The world is quickly entering into a time where the concept of normal no longer exists. Phrases such as Singularity, the Convergence, the Great Reset, and the New Normal are being used more frequently to try and explain the dramatic departure from the old world order of things. In fact, it is becoming such a dynamic paradigm shift that even unbelievers (i.e. the prophetically deaf-tone people) are beginning to take notice and ask questions with regards to the strange goings-on around the world.
In fact, so many strange things are going on these days that it is just too overwhelming to try and take it all in. Even someone like myself who can usually absorb a lot has trouble absorbing beyond a certain threshold. As is often the case, these inexplicable events are shrugged off simply because we can’t know who or what to trust anymore. Some things seem too unbelievable, too overwhelming, and remain unanswered. More on this specific point later.
Despite the deluge of prophetic signs and wonders growing day by day, there still exists the cultural and geopolitical naysayers out there. These are they who pretend (and loudly so) that everything is fine and life will just keep going on the way it always has. Typically, these naysayers are often represented as the “experts.” They are often the establishment types (bureaucrats) and CINO’s (Christians In Name Only) who love pretending to be culturally relevant, socially reasonable, and yet, are almost always spiritually lukewarm. Unfortunately, these are also the same people who seem to hog the media spotlight, usually only to scoff at those “crazy Evangelicals” who actually take the bible seriously.
Fair to say, these skeptics and the act of their skepticism is not a new endeavor. Noah dealt with it in his day. Lot dealt with it in his day. Just think back to Christ’s birth and how the Wise Men showed up in Herod’s court asking, “where is He who is born King of the Jews?” A surprised King Herod turned to his own “wise men” (i.e. the experts of his day) to ask them about this, and they responded by misquoting the prophet Micah. In fact, they downplay the passage to diminish the significance of this event so as to make it more politically palatable for their king (compare Micah 5:2 with Matthew 2:5-6).
Why did they do this? Why didn’t these Pharisees walk the five or so miles with the Parthian Wise Men to Bethlehem to investigate the matter for themselves? Why did they quit believing in the promise of the coming Messiah?
Unbelief.
They quit believing and thus their skepticism resulted in pride. This is why they would not stoop themselves to go with these foreign wise men to investigate the matter for themselves. Nevertheless, religious zealotry and human pride aside, the root cause for skepticism is often the passage of time between the giving of a prophecy, and the fulfillment of it. Time often has a funny way of whittling away our beliefs, our joy, and our hope. While time is not, in and of itself, evil, how Satan manipulates our understanding of it, is.
One of the primary signs the Bible tells us of the last days is the mocking of Christ’s return. Jesus, Paul, and Peter all talked about it in connection with being in the “last” or “latter” days just before His return. Now, mockery in and of itself is not a particularly interesting sign. As mentioned previously, mockery and skepticism have been around for a very long time. However, when we put context into it, it becomes very interesting, especially given some of these overlooked thoughts.
1. Jesus stated that in the last days, deception would be everywhere and people would come pretending to be the Christ (Matt. 24:5). Now, this would be an absolutely pretentious statement, IF Christ really wasn’t who He said He was. We know with 100% certainty that the Gospels were written in the first century. We also know as a fact that in the past two thousand years, many have come claiming to be Christ. The fact that this has happened, as well as the fact Christians are still here talking about His return nearly two thousand years later, is absolute proof that Jesus was who He said He was and that He is returning soon.
Why have so many come claiming to be the Christ? Why aren’t they coming pretending to be the Buddha? The Mahdi? Gaia? Thor?
2. Peter wrote that in the last days, scoffers would come mocking the return of Christ. Aside from the fact that this is happening on a daily basis (and has with increasing intensity for decades) is also proof positive that Christ’s return is near. The only reason people would mock the return of Christ is if Christians were talking about the return of Christ. People would not increasingly mock the return of Christ if people weren’t increasingly talking about it with growing interest.
Nobody mocks the return of Thor and Odin, or Ragnarok, because apart from a very tiny group of Norse-religion enthusiasts, nobody is talking about it. You only mock what is relevant, and Christ has always been relevant.
3. Paul wrote that in the last days, perilous times would come. This word perilous (Greek- chalepos= exceedingly fierce, perilous), interestingly, is only used one other time in the New Testament. It was used to describe the two demonically possessed men from Gergesenes (or Gadarenes) as found in Matt. 8:28. Perilous times do not denote a time of normalcy or business as usual- it is a demonically infused dangerous situation. In fact, it marks the time of birth pangs that have been ever-present but will, in the last days, increase with growing frequency and intensity. Of interest to this topic, however, was that even the demons in the passage knew about and feared the last days;
When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him, two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” – Matt. 8:28-29
The fact that this legion of demons knew there was a time of judgment coming, and even knew where they were in relation to that coming time of judgment, is interesting. They stated, “Have you come to torment us before the time?” This reminds me of the passage in James 2:19 where he states that “even the demons believe and tremble” at the reality of God. Now, while they cannot know of “that day and hour,” they know enough to recognize that Christ will one day return to judge the world. Sad to say, that is a far cry more discerning than what most of our apostate false teachers (CINOs) know and believe; for their fate is far worse.
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