CET: 16 The Practical & Spiritual Harm of Popular Teaching on the Endtimes

Book Navigation

Chapter 16

The Practical & Spiritual Harm of Popular Teaching on the Endtimes

A) Popular but false teaching about the Endtimes has left the Church unprepared to glorify God in The Greatest Persecution, resulting in lost eternal rewards

B) The “Thessalonian Panic”

C) The vulnerability of shock caused by not obeying Christ’s command to “Watch!” for signs of His Return

D) Pre-tribulationism mimics false prophets

E) Amillennialism leaves the Church unprepared for the Endtimes

F) Help to prepare for the Endtimes

Primary Points

Because the popular and false views on the Endtimes are painless, they are also useless. One of the most evident dangers of believing and teaching false and popular views on the Endtimes is that it leaves the Church unprepared for The Greatest Persecution.
All of a Christian’s suffering is wasted if they do not endure persecution patiently, and courageously, peacefully, and joyfully. Only what is done in God’s Spirit of love, joy, peace (Gal 5:22) glorifies God and will be rewarded.
Anxious, discouraged, and confused Christians will not glorify God in the Endtimes. And those who do not correctly understand the Endtimes will be much more likely to be overwhelmed with these things when the Endtimes begin.
Believing false teaching on the Endtimes will cost you rewards for all eternity if you are in the Last Generation Church.
The Thessalonian church was scared out of their mind because they did not understand the biblical sequence of Endtime events. The same will be true for many Christians in the Last Generation Church.
Why did the Thessalonian Christians have such a lazy attitude toward understanding Paul’s teaching on Endtime events? Because the Thessalonian Pastors did not value Paul’s teaching on the sequence of Endtime events.
The popular but false views on the Endtimes discourage Christians from intelligently and diligently watching for signs of Christ’s Return. As a result, many in the Church will be unprepared to glorify God when The Beginning of Birth Pains begin.
Unfortunately, those who teach Pre-tribulationism are like the false prophets in the OT who falsely assured God’s people they would not experience the disasters God was warning of through real Prophets.
The future, physical, and literal interpretation of biblical prophecy is far more important for the well-being of God’s people than any of the historical, spiritual, metaphorical, and often questionable and out-of-context meanings Amillennialists want to emphasize.
Being deceived is the most dangerous thing of all.
God wants your whole mind to be controlled by His Love, so that your whole heart can be controlled by the love, joy, and peace of His Spirit, so that your whole life will glorify God.

A) Popular but false teaching about the Endtimes has left the Church unprepared to glorify God in The Greatest Persecution, resulting in lost eternal rewards

A.1) The purpose of Christ’s warnings

In the Church today the Endtimes is viewed as a morally neutral theological topic. Therefore, it is claimed there is really no need to persuade Christians of a particular view. For example, John Piper in a recent book on Christ’s Second Coming, points out several unbiblical beliefs about Pre-tribulationism. Still, he writes:

The main aim of this book is not to change the minds of those who hold a pre-tribulational view of the second coming. My main aim is that both of us would love the Lord’s appearing, whichever view we hold. ^{^[1]}

It is true of course that nobody’s eternal salvation depends on their view of the Endtimes. But if Dr. Piper really believes Pre-tribulationism is unbiblical, as he argues in his book, then why would he not want to “change the minds of those who hold a pre-tribulational view of the second coming”? More seriously, his view ignores the very real practical, spiritual, and even eternal costs for Christians who would enter the Endtimes with an unbiblical view of this doctrine. Those painful and eternal costs are the topic of this chapter.

It was noted in the first chapter of Christ’s Endtimes Teaching that all of the popular but false views on the Endtimes have one thing in common: They are relatively painless. The apathetic view claims it is not even God’s will for us to understand what will really happen to the Church in the Endtimes. That enables the Church to ignore the painful realities that Jesus warned us of. Likewise, as will be demonstrated in a moment, Amillennialism also practically ignores the suffering the Church will experience in the Endtimes. And of course, Pre-tribulationism actually promises the Church will not experience the Endtimes at all.

Unfortunately, one of the most evident dangers of believing and teaching these false and popular views on the Endtimes is that it leaves the Church unprepared for The Greatest Persecution. Book #4 in the Endtimes Essentials series, The Greatest Persecution, will have more to say about the challenges and biblical promises concerning this event. But popular views either diminish the need to understand The Greatest Persecution, or claim the Church will be exempt from it. Therefore, proponents of these views rarely if ever teach anything to prepare the Church for The Greatest Persecution.

Many will respond, “So what. Even if it’s true that the Last Generation Church will experience The Greatest Persecution, does it really matter if we understand that ahead of time?”

First of all, it is not necessary to know all the practical ramifications of Biblical truth before we should consider it essential. We need to assume that anything that God’s Word teaches for the Church is absolutely critical, even if we may not yet be certain why. What Pastor in his right mind would stand before God and claim that portions of NT Scripture “don’t really matter”? Yet that is the implied message of those who ignore or distort Christ’s intended purpose and meaning for His Endtimes Teaching.

Because all the popular views on the Endtimes are rather painless, they are rather useless to prepare the Church to glorify God if the Endtimes begin in our generation. This was explained further in chapter 1 where some of the following points were made.

