What The Bible Says About the ‘Church’ In the Last Days :: By James Pannafino

The Bible foretells of a true fellowship of believers in the last days in which Jesus is honored and glorified.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn [repent] from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The true church of the last days will be characterized by:

• a humble (not haughty) spirit…
• fervent prayer (not prayerlessness)
• daily repentance with regard to one’s own sin (not a careless attitude and lifestyle regarding sin)
• a passion and desire to intimately know Jesus, and to make Him known among those lost of this generation.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

The Bible also foretells the rise of a false, apostate church worldwide just before the return of Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [Christ’s return for His true church] will not come unless the falling away comes first.”

• Just before Jesus’ Second Coming, a great ‘falling away’ (apostasy) from authentic Christianity is foretold.

Matthew 24:10-12 “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”

Signs of the ‘Last Days’ False Church:

       1)  Lack of love for one another (but full of ‘self-love’ and outwardly religious).

2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

       2)  A multitude of popular and well-accepted false teachers will dominate the church.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

       3)  Deception and wickedness from within the church (i.e., “tares among the wheat”).

Matthew 13:24-30 “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat… Let both grow together until the harvest.’”

       4) Lukewarm and self-satisfied

Revelation 3:15-17 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”


This ‘last days’ false church would believe itself to be doing God’s will, but, according to Jesus, it is actually heading toward disaster and eternal judgment:

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Jesus said this false church would “hear” but not “understand” or obey His word.


Matthew 13:18-23 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it [false church]…”

Jesus also said that His true church would ‘hear,” “understand,” and obey His word.

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit [true church].”

A needful reminder for the remnant church:

Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

For more information on Bible prophecy, go to https://perspectiveinprophecy.com

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