BBP: 16 The Effects of Antichrist’s Resurrection on False Christians

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Chapter 16

The Effects of Antichrist’s Resurrection on False Christians

The shock & pain of the Great Apostasy

The prediction of the Great Apostasy Matt 24:10
The nature of the Great Apostasy Matt 7:21-23

B.1) The magnitude of the Great Apostasy

B.2) The deception of false faith

C) The progression of the Great Apostasy

D) The pain of the Great Apostasy

Primary Points

When Jesus warned that in the Endtimes many will turn away from the faith, He was predicting what can be called the Great Apostasy.
Jesus clearly predicted the number of real Christians would be relatively very few. On the other hand, He predicted the number of false Christians would be many.
If the Endtimes began anytime soon, and the Great Apostasy occurred, an estimated 187 million false Christians in America would be exposed. That would be well over half of all the people living in America.
If Antichrist’s Resurrection occurred today, the Great Apostasy would include an estimated 2 billion false Christians worldwide rather immediately and clearly exposing their true spiritual condition.
Jesus pointed to one specific group within Christendom as a place where there will especially be many fake Christians. That group would be those who promote and value prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles. Therefore, it is alarming to note that these are the very things that are foremost and uniquely promoted and valued in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements today.
What people can accomplish with a false faith in Christ is astounding and its deception is enormous.
It is only supernatural unconditional love, even for those who hate you, that is the best proof one is a real Spirit-indwelled and sealed Christian.
There is a great lack of biblical understanding and discernment regarding false Christians in modern Christianity. Even worse is the popular but false teaching that a real Christian could lose their salvation.
Even early in Judas’ ministry, Jesus called this miracle-working preacher of the Gospel a devil.
For our instruction, the NT describes other false Christians, including Simon who believed and was baptized, and Demas who was a fellow worker of the Apostle Paul.
It seems the Great Apostasy of false Christians denying Christianity will occur in stages, beginning with deception, division, and departures during The Beginning of Birth Pains, and eventually leading to false Christians participating in the arrest and execution of real Christians during The Greatest Persecution.
The Great Apostasy will begin in a massive, shocking, and painful way with the supernatural deception that will occur as a result of Antichrist’s Resurrection.
When the first and foremost False Christ is revealed and will deceive many, causing the Great Apostasy, it will perhaps be the first birth pain of the Endtimes.
Antichrist’s Resurrection will cause the beginning of great divisions in families and churches.
Such Endtime divisions and departures in Christendom will be precisely what God wants. In the Endtimes it will be God’s desire to purify His people from false Christians.
Today, false Christians cause a great deal of trouble in Christianity and in local churches. But after the Antichrist’s Resurrection, multitudes of false Christians will clearly expose themselves by worshipping the Antichrist. The current harmful deception of false Christians in Christianity will be essentially ended at the beginning of the Endtimes.
It is often thought the greatest cause of the Great Apostasy will be The Greatest Persecution. On the contrary, the first and greatest cause of the Great Apostasy will be the supernatural deception that occurs with Antichrist’s Resurrection at least 3.5 years before The Greatest Persecution begins.
Both the magnitude and the utter surprise of the Great Apostasy will make it one of the very first shocking and painful events of the beginning of birth pains (Matt 24:8). This is because some our moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, and Pastors will be among those who, will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate us (Matt 24:10).
When Christians in the Last Generation Church experience the broken relationships occurring because of the Great Apostasy, it will help to remember that godly men like David, Paul, and Jesus experienced the same thing.

A) The prediction of the Great Apostasy

In chapters 13 and 14 the effects that Antichrist’s Resurrection will have on unbelievers in the world was discussed. These effects seem to be two: 1) They will rather immediately worship the beast (Rev 13:8) and 2) Will accept Antichrist’s religious covenant with many people (Dan 9:27) and become followers of Antichrist’s Religion. As argued there, this will include people of all religions or no religions.

The same will be true for false Christians. All false Christians will abandon Christianity after Antichrist’s Resurrection. Again, the prediction states:

The whole world will be amazed by this miracle and will become a follower of the beast… All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb (Rev 13:3, v. 8 NASB).

False Christians have never had their name … written … in the book of life. Therefore, all of the many false Christians in “Christian” churches will rather immediately worship the Antichrist after His resurrection. Like all unbelievers, false Christians will not be indwelled with God’s Spirit to protect them from such a powerful delusion (2 Thess 2:11 NIV) and will believe that the Antichrist is the real Christ he will claim to be. Therefore, Antichrist’s Resurrection will result in false Christians agreeing to Antichrist’s Religious Covenant, partly because it will initially be tolerant of liberal, unbiblical, and false Christianity.

