Thread: New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
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New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 15 Dec, 2012 09:16 AM
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
II Thessalonians 2: 3 says "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."
In the modern timeline, the falling away began at some point in the
19th century.
Why did the falling away in the modern timeline began in the 19th century? The Catholic Church had fallen away centuries earlier, and in part, the Protestant Reformation of Luther and Calvin corrected the false doctrines and practices of the Catholics.
The falling away began in the 19th century because of the rise of humanism and because major changes were taking place in the culture in Northern Europe and in North America. Christians at that time, that is, the church, which claimed to include all the Body of Christ, the elect, were not fully aware of these changes in culture and the paradigm shift that was going on then to undermine the authority of the absolute word of God, as "it is written."
Since the Body of Christ, the elect, just about entirely identified with the church they were not completely aware of the threat coming from the shift in thinking, called a paradigm shift, going on in the culture surrounding the church, and so the church lost millions of people to the cults of the 19th century.
In the U.S., for example, the individuality and self-reliance of the more rural protestant population began to be undermined and diminished by the loss of the small farm, a cultural change which spread from the East Coast west, and into the Midwest and later to the Great Planes and Texas. The small town and rural churches of the Great Planes West might have hung on to the Gospel of Christ longer, but in the larger cities the changes in the culture and the paradigm shift in thinking and knowing were stronger in their diminishing effect on the Gospel that Jude 1: 3 advises us to defend.
In the 19th century the U.S. was moving toward an urban population dominance and an urban lifestyle. And even in the later 19th century the money power of the usury bankers and power and influence of the huge corporations began to increase. The war of 1861-65 resulted in the federal government gaining power as the central dominant government over the states and also over the people. Before 1865 the federal government had little governing authority over the individual citizens. All these developments moved the country and its culture toward more and more of a top-down system, so that if an elite could get control at the top, it could dominate the culture of the entire nation, and that elite included the seminary professors and other top Christian leaders.
As a result of humanism and the cultural change as a paradigm shift, many Christians lost their love of the truth (II Thessalonians 2: 10-12) and zeal to protect the faith and Gospel of Christ. So, the false prophets of the 19th century and the cults began to gain more and more Christian followers.
Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), Ellen G. White (1827-1915), Edward Irving (1792 �1834 John Darby (1800 -1882), Charles T. Russell (1852-1916), and and C.I. Scofield (1843 -1921) were some of the major false prophets of the 19th century who influenced Christians. The most influential 19th century false doctrines,or cults, were the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormon Cult, Christian Science and Dispensationalism. Because dispensationalism took over so many evangelical Christian denominations, beginning in the late 19th century, this false doctrine had so many followers by the mid 20th century that it was hard to call it a cult.
Several exact dates for the beginning of the falling away from the doctrines of Christ, the true Gospel, could be proposed. For example, the time of the Niagra Bible Conferences from 1876 to 1897, when
dispensationalism was spread in the United States is an early possible date. Another date that
is important for the falling away is 1909 when the first edition of
the Scofield Reference Bible was published by Oxford University Press. So, the falling away began sometime in the 19th century, or very early 20th century.
Luke 13: 21 on the leavening of the church supports II Thessalonians
2: 3-4. That text says "It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." The word till
indicates the leavening occurs over time.
Paul in I Corinthians 5: 6-7 warns that "Know ye not that a little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as
ye are unleavened."
He is warning that a little bit of false doctrine will grow and
contaminate the entire loaf, that is, a little bit of false doctrine
will increase over time and make an entire ministry impure in its
teachings.
"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matthew 24: 11
"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;" I Timothy 4: 1
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and
being deceived." II Timothy 3: 13.
"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." II Peter 2: 1
Paul's prophecy about the personality traits of people the last days
when perilous times shall come is also a prophecy of the falling away
from the Gospel once delivered to the saints. "This know also, that in
the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive
silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth." II Timothy 3: 1-7
Paul is not talking only about non-Christians here, but also about
Christians, because what he is saying describes a whole generation of
people in the last days, and more than one generation. It is almost as
though Paul has looked ahead to the counterculture of the sixties and
seventies of the last century and to the entire Baby Boomer generation
and is describing them - and their descendants. Transformational
Marxism since 1950 has brought about much of this change from the
older generations to the counterculture and the Baby Boomers.
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 17 Dec, 2012 10:06 AM
See "The Theology of Darby, Scofield, and Others: Leaning to Man's Own Understanding." I think its on page 2
See "Another Gospel" on page 8. That talks about the Old Testament predictions that physical Israel was to be transformed - and about Paul's revelation from Christ. I don't think I listed there the main New Testament texts of Paul which express this revelation.
