Are We Witnessing “the Great Falling Away?”

Why We Have Every Reason to Believe the Tribulation is Near…

The Bible says the Tribulation will not come and the Antichrist will not be revealed until “a great falling away” happens first. We get this phrase from the King James Version of the Bible:

"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;" 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV)

Some English translations say "the rebellion," "the great rebellion," or "the apostasy." The original Greek word used is "apostasia." BibleHub translates it as this:

"Defection, apostasy, revolt. Feminine of the same as apostasion; defection from truth."

And according to Merriam-Webster's 1828 dictionary, "apostasy" is:

"an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognize a religious faith"

Do we see this today? Yes. In my opinion, this is happening all around us.

Now, by itself, this isn’t enough to indicate the nearness of the end times and the seven-year Tribulation. After all, an increase in apostasy is subjective. Some number of people have always professed to be Christians while denying the foundational principles of the faith. But on the scale we see today? I sincerely doubt it.

Below are just a few of the things we see happening in our day and time.

The Cathedral of Hope

Last month, the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas hosted its second “Celebrating the Art of Drag Sunday.” Here’s the description from their website:

"In an act of defiance and in response to the numerous bills introduced into the Texas Legislature attacking drag performers and transgender people, Cathedral of Hope will host our second “Celebrating the Art of Drag Sunday” on Sunday, February 16th at our 8.30 am and 10 am services. During the services, we will take a few moments to bless and affirm those who use drag as an art form and affirm our transgender siblings made in the image of God."

According to Prophecy News Watch:

"During the so-called "Drag Sunday" service, the church not only welcomed but also blessed and affirmed drag performers. Among those honored were members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group notorious for mocking Christianity and turning sacred symbols into props for their depraved performances. One such performer, dressed as a dog on a leash, was paraded in front of the congregation as though this were a normal and acceptable display within a church setting."

The Bible warned about this. In regard to the last days, we read this in 2 Timothy 3 (emphasis mine):

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)

Removing Jesus as Savior

Meanwhile, in Canada, Rev. Brent Hawkes of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto has decided Jesus should be referred to as our "guide" rather than our "Savior." Why? Apparently, the idea one needs saving is offensive to some people, so Hawkes thinks Christians should avoid the word "Savior."

According to Breitbart:

Rev. Hawkes, senior pastor emeritus of MCC and Founder of Rainbow Faith and Freedom, said that years ago there was one word in the church’s bedrock beliefs that “began for me to be uncomfortable, problematic,” and that word was “Savior.”

“I would hope that someday this church would see the possibility of changing that word because it is a stumbling block for so many who want to be here,” he said in a sermon posted on X this week, noting that he was “raised a strict fundamentalist Baptist.”

“It is a stumbling block for people to do interfaith work — how do we explain that word with Muslims and to Jews and to Hindus?”

In place of the word “Savior,” Rev. Hawkes proposes using the word “guide,” because he believes it is less offensive to non-believers.

“I think the word ‘guide’ just as effectively describes the meaning that Jesus is the one who guides us back into a healing relationship with God — doesn’t say he’s the only guide,” he said.

In other words, the essence of the Gospel – that apart of from the blood of Jesus Christ we will die in our sins (John 8:24) – is a stumbling block to the unsaved. Therefore, we should avoid the term “Savior.”

This type of distorted logic shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible warned us this would happen as well. We read this in 2 Timothy 4:

"For 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." 2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)

“Receiving” the Word

How about this? Last year, pastoral staff at an Ohio church kicked the Bible like it was a football as part of a “Super Bowl Sunday” service:

Here's how The Christian Post reported the incident:

“An Evangelical megachurch in Ohio kicked off Super Bowl weekend — literally — with a sermon that had all of social media buzzing.

Pastors with Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, a multi-site interdenominational church that boasts a weekly congregation of roughly 34,000, “punted” a copy of the Bible as part of its “Super Bowl of Preaching” series.

