“And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
As humanity continues to endure current challenges on all fronts, insights from Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) help us to understand and navigate these difficult times. We have explored several prophecies from the Holy Bible, and we will continue with this exploration concerning the end times.
Jesus Christ revealed several specific events that were recorded in Matthew 24:9-14, that will mark the coming of the end times. Jesus Christ revealed to His disciples that they would be hated, persecuted and killed by all nations because of their faith in Him. In Matthew 24:9, Jesus Christ says:
“Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”
Christians have faced various forms of persecution and martyrdom for their faith in different parts of the world throughout history. Nearly all of the 12 Apostles were unjustly persecuted and brutally killed for their association with Jesus Christ, as they refused to stop preaching the gospel of His kingdom. Several examples are recorded in the book of Acts. Saint Peter and Saint John were imprisoned. Saint James the Great was put to death. Many places where the gospel was preached, the missionaries were hated, persecuted, jailed, and martyred.
In early Christianity, Gnosticism was regarded as a heresy and persecuted. “Some Early Church orthodox ‘Heresy Hunters’ used to require meat-eating on Sundays as a way to discover who the vegetarian Gnostics were in their midst. Since Gnostics were generally vegetarians, anyone refusing to partake of fleshly meals would be suspected of heresy.”
Ebionites, early ascetic Christians who opposed animal-people sacrifice and practiced vegetarianism, were also persecuted. In the Gospel of the Ebionites, Saint John the Baptist and Lord Jesus Christ are portrayed as vegetarians. But the persecution of the followers of Jesus Christ is happening in the 20th and 21st centuries in a broader scale.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, harassment of religious groups has been observed in more than 90% of the world’s countries. As of 2018, Christians face harassment in 145 countries, up from 107 countries in 2007 when the study began, with government harassment in 124 countries and social harassment in 104 countries.
Furthermore, in December 2016, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts released a statement that “between 2005 and 2015 there were 900,000 Christian martyrs worldwide – an average of 90,000 per year, marking a Christian as persecuted every 8 minutes.” ETC…
“Media Report from CBN News – Jul. 20, 2023:
House Foreign Affairs subcommittee leaders say they’re more concerned than ever about the stake of religious freedom across the globe. Half of the world's population are not able to practice their faith freely…
It’s hard to believe in the year 2023 we’re seeing threats against religious freedom on the rise.
Well, it’s the most persecuted time, since the Roman Empire. Under the U.N. Charter, everyone is entitled to freedom of conscience, everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, but they never seem to enforce it. They never seem to do anything with that.”
Despite facing hatred and persecution, believers of Jesus Christ have often endured and persevered in their faith. Saint James the Just (vegetarian) stated, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” The teachings of Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) also emphasize love, forgiveness, and the importance of not returning hatred with hatred, but rather responding to one's enemies with love and prayer.
Continuing in Matthew 24:10-14, Jesus Christ outlines other indicators that signal the arrival of the end of the age.
“And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
In this verse, Jesus Christ prophesies the proliferation of apostasy, or falling away, betrayal and hatred in religious communities, especially in Christian churches, as important signs of the End Times. Many who once claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ will no longer do so. Some will even deceive, betray and lose the trust of other followers. Such people may act in hatred, completely against the Commandments of Jesus Christ. We have seen these predictions being fulfilled in our time.
Recent declines in church membership in major Christian countries suggests that increasing numbers of believers are falling away from their faith in Jesus Christ. Many who once claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ no longer do so.
According to Gallup surveys, membership in houses of worship in the United States fell below 50% for the very first time in 2018, and further dropped to 47% in 2020. When Gallup first measured it in 1937, US church membership was 73% and stayed close to 70% in the subsequent six decades, but started to decline steadily around the turn of the 21st century.
The decline in membership is due to not only a decline in the number of religious Americans who belong to a church, but also an increase in Americans who do not identify with any religion, which has risen from 8% in 2000 to 13% in 2010 and 21% in 2020.
The trend is likely to continue, as the Gallup survey also shows a strong correlation between church membership and age. While 66% of Americans born before 1946 belong to a church, only 58% of baby boomers do. Membership rates then drop to 50% for Generation X and further decline to 36% among Millennials.
Part of the reason for the declines in church membership in major Christian countries is the perception that today’s churches are often hypocritical and sometimes betray their believers. For instance, there have been numerous cases of sexual abuse of children by priests, nuns, and other members of religious institutions who are expected to serve God. These individuals are deemed hypocrites who betray both God and their followers.
“Media Report from ABC7 – Sep. 16, 2023: Disturbing allegations against a Catholic priest here in southern California. He is charged with felony possession of child pornography.
Prosecutors say he had in his possession hundreds of images and videos.”
“Media Report from News4JAX The Local Station – Apr. 15, 2023: In Putnam County tonight an elementary school teacher who’s also a youth pastor now faces charges of possessing child pornography. He’s also accused of using his cell phone to commit sex crimes involving children…”
“Media Report from NBC Bay Area – Mar. 7, 2023: A new controversy for the Diocese of Oakland. One of its employees has been arrested for allegedly possessing and sharing child pornography.”
“Media Report from ABC7 News Bay Area – Dec. 3, 2023: Allegations of sexual abuse started surfacing against the pastor, 53-year-old Victor Manuel Hernandez. He faces 4 counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, and 3 counts of kidnapping.”
“Media Report from CNN – Nov. 2019: There are powerful institutions within the Church who are free to self-police. In a yearlong CNN investigation through Europe, Africa, and across the United States, we found a pattern of behavior which saw many of the Salesian brotherhood protecting each other. Moving alleged abusers from place to place, country to country. In some cases, allegedly threatening whistleblowers and victims. Across continents, across decades, an order meant to protect children but too many times hurts them instead.” ETC…
We will look further in our next episode Jesus Christ’s prophecy on the fall of the Church at the end time.
