The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. (Isaiah 24:10)

Wow world! Global pandemic, world powers on the brink of economic collapse, sitting on the trigger-line of world war III – we sure are cruising right along, aren’t we?

Why, its almost like we’ve entered the begining phases of Isaiah 24…

But let’s start here:

But as he days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came and took them all away… (Matt. 24:37-39)

Let’s understand this passage; Jesus, speaking of His return, said that the days leading to his return would be as the days of Noah were. I’ve heard speculation as to what that means, but the Lord actually clarifies it for us right in the passage.

…they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came and took them all away…

Life was going on as usual. The people didn’t believe it was the end for them; they thought Noah was crazy to be speaking of the end of the world because things were going on as they always had and (as they thought) …always would.

The Apostle Peter prophesies a similar thing when he says:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the begining of the creation.” (2 Peter 3:3 & 4)

I have heard it taught that the ‘days of Noah’ mean that there will be ‘nephilim’ in the earth, and that all mankind will be corrupted with ‘demonic DNA.’ (Which thought I will get back to.) Here I will just say: if scripture clarifies its own meaning, don’t go looking for a different one.

Jesus interprets His statement for us, and He’s not talking about fallen angels, He’s saying that people will live normal lives, and believe that all things are simply plugging along as usual when the time arrives. That means Matthew 24, and all the prophecies of the end will be fulfilled before their eyes, and they won’t even realize or perceive it. In fact, as Peter says, they’ll scoff it.

This is an important place to start.

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Rev. 2:29)

What the Spirit saith unto the churches… the Lord is predominantly concerned about revealing prophecy to the churches; the world is not likely to heed (and will miss the signs). As in the days of Noah: it was those who loved God’s word which heard.

So, rather than starting with world events, let’s start with the church, what the scriptures prophesy of it, and where we appear to be sitting at present:

It is prophesied in scripture that there will be apostacy (that means falling away from the faith) in the Church, AND reasons for this apostacy are given. Both the falling away, itself, and the reasons for it are a sign of the latter end. Jesus declared it thus in Matthew 24:

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure to the end shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. (Matt. 24:4 & 5; 9-12)

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (1 Tim. 4:1-3)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Tim. 4: 3 & 4)

The point to highlight from these verses aside from the already stated foretelling of apostacy, are some of the reasons for this apostacy; we will use Christ’s statement as our central point of reference, and the apostle’s prophecies as supporting it the two specific reasons which Jesus highlights for this apostecy are:

1) MANY false prophets will rise and deceive MANY (Matt. 24:11)
2) Iniquity shall abound (Matt. 24:10)

The reasons which the apostles give can be considered supporting clarifiers of the reasons Christ gave:

1) People will listen to seducing spirits; and doctrines of demons (1 Tim 4:1)
2) They will speak lies with a seared conscience (1 Tim 4:2)
3) They will not endure SOUND [or, right biblical] doctrine, but will rather seek teachers who will tell them what they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3)
4) They will turn their ears from the truth, and be turned to fables. (2 Tim 4:4)

So, looking at these – and again starting with the prophecy of Christ, Himself – let’s assess the current situation in the Church (here I speak of the Universal Church generally, by which I mean – in this context – the global coommunity of Christians generally, not specific Church organizations (though the Revelation is written to specific churches (Rev. 1:4), and thereby reveals His message even to specific organizations in the last days)):

MANY FALSE PROPHETS: There has been a growing movement of political fervor specifically in the Church in America, but extending to global reach which has wrongly [and loudly, and persistently] prophesied certain things in the politiical sphere. One major specific example (though this phenomena goes beyond this limited example) is that Donald Trump would win the second term election – and not only win the election (for some continue to claim this is not a false prophecy on the basis of the belief that the election was fraudulent – which I will not speculate on) but many prophesied very clearly that he would be in office for this term (even after the election and clear through until the capitol riots).

