| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ( H ) HOLY SCRIPTURE - EVIDENCE BOTH PRESENT AND ABSENT In this section, as we continue examining the matter of an alleged belief that God is presently restoring His apostles and prophets in the Christian church of these last days, it is important to see in scripture the evidence that is both present and absent from scripture itself. The evidence of deception, of delusion and seductive falsehood as a trademark of the last days prior to Christs� second coming to earth, is present in holy scripture. In the gospels, Jesus shares with His disciples His prophecy about the time of the last days, the time prior to His second coming to earth. Christs� prophetic Word reveals that those days, ( it is my personal opinion that we live in those days now ), is a time of a great deal of deception and falsehood, along with wars, fear, persecution, disease and devistation. But what I want to focus on is the evidence of deception. Spiritual deception is a trademark of the days that we, the present day Christian are living in as clearly stated by Jesus� prophecies in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. For example, notice the first words from the Lord when His disciples question Him on these matters; 3. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. - Matt. 24:3-4 4. Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5. And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: - Mark 13:4-5 7. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? 8. And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. - Luke 21:7-8 Deception, spiritual deception is the order of the day in the time prior to Christs� second return to earth. Now let us see this spiritual deception described further by Jesus; 5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. - Matt. 24:5 11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. - Matt. 24:11 24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. - Matthew 24:24 Notice that Jesus speaks expressly of false Christs and false prophets, ( Mark 13:1, 21-22 / Luke 21:8 ). Two false representations of the true Christ and true prophets of God, whom along with Gods� apostles comprise the true foundation of God as clearly revealed in Ephesians 2. No where in Christs� prophecy is there any mention nor hint of a restoration of Gods� apostles and prophets in His church. None whatsoever. That kind of evidence is absent from holy scripture. Instead rather, Christ makes very clear that there will be both false Christs and false prophets in the last days with great and seductive signs and wonders. It is no wonder that Jesus says of an evil and adulterous generation that they seek signs ( Matt. 12:39, 16:4 / Luke 11:29 ). In the book of Revelation, Gods� Word goes into additional detail of the various deception and calamity that will befall sinful mankind and earth of which Jesus prophesied in the gospels. In Revelation, holy scripture writes of deceptive miracles, great wonders of devilish nature and Satans� false prophet; 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. - Rev. 13:11-14 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. - Rev. 16:13-14 20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. - Rev. 19:20 Again, there is not one single mention in the book of Revelation of Gods� foundation being damaged or destroyed and thus in need of restoration. No mention of some being either natural or spiritual stealing away the foundation of God and no mention of that righteous and sure foundation being lost. The only prophet in Revelation is a Satanic one, a deceptive prophet. I want to take this issue regarding the deceptive activity of the last days of mankind a step further by providing prophecies of other Godly prophets and apostles. Paul has this to say regarding the last days; 1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. - 2 Timothy 3:1-8 Paul makes no mention of Gods� foundation as ever being lost, deteriorating or destroyed. Moreover, Paul does not make any mention of a restoration of Gods� foundation, that is to say, a restoration of Gods� apostles and prophets in the Christian church. All that Pauls� words do are echo the words of Jesus regarding the deception of the last days. The apostle and prophet Peter had these words for the church; 1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. - 2 Peter 2:1-3 1. This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, - 2 Peter 3:1-3 Once again, in regard to the last days as taught in Peters� prophecy, there is no mention of any restoration of Gods� apostles and prophets in the Christian church. Nothing is ever stated of some alleged situation whereby the foundation of God, ( His apostles and prophets along with Christ ), is ever lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed and thus in need of restoration. Rather, Peter writes of false teachers, of scoffers walking after their lusts. Peter writes of feigned words and pernicious ways which will be the order of the day, again echoing the prophecy of Jesus Christ in the gospels regarding the time of the last days prior to His second return to earth. Let us take further note of Pauls� words in his letters to Timothy; 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. - 1 Timothy 4:1-3 1. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. - 2 Timothy 4:1-4 1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 In Pauls� letters to the early Christian church we can further clearly see evidence of the last days and time prior to Jesus� second coming to earth. Much of what will occur is deception and a rejecting of Gods� Truth. This is evidence present in scripture which opposes any notion and mindset that God will restore His apostles and prophets in the last days of the Christian church. Yet nothing is ever stated nor hinted at regarding the foundation of God being lost, stolen, in a process of deterioration or altogether destroyed. Nothing in any of Pauls� letters ever mention a restoration of Gods� apostles and prophets in the last days of the Christian church. Such evidence is absent from holy scripture and thus further opposes any such notion and mindset. If such an event were to occur, certainly Jesus and Gods� own apostles and prophets would have prophecied of such an occurrence. Yet, words of an event are completely non-existent from holy scripture. Finally, let us read and hear the scripture in Jude; 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. - Jude 1:3-4 17. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit. - Jude 1:17-19 Jude echos the words of prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the other of Gods� apostles and prophets. In the last days of the church, by and large there will be spiritual deception and corruption. Yet any word of the foundation of God being lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed is non-existent. Any word of a restoration of Gods� apostles and prophets for His church, likewise is completely non-existent. All of these things being said then, we can see from Gods� Word that there are provided three important pieces of evidence which help reveal why the idea of the past century and of this present century in regard to God restoring His apostles and prophets simply is devilish and has no justified merit. First, any evidence concerning the foundation of God, ( i.e., His son, apostles and prophets ), in need of restoration is entirely absent from holy scripture. Second, any evidence concerning the foundation of God being lost, stolen, damaged or entirely destroyed is also completely absent from holy scripture. Third, the evidence which is present however in holy scripture, is that of a deceptive and seductive foundation comprised of false Christs and false prophets accompanied with deceptive miracles, signs and wonders. But what about false apostles ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |