End Times Sign: Lawlessness Abounding

Lawlessness Will Abound:  a Sign of End Times

As many of you know, I have an article posted on Signs of End Times, where I discuss the various signs of the end times that Jesus described in the book of Matthew, Luke and Mark – wars and rumors of wars, pestilences,famines, earthquakes in various place.  See “Are We in the End Times” for more on end times events.

Prophecy in the Bible: What Jesus Said About Lawlessness and End Times

One of the signs of the end times I speak about in this article is that “lawlessness” in society will  become pervasive. Hear the words of Jesus as he mentions this fact in His message about end times events:

Matthew 24:12: “And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold”

Here Jesus is stating that “lawlessness”, a complete disregard for law, “will abound”. In other words, it will be common, pervasive, on the news, in the media.  The rule of “law”, upon which great societies are founded and prosper, will be cast aside in the name of selfishness and greed

The Role of Law in Establishing America as the Land of the Free

Let’s take a moment to look at where the concept of “rule by law” came from, where our nation has been, and where we are now in 2020

Keep in mind that God Himself gave His people, and thus humanity, the “Ten Commandments” as a basic set of laws with which to rule themselves, in order that they survive and prosper.  These “laws” are more relevant today than ever, and although the Son has set up free by His grace, that does NOT nullify the importance of the Law. In fact, believers in Jesus (Yeshua) should more than ever be the ones to fulfill the Law, by His Holy Spirit that He has placed in everyone who believes and trusts their life with Him.

England became a great country by establish their laws upon the Ten Commandments, and the Bible.  And America followed by establishing its Constitution, state and local laws after the English model, and ultimately the Bible.  That is precisely our coinage has listed on its face “In God we Trust” – because it has been God the Creator that has “shined His grace ” on America.  America the beautiful.

America became precisely because our nation was founded on God’s word, and these same Ten Commandments.  The Constitution, the highest “law” of the land, guarantees freedoms such as free speech, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to bear arms in the event a citizen needs to protect themselves. its because of respect for our laws that America has become great among the nations of the world, and a magnet for people everywhere to come and enjoy these freedoms and liberty.

How Did We Get into this Present State of Lawlessness?

As we look around us during the first half of 202, we are starting to see lawlessness “abound”  How did this happen?  A number of log term factors have contributed:

  • Taking God and His Word (the Bible) out of our schools, public meetings – over the last few decades, there has been a concerted effort to remove the name of God, and to prohibit the name of Jesus being spoken in classrooms across the land.
  • Educational institutions have been teaching a form of Godless human centered secularism, where law is defined as relative to the individual – “whats right for me, may not be right for you”; and “if it feels good, do it:, or “follow your heart”. As a result, people growing up have become self-centered, selfish, and “the love of many has grown cold”.
  • The society has transformed itself into a society of “materialism“, where value is determined by the things which one posses. The more one possesses, the more valuable they are – this is what kids are growing up with.  And heir parents have become the role models of the religion of materialism  The worship of things (idols), instead of the worship of the One True God.

What is Triggering the Lawlessness Now Abounding

The set-up for this lawless and chaos started in December, 2019, and has progressed through early 2020.  The key events that transpired to “set the stage” for this lawlessness:

  • The Coronavirus (Covid-19) that was detected in China in December, and rapidly spread across the globe to all nations due to the cover-up by Chinese leadership, and the fact that Wuhan China – the source of the virus – is a major commercial hub with daily flights to all major cities around the world.
    • The Coronavirus was hijacked by the mass media, and governments around the world, to spread a spirit of fear around the globe, and place nations in “lock downs” taking way people’s freedom
    • Business were closed, due to low/no demand, millions have lost their jobs, and as a result, discontent with the situation is rising rapidly.
  • Millions of people in the U.S. have lost jobs, their homes, cars, and are having to go to the government for assistance to get food to eat. People who are used to comfort, nice homes, an income, and material possessions.  Almost half the population has been living on the edge – “paycheck to paycheck”. And now they are unemployed, loosing everything. To address this urgent need, economic recovery must happen, and happen quickly. The recovery is being purposely delayed by politicians in an effort to trigger violence, looting,and civil unrest.
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  • Politics and the Desire for Power to unseat Trump – Across the U.S., Democratic governors and Mayors are delaying economic recovery and a “return to normal” as much as possible, in an effort to sustain the damage until the November election – when Trump and Pence will be up for re-election. History shows that when the economy is in trouble, the opposition party stands the best chance of election.
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  • The Mass Media news channels have played a major role in drilling fear and panic into the people – at first, with the Corona virus, and now with fear about violent protests.  In the U.S. – ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN – have all played the same messages of fear mongering over and over, brain washing the people into locking themselves down, and wearing ineffective DIY masks even when there is literally no threat of infection.

