Apocalypse Now?

Did the prophet Daniel see this 2,600 years ago?

Many folks who don't believe in the Bible and thus reject its specific prophecies concerning the end times, do believe that the world is in very bad shape these days and is getting much worse.

But how, for example? Certainly, crime, violence and moral depravity have increased since the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, since the 1960s, crime and violence have exploded throughout the western world. What's caused that? Very simply, mankind's rejection of God, the Bible and the Judeo-Christian worldview.

While that sounds like an oversimplified explanation, it isn't. When human beings don't believe that they're held accountable by God for their actions, they become morally corrupt. 

The apostle Paul explained it perfectly: "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they 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 have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 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)

Paul's description of what happens to human beings who reject God leads to a prophecy he revealed in his second of two letters to fellow apostle Timothy. Paul's prophecy concerns the end times, and it sounds much like the time we're now living in: "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. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

When a civilization suffers moral decay, it implodes. While the collapse of western civilization can be attributed to the west's increasing rejection of the Judeo-Christian worldview for a godless, secular worldview, that collapse didn't happen overnight. It can be traced to two factors: (1) The church's abdication of the Bible as the inspired word of God that began as early as the 18th century, and (2) the advent of Darwinism (evolution) in the 19th century that dismissed God by attempting to provide a naturalistic explanation for the existence of life. 

While Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was just that; a theory and a terrible one, it went unchallenged by the Christian church. As a result, Darwin's theory is taught today as scientific truth in schools, colleges and universities throughout the world, despite the fact that it's never been proven or observed. Thus, the seeds of modern moral depravity were sown by an apostate church that turned away from God and refused to defend the faith against "godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge..." (1 Timothy 6:20) 

With the decline of the west comes the resurgence of the east. China, India and South Korea are becoming the new economic and industrial powerhouses in the world while Russia is determined to build a formidable military that will be second to none. 

And a major part of Russia's military will include nuclear weapons that can bring swift and massive destruction to any destination on the planet. With the United States determined to reduce its nuclear arsenal and emasculate its military, it's only a matter of time before the Russians begin threatening the U.S. and other nations with nuclear blackmail. 

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel received a vision from God concerning the last days on earth. The vision so terrified Daniel that it made him physically ill. Certainly, Daniel was overwhelmed by what he saw. In the ancient time that lived, he had no comprehension of fighter jets, ICBMs or nuclear weapons that he witnessed in the vision. 

Concerning the dreaded Antichrist who will eventually become the leader of the coming end-time global government, Daniel wrote this: "He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does." (Daniel 8:24) Astounding devastation sounds like the destruction that occurs via nuclear weapons. 

An so, how close are we to the Apocalypse? Very close. We don't have a world government as yet. But it's coming. We don't have the Antichrist as yet. But he's coming. With all the trouble in the world, millions of people are looking for a messianic figure who will seemingly bring peace and order to a planet mired in chaos. 

In fact, if such a man appeared today who said all the right things and possessed a charismatic, hypnotic personality, millions of people would embrace him, even if he possessed a dark and troubling past. If you don't believe that such a person could fool that many people, then you've probably never heard of Barack Obama.

Certainly Barack Obama isn't the Antichrist. Rather, he's an antichrist. And he's a pretty good facsimile of the one who's yet to come.

The Deadliest Sin

A lady of the night

I'm occasionally asked what I consider to be the deadliest of sins. While most folks believe that murder, rape, assault and robbery are among the worst, there's one sin that's usually overlooked. And that's sexual immorality.

To be sure, all sin is evil and it has separated us from God. But indeed, there are certain sins that are extremely evil and they can bring very serious consequences to those who commit them.

How do we define sexual immorality? Sexual immorality is any sort of sexual activity outside of marriage. That includes adultery, incest, fornication, prostitution and deviant sex such as pedophilia, bestiality and homosexuality. 

Most folks define an adulterer as a person who's unfaithful to his or her spouse. But Jesus Christ emphatically stated that a person who gains a divorce and remarries for any reason other than an unfaithful spouse is guilty of adultery.

Here's what Christ said: "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." (Matthew 19:9)

Concerning sexual immorality, the apostle Paul warned that sexual sin brings impurity, unholiness and curses upon those who willingly participate in it. Here's what he said: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Paul warned the early church that those who are sexually immoral will not inherit eternal life, no matter how often they attend church or how frequently they acknowledge Christ as their Lord. 

To the early church at Ephesus, Paul issued this caveat: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them." (Ephesians 5:3-7)

Sexual immorality not only brings the potential for STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) but it defiles a person's soul. And since God created our bodies for His Holy Spirit to dwell in, sexual sin becomes the ultimate form of sacrilege. 

Why? Because marriage illustrates God's covenant with human beings through His Son Jesus Christ. Those who are born again into eternal life by faith in Christ's death on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead become members of God's true church that scripture refers to as the Bride of Christ. (Revelation 19:7-8)

Those who violate their marriage vows are synonymous with those who profess to be Christians and yet worship false gods.

The scriptures reveal that no unholy or immoral person will ever be allowed into heaven. And if they aren't allowed into heaven, then there's only one other place they dwell in eternity. And I think you know what that place is.

Certainly, we live in a culture saturated with sex. And human beings are sexual beings. Thus, a culture contaminated with debauchery, combined with the sexual nature of human beings is a very volatile combination indeed.

That's why we all need to set our "minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2) That means heavenly things that please God rather than earthly things that encourage our sinful nature.

And for those who've committed sexual sin? It's time to repent. And now. I can't tell you how many folks I've encountered in life who experienced some form of misfortune or disaster. I discovered that many of them had something in common; they were living in sexual sin.

And so, the time for repentance from sexual immorality is right here and right now. Don't wait because you never know how much time you have left.