Disciples Global Network

Is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God a message of hope for only some nations, or is it Good News for all countries and peoples ? The Gospel has often been perverted into Good News for some nations but bad news for others — or, at least, a less appealing message for the latter. This occurs whenever representatives of the Church of the same Jesus who gave his life for the world associate and even identify his name and message with certain nations, races, cultures, and political ideologies.

The New Testament warns believers that before Jesus returns his Church will be under assault from within by deceivers, “ false anointed ones ,” and “ false prophets ,” and it does so repeatedly. Before the “ Day of the Lord ” begins, his disciples will be confronted by the “ Man of Lawlessness ,” a figure linked to the final “ Apostasy ,” the final great “ falling away ” from the true faith.

Jesus began his final discourse with a sharp warning - Beware of the “ many deceivers ” who would come and spread false information about his return based on wars, earthquakes, and other calamities. They would “ deceive many .” Likewise, “ false prophets ” and “ false anointed ones ” would propagate lies about his whereabouts and “ coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

In his first epistle, John declares it is the Last Hour, a period elsewhere called the “ Last Days .” As evidence, he points to the false teachers in the Church who disrupt the congregations under his care. They are the products and instruments of the “ Spirit of Antichrist .” They are the forerunners of the final “ Antichrist ” who is yet to come.

The Antichrist is presented in popular preaching as a political tyrant bent on world domination. However, Jesus and his Apostles expressed more concern about the deceivers who would spread false teachings in the Church. Where the term ' Antichrist ' is found in the New Testament, it is applied to false teachers infiltrating the Body of Christ, distorting apostolic teachings, and raising false expectations about the future.

The discourse of Jesus given on the Mount of Olives includes instructions for his disciples about the future. In it, he warns repeatedly of the “ many deceivers ” and “ false prophets ” who will appear among his followers, spreading false information about his return and the end of the age and otherwise striving to mislead “ the elect .” Constant vigilance by his Church is vital for avoiding deception and apostasy.

Jesus warned his disciples about coming “ deceivers ,” “ false Anointed Ones ,” and “ false prophets ” intent on misleading them, warnings reiterated and expanded in the writings of the Apostles. He began his Olivet Discourse with the stern warning - “ Beware lest anyone deceive you ,” for “ MANY ” deceivers would come and “ deceive MANY .”

After explaining the coming “Apostasy” and the “Man of Lawlessness,” Paul instructed believers in Thessalonica on how to avoid the coming deception and thereby find themselves standing “blameless” before Jesus when he “arrives.” To do so they must “stand fast” by adhering to the teachings and “traditions” of the Apostles. The conclusion to his discussion includes verbal links to his first letter to the Assembly. The second letter was written within a few weeks or months at the most of the first letter.

In  Second Thessalonians , Paul addresses rumors and claims that the “ Day of the Lord has set in ." False information about the “ arrival ” of Jesus was disrupting the Assembly, and this disinformation was being attributed either to a “ spirit ,” word (l ogos ), or a letter “ as if from ” the Apostle Paul and his coworkers.