Obviously, Revelation 13 is describing a massive departure of false Christians from Christianity at the time of Antichrist’s Resurrection, and will probably be encouraged with Antichrist’s Religious Covenant occurring at that time.

This Great Apostasy from Christianity by false Christians is predicted elsewhere in Scripture. For example, Jesus warned regarding the Greatest Persecution:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith [skandalisthēsontai] and will betray and hate each other.” (Matt 24:9-11 NIV).

The Greek word translated turn away from the faith (skandalizō) is used elsewhere to refer to a complete departure from the Christian faith ^[1] (cf. its translation as fall away at Matt 13:21; Mark 4:17; 14:27, 29; John 16:1). Therefore, when Jesus warned that in the Endtimes many will turn away from the faith, He was predicting what can be called the Great Apostasy.

This important and painful Endtime event is also predicted elsewhere in the NT. Paul writes:

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from [apostēsontai] the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. (1 Tim 4:1 NLT)

Using essentially the same Greek word, Paul wrote elsewhere: Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day [of the Lord v. 2] will not come until the rebellion [apostasia] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed (2:3 NIV). In chapter 12 it was argued that Paul may have been referring to the first stages of the Great Apostasy, a point that will be discussed further below. Regarding the Greek word used here it was explained previously:

The Greek word apostasia means: “Defiance of established system or authority, rebellion, abandonment, breach of faith.” Another lexicon has, “a defection, revolt, apostasy, is used in the N.T. of religious apostasy.” Erickson defines it as, “a moral, spiritual, or doctrinal abandonment of the faith.”… This fits the definition of the English word “apostasy” as: “an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith.” (ch. 12, sec. D.2)

Accordingly the noun apostasia is used six times in the Septuagint (LXX, 2^nd century B.C. Greek translation of the OT) and “always connotes a departure from God.” ^{^[2]}

In general these texts are describing apostasy, or abandoning a religious faith such as Christianity. Regarding the apostasy predicted in 1 Timothy 4:1 MacArthur writes:

An apostate is not someone struggling to believe, but one who willfully abandons the biblical faith he had once professed. As already noted, the faith refers to the content of divine revelation that constitutes what Christians believe (cf. Jude 3). This phrase, then, describes an apostate, a rejector of Christ from within the ranks of the church…

As the revelation from the Spirit in Scripture shows, apostasy is predictable, and inevitable. There will always be those who make a temporary response to the gospel, but have no genuine faith in God. Such people abandon Christ’s visible church because they were never a part of His invisible church. They forsake God’s earthly family because they were never born into His heavenly family. ^[3]

Daniel seems to also predict the Great Apostasy when we read of the Antichrist:

He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant [with God]. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him (Dan 11:32 NLT).

Those who will violate the covenant obviously refer to the orthodox Jews who will abandon their Jewish faith and make a religious covenant with the Antichrist (Dan 9:27). But remember, Antichrist’s Religious Covenant will be with many people, not just the Jews. The Antichrist will also flatter and win over those who will violate the New covenant which will be all false Christians. Again, Daniel 11:32 seems to be another reference to the Great Apostasy. Accordingly, the prophecy states: But the people who know their God and are born again Christians will be strong and will resist him.

Therefore, Daniel 9:27 is also a reference to the Great Apostasy. We read there, The ruler [Antichrist] will arise to successfully persuade many people to make a religious covenant with him. Those many people will include all false Christians in the world, causing the Great Apostasy. Notice that both Antichrist’s Resurrection and Antichrist’s Religious Covenant are described being causes of the Great Apostasy (cf. Rev 13:3; Dan 9:27). This is another indication that these events occur together.

Another reference to the Great Apostasy appears to be in Jude where we read:

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. (Jude 1:17-19 NLT; cf. 2 Pet 3:3)

Once again, Jude noted that elements of what the apostles … predicted was already being fulfilled in the first century. But surely in the last times these Endtime scoffers will be creating divisions among churches. The fact that these people will be among the Christians indicates they were professing Christians. But their divisive nature will expose them as false Christians. As Paul wrote:

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned. (Tit 3:10-11 NIV)

What will the Endtime divisions Jude warned of look like? Great and painful divisions between real and false Christians in the Church, all caused by the Antichrist’s deception of the latter. This too will be discussed further below.

