Study on Apostasy ~ Voice of the Watchman

Revival or Apostasy
A Prophetic Look at the church of the Last Generation before Jesus Returns

The 10 Virgins Study explores the danger of becoming lukewarm when that Midnight Cry is sounded. But this study looks at the other condition that some of the church is finding itself in... Apostasy! There is a Great Falling Away occurring. Most people do not understand what this really means, and I recognize that this is not going to be politically correct with some denominations, but it is biblical and it is a warning that the Bible gives us of the Last Days before the end of this Age. We are there!

In Revelation chapter three, we see three churches listed there. The truth is that you can find yourself and your church mirrored somewhere in the seven churches listed from Revelation 2-3 from Ephesus to Laodicea. But the last three to be mentioned in this mirrors what the Bible says in other places will be occurring in the last days to the church.

There is a special promise given to the Church at Philadelphia about the coming time of Tribulation, and a warning given to the compromised lukewarm church at Laodicea about being rejected when that time comes. And there is a chilling doom spoken over the fallen away Sardis who Jesus proclaims is "DEAD". It is one thing for you or me to give the opinion that a church seems dead (not lively or moving in the Spirit), but it is something much more serious when Jesus Christ (who owns this church) declares that a church has no life in it. The life comes from the Holy Spirit connecting them to Jesus Christ, and if there is literally no life, then the names have been blotted out of the Book of Life. Blotting names out of the book is mentioned with this church, and we will explore it.

Most people understand that the bible says that there will be a great falling away or apostasy before the end of this age, but most do not really understand what that means. We are going to look at that, and what it means and how the Bible says that people can fall away or become apostates.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 (King James Version-KJV) " 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? "

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (Amplified-AMP) " 3 Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)," [Dan. 7:25; 8:25; I Tim. 4:1.]

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (Analytical Literal Translation -ALT) " 3 Let no one deceive you* by any means, because [that Day will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction [or, the one destined to be lost], "

APOSTASY DEFINED = Greek apostasia, which means to fall away, to defect to the other side, or literally apostasize. It is the feminine of the Greek word apostasion which is the word used for a "bill of divorce" or divorce. When the masucline noun is used, it is used with a marriage that has been divorced where the covenant between husband and wife are broken. When it is used with the feminine, it is used with our covenant with God.

What will disturb some is that the word literally means to get a divorce from the covenant that you are in with God. Many times, we are said to be "married" to Christ... a bride awaiting the marriage supper and Jesus is the groom. I recognize that New Jerusalem is connected to our inheritance and that thought, but we are in covenant with Jesus Christ as Christians. That is why it was said of Israel that they "played the harlot" and committed spiritual adultery when they went after other gods. There were in covenant with Yahweh (Jehovah God).

Some of you will stop reading right here and not read the scriptures that are presented that clearly show this. Please, read the Word of God for yourself and pray about it and let the Holy Spirit convince you, and not man, and not a doctrine that is not truly backed up by all the Word of God together.

SEE, WE TEND TO BE IMBALANCED IN THE CHURCH. EVEN FUNDAMENTALISTS MANY TIMES SEEM TO BE IMBALANCED. There are two main schools that look at this issue and one follows the teachings of Calvin and the other the teachings of Arminius. The truth is that both views have biblical support and see half of the truth that is presented by scriptures. The truth is that which takes both sides of this same truth at the same time and rightly dividing it accepts all that the bible says together. And apostasy is included in the equation.

Apostates and reprobates are not synonymous terms. They are similar, but there can be a difference. An apostate is a reprobate with a reprobate mind that God will never deal with again in this life. But you can be a reprobate and not be an apostate. It is possible to reject the Holy Spirit to the point where He no longer deals with you and you become a reprobate. And you can do that as a sinner that has never been born again. But an apostate has had the truth and fallen from it. He also is reprobate, but not all reprobates have had the truth and known God. Many have not. So, an apostate is a reprobate, but you can have a reprobate who is not an apostate.

Acts 2:16-20 (KJV) " 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: "

Peter referenced the Last Days predictions from the Prophet Joel. The signs in the heavens seen in verses 19 and 20 come in the years just before the Day of the Lord at the end of the Tribulation. But what they were seeing with the manifestation of spiritual gifts including tongues and prophesying was part of a Last Days manifestation that started at the Day of Pentecost (literally when the "Last Days" began).

He said that it would come on the male and female and the young and the old alike. God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. Let me share with you that this is happening right now in our generation, but on the most part it is happening in 3rd world countries on the Earth. God is pouring out His Spirit one more time upon the Earth and there is a great manifestation of the Holy Spirit as Jesus is being revealed to many daily. There have been moves of God literally where thousands who were either pagans or Muslim were literally turned to Jesus at one time and the Spirit of God performed miracles in their midst.

We are not hearing too much about it, but there is a real revival in the 3rd world of Muslims turning to Jesus in just the past few years. God is revealing just who Jesus is and is giving many visions of Jesus Christ.

THERE IS STILL LIFE IN JESUS' CHURCH, and although there is a great falling away or apostasy occurring, and even among those who are holding to biblical truth there is a lukewarmness and compromise that is putting many to spiritual sleep, but God will have a remnant that is on fire and revived at the Midnight Cry!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FALL AWAY! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPIRITUAL DEHYDRATE AND DRY UP! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BECOME LUKEWARM. GOD DESIRES TO HAVE A CLOSE AND FERVENT WALK WITH YOU. WHAT DO YOU DESIRE? IF YOU ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD, THEN HE WILL SATISFY YOU!

Amos 8:11-13 (KJV) " 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. "

Matthew 5:6 (KJV) " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. "

John 7:37-38 (KJV) " 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. "

1 Corinthians 14:26 (KJV) " How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. "

Ephesians 5:18-20 (KJV) " 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; "

God will satisfy us when we are hungry for Him and turn to Him and seek His face!

Who and what are you hungry for? You will seek out that for which you hunger! And if it is the Lord, then He will fill you and revival (to be made alive and useful and powerful in the Spirit) will come to your life.

So, there is a contrasting condition found in the church world just before the return of Jesus Christ. There will be a split (see the 10 Virgins Bible Study) between those who are saved in those who are wise and walking in the Spirit and ready as Jesus commanded us to be, and the half that will be foolish and lukewarm and not ready.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (KJV) " 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; "

2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV) " Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. "

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (KJV) " 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. "

Revelation 3:1-6 (KJV) " 1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. "

To become an apostate requires that you divorce yourself from the covenant that you have through Jesus Christ. It is a falling away and a rejection of the true Jesus and the true gospel. It is "another gospel" and literally is the same as blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

And many are doing this as they grab on to a false doctrine that feels good to their flesh and seems spiritual at the same time. it is spiritual in that demons are spiritual for they are being seduced by demonic seducing spirits and believing doctrines or teachings of demons.

We are going to look at the process shown to us clearly in Romans 1 of how people fall away into apostasy. You see there the clear declaration of Paul that he is not ashamed of the gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and how that it has power. That is the road to revival.

Then Paul went on to describe how some had fallen and the process that they take to fall away into apostasy. This is becoming more and more prevalent in these last days just as the Holy Bible predicted it would. Last Days prophecy is coming to pass in our very generation.