Everything Has An End
Paving the Way for the Anti-Christ
January 8, 2007
By Ron and Karen Schwartz
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If we were to tell you that the “mystery of iniquity” has less to do with the depraved nature of modern culture and more to do with waiting on tables, what would you say?
“A few weeks ago, God spoke to my heart saying, ‘Everything has an end.’ He began to impress upon my heart how what we are and the things we do are connected. It was as if everything is connected, and the revelation God wanted me to see is in understanding the connections. Then I remembered a conversation I had with my wife (Karen) over fifteen years ago. At that time, I had been working in construction in the Dallas area for over ten years. As we drove, I asked Karen, ‘What would you think about me going to college and getting a degree in computers?’ She responded that it was a great idea. I knew she wanted to quit working, so I didn’t believe the idea of having to put me through school would be appealing. I expected a negative response. But her positive response was enough to encourage me go to college and work hard to get my degree. Afterwards, I went to work for IBM, then GTE, and eventually ended up in Michigan with the job I have today. And incidentally, Karen was able to quit work and raise our children full time. But the idea here is that where we are today and all the decisions we’ve made over the years can be traced back to that single event that transpired years ago. Consequently, the words, ‘Everything has an end,’ caused me to consider contemporary Christianity and what it has become. What was the inception of the monster we see today?” -- Ron Schwartz, 2007.
Transitive Property
It is called the Transitive Property in mathematics. Briefly, it means that if A=B and B=C then A=C. When we consider the contemporary church, it is more like if A=B, B=C, C=D, D=E, and E=F, then A=F. By this, we mean that we have become so far removed from the origins of what we believe and practice that we are completely unaware of how the philosophical outlook of contemporary Christianity and the attitude of church leaders have been molded by previous generations. Take, for instance, the progenitor of church leadership. How did it begin? What are its roots?
Acts 6:1-4
1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The words of the apostles obviously reflected exasperation. They apparently did not understand why the people could not resolve simple issues like the distribution of food without bothering them. Let’s paraphrase how the apostles responded: “You all know that we are busy trying to understand the word of God. What is more important: our understanding God’s word or waiting tables? Take care of your own affairs. Pick seven men who are trustworthy and we will appoint them to serve you. That way we can devote ourselves to praying and ministering the word instead of these menial tasks.” Their rationale seemed reasonable, but you have to wonder, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)?
John 13:1-5, 12-17
1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Washing His disciple’s feet was one of the last things that He ever did for them. His example was meant to have a lasting impact on their lives. It was meant to serve as an example of true leadership. It was His intention that through His example they would learn servitude. But how effective was His example in getting them beyond their aspirations for preeminence (i.e., “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand , in thy glory. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10:35-37, 41-44”)? But instead of taking His “servant of all” example to heart, in a matter of only weeks or months after His departure, we find a complete lack of servant mentality amongst the disciples.
Let’s first consider the fact that “there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” Where were the servants? After the tremendous teaching and exampling Jesus provided, why weren’t the disciples serving one another? We know that three thousand were saved on the Day of Pentecost. It would be reasonable to assume that, at the time this food distribution problem occurred, there could have been five to ten thousand believers. Yet among all these believers, where were the servant’s hearts? Where do we find reflected these words: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35)?” Could it be that they had so quickly forgotten the importance of Jesus’ teachings?
No! His teachings were not forgotten. They were merely assigned a different priority.
The apostles said, “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.” But what were the views of another man who was not an apostle but who perhaps spent more time with the Christ than all the apostles combined? I’m talking about James the brother of Jesus. Did he, too, share the convictions of the apostles? James wrote, “But ye have despised the poor (James 2:6).” The word “despise” means to “look down on.” Does not the attitude of the apostles sound as though they looked down on waiting tables? James also wrote, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit (James 2:15-16)?” He also wrote, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).” Only John writes something similar: “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him (1 John 3:17)?”
What would Jesus have done? We believe that He would have shamed them all by getting up without a word and waiting tables. Before long, everyone would have joined Him. He placed the same level of priority on setting an example as He did on preaching. What would have happened if the apostles had simply gotten up and waited tables? Certainly everyone would have followed, and the example of servitude would have been given the same or greater level of priority as preaching.
Consider again the words, “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.” It is said that attitude is a reflection of leadership. Disciples emulate the behavior of their teachers. They also emulate their perspectives and attitude. Therefore, if the apostles thought that it was beneath them to wait on tables, so would the rest who follow and model their behavior after them. If the apostles felt that it was “more important” to study the scriptures and pray, then so would all those who follow. The apostles did get part of their leadership responsibilities right – the part that required them to pray and minister the word. But what about the rest of their responsibility - the part that had to do with being an example? You see, Jesus wasn’t just a great teacher; He was also a great example. And He continually demonstrated that nothing was beneath Him. He considered Himself a servant.
It is striking how precisely this statement describes the attitude of contemporary church leaders. It reflects the Transitive Property in mathematics. The attitude of the apostles became the attitude of church leaders who followed, which became the attitude of the Catholic church, which became the attitude of the Protestant churches, which became the attitude of the contemporary church. The attitude of churches and their leaders is that they cannot be bothered with the physical needs of the communities around them. They are too busy preparing for their next church meeting or activity, their next opportunity to preach. Church leaders cannot be bothered with the physical needs of the people because their only mission is to “minister” to their “spiritual” needs.
The words of the apostles echoed their value of servitude: it was not of value at all. It was beneath them. It was a job of lesser importance and therefore a job for men of lesser importance.
Now let’s apply the mathematical Transitive Property. If the multitude aspires to be like the apostles, then the objectives and attitudes of the multitude is to have the objectives and attitudes of the apostles. If servitude is beneath the apostles, then servitude is beneath the multitude. What we find is that things like servitude (which is given a high priority by Christ) were reprioritized as unimportant by His followers. The effect was far-reaching.
Let’s apply the Transitive Property again. If the “needs” of the poor are unimportant to the apostles, then the poor are also unimportant to them, and the poor became unimportant to the multitudes. Therefore, whether or not the Grecian widows were ministered to was of minor importance to the multitude. It does not stop there because everything is connected. Little actions and attitudes can have a far-reaching impact.
Consider the words God spoke to us: “Everything has an end.” What was the eventual end of this attitude? The end of this attitude became the attitude of every generation of church leader that followed: that there are certain jobs of serving one another that are beneath ministers of the gospel. And that the really important functions are those that have to do with spiritual things. This tone was first set by the early apostles but was echoed by all those who followed. It echoed in the dictatorial structure of Catholicism and then in the Protestant churches. It now echoes throughout our contemporary churches.
We know that the apostles were not perfect. At one time, Paul had to rebuke Peter for his hypocrisy (when he separated himself from Gentile believers because disciples of James entered the room). The only place that this account is found comes as a footnote in one of Paul’s epistles. We are left to wonder how many other inconsistencies occurred. They were not infallible. They made mistakes. The problem for us is that we do not necessarily see their mistakes as such because they were not always communicated to us as mistakes. Therefore, we do not always understand that even their wrong actions were something from which we could learn. Far too often, we see their mistakes as examples we ought to follow. This is what has happened here.
For generations, church leaders have viewed this response from the apostles as being a good model for their own behavior. They have allowed the apostle’s response to justify arrogance, conceit, and egotism. As a result, we have generations of churches and church leaders who have espoused themselves to the idea that serving others and waiting tables are unimportant tasks – tasks best left to lesser men. They see themselves as above the role of a servant. They view their function as someone who prays and ministers the word and should not be bothered with the menial physical needs of people. This attitude has been adopted by their congregations who emulate the attitude and behavior of their leaders.
The attitude of contemporary Christianity does not reflect the attitude that Christ portrayed. The attitude of contemporary Christianity is an elitist mentality. It is obtained from church leaders who see themselves as being in elite positions and offices over the church. Everyone who is not part of their office is below them. Their churches are merely a reflection of their attitude. To the church, everyone who is not a part of their church is below them, and therefore they cannot be bothered with their needs. It has created generations of self-centered, egotistical, and elitist social organization churches that will self-destruct at the least sign of adversity. Contemporary Western churches are held together by bandages. They have no natural predators. They are protected from the government, taxation, and regulation by constitutions. But what if this were to change?
The Mystery of Iniquity
2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Iniquity is lawlessness. Paul wrote that there was a particular mystery of lawlessness that would aid the antichrist in coming to power. Yet there is no mystery to lawlessness. Lawlessness has been with humanity since the dawn of time. Adam and Eve were lawless. Every nation, every culture of every period has known lawlessness. When we consider the depths of depravity that various cultures have reached during every time period, we must question why the lawlessness of this period is so special? What makes this particular “mystery of lawlessness” so unique?
