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GREAT FALLING AWAY: Isn’t talking about the rapture.
In a discussion this past weekend, it was remarked that there are those who believe the “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 refers to the catching away of the saints (rapture).
It does not.
To believe this is to be deceived.
To teach this is to teach deception. Whether the teacher is knowingly teaching deception is not for us to say. But the teaching is not only deceptive, it is so easily proved wrong, to believe it is to embrace deception above sound Bible teaching.
Paul certainly knew what he was talking about when he prefaced his warning in 2 Thessalonians 2 with “Let no man deceive you by any means.”
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
—2 Thessalonians 2:3
The word translated as “falling away” is apostasia. Apostasia means “defection, apostasy, revolt.”
Even secular dictionaries translate the word apostasia correctly as meaning quite literally “revolt.”
Middle English apostasie, from Late Latin apostasia, from Greek, literally, revolt, from aphistasthai to revolt
So apostasia means ‘revolt,’ not ‘departure’ as some antichrist rapturists teach.
Only someone trying to water down the meaning of apostasia would use the term ‘departure.’
Paul basically says “Let no man deceive you, the Day of the Lord (and consequently, the gathering together that happens when Jesus returns) will not come until first there is a revolt (against God) and then the man of sin will be revealed.”
To twist this verse as ‘proof’ of a “pre-tribulation rapture” is an exercise in deception.
To twist this verse as ‘proof’ of a “pre-tribulation rapture” is to be more interested in promoting an antichrist fable than to get at the truth–which is easily enough discerned.
To twist this verse as ‘proof’ of a “pre-tribulation rapture” is part of the revolt about which Paul was warning.
“Let no man deceive you by any means…”
Are you tired of being deceived?
The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:”
—John 16:13
How much longer will you place allegiance to a church or church group over allegiance to Jesus Christ?
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”
—Revelation 13:16-18
One of the most discussed parts of the end times is Revelation 13:16-18: the mark of the beast.
Therefore, it seems right to make a few observations on the mark of the beast. These observations are based on the Bible, discussions and comments we’ve received over the past several years.
1- God’s Word is VERY clear about what happens to all who take the mark of the beast.
The Bible is so very clear on the eternal judgment for all who receive the mark of the beast. The warnings of what happens to those with the mark and to which side these people belong are located in the last nine chapters of Revelation.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
—Revelation 14:9-11
Hard to be any clearer, huh?
2- The judgment for receiving the mark of the beast not only apply to eternity: judgment is also received in this life as well.
The eternal judgment for taking the mark is well-known. However, those with the mark will also receive judgment in this life as well.
“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”
—Revelation 16:2
So, the men who wanted an easier time (to be able to buy and sell and to avoid death by standing up for Jesus) in this present life will find themselves stricken with a “noisome and grievous sore.”
Hard to enjoy the ‘good life’ with a malignant tumor.
3 – Still, even with such clear and simple warnings about God’s judgment to all taking the mark of the beast, Satan’s ministers have been trying to confuse and deceive the issue.
For centuries, the mark of the beast’s warnings were left alone. However, one sign of the times in which we live: men who have been exalted by the world as “men of God” have recently claimed (in clear contradiction to God’s Word) that a person could take the mark of the beast, repent and enter the kingdom of heaven.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
—2 Corinthians 11:13-15
God’s Word is clear: all who receive the mark of the beast SHALL drink of the wrath of God.
4- No one will be forced to take the mark of the beast.
There is nothing in the Bible about ANYONE being forced to take the mark. However, those of the world (which is deceived) willingly takes the mark in order to be able to buy and sell.
Knowing the way the flesh operates, many men will deceive themselves, even those who know the Bible’s clear warning.
The Bible says men will “receive” the mark.
Probably after standing in line to get one.
5- The mark of the beast is not a microchip or a bar code.
Why not?
Because the Corporate Media (Satan’s Mouthpiece) has been warning of microchips and bar codes. And Satan (or his minions) never tells the truth.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
—John 8:44
IF the mark was a microchip or a bar code, NOTHING about it would be discussed in any media, especially the so-called “Christian media.”
Likewise, the mark of the beast may or may not have anything to do with the “cashless society.”
Why not?