End Times Lawlessness in Cities Around the World!

In May-June of 2020, it is clear that “lawless is abounding” across America, and indeed around the world.:

  • The hi-jacking of peaceful protests by anarchists for the purpose of fomenting violence, destroying businesses, and delaying the recovery of the country. 
  • There are demonstrations around the world – across the U.S. in most major cities but also around the world in major capitals such as London, Paris, Hong Kong, etc.
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  • These demonstrations are seizing upon a single act of violence by a police office again a black man, and violent groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter are leveraging the peaceful protests to try to foment violence and distruction in U.S. cities and around the world.Due to a very wrong and unfortunate killing of a black man by law enforcement officers (which officers have been taken into custody, and are being prosecuted), protests have been organized across the United States, in most major cities.

Seattle, Washington – Part of the city was taken over by lawbreakers and declared autonomous and free from police and the local government, only to result in the murder of 4 people within the zone in less than one month.

    • July 1 – The Seattle Times –  Anarchists took over a section of the downtown area and labeled in the Autonomous Zone – their own CHAZ - Seattle Autonomous Zone“city within a city”.  The problem is that they needed to post their own armed guards, and did little to quell the violence even within this so called zone set apart from the city.
      • The area had remained relatively peaceful until the weekend of June 20, when the first of four shootings near CHOP in the span of about nine days killed 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson and injured another man. After another shooting Monday morning killed 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. and injured a 14-year-old boy, Seattle police Chief Carmen Best said “enough is enough.”“Two African American men are dead, at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter,” she said Monday.
      • After about 3 1/2 weeks, after the protest zone became the subject of heated national debate and the scene of violence and tragedy, Seattle police and other agencies swept in early Wednesday
    • July 20, 2020 – New York Post – A dozen Seattle cops were injured when a downtown protest against police brutality and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement turned violent on Sunday, according to reports. The peaceful demonstration, which began about 10:30 a.m. at Westlake Park, called for the abolition of ICE — but about three hours later, another group of protesters showed up with baseball bats, KIRO 7 reported. The thugs marched toward police headquarters and left a trail of destruction along the way, including damage to the old federal courthouse, the Municipal Court Building and an Amazon Go store, police said. “Individuals in the group appeared to target Starbucks and Amazon,” Sgt. Lauren Truscott told reporters.

Portland, Oregon – the city has now now fallen into violent protests, and a 300% increase in shootings compared to 2019

    • July 6th, 2020 – After more than a month of nightly protests in Portland calling for racial equity and justice reform, with some demonstrations being declared riots, the president of the police union penned a letter to elected leaders asking for them to “stand up and defend” the city. While a majority of the protests have been peaceful, Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner asked city leaders to condemn the violence seen at others that have involved “burning, looting, and destruction of property.”Portland Lawlessness

“As riots continue, it is obvious to everyone that this is no longer about George Floyd, social justice, or police reform,” Turner said in his letter. “This is about a group of individuals intent on causing injury, chaos, and destruction by rioting, looting, starting fires, throwing rocks, bottles, mortars, urine, and feces at peaceful protesters, as well as the police.”

    • July 19th – PORTLAND, Ore. — Fox News  Protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires late Saturday night in Oregon’s largest city, police said. The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later, Portland police said on Twitter. The department declared the gathering a riot, and began working to clear the downtown area. Tear gas was deployed, according to pictures and video from the scene. Fencing that had been placed around federal courthouse had also been removed by protesters and made into barricades, police tweeted. President Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists” in a visit to the city on Thursday.

Minneapolis, Minnesota – Out of state agitators turn Minneapolis into a burning inferno. 