The mystery is explained in the “what” that the lawlessness disregards. It is not the moral code of the world or the Judeo-Christian law of God’s people. It would be difficult to explain how contemporary Christianity is lawless. Christians have laws for everything. They have laws that address the type of acceptable clothing, the acceptable hair length and style, and acceptable language. They have laws regarding entertainment and family authority and submission. It would be difficult to find any area of a person’s life that is not controlled and regulated by laws.
The “mystery of iniquity” is not cultural lawlessness. The depravity of this period is no worse now than in Noah’s day, and it certainly is no different than it was during the Middle Ages. In fact, some of the most perverse lawless periods in history have occurred in cultures with the most stringent laws and moral codes. Consider the United States. The number of laws that exist in the USA today compared to the number that existed soon after it became a nation is exponentially greater. Yet today, even with all our laws, cultural lawlessness in our inner cities appears out of control. The number of laws, or the lack thereof, does not account for the “mystery of iniquity.” The mystery is not found in a period or culture, but in the nature of the law itself.
Concerning His law, Jesus taught His disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34),” and “This is my commandment , That ye love one another, as I have loved you (John 15:12).” The mystery that Paul wrote was already at work during his time was the disregard (lawless) of the law of Christ. It was already appearing at the inception of the church when the apostles placed servitude as being of lesser importance than preaching.
Paving the Way for the Antichrist
2 Thessalonians 2:3-7
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 [prevents or withholds] will let [continue to prevent or withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
There is certainly no end to controversy regarding verse 7. The question is: who is the “he.” This “he” plays a pivotal role since his presence blocks the antichrist from coming into power. Those who embrace pre-tribulation “rapture” claim that “he” is the church. As a result, this verse remains one of the most hotly debated verses in the “rapture” dispute. We have no wish to enter into this debate. Instead, we want to consider this verse in a different light. No one alive knows what the apostle had in mind when he penned this thought. This scripture is vague because the Greek words in question have such broad meaning. Therefore, it is simply impossible to know with any measure of certainty exactly what the apostle meant. All we can do is (as with all scripture) listen to the Spirit, let Him teach us how He wants to apply it to us today. The Spirit of God is able to take a single scripture and from it derive an encyclopedia of knowledge. So what have we heard?
In many ways, the authoritarian structure of Catholicism and denominationalism are paving the way for the antichrist. They teach people to be sheep that keep their mouths shut, to submit and not to question, to blindly accept that God doesn’t speak directly to them but through men in positions of church authority. They are taught that direct interpretation of the Bible and leading of the Spirit can be dangerous for the lay man and should not be trusted. Therefore, understanding and interpreting the Bible as well as hearing from God is only for those “in ministry”: the “spiritually mature.” Some even teach that hearing from God today is impossible because God does not speak to men. They claim that currently the only way to know God’s will is to be fully educated, have a doctorate in divinity, and be a graduate from seminary. Thus, the rank and file Christian cannot know God’s will or hear His voice apart from their leadership, covering, and teaching.
The contemporary church is the result of generations of feminization (sissification). Members are forced into a role of submission and compliance to their church leaders who assume the authoritative role. For generations, Christians have been bred to believe that they need the authority of their church “husband/fathers” in order to grow spiritually and survive. They have been conditioned not to resist, that resistance to the church leadership is resistance to God. When we consider that such an authoritarian structure (passed down through Catholicism to all Protestant denominations and many independent churches) lends to them the same type of authority the antichrist will wield, we must ask: how difficult will it really be for the religious church masses to go from submission to their church leaders to submission to the antichrist?
Experts involved in domesticating wild animals have found that each generation of domestication produces animals that are tamer than the previous generation. The first generation retains much of its inherent natural predisposition, while the generations that follow become tamer. Church leaders have been domesticating generations of tame Christians - Christians who tend to sit down, be quiet and follow orders. Their goal is to have huddled masses that listen to and respect them, that financially support them without rocking the boat. They are unaware that they are merely paving the way for the antichrist. When he does appear, will he really tolerate today’s pompous Christian leaders? Contemporary pastors, priests, the Pope, and the self-proclaiming prophets and apostles are not just paving the way for the antichrist but are “also” standing in his way. The antichrist would never allow men like the Pope, priests, pastors, and prophets in positions of authority that could eventually challenge his authority and perhaps cause the same kind of rebellion for which he himself is responsible.
