Is the world getting worse?
Does Bible prophecy say that things will only get worse until Jesus returns? Welcome friends to the broadcast. Michael Brown, delighted to be with you as we spend this entire month talking about Bible prophecy, talking about what the Bible says about the return of Jesus. If you're very clear in your own convictions and what you believe, you'll find plenty to be edified by, helped by, encouraged. And when I present different viewpoints, you can sharpen your arguments. You can see where you agree or differ, but we will not divide over these different views. Rather do our best to understand them.
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You'll be helped. And we'll tell you at the end of the broadcast how to get a copy of the book I co-authored together with Professor Craig Keener, Not Afraid of the Antichrist. When I came to faith in 1971, one of the things we understood was that everything will be getting worse. That things will be getting worse and worse and worse before Jesus returns. And if you look around in the world, it seemed like the world's going crazy.
Just think in our lifetimes what's happened. So I was born in 1955. All right, some of you older than me, many of you younger than me.
I was born in 1955. If we look at the state of the world, so on the one hand, just in America, well, we got rid of segregation. Obviously, we still have work to do in America in terms of race relations, but massive strides. We got rid of segregation. We improved things for women in the workplace and brought about much more equality and opportunity there.
Those things are positive. But I mean, look at some of the insanity of society. Just think of how rare and hard to find pornography was when I was born. The Playboy magazine just new and just coming out and all that compared to everything everywhere now.
An eight-year-old kid could get porn on a cell phone. I mean, it's cultural madness. Think of what's happened with redefining of marriage. Well, I mean, that's mad.
How in the world did that happen? And think of kind of the sense of world upheaval that any moment we could be on the edge of World War III. And think of the state of so much of the Church of America, so much compromise, so many scandals. Could it be that we are in the tail end of the last days? We established yesterday from Scripture that from the death and resurrection of Jesus until today, we have been living in the last days, the end times. Maybe we're in the last seconds of the last days.
What should we make of that? Does the Bible say that things will get only worse? Well, let's take a look at some important biblical prophecy. Let's start with the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24, Jesus says this, Matthew 24, as his disciples ask him, and we're going to go through Matthew 24 in great detail later this month in this series. His disciples ask him as he's talking about the temple and they're just pointing out how beautiful it is.
I mean, they've been there many times, but they're just still staggered by the beauty of it. And he says, it's all going to be destroyed. And they said, Lord, when's this going to happen?
And what's the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? They thought it was all one and the same thing. They thought that his coming, the destruction of the temple, the end of the age were one and the same thing. So he answers their questions all together in one.
But look at what he says is coming. Verse nine. So let's say that we understand this is future still, that there was an application for the disciples then, but now we apply it to ourselves today. They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death and you'll be hated by all nations for our namesake. Then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Well, there you have Jesus warning about false prophets. Later, he warns about false Christs, false Messiahs saying, I am he. And then the end of Matthew 24, he also talks about this. It was in the days of Noah.
That's how it's going to be at the end. Is that saying it's going to be just as wicked and evil as it was in Noah's day? So these would be prophecies that speak of falling away. I mean, verse 12 again, what does it say? And because lawlessness, iniquity will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Is that saying the closer we get to the end of the age, the worse things will get. Let's take a look at some well-known words of Paul. First Timothy chapter 4. First Timothy chapter 4 verse 1. Now the spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
And he goes on from there. So Paul is saying the spirit is saying this expressly. The spirit is saying expressly that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. Is Paul saying the closer we get to the second coming, the more there will be deception, the more these demonic teachings will circulate. Then we go to Paul's words in 2 Timothy 3.
And these words may even be better known. 2 Timothy 3 verse 1. But understand this, Paul says, in the last days there will come times of difficulty or treacherous times will come. The Greek word for treacherous is used earlier in the New Testament for the demonized man who was so dangerous that he would cut himself and scream and be chained and would break free.
It's a strong term that's used. There will be treacherous times, times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godless but denying its power. That sounds like today, doesn't it? That sounds like the day in which we're living. And Paul said that's what you can expect in the last days. And then we read yesterday the words of John, 1 John saying we know it's the last hour because there are many antichrists.
Well how much more today? And then we know in the book of Revelation that it talks about deceiving spirits going into all the earth. So is that what's happening now? And will things only get worse before Jesus returns? Others say yeah there's more evidence in the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Jesus gives seven messages to churches in Asia Minor. Each one a different message starting with Ephesus, then Smyrna, then Pergamum, then Thyatira, then Sardis, then Philadelphia, then Laodicea. And these are messages to seven churches in Asia Minor.