    • June 22, 2020 – WCCO 4 News At 5 –– Minneapolis’ police chief has called the recent increase in violent crime in Minneapolis a public health crisis, reports Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield (2:55).
    • June 26th – Washington Post – Violence rises in Minneapolis, as debate over role of police rages.
    • Minneapolis officials have described an unprecedented burst of violence following George Floyd’s Memorial Day death, after an officer held him down with a knee to his neck, sparking worldwide fury and massive protests. At least 113 people have been shot since May 25, eight fatally, according to Minneapolis police, with hundreds of reports of gunfire across the city, including several shootings in broad daylight.
    • Vox – May 31, 2020 – Minnesota governor and mayors blame out-of-state agitators for violence and destruction. Media reports cast doubt on claims that most of those arrested were from out of state, and St. Paul’s mayor walked back his assertion.

Chicago, Illinois – Chicago rocked by protests hijacked by anarchists, numerous police injuries.  

    • July 20, 2020 – Chicago Sun Times – “Amid weekend shootings, violent protests take cops away from South, West sides: CPD Supt. David Brown said Monday he has ordered all officers assigned to protests to wear “any and all” protective gear.
    • Seventy people were shot over the weekend, 10 fatally, according to a log maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times. Ten minors were hit by gunfire, keeping with an alarming recent trend in which young children have been shot throughout the city.“We must protect our officers,” Brown said. “We cannot assume that the protests are going to be peaceful based on these actions and others.”
    • Watch the video by the Chicago Police Dept:  https://youtu.be/mc-5jZtS4I4

    • 49 officers were injured, with 18 requiring hospitalization. A CPD sergeant’s eye was hurt by an incendiary device and the sergeant may need surgery. The confrontation at the Columbus statue was part of a nationwide wave of demonstrations that seek to remove historical monuments. While Brown repeatedly voiced his support for the “sacred” First Amendment rights that ensure citizens’ free speech, he said, “these peaceful protests are being hijacked” by people who seek to commit violence and provoke “violent responses from our officers.”

London, England – Thousands descend on Parliament Square as tensions mount 

    • 3 June – BBC reports: “Police have been attacked by demonstrators in central London, where thousands gathered despite warnings to avoid protests. Groups including some far-right activists congregated in the capital, claiming they were protecting statues from anti-racism activists. Boris Johnson said “racist thuggery has no place on our streets” after officers were seen being punched and kicked.
    • The Met Police had placed restrictions on several groups intending to protest, including having to finish at 17:00 BST, following violent scenes last weekend. However, pockets of protesters remained on the streets of central London after the official cut-off.
    • Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted:  “These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality.”

Paris, France

    • 13 June 202 – BBC – French police clash with anti-racism activists in Paris. French police have clashed with activists protesting in Paris against racism and alleged police brutality. Police used tear gas against stone-throwing protesters who tried to hold a march that was banned. The rally is part of a worldwide movement inspired by America’s Black Lives Matter protests.
    • It was organised under the banner “Justice for Adama”, after Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in French police custody in 2016.
    • What happened in Paris? About 15,000 anti-racism protesters gathered on the Place de la République in central Paris early on Saturday afternoon. They chanted slogans such as “No justice, no peace”. Some climbed on the the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.
    • Sputniks news – PARIS – The French police used tear gas to handle unrest in the centre of Paris that erupted amid massive protest against racism and police brutality, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene. The rally started at about 2:30 p. m. local time (12:30 GMT) on the Place de la Republique and protesters were expected to march toward the Palais Garnier but policemen cordoned off the area. According to media reports, some 10,000 people are taking part in the rally.
    • In about an hour and a half, people wearing black clothes — mostly young men — formed a group and began throwing glass bottles, cans with paint and other debris at the police blocking the street. Protesters set fire to a pile of garbage on the roadway, and a section of the square is now engulfed in smoke.

Australia – Perth, Sydney – Thousands across the country take part in anti-racial protests sparked by BLM in the U.S.

    • 13 June 2020 – The Guardian – Australia protests: thousands take part in Black Lives Matter and pro-refugee events amid Covid-19 warnings. Thousands of people have taken part in Black Lives Matter and pro-refugee protests and marches across Australia, with refugee advocates in Sydney defying a court order to take to the city’s streets.
    • The protests came as Victoria recorded eight new coronavirus cases in the past day, including a GP who worked at three medical clinics while he may have been infectious. At Perth’s Black Lives Matter event, the turnout was at least double the 8,000 organisers had expected, despite a torrential downpour midway through the rally.

