8-14-23 Holding Back Iniquity

Holding Back Iniquity – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/10/24/holding-back-iniquity/ Incessant assaults against all that used to be considered saneness and biblical holiness brings into focus a particular end-times Scripture. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:12–13) The word “iniquity” is defined as “lawlessness” in scriptural terms. Jesus Christ was saying in His Olivet Discourse that one of the primary markers of the very end of the age would be an increase in lawlessness. Because of this, He said, the love of many inhabitants of earth would grow cold. But those who will endure to the end will be saved. Now we have some serious dissecting to do to “rightfully divide” this truth, as God’s Word directs us to do. We don’t have to go too much in-depth to understand the kind of lawlessness the Lord was warning about. We see it abounding within activity and actions no matter which direction we look. However, the term “lawlessness” can, I believe, be broken down into both the physical realm and the spiritual. And the two often overlap. I will try to make clear my meaning. A number of my great friends in prophecy ministry and I wrote a book in recent years that had at its heart the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:12–13. The book, perhaps you will remember, had the title LAWLESS: The End Times War Against the Spirit of Antichrist. I can do no better than to recount what I wrote about the book effort those few years ago: Today, chaos and turmoil inflame daily life within the fever of uncertainty. Geopolitical, cultural, and societal upheaval rip at the heart of America and the world. Much of humanity is in a state of uncontrollable anger, while an infinitesimally small enemy—visible only under powerful microscopes—holds populations in its fear-paralyzing, pandemic grip. LAWLESS: The End-Times War Against the Spirit of Antichrist is an intensely focused volume that answers questions about what’s really going on in these volatile, inexplicably strange times. What does it all mean? Why such a divide? Why such anger and hatred? People want to know answers, and the answer is spiritual. It’s all there in Bible prophecy. The tumult altogether constitutes a major indicator of how near we are to the end of this age—the Age of Grace. I said above that the term “lawlessness” can be broken down into both the physical realm and the spiritual. And the two often overlap. Again, as promised, I will try to make clear my meaning. The iniquity–the lawlessness—abounding in every direction is physical. By that, I mean our very way of life is more and more affected by the insidious and more overt assaults. For example, within cities governed by leftist officials, Christian groups have, while peacefully and legally protesting in authorized areas outside abortion clinics, been physically attacked by thugs–some paid by anti-God forces bent on changing America to fit their Marxist blueprint. Law enforcement and judicial offices have allowed these attacks in a growing number of cases –without action being taken against the attackers. Additionally, the peaceful Right to Life protesters have themselves been prosecuted by the so-called justice system. This sort of lawlessness is taking place in an increasing number of instances, while violent protests by the likes of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa, as well as other lawless groups, perpetrate anarchic destruction without suffering consequences of their iniquitous actions. On the spiritual side of the lawless equation, school boards in these leftist-run districts, for example, institute rules that go against biblical commands. These declare Christian values to have no place within today’s culture and society. They stack the school board panels with those who champion the LGTBQ+, etc., agenda. They even have managed to get the FBI involved in charging parents who oppose such anti-God activity with being domestic terrorists worthy of fines and even incarceration. And this is where the physical and spiritual iniquity–the lawlessness—overlap. We see this in story after story of how not only older children, but very young ones as well, are affected and infected by the spirit of lawlessness –the Antichrist spirit, as John the apostle said was prevalent even in his time. Iniquity is indeed abounding, and wickedness is bleeding from the governing authority into the religious entities that purport to represent Christianity. The following gives a clue as to what all this has wrought. Pastor Andy OIiver…in a children’s sermon Oct. 2, 2022, with drag queen “Ms. Penny Cost” at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida… “We have a special guest,” Oliver told the children. “Are you always dressed up like this?” the pastor asked. “I wish!” replied the drag queen, Isaac Simmons, who is undergoing the process to become ordained in the United Methodist Church. (Art Moore, “Renewal of our minds: Church features drag queen in kids’ sermon; Pastor applies Romans 12:2 to approval of transvestism,” WND, October 12, 2022) One can only imagine the lawlessness that will abound in the nation and world beginning the second after believers leave the planet when Christ calls (1 Corinthians 15: 51–55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 4:1–2). The Holy Spirit’s restraining influence is the glue holding together any civility and order the Lord is seeing fit to continue in this quickly darkening moment in human history. Can there be any doubt that love is disappearing as these wicked times continue to allow hatred for God and fellow man to intensify? About the prophetic statement within Matthew 24:12–13, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”: I believe it might have dual meaning. First, that those alive at the end of the Age of Grace (Church Age) who are believers will be saved (physically) from entering the Tribulation to come. Second, those who accept Christ during the Tribulation and live to the end of that seven years of horror will be brought safely (physically) into the Millennium at Christ’s return. You don’t want to be on this judgment-bound sphere when the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) –and all Christians He indwells—departs the earth in that spectacular event called the Rapture. Here is how to avoid being left behind. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9–10)