Day 44 - The Cause of the Falling Away
Concerning Christ’s return and the beginning of the “Day of Christ” (the “Day of the Lord”), we are told “… that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
It is my belief that the second event mentioned in this passage may play a role in causing the first.
Exactly what effect will movies like Left Behind and all the pretribulational pastors making pretribulational believers have if the pretribulational rapture is soon proven to be false?
So many believe that an any-moment rapture is a fact, and wholeheartedly trust that they are forever spared from the events of the supposed “Tribulation period”.
They believe these things to be Biblical fact, but I have not been able to find that such is the case.
Let’s examine some verses that may show how these two coming events could be tied together.
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4a)
This question posed by the scoffers to believers is meant to be a provoking taunt.
I wonder how effective it would be if such a question was raised after the “Abomination of Desolation”.
Since pretribulational believers are, as they say, “Looking for Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist”, what will they do when the Antichrist shows up first?
I believe that many may forsake the Bible as being the source of truth.
After all, the Bible supposedly promised them that they would not be present for the reign of the Antichrist, right?
Or, was it really such a small number of true believers that had been raptured, and the rest of us missed it?
Perhaps nobody noticed the few true believers leaving earth and the rest of us had somehow not “believed correctly”.
To ask “Where is the promise of his coming?” during such a time would certainly be a most persuasive tactic for attacking the accuracy of what the Bible supposedly teaches.
Within the “Olivet Discourse” we have another potential reason why believing in the pretribulational rapture may be dangerous.
We are told that some will conclude “My lord delayeth his coming”.
“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51)
What would cause someone to conclude that Jesus had delayed His coming?
Could it be events occurring that weren’t supposed to happen until after Jesus came?
For a pretribulationist who finds himself within what he believes is “The Tribulation” to conclude that Christ was late seems like the only logical option, unless He isn’t coming at all.
We are also told that such a one “shall begin to smite his fellowservants”.
This was also promised ahead of time, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another and hate one another” (Matthew 24:10).
If Christianity appears false and the only reason persecution is coming is for His name’s sake, why not forsake His name and turn on those who still believe?
Point #1: There must be a cause for this falling away and perhaps the Bible mentions it.
Point #2: Perhaps the “Abomination of Desolation” and persecution at that time will be that cause.
2+2=4
Thanks, @narrowminded
In case you missed them,
Introduction
Back Cover
1 : The Foundation
2 : The Tribulation
BONUS : A Biblical, New Testament Understanding of Tribulation
3 : The Seventieth Week of Daniel
4 : Not Appointed to Wrath
5 : Wrath vs. Tribulation
6 : The Day of the Lord
7 : The Lord Alone
8 : The Exaltation of the Antichrist
9 : Promises
10 : The Presupposition
11 : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
12 : The Revealing of the Antichrist
13 : Same Day - 1
14 : Same Day -2
15 : Hand in Hand
16 : Overtake You as a Thief
17 : Another Thief
18 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 1
19 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 2
20 : Not Knowing the Day or Hour - 3
21 : Ignorance
22 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -1
23 : "Olivet Discourse": Armageddon or Rapture? -2
24 : For My Name's Sake -1
25 : For My Name's Sake -2
26 : Enduring to the End
27 : The Righteous and the Wicked
28 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 1
29 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 2
30 : Dark Sun and Blood Moon - 3
31 : "Seal Judgments"
32 : The Fifth Seal
33 : Timing - 1
34 : Timing - 2
35 : Timing - 3
36 : Two Witnesses - 1
37 : Two Witnesses - 2
38 : Two Witnesses - 3
39 : Two Witnesses - 4
40 : Two Witnesses - 5
41 : Imminent - 1
42 : Imminent - 2
43 : Reasons Why