B) The nature of the Great Apostasy Matt 7:21-23

B.1) The magnitude of the Great Apostasy

As noted, the Great Apostasy will affect a very large number of people and therefore, be very painful for Christianity and Christians.

Many real Christians do not recognize how many false Christians there are in our world. For example, as of 2021, about 63% of Americans (210 million) still claimed to be Christians. ^[4] But in surveys that do a better job of identifying real Christians, the figure is closer to 7% (23 million). ^[5] This better fits Christ’s prediction about the number of people that would become real Christians when He said:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to [eternal] destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to [eternal] life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7:13-14 NIV)

Here Jesus clearly predicted the number of real Christians would be relatively very few. Elsewhere He predicted the number of false Christians would be many when He said a few verses later:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” (Matt 7:21-23 NLT)

That word many should sober us. Jesus predicted there will be many people claiming to be Christians who are not. Many resist Christ’s predictions because they seem too pessimistic. We struggle with feeling that Christians are such a minority already, so we are tempted to want to claim all the Christians we can. But the Endtimes will reveal that there are really even far fewer real Christians than we thought or hoped for.

The ministry of Jesus Himself illustrated this. In John 6 we read that Jesus gave a hard teaching (v. 60). It included His statement that: “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (v. 65). As a result, From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him (v. 66 NIV).

The same kind of massive apostasy will occur in the Endtimes, and especially be true of America. Again, 63% of Americans (210 million) still claim to be Christians. Yet, better studies put this number closer to 7% (23 million). Therefore, if the Endtimes began anytime soon, and the Great Apostasy occurred, an estimated 187 million false Christians would be exposed in America. That would be well over half of all the people living in America.

The effect will be similar in Europe. About 64% (288 million) of those in the European Union claim to be Christians, the same percentage as America. ^[6] Considering the spiritual state of real Christianity in Europe, including the epidemic of empty churches, how many of that 64% are really Christians? We may have some indication by the fact that only 9% claim to be Protestants, but even that is certainly no guarantee of saving faith. If we put the real percentage of Christians at 7% again, this would mean about 260 million false Christians in Europe would be exposed in the Great Apostasy.

Likewise, the Great Apostasy will be relatively massive in Israel. It is suggested the biblical predictions of Endtime apostasy include Orthodox and practicing Jews who are at least attempting to keep the Old Covenant. These make up 45% of Israel’s population (or over 4 million ^[7]). The majority of them will abandon their Jewish faith and worship the Antichrist because they would not have God’s Spirit either.

Of course, there will be similar results all over the world, especially in areas dominated by Roman Catholicism such as Latin America. There is an estimated 2.5 billion people claiming to be Christians in the world today. ^[8] If we put the real number at even 20% of that, and Antichrist’s Resurrection occurred today, the Great Apostasy would include an estimated 2 billion false Christians worldwide clearly exposing their true spiritual condition.

It is important to notice that in Matthew 7:21-23 quoted above, Jesus intentionally described a specific kind of person or group of people who will be exposed as false Christians. Jesus did not say many religious people in general will be fake Christians. He did not even specifically describe mainline denominations or Roman Catholicism, which many Evangelicals feel are full of self-deceived people falsely believing they are Christians. No, he pointed to one specific group within Christendom as a place where there will especially be many false Christians. And that group would be those who promote and value prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles (Matt 7:22).

Therefore, it is alarming to note that prophesying, exorcisms, and “faith healing” are the very things that are foremost and uniquely promoted and valued in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements today. Surely, there are many genuine Christians within this sect of Christianity. But Jesus was a Prophet. And it seems He was giving a prophecy about Charismatic and Pentecostal churches centuries before they became a majority segment of Christianity.

Understandably, many may disagree with this interpretation. But it cannot be ignored that Christ specifically warned of false faith among those who practice and promote the very things uniquely practiced and promoted in these sects of Christianity. Therefore, it seems Christ was warning us that among these churches in particular, there are, and will be, many false and self-deceived Christians.

Jesus said, “many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied … cast out demons … and performed many miracles.” And these many will not be doing the will of the Father, and will in fact be evildoers (NIV). But it is unlikely that this condemnation will only apply to those who are actually performing these deeds. The we seems to include those who would identify with these practices and be spiritually led by those performing them. By doing so, they too expose themselves as false Christians.