Many scholars believe that “he” who “withholdeth” in verse 6 is the Holy Spirit holding back the antichrist. Many new translations of the Bible simply substitute “he” for the Holy Spirit since it is so widely assumed. We see it differently. When it comes to prophecy, when have the masses ever been correct? Never!
We believe that the “he” referenced here is not the Holy Spirit but the authoritarian Catholic/Protestant leadership structure. You can take this as prophetic or as just our opinion, but we believe that something will happen to remove this structure of Christian leadership that has stood for almost two thousand years. When that happens, it will create a void, an enormous void, which will be quickly and easily filled by the antichrist. What could happen to cause this?
The continual decline in church attendance as well as the ineffectiveness of Christian political action groups is sending clear signals to politicians that Christians don’t care anymore. When you combine that with the sagging Western economies, a predictable future begins to emerge. Western nations already see contemporary churches as intolerant, pompous, a breeding ground for “hate crimes,” sitting on incredible wealth, which combined could wipe out the debt of all third-world nations. The taxation of church wealth as well as sales and property tax would be a way to infuse federal, state, and local governments with much needed cash. Who would stand in their way? Certainly not the soporific and apathetic Christians who have been bred to be quiet. But the impact would be sweeping and comprehensive. Fat churches that are barely able to stay open now would need to sell their buildings, and the pastors and their staffs would need to find real jobs. Following in the wake of the collapse of institutionalized Christianity would be the appearance of an enormous void in the authoritarian Christian regime that has stood for centuries. What would Christians do in the face of such massive church failure? They would return to the wild. They would return to their roots, meeting “house to house.” The rest would fall into the void that will quickly be filled by the antichrist.
Alternately, the future of the contemporary church might take a more evolutionary path. Governments might seek to regulate churches (call it “score carding”) based in part on the new “hate crimes” legislation. Churches that do not comply with government standards would lose their tax-exempt status. Whether churches are closed as a result of taxation or are government-regulated, the result will be the same. Puppet government-regulated churches will most certainly be the church state empire of the antichrist. One way or another, the current freedom and prosperity churches enjoy will collapse.
John described this collapse when he wrote:
Revelation 17:12-18
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
It’s important to understand that Christian masses have been conditioned not to think for themselves but to blindly accept propaganda as fact because they are incapable of determining truth on their own. They will have no difficulty in making the transition.
So how can we prepare for this? Begin to tear down the institutions now and channel Christians back into the wild. Do it before the antichrist comes into power. Get Christians seeking and listening to God on their own. Get them used to meeting in small groups and functioning in a life led entirely by the Spirit, so that when “he [authoritarian Christian leaders] who now letteth [withholds and prevents the antichrist]… be taken out of the way,” they will continue to be led by and to walk in the Spirit.
Conclusion
When you consider that the contemporary church is the “end” product of a long series of events, it becomes easy to see that the beginning has less to do with the example and teaching of Christ and more to do with the arrogance of men. What would the church look like today if servanthood were given the same level (or higher) of importance as preaching? What would the church look like if church leaders “acted” (not just spoke) as if servitude were NOT beneath them? Consider this for a moment. Would it have prevented today’s authoritarian structure from coming into power? And what about the family? How has this elitist mentality destroyed homes? It has created generations of men who see women as sub-level beings and their children – like the poor – as unimportant. How many pastors’ families were destroyed over the centuries because they understood that important work included only “spiritual” things, and everything else, including their families, was unimportant?
Many who will read this note are struggling to know what God has for them. They don’t understand why they aren’t blessed with a great ministry or church. Sadly, they have been bitten by the preeminence bug. They measure effectiveness by having a church, its size, and the number of people they influence. They don’t care about the needs around them and the opportunities to serve. Oh sure, they know about the needs of the poor around them, but like the apostles, they see these as lesser needs to be taken care of by lesser men.
If you want to be a servant to God, then wait tables. Set an example of servitude for your community, your friends, your brethren, and your families. Example-ship, as taught by Jesus, is just as important as the sermons you can preach. Just why is it that there are thousands of disciples waiting in the wings to preach a sermon but not a single one to wait on tables? It’s because everything has an end, and the end result of this generation is found in their incapacity to “rightly divide the word of truth.”
The mistakes, the humanity, of the apostles were not always communicated as such, and therefore they are sometimes used as (bad) examples for us to follow. These bad examples are a faulty foundation upon which the contemporary church has built. It has led to error. We must therefore take heed when we consider the scripture, because there are good and bad examples even among the actions of the men of His Generation.
Amen.
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