There have always been passionate preachers who warned of the approaching apocalypse and denounced the corruption of society. What is different today?
The Bible speaks repeatedly of “falling away.” Sometimes the word “apostasy” is used, meaning rebellion or turning away from something that you had believed in.
In the Old Testament, terms such as “backsliding” appear (Jer 2:19; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7; Hos 11:7). When it came to apostasy in Israel, it was a turning away from the Word of God, from His will, and from His presence. This has always been associated with idolatry, immorality, social injustice, egoism, and sooner or later the judgment of God. Among other things, Daniel uses this word for the time of the Antichrist:
“With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant (apostatized), but the people who know their God will firmly resist him” (Dan. 11:32 [NIV]).
In the New Testament, we find various passages that speak of apostasy from divine truths.
The first to speak of apostasy in the end times was the Lord Jesus Himself. He prophesied that in a coming time of tribulation this would be seen in a particular way,
“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 24:10-11).
The same word is used in the parable of the sower and the four soils. From the seed that falls in stony places, it says:
“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” (Matt 13:21).
Although the Word of God has had some effect on them, they fall away as soon as there are problems.
The Lord Jesus called deception one of the most important end-time signs before His coming in glory. It is the only sign that is repeated three times in Matthew 24 (verses 4-5, 11, 23-26). And, although the culmination of the seduction will come in the last great tribulation period, we already see the harbingers of it.
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