Study of The End Times: Eschatology

End of the age

In our look at the end times we have to look at all 3 gospels to understand what The Lord is talking about

In Matthew 24.4-44, Mark 13.5-37, Luke 21.8-37 contain the main verses of the end times and what they are going to be like, what to watch for and what to expect.

Let no man deceive you

This was Jesus’ reply in all 3 gospels when the disciples, future apostles, asked Him what would be the sign of His return

Deception as a sign

When deception and lies start to increase in all areas of life, even in the church, you can know that we are drawing closer to the end of the age

Other parts of The New Testament warns us of this as well1 Timothy 4:1–2 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”

Deceiving spirits

Speaking lies

How do these lies get in?

Through false teaching (doctrines of demons)

By people giving heed

The word heed in this passage means “to hold the mind” to pay attention too, and too apply oneself.

The Deception starts in the mind

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Our minds are targets of deception by the kingdom of darkness.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

We are told to combat deception and false teaching by bringing our thoughts captive into the obedience of Christ and the power of the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation.

Let this mind be in you

Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”

The first attempt of any kind of deception starts in our minds, it starts through false teachings, false belief systems, & pride

That’s why the scriptures say to be renewed in the spirit of your mind

Ephesians 4:23 “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”

In verse 2 of 1 timothy chapter 4

It starts out with the words “speaking lies”

This is one word in the original language, for the words “speaking lies” in verse 2. The Greek word pseudo-logos means to promote erroneous doctrine.

We can understand with this verse and many others in the NT that the last days, which are the latter times, will be filled with false teachers, false prophets and false Christs.

2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

The reason why i’m making this a highlight of the last part of this presentation is because you yourselves will be tested with what you believe about Jesus Christ, His Gospel, and His return.

The study of the end times consist of many things. And all these things we will go over when our book to this conference is printed in book form

For example the study of the end times consist of the rapture, the coming kingdom of Christ, The third temple, the tribulation, the anti-christ and many other things. But I want to focus this morning on what you will be immediately confronting once you leave this conference.

As ministers of the Gospel You will be confronting a lot of deception. Lets see what The Lord Jesus Himself says about deception in the last days.

Matthew 24:4–5 “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

Later in the same chapter He says

Matthew 24:23–25 ““Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”

In The Gospel of Luke Jesus adds another statement that is worth looking at

Luke 21:8 “And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”

“Going after them”, who is The Lord talking about here in this verse? The false teachers!

Acts 20:28–30 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

We are living in the times of the rise of the false prophets, false teachers and the anti-christ spirit

1 John 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

1 John 2:22 “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”

Before the antichrist comes the spirit of antichrist must make its attempt to remove the faithful believers from there firm foundation.

The word anti-Christ not only means against Christ but in place of the true Christ

Remember yesterday we spoke about “another Jesus” that every false religion has or teaches.

Mark 13:21 ““Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.”

Not only does false religion have another Christ, which is anti -Christ, but even the standing evangelical church now is under the attack and sway of the anti-christ spirit.

The more we handle, study and believe the truth we we will be safe-guarded from this anti-christ spirit that is increasing in our generation.

2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Learning how to fight in the Spirit during the end times

Putting on the armor of God Ephesians 6:12–13 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

All of these descriptions like “principalities and powers” are speaking about evil spirits over territories and nations

That’s why it is important to pray for your village,town or province

Intercede for your nation

1 Timothy 2:1–2 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Territorial warfare (the prince of Persia)

Daniel 10:12–14 “Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.””

When we speak of a Prince we are not speaking of a human being but of an evil spirit over the nation of Persia.

This scriptural principle hasn’t changed, over the nations of the world lies a spiritual war for the citizens in that country.

Revelation 13:1 “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.”

The sea is a symbol for the gentile nations of the world.

The beast which is the anti-christ will come out of the nations

Revelation 17:15 “Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.”

What and who is The Harlot

A false religious system

All religions of the world

All Abrahamic faiths, Islam, false Christianity (The Catholic church leading), and Talmudic Judaism

Tolerance, love and inclusion

You cant have love without truth

Ephesians 4:15 “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—”

As we see this movement growing of all religions coming together lets us stand for the truth that there is only one way to the Father.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

We will be going into more technical studies on the end times when we have this book in print in the coming weeks when this conference is concluded