In this page I will focus on those in the
church left behind who forsake Christ. This is known as the Great Apostasy.
There are several texts we will look at
but the main one where we get the word apostasy from comes from here:
2 Thess 2: 1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto
him, 2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3: 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;
This falling away is the apostasy. This
apostasy has been at work since near the beginning of the church. satan
cannot stop the church in certain areas, but he can in others, and he so
desires the church to be divided as well as believers to forsake the truth.
I discuss in detail any weakness in the church and any possibility of failure
here:
Immediately after the rapture satan will
seek to deceive the true nature of the rapture and also to cause this apostasy
to spin out of control.
2 Thess 2: 9: Even him, whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10: And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love
of the truth, that they might be saved. 11: And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12: That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Some may point out that this speaks of
unbelievers, pointing towards them being kept from salvation. This is quite
true. But salvation is on 3 levels; spirit, soul, and body. Many christians
accept the 1st, and ignore the 2nd. The 3rd comes at the rapture or the
resurrection, of which they will also have missed. Therefore satan keeps
these from the 2nd and 3rd form of salvation (the 3rd only for a season).
But we know from scripture specifically
that many who are in the faith will leave it.
1 Tim 4: 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;
2 Tim 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.
But why would satan or the anti-christ
have anything to do with any christians? satan has a plan, and he uses
as many pawns as he can get, and he has no love for this rebellious church
who will turn to Babylon's one world religion.
Revelation 17 MKJV 3 And he carried me away into a desert
by the Spirit. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, filled
with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple
and scarlet. And she was gilded with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication. 5 And on her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH. 12 And the ten horns which you saw
are ten kings, who have received no kingdom yet, but will receive authority
as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and they will
give their power and authority to the beast. 16 and the ten horns which you saw
on the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate
and naked. And they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God gave into their hearts to
do His mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the
beast until the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is the
great city which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.
As you can read above the anti-christ and
his kings will turn and destroy spiritual babylon, the one world religion.
This not a marvel because Jesus also spoke of this earlier:
Math 12: 25: And Jesus knew their thoughts,
and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to
desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand
Mark 3: 24: And if a kingdom be divided against
itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25: And if a house be divided against
itself, that house cannot stand. 26: And if Satan rise up against himself,
and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
This work of God in Rev 17:17 reminds me
of 2 Thess 2:11 above. God gives us a choice, and those who choose wrongly
and have grieved the Holy Spirit will run with their sin, allowing God
to use them as examples.
Rom 9: 13: As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. 14: What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15: For he saith to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion. 16: So then it is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17: For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18: Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
I do not believe these christians who have
turned against God will have lost their salvation, if they are those who
have not crossed Jordan. See here:
Rev 3: 15: I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16: So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
This spitting out was described more by
Jesus before He died and rose again.
Luke 14: NKJV 34 "Salt is good; but if the salt has
lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor
for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!"
They are not fit for the land which is
the Kingdom, nor are they fit for the dunghill which is Hell or the Lake
of Fire, so they are cast out. Out where? I discuss where here:
Math 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it
is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden
under foot of men.
Ezek 34 NKJV 17 "And as for you, O My flock, thus
says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between
rams and goats.
One of the moving weapons of the apostasy
today is the book and coming movie, "The DaVinci Code". As I understand
it this book is published as a fictional piece but folks take it literal.
I also have heard that the arguments placed in the book are old and have
been refuted before, but this work simply repackages these old arguments
in one sweet new package. Sorta like satan's old deception about the Tree
of Knowledge "you shall be like God" used in the New Age movement.
I do not know how many of those left behind
in the church will repent and how many will join the apostasy. While I
do preach a 50% partial rapture, this is based on 2 series of scriptural
texts, as I describe here:
But at this time I find no percentage of
those in the apostasy accept the scriptures tell us many. I also cannot
be dogmatic on the security of their salvation, especially in light of
Rom 10:6-7. But I would think that satan's hatred of the religious one
world religion, may point to the fact that these folks are saved. I would
also point out that many in spiritual Babylon will also come from other
religions such as Muslims and Hindu's, and these have no place in salvation
at all, I am referring to those in Babylon who were in the church. It is
also possible that those who have repented and risk their lives at that
time preaching, gain many conversions from those in spiritual Babylon.
This is only a guess.
I will end with these series of verses:
Rev 18: 2: And he cried mightily with a strong
voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of
every unclean and hateful bird... 4: And I heard another voice from heaven,
saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins,
and that ye receive not of her plagues.