Many talk as if there will be no consequences if God’s people do not understand God’s word about the Endtimes. They are wrong. There is always a cost when God’s people do not correctly or confidently understand God’s Word. This is true of the doctrine of the Endtimes. This is not simply an academic debate. The current confusion and controversy in the Church on this doctrine would greatly hurt Christians if the Endtimes begin any time soon.

All of these rather painless views on the Endtimes ignore the fact that Jesus wanted to warn His Church about the unprecedented catastrophes and persecutions of the Endtimes. Why was Jesus so concerned about warning His Church of these things? To help them be prepared to face them in a God-glorifying way.

If the Endtimes began today, many Christians would be greatly confused, and that confusion would greatly hinder their ability to enter the Endtimes with courage, clarity, and confidence. That is not what God wanted. Which is why Jesus gave us a rather simple, clear, although painful sermon about what the Endtimes will mean for the Church. This was so His people could be spiritually prepared for the Endtimes if they occurred in their lifetime.

But what do popular views of the Endtimes teach us? Either we will not even be here for these things, or the details of the Endtimes don’t matter. Saying the details don’t matter, means that Christ’s warnings don’t matter either. Not to be too harsh, but there seems to be an arrogance in the apathetic and metaphorical views on this doctrine. It seems foolish to believe that Christians will be quickly equipped to respond to the Endtimes in a God-glorifying manner when they have previously never been taught correctly on this doctrine.

Unfortunately, it is widely assumed that God’s people can be prepared to face the Endtimes in a God-glorifying manner even if they don’t understand what Christ was warning His Church of. Do you know better than Jesus? He believed the Church needed to know the substance and sequence of Endtime events. Do you? Jesus intentionally and faithfully warned His Church about these things because He knew the Church needs to know more than what many are teaching on this topic.

A.2) The unimaginable pain of The Greatest Persecution

Jesus wanted to warn His Church that in the Endtimes, “there will be the greatest persecution of God’s elect people. It will be greater than any persecution since the world began, and it will never be equaled again” (Matt 24:21). Many teachers in the Church today talk as if it was not important for Christ to give this warning to His followers. But Christ believed the warning was important because He wanted His Church to be as ready as possible to endure the Endtimes in a God-glorifying way.

Part of the problem is that most Christians have had relatively safe and prosperous lives. This is especially true of American Christians. As a result, many of them experience anxiety and depression when faced with relatively minor difficulties. This does not glorify God, and such a spiritually weak response to the much greater suffering of the Endtimes will not either.

In The Greatest Persecution, Christian husbands, wives, teens, and children will experience unimaginable chaos and turmoil because virtually everything in their life will be changed. More than changed, virtually everything and everyone in their life will be lost. They will lose their homes, jobs, money, freedom, life, and the life of their loved ones. We see a glimpse of what The Greatest Persecution will be like when we read what God has allowed to happen to His people in the past:

Others were tortured … Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated… wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. (Heb 11:35-38 NLT)

Does what your Pastor teach on the Endtimes help you and your family be ready to experience that in a God-glorifying way?

Or what about what happened to the Jews who were persecuted by the Antichrist’s forerunner, Antiochus Epiphanes, as reliably recorded in the Book of Maccabees.^{^[2]} We read:

Mothers who had allowed their babies to be circumcised were put to death in accordance with the king’s decree. Their babies were hung around their necks, and their families and those who had circumcised them were put to death. ^{^[3]}

It also came about that seven brothers were arrested along with their mother. King Antiochus was torturing them with whips and the rack to compel them to eat pork against the dictates of the law… After this was done he commanded that [one of the sons’] tongue be cut out, his scalp be sliced away, and his limbs be amputated while his mother and brothers looked on… The mother … saw her seven sons perish [by similar tortures] in the span of a single day. ^{^[4]}

Jesus said The Greatest Persecution will be like that. Christians will be ripped apart by wild beasts in the arena like the early Christians in Rome. They will be pulled apart by the rack and burned alive as the Roman Catholics did to Christians during the Inquisition. It will be like what the Nazis did to the Jews in the concentration camps during the Holocaust.

A.3) The monumental test of The Greatest Persecution

Do you know what will be the most important and challenging task for you if you encounter the Endtimes? Will you glorify God? The Bible says, Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31 NIV), including suffering in the Endtimes. Accordingly, Revelation tells us one way to do that during The Greatest Persecution:

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. (Rev 13:9-10 NLT)

As noted above and below, all real Christians will remain faithful during The Greatest Persecution. None will deny Christ, receive Antichrist’s mark (Rev 13:16), and lose their salvation. ^[5] But not all Christians will obey and glorify God by enduring persecution patiently. Therefore, notice something important. It will not be enough to just endure the intense suffering of The Greatest Persecution. Many pagans can merely endure suffering. All of a Christian’s suffering is wasted if they do not endure persecution patiently, and courageously, peacefully, and joyfully. Only what is done in God’s Spirit of love, joy, peace (Gal 5:22) glorifies God and will be rewarded. Responding to the suffering of The Greatest Persecution with the sinful nature’s fear, selfishness, complaining, and discouragement will not glorify God or be eternally rewarded. ^{^[6]} The Apostle warned:

If anyone builds on this foundation [of Christ] using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day [of evaluation] will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality [value NLT] of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved. (1 Cor 3:12-15 NIV)

We see again that the issue here is loss of eternal rewards, not eternal salvation. Still, notice that there will be something much worse than experiencing the intense suffering of the Endtimes. It will be failing to glorify God, wasting that suffering, and losing potential eternal rewards for the suffering, because you did not endure persecution patiently in the Spirit’s love, joy, and peace. Merely suffering while being afraid, selfish, and depressed will be like wood, hay or straw in terms of eternal value. Only glorifying God with the Spirit’s courage, peace, joy, and love will be considered like gold, silver and costly stones to God.