Not only will they be deceived about their salvation, but they will also be deceived about their prophesying and miracle working. As fully demonstrated elsewhere, Charismatic and Pentecostal teaching and practice on these matters is not biblical, and much of the supposed miraculous revelations and miracle-working among them is faked. ^[9]

Therefore, just because these unbelievers will be claiming they did miraculous things in Christ’s name, does not mean their works were actually supernatural. And if they were, then it was demonic power, not divine power, that enabled them.

All of this is especially ironic because those in Charismatic and Pentecostal churches often believe and claim they are in many ways more spiritual and superior to other Christians. This is primarily based on their claims to be experiencing more prophesying and miracle working. But in fact, this sect of Christianity simply seems to be more emotional, which may explain their greater level of deception. Contrary to what Pentecostals and Charismatics take such pride in, Jesus said that many of those claiming to prophesy, cast out demons, or perform many miracles, even in the name of Christ, are not those who actually do the will of my Father, and therefore, they will not enter … heaven either.

The magnitude of the Great Apostasy among Pentecostals and Charismatics is evidenced by the fact that, “Together, worldwide Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity numbers over 644 million adherents,” ^[10] and “Pentecostalism is believed to be the fastest-growing religious movement in the world.” ^[11] If Jesus will eventually tell many of this sect, “I never knew you,” then it will probably contribute a large portion of the multitude of false Christians who will be exposed in the Greatest Apostasy.

[Personal note: The author does not say these things with joy or pride. I have friends that I greatly respect who are members of these sects of Christianity. But I have written 5 books that biblically evaluate Charismatic and Pentecostal doctrines and practices. The shortest is entitled The Truth about Tongues and is over 300 pages. I can confidently tell you that much in these movements is unbiblical. And if anyone wants to disagree, I would humbly ask them to biblically refute what I have written in those 5 books. They are located in the “Scholar’s Section” of my website at www.trainingtimothys.com. A summary of those biblical arguments can be found in the Theological Journal section, articles #16 and #17].

B.2) The deception of false faith

False faith is an important and complex topic is Scripture. Its detection and how to be sure one is a real Christian are discussed elsewhere. ^[12] Notice in Christ’s warning above the depth of the deception involved in false faith. Many of those who supposedly prophesied in Jesus’ name and cast out demons in Jesus’ name and performed many miracles in Jesus’ name will not be actually doing the will of the Father, and therefore, they will not enter … heaven either. That is a lot of deception!

At least these deceived people will be attempting great spiritual things for Jesus. Many professing Christians do much less and still want to claim they are a Christian. If even trying to cast out demons and perform many miracles in Christ’s name does not guarantee your salvation, then why would so many claim that merely attending church or giving money is proof of their salvation?

In short, it is only supernatural unconditional love, even for those who hate you, that is the best proof one is a real Spirit-indwelled and sealed Christian (cf. Matt 5:43-48; John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-8, 19-21). In fact, an inability to forgive those who have hurt you and have compassion for them, is perhaps the clearest sign that exposes a false Christian (cf. Matt 6:14-15).

Still, what people can accomplish with a false faith in Christ is astounding and its deception is enormous. Jesus described false Christians when He explained His parable about the “sower and the seed”:

“The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root [or real saving faith], they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away [skandalizetai].

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matt 13:20-23 NIV)

The great lack of biblical understanding and discernment regarding false Christians is demonstrated by the number of Teachers and Christians who believe all of the above are describing real, but “backsliding” Christians. On the contrary, if a person does not persevere in the faith, even in trouble or persecution, they were never a born-again, Spirit-sealed believer. Likewise, if a professing Christian worships wealth, they too expose the fact they never trusted Christ for salvation.

Even worse is the popular but false teaching that a real Christian could lose their salvation. But did you notice how Jesus described false Christians above? He said, “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23). It is not that these false believers were real Christians at one time and then “fell away.” They were never Christians, which is true of all false Christians.

Of course, false Christians have been a perplexing and painful problem since the very founding of the Church. Judas Iscariot was the first. Like the other authentic Apostles, Judas was personally chosen and commissioned by Jesus to “proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near,’” and to “Heal the sick, [even!] raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons” (Matt 10:7-8 NIV). As the Apostle Peter would later say, “Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us” (Acts 1:17 NLT).

But even early in Judas’ ministry, Jesus called this miracle-working preacher of the Gospel a devil. We read: Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him (John 6:70-71 NLT).

