The Lord knew the human tendency to stray, as proved by centuries of Old Testament history. Jesus and His apostles often predicted similar apostasies “among” the ranks of Christians.
Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:11-12)
But false prophets also arose among the [Israelite] people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day [the day of Christ’s return] will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God…. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore 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 had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12)
PROPHECY WROTE FUTURE HISTORY.
These prophecies wrote history ahead of time. They were not about small issues here and there. As Peter foretold, “many” would be seduced by false teachings— “heresies”—that would bring ruin and destruction. Their impact would be such that true Christianity—“the way of truth”—would be given a bad name—“be blasphemed”—by the world. As we shall see, false ways eventually became so dominant as to hide from historical view Christ’s original and intended Christianity.
We take comfort, however, from Jesus’ first prediction: “…on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus assures us that His church will never fall to the evil forces of Hades, a term for death. This truth parallels the enduring, ever-growing nature of the kingdom (Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44; 7:14; Luke 1:33; 13:18-21). No matter how wicked the world becomes, no matter how dominant its perversions that claim to be Christian, we can be sure that the Lord’s own church is alive and well.
