Hearts Are Growing Cold

            We are to some degree sheltered in North America when it comes to being persecuted for faith in Jesus Christ. I will agree that many do get the cold shoulder from those who want nothing to do with God’s free gift of salvation, those who consider the believer to be like an odour of death, some believers are even shunned by their own family members, but as far as receiving physical persecution at the hands of evil men like ISIS, who are terrorizing the believers in the Middle East, this kind of persecution does not exist here. There have been those who have been accosted, even receiving the odd fist or two because they are followers of Christ, but to suffer at the hands of evil men like other believers is typically unknown here. Just this past week in Iraq four young children, all under the age of fifteen, fell at the hands of the Islamic State henchmen because they would not renounce Jesus Christ as Lord and convert to Islam; according to an article in The Times Of Israel (A). I do not recall anyone in the USA or Canada suffering in this manner because of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, although there may have been, but how long will this sense of security last.

            Just like the name of the above news organization, The Times Of Israel, the times in North America are changing, and changing at a very high rate of speed—is anyone surprised because I am not. The bible predicts that change is coming, and this change has everything to do with the new world order that some say is already here. The government that will rule the new world order just has to have its leader put into his position of authority, then the one world government will rule the West with totalitarian authority. Below is an article I have written that helps to interpret Matthew chapter twenty four, verses twelve to thirteen. It helps to reveal why the people of the world, even here in North America, are so self-serving and have lost the respect that we use to have for one another. 

Matthew 24:12-13

“Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.”*

           If you think we live in a depraved society now, pray that you escape the one that is about to come. With all the horror people will face in the seven year tribulation period many will continue to live in depravity being sexually immoral, killing one another and practicing devil worship (Rev.9:20-21). Many people will be consumed with this lifestyle and will just refuse to give up this wicked living. While teaching his disciples Jesus warns those who would read the Scriptures to pay attention to the signs and know when the end of the church age is near followed by seven years of tribulation, so that you can escape this horrible time: “Therefore be watchful all the time, asking that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man”* (Lk.21:36). The only way one can escape the horror of the tribulation period is to abide in Christ Jesus, so that when he comes for his church you will be caught up to meet him in the air, this is a promise he makes to those who persist in him: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev.3:10, KJV).

            The tribulation saints will be delivered up to the one world government by those who worship the beast and also by those who stumble from the faith during this seven year period, because those who stumble from the faith their love for one another will grow cold (Read the commentary on Matt.24:9-11). Those who worship the beast will have no love for one another because their hearts are already seared and they are not able to love, therefore it will be easy for them to turn in the tribulation saints to the authorities—like those who turned the Jews over to the Nazi Party in Europe. The reason why they will turn to worship the beast in the first place is because they have no love for anyone but for themselves, this is why they will be deceived into worshipping the beast. Those who stumble from the faith in the tribulation period will show no remorse for their Judas like attitude toward those whom they will betray to the beast and his government, because any love they once will have shared for their brother will disappear: “The love of many will grow cold.” The temptation to turn on a brother will be great in this time period if this means your life will be spared from the sword of the second beast, the one who causes the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast and his image (Rev.13:11-17).

            Jesus continues to prophesy issuing a warning to the tribulation saints to not give up: “But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.” When someone turns to God he must also continue to abide in him right to the very end. The end referred to in this passage is the end of the tribulation period or the end of ones life during this period, as in being killed for the sake of Christ, like those recorded in Revelation chapter six, verses nine to eleven, and chapter seven verse fourteen. A believer in Christ must not give up but finish the race: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Tim.4:7, NLT). Every believer this side of the tribulation period must continue in the faith until he dies or is caught up with all those who are in Christ, whichever occurrence comes first: “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, KJV; See also: Col.1:21-23; Heb.3:6, 12-14; 4:11). Likewise, the tribulation saints must also continue in the Lord until the end of their physical life or the end of the tribulation period.

            As we see in this passage, and the passage in the previous commentary, the Lord reveals the near future to us—the end of the church age with the commencement of the seven year tribulation period which is the seventieth week of Israel—and unfortunately we see in this revelation that many will stumble and their love will grow cold so that they will betray and hate their brothers. Although, there is hope for the tribulation saints, if they endure to the end they will be among those whom the Apostle John saw wearing white robes holding palm branches before the throne of the Lamb (See Rev.7:9-14).

* Hebrew Names Version (HNV)

The HNV is based off the World English Bible and is an update of the American Standard Version of 1901. Public Domain.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 (A) http://www.timesofisrael.com/is-beheaded-4-christian-children-says-vicar-of-baghdad/