God’s purpose for the Endtimes is to test the faith and character of His people. Those who are not correctly taught on this doctrine will be much more likely to fail those tests. As a result they will lose rewards for all eternity. That is the eternal cost for believing false teachings about the Endtimes and being unprepared for them if they begin in your lifetime. It will affect how you experience eternity.

The Apostle John warned, Many deceivers … have gone out into the world… Watch out that you are not deceived so that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully (2 John 1:7-8). Do you see it? Believing false teaching will cause a Christian to lose being rewarded fully for all eternity. The Great White Throne Evaluation will reveal that those who taught the popular and false views on the Endtimes, will cost their followers for all eternity in lost glory and rewards.

Anxious, discouraged, and confused Christians will not glorify their God in the Endtimes. And those who do not even understand that the Last Generation Church will experience The Greatest Persecution, will be much more likely to fail in courage, faith, and clarity on the truth when the Endtimes begin.

For example, Christians who have not been taught correctly about the Endtimes will be unprepared to obey Christ’s command to evangelize. Jesus said that during the Endtimes, “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a (last) testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:14 NIV). Frightened, disillusioned, and confused Christians will not be much of a testimony, nor able to exercise the faith and courage that evangelism during The Greatest Persecution will require. When the Endtimes begin, it will be a time for bold witnessing, not for wallowing in fear and confusion.

Many doubt the practical and spiritual cost of being deceived about the Endtimes. But seeking and believing false and painless interpretations of Christ’s Endtimes Teaching will cost you and your loved ones in many ways, especially if the Endtimes begin in your lifetime. In fact, the cost will last you for all eternity, as warned above.

Many arrogantly assume today that you can be spiritually prepared to face the Endtimes in a God-glorifying way even if you do not understand what Scripture teaches on this doctrine. But do not follow them. It is easy to assume you can endure persecution patiently, including seeing what your loved ones will experience in The Greatest Persecution, with God-glorifying faith. But many Christians are missing something God wanted to give them to help them have a solid faith in the Endtimes.

God knew what you needed to be prepared for the Endtimes. And one of those things was all the prophetic Scriptures He provided to give His people an accurate understanding of the Church’s future. But false and popular teaching on the Endtimes has currently stolen this gift of God from the Church. He wanted to tell us the future of the Church, and popular teaching distorts or devalues His message. Why would we doubt there is a cost when God’s people do not correctly understand God’s word?

B) The “Thessalonian Panic”

The Thessalonian church illustrates several of the practical dangers of not correctly understanding the biblical sequence of Endtime events.

[Please stop and read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5]

The Thessalonian brothers and sisters were easily shaken and alarmed by false teachers who claimed the day of the Lord has already begun (2 Thess 2:1-2 NLT). Shaken translates a Greek word (saleuthēnai) used elsewhere to describe the earthquake that occurred at the Philippian jail (cf. Acts 16:26). The full phrase Paul used here literally means to be, “shaken from your mind” ^{^[7]} (cf. ESV). As a result, NT scholars describe these Christians as suffering from “acute confusion,” ^{^[8]} and being “shaken loose from their mental moorings.” ^{^[9]} These Christians were also alarmed (throeisthai) and in a constant state of fright. ^{^[10]} These Christians were scared out of their mind. ^[11]

Why did this “Thessalonian Panic” occur? Because these Christians did not understand the biblical sequence of Endtime events. This is why they believed a false teacher’s spiritual vision … revelation, or letter that claimed the day of the Lord has already begun (v. 2 NLT). Evidently, there was one thing the Thessalonians did understand. They understood that the day of the Lord was Christ’s Wrath (cf. ch. 14, sec. B).

Therefore, the Thessalonian Christians understood correctly that if the day of the Lord has already begun, then they were living on Earth in the day of God’s wrath (Rom 2:5) when He will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins (Isa 13:11).

The Thessalonians also understood that real Christians were promised to be rescued from the day of the Lord and God’s wrath. Paul had clearly told them in his first letter to wait for … Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1 Thess 1:10).

Therefore, what conclusions were these Christians coming to that made them shaken and alarmed? It would seem they believed they had somehow missed “the secret, silent rapture” and had been “left behind.” (Sound familiar? It is the name of a very popular fiction series supporting Pre-tribulationism). And if they had been “left behind,” then perhaps the persecution they were experiencing was the wrath of God. Accordingly, many of them were probably tempted to doubt even their salvation.

Why were the Thessalonians vulnerable to the false teaching that the day of the Lord has already come (v. 2)? Precisely because they did not understand the biblical sequence of Endtime events. Many teach today that it is only important to know what will occur in the Endtimes, but not the sequence these events will occur. But the Thessalonians prove otherwise. It was not because they did not understand what was to occur in the Endtimes. Rather, someone had thrown them into confusion because they did not understand the sequence of Endtime events.