For our instruction, the NT describes other false Christians. For example, Luke tells us:

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed [existanōn] all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed [exestakenai] them for a long time with his sorcery. (Acts 8:9-11 NIV)

The Greek word used here for amazed is used elsewhere to describe peoples’ responses to Christ’s miracles. It seems Simon was a demonically empowered individual. Which is why we might be initially impressed when Luke writes that Simon believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result … Simon himself believed and was baptized (Acts 8:12-13 NLT). Such actions and description would unfortunately lead many to be convinced such a man was a real Christian.

But a short time after Simon’s “conversion,” he attempts to bribe the Apostle Peter to give him miraculous powers (cf. Acts 8:18-19). For Simon, the work of the Holy Spirit was not the true God working salvation, but just another god working magic. The Apostle Peter revealed the man’s true heart when he said to Simon:

You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. (Acts 8:21-23 NIV)

This clearly is not a description of a born-again Christian, and indeed early Church history bears this out with a good deal more to say about the activities of Simon Magus. ^[13] This same Simon the Sorcerer who appears in Acts, started what would become a very popular cult known as the Simonians who, “were both active and influential for several centuries after the death of their founder.” ^[14] While there may be some legend mixed in with the historical accounts of this man, it is clear that he continued to attract many followers with his amazing miracle-working even as an influential opponent of early Christianity. ^[15]

Yet, the man is described as one who believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ and as a result … Simon himself believed and was baptized. Such is the deceptive and horrific nature of false faith. The example of Simon Magus should be a warning to those who easily assume that a person who can perform supernatural deeds is from God. Reader remember: Not everything supernatural is holy. Especially our brothers and sisters in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements need to be more discerning about this.

The deceptive power of false faith is demonstrated in another false Christian in the NT named Demas. Accordingly, we are astonished by the Gospel preaching, sacrificial ministry, and holy life, that Demas no doubt lived as a close companion of the Apostle Paul. What kind of commitment to Christ would you have to display for someone like the Apostle Paul to refer to you as my fellow worker with Luke (Phlm 1:24; cf. Col 4:14)? As MacArthur puts it, Demas was, “one of the apostle’s closest associates.” ^[16] And not for just a few months, but for years. The Apostle referred to Demas in this way in the late A. D. 50’s to early 60’s.

But in A.D. 67-68, writing to Timothy, Paul says, Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me (2 Tim 4:10). The Apostle’s description of Demas leaves little doubt that he was not saved, as the Apostle John points out elsewhere that, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). ^[17] Therefore, there was at least a period of 5-10 years in which Demas labored in the Gospel with Paul. And yet, in the end, abandoned his faith, demonstrating he never had the saving kind. Once again, we see that the power and deception of false faith is immense.

In the end, no amount of supernatural deeds, sacrificial service, or Savior-honoring words can prove one is a Christian. All such things can be empowered by the sinful nature or even demons. The one thing that neither the sinful nature nor demons can empower a person to do is unconditionally love people, which will always be the ultimate proof that someone is a real Christian.

C) The progression of the Great Apostasy

It was noted previously that virtually everything in the Endtimes will involve a process that requires some time (cf. ch. 12, sec. D.2). Likewise, it seems the Great Apostasy of false Christians denying Christianity will occur in stages. The following are merely suggestions, but they seem reasonable.

The Great Apostasy will begin in a massive, shocking, and painful way with the supernatural DECEPTION that will occur as a result of Antichrist’s Resurrection. Again:

Again, false Christians will not have the spiritual ability and discernment to protect themselves against this powerful delusion (2 Thess 2:11 NIV). Charismatic and Pentecostal people will be especially vulnerable as they already demonstrate a great lack of spiritual discernment and are deceived by false miracle-workers today.

Antichrist’s Resurrection will immediately result in a multitude of false Christians accepting Antichrist’s Religious Covenant because it will initially be tolerant of unbiblical Christianity. Therefore, who is a real Christian, and who is a false one, will be rather immediately revealed at the very beginning of the Endtimes, based on how people respond to Antichrist’s Resurrection.

This is contrary to what many believe. It is often claimed that the Great Apostasy will not occur until after Antichrist’s Claim to be God and the Greatest Persecution begins. Accordingly, it is thought the greatest cause of the Great Apostasy will be the Greatest Persecution.

On the contrary, the first and greatest cause of the Great Apostasy will be the supernatural deception that occurs with Antichrist’s Resurrection at least 3.5 years before The Greatest Persecution begins. Again, as a result of Antichrist’s Resurrection, All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb, which is all false Christians.