One of the first appearances of a warning about the cashless society appeared in 1985 by Barry Smith of New Zealand. It has been a staple of false prophetic signs since then.
Besides, the mark is a sign of worship.
[NOTE: This does not mean that such a microchip or bar code will not be required at some point. But it would be part of the long-prepared end times deception.]
6- The mark of the beast has to do with worship.
Almost every time the Bible speaks of the mark of the beast, it also speaks of worship of the beast.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,”
—Revelation 14:9
“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
—Revelation 14:11
“there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.”
—Revelation 16:2
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
—Revelation 19:20
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
—Revelation 20:4
Since this particular aspect of the mark is almost completely ignored by the so-called Christian media, it’s likely they don’t want anyone to associate the two.
Again, there is no forcing anyone to take the mark: the mark is proof that one worships the beast or his image. With that proof (the mark of the beast or the number of his name), men are able to buy and sell.
At least that’s what they’re told; the dragon being a notorious liar.
So there’s no guarantee that taking the mark will allow men to buy and sell. That’s just what men are told.
7- Those who belong to the kingdom of heaven will know the mark of the beast when it appears and will not receive it: that’s why many become martyrs.
There are no “tribulation saints.”
There are only saints. There is ONE BODY and that body will never be split into two parts.
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
—Ephesians 4:4-6
Regardless of what the antichrist Left Behind books declare, one part of the body of Christ is not in heaven while another part of the body of Christ is on earth.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
—Revelation 20:4
Those in the body of Christ will know the mark because they have the Holy Spirit. Pretenders, tares and counterfeits do not have the Holy Spirit.
And the Spirit leads into all truth.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:”
—John 16:13
There are other observations.
666 does have something to do with the mark: it’s part of the Bible’s clear warning.
People will line up to get the mark because their flesh will convince them that it’s for the greater good: their parents, their families, their children.
Someone once asked “How will I get my prescriptions if I can’t buy or sell?”
Those walking by sight will not put their trust in God to provide.
Those who do not trust God in good times will not trust Him in bad times. Therefore, they will take the mark.
There are other observations as well.
Including this question
“Why do people trust the beast and Satan (the dragon) to keep their word about being able to buy and sell?”
Satan is a known liar. Just because the sight-walkers damn themselves for eternity is no guarantee they’ll be able to buy and sell.
At least not all of them.
Will you know the mark of the beast when it appears?
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
BIG FIVE: What are the five big sins in the end times?
“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
—Revelation 9:20-21
A question one hears is “Do you think we are living in the end times?” Many people believe that we are, but many do not (many do not even believe in the ‘end times’).
Still, the question gets discussed.
The Bible listed the five sins of the end times over which men would not repent–even when God is smiting the earth with all sorts of incredible judgments.
What are these five sins?
If we are living in the end times, there should be some evidence that these five sins are very prevalent.
THE BIG FIVE SINS
According to Revelation 9:20-21, the five big sins of the end times are:
Idolatry
Murder
Sorceries
Fornication
Theft
Is there any evidence these sins are integrated into society today? Let’s take a look.
IDOLATRY
Hollywood idols, rock idols (or rock gods), sports idols, men being ‘idolized’ by children, American Idol: everywhere one looks, he sees idols in everyday life.
And no one even bothers to hide it: they’re called idols.
Celebrities (as well as ordinary Americans) like to talk about all of the sacrifices they’ve made to get where they are.
A great many are not speaking metaphorically.
MURDERS
Murders aren’t just for big cities. And murders aren’t just those actions many think of as ‘murder.’
Murder in America has many different names.
Abortion, contract killings, sudden infant death syndrome, drone strikes, suicides, serial murder, mysterious deaths, “death with dignity”: the list goes on and on and on…
A lot of murders get misreported as somethingelse. Sometimes, that ‘something else’ sounds fairly innocuous.
But it’s innocent blood being shed and it’s still murder. And God takes notice.
Murder is any time a life is snuffed out prematurely.
Many Americans believe it’s a murder only when there’s no attempt to cover it up or to give it another name.
SORCERIES
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”
—1 Samuel 15:23
Americans are certainly a stubborn people: from a land born of rebellion; which celebrates rebellion; whose national motto might be “Do your own thing.”
Much has been made of the original Greek word for ‘soceries’: pharmakōn. The word translated as ‘sorceries’ can also mean drugs, poison or witchcraft.