But there are Bible teachers that say not only so, not only so, but these are also prophecies. These are church ages. That Ephesus, that's the church of the New Testament after the New Testament era. It's a church that's still Orthodox but it has left its first love.
And then after that is Smyrna. And you see that's the early church now under persecution for these next centuries. And it tries to lay it out chronologically and then say ultimately you get to Laodicea where Jesus says you say I'm rich increased in wealth have need of nothing but don't recognize your wretched pitiful poor blind and naked. That's the church of today. We are living in the Laodicean age.
How many times have you heard that said? We're living in the Laodicean age so it's clear that everything is going downhill. That everything is only going to get worse before Jesus returns.
Now think of this. Think of the attitude of number one we could be out of here any minute and before things get really really bad we'll be raptured out. I remember hearing a prominent Bible teacher during the early months of COVID saying don't worry it's not going to get really bad because if it would be we'd be raptured out first.
So we're not even going to see like a real epidemic or pandemic we'll get raptured out first. And he said yes I'm a biblical escapist. You quoted verses to support his viewer.
He believed supported his view. So think of this mentality we're out of here any minute before things get really bad we'll be raptured out. That's part one. Part two things are only getting worse before Jesus returns. With that mentality are you going to even lift a finger to bring about cultural change?
Why bother? It's only getting worse. The curriculum in the schools is only going to get worse. Social media is only going to get worse. Our universities are only going to get worse. The society as a whole is only going to get worse. The church is only going to be more backslidden. The only goal we have is live a godly life get as many people saved as possible because we're out of here any moment. Do you understand how a mentality like that could be a dangerous mentality to have? Could you imagine what would have happened to the church in the to the church in the 1800s in America if that was their strong mentality? Why fight against slavery? Why fight for any good cause that's going to take maybe a generation or several generations to change if you have the mentality number one we're out of here any minute and number two number two things are only going to get worse.
So I want to challenge that mentality biblically and I want to re-look at some of these verses and bring in some others as well. We'll do that on the other side of the break after this important announcement. I'm Paul Burnett a board-certified doctor of holistic health. I have never met anyone deficient in caffeine or sugar but I have met many people deficient in energy supporting vitamin b12. Unlike other oral b12 supplements Alfred Libby's slow dissolve super b12 is fast acting because the formula is scientifically developed to dissolve under the tongue bypassing the digestive process making it immediately available for use in the body. Alfred Libby's slow dissolve super b12 is also formulated with other natural energy supporting ingredients such as folate ginseng root and other natural ingredients. You deserve to live with greater energy and mental clarity and now like millions of others you can with Alfred Libby's slow dissolve super b12 sold only by your wellness partner TriVita. 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Thanks for joining us friends on the line of fire Michael Brown it is my profound joy to come your way on this great station five days a week if you are enjoying the broadcast shoot a note to your station give them a call send them an email tell them you are enjoying the broadcast they like to hear that as well and if you have a question about the last days about the end times I'm going to make sure that we cover some listener questions as well so go to the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org with your question and say dr Brown you said you're going to answer questions about the end times on your radio show here's my question or here are my questions and over the course of the broadcast we'll do our best to answer many of your questions directly okay I want to re-examine this idea that according to the new testament things will only get worse before Jesus returns I want to examine that concept afresh you said well you read some very strong verses that seem to say it very plainly in the first half of the broadcast okay so let's let's revisit them in reverse order let's first think about the book of revelation the messages to the seven churches in revelation chapter two and chapter three where is there any hint in the text that those seven churches represent church ages well dr Brown I've heard it taught all my life I'm fine just asking where does the text tell us that where does the text hint at that where does anything in the book of revelation refer back to that to tell you that that these were anything more than messages to seven churches in the ancient world from which we make application as each one fits us today just like when we read Corinthians versus second Corinthians or Galatians or Ephesians or first Peter we make they're written to different audiences then but we make application to our lives today as they fit so first thing there's nothing in the text whatsoever that says these are church ages well I feel the Lord showed me well you can feel that way and I'm not telling you can't feel that way I'm simply saying it's not it's not written there it's not in the text that's number one number two how would you know where to divide the church ages for example let's say you read revelation book of revelation the year 500 you were convinced Jesus is coming at any moment we're at the end of the age so now you read revelation chapter two and three and you divide those seven chapters up until your day which ends in the year 500 well hang on fast forward to the year 1000 someone's reading it thinking Jesus is coming at any moment worth we're at the tail end of the tail end and and the church age is coming to a close and so let's let's look at revelation two and three these are prophetic messages to the seven churches so let's divide them up over the first thousand years well we'll hang on today we look back at the thousand years and we've got a