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“But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will love themselves, be lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
Throughout world history, we can identify three major intellectual movements: 1
- Humanism , which began around the 14th century, derives its name from the Latin word "human," meaning "man." It is a doctrine that places humanity at the center of life. Humanists firmly believed that humans could solve any problem by working from within themselves. This is why the misconception that God must act in a human way is so common today.
- The Enlightenment , which emerged in the 18th century, further developed humanism in a sense. Its basic idea was that humans are inherently good, and this goodness must be fostered through enlightenment, information, and instruction. This meant that if a person did something wrong, they couldn't have done better because they lacked sufficient information. However, this is unbiblical, as Paul writes: "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh" (Romans 7:18).
- Emancipation (liberation from a state of dependency ) emerged in the 20th century alongside humanism and the Enlightenment. Here, all constraints were finally discarded. All values, norms, authorities, educational goals, means, and methods were critically examined.
The Satanist and founder of modern Satanism, Aleister Crowley, once stated a principle with the words: “Do what thou wilt shall be thy whole law.” 3 This is the exact opposite of what Jesus said to a scribe: “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind […] You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37) .
How did our development get so far?
When we consider the course of world history, we can only explain certain actions and events that have occurred in the world from a spiritual perspective. Indeed, the Bible says: “This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world” (1 John 4:3) . And this “spirit” is preparing the world for its appearance.
What influences are humans under today?
The answer can be found in the Second Letter to Timothy: “But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). The Greek word “chalepos,” meaning “difficult,” appears only twice in the New Testament. The first time is in Matthew 8:28, which recounts the incident with the two demon-possessed men from the region of the Gadarenes. The Bible says that they were running around naked, possessed by a legion, and untamable. Literally, it says there: They were “chalepoi lian”—very dangerous, wild, untamable, rebellious, and defiant. The second and last time this word appears is in the verse mentioned above. This means that the last days will be a time of demon possession.
Some might think this is an exaggeration. In this regard, I would like to mention that Aleister Crowley proposed three methods in his time for bringing people into a state of total darkness:
- Exposing people to constantly repeating music. This type of music is not only practiced in the world, but has also long since found its way into communities.
- Promoting drug use . According to the 2019 European Drug Report, an estimated 96 million EU citizens (29%) aged 15 to 64 have used illegal drugs at least once in their lives. 5
- Steering the development in the area of morality . Although a low moral level has now been reached here, with the introduction of same-sex marriage in October 2017 and the third gender (diverse) in Germany at the end of 2018, thus destroying any moral foundation, we still see no end to this development.
egoism
Furthermore, the second letter of Timothy lists 18 gruesome characteristics that will define this era. Of all these 18 characteristics, one stands out again and again: the self, also known as egoism.
The "I" is the greatest idol of our time. It resides in the small child who cries for their mother (without considering what the mother is doing), in the teenager who wants to realize their dreams by any means necessary, or even in the old man who has achieved much in life and no longer wants to be told what to do – the ego is omnipresent.
Egoism doesn't need to be learned; it's fully developed from birth. Rather, a child must learn to subordinate their own ego to the needs of others, and this must continue throughout their life.
This is clearly evident in the lives of many people. It also shapes the spirit of our times. This development began particularly strongly from 1960 onwards:
- The miniskirt was invented by Mary Quant in the 1960s and was considered a symbol of independence.
- The first Satanic church was founded in California in 1966. With the motto "Do what thou wilt," it was one of the fastest-growing churches in California.
- In 1967, Albania declared itself the world's first atheist state.
- 1968 saw the great student unrest, the so-called 68 generation or the hippie movement (self-realization).
- 1969 is considered the beginning of the gay rights lobby. The year also marks the beginning of the feminist movement (women's movement).
- In 1968, NARAL (National Association for Repeal of Abortion) was founded to legalize abortion, which then came into effect in the USA for the first time in 1973.
All of this is now normal and is hardly questioned by our children.
Warning to Christians!
If we follow the development, we will find that Paul's description of the people of the last days, which he gives to Timothy, corresponds exactly to our time. But if we continue reading from verse five onward, we must realize with alarm that the text refers not only to people living in the world, whom we consider godless, but also to Christian circles. For here it says: "They have the outward appearance of godliness, but they deny its power" (2 Timothy 3:5).
Selfishness bordering on obsession doesn't stop at the church doors. Whether it's children at school, men and women at work, or housewives at home—we are all shaped by an godless environment. And if we don't pay attention and consciously combat it, we will eventually find ourselves embodying these 18 characteristics.
There is a good saying from the Jewish Talmud on this topic: “Watch your thoughts , for they become words. Watch your words , for they become actions. Watch your actions , for they become habits. Watch your habits , for they become your character. Watch your character , for it becomes your destiny .” 7
Therefore, stay awake!
It is also interesting to note that in His end-times discourse, Jesus Christ foretold to His disciples all the events that were yet to come. He warned them about deceivers, explaining that there would be enormous world wars, global famines, earthquakes, persecutions of unprecedented proportions, and the destruction of worship and the fear of God, even to the point of the destruction of the universe.
Amidst the overwhelming sense of powerlessness that the disciples probably felt, Jesus gave them a simple but crucial piece of advice: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come!” (Mt 24:42).
Vigilance describes a state of constant attention, but it also means being alert and present. For us Christians, this means that we shouldn't live carelessly in the world and enjoy ourselves simply because we are "children of God," but rather that we must pay close attention to our interactions and actions.
So the word of the hour is "watch." It is more important today than ever before because Jesus said in a parallel passage: "When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28). We don't have much time left.
This means that the whole world will be filled with dread when it sees all this. People will despair and die of fear (cf. Luke 21:25). Not so we Christians! Although humanity's morality is at an end, injustice is rampant, and love is growing cold in many, one thing always remains in the true Christian: the hope of Christ's return, in which the holy Church will be raptured. Then the glorious wedding of the Lamb with the Bride will be celebrated, because the Church has kept His Word and remains vigilant!
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Municipality of Cloppenburg
1 What do our children learn?” Axel Volk, page 22
2 https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Emanzipation , accessed on 06.01.2021
3 http://www.forum2.avalonorden.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=2470 , accessed on 06.01.2021
4 The Bible sheds light on the background of terrorism, Alexander Seibel, page 12, accessed on 06.01.2021
5 https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/103669/Fast-jeder-Dritte-hat-europaweit-schon-illegale-Drogen-konsumiert , accessed on 13.01.2021
6 The Bible sheds light on the background of terrorism, Alexander Seibel, page 8
7 https://wiki.zum.de/wiki/Talmud , accessed on 06.01.2021