossless” Christianity. Playing down the distinctives of Christianity to make pagans feel comfortable in our midst.
2) Turning church into a place where we expect God to come down to us as a good buddy rather than our reaching up to God as an awesome Creator before whom we bow with fear and trembling.
3) Failing to wage spiritual warfare against real devils and talking about deliverance but never really doing anything about. In this age of great apostasy, we need committed Christians who are instead morally disciplined, loyal to Christ and His church, ardent in their enthusiasm, faithful in obedience to the Word, and defenders of the faith and the whole gospel of salvation, spiritual healing, and deliverance from demons.
