#1
in a series on what the Bible says about the End Times.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
It is with great urgency that the Holy Spirit attempts to draw our attention toward these last days, not only through the mouth of Paul, but other authors of gospels as well. Although some in the church may be ignorant as to the importance of the times in which we live, God knew full well their true relevance, for this, the time of which Paul speaks, is the end of the age, the shutting up of the door of grace, and last but not least, the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is during this time that the enemy will make one final assault on the children of God, sending into battle every last spirit of deception, every last spirit of temptation, and every last spirit of wickedness. He knows his time is limited, he knows this is his last chance to deceive if possible even the elect, and will by no means hold back his offensive.
–Michael Boldea, The Signs Within, part 2
Throughout the Bible, a very clear picture is painted as to what the last days–the End Times–will look like. The times will be perilous: dangerous; actually, dangerously deceptive.
And so they are.
All about us, the signs spoken of thousands of years ago are manifesting before our very eyes. These signs are no longer a few years apart: they are occurring every week.
In some cases, day by day.
Yet, many Christians remain blissfully asleep.
Still others appear hopelessly deceived about what is about to befall them–and so they remain woefully unprepared for the coming hard times which the Bible makes clear is to challenge believers in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 informs Christians of the conditions of the men around them. Not just the men who are rooted in this world, but the men within the church itself.
There have always been, and always will be men who are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, who are boasters and proud, but in the last days these spirits will have dominion over much of earth’s inhabitants, and even some of Christ’s followers who have grown complacent in guarding their hearts.
You are the watchman, the guardian of your heart, beware that you not slumber in these final hours before the dawn is to break, that you not grow indifferent and complacent as so many have in your duties, for an unguarded heart is an invitation to all manner of foul vice, darkened thoughts and sin.
–Michael Boldea, The Signs Within, part 2
These men about which Paul speaks are men who have become harsh. Men with hardened hearts. Lovers of themselves and money; despisers of all that is good.
Men who will persecute those who point out the need for a savior in a lost and dying, sinful world.
Christians need to prepare spiritually: persecution is beginning.
It will get worse. Much worse. The Bible assures us of that. But the Bible also comforts believers with the words of Jesus, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Matthew 28:20]
As Jesus warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
The End Times: What does Bible Prophecy say, part 2
Related articles
- This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (lissakr11humane.com)
- The Signs Within Part 1 (hand of help.com)
- The Signs Within Part 2 (hand of help.com)
- Persecution, Tribulation, Troubles, Trials: What the Bible Says to Christians (endtimesprophecyreport.wordpress.com)
- They Claim To Speak for God (Part Two) (pilgrimpassing.com)
- Are We Supposed to Know When the Return of Christ Is Near (jpfinn7.com)
- Is There a FALLING AWAY or a RUNNING AWAY? (randomsaltandselahs.wordpress.com)
- And yet we slumber! (handofhelp.com)
- What Ever Happened To Humility? (theliberatedheart.wordpress.com)
- 2 timothy 3:1-5 | This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come (lissakr11humane.com)
- Twenty-Five Characteristics of Man in the Last Days (revivehope.wordpress.com)
- Do You Know if You are going to Heaven? Be Sure!
by Jeremiah J. Jameson
image: ETPR
© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-13. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
End Times Prophecy Report 
PRETRIB RAPTURE STEALTH !
Many evangelicals believe that Christ will “rapture” them to heaven years before the second coming and (most importantly) well BEFORE Antichrist and his “tribulation.” But Acts 2:34, 35 reveal that Jesus is at the Father’s right hand in heaven until He leaves to destroy His earthly foes at the second coming. And Acts 3:21 says that Jesus “must” stay in heaven with the Father “until the times of restitution of all things” which includes, says Scofield, “the restoration of the theocracy under David’s Son” which obviously can’t begin before or during Antichrist’s reign. (“The Rapture Question,” by the long time No. 1 pretrib authority John Walvoord, didn’t dare to even list, in its scripture index, the above verses! They were also too hot for John Darby – the so-called “father of dispensationalism” – to list in the scripture index in his “Letters”!)
Paul explains the “times and the seasons” (I Thess. 5:1) of the catching up (I Thess. 4:17) as the “day of the Lord” (5:2) which FOLLOWS the posttrib sun/moon darkening (Matt. 24:29; Acts 2:20) WHEN “sudden destruction” (5:3) of the wicked occurs! The “rest” for “all them that believe” is also tied to such destruction in II Thess. 1:6-10! (If the wicked are destroyed before or during the trib, who’d be left alive to serve the Antichrist?) Paul also ties the change-into-immortality “rapture” (I Cor. 15:52) to the end of trib “death” (15:54). (Will death be ended before or during the trib? Of course not! And vs. 54 is also tied to Isa. 25:8 which Scofield views as Israel’s posttrib resurrection!) It’s amazing that the Olivet Discourse contains the “great commission” for the church but not even a hint of a pretrib rapture for the church!
Many don’t know that before 1830 all Christians had always viewed I Thess. 4’s “catching up” as an integral part of the final second coming to earth. In 1830 this “rapture” was stretched forward and turned into an idolized separate coming of Christ. To further strengthen their novel view, which evangelical scholars overwhelmingly rejected throughout the 1800s, pretrib teachers in the early 1900s began to stretch forward the “day of the Lord” (what Darby and Scofield never dared to do) and hook it up with their already-stretched-forward “rapture.” Many leading evangelical scholars still weren’t convinced of pretrib, so pretrib teachers then began teaching that the “falling away” of II Thess. 2:3 is really a pretrib rapture (the same as saying that the “rapture” in 2:3 must happen before the “rapture” [“gathering”] in 2:1 can happen – the height of desperation!). Google “Walvoord Melts Ice” for more on this, and also Google “Pretrib Rapture Pride.”
Other Google articles on the 183-year-old pretrib rapture view include “X-Raying Margaret,” “Margaret Macdonald’s Rapture Chart,” “Pretrib Rapture’s Missing Lines,” “Edward Irving is Unnerving,” “The Unoriginal John Darby,” “Catholics Did NOT Invent the Rapture,” “The Real Manuel Lacunza,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Wily Jeffrey,” “The Rapture Index (Mad Theology),” “America’s Pretrib Rapture Traffickers,” “Roots of (Warlike) Christian Zionism,” “Scholars Weigh My Research,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Pretrib Rapture Secrecy,” “Deceiving and Being Deceived,” “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” “Famous Rapture Watchers,” and “Morgan Edwards’ Rapture View” – most by the author of the bestselling book “The Rapture Plot” (the most accurate and documented book on pretrib rapture history which is obtainable by calling 800.643.4645).
PS – For some final shocks Google “The Background Obama Can’t Cover Up.”
[Yo, ETPR. The preceding item was seen on the web.]
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Irv,
A lot of good scriptures–almost all of which I happen to agree with in the context used.
One thing that is highly suspect: using Scofield as any kind of authority. You can develop an overwhelming case by using Scripture alone.
Why you would include Scofield, who was a severely compromised individual, is baffling.
One other thing is that I cannot endorse all of the Internet articles included in your comments. Some are clearly deceptive, especially “Catholics Did NOT Invent the Rapture.”
The Jesuits had the pretrib rapture down years before Darby was born. Darby was only a tool, parroting and popularizing what was dreamt up decades before he was conceived by others whose job it was to deceive Bible believing Christians about the end times.
That being said, thanks for the input and taking the time to stop and leave a comment.
God bless you.
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