Class Notes on The Age Preceding the Tribulation

Characteristic of the age--Apostasy of the church (also Rev 3:14-18)

• Rev 3:14-18 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. NIV
• Matt 24:9-14 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. NIV
• 2 Thess 2:1-3 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs (falling away, KJV; apostasy, NASB & AMP) and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. NIV
  • Greek word for "a falling away" is apostasia, meaning a defection from truth
• 1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. NIV
• Recent Barna poll, 2008
  • One-third of Christians believe Jesus sinned
  • 40 percent do not believe they have a responsibility to share their Christian faith
  • 25 percent do not believe the bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches
  • The importance of faith is growing, but half believe that Christianity is just one of many faiths a person can choose
• Being religious is not the same as being a Christian. When a denomination has rejected so much of the message as to be ineffective for salvation, it has defected from the faith. Key elements of our faith are: Jesus' death for our sin, the futility of works for salvation, the resurrection, the virgin birth, and Jesus sinless nature