Therefore, the first stage of the Great Apostasy will be DECEPTION. This deception will lead to unprecedented DIVISION. People in churches all over the world will be immediately and painfully divided on their opinion of the Resurrected Antichrist. Real Christians will be amazed at how gullible a multitude of professing Christians will be to actually worship the Antichrist and adopt his new Religion into their perverted form of Christianity. False Christians will be condemning toward the real Christians whom they will perceive as narrow-minded and legalistic Pharisees because they will reject the tolerant new Religion of the Antichrist.

No real Christian, whose name has … been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life (Rev 13:8) will worship the Antichrist. Indeed, the Antichrist will flatter and win over false Christians who have violated the New covenant [with God]. But the people who really know their God will be strong and will resist him (Dan 11:32 NLT). And that difference will result in clear DIVISIONS within Christendom.

Real and false Christians may remain in the same local churches for a while. But eventually, their doctrinal DIVISIONS about the Antichrist’s Religion will result in unprecedented DEPARTURES. True and false Christians will not tolerate one another and will form their own congregations. The Apostle John reflected this period of time when he wrote:

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us [or Christ]; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us [or Christ]. (1 John 2:18-19 NLT)

Such Endtime divisions and departures in Christendom will be painful. However, they will be precisely what God wants. In the Endtimes it will be God’s desire to purify His people from false Christians. Real Christians and real Christian churches will be more enabled to obey commands such as:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Cor 6:14-7:1 NIV)

In the Endtimes, real Christians will do this very thing.

It is suggested that the deception, division, and departures of the Great Apostasy will occur early in The Beginning of Birth Pains, with the opening of the First Seal which reflects Antichrist’s Resurrection and implementation of his Religious Covenant (cf. Matt 24:4-8; Rev 6:1-2, BBP chs. 10-11). But when Antichrist’s Claim to be God occurs and the Fifth Seal is opened for The Greatest Persecution (cf. Matt 24:15-21; Rev 6:9-11), the Great Apostasy will reach its advanced stage.

In terms of their deception, false Christians will eventually completely renounce Christianity, receive the mark … of the beast (Rev 13:16-17), and believe Antichrist’s Claim to be God and that he is the one true religion (cf. 2 Thess 2:3-4). In terms of their relationship with real Christians, false Christians will eventually deeply hate real Christians and even participate in their capture, arrest, imprisonment, and execution. Paul reflected this progression in deception and cruelty by false Christians in the Endtimes when he wrote:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus [particularly in the Endtimes] will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors [false Christians] will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Tim 3:12-13 NIV)

Eventually, false Christians will be among those who Jesus described when He warned about the Endtimes:

“The time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me. Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning.” (John 16:2-4 NLT)

Therefore, false Christians will go from sharply disagreeing and even departing from real Christians, to eagerly engaging in the persecution, betrayal, arrest, and execution of real Christians. This advanced stage of the Great Apostasy seems to be what Christ described after the beginning of birth pains:

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matt 24:8-11 ^[18]).

This seems to describe a stage of the Great Apostasy that will occur during The Greatest Persecution. Jesus said, you will be handed over to be persecuted and at that time many will turn away from the faith. This persecution refers to The Greatest Persecution that will occur after Antichrist’s Claim to be God, as described later in Christ’s sermon (cf. vs. 15-21).

D) The pain of the Great Apostasy

In the world today Christians have a very great and painful problem. A multitude of unregenerated people profess to be Christians. As a result, these false Christians cause a great deal of trouble in Christianity and in local churches, especially when they are in positions of leadership. And as illustrated above, false Christians can be very difficult to detect. Therefore, an immense amount of pastoral and church ministry is expended on false Christians.

But after the Antichrist’s Resurrection, this will begin to radically change. Multitudes of false Christians will clearly expose themselves by worshipping the Antichrist. The current harmful deception of false Christians in Christianity will be essentially ended at the very beginning of the Endtimes. That is the good news about the Great Apostasy in the Endtimes.

But we must recognize and prepare for the shocking pain this event will cause for God’s people. When the first and foremost False Christ is revealed and will deceive many, causing the Great Apostasy, it will perhaps be the first painful birth pain of the Endtimes (Matt 24:5, 8). This is a good explanation for why Jesus called the emergence of False Christ(s) the first birth pain.

Why will the Great Apostasy be so shocking and painful? Because some of our moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, and Pastors will be among those who, will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate us (Matt 24:10).

