Prophecy

A World With No Restraints Against Evil and Ungodliness

by John Clark 
06/14/18
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For anyone who thinks the world conditions are bad now, just wait until the restraining influence is taken out of the way. II Thessalonians 2:6-7 talks about a "restrainer" in the context of the rise of the anti-Christ and lawlessness. This restrainer is thought by many to be the Holy Spirit residing in the hearts of Christians. Here is what the passage says:

"And you know what restrains {the anti-Christ} now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains him will do so until he (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way."

At a time appointed by God, I Thessalonians 4:16-17 Christians will be removed from Planet Earth, in what is commonly referred to as the rapture of the Church. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Because the Holy Spirit is living within the hearts of Christians, when we go so does the Holy Spirit. When this happens there will be no more restraining influence against any form of evil or ungodliness. With the absence of the Holy Spirit there will also be no more fruits of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23: "...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." The world will experience the full extent of evil, immorality, deception, and satanism. 

II Thessalonians 2 continues to describe what to expect. Beginning in verse 8 it says, "And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."

Matthew 24:21 calls it a time of "great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall."

Luke 21:26 says the people will faint "from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world..." Many people today are already living in fear. Depression and suicide are at an all-time high.

Revelation 9:6 adds to this: "And in those days men will seek death and will not find it, and they will long to die and death flees from them."

Revelation 9:20-21 says people "...did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts."

However, there is hope. If you go back to I Thessalonians 4:18 it says, "Comfort one another with these words." With what words? It refers back to the two previous verses that talk about being caught up to be with the Lord, and escape the conditions of the world. If you are an unbeliever reading this, I know, it may sound wierd, impossible, and far-fetched. But God can supernaturally do it.

It does come with a condition. You must call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation. Acknowledge that he died for your sins, and rose from the dead. Accept the forgiveness and grace that he offers. It is a free gift. You do not have to earn it by being religious or doing good deeds. Do that today.