The most important of these texts are Romans 2: 28-29, Romans 9: 6-8, Galatians 3: 3-29, Galatians 4: 25-26, I Corinthians 10: 18 (supports Romans 9: 8, and the difference between physical Israel and the elect, the Body of Christ, and some other terms Paul uses to describe those who are in Christ, like the children of the promise, or the Israel of God (Galatians 6: 16). Then, Ephesians 2: 11-19 is important because it strongly implies that Gentiles who were before alienated from the commonwealth of Israel are made close to it, by the blood of Christ. But they are not part of physical Israel, because of what Paul says in Romans 9: 6-8, Galatians 4: 25-26, etc.
The Bible does not use the term cult. But it does use false prophets in about 12 places. It does not spoon feed us and explain that false prophets teach false doctrines, which in some cases depart so much from scripture that guys like Walter Martin would define them as cults (The Kingdom of the Cults). The New Testament talks about another Gospel (II Corinthians 11: 4 and Galatians 1: 6-8), and in Galatians 1 the other Gospel Paul is talking about is bringing parts of the Old Covenant back into the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant is said to have been taken away that the New Covenant could be established in Hebrews 10: 9 and Christ warns about the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16: 6).
But when scriptures are interpreted by the use of a man-made theology which contradicts important New Testament doctrines, and defended against scripture, then a dialectic or opposition is set up, which can result in endless futile arguments.
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 17 Dec, 2012 01:38 PM
Paul used the word eauggelion or Gospel many times in his New Testament writings. Figure out what he meant by the term. And what did he mean by the truth in II Thessalonians 2: 10-12?
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 17 Dec, 2012 05:59 PM
Halfback; I consider myself a moderate dispensationalist, in that God is not finished with physical Israel yet and is still working behind the scenes with Israel until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 18 Dec, 2012 02:15 PM
ON 666.
American government is called a (constitutional democracy) . It's people are therefore a beast (bears a burden) (composed of the people who allow it ( give it its power) to operate) in this case, that of underwriting all that govt imposes on them.
Since the number of man is 6 , government of , for , by man. It is therefore, " 666 " ; makes laws and chances what law should be.
We know God established the law and doesn't repeal it until it has accomplished the purpose for that which GOD Intended it..
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 19 Dec, 2012 09:00 AM
Charles C. Ryrie (born 1925) says of dispensationalism
that the: "basic primise of Dispensationalism is two purposes of God
expressed in the formation of two peoples who maintain their distinction
throughout eternity." Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today, 1966,
pp.44-45.
In his book, Dispensationalism (1966), Charles Ryrie says "The essence of Dispensationalism, then, is the distinction between Israel and the church." (page 3, "Dispensationalism")
J. Dwight Pentecost is a dispensationalist theologian who in his book Things To Come ( 1965) says "The church
and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan. The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. This mystery
program must be completed before God can resume His program with
Israel and bring it to completion. These considerations all arise from a literal method of interpretation."
(page 193, J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Zondervan, 1965.
But Jesus Christ said in John 10: 16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another" (Romans 12: 5).
" For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (I Corinthians 10: 17).
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3: 28)
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;" (Ephesians 4: 4)
In 1936, Lewis S. Chafer, a classical dispensationalist, defined Scofield's literalism as "The outstanding characteristic of the dispensationalist is ... that he believes every statement of the Bible and gives to it the plain, natural meaning its words imply." From: L. S. Chafer, �Dispensationalism,� Bibliotheca Sacra, 93, October (1936), pp410, 417.
Charles C. Ryrie, a classical dispensationalist theologian, says "This distinction between Israel and the church is born out of a system of hermeneutics that is usually called literal interpretation. Therefore, the second aspect of the sine qua non of dispensationalism is the matter of historical-grammatical hermeneutics...it is interpretation that does not spiritualize or allegorize as nondispensational interpretation often does. The spiritualizing may be practiced to a lesser or greater degree, but its presence in a system of interpretation is indicative of a nondispensational approach."
But Jesus Christ says in Matthew 13: 35 "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
And Matthew 13: 34 says "...without a parable spake he not unto them:"
Hosea 12: 10 tells us "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."
In Matthew 13: 24-30 there is this important parable: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29. But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
There was a major falling away by the Catholic Church from the doctrines of Christ preached by Paul and the others.
And beginning sometime in the 19th century or very early 20th century there was the beginning of another falling away from the truth. II Thessalonians 2: 3 predicts that there will be a falling away before "the day of Christ is at hand." And Luke 13: 21 predicts that there will be a leavening of the kingdom of God, and the word "till" indicates that this leavening goes on for a period of time, that is, until "the whole was leavened."
Christ used the metaphor of "tares" to identify those in the wheat field who were not wheat, though they look somewhat like wheat and most likjely claim to be wheat.