This is why the Apostle chose to effectively correct their error by once again teaching them the proper sequence of Endtime events. He simply wrote:

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him [Christ’s Return and the Church’s Rescue], we ask you, brothers and sisters … Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day [the day of Christ’s Return, the Church’s Rescue and Christ’s Wrath] will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness [the Antichrist] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (2 Thess 2:1-3 NIV)

Why didn’t the Thessalonians understand this sequence of events? It was not because Paul had failed to teach them this before. He told them in this very passage: Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? (2 Thess 2:5 NIV). What were these things? The biblical sequence of Endtime events the Apostle taught in this very passage of Scripture. These included: Christ’s Return (the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, v. 1), the Church’s Rescue (our being gathered to him, v. 1), Antichrist’s Claim to be God (when the man of lawlessness is revealed, v. 3), and Christ’s Wrath (the day of the Lord which they were rightly afraid of, v. 2).

But there is something especially remarkable about Paul’s question to the Thessalonians: Don’t you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things? (2 Thess 2:5). When was the Apostle with the Thessalonian Christians? Acts indicates that Paul was in Thessalonica perhaps for no longer than three weeks! ^{^[12]} Luke records Paul went into the synagogue [there] and on [only] three [probably successive] Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2 NIV). Rather immediately afterwards, Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica (vs. 5-10).

Therefore, the Thessalonians had only been Christians for, at most, only a few weeks when Paul was with them. Even so, Paul taught them the proper outline of Endtime events! And he expected them to understand these things. That is a rebuke to many in the Church who either do not understand the Endtimes, or do not believe it is important to do so.

Why didn’t the Thessalonians sufficiently understand this doctrine? Because their leaders lacked the noble character needed to study this topic with diligence, humility, and courage. On the other hand, Scripture records:

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message [even about the Endtimes] with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11 NIV).

If the message Paul preached in Thessalonica included the biblical sequence of Endtime events, then the same was probably true in Berea. And no doubt, because of their attitude toward biblical truth, the Bereans understood the Endtimes better and would not have been vulnerable to false teaching like the Thessalonians.

Do you see how the Church today reflects the Thessalonian Pastors and Christians? Pastors promoting and teaching the metaphorical and apathetic views of Endtime doctrine do not value the specific and biblical sequence of Endtime events. Therefore, neither do their people. As a result, they do not have a clear and firm understanding of the specific and biblical sequence of Endtime events. Therefore, those being taught the popular and painless views on the Endtimes will be vulnerable to the same Thessalonian deception, confusion, and panic, when the Endtimes begin.

Likewise, do you see how popular Pre-tribulationism would lead to the same? Pre-tribulational Pastors teach the myths that Christ’s Return for the Church’s Rescue will occur “at any moment,” without any events signaling it, and it will be “secret and silent.” Remember as well that Pre-tribulationists teach that The Beginning of Birth Pains will be Christ’s Wrath. Those believing such a myth will also believe they are experiencing Christ’s Wrath when the wars, famines, and plagues begin in the Endtimes. Believing such myths will certainly make someone vulnerable to believing the day of the Lord has already begun (2 Thess 2:2) like the Thessalonians.

Unfortunately, considering the amount of confusion and error on the topic of the Endtimes in the Church today, it is feared that many will experience what the Thessalonians did. As noted in chapter 1, about half of American Evangelical Christians say, “it is impossible to know the circumstances that will precede Jesus’ return” (sec. A). This is a result of the popular Endtimes views that do not value the Bible’s teaching on “the circumstances that will precede Jesus’ return.” This ignorance is also a result of popular Pre-tribulationism teaching myths about “the circumstances that will precede Jesus’ return.” Like the Thessalonians, such people will not be able to recognize or understand the beginning of the Endtimes. And they certainly will not be prepared for it.

Therefore, those who believe these popular views on the Endtimes will suffer the very same doctrinal errors, emotional trauma, and “Thessalonian Panic,” if they face the Endtimes. They too will be unnecessarily confused, alarmed, and spiritually weakened at the very time they will desperately need clarity, conviction, faith, courage, and strength.

Especially imagine the disappointment and disillusionment of those who have been taught Pre-tribulationism when they begin to experience The Beginning of Birth Pains and the emergence of the Antichrist. Webster’s defines “disillusionment” as “being defeated in expectation or hope.” And that is precisely how Christians in the Last Generation Church will feel who have been taught and believed they were to be “raptured” before any Endtime events began. As explained earlier (ch. 14, sec. F), in the false teaching of Pre-tribulationism, being “raptured” before the Endtimes begin is the blessed hope (Tit 2:13). Those who enter the Endtimes believing this will have their blessed hope crushed. And Proverbs warns, When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed (13:12 GNT). That is not how you want to enter the unprecedented challenges of the Endtimes.

All of the above will happen mostly because Pastors did not teach the biblical substance and sequence of Endtime events. Instead, they taught Christians that they were to be rescued before the Endtimes began (Pre-tribulationism). Or they were not taught much at all (Pan-tribulationism and Amillennialism).

Notice one more thing that may happen to Pastors who have taught false or shallow and obscure things regarding the Endtimes. When the Endtimes begin, their church’s trust and respect for those Pastors may be understandably and severely damaged, if not irreparably destroyed. Disillusionment and doubt about their leaders may sweep over these churches and be very difficult to overcome. At the very time the Last Generation Church will need confidence in their leaders and teachers, these men may lose their spiritual and doctrinal authority. As a result, at the very time God’s sheep will need shepherds, they will be confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36 NLT).

