This is a common question by those who believe
in the “Pre-Millennial / Pre-Tribulation Rapture” view
of End Times.
Common Millennial Views:
- Pre-Millennial – The Second
Coming of the Lord precedes the 1000 year Millennium (all
three Tribulation views all apply to this)
- Post-Millennial – The
Lord’s Second Coming occurs after the Millennium (this
is often referred to as Kingdom Theology)
Common Tribulation Views:
- Pre-Tribulation – The
“Rapture” of the Church occurs before the seven year Tribulation
- Mid-Tribulation – The
“Rapture” occurs at the mid-point of the Tribulation (Pre-Wrath)
- Post-Tribulation – The
“Rapture” occurs immediately
preceding the Second Coming
Pastor Yandian’s teaching follows the Pre-Millennial / Pre-Tribulation
model. I urge you to study his book, Understanding
the END TIMES.
His thorough presentation of the scriptural basis for this view,
and his response to the opposing positions, will give you a great
understanding of the subject.
False Teachers as a Sign of the End
Now, to your question. There are several scriptures that lead many
to believe that one of the major indications of the nearness of
the Lord’s appearance, the Rapture, not the
Second Coming, is a great “apostasy” from the
Church. However, like many of the other signs of His appearance,
this sign is not so distinct that it can be absolute. Wars, global
trouble, natural disasters, false teachers / false Messiahs, events
regarding Israel, great revivals, and great apostasy have occurred
throughout the age of the Church. It is very difficult to pinpoint
any event as the “one thing” that marks His appearance—when
we are “caught-up” to Him, we will be able to look back
and say, “Yep! That was it!”
One of the signs mentioned numerous times as leading to the last
days is the presence of false teachers.
1JOHN 2:18:
Little children, it is the last time.
And just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now
many antichrists have risen up, from which we know that it is
a last hour.
In this passage the false teachers are referred to as “antichrists.”
Notice, this is not the Antichrist (tape).
John tells us their presence shows that it is “a”
last day (again not the Last Day). The significance is that there
are many events in this age called the “Last Days” that
are confirmations of His soon coming return, but they are not the
immediate event. They are to be an encouragement to us—a witness
to His Promise.
The Apostle John doesn’t even seem to be worried or troubled
over this, as if it was to be expected. We, the Church, are not
to allow the events of this world to shake our faith, nor to cause
us to question His promise. In reference to the events preceding
the End Times, Jesus told His disciples, “Let
not your hearts be troubled…” (MATT.
24:6) And, in the book of Hebrews (tape),
Paul quotes from the Old Testament book of Habakkuk (tape)
in challenging the Church not to become discouraged by the seeming
delay of the Lord’s return.
HEBREWS 10:37:
For "yet a little while, and He
who shall come will come and will not delay."
These Christians were losing hope in the return of the Lord—and
the restoration of all they had lost—because it hadn’t
happened as they thought (or were incorrectly taught).
Returning to the issue of false teachers, there are numerous other
references to this sign of the Last Days. In most of the New Testament
Letters, when “Last Things,” are mentioned so are false
teachers.
2Timothy 3:1–5; 2Peter 2:1–3; 1 John
2:18–20; 4:1–3; Jude 10–16
This brings us to our next point. If there are false Teachers,
there will be followers.
1TIMOTHY 4:1:
But the Spirit expressly says that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits and teachings of demons, 2) speaking lies
in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience…
2 TIMOTHY 4:3–4:
For a time will be when they will not
endure sound doctrine, but they will heap up teachers to themselves
according to their own lusts, tickling the ear. 4) And they will
turn away their ears from the truth and will be turned to myths.
These verses show us that the false teachers are inspired by Satan
himself, through demonic influences, and their purpose is to lead
believers astray—to distract them from the mission of the
Church. Also, we see that their arrival is desired by those who
are looking for new and different things, people who are tired of
the “standard” set forth in the Word of God. Their “itching
ears” will be filled with the diluted truth (error)
taught by false teachers.
Those who follow after these teachings will comprise what we know
of as the “apostasy.”
The reality is, these false teachers, and the ones who follow them,
have been present throughout all the age of the Church. They were
obviously present in Paul’s day, in Peter’s day, in
John’s and Jude’s time, and they even exist today.
However, as we mentioned previously, one of the signs of the Last
Days is the increase of false teachers (I
believe this can refer not only to number, but also to their boldness
and hypocrisy). This increase will certainly give rise to
many more being led astray. But, since this is relative to what
has been before, we may assume that we are seeing the great apostasy,
when in reality, something worse is yet to come. In other words,
it will seem like “the Last
Day” when it is only a last day.
Now, in regard to your specific question, there are two passages
which I want to deal with briefly.
The “Falling Away” of 2 Thessalonians (tape
1 tape
2)
2THESSALONIANS 2:3:
Let not anyone deceive you by any means.
For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a
falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the
son of perdition…
Many people see in this passage a prophecy that great apostasy
will occur just before the Last Day. However, there are some issues
which need to be understood in discerning the meaning of this passage.
I will only highlight a few of the issues. (A complete explanation
of 2 Thessalonians 2 can be found in Bob Yandian’s book, Understanding
The END TIMES, (Link to the tape series Understanding the End Times
and the book Understanding the End Times) pages 27–36)
- This Church was being troubled by false prophecies, and even
a false letter. They were troubled in believing the Tribulation
had already started, and that the “rapture” of the
believers was already past—they would have to go through
the Tribulation. This was in direct opposition to Paul’s
teaching in 1Thessalonians 4:13–5:11.