Who are the tares? In Matthew 7: 21-23 he says "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Then in Luke 13: he explains that he does not know some because of where they are: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
"Whence" is Strong's Exhaustive Concordance number 4159, pothen, "from which, or what place, state, source, or cause."
You could say that Christ does not know them where they are in their beliefs, in their doctrines, or where they have positioned themselves in their beliefs and doctrines. He is not talking about where they live in a physical or geographical sense.
The groups which claim to be the Body of Christ, the wheat field, the church, in Matthew 13: 29-30 would be made up of tares and wheat. Christ says "Let both grow together until the harvest." The churches could be made up of a few tares in the midst of a majority of wheat. Or, later on toward the falling away, the tares would be more numerous in the wheat field, the churches. Finally, after the falling away and the leavening of the churches is complete, when "the whole was leavened" (Luke 13: 21), the tares in the churches would make up the vast majority. The tare churches would have to still claim to be the Body of Christ. But the churches would be tare churches. What then?
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." II Corinthians 6: 17
"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18: 4
New Testament Prophecy On the Apostasy In the Latter Times
Posted : 20 Dec, 2012 03:08 AM
In the dialectic process of argument to defend a false doctrine, a tactic is to claim that one does not follow that false doctrine, while at the same time defending it. Another tactic is to try to appear to re-define the false doctrine so it appears not to contradict scripture to those who do not have a strong faith in scripture.
Dispensationalism teaches that God now has two different peoples, and that scripture should be interpreted literally, not spiritualized as metaphor. Both starting points of the theology clearly contradict scripture.
Starting from the point that all physical Israel remain God's chosen people, and that the "church" must be a different body of God's people, plus the point that scripture has to be interpreted literally, the theology then says some verses in Romans 11 and Old Testament prophecy (Hosea 3:5, Amos 9: 11, Micah 5: 2, Zechariah 12: 10 and perhaps Isaiah 54: 1-5) predict that all physical Israel at some time will accept the Messiah, and become Christians, though remaining in the belief that they are by their genetics the chosen people, contrary to Galatians 3: 3-29. In other words they will mix the two covenants.
But even James who acted as the compromizer in Acts 15: 15 said that the prophets, not just Amos 9: 11 which he quoted, agree with Peter that God had put no difference between us and them, meaning the believing Jews and believing Gentiles.
James was saying that these Old Testament prophecies about the restoration of physical Israel, the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David (Amos 9: 11) and pouring the spirit of grace on the house of David (Zechariah 12: 10) refer to the transformation of physical Israel at the time of the Cross, the Day of Pentecost and of the preaching of Paul and his crew.
As Paul says in Romans 11: 5 it was a remnant of physical Israel who took part in this transformation, a remnant accepted Christ and were born again.
Dispensationalism is a majoritarian broad way theology (Matthew 7: 13) ; it is not a theology of the remnant, of the few.
And dispensationalism imposes its starting assertion that all physical Israel remain the chosen people on Romans 11: 25-28, making statements of fact seem to appear - to its followers - to be prophecy.
Romans 11: 28 says physical Israel are enemies of the Gospel, but as concerning the election, that is salvation, they are loved by the sake of the fathers - Abraham, and others. It does not say that physical Israel which rejected Christ remain beloved by the Father or the fathers.
Romans 11: 25, if interpreted by Paul's other texts in Romans, and in Galatians, cannot be a prophecy that all physical Israel will at some point in the future accept Christ and his doctrines and the New Covenant. The key word there is "until," from achri, number 891 in Strong's, "until, as far as, for, while..."?
Blindness has happened to Israel (physical Israel) while the fulness, or large numbers, of Gentiles are coming into faith. This is a statement of fact, about what was happening in the First Century, not a prophecy for the distant future from Paul's time.
Romans 11: 26, "And so all Israel shall be saved" if interpreted by Paul's other texts relevant to what he defines as the children of the flesh, not being the children of God (Romans 9: 8, and I Corinthians 10: 18) cannot be saying that all physical Israel shall be saved in the future. If interpreted by dispensationalism, then in its insisting on literalism, and that physical Israel remain the chosen people, must mean all physical Israel will someday be saved. The strong implication is that they will be saved because of their bloodline.
But Paul is not making a prophecy in Romans 11: 26. He is stating a fact that all Israel shall be saved because all who are saved are of Israel. Dispensationalism cannot accept this teaching that all in Christ are the seed of Abraham, and are made close to the commonwealth of Israel by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2: 11-19).
Peter makes an interesting comment in II Peter 3: 15-16. He talks about our beloved brother Paul having written to you, and that some of what Paul says is hard to understand, and some wrestle with his writing to their own destruction.