The sermon was delivered on Feb. 11, just hours before the Kansas City Chiefs topped the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

With play-by-play announcers, color commentary, a referee, and a stage covered in AstroTurf, the Crossroads pulpit resembled Allegiant Stadium more than any church on Sunday morning as Senior Pastor Brian Tome and Pastor Alli Patterson sported football jerseys as they took the stage for the “pregame” coin flip.

After Tome wins the flip, the referee asks, “Would you like to kick or receive the Bible?”

“I will receive,” Tome replied.

Patterson is then seen taking a few steps back as another pastor squares up the Bible — which had a football-style book cover on it — before kicking the Bible off the stage and into the crowd.”

This sounds so absurd, I don’t blame you if you think it’s an exaggeration. But here’s the full video:

Again, in regard to the last days, we read this in 2 Timothy 3 (emphasis mine):

"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)

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High-Profile “Christians” Leaving the Faith

In August 2023, John Rainey put out a YouTube video titled "Why I Left Christianity." In the intro, he states the following:

“After 30 years of having an extremely confident Christian faith… I grew up a Christian. I went to a Bible college, and I have a Bible degree. I was a pastor for six years. I was obsessed with Christian apologetics. After 30 years of very confident Christian faith, the most shocking thing happened – that faith completely collapsed. Like, I wasn't looking for a way out of my Christian faith. I loved, I loved being a Christian. Most of all, I loved Jesus and my relationship with Jesus. My identity rooted in Jesus. Never in a million years would I ever imagine saying that I'm not a Christian, and so in this video, I want to share a little bit about how that happened…”

Sadly, Rainey is convinced he was once a Christian – I assume because he once engaged in all the aforementioned activities many Christians engage in. But these activities don’t make a person a Christian.

Later in the video, he says:

“I followed all the rules.”

But being a Christian isn’t about “following all the rules…”

You can watch his entire video here:

In the comments, Rainey states:

"I did/do know that having a relationship with Jesus is NOT because of things you do. I understand, from the Christian perspective, that a relationship with Jesus means accepting the free gift of His sacrificial death as the absolute payment for one's own sin, and trusting in the miraculous resurrection as the power of forgiveness. Simply in trusting in Christ's death and resurrection is the restoration of a person's relationship with God from the moment of acceptance into eternity. I never considered any of my works as means for salvation, it was always solely on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The reason I shared that I was a Bible school student, youth pastor, and passionate about apologetics was to communicate that I was serious about my faith. I was never the type of Christian that just showed up on some Sundays and didn't care about my faith - my faith permeated throughout my entire life. I hope this helps to clarify. Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts. Please remember, even though there may be disagreements, to share in love and kindness!"

I believe Rainey sincerely thinks he was a Christian, but that’s simply not the case. A true Christian could never deny the existence of Jesus. True Christians know Jesus. As Jesus Himself said:

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me." John 10:14 (NLT)

As a Christian, I would never “lose my faith” and deny the existence of Jesus. I might as well deny my own existence or the existence of my wife and children. I know Jesus. And no one who ever truly knows Him will be taken from Him. That’s not my opinion. It’s what Jesus says (emphasis mine):

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand." John 10:27-29 (NLT)

Unfortunately, John Rainey is not alone. A number of high-profile Christian pastors, authors, and musicians have come out in recent years and stated they are no longer Christians. Among them are Josh Harris, former pastor and author of the bestselling 1997 book I Kissed Dating Goodbye; Jonathan Steingard, musician and former lead vocalist/lead guitarist for the Christian band Hawk Nelson; Marty Sampson, musician and former worship leader at Hillsong Church in Sydney; former megachurch pastor, Dave Gass; and many others including the person profiled in this BuzzFeed article:

As the article states:

Over on Reddit's r/AMA board, people with unique and interesting experiences invite other users to ask them literally anything — and it's usually equal parts fascinating and thought provoking. Recently, a former American evangelical pastor took to the forum to talk about everything from why he left the church to what he believes in now, and it's a perspective you don't often see.