C) The vulnerability of shock & disillusionment caused by not obeying Christ’s command to “Watch!” for signs of His Return

In chapter 2 you read:

[Christ] wants His Church to be watching and ready for [the Endtimes] when it begins… This is why throughout Christ’s sermon on the Endtimes He said: “Be on guard! Be alert!” … “keep watch” … “What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:33, 34, 37 NIV). Watch! for what? Current events in our world that would signal the beginning of the Endtimes, and that Christ’s Return is near. (sec. B)

Christ commanded His Church to be alertly watching for the biblical signs of His Return in current events (cf. ch. 10, sec. D). The popular but false views on the Endtimes discourage Christians from doing this. Pan-tribulationism claims it is not God’s will for us to know the biblical sequence of Endtime events, so those taught by this view do not even know what to be looking for. Amillennialism’s refusal to sufficiently value the future, physical, and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy has the same numbing effect. “Historicism” claims Endtime events have primarily been fulfilled in the past. Pre-tribulationism claims there is absolutely nothing that Christians need to be alert for in the Endtimes because the very first event of the Endtimes is the “rapture” that could occur any day. All such views discourage Christians from obeying Christ’s command to “Watch!” As noted in chapter 10 (sec. D):

Obviously, this command is widely ignored in the Church today… popular views on the Endtimes discourage this very thing. It is the popularity of these false teachings on the Endtimes that has led to the statistic that 45% of American Evangelical Christians claim: “it is impossible to know the circumstances that will precede Jesus’ return.” Therefore, it is impossible for such Christians to intelligently obey Christ’s command to “Watch!”

As with all of Christ’s commands, there will be consequences for Christians who disobey His command to “Watch!” intelligently and diligently for biblical signs of His Return. As noted in chapter 10, “it would seem the clearest sign the Endtimes have begun will be the Antichrist’s Resurrection” (sec. D). This is discussed further in the next book, The Beginning of Birth Pains. There it is warned that when the Antichrist’s Resurrection occurs, mistaught Christians will be freaking out, and be very confused and afraid.

Because of that, the Antichrist will have a great advantage over those believers who were not prepared to face him. Which again, is what all of the painless, popular, but false teachings on the Endtimes lead to. The Antichrist’s unique weapon over such Christians will be: Surprise. Shock. When we are shocked by painful events, we are emotionally shaken and alarmed like the Thessalonians, and therefore, mentally and spiritually weakened. Shock makes it all the more difficult to exercise faith at a time when it is most necessary. Peter’s admonition will be incredibly important in the Endtimes:

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad. (1 Pet 4:12-13 NLT)

When the fiery trials of the Endtimes begin, God will expect His people to glorify Him by being very glad. But because popular teaching has left many unprepared for these things, they will be surprised, shocked, confused, and afraid.

Likewise, Jesus said, even when these devastating Beginning of Birth Pains occur, “see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matt 24:6). But much of the Church will disobey Christ and be alarmed by The Beginning of Birth Pains because popular and false teaching on the Endtimes will leave them unprepared.

D) Pre-tribulationism mimics false prophets

The previous chapters have made it clear that there is not a shred of biblical evidence for Pre-tribulationism. So why have “36% of Protestant Pastors claimed Pre-tribulationism best reflected their beliefs on the Endtimes”? Why is unbiblical Pre-tribulationism so popular in modern Christian culture? Because it is the most painless view of the Endtimes available. Pre-tribulationism is based on the very attractive promise that the Church will never experience The Beginning of Birth Pains or The Greatest Persecution. Just that simple and wonderful guarantee gives Pre-tribulationism a great advantage over all other views on the Endtimes. Why? Because as the Apostle warned:

A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. (2 Tim 4:3-4 NLT)

This warning was discussed in chapter 1 of Christ’s Endtimes Teaching. And those who teach or believe Pre-tribulationism are among the foremost examples of what the Apostle predicted. As noted in chapter 1, there is a long history of God’s people rejecting His real Prophets and believing false ones. Why? Because God’s real Prophets were telling the people difficult truth. However, the false prophets were teaching whatever their itching ears wanted to hear. Unfortunately, those who teach Pre-tribulationism have become the false prophets of our day. In fact, how God described false prophets is eerily similar to those who teach Pre-tribulationism:

But I [Jeremiah] said, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! The prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine [like those Jesus warned of in The Beginning of Birth Pains and The Greatest Persecution]. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’

Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. (Jer 14:13-16 NIV)

Notice that God was not going to protect His people from the painful consequences of accepting false teaching. Christian, your spiritual and even physical well-being depends on how accurately your Pastors teach Scripture. This fact will become especially evident in the Endtimes.

E) Amillennialism leaves the Church unprepared for the Endtimes

Again, in chapter 12 you read:

A recent survey claimed that 50% of Protestant Pastors deny or are unsure that Scripture predicts there will be a physical Antichrist in the future. Instead, some believe the biblical prophecies about the Antichrist simply refer to the spiritual reality of growing evil in the Endtimes. (sec. A.1)

Such an unbiblical belief is the result of the invasion of metaphorical interpretation in the Church. Amillennialism is a foremost promoter of this. And such a view obviously leaves Christians unprepared for a real, literal, and murdering Antichrist.

