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The Time In Which We Live in 2025
Eras or Epochs
Many describe this era or epoch of time to be one of chaos and turmoil. It sends tremors into the present world order. The argument against an obvious shift in culture is its destabilization. What is really happening today?
When you open your Bible to its last book, Revelation, you see the unveiling of the future final act for planet earth. History comes full circle with the judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. Jesus starts in Revelation 6:1-2 with what I see as a bit of a surprise in His undoing of a first seal on a vitally important scroll. These verses read:
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
A man on a white horse is the first horseman of the apocalypse. Who is this? It is a fake peace, or a “peace, peace,” when there is no peace. One would not be wrong to say the one on the horse is the future Antichrist. “Peace” becomes the instrument for the future wrath of God on earth. It isn’t chaos, turmoil, tremors on the world order, or destabilization. Peace brings the beginning of the end. The Antichrist goes “forth conquering and to conquer” using peace. Peace is the primary weapon.
Fake Peace
Fake peace or just getting along to get along seems to be a most unlikely culprit. It hearkens back to the many speeches yearning for world peace. People want peace. Future judgment begins with offer and the allure of peace. This reminds me of the judgment of Romans 1 that the Apostle Paul describes as “God gave them up” and “God gave them over” (Romans 1:26-28) to what they want. That’s His judgment. People want to be left alone with their own desires.
On the other hand, what does Jesus bring? He says in Matthew 10:34:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
The Antichrist comes bringing peace, what the Lord sees as turning men over and giving them up. Toward the beginning of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus says in Matthew 24:3-5:
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. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
The deception is fake peace. This flushes out the enemies of the one and true Christ. Peace is a lie, a very common lie. Satan is the Father of lies (John 8:44). It’s how he rolls.
Chaos and Turmoil
But today again is chaos and turmoil, you know. Division. Separation between people. Strong borders. Promotion of national interests, not global ones. People can speak out and say scriptural things now apparently too, even if it brings chaos and turmoil. What’s happening?
The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1 writes:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
We are in the last days. What are these perilous times about which Paul speaks? The word “times” here is kairos, and it is not chronological. It speaks of an epoch, age, period, or season. Paul’s description is of worsening seasons or epochs of time in the last days.
Reprieve and Opportunity
What occurs is a bad period, followed by something of a reprieve or an opportunity, that when lost brings a worse era. I believe we are in a time of opportunity. This is not a good time. It is one of those periods in between bad times if the opportunity is lost. This is all based upon the providence of God. It is not a time of peace right now. There is an available fight, which one could characterize as a kind of open door. It is not a good time. A better way of seeing it is following a really bad occasion or circumstance.
This era is not a time to look for peace and I’m talking about the truth and our culture. It is not a time for shyness, but to take advantage of this moment in between periods. Even if the next era is worse, which is the usual pattern, this one is an opportunity. This is how I would characterize it. People who hold to scripture need to tell the truth, the whole truth. Let everyone know what God says without apology. Now is a time for this.
“Perilous times shall come.” Those times come. They are epochs, because some kind of separation or opportunity follows each of them. I don’t think anyone should take credit for this present open door, because it doesn’t read or seem like anything any human could have invented. I wouldn’t have. It seems it would have come in a different way. This is what we’ve got though and if it’s anything, it’s an opportunity to take advantage with the truth.
Postmodern “Grace”
The author of Hebrews in 12:15-17 warns:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
C. H. Spurgeon wrote concerning the failing of the grace of God:
Under the means of grace, there are many who do “fall short of the grace of God.” They get something that they think is like grace, but it is not the true grace of God, and they ultimately fall from it, and perish. . . . [I]n church fellowship we ought to be very watchful lest the church as a whole should fail through lack of the true grace of God, and especially lest any root of bitterness springing up among us should trouble us, and thereby many be defiled. We must remember that though we are saved by grace, yet grace does not stupefy us, but rather quickens us into action. Though salvation depends upon the merits of Christ, yet those who receive those merits receive with them a faith that produces holiness.
Spurgeon explains that this “failing” is “falling short,” and then “falling short” is not getting “the true grace of God” but “something that they think is like grace.” He says the true grace of God “does not stupefy us, but rather quickens us into action.” The placebo for the true grace of God does not produce holiness.
The true grace of God saves us. Most people want salvation, but they also don’t want the holiness true grace produces. Hebrews uses Esau as an example. He allowed his fleshly desire to keep him from true grace, replacing it with something short of it. God’s grace produces holiness.
Root of Bitterness
Through the years, I’ve read many different opinions about the “root of bitterness.” In the context, it causes a failing of the grace of God. Some say that the root of bitterness is an apostate in the church, like Esau, who then brings about further apostasy from others. Others say that it is sin, which is bitter and defiling. Rick Renner writes:
“It” pictures a person who is continually troubled, harassed, and annoyed by thoughts of how someone else wronged him. The offended person is now so troubled that he is almost emotionally immobilized. Instead of moving on in life, he gets stuck in the muck of that experience, where he wallows day after day in the memories of what happened to him. If that person doesn’t quickly get a grip on himself, he will eventually fulfill the next part of the verse.
Tozer explained it the same way:
The sad and depressing bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and will watch over itself like a mother bear over her cubs. And the figure is apt, for the resentful heart is always surly and suspicious like a she-bear!
Perhaps the preceding verse, verse 14, gives a clue:
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Esau lacked peace between he and his father, Isaac, and his brother, Jacob. So many especially today allow the slights, real and otherwise, and even actual sins against them to keep them from the grace of God. They also often use these temporal affronts to justify their lusts, incongruous with the true grace of God. It ultimately reflects on their view of God and His goodness to them.
Postmodern Grace
Spurgeon assessed failing of true grace comes by replacing it with something short of the grace of God. I’m titling what I believe is the most common contemporary replacement for true grace, “postmodern grace” (Jesus Loves Me with postmodern lyrics). It isn’t the grace of God, because it is short of the grace of God.
Postmodern truth is your truth. Postmodern grace is your grace. It doesn’t follow peace, because it allows a grudge and resentment to keep it from that. It doesn’t follow holiness, because it sells holiness for temporal, carnal appetites, like the morsel of Esau. Adherents though count this as the grace of God. They remain bitter with those who reject their failing of the grace of God. The bitterness fuels further rejection of true grace, accompanied, like Esau, by tears of grudge-filled resentment.
Postmodern grace isn’t about pleasing God, but about pleasing self. Postmodern grace self-identifies as grace, which is in fact moral relativism. It doesn’t follow after holiness, but after its own lust.
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