Scoffers
to the End
by Ron Graham
2/20/2013
“Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their
own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4. It’s interesting to hear the
words of scoffers today as their voices sound hauntingly familiar to Peter’s
description of those who will surface in the last days. What do we think about
when we think of scoffers? Initially when we consider the scoffer, people who
have either given up on God ever returning to earth or those who don’t believe
in God at all come to mind. There are others though who fall into this arena,
but all have one thing in common, they don’t trust God.
In this age of
“Hurry up with my Big Mac and fries”, we have discovered that humanity has a
serious problem when it comes to patiently waiting the arrival of anything. This
is also true among of the followers of Jesus Christ. The presumption that we,
the Ekklesia of Christ, should be out of here by now has caused much controversy
in regards to Biblical truth. Some professing Christians were so obsessed with
Christ’s imminent return that when He didn’t return as they predicted they grew
weary of waiting. Many people who professed Christ now reject Him as they have
become scoffers. Some have resorted back to their previous ungodly lifestyles
saying “Where is the promise of his
coming?” Peter tells us that scoffers will come not only walking
after their own lusts, but intentionally professing ignorance of earth’s past.
The word in the
Greek for “last” in “last days” is “eschatos”, and when we read the
definition of that Greek word, the explanation is headed up with the word
“extreme or uttermost”. Therefore we are obliged to understand that Peter here
is writing about the “extreme/uttermost end of days” on
planet earth. Many believe as I do that planet earth is currently somewhere in
that particular time frame. This is especially true since scoffers have become
not only more vocal, but prolific as well.
Jude gives us
one more detail of these scoffers “But,
beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our
Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers
[scoffers] in the last time, who
should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate
themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude 1:17-19. Jude tells us they are not
indwelt with the Holy Spirit. He compares them to those who the Apostles of our
Lord Jesus had spoken of previously. Peter and Jude are referring to the same
lot of people, so we know that the scoffers Peter mentions are also without the
Holy Spirit.
The Greek word
used by both Peter and Jude for scoffer as well as mocker is “empaiktēs”, and this Greek word comes from
a root word that means - to deceive. Once again we are confronted
with another attempt by Satan to deceive the masses. By encouraging the scoffers
to promote his lies and deceit he gains ground among the biblically illiterate
while mocking God’s promises and attempting to destroy the faith of the people
who make up the true body of Christ.
The Rapture of
the Ekklesia is a bone of contention that always brings out the scoffers and
mockers. There are many who just can’t, or won’t, grasp the concept of the
biblical reality of an imminent Rapture. Frankly, those who believe the Bible
clearly indicates an imminent Rapture are in the minority among professing
Christians. Many Christians believe that because the actual word “Rapture” isn’t
in the English versions of our Bible that it is not biblical. The truth is,
hints and indications of the Rapture are clearly seen throughout the Old and New
Testaments, beginning with Enoch. Another very interesting fact is that the
Bible was translated into Latin some 1400 years prior to being translated into
English. The Latin word “rapiemur” was translated from the Greek word “harpazō”,
which is translated into English as “caught up”. So for fourteen hundred years
the word Rapture was in the Bible – in Latin. It’s significant to note that we
derive our English word Rapture from the Latin word “rapiemur”.
“…walking
after their own lusts…” 2
Peter 3:3. The Greek word
“epithymia” is translated into
English as “lust”, which means desire, craving, longing for. The Greek word also
indicates there is a desire for what is forbidden. These scoffers are overcome
with their own lustful desires which produce uncontrolled longings. As a result
they are the scoffers and mockers Peter writes about. They begin to seek after
that which is forbidden by God. They turn away from a desire to know God and
they begin again to follow the enemy, finally doing everything they can to
corrupt those remaining faithful to God. Yes, there’s more to these scoffers
than ridicule. According to Peter and Jude they are not born
again.
“Little
children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,
even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they
would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be
made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:18-19. Many who at one time
professed to be Christian now mock Christ and deny His deity; this seems a
common occurrence in these extreme last days. Are these not those
who John writes of who went out from us, but
they were not of us? What became of them? Are they now those who John
proclaims as antichrists? They are the scoffers and mockers of God and the
brethren, and as many of us who believe in an imminent Rapture can attest to
scoffers have begun to proliferate in great numbers in these “extreme” last
days.
Their mockingly
scornful attitude towards God is clearly seen in the second segment of those two
verses from 2 Peter 3. “Where is the promise
of his coming?” Can we not hear the sneering and see the twisted lips
and rolling eyes of those who doubt God? There is surely a sense of distain in
and among the scoffers of the last days. The statement “Where is the promise of his coming?”
surely must be an affront to God. Will God’s children question Him as to His
timing, or His purpose for that matter? Placing our faith in God means we trust
Him to be perfect in His ways, and that includes trusting His promises as well.
“For all the promises of God in him are yea,
and in him Amen” 2 Corinthians
1:20.
Peter describes
quite well those lust seeking scoffers “For
this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of
old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world
that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the
earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire
against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:5-7. With the scoffers statement
“all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation” we see that their ignorance was
intentional; they have a purpose.
Therefore we understand from the words above that their agenda was to deny God’s
word thus deny earth’s past history in order to appease themselves while
remaining in their lusts. I’m sure we’ve all heard from these folks in more
recent times.
Those of us who
believe God’s word concerning the worldwide deluge know that there was nothing
that remained the same on earth after that which occurred during the
antediluvian times. But the willingly ignorant Peter speaks of are those who are
wrapped up in their own desire and lusts, so much so that they are blinded from
the truth. They deliberately give inaccurate accounts of the varying degrees of
changes the earth has made over the last 6,000 years. Just like so many
scientists today who are blinded by their god of mammon, acknowledging God’s
truth has become a foreign concept to them.
Peter goes on to
explain to the brethren a very special attribute of God. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as
some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. Is God tarrying on purpose?
Peter says God is not slack in His promises, not as some men view slackness. The
Greek word “bradynō” is
translated as slack and it also means to delay or be slow. God has such a love
for mankind that He is not willing to pull the plug ahead of the appointed time.
He wishes that everyone should have ample opportunity to go through a change of
mind in regards to their seeing the truth and seeking Him. He does not delay the
end. It will come at God’s appropriate time.
Satan knows that
his time is limited and he must convince people that there is no such thing as
God. Flawed and evil as Satan is, many already believe his lie. Satan is
feverishly working to create doubt in people’s minds about the existence of an
all powerful God. Over the past six millennia, many have believed Satan’s lies
and perished as a result. To be sure, there are many more willful scoffers who
have taken the baton of their father the devil and began their steep decent down
a very slippery and destructive path.
For the born
again believers in Christ there is no doubting the promises of God. He’s coming
back, first to remove His Ekklesia (the saints) and then to put an end to the
Great Tribulation and establish His millennial Kingdom. My brethren, humanity is
currently teetering on the precipice of the extreme end of the last days. How do
I know? Peter’s scoffers are increasing and becoming incredibly
antagonistic.
God bless you
all,
Ron
Graham
All
original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed
Many
of you have inquired as to the state of my health, therefore I feel I must
maintain this little running commentary to keep everyone up to date. My eyesight
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