However, other Amillennialists do claim there will be a real and literal Antichrist in the future. However, they say so little about it that they too leave Christians unprepared for his Reign. As noted earlier:

Often Amillennialists do expect some future and physical fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. But their approach does not sufficiently value this. Instead, this view prioritizes finding metaphorical meanings in prophetic Scripture and saying relatively little about their future physical fulfillment… As a result, they leave the Church less prepared for the physical realities that are coming in the Endtimes. (ch. 12, sec. B.1)

For reasons that are unclear and unbiblical, Amillennialism simply refuses to value the future, physical, and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It ignores the fact that almost 600 biblical prophecies that have already been fulfilled in history, were fulfilled in a physical way, as in a person, place, or event. (cf. ch. 12, sec. A.4). Amillennialism seems to do everything it can to encourage God’s people to ignore the reality of coming wars, famines, plagues, the Antichrist, and The Greatest Persecution. As a result it also ignores Christ’s clear command to be watching current events for signs of His Return (cf. Mark 13:33-37; ch. 10, sec. D).

For example, the influential Amillennialist Kim Riddlebarger writes of The Beginning of Birth Pains that Christ taught about (cf. Matt 24:3-8):

These signs are not given to us so that well-intentioned Bible prophecy experts can correlate current events to the immediate coming of Christ… Rather, they were given to comfort [only?] the [1^st century] disciples and the church which would soon be born so that even in the difficult and perplexing times which were about to begin, God’s people could rest assured that he was in control… They are signs of the certainty of Jesus Christ’s second coming. ^[13]

There is probably some truth to what this author is saying. But why completely ignore the context of Christ’s Endtimes Teaching? Contrary to Amillennialists, the disciples did not ask Jesus, “Will God be in control of Endtime events?” Rather, they asked, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt 24:3 NIV). And that is precisely what Jesus gave them. Signs the Church is to watch for (cf. Mark 13:33-37), so we know the timing of Christ’s Return, not simply its “certainty” as Riddlebarger claims.

As suggested earlier, Amillennialists are like the Pharisees who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel (Matt 23:23-24) because they have neglected the more important matters of God’s Word on the Endtimes. Instead of carefully teaching on the physical and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy, they often focus on questionable spiritual applications that have nothing to do with the meaning of the prophecy itself. As a result Amillennialists are guilty of leaving much of the Church unprepared for the Endtimes. For example, in the book above, Riddlebarger makes the following statement:

[The] prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem and the antichrist desecrating the temple presents us with the frightening image of an unprecedented period of persecution of the people of God immediately before the return of the Lord. ^[14]

That is a very important biblical truth for which Christians need a great deal more explanation. But that’s the only such statement Riddlebarger gives in an entire book supposedly dedicated to helping Christians understand important aspects of the Endtimes. Why does this author do this? First because like most Amillennialists, he refuses to value the future, physical, and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Secondly, like many Amillennialists, he is unsure if the above statement is even true. He writes:

[T]he antichrists (i.e., the beast and man of sin) [will] demand worship for themselves… This is a possibility which awaits final confirmation when the event itself comes upon us. ^[15]

Really? The Antichrist’s “demand” for “worship” in the Endtimes is only “a possibility” that we cannot be certain of until we have “final confirmation”? Contrary to Amillennialism, Revelation chapter 13 teaches this very clearly. But such uncertainty about the biblical specifics of the Endtimes is typical of Amillennialism. This is because it has adopted the apathetic view of Pan-tribulationism that the biblical substance and sequence of Endtimes events is not important.

In another book, Riddlebarger again demonstrates how Amillennialists are like the Pharisees who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel (Matt 23:23-24). In a 169 page book on the Antichrist, the author refers to this reality briefly when he writes:

Antichrist will be the supreme persecutor of Christ’s church and will exercise his reign of terror through state-sponsored heresy… He will be a persecutor on the order of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Domitian and will commit acts of blasphemy that make the desecrations of Antiochus IV, Titus, and Nero pale by comparison. Therefore, these figures from redemptive history should serve to prepare us to face the future. ^[16]

That’s pretty much all that is said about the reality of the Antichrist in a 169 page book entitled: The Man of Sin: Uncovering the Truth about the Antichrist. The rest of the book supports the author’s primary point that is stated here:

Instead of fearing and dreading the Antichrist … we should be longing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. For Satan and his cronies have already been defeated by the blood and righteousness of Jesus. ^[17]

The author is wrong in at least two ways. First, he implies that just because someone would emphasize the reality of the Antichrist and encourage the watching of signs for his coming, it would mean they are “fearing and dreading the Antichrist” in a sinful or unbiblical way. Not true. Such people would simply be obeying Christ’s repeated command to “Watch!” (Mark 13:37) for the Endtime events He taught would be signs of His Return. Including the Rise and Reign of the Antichrist (cf. Matt 24:15).

The author above makes a second mistake that is typical of what Amillennialism wishes to emphasize. It sounds spiritual to say, “Satan and his cronies have already been defeated by the blood and righteousness of Jesus.” But this is at best only half the truth.