The Great Apostasy will be shocking and painful because so many professing Christians will abandon Christianity. Real Christians will be revealed as a relatively very small minority in the world when the Endtimes begin. They will be tempted to feel like Elijah who told God:

“The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kgs 19:10 NIV)

The Great Apostasy will be shocking and painful because the revelation of some of the false Christians will be a great surprise. MacArthur is right to say, “Whereas apostasy should sadden and outrage believers, it should neither shock nor surprise them, because the Spirit explicitly says that it will occur.” ^[19] But the surprise will be unavoidable. Family members, friends, famous “Christians,” and some of our own Pastors, whom we were convinced were even better Christians than we are, will begin to worship the Antichrist after his Resurrection and expose their true hearts. Surely, even the Apostle Paul was shocked when his longtime partner in ministry, Demas, deserted the Apostle because he loved this world (2 Tim 4:10 NIV).

In summary, both the magnitude and the utter surprise of the Great Apostasy will make it one of the very first shocking and painful events of the beginning of birth pains (Matt 24:8). This is another aspect of the Endtimes that Christians need to be doctrinally, spiritually, and emotionally prepared for so they can respond to the Great Apostasy in a God-glorifying way. But as warned in the previous book, widespread false teaching on the doctrine of the Endtimes in the Church today has left Christians very unprepared (cf. Christ’s Endtimes Teaching, ch. 16).

By far the greatest pain of the Great Apostasy will come because of our great love and attachment to the false Christians who turn away from the faith. Can you hear the hurt in Paul’s voice when he wrote, Timothy, please come as soon as you can because Demas has deserted me (2 Tim 4:9-10 NLT)? Because of apostasy, the Apostle lost a dear friend.

Likewise, David experienced a similar betrayal and wrote:

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. (Ps 55:12-14 NIV)

Evidently, David had a friend who was in spiritual fellowship with him in the house of God. Like Paul, and because of apostasy, David also lost a companion, a close friend. And David admitted that this was very difficult to endure.

Jesus of course experienced the same. Even when Judas came to the Garden of Gethsemane to betray Him, and kissed him, Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend” (Matt 26:49-50 NIV). Jesus was not being sarcastic when He called Judas His friend. Even Judas knew that, and that is why Judas committed suicide out of guilt later (cf. Matt 27:3-5). Judas knew Jesus had been His friend.

When Christians in the Last Generation Church experience the broken relationships occurring because of the Great Apostasy, it will help to remember that godly men like David, Paul, and Jesus experienced the same thing.

Not only will false Christian friends and family members turn away from us, but they will eventually turn on us, and will betray and hate us (Matt 24:10). Primarily because of the Great Apostasy, Jesus warned that during the Endtimes:

“Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you” (Luke 21:16 NLT).

Elsewhere He said:

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me” (Matt 10:21-23 NIV).

Jesus was virtually quoting the Prophet Micah who similarly warned:

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. (Mic 7:5-6 NIV)

The betrayal predicted here will include those closest to you (Luke 21:16) somehow participating in you being arrested, persecuted, and killed (Matt 24:10), especially during The Greatest Persecution. Those who should protect us and help us, will expose and hate us. Wiersbe described the Great Apostasy when he wrote: “Those who once were true to each other will betray each other. This suggests that marriages, homes, and nations will be torn asunder because of a lack of loyalty.” ^[20] But again, all of this will be God’s will. Regarding even His First Coming, Jesus said:

“I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’” (Matt 10:34-36 NLT)

The Antichrist will seek a similar division in another attempt to imitate the real Christ. However, the division caused by the real Christ occurs because He and His followers believe the truth. The division caused by the Antichrist will occur because his followers will believe lies.

Here the faith (Matt 24:10) clearly refers to the Christian faith. As Carson notes, “Professing believers are either included in this description or are the focus of interest” (560; cf. Gundry who calls them “professing disciples,” 479). Nolland (965) and France (906) are virtually heretical to claim they will be real born again Christians losing their salvation. MacArthur is more biblical, who comments on Matt 24:10:

As persecution intensifies in the end times and believers begin to be arrested, hated, and martyred for Christ’s sake, many supposed Christians will defect. Although they will have had an outward identification with Christ, they will prove by their desertion that they never belonged to Him. When the persecution becomes too severe, they will forsake Christ and join fellow unbelievers in assailing God’s people… God’s people will be betrayed by those who once were a part of their fellowship but who become offended at Christ when the cost rises too high. Both to save their own skins as well as to vent the hatred for the things of God they have always had in their hearts, they will turn informer and persecutor. (Matthew, 24:10) ↑
Ibid., 138. ↑
MacArthur, 1 Tim 4:1, underlining added. ↑
“About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated”. Measuring Religion in Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel. Pew Research Center. December 14, 2021. ↑
See discussion on accurately identifying real Christians in Kurt Jurgensmeier, Biblical Apologetics, ch. 5.16, sec. A.2; online at www.trainingtimothys.com. ↑
“Discrimination in the European Union”, Special Eurobarometer, 493, European Union: European Commission, 2019. ↑
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Israel#:~:text=In%202022%2C%2045%25%20of%20Israel,’%2C%20including%20religious%20zionist ↑
In 2020 the Pew Research Center “estimated the number of Christians worldwide to be around 2.38 billion.” (https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/religion/religious-demographics/pew-templeton-global-religious-futures-project/). In 2023, it was reported: “There will be over 2.6 billion Christians worldwide by the middle of 2023.”

(https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/01/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2023.pdf) ↑
For a biblical evaluation of Charismatic and Pentecostal doctrine and practice see the books in the section entitled: “Biblical Critique of Charismatic Doctrines & Practices” under the “Scholar’s Section” at www.trainingtimothys.com. For a much briefer summary of this material, see the Theological Journal, articles #16 and #17. ↑
Zurlo, Johnson, and Crossing, “World Christianity and Mission 2020: Ongoing Shift to the Global South”, International Bulletin of Mission Research. 44 (1): 16 (July 2019). ↑
Miller, Sargeant, and Flory, Spirit and Power: The Growth and Global Impact of Pentecostalism (August 2013). ↑
For more on the biblical doctrine of false Christians and assurance of salvation see Christian Essentials study #1, FORGIVENESS, chs. 1.6-1.8 at www.trainingtimothys.com. ↑
Accordingly, the early Church Father Irenaeus (120-200) writes under the heading “Doctrines and Practices of Simon Magus and Menander”:

Simon the Samaritan was that magician of whom Luke [spoke of in Acts]… This Simon, then-who feigned faith … set himself eagerly to contend against the apostles, in order that he himself might seem to be a wonderful being, and applied himself with still greater zeal to the study of the whole magic art, that he might the better bewilder and overpower multitudes of men. Such was his procedure in the reign of Claudius Caesar, by whom also he is said to have been honoured with a statue, on account of his magical power.

This man, then, was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word, as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever title men were pleased to address him. (Against Heresies, online at http://www.ccel.org, I.23) ↑
D. E. Aune, “Simon Magus,” ISBE, 4:516. ↑
Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263–339) writes of Simon the Sorcerer:

[H]e was struck dumb by the miracles that Philip performed by divine power, and slipped in. He actually received baptism, in his hypocritical pretence of belief in Christ. It is an astonishing fact that this is still the practice of those who to the present day belong to his disgusting sect. Following in their progenitor’s footsteps they slip into the Church like a pestilential and scabby disease, and do the utmost damage to all whom they succeed in smearing with the horrible, deadly poison concealed on them. By now, however, most of these have been expelled -just as Simon himself, when his real character had been exposed by Peter, paid the appropriate penalty. (Ecclesiastical History, trans. G. A. Williamson, ed. Andrew Louth, (Penguin Books, 1989), I.2, 37) ↑
MNTC, 1 & 2 Timothy, at 2 Tim 4:10. ↑
Fee and Stott have little comment on Demas. Guthrie seems wrong when he writes that Demas “had perhaps found the apostle’s demands too rigorous. There is, however, nothing to suggest that Demas was an apostate, although there was a later tradition to this effect” (183).

Barnes had an interesting take on the statement that “Demas, because he loved this world [aion: “age”], has deserted me”: “It means that he desired to live. He was not willing to stay with Paul, and subject himself to the probabilities of martyrdom; and, in order to secure his life, he departed to a place of safety.” Dr. Barnes did not feel the Apostle’s words implied any “worldliness” in Demas at all. This seems unlikely.

MacArthur is willing to say Demas, “may not have been a true believer at all” (MNTC). Likewise, Knight writes:

Paul seems to be contrasting Demas’ love with that which marks true Christians (4:8)… Demas’ love for this world implies that he is one whose love for something else has taken the place of love for God (cf. 3:2, 4; cf. 1 Jn. 2:15) (464). ↑
This quote of Matt 24:8-11 is a combination of the NIV and NLT. ↑
MNTC, 1 & 2 Timothy, loc. 3062. ↑
Wiersbe, at Matt 24:10. ↑

Chapter 16

The Effects of Antichrist’s Resurrection on False Christians

The shock & pain of the Great Apostasy

Contents

Primary Points