ANY of those three.
Or, the context would allow for all of those three meanings. And life in today’s America would make any of those three true (especially if what once was commonly repeated was remembered today: “All medicine is poison“).
Though it’s not much mentioned, this would include porn or sexually-suggestive material. And everyone in America is told: sex sells.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
—Matthew 5:28
THEFT
Like murder, theft takes many forms; goes by many different names.
Stealing is often in the eye of the beholder: from bringing home office supplies from work to cheating on your taxes to (some say) the taxes themselves.
So: these are the end times’ Five Big Sins.
Each person’s personal arrangements with sin are just that; personal. Each person will have different experiences with each of the Five Big Sins.
Are these sins prevalent in our time?
Some might argue “No.”
But many (even those who do not want to admit it) know otherwise. And what’s more: the Bible says that men WILL NOT repent of these sins.
Men will not acknowledge their sin.
Sin will be given different names. Sin will not be called sin.
Sin will be called “choices” which each person is free to make.
Men will see a need to repent of their personal choices. They will think it ridiculous.
And that’s one sign of the times in which we live which no one can deny
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
—Matthew 24:11
Jesus said a great many things about the end times. But the one thing he specifically warned believers about was DECEPTION.
And yet, men are not only deceived, but are deceived in such a way that they deny the possibility that they are deceived.
It’s not just a portion of the world which is deceived, but the WHOLE WORLD lies in deception.
“that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world”
—Revelation 12:9
Perhaps no place on earth is blanketed with lies like the United States of America. Americans are used to being lied to: it’s something they expect from their leaders, their lawyers, their governments and the companies which sell them goods (advertising).
Advertising has been called “legalized lying.” America is the capital of advertising.
Yet Americans trust the products advertised, trust the companies which sold them those products and trust their government to protect them from any bad products.
IF anything is truly “Made in the USA,” it might be the “Read the fine print” warning which many Americans learn at an early age.
Ask the typical American about whether they trust the government to tell them the truth and there’s a better than average chance the person will say “NO!”
Ask them if they believe what their government tells them, the most frequent response might be a laugh.
Yet those same Americans trust that same government (which they insist does not tell the truth) to protect them from bad food, bad medicine, bad consequences AND from people not telling them the truth.
Ask a person on the street “Do you trust a lawyer to tell the truth?”
Again, the answer is likely to be a laugh followed by “NO!”
Yet Americans trust their courts, which are made up of those same lying lawyers to dispense justice and protect them from a great number of societal ills.
The end times churches received more warnings than any perhaps any other target.
The Bible specifically warned about wolves in sheep’s clothing, deceitful workers and fables.
Yet people continue to place their faith in these same churches about which they warned.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
—2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Men continue to place their faith in colleges, seminaries, certificates, other men’s words, robes, smiling faces and all the other tricks used by Satan’s ministers in the churches.
Satan is a tricky fellow.
Will God excuse all those deceived by Satan at His judgment?
Jesus said ‘No.’ Both the deceivers AND the ones they deceive will end up in the same place.
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
—Matthew 15:14
The times in which we live are such that the smiling, deceitful workers in the pulpits can no longer hide their actions with their words.
But it seems to matter little: their congregations work TWICE as hard to provide excuses why their church leaders do not follow the Bible.
The workers of iniquity who man the so-called ‘Christian ministries’ on so-called ‘Christian TV’ are caught time-and-again in scandal, lies and deception. They say the most ungodly things and bring reproach to the name of Jesus Christ.
And yet, the pseudo-Christian TV preachers continue to make millions from their deceived audiences.
“TV evangelist” is a synonym for “liar” for many.
Yet those in the churches provide the audience and the money for these wolves to continue their dirty work. Worse, they provide more excuses when these wolves are caught red-handed in crime.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”
—Matthew 24:4
Though the Bible warned of the man of sin and his specific acts, the man of sin will find the world ready, deceived, willing and able to follow him and the dragon.
To their everlasting destruction.
People put their faith in many things which those same people insist they do not trust: government, business, the legal system, their insurance companies, Big Pharma, TV preachers.
More than anything else, that is proof of the times in which we live.
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
—Matthew 24:24
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
End Times Prophecy Report 