Year:
96
Scriptures:
2 Thessalonians 2:3
3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there
come a falling away first….
The
saints in Thessalonica believed that the day when Christ would return
was very near (2 Thessalonians
2:2). To correct this misunderstanding, Paul explained in his
second letter to the Thessalonians that Christ’s return would not
occur until after a falling away.
The
falling away or apostasy took place in stages with each stage
increasing the wickedness of the people. The first stage was the
death of the apostles who held the keys of the priesthood. This had
occurred by 96 AD.
During
the Saviors Olivet Discourse, concerning the signs preceding his
Second Coming, he speaks of several events that will be part of the
universal apostasy.
Matthew
24:5, 9-11
5
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall
deceive many.
9
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you:
and ye shall be
hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and
shall hate
one another.
11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
In
verse 5 he says there will be many false Christs who will come and
deceive many of the people. Similarly, in verse 11 he tells of many
false prophets who also shall deceive many. Historically, he is
speaking in these verses of the last days of the apostolic era when
the apostles would be afflicted, killed and hated (Matthew
24:9). As the Apostles are killed, false prophets and false
Christs would attempt to take their place.
Another
phase of the apostasy is given in Matthew 24:10. In effect the
members of the church will lose their faith.
During
Paul’s third missionary journey, he stopped at Miletus while
traveling from Greece to Jerusalem. While there he spoke to the
saints at Ephesus and warned them about an imminent apostasy.
Acts
20:29-31
29
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter
in among
you, not sparing the flock.
30
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away
disciples after them.
31
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I
ceased not
to warn every one night and day with tears.
Paul
warned the Asian saints that after he left, evil forces (grievous
wolves) would persecute the church members. He also warned them that
there would be members within the church who would apostatize. Paul
then told the Asian saints that he had been warning them of the
coming apostasy for three years.
Paul
in his first letter to Timothy prophesied of the saints departing
from the faith.
1
Timothy 4:1-3
1
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;
2
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron;
3
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.
In
64 AD Paul wrote a letter to Timothy and the saints in Ephesus. In
referring to the latter times he is referring to the latter times of
the Christian church in the meridian of time. He then describes some
events that will lead to and be part of the apostasy.
Give
heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. The saints in
Ephesus must be aware that evil spirits under the control of Satan
will try to lead them away from the church by preaching false
doctrines. These evil spirits will tell lies such as forbidding them
to marry and commanding them to abstain from meats. Their apostasy
would be a rebellion against the true doctrine.
Paul’s
final prophecy about the apostasy is given in his second epistle to
Timothy.
2
Timothy 4:3-4
3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
4
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
2
Timothy 4:3-4, NIV
3
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a
great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to
myths.
Again,
Paul warns the saints not to reject the true doctrine because this
will lead to apostasy. Having itching ears mean they will still want
to be taught the doctrine but turning unto fables they will accept
the false doctrine taught by the followers of Satan.
Peter,
the main apostle also prophesied of an apostasy that would be caused
by false teachers in the church.
2
Peter 2:1-3
1
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.
2
And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the
way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not,
and their damnation slumbereth not.
There
are several scriptures in the New Testament which allude to an
apostasy. One of these is found in 1 John and another in Jude.
1
John 2:18
18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby
we know that it is the last time.
Jude
1:4, 17-18
4
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our
God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
17
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who
should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These
verses are talking about an apostasy which had already begun in the
church.
The
apostle Amos in the Old Testament prophesied of a day when there
would be a famine of God’s word in the land.
Amos
8:11-12
11
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine
in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of
hearing the words of the LORD:
12
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the
east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and
shall not find it.
Amos
prophesied that in the days to come there would be a famine in the
land of hearing the words of the Lord. The people will go from sea to
sea, from north to east and run to and fro to find the word of the
Lord but will not find it. This is the result of apostasy when there
is not a prophet on the earth to speak the words of the Lord
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