Key Aspects to Notice About the End Time Lawlessness

  • The protests are being planned in all the major cities.  They are not just adhoc demonstrations.
  • The scope is global  not just in American cities.  The BLM and Antifa anarchists are actively planning and hijacking protests in ALL major cities around the world.
  • An unfortunate single killing of George Floyd by police is being used as a flash point by BLM, Antifa and the media to try to convince people that all cops are racist, and all whites hate blacks. The evil behind all of this is seeking to divide people and inflame hatred.
  • Historical monuments are being attacked to try to destroy evidence of the nation’s history. And not just controversial monuments, but national monuments like the Lincoln Memorial.
  • The protests tend to start peacefully, then are hijacked by violent people that come in after the crowds are riled up enough, wielding baseball bats, knives, and sometimes firepower of various sorts.  Their goal (like the evil one who motivates them), is not to address issues through peaceful means, but to burn, destroy, loot and kill.
  • The truth about the BLM leadership and goals is that they are not about addressing issues; they are about tearing down the nation:  https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/june/the-shocking-truth-about-the-marxists-behind-black-lives-matter-organization-no-forgiveness-no-reconciliation
    Sky News – June 11, 2020 – There is an agenda behind the Black Lives Matter protests which is not to fight racism, but “to push new myths and new hatreds,” according to Sky News host Andrew Bolt. Mr Bolt said the agenda of these protests is to now target “the police and the society they protest”.  

The Mass Media is Fueling the Fires, with Mayors and Governors Standing by Idle 

  • The Mass media channels have all seized on this issue, to fan the flames of protest and to foment anger against the administration. Businesses have been looted, Macy’s famous dept store on 34th street looted, car dealerships looted of cars, national monuments have been defaced with filthy writing.
    • Destroying small businesses, further damaging the economy and putting people out of work
    • Looting and stealing from stores, car dealers and shops
    • Killing innocent people
  • The protests are being organized by BLM and Antifa, who are guided and funded by George Soros and others who want to see the eliminations of nation states, and the formation of a one world government.  It is clear to them that as long as the U.S., is a world power, with its economy strong, and people self-reliant, there can n ever be the “one world” rule they want to see.
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  • Lawless is abounding to the extent never before seen:  National monuments like the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC have been defaced with filthy swear words
    • Cars are being stolden out of car dealership parking lots – in one case, in northern California, 73 cards were stolden in one night
    • Macy’s dept store on 34th street in NYC has been broken into, with looters stealing millions of dollars in merchandise
  • If that isn’t enough, some governors and mayors now want to DEFUND their police departments (literally become LAWLESS states and cities, and redeploy those funds to social programs to largely black communities.  While more funding to social support program may help, they are no substitute for law enforcement officers.  I fear the ramifications of this decision for these states and cities, for they will have let loose anarchy in their communities.

This is All Leading to “The Lawless One” Who is Coming

The the New Testament, the writer Paul – moved by the Holy Spirit – describes in 2 The 7-9 a “mystery of lawlessness” that is already at work in the world:

  • 2 Th 7: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”
  • 2 Th 8: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming”.
  • 2 Th 9: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

This “mystery” of lawlessness is the force of evil, working through financiers, governors, majors, and other politicians. There is a demonic force at work behind all of this – – the hijacking of the Covid-19 virus to create a pandemic of fear, the destruction of economies around the world to remove security and life support from millions, and now the violent protests designed to flame the fires of hatred among people.

This is the work of the evil one, pure and simple.  As Jesus said, he is a liar and the father of lies.  He is the destroyer, and wants to rule the world through the power of an “anti-Christ” – a one-world ruler.  He knows that his time is short, and that the Messiah Jesus is coming and will one day consume him with the “breathe of His mouth”. He will soon be revealed as a calm and confident individual, charismatic even, one who promises to restore order and bring peace to the nations.  This is the “great deception” that is spoken of in the Bible: see 2 Thessalonians 2:11, which predicts that God will, in an end-times judgment, send “a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.”

2 Thess 2:11: 11 “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.”

This great deception is associated with the satanic work of the Antichrist and his “displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie” (verse 9).

The Lawless One WILL BE Revealed – Along with Great Tribulation

As Th 2:8 indicates above, once the restraining power of “He” (the Holy Spirit) is taken away, the “lawless one” – the anti-Christ will be revealed. He will come on the world stage as a charming, powerful leader, who will deceive the world by his intelligence, charm, and good looks.  People will be in a state of fear, panic, and looking for a leader to show them the way.  Since they have rejected the Lord, the masses will accept and follow this new one world leader.