This is a verifiably false prophecy which was publically, and internationally proffesssed by many, many Evangelical Christian leaders from many different denominational backgrounds. Yet although this prophecy is false, people continue to give heed to many of these ministers (false prophets as scripture calls them); and many of them continue in their folly rather than repenting upon the realization of their error. (Just recently a document was produced by an handful of ministers of the signs and wonders movement to clarify their stance on the prophetic, my recommendation: do not even read it; it was produced by verifiably false prophets, and/or supporters of false prophets apparently to justify false prophecy. What they need to do is repent, and confess that they prophesied from their own heart, and political biases and desires. I believe that the production and usage of the Passion Translation (the Signs and wonders move’s new ‘translation’ is another fulfilled biblical sign (2 Thess. 2:10 ‘…they received not the love of truth…); rather than the pure Truth of God’s word they allow an individual’s private revelation re-interpret scripture for them because they love spiritual power more than they love truth – no wonder many are indiscriminately accepting of every spiritual manifestation, and prophecy. (For those wondering, I do consider myself Pentecostal (believing in the gifts and works of the Holy Spirit for today).)

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Are these ‘prophets’ maintaining the faith? Expressly no, they are one of the reasons that this falling away will occur [is occurring] according to the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they are bringing the faith into disrepute among non-believers who can clearly see they are wrong: thus they are neither uplifting believers, nor winning the lost; rather, they are fulfilling last days prophecy of the great falling away.

In fact this brings us to remembrance of another prophecy:

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 1 & 2)

Notice that in Jesus’ prophecy, and in this one, not only are there MANY false prophets, but the false prophets also deceive MANY – or as Peter puts it: ‘MANY shall follow their pernicious ways.’

Now before I move on from this one, I am going to put a proverbial bookmark in this passage – notice that part of the prophecy says that they shall bring in damnable (condemned) heresies EVEN DENYING THE LORD THAT BOUGHT THEM (CHRIST). Some would argue that this prophecy does not apply to these specific false prophets as they don’t see them denying Jesus; however, we’ll get back to this and see that they do, and HOW this part of the prophecy is also fulfilled.

Yet likewise we have other such global examples as Ravi Zacharias. Ironically, many evangelicals who eschew the prophetic and hypercharismatic moves which have brought us false prophecy, have given great credance to people like Ravi Zacharias. (For the few who don’t know, Ravi had an internationally recogognized ministry that spanned the globe; it came out after his death that he was soliciting sex, and sexually abusing women throughout the course of his ministry.)

What did Jesus say?

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

One of those sexually abused by Ravi was actually told by a Christian counselor she confided in that if she made it public SHE would cause great destruction to the faith of many. Can you believe it? A man acts the part of a minister of the Gospel and sexually abuses women, and those victims are considered responsible for a falling away in the Church! Does God hold them responsible? Everything done in darkness will be brought into the light (Eph. 5:11-13), and Ravi’s iniquity is responsible for the deconstruction of faith which it causes; his iniquity is responsible, not the righteous exposure of it.

Just in these two contemporary examples, these prophecies of Christ show some fulfilent. There is a ‘waxing cold’ toward Christ because of false prophecy, and because of iniquity taking place in the church right now.

But… there have been scandals through all ages of the church, right? False prophecies, and iniquity in the hands of ministers is not something new… but then these things are so widespread, so global, and affecting so many people that it is a bit larger than is often the case historically. Furthermore past scandals, false prophecy only show the same fulfilment of Christ’s words. But let’s look at some of the other signs we are given in scripture:

Let’s look at this one fourth on our list of clarifiers from the apostles, but it will flush out the others before it:

4) They will turn their ears from the truth, and be turned to fables. (2 Tim 4:3 & 4)

This is a sub-section of many believing and following false prophets, and false teachers.

Recall near the begining of this post that I mentioned I have heard taught that Christ’s meaning about the days of Noah was that the earth would be filled with Nephilim: ‘demonic DNA’? Why has this become in our days a prevalent teaching in the church? Maybe you believe it. It is not true, it is an ancient Jewiish fable (and a foundational teaching of Kabbalah – Satanism). As this belief is so popular today, I am sure that I will have to show it wrong by sound doctrine for many reading this. Again let’s start with our ultimate authority Jesus Christ:

According to Jesus angels neither marry, nor are given in marriage (scripture three times in fact: Matt. 22:30; Mark 10:11; Luke 20:35 & 36) so the book of Enoch which declares that angels married women is a direct contradiction of Jesus’ teaching (wait… hadn’t Jesus read the book of Enoch? (<-sarcasm)).