Christians in the Last Generation Church will also need to do something to be victorious over the Antichrist. As noted above, Revelation warns that during The Greatest Persecution some will be taken to prison and others will die by the sword (13:10 NLT). What will be required for these Christians to glorify God and have a faith that conquers the fear Satan will want to instill in them in the face of this imprisonment and martyrdom? The text says such persecution means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful (13:10 NLT).

God desires to equip Christians to endure Endtime persecution patiently. But Amillennialism is failing badly to serve God in this. And it does so by flowery sounding half-truths like “Antichrist has already been defeated by Jesus’ blood.” No. The Antichrist’s will, purpose, and glory will also be defeated when Endtime Christians joyfully and willingly shed their own blood and are executed instead of denying their love for Jesus. But Amillennialism has relatively little to say about that because for reasons that are unclear and unbiblical, it simply refuses to value the future, physical, and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Again, Riddlebarger is an example of this. As noted above, he is willing to make the brief statement above about the literal future Antichrist. But, throughout the book he attempts to diminish, if not disprove this. For example, he writes:

When John speaks of the two beasts in Revelation 13, he is speaking of the Roman Empire and its imperial cult [over 2,000 years ago]. The beast from the sea (vv. 1–10) refers to the imperial cult in Rome. The key figure in this is Nero, under whose reign the persecution of Christians began…

The beast from the earth (vv. 11–18) [the False Prophet] refers to the imperial cult and its priests in Asia Minor at the time John was given the series of visions we know as the Book of Revelation (about AD 95)…

Futurist interpretations of the connection between the Antichrist and the beast of Revelation 13 are highly problematic [actually, not at all]. Therefore … futurism (the idea that Antichrist is revealed at or about the time of … the seven-year tribulation period) collapses under its own weight. ^[18]

In typical Amillennial fashion, Riddlebarger claims that the Roman emperor Nero fulfilled the prophecy of the “beast” in Revelation 13. It is asked again, how does such a claim help Christians to prepare for the real and literal Antichrist that is coming? This Amillennial interpretation of this prophecy is not only unhelpful but unbiblical. Contrary to Riddlebarger, and all Amillennialists and Preterists, there is no evidence that the Apostle John thought he was referring to Nero who died about 30 years before the Revelation was written. In this case, Revelation would not be a prophecy of the future at all.

After stressing the supposed past fulfillment of prophecy regarding the Antichrist, Riddlebarger is at least willing to admit:

Nero and the events associated with the destruction of the temple may point ahead to another fulfillment at the end of the age. This is especially the case if some of these prophecies have double fulfillments (e.g., the Olivet Discourse—Matt. 24:10–25) and if the beast of Revelation 17 is an eschatological figure who will appear at the time of the end. ^[19]

Again, after spending the vast majority of the book diminishing the reality of the future Antichrist in the NT, the author is willing to admit that Revelation 13 “may point ahead to another fulfillment at the end of the age.” Riddlebarger’s lack of confidence does nothing to help the Church be prepared for what Revelation 13 clearly predicts.

The future, physical, and literal interpretation of biblical prophecy is far more important for the well-being of God’s people than any of the historical, spiritual, metaphorical, and often questionable and out-of-context meanings Amillennialists want to emphasize. As stated above, Amillennialists simply refuse to value the future, physical, and literal fulfillment of biblical prophecy. They are like the Pharisees who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel (Matt 23:23-24) because they have neglected the more important matters of God’s Word on the Endtimes. As a result, Amillennialists are guilty of saying relatively very little to help the Church be prepared for what the Last Generation Church will experience. The shock, confusion, and dismay that the Thessalonian Christians experienced, will also be experienced by those being taught by Amillennial teachers when the Endtimes begin. ^[20]

F) Help to prepare for the Endtimes

Some encouraging things about facing the tests of the Endtimes will be shared in subsequent books of the Endtimes Essentials series. A couple of helpful things can be offered here to help you prepare for the Endtimes if they occur in your lifetime.

The first thing we can do to prepare for the Endtimes if they occur in our lifetime is to have a biblical understanding of this doctrine. Stop believing false teaching that denies, ignores, or diminishes what will happen to Christians and their families in the Endtimes.

One of the reasons the Endtimes Essentials materials were developed was to protect you from all the popular but false myths (2 Tim 4:4) that are being taught in the Church today about the Endtimes. Admittedly, the conclusions in the Endtimes Essentials are a lot more painful than these myths. But the Endtimes will be even more painful if you encounter them believing these popular myths. Being deceived is the most painful and dangerous thing of all.

Another purpose of the Endtimes Essentials is to encourage you to spiritually prepare for the Endtimes. As noted above, God will want you to glorify Him in the Endtimes. What will be required to do that? Your faith and trust in God’s love for you must rule your whole heart. How will you know your whole heart trusts God? Nothing in the Endtimes Essentials materials will make you AFRAID.

The author has written some proven studies on effectively being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:2 NIV). These studies recognize that most Christians logically understand that God loves them. But their constant struggles with anger, anxiety, depression, and lust reveal that hidden and hurting parts of their heart have not fully experienced the truth of God’s love for them. Usually these parts are stuck in some past painful experience that imprinted them with lies about themselves and God.

God wants your whole mind to be controlled by His Love, so that your whole heart can be controlled by the love, joy, and peace of His Spirit, so that your whole life will glorify God. This is true whether or not the Endtimes begin in your lifetime.