He wrote, "I converted to Christianity at 21, became a minister in the late nineties, and left the faith in 2021. I'm bumming around Portugal at the moment and thought I'd interact with some people who have questions or similar experiences." The thread in response to his post has over 1,000 comments. Here are some of the most interesting questions and answers...

If you read through the questions and answers, it becomes clear the former pastor never knew Jesus. I hope that changes. I hope he one day develops a true relationship with our Lord and Savior.

But unfortunately, Jesus said on judgment day, many who never knew Him will point to all the activities they engaged in as evidence of their relationship with Him:

“‘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.’” Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

This is heartbreaking. Salvation doesn’t come from good works or the activities we engage in.

The Bible says we are saved by God's grace alone:

"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Ephesians 2:4-9 (NLT)

Much of “the Church” is Lost…

None of these stories should surprise us, because what we typically call “the church” is in terrible shape.

In 2022, The Christian Post reported, “Over a third of senior pastors believe ‘good people’ can earn their way to heaven.” This was the conclusion of a survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. The survey polled around 1,000 Christian pastors, examining dozens of beliefs they hold, and found only 37% hold a biblical worldview. The survey found 39% believe “each individual must determine their own truth,” 38% do not believe “human life is sacred,” and 37% believe “having faith, in general, is more important than in what – or more specifically, Whom – one has faith.”

Assuming this is true, it should come as no surprise to learn the people sitting in the pews of these churches hold similar views. In his blog post, “Barna: Most Americans Create a Customized Worldview,” Ken Ham states, “Seven out of 10 U.S. adults call themselves ‘Christians’ and yet only 6 in 100 (6%) actually have a biblical worldview.” He then went on to cite statistics from a recent Ligonier Ministries survey. Among its findings:

• 56% believe "God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam."

• 38% see Jesus as "a great teacher, but he was not God."

• 60% say "The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being."

• 65% think "Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God."

• 37% agree that "Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth."

These beliefs don’t fit with what the Bible teaches, meaning those surveyed (who self-identified as “Evangelical Christians”) either haven’t read the Bible or they reject what it says. This “falling away” from the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith, by those who profess to be Christians, is an indication of the times in which we live.

That said, all these things are not the only indication the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are at hand.

We Live in the Last Days of the Last Days

When the disciples said, “Tell us the signs of your coming and the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3), Jesus detailed a number of things to look for. He then said:

"In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." Matthew 24:33 (NLT)

This means the #1 sign of Jesus’s return is convergence – all the signs appearing together. Both Jesus and the prophets told us what signs to look for, and the appearance of just one sign is reason enough to take notice. But the arrival of one sign after another should really grab your attention.

All the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for are present in this generation. We see them emerging and converging. These signs include, but are not limited to:

• Israel Back in the Land (Jeremiah 23:7-8; Ezekiel 39:28; Isaiah 11:12; Psalm 107:3; Ezekiel 20:34; Isaiah 11:11-12)

• The Jewish People in Control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)

• The Gospel Preached Throughout the World (Matthew 24:14)

• An Increase in Travel and Knowledge (Daniel 12:4)

• Arrival of the Exponential Curve (Matthew 24:3‐8)

• Israel Surrounded by Enemies (Psalm 83:4; Psalm 83:12; Ezekiel 11:14‐17; Ezekiel 35:10)

• Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army (Ezekiel 37:10; Zechariah 12:6; Zechariah 12:8)

• The Rise of a United Europe (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17)

• The Rise of a Global Government (Revelation 13:7-17)

• The State of Mankind (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

• Denial of the Signs (2 Peter 3:3‐4)

It’s not a coincidence we see so many people denying the foundational principles of Christianity. It’s not a coincidence we see so many people claim they were once “Christians,” but now they deny Jesus. It’s a sign of the times.

And coupled with all the other signs we see, it indicates the nearness of Christ’s return. The seven-year Tribulation approaches, and it will be followed by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before those events take place, Jesus will return for His true church in an event known as the rapture. All the signs we see now indicate just how close those moment are.

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