According to Paul our spiritual warfare is not against any being with flesh and blood (DNA).

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.(Ephesians 6:12)

And what of those corrupted with ‘demonic DNA,’ whose FLESH is corrupted by demonic flesh (assuming that spirits had flesh, which they don’t and therefore cannot produce flesh, again according to Jesus (John 3:60))?

It is the Spirit that quickeneth[gives life]the flesh profiteth nothing… (John 6:63)

So according to Jesus, even if a person could be cross-bred with an angel – though it is precluded by the words of Christ that he cannot since angel’s don’t marry, and only flesh produces flesh (John 3:60) and is also precluded by Paul since our battle is not against flesh and blood, but SPIRITUAL wickedness – yet even if it were possible, it would not matter because flesh profits nothing. (See also post: ‘Will there be Nephilim in the Last Days‘ for further understanding Genesis 6 if you have been decieved (as I once was) by this fable.)

The fact that this belief has become vogue and that a Jewish fable (the book of Enoch) has become accepted with scripture by an enormous contengent of the Evangelical Christian world is proof of the fulfilment of this prophecy in 2 Timothy 4:4.

Some ministers whom I will not name, but you can quickly discover with a quick Google or Youtube search, have basically built their ‘ministry’ upon this and other fables rather than on sound biblical docrine.

This also fulfils the prophecy that they will give heed to doctrines of devils, as I mentioned, the Nephilim fable is a foundational belief of Kabbalah which is a form of Jewish witcraft. Yet many in the church today are returning to what they call the ‘Hebrew Roots’ of Christianity, and are diving head-first into Jewish teachings – that’s not to mention the Hebrew Roots movement, itself, which advocates a return to the law (against which doctrine the books of Galatians, and Hebrews, (and much of Romans) were written). In fact Paul had specifiically warned Titus against this phenomena:

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Titus 1:14

Like the false prophets, those who are teaching Jewish fables (and many of the false prophets, themselves, are those advancing these pernicious ways) should be ignored. Do not listen to them:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Tim. 4: 3 & 4)

In the Hebrew Roots movement we find exactly as was prophesied in 1 Tim 4:3: ‘commmanding to abstain from meats’ for the Hebrew roots movement returns on the Jewish Laws and customs. Likewise the so called ‘Hebrew Isrealites’ command to keep kosher food laws although Christ declared all foods clean (Mark 7:18 & 19), and revealed to the church that no foods are forbidden (Acts 10:15) but rather as Christ said we should eat whatever is set before us (Luke 10:8).

This brings us back to ‘even denying the Lord that bought them’ (2 Peter 2:1).

According to Paul in the book of Galatians, returning to the Law is a rejection of Christ. In fact it is he only thing (which I am aware of) that scripture reveals that will difinitively cause one to lose heir salvation, quote:

Christ is become of none effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Gal. 5:4)

Here Paul clearly states that Christ is become of no effect to those who revert to the Law. If Christ is of no effect to you, it means that His work of salvation attained through the cross is not effective in saving your soul. Paul affirms this again stating, ‘ye are fallen from grace.’ Meaning the grace you had attained through faith in Christ unto salvation, you have fallen from if you live by the law. This is a statement with HUGE rammifications, because it is ‘by grace ye are saved through faith…’ (Eph. 2:8) This means very clearly loss of salvation.

Return to the Law and the Old Covenant is to reject the work of Christ and the New Covenant. Those who teach these things are, indeed, fulfilling Peter’s prophecy ‘even denying the Lord that bought them.’

Many of the psuedo-prophets – in fact most of them – are judaized, teaching Kabbalist theology (not limited to the Nephilim and the fables of Enoch), Zionist theology (the belief that supporting the modern nation of Israel politically is tantamount to supporting God’s kingdom – which in fact was a driving reason for their support of Donald Trump and thus their false prophecies (see Galatians 4:25, 26 & 30 regarding Paul’s teaching on political Zionism), and various other teachings and practices derived from the law and the old covenant which all were fulfilled and superceded in Christ. They do not know that teaching these things deny the very Lord who bought them with His own blood (I discuss this in much greater detail in my book ‘Discerning the Antichrist’ which is linked below).