The resources in the “Christian Essentials Discipleship Studies” section at http://www.trainingtimothys.com can help you experience the fruits of the Spirit more consistently. Study #4: FRUIT from the Spirit’s Power, is especially helpful to provide a biblical evaluation of your spiritual health and maturity. It’s companion, FREEEDOM from Satan’s Strategies will provide biblical wisdom on how to be transformed by the renewing of those hidden and hurting parts of your heart. As a result, you will be better prepared to glorify God in the Endtimes if you have been chosen to be a part of the Last Generation Church.

Piper, 206. Underlining added. ↑
The New World Encyclopedia states:
1 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book written by a Jewish author and included in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canons of the Bible. Protestants and Jews regard it as generally reliable historically, but not a part of holy scripture.

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/1_Maccabees ↑
1 Macc 1:60-61. ↑
2 Macc 7. One writer remarks on the historical reliability of 2 Maccabees: “By the 1930s, historians generally came to the conclusion that the historical documents present in 2 Maccabees – while seemingly out of chronological order – were likely legitimate” (cf. Lester Grabbe, A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: The Maccabean Revolt, Hasmonaean Rule, and Herod the Great (174–4 BCE) (T&T Clark, 2020), Vol. 95, pp. 80–84).
On the reliability of the story of the seven sons, Professor Daniel McClellan writes:

The story of a parent and seven sons facing death for their fidelity to God’s laws is not unique to 2 Maccabees. Five texts share the plotline of 2 Macc 7… It is likely that an oral tradition was in circulation from which these five narratives drew their information.

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=studiaantiqua ↑
For more on the perseverance of a real Christian’s salvation see appropriate chapter of the “Promises” section of Endtimes Essentials book #4: The Greatest Persecution. ↑
Unfortunately, many Christians do not even know what living consistently in the power of God’s Spirit really means. For more on this see Pastor Kurt’s study: FRUIT from the Spirit’s Power available online in the “Christian Essentials Discipleship Studies” section of his website at http://www.trainingtimothys.com. ↑
LGEINT. ↑
Greene. ↑
MacArthur, MNTC, Thess. ↑
Ibid. ↑
Accordingly, the NIV unsettled does not sufficiently convey the meaning here. ↑
For more on whether or not Paul was in Thessalonica for 3 weeks see Additional Studies on the Endtimes (ASE), ch. 6. ↑
Riddlebarger, 164. Underlining added. ↑
Ibid. 172. ↑
Ibid. 170. ↑
Riddlebarger, Antichrist, 106-7. ↑
Ibid., 113. ↑
Ibid., 109-110. ↑
Ibid., 110. ↑
Piper provides another example of the unbiblical and unhelpful approach of Amillennialism to the doctrine of the Endtimes. Sam Storms, an influential Pentecostal seminary professor has written perhaps the most detailed defense of Amillennialism in recent history. Unfortunately, the lack of certainty he portrays about Endtime events illustrates the worst kind of Pan-tribulationism that fails to honor Christ and help His Church. Piper writes, “Sam Storms makes a case that Matt. 24:4–31 refers ‘immediately and primarily’ to the events leading up to AD 70. But then he [Storms] concludes like this:
In conclusion, my argument that Matthew 24:4-31 refers immediately and primarily to the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 does not necessarily exclude the possibility that the end of the age is, at least indirectly, also in view. It may well be that future events associated with the second advent of Christ at the end of the age are prefigured by the destruction of the temple and the city in 70…

In other words, the events of 70 may well portray in a localized way what will happen globally at or in some way associated with the second advent… Therefore, my opinion is that the pattern of events that transpired in the period 33-70, leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, may function as a local, microcosmic foreshadowing of the global, macrocosmic events associated with the parousia and the end of history. The period 33-70 conceivably, then, provides in its principles (though not necessarily in all particularities), a template against which we are to interpret the period 70–parousia. (Sam Storms, Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative [Mentor, 2013], 279; underlining added)

Piper responds:

You can hear in the words “not necessarily exclude the possibility” and “it may well be” and “may well portray” and “may function” and “conceivably” an uncertainty that does not provide much guidance for how to see in Jesus’s words what may yet be future. Practically, how are we to apply Storms’ words, “[These first-century events] may function as a local, micro-cosmic foreshadowing of the global, macrocosmic events”? If we are left only with the possibility that Jesus intended his words to illuminate the end time, are we to think that they do or don’t?

The difference between my view and Storms’ view is twofold. One, he only sees a possibility that Matt. 24:4-31 foreshadows events at the very end of the age, whereas I think there is good evidence that both Matthew and Paul understood Jesus’s teaching as definitely having the final end in view. And while Storms might allow that first-century events are the main earthquake, so to speak, in Matt. 24:4-31, with possible aftershocks at the very end of history, I think the events surrounding the second coming are the earthquake in Matt. 24:4-31, and the events of the first century are warning tremors.

The basis for this is mainly the observation that Paul and Jesus conceptualize the second coming in the same way, as shown from their shared language; and Paul makes clear that this language and conceptualization, drawn largely from Matt. 24:4-35, refers to the very end, not only to AD 70. (191, underlining added) ↑

Chapter 16

The Practical & Spiritual Harm of Popular Teaching on the Endtimes

Contents