Those who pledge their allegiance to the one world ruler will take “the mark of the beast” upon their hard or forehead, so that they will be able to buy & sell and participate in the one-world economic system.  There is already some evidence that this “mark” is being prepared and TESTED, so that without this “mark”, you will not be able to buy or sell.

Once these things are in place, the “anti-Christ” will have arrived, and all the nations will bow down to him. A final 7 years – the “Tribulation” period – of man’s history upon the earth will ensue. A time that Jesus spoke about, which will come upon the whole earth,

Matt 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning
of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Space prevents us from discussing the Tribulation period here, but suffice to say that this 7 year period is indeed the End Times that shall come upon the earth.  The period is spoken of in the book of Daniel, and also described in the gospels.  Its is also referred to in other books of the Tenach (Old Testament).  It is a time when Satan make his last play for power upon the end, and it ends with series of judgments cast down by God Himself upon the earth, in judgement of the wicked and evil inhabitants that have pledge allegiance to the anti-Christ.

The period is detailed in the book of Revelation in the Bible, ending with Jesus Himself descending from Heaven, ending the last battle, and slaying the anti-Christ and his followers.  Christ returns to take possession of the earth, even as the angels at the tomb had predicted, and as the bible had foretold.  Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, returns as King over all the earth, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Jerusalem become his throne, and He begins a reign of 1,000 years upon the earth, with His saints as His loyal followers. More about this in Isaiah, the book of Revelation, and through the entire Bible.  Its is coming, and it is going to happen.  You can bet your life on it.

Jesus Advised of the End Times, and Said “Watch” and Be Ready

Its very clear from prophecy in the Bible what is coming.  The End Times, or “Day of the LORD”, are as sure as any other prophecy which has been documented and fulfilled in the bible.  Over 300 prophecies listed in the Torah & Tenach (the Old Testament) were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah.Da Vinci and the Last Supper

The prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Israel being dispersed through out the whole earth, and then after 2,000 years, returning back to their land to be established once again as a nation were fulfilled in 1948.  And so the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the End Times, including…

  • Israel being gathered again from all parts of the earth to be established as a nation once again
  • Wars and rumors of wars – a sign of the End Times is the proliferation of wars, and we have seen two “world wars” in the last century, and numerous regional and local wars.
  • The persecution of Christians – Christianity is now the MOST persecuted religion in the world
  • Earthquakes in various places – we are seeing a steady increase in the frequency and strength of earthquakes
  • And the present abundance of “lawlessness” 
  • Famines are already happening, and predicted to increase due to the Coronavirus, and locusts swarming across the Middle East and Africa

For more detail on the End Times, see the page https://evidencetobelieve.net/is-this-the-end-times/

We don’t know the day or the hour, but we can read the signs of the times.  And indeed, we could very well be entering into the “End of the Age”.

If this is the End Times, What Are We to Do to be Saved?

The message is clear from the Bible:  Repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Good works won’t save you, since even our best works are as “filthy rags” to a Holy God.  Other gods won’t save, as there is only one true, all powerful, all mighty God who exists in a complex unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  the Father, the What is Heaven Like?Alpha, the Creator; the Son who gave His life for human kind, the Redeemer and Image of the invisible God; and the Holy Spirit, the person that fills each believer who accepts Jesus, empowering them to live a godly life.

As a nation, we must turn back to the Lord and recognize Him as the ultimate authority above everything else.  We must bring God back into our schools, into our classrooms, and into our workplaces and government offices.  We must repent and cry out to the LORD to forgive us, and heal our land.

You were made for a purpose, and your daily walk with  Jesus will help you come to realize His purpose in your life and fulfill it.  If you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, you can!  Give Jesus a  chance!  Don’t put it off.  Allow Him to come into your life and make you “a new creation”!   You have nothing to loose everything to gain.  Here is a  link to Billy Graham’s web site that can show you how you can invite Jesus into  your life and be the creation He has always intended you to be …

Take Me to Steps to Peace With God ==>  http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp

Sources:

The Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Ignite America – What Happened to America: https://igniteamerica.com/hottopics/what-happened-to-America/?fbclid=IwAR0E8jytRfkfSpQvCHS2jFFg40duvgWH_bVJjyR6ktjIWFs_8ivdPK9l7yE

Got Questions.org – “What is the Great Deception in the Bible” – https://www.gotquestions.org/great-deception.html

Photo of CHAZ – By Derek Simeone – Welcome to CHAZ, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91194146

MyNorthWest.com – Image of siego of Portland