In fact these teachings are now so wide-spread and accepted in the church that people such as myself who expose them with sound doctrine from scripture are often those considered the heretics rather than those teaching fables and doctrines opposed to plain-statement scripture. It is as Paul declared of Judaizing doctrines (which was the main error he had to combat in the early church) that:

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (Gal. 5:9)

Likewise the ‘progressive Christianity’ movement is a prime example of Christians heaping to itself teachers having itching ears. They want to hear sinful lifestyles justified so that they can be ‘tolerant’ of immorality, and/ or live immoral lifestyles themselves.

Yet even fundamentalist Christians do the same in seeking ministers who will affirm and parrot their pet doctrines (I’ll avoid a primary example on this one, not because I don’t have any, but because it would require that I spend a good deal of time with appologesis on whichever pet docrine I selected to pinpoint. But ya’ll know its true.)

Ok so gauging by the thermometer given in scripture, the Church today is displaying on a wide scale both the general falling away predicted, and the prophesied specific reasons for that falling away.

So, according to Christ’s narritve of Matthew 24, this waxing cold is the latter sign of the season which Jesus declared to be ‘the begining of sorrows.’ The earlier signs were false Christs. I’ll not make a comprehensive list of cults which have arisen, and continue to arise, many of whose founders claim to be Christ, or merely insinuate themselves to be essentially His equivalent (such as Scientology’s L. Ron Hubbard). But there was the famous Jim Jones, the Moonies, the still current ‘World Mission Society Church of God,’ etc.

Christ also speaks of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, etc., again these are all part of that phase which He called the ‘begining of sorrows.’ The last thing he mentions in this phase is the waxing cold of the love of many. (Matt 24:12)

Next chronologically in this narrative is the ‘Abomination of desolation.’

However, if we look at Christ’s more filled out account of the coming of the Abomination of desolation in the book of Revelation (for it is Christ’s more detailed and specifiic accounting of the events He describes in Matt 24 (see Rev 1:1)), we see that before the VISIBLE IIMAGE of the beast (that abomination of desolation (Rev. 13:14 & 15)) comes, that the beast himself must rise out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), and so also the second beast must rise out of the earth (Rev. 13:11).

Sometime during this begining of sorrows, the antichrist kingdom must come into being, and the false prophet (the antichrist person) must also arise, having the full power of the antichrist kingdom (Rev. 13:12). Without these events, the abomination of desolation cannot come.

In summary the timeline is this:
1) The begining of sorrows, which leads to a great falling away in the church

2) The great falling away in the church leads to the rise of the antichrist kingdom

3) The antichrist kingdom leads to the coming of the antichrist person

4) The antichrist person brings forth the abomination of desolation

So, if the ‘begining of sorrows’ phase is complete (or nearly so), then where are we in this narrative?

I believe we are somewhere after step 2, and in the midst of step 3; the antichrist kingdom has risen, and has growing in power in the earth, but will not come to full fame until the antichrist person comes and leads the world into worship of the beast from the sea.

He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,whose deadly wound was healed. (Rev. 13:12)

Most do not perceive this for at least three reasons:

1) Because as it was in the days of Noah, people continue with everyday life as usual. Those speaking of these things are viewed by the world (and by some in the church) as conspiracy theorists.

2) Because the church by and large will not endure sound doctrine, and the great deception spoken of in scripture is already in place in the church due to false teaching, false prophecy, and the many who follow these pernicious ways.

2A) Rather than starting with scripture in their assesment of the state of things, many start with contemporary world events and attempt to apply scriptural typology to them. (Rather, understand the biblical narrative, and let not your heart be troubled by world events, as Christ commended us (John 14:27; Jer. 10:2))

3) Because while the dragon gives the beast from the sea its power, and seat and great authority, it is the beast from the earth (the antichrist person) – who has not yet made himself known – who will ultimately cause those who dwell in the earth to worship the antichrist kingdom:

He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,whose deadly wound was healed. (Rev. 13:12)

At the begining of this post I mentioned Isaiah 24; this chapter speaks of the state of the world leading to the second coming of Christ. The final three verses speak of the resurrection, and the thousand year reign:

And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be visited.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. (Is. 24:21-23)

And what I say unto you I say unto all, “Watch.” (Mark 13:37)