The terrifying fulfillment of a biblical prophecy

Photo by Samuel Yongbo Kwon on Unsplash

Those who consider the Bible a storybook, or simply the masterpiece of priests who once kept the people in check, in slavery, in spiritual darkness, could not be more mistaken. At that point, it was just the icing on the cake to broadcast to the world that religion is the opium of the people.

However, if we look at religion only as a behavioral attitude, there is some truth in it, not a little, because mere religiosity does not provide, nor does it carry, any guarantee that a person will find the foundation and ultimate goal of their existence.

Being religious is roughly like practicing winter sports, and then trying to figure out what that means, what is behind it. It might just be snowball making, with which the farmer teaches the chickens in the chicken yard a lesson if they can't find the scattered corn kernels under the snow. 

The Reliability of the Bible

If someone rejects the traffic rules /Highway Code/ on the grounds that it is not reliable because it is full of various additions, edits, and falsifications, they are cutting themselves off, because the Traffic Police guarantees that what it has issued for public use is reliable and can justifiably hold anyone accountable based on it if they do not follow it. 

The same applies to the Bible: for roughly 97% of humanity, at least a part of it is available in their mother tongue, while the entire text can be read in their own language by approximately 80% of the world's population [German Bible Society, 2021]. Think about it: if God did not guarantee that His book translated into thousands of languages faithfully conveys His moral expectations, on what basis could He justifiably hold anyone accountable?  

- The morality of the Bible is outdated for the one who adapts their own morality to the occasion. -

In the absence of this, and moreover, there is still the human conscience, based on which God can measure even those who had no chance or opportunity to know the divine criteria conveyed through the Bible.

“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things required by the law, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.” (Romans 2:14-15)

Beyond these parameters, there are also those prophecies that, in their own order and manner, confirm the authenticity of the revelations as coming from God, for they are fulfilled in their own time.

Now we are going to put such a prophecy under a magnifying glass and examine it thoroughly. All the more so because it greatly influences everyone's life, even if they do not understand a word of it, and their lifestyle may be completely distant from the world of the Bible. 

The man of lawlessness

There is a modestly hidden statement by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians, which can easily be overlooked by someone to whom the symbolism of the Bible means nothing. Understanding comes from the precise guidance of the Greek text of the Bible. 

"And then the lawless one (in Greek: anomos) will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the appearance of His coming. He whose coming is by the power of Satan, with all falsehood in power, signs, and wonders, and with all deception of unrighteousness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation." (2 Thess 2:9-10)

I wonder who or what this lawless one could be, whom Christ will destroy? And when will he come? Here is a connection through a massive realization that should not be overlooked:

The appearance of the lawless one is in harmony with Matthew 24:24: 'For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so that, if possible, even the elect will be deceived.'

This only makes sense in Matthew 24:24 if the miracles are not continuously coming from God over nearly two thousand years (from the 1st century to the present day), but if they conspicuously appear in the final stage of the end times, since it is precisely their reappearance that is striking!

One of the Bible's most significant prophecies is being fulfilled before our eyes here:

At the time of the Second Coming of Christ /Parousia /presence/, powers, signs, and miracle-working false prophets with a demonic background will appear, and the beginning of the worldwide charismatic movement emphasizing healing and speaking in tongues will commence.

A worldly person has no idea what is happening here publicly, or in the charismatic congregations, where they see frenzies, convulsions, falling backward, rolling on the floor, which they dismiss with a wave of the hand as a complete illusion.

Meanwhile, a great prophecy is being fulfilled, one of the most striking sequences of events preceding the Second Coming of Christ.

Charismatics throw themselves into their music-accompanied ecstasy with tremendous enthusiasm, believing that the Spirit of God touches them through their pastors (in the Hungarian context, the most striking is the performance of Sándor Németh), who shakes them and sends them to the ground, and they, with glazed eyes, surrender themselves to being deceived, while suffering the righteous judgment of God for attributing false spiritual outbreaks to God, when instead they are worshiping Satan!!! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VLMsHYm4zI … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLY_zbxOpJk

"And for this reason God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

This is the dividing line between salvation and damnation; charismatics swear that they are led by the Holy Spirit, but it is important to emphasize again: the remarkable phenomena mentioned in Matthew 24:24 only make sense as a sign if the miracles do not come continuously from God over nearly two thousand years (from the 1st century to the present day), but if they appear conspicuously in the last stage of the end times, for it is precisely their reappearance that is striking!

An important point regarding the identification of when the charismatic movement spread worldwide:

The promotion and broader acceptance of charismatic teachings and ideas is linked to the "healing revival" from 1946 to 1958. The awakeners of the time, including William Branham, Oral Roberts, and A.A. Allen, held large interdenominational meetings that emphasized the gifts of the Spirit. This global revival led to greater awareness and acceptance of Pentecostal teachings and practices.

So what does the prophecy say? The lawless one will appear, Jesus will give one of the important signs about the time interval of the false miracle workers, and from this follows the justification for rejection:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day: 'Lord! Lord! did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many mighty works?' And then I will declare to them: 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers (in Greek: anomian).'" (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Matthew 7:21-23)

Did we notice? – the lawless one appears (G459) – false prophets attack – the occurrence of two events is connected. In one place the lawbreaker, in another the doers of lawlessness (G458). Two consecutive Greek terms with Strong's numbers /anomos, anomian/ show that it is about practicing the same type of unlawful deeds.

Here, it does not say that a miracle performed in a certain way is diabolical, but that the act of performing miracles itself is diabolical because it is unlawful. So, what is practiced with a charismatic background, prophesy, exorcism, the mighty things that are manifestations of miraculous power, is illegal because they come from the Devil. Of course, they cannot raise the dead like in the first century thru the power of God, because what Satan can produce is a weak imitation! 

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 

According to the text, the lawbreaker: 'sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God.' Where does the charismatic movement trace itself with its doctrines? What do they claim? From God. And they have already taken the place that belongs to God! 

The essence of the recognition is that the "man of sin" (2 Thess. 2:3) and the religious "heroes" of Matthew 7:22 belong to the same circle. They are the ones who speak in the name of Jesus but represent a system that places itself outside of God's true order (this is anomia – lawlessness).

Personal benefit from understanding prophecy

What personal benefit can come from understanding the above connections? Recognizing the credibility of the Bible; tracking the fulfillment of prophecies; learning from the identification of sources of danger; reflecting on the timeliness of preparing for Christ's second coming.

Obviously, one can overlook the declarations of the Bible, and indeed for most people it means nothing that this old, withered, shriveled book filled with yellowed pages, thick with dust, well, still, what is it babbling about in the 21st century, where human enlightenment stands towering high and proudly looks down on its achievements, primarily on its animal origin. And that in the scientific sense, this entire universe makes no sense.

But our childish games do, with which we entertain ourselves. Primarily the crackle of guns, for which our ears are trained. And the manufacture of weapons, for which our pockets are trained.

Nevertheless, the God of the Bible has other plans and has provided enduring revelation for a different way of life as well. Which can be accepted or rejected. In any case, emphasizing the warning of the second coming of Christ is in accordance with God's will, therefore we do not shy away from publishing it, as it is to be heeded:

"But watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly: for as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Therefore, be always on the alert, praying that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man!" (Luke 21:34-36)