End Time Insights

The presence of false teachers in the church demonstrates that we are in the last days, and the last hour is almost upon us . In his first epistle, John declares it is the last hour, a period elsewhere called the “ last days .” As evidence of this, he points to the false teachers that are disrupting his churches. They are products and instruments of the “ Spirit of Antichrist ” that is active already in the world. And these same deceivers are forerunners of the final “ Antichrist ” who is yet to come.

When certain “ super-apostles ” began to undermine his teachings and question his apostolic authority, Paul reminded believers in Corinth that the “ Serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness .” He warned against anyone who might appear among them, “ Proclaiming another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or a different spirit, or a different Gospel .” The Assembly must not deviate from the message taught by the Apostles, that Jesus “ died for our sins, he was buried and raised on the third day .”

The spirit of the antichrist is raising up deceivers in the church, but a final Antichrist will also appear at the end of the age .  The Apostle John applies the term “ antichrist ” to false teachers who are disrupting his congregations, false brethren who deny that “ Jesus is the Christ ” and “ came in the flesh .” Such men are inspired and led by the “ spirit of the antichrist ” that is operating in the world.

In popular interpretations, the Antichrist is viewed as a political tyrant intent on world domination. Whether this proves to be true, Jesus and his Apostles expressed more concern about the deceivers who ply their trade in the church. In passages that use the term Antichrist, it is applied to false teachers who are infiltrating the church, distorting apostolic teachings, and raising false expectations about the future. The “ spirit of Antichrist ” manifests itself in deceivers and deception.

Since its founding, Satan has been sending many deceivers and false prophets to destroy the church from within .  Popular preaching presents the  Antichrist  as the ultimate global leader, a tyrant bent on subjugating all nations. But New Testament shows far more concern about deceivers working inside the church and causing apostasy than with political events in the surrounding world.

The final block of teaching by Jesus given on the Mount of Olives includes several warnings about coming “ deceivers ,” “ false messiahs ,” and “ false prophets ,” men and women who are intent on misleading the saints. And these warnings are reiterated and expanded in the writings of the Apostles. The Lord’s ‘Olivet Discourse’ opens with a stern warning to “ beware lest anyone deceive you .” For that matter, “ MANY ” deceivers will come and succeed at “ deceiving MANY .” Deception in the church is  NOT  a minor problem.

The New Testament warns the disciples of Jesus about several things that will characterize the period between his first and second comings, ones that will intensify as the end approaches. They include a great many deceivers that will infiltrate the church along with deception, apostasy, the rise of an especially significant deceiver just prior to the end, and Satan’s final assault on the church.

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians begins with a stern warning. What some believers were contemplating amounted to replacing the true Gospel with a false one. To turn from the “ faith of Jesus Christ ” to circumcision and other “ works of the law ” as the basis for justification meant abandoning the Gospel preached by Paul and the other Apostles. And there is a lesson here for all followers of Jesus, a warning of the dangers posed by any deviation from the apostolic tradition.

Often, popular preaching declares that Jesus commanded his disciples to “know the times and the seasons” so they may know when the end of the age is near. It is necessary for them to understand the “signs” so they can ascertain the nearness of his coming and thus, get prepared to meet him. Nevertheless, though we assume this and similar claims are established facts, Jesus never actually stated anything to this effect. Nowhere in the New Testament does he command his followers to know the “times and seasons,” in fact, just the opposite.

After explaining the coming “ Apostasy ” and “ Man of Lawlessness ,” Paul instructs believers on how to avoid the coming deception and thereby find themselves standing “ blameless ” before Jesus when he “ arrives .” They must “ stand fast ” by adhering to the teachings and “ traditions ” of the Apostles. The conclusion to his discussion includes verbal links to his first letter to the Thessalonians. The second letter was written within a few weeks or months at the most of the first letter.

D isinformation about the return of Jesus is causing alarm among some believers .  In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addresses rumors and even claims that the “ Day of the Lord has set in ." False information and incorrect expectations about his “ arrival ” at the end of the age are disrupting the assembly. Moreover, this false information is being attributed by some either to a “ spirit ,” word ( logos ), or a letter “ as if from ” the Apostle Paul and his coworkers.

Christ’s ‘Olivet Discourse’ is comprised of instructions given to the disciples before his arrest and execution, and repeatedly in it, he warns that “ many deceivers ” and “ false prophets ” will come and propagate false information about his return and the end of the age, therefore, constant vigilance is necessary to avoid deception.

Disinformation about the return of Jesus is causing alarm among some believers. In his second letter to the Thessalonians . Paul addresses rumors and even claims that the “ Day of the Lord has set in ." False information and incorrect expectations about his “ arrival ” at the end of the age are disrupting the assembly. Moreover, this false information is being attributed by some either to a “ spirit ,” word ( logos ), or a letter “ as if from ” the Apostle Paul and his coworkers.