PERFECTION – Chapter 22 – Where are we now? – The Great Apostasy
THE 5TH TRIBULATION SEAL – THE GREAT APOSTASY
2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, verse 2, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Verse 3. “No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, verse 4, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
Outlined, verse by verse, makes this easier to understand; just read slowly and take it at face value.
With regard to the coming of our Lord and the gathering together to Him
Do not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Let no one in any way deceive you
*4. For the day of our Lord and the gathering together to Him will not come unless the apostasy comes first
*5. For the day of our Lord and the gathering together to Him will not come unless the man of lawlessness is revealed
The man of lawlessness is the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,
He takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
WHAT IS THE APOSTASY: In Christianity, Apostasy is the rejection of Christianity by someone who formerly was a Christian.
The title of this article might suggest that misbehavior and apostasy is a recent malaise of the church. Apostasy, from the Greek word, “apostasia”, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.”
The term apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia (“ἀποστασία”) meaning defection, departure, revolt or rebellion. It has been described as “a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christianity.
In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. Actually, just like in the first century, spiritual apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today.
Revelation 6:9, tells us, that, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; Verse 10, and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Verse 11. And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”
Matthew 24:9, also tells us that one sign of the 5th Tribulation Seal is being broken and reason for a ‘falling away from the faith’ is, “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Verse 10. And at that time many will fall away from the faith, and they will betray one another and hate one another. Verse 11, And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. Verse 12. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.”
Even now, before the great persecution of Christians has reached the Western world, Pew Research and Barna Research, both, are revealing what the corporate Church is unwilling to admit, that many are leaving the church and are not returning. But, the other half of this ‘equation’ is that many are LEAVING THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS – falling away from the faith – but are staying in the church .
This “falling away from the faith”, as told by Pew and Barna research, alone, may not signal what prophetic scriptures has foretold regarding the “Great Falling Away” (The Great Apostasy) but, considering all has already come to pass (the breaking of the first four Tribulation Seals) you can be confident this is what is prophesied.
Just prior to this falling away from the faith, Jesus warns, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people”, (Matthew 24:4-5). False teachers may not say the exact words, “I am Jesus”, but they will claim to represent Jesus and His Gospel, and will mislead many people. Institutional deception is our greatest threat.
I have personally experienced pulpit bullies, false teachers, apostates and heretics in our postmodern church. Many of these men seem to have started right, but, over time, their ‘true selves’ emerged, and they are the ravenous wolves which scriptures warn about:
Matthew 7:15-23 says, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Before I go further, please watch the first 15 minutes of Pastor Trent Casto’s sermon broadcast, (Senior pastor of Covenant Naples Church, Naples, Florida), to get additional background and context. For your convenience and brevity, I have cued this video to start at 4:42 minute mark of this video to the 13:35 minute mark.)
(NOTE: Use of this video in no way asserts or assumes Pastor Casto or Covenant Naples Church agrees with or endorses the content or the context of this book.)
The men, (and, now, women), as referred to in Pastor Casto’s sermon, are in pulpits and on TV screens, leading thousands and tens of thousands astray.
Finally, please, familiarize yourself with what the Bible says, since it is the way to life! Many in the pastorate or speaking from our church pulpits and through various media are not scripturally qualified to assume an office of pastor, teacher, evangelist, elder or deacon and have gone astray. You must be discerning. I have copied the following text from the website from the website GotQuestions.org as an excellent resource for details on the Biblical qualifications of a pastor.
All of this should be considered as signs pointing to the 5th tribulation Seal.
(Please listen, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE Pastors, teachers, Bible “scholars” and all of you Christians: Please, adhere to the Gospel Message of Jesus our Christ; get off your religious and denominational ‘high horses’ and sound the Shofar!)
THE FIFTH TRIBULATION SEAL IS NOW BEING BROKEN and the GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD and the Rapture are near.
The SIXTH SEAL of Tribulation will be broken soon, and it will be too late for those who are procrastinating or for those who think they are saved but have never surrendered their lives to Christ as Lord.
NEXT: PERFECTION – Chapter 23 – THE COMING ANTI-CHRIST
PREVIOUS: PERFECTION – Chapter 21 – The Tentacles of the Socialist-Marxist Takeover.
ADDITIONAL READING:
GOD’S PLAN FOR PERFECTION – Prophecy, World History and the Tribulation