The Apostasy

Have you observed how sound Christian doctrine—the Faith—has become less common as history marches on? It has. Every day more and more people turn away from the Faith.

Jesus foresaw the demise of doctrine and warned us to be prepared for a time called the Apostasy. What is the Apostasy? A period of time when many people in the Church will turn their backs on sound doctrine. They'll abandon the Faith.

But it’s worse. The Apostasy will also be a time of betrayal and cold-heartedness. It will be a time in which the primordial hatred against the righteousness, a hatred Cain felt towards Abel, will turn people in churches against their brothers and sisters in Christ. Brother in Christ will hate brother in Christ.

At that time [during the Seals of Revelation] many will turn away from the Faith and will betray and hate each other (Matthew 24:10).

The term turn away is two words in English, but it's one word in Greek—skandalizo. You may notice that this sounds very similar to the English word scandalize. The Greek word morphed into the English word which still carries a shade of the original meaning (a person who is scandalized has taken such great offense at something that they turn away from it).

Still, the Greek word should not be translated scandalize. Turn away works as a translation, but it is best translated will be caused to fall away, or will be caused to stumble. Knowing this, a more accurate rendering of the verse might say:

At that time many will be caused to fall away and will betray and hate each other (Matthew 24:10).

The Greek word for be caused to turn away is similar to the English word apostatize. In fact, Jesus was referring specifically to the End Times Apostasy when he said ‘many will turn away’ in Matthew 24:10. This passage comes from the same lesson in which Jesus taught that ‘the love of many will grow cold’ (Matthew 24:12; LEB).

Jesus warned us that many in the Church will cease to love their brothers and sisters in Christ during that time. Considering the context, and the fact that the topic is the Apostasy, another good option for translation might say:

At that time many will apostatize and will betray and hate each other (Matthew 24:10).

Order of Events

To talk about the Last Times, first we need to define them. The term the Last Times is used differently by different Bible authors such as Peter, John, and Paul—so it doesn’t have just one meaning. In our ministry we tend to use the term the Last Times to refer to the 7-year period that begins once the First Seal is broken—a period which will end after the Seventh Bowl of Wrath is poured out.

So, according to this use of the term Last Times (the one Paul used), the seven years will start with the Antichrist (who is the first judgment) and they will end with the Christ (who arrives at the final judgment). The Antichrist will come to deceive the World, but Jesus will come to deliver the World.

This period of time is also known by some as "Daniel’s 70th Week"—with week meaning ‘a seven.’ Daniel describes how 69 weeks have already been fulfilled, and he demonstrates that history still awaits the fulfillment of the 70th week. That is, there is a final set of 7 years that will bring our current period of history to its conclusion.

We get the notion of a 70th week of Daniel from the following passage:

Seventy ‘sevens’ [weeks] are decreed for your people and your Holy City to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place…

He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the Temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Daniel 9:24, 27-28).

The period we call the Last Times is defined by a chain of events: the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Bowls of Wrath. In our ministry, we use the term Last Times similarly to the way Paul uses it—and not so much the way Peter and the author of Hebrews uses it.

The Last Times will initiate with the First Seal—that is, with the agreement the Antichrist makes with Israel. That agreement will allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple with the promise that the Antichrist will provide security for seven years.

But universal hatred for Christians will begin before that First Seal is opened. In other words, a persecution will have already begun prior to the Last Times. Jesus warned us of this, as you will see in the passage below.

Timeframe of Persecution

Unfortunately, the followers of Jesus will be hated by everyone in the World. Most sadly, we’ll be hated by friends and family members. We know that massive persecution against us will take place prior to the breaking of the Seals because Jesus said ‘before all this, they will seize you and persecute you…’ in the passage below.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven.

But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison… You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death (Luke 21:10-12, 16).

Before all this? Before what? Before the events of Seal # 2 (war), Seal # 3 (economic injustice), and Seal # 4 (death and disease). In other words, prior to the wars, social upheaval, and loss of life that initiate the Last Times, Christians will be heavily persecuted.

Is it going on right now?

Unwilling to Suffer

Most Christians are greatly mistaken regarding the timing of the Rapture—and it’s not because they don’t understand the Scriptures. They put their trust in false teachers who twist the Scriptures. They trust in teachers who ignore dozens of passages to draw the conclusion that we’ll be raptured before the Tribulation. But we will not be raptured before the Tribulation. We must go through the Tribulation.

The error of the Pre-Tribulation (Pre-Trib) Rapture doctrine is not based on intellectual incompetence. Rather it stems from a deep-seated unwillingness to suffer. Followers of the Pre-Trib lie are not willing to be tested by God. They do not want to have to face the judgments of the Book of Revelation, so they have invented a way to deny that such testing will happen. What's that way? They lift up the teachers who will tell them that they will be raptured before any of the tribulations come to pass.

The preachers of this false doctrine—let's call it “Christianity Lite” or “easy-believism”—cut out the subject of apostasy from their preaching. They do that mostly because they’re the cause of it, but also because they don’t want to scare people away from their churches. Regardless of what they preach, Christians in their congregations still need to deal with apostasy. In fact, they likely will have to face the Apostasy!

So, whether their preachers teach it or not, Christians must deal with apostasy. Reality doesn’t go away just because we close our eyes to it. False teachers are not doing anyone a favor by twisting the Scriptures and avoiding the hard truths of the Bible. We must take up our crosses and follow Jesus--and that's not easy.

The Timeframe of the Apostasy

The watered-down message of the false teachers will not exempt Christians in their congregations from persecution. The Scriptures are crystal clear on this point: We will not be raptured until after the Apostasy. All Christians must deal directly with apostasy.

The following verse will eliminate any doubts you might have about the timeframe of the Rapture. It destroys the teaching of a Pre-Trib Rapture. What does it say? That the Apostasy will occur prior to the Rapture. It says that we will have to go through the Apostasy.

… the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him [the Rapture]… will not come unless the Apostasy comes first… (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; NASB).

Christians must be prepared to suffer persecution. Christians must be ready to resist the Apostasy. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Jesus warned us.

But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place… (Luke 21:36; NASB)

See, I have told you ahead of time (Matthew 24:25).

Did Jesus speak in vain when he warned us? Look at what he said.

… many will turn away from the Faith  and will betray and hate each other’ (Matthew 24:10)

We hope that the Lord's words do not fall on deaf ears. If he did not speak in vain, then neither should you hear him in vain. Take these things to heart. Prepare yourself for the worst. But also, strengthen yourself with the best—the Faith! Study sound doctrine to avoid being deceived.

In conclusion, whether we like it or not, this is what the Church will eventually fall victim to: apostasy, betrayal, and hatred. We will bear the same Cross Jesus bore.

A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you... (John 15:20; ESV)

The best way to be prepared for the Apostasy is to know the Faith—the sound doctrine. Do you know it? Are you sure that you have the Doctrine of the Apostles engrained in your mind? If you do, you're very unique! Most people can't even name the Seven Realities or the Fundamentals when we should all be teaching them.

But you'll need more than knowledge. You'll need to be very brave. You have to accept all the trials and tests God has for you now. Then, when the Apostasy comes, you’ll have the character to deal with it.

If you develop Christian character now, you won’t betray your brothers and sisters in Christ when times turn dark. You won’t hand others over to be killed. Rather, you’ll be ready to die with them.