total different chronology we look back at the first 500 years we've got a totally different idea so how do you know where to divide them up the only ones that know that they're reading it rightly are the ones that read it just as Jesus is returning that's the one that knows we got it right so that's my second problem not only does the text not even hint that he's being church ages but but number two how do you know where to divide the church ages depends on when you live in history someone living in 500 thinks we're in the Laodicean age we think no no no you're actually like in the age of of Thyatira there or and then someone living the year thousand we're in the Laodicean age we're at the end of the age we tell them no no you're actually born like the Sardis or you know wherever we're going to place them so that doesn't work that doesn't work the third thing is that it doesn't even fit the church in Laodicea may describe much of the church in America and Europe but it doesn't describe most of the church worldwide most of the church worldwide cannot say we're rich increased in wealth and of need of nothing most of the church worldwide is like the church in Smyrna where Jesus says I know your poverty and your afflictions you're rich that's that's the second congregation he he addresses most of the church around the world is heavily persecuted has very little the church in Nigeria the the church in India the church underground church in Iran Afghanistan different parts of the world where the church is growing and thriving much of it is impoverished and much of it is in the midst of persecution and it's the exact opposite of Laodicea yeah really so it doesn't work on that score either so no you cannot use the church ages in revelation two and three argument because they're not church ages they're letters to churches and the church age thing doesn't fit historically that doesn't fit to this moment and then even with Laodicea there's a promise Jesus saying I counsel you to buy from me gold tried in the father you can be rich and I and and salve for your eyes so you can see yeah and and then a promise I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens their all come into him and sup with him and he with me so even there there's a promise of a renewed relationship at the end with Laodicea what about second timothy chapter three where Paul says understand this that in the last days there will be terrible times treacherous times times of difficulty well I I didn't I didn't finish the ver I cut out before the end of verse five oh you left something out yeah I did I did he comes to the end of his list I'm going to read verse five having the appearance of godliness but denying its power avoid such people Paul is giving Timothy practical advice for the last days in which he's living Paul's telling Timothy don't think it's all just going to be good don't think it's all just going to be glorious because jesus died and wrote and rose and sent the spirit and the kingdom of god is is among you and growing and no no no in these last days in which we live timothy it's going to they're going to be hard times they're going to be people living in all kinds of sin and they're going to be people claiming claiming to to have the power of god claiming to know god but deny its very power avoid these people he's giving him practical advice why on earth would paul tell timothy now listen take note of this what does he say understand this first this is important timothy get this two thousand years from now things are going to get really bad timothy why would he say that everyone special announcement on the line of fire please give me your best year in the year 4011 the stock market's going to collapse it's going to be really bad in the year 3022 there's going to be a terrible earthquake around the whole world what what do you need to know that for in the year 2024 whatever year you happen to be listening to this no paul's giving timothy practical advice in these last days in which you're living timothy i'm telling you things are going to get pretty wild right so yes there'll be bad times there have been bad times when you read this description or in second timothy uh the third chapter it sounds like every generation doesn't it and then first timothy four it's the same thing the spirit expressly says in a later time some are going to depart from the faith yeah there's there's gonna be apostasy and the warnings of jesus about deception they're absolutely true at the same time romans 13 we read from yesterday the end of romans 13 what does it say the night is almost past the day is at hand and what is john right in first john 2 earlier in that chapter we read later about this is the last hour earlier in first john 2 he says that the day is at hand the darkness is passing and the light is shining the closer we get to the end of the age we will see greater and greater outpouring remember what we read earlier in the week about the end times the last days god says i'll pour out my spirit on all flesh in the last days so the last days will be marked by great harvest jesus says in matthew 24 14 after saying that because iniquity will abound lawlessness will abound that the love of many will wax cold he then adds and this gospel of the kingdom matthew 24 14 this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all nations and then the end will come friends the closer we get to the end of the age i understand we will see parallel extremes we will see the light shining more brightly than ever the greatest outpouring of the spirit the world has ever seen culminating in paul's words with the fullness of the gentiles coming in and all israel being saved all this still to come and parallel to that great darkness great deception great temptation great iniquity parallel extremes at the end of the age and what do we do in every generation we shine like life what do we do in every generation we function like the salt of the earth in every generation we are here to make a difference to shine until jesus returns this is dr michael brown thanks so much for tuning in just a reminder that we are listener supported if we have been a blessing to you if you're being enriched in the word and prayer and your own walk with god through this broadcast then stand with us so that we can reach many many more and bless many many more together friends we're making a difference so go to the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org and click donate
