Biblical prophecy reveals several specific signs that alert us to the last days on earth that precede the return of Jesus Christ. One of these signs reveals the explosion of violence, depravity and evil across the world in the end times.
Since everything has a cause and effect relationship, then the increase in wickedness in the last days certainly has a cause. And evil's increase has largely been caused by Judeo-Christianity's declining influence throughout the world. And that influence began to wane in the 19th century when the Christian church turned away from the inspiration of the Bible to embrace universalism.
Certainly, evil is commonly defined as violent crimes such as murder, assault, robbery, extortion and rape. But the evil spoken of in prophetic context encompasses much more including idolatry, false religion, atheism, sexual immorality and perversion, debauchery, narcissism and nihilism.
In his second letter to fellow apostle Timothy, the apostle Paul explained the increase in evil this way: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
What Paul described is what inevitably happens when people turn away from God. And Paul wasn't merely talking about atheism, he was talking about those who reject God's Holy Spirit to follow forms of dead religion--"having a form of godliness but denying its power."
If that sounds like much of the end time Christian church, that's not a coincidence. As the church has grown more unfaithful to God by lowering Jesus Christ to just another ancient holy man, the church has lost its power. That lack of power not only has translated into millions of folks who have abandoned Christianity during the last 100 years, but the millions who currently follow a counterfeit form of godliness that's nothing but dead religiosity.
And Christianity's declining influence has led to the explosion of moral depravity in the western world and the spread of Islam in the eastern world. Christianity's abdication of biblical truth has created an immense vacuum that has been filled in by evil in the form of depravity, hopelessness and false religion.
In his letter to the early church in Rome, Paul explained the cause and effect relationship between the rejection of God and the rise of depravity: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)
Crime statistics over the past 90 years prove Paul's writings. For example, in England where Christianity once had a strong influence, about 100 violent crimes were committed in 1921 for every 100,000 citizens. However, by the 1950s when Christianity had lost much of its influence in that nation, approximately 1,000 violent crimes were committed for every 100,000 citizens. By the early 1990s, that figure exploded to 10,000 violent crimes per 100,000 citizens in that nation. Crimes of the century: Recorded crime - Web Exclusive Article - Significance Magazine
In the United States, Christianity's influence has declined at a slower pace. But it's declining. For example, in 1960, with a population of 179,323,175, approximately 3,384,200 violent crimes were reported.
In 1970, with a population of 203,235,298, the U.S. reported 8,098,000 violent crimes for that calendar year. Though the population grew by 4.8 percent from 1960, crime grew exponentially by 240 percent. Thus, the increase in crime couldn't be attributed solely to the population increase since the explosion of crime dwarfed the population increase.
By 1990, with a population of 248,709,873, the U.S. recorded 14,475,600 violent crimes for that calendar year. The grim crime statistics validate not only Paul's prophecies concerning the end times, but also a prophecy given by Christ: "At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:10-13)
Crime statistics don't tell the entire story concerning the explosion of evil in the last days. During the 1960s in America, 75 percent of African-American households contained married couples. By 2013, only 28 percent of African-American households had married couples. Blacks and same-sex marriage
Concerning marriage in America, 44 percent of women in the United States were married in 1982 as compared to only 36 percent today. Sadly, 55 percent of African-American women and 49 percent of Hispanic women in America aren't married. For many of them, marriage is an oppressive and outdated institution. And since welfare programs became available in the 1960s, many American women have traded income-earning husbands for government welfare.
Not surprisingly, as Christianity's influence has continued to decline, sexual immorality and its inevitable consequences have risen sharply. For example, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in the America in the year 2,000, there were 251.4 reported cases of Chlamydia for every 10,000 women. By 2009, that figure rose to 409.2 per 10,000 women in the U.S.
Concerning syphilis, a deadly sexually transmitted disease once thought to be under control, the CDC reports that the STD is making a big comeback. Since 2006, the CDC reports a 36 percent increase in syphilis. Hardest hit are African-American males where 58.2 cases of syphilis are reported for every 100,000 men as compared to 2005 when 19.3 cases were reported for every 100,000 men. The Increase of Wickedness
Another casualty of the post-Christian sexual revolution is abortion. Since abortion was legalized in the U.S. in 1973, 55 million unborn babies have been slaughtered by abortion executioners. Abortion reigns wherever Christianity has lost its influence in the world.
In Eastern Europe, approximately 43 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women. Next are the Caribbean nations followed by Eastern Africa. In Southeast Asia and Middle Africa, 36 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women while in South America, 32 abortions are performed for every 1,000 women. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/abortion-around-the-world-where-are-rates-highest/14/
What does biblical prophecy reveal about the very last days preceding the return of Jesus Christ? Will evil suddenly dissipate across the world? In fact, evil will continue to spread until Christ comes back. Christ Himself stated that the end times on earth will resemble the ancient days of Noah when evil and depravity prevailed across the entire world. (Matthew 24:36-51)
Biblical prophecy also reveals that a world government is going to arise in conjunction with the explosion of evil and depravity. The ancient prophet Daniel, who lived 2,600 years ago, revealed that "when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue will arise, but not by his own power." (Daniel 8:23-24)
Who is this master of intrigue? He is the Antichrist who will take control over a world government. Thus, one of the prophetic signs that alerts us that a world government and the Antichrist are coming is the rise in evil and wickedness throughout the world. It's hardly ironic that a world government is not only being openly discussed by the United Nations, but that this tyrannical government is now inevitable.
And the coming global government will possess the technology to keep track of every person on earth. That technology is necessitated by violence and evil. To thwart terrorism, the global government will institute a sophisticated electronic tracking system that everyone will be forced to receive. (Revelation 13:16-17) And the Antichrist will also mandate that everyone who wants to live under his government either receive his mark to show their allegiance to him, or suffer death if they refuse the mark.
Are we living in the evil last days? We certainly are. Look around and see what's happening--infanticide (abortion), gay marriage, the rise of anti-Semitism, violent crime and the persecution of Christians. Yes, these are indeed the last days.
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