Suffice it to say, for all those
watching for Christ's return, we should have an understanding of what we should
be looking for. The Greek word the
Apostle Paul uses in this verse is "APOSTASIA", which means rebellion,
desertion, to leave or depart, to forsake, or to defect from. It is translated several different ways
including, "the falling away",
"the apostasy", "the rebellion", "a revolt",
and "a departure". It is from the Greek word "APHISTEMI",
which means to draw away, to cause to withdraw from, to seduce away or to shun,
leave or let go.
Unfortunately, scripture does not tell us the
circumstances for the APOSTASIA, but the word is used one other time in the New
Testament at Acts 21:21. The Apostle
Paul had been preaching the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and the Jews accused Paul of forsaking, abandoning, or turning away from the
Law of Moses. So the context of this
word can be understood as something that causes entire denominations to forsake,
leave, or let go of basic tenets of their faith. Something that causes a great division in the
church. Something that causes brothers
and sisters in Christ to turn against each other, one side standing on the
truth of God's word, the other side turning away from the truth of God's
word. Compromise versus uncompromise.
Many people in Jesus' day said "I can follow You
this far, and no further." They
turned away when He didn't meet their expectations. They turned away when He was leading them
somewhere they didn't agree with or couldn't understand, "From this time many of His
disciples turned back and no longer followed Him." (John 6:66).
Today, entire denominations are falling away into apostasy, churches are
splitting apart, brothers and sisters in Christ are turning against each other,
because they follow Christ until they get to His laws about sexual immorality,
then they say, "I can follow You no further." So they devise their own version of Christianity and follow that. Compromise versus uncompromise.
Prophecy is unfolding before our eyes and
many cannot even see it. As we go on with our business-as-usual mindset, many of us are part of this prophesied APOSTASIA and we don't even realize it. We like to say
that Satan is the great deceiver, but if truth be told, "self" is the
greatest deceiver of them all. God is at
work, bringing about the culmination of this present age. Satan is also at work,
either getting us all wrapped up in our emotions or crippling us with apathy, so that we are blind to the hour at hand. And that hour is very, very late indeed,
because the rest of 2 Thess 2:3 says, "Let no one in any way
deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first....and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the
son of destruction. He will oppose and
exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat
himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."
I have come to realize that I am in error when I say that
judgment is coming to this nation, because judgment is already here. We are already living through God's judgment
upon our waywardness and lukewarm commitment to Him, because He is simply
allowing us to reap what we've sown in this nation. He is allowing us to drink the cup of the
maddening wine of our adulteries (Rev 14:8; Rev 18:3; Jer 51:7). As the world continues to fall apart all around
us-- and make no mistake, it will continue to get increasingly worse-- how many
of us will be able to weather the storm with our flawed perceptions of
God?
"Then
they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated
by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will
betray one another and hate one another... But the one who endures to the end, he will
be saved." (Matt 24:9-13)
"For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her
adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the
merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. And I heard another
voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, my people, so that you will not
participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has
remembered her iniquities.' Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what
she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as
the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit
enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.' For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and
mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the
Lord God who has judged her.” (Rev 18:3-8)
No comments:
Post a Comment