This passage was also a correction to the Church, but those who
troubled them had continued. Paul’s teaching clearly presented
a “removal” of the Church before the coming of the
wrath of the Tribulation. This “removal”, we call
the Rapture. Some disagree, saying that the word “rapture”
does not occur in the Bible. They are correct—to a point.
The word Paul uses is “caught-up - harpagmos” (1Thes
4:17). This word usually occurred in a negative context,
and meant “to seize, snatch, claim for one’s own,
accompanied by force.” This is a great word—and a
great truth. The Church will be seized by Jesus Christ at His
return, and with sufficient force to overcome any possible resistance!
(By the way, “rapture” is from the Latin word “rapio”
– to take away, seize, often through force). Whether we
are caught-up, or raptured, it will be the same.
- Paul’s correction to the Thessalonians was to encourage
and inform them—the Tribulation had not started because
some events that precede it have not occurred. In 2Thess.
2:1, Paul establishes a difference between “the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and “our
gathering together unto Him” (Please
refer to Pastor Yandian’s book for an in-depth explanation
of these terms). At the Second Coming, there will be no
“gathering together”
of the Church. His return is to bring judgment to the wicked and
deliverance to the nation of Israel. That is a much different
picture than is presented by Paul in what is known as the Rapture.
- The reference to the “falling
away” must be taken in this context. What did this
confused group of believers need to understand in order to remove
their concern? They needed to understand that the Tribulation
could not have begun, because there had been no “falling
away.” So, what is the “falling
away”?
From Understanding
the End Times, pages 32–33:
The problem people encounter with this
verse is the phrase “falling away”. The Greek word
for this phrase is not a verb; it is a noun. The Greek word is
“apostasia” from which we get the English word “apostasy”.
Throughout the New Testament, when the Greek word “apostasia”
is used, it has a negative connotation… However, when the
word “apostasia” stands alone, it is neither positive
nor negative; its connotation is dependent upon its association
with other words in the sentence.
The word “apostasia” in 2Thess.
2:3 was translated by the King
James Version writers according to all the other negative uses
of the word. But in this instance, the word…in noun form
does not mean falling away; it means “departure.”
Putting it back in context, this verse could actually be translated,
“Don’t be fooled by any means, for the Tribulation
cannot come until the departure occur first.” The departure
is speaking of the rapture of the Church.
”Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation of the New Testament”
brings out the tense, mood, and voice of the original Greek. His
translation of this verse says, “That day cannot come until
the aforementioned departure of the Church occurs first.”
The “aforementioned departure of the Church” was mentioned
in verse one by His coming and “our gathering together unto
Him.”
Pastor Yandian continues and explains that the Antichrist cannot
be revealed as long as the Church remains in the earth. We are
the “hindering” force to His coming to power. So,
not only are we taken to be “…(for)ever
with the Lord,” but we have to be removed so Antichrist
can take his place and the remaining End Time events are completed.
- In conclusion, this “falling
away” really has nothing to do with believers departing
from the faith to follow false teachers. It is about our “departing”
this earth, and being gathered unto Christ. That does not, of
course, change any of the previously discussed issues. There will
be false teachers, and there will be “apostates,”
but that is not the point here.
The Church of Laodicea
Revelation 3:14–22:
Many teach that this passage refers to the condition of the Church
just prior to the return of the Lord—a Church that is “lukewarm,”
apathetic, and apostate. This common interpretation places all of
the seven churches of Revelation 2 &
3 into a progressive review of the Church Age. The age began
with a Church that was “apostolic,” but left its first
love (Ephesus). Next, came a time
of great persecution, with believers who remained faithful unto
death (Smyrna). This was followed
by three churches that represent the ages of false doctrine, loss
of truth, institutional indifference, sexual abuse, and carnality
(Pergama, Thyatira, Sardis). Next,
an age of great revival, and the restoration of the true mission
of the Church followed (Philadelphia).
Finally, a time will come when the Church will turn away, even from
Christ, feeling confident that they don’t need Him (Laodecia;
Rev. 3:17).
While this is a very common interpretation, there are some problems
with it.
- The only application to believers of the day in which it was
written would have been the Ephesian church. While God often reveals
things in prophetic passages about a day which is yet to come,
each of these seven letters was given as a teaching. And, they
are commanded to be heard and accepted by the “Churches”
(plural), not just to the church of that age—if they can
figure out where they are in the progression. However, without
any point of reference, no individual “Church Age”
would know where they stand.
- An in-depth study of these letters, will reveal incorporation,
not progression. There were, in John’s day, elements of
each of these “churches” present throughout the Church.
That same point applies to each different “movement / age”
of the Church throughout history. Even a simple review of today’s
“Church” would reveal that many of these issues (good
and bad) are present. This makes all of these Letters beneficial
to us—all of the time. Let each one of us, “…hear
what the Spirit is saying to the churches”.
- Apostasy is not limited to a certain age. As I have written
above, false teaching abounds in all ages, and there will always
be those who will follow. Paul wrote, “Examine
yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves…”
(2 Corinthians 13:5a). Paul expected each believer to do
their best to hold themselves to truth—and to apply that
truth in their life. In his own time he knew of both great apostasy,
and great revival. And, he expected the Lord’s return at
any time!
In summary, yes there will be apostasy. But, there will also be
revival. And, both will co-exist throughout all the Church age.
We should all follow the model of Paul, Peter, John, and Jude. Take
a stand for truth, and against error. Look for the Lord’s
return, and await our “gathering
together unto Him.”
Until that time, we are left to observe the signs, prepare our hearts,
spread the Gospel, and, oh yes (!), frustrate the plans of the devil!
May God Bless You,
Geof W. Jackson, read
bio
Director of the Grace School of Ministry/Director
of Pastoral Care
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