2 Timothy 4:3
3 For [gar] the time [kairos] will come [esomai] when [hote] they will [anechomai] not [ou] endure [anechomai] sound [hugiaino] doctrine; [didaskalia] but [alla] after [kata] their own [idios] lusts [epithumia] shall
they heap [episoreuo] to themselves [heautou] teachers, [didaskalos]
having itching [knetho] ears; [akoe] KJV-Interlinear
3 For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have
their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance
to their own desires; NASB
‘There will come a
time.’
When is that? Well, Paul is referring to not a time in
Timothy’s day, and not in our day, but a time which is near the end of our
current dispensation. The word for time,
‘kairos,’ is a reference not to a chronological time or date but to an era, or
a broadly defined period of time. This
could be the span of a generation or more.
It will not refer to
the Tribulation, because the subject is a change of minds, or a change of
attitude, but not in unbelievers, because we have been studying believers
within this book and also the previous book, both 1 and 2 Timothy.
In both books Paul has
made reference to the ends times and attitudes that will be prevalent during
that period. We already know from our
study in Thessalonians, that near the end of our dispensation, there will be a ‘great
apostasy.’ It is specifically designated
as ‘great.’
And here Paul further
defines the nature of society in those days, and more specifically the nature
of the believing world.
‘When they will not
endure,’ indicates a change of heart. The
word ‘they,’ refers to the people in question, the people we have been studying,
which are believers.
And what they will not
endure is ‘sound doctrine.’
Unbelievers, when they
have a change in heart, become believers, but this is a change in faith, not a
change to faith.
So they will have
doctrine, but it will not be sound doctrine.
And this simply means that the beliefs will not be correct. Not sound but of an unsound or weak nature.
But their own lusts,
further defines this unsound doctrine, which will consist of sin related
beliefs - lusts. And that will include everything
from lasciviousness to asceticism, from crime to self righteousness, and so
forth.
Heaping to themselves,
means to pursue, to desire, to make the central or core aspect of the thinking
of society.
Teachers, and itching
ears, are expressions that further define the desires and drives for the lies
of the world, for the untruths, for things that God and the Bible reject.
Unbelievers will already
be drive in that direction, but believers will likewise be driven toward the
lies that will be prevalent in society.
They will hear only what they want to hear.
Now, we already know that
the last major gap in history will come at the end of our dispensation,
immediately prior to the Rapture.
God is not arbitrary,
and God is not unreasonable nor unfair.
With people constantly believing in Christ from day to day, from month
to month, then there is no reason to separate the rapture generation from the
Tribulation group by means of an arbitrary date. That would not be fair to those who will
believe just a few days after the Rapture.
But since we already
know that there will be a great apostasy, and now we know that there will be a
falling off of spiritual legitimacy among believers, then the gap makes
sense. With virtually no one promoting
the gospel or doctrine, there will come a time when a generation of believers will
exist, but will not be promoting the gospel or anything doctrinal for that
matter, and so the numbers of new believers will fall off to zero.
Noah had a 120 year
gap, with no converts.
The four centuries
before the First Advent saw a great falling off of legitimate spiritual
pursuit. That resulted in an
interruption of the last dispensation, the Age of Israel.
And so in the next
great gap, immediately prior to the Rapture, there will be a length of time (which
is undefined) when believers exist, not no new spiritual emphasis will exist
within society. The spread of the gospel
and the growth of Christianity will stall.
We also know that in
the Tribulation, there will be huge numbers of believers, new believers, but
they will be driven to Christ by means of the last days prophecies and the turmoil
that will unload during those last seven years.
So in order to save
them, God must do something to rekindle and restart the spread of faith in
Christ, and the Rapture will, among other things, be that catalyst.
When will that
occur? No one knows. But common sense dictates that this
generation and the next generation and the next generation and so forth, will see
a decline in Christianity.
The world recently
passed the seven billion population mark. The last billion, six, was passed in
1999, or 12 years ago. And 12 years
prior to that the 5 billion mark was passed in 1987, and 13 years prior to that
the 4 billion mark was passed, and each preceding billion was passed 13 years
prior to that, then 34 years prior to that, then 125 years prior to that back
in 1802 when the first billion mark was passed, and so forth.
Projecting forward with
a conservative estimate the following could be a legitimate scenario. But then things could easily heat up at a
much faster pace too.
Population at the time
of Christ - 300,000,000
Population at 1000 AD -
400,000,000
1802-1B; (125) 1927-2B;
(34) 1961-3B; (13) 1974-4B;
(13) 1987-5B; (12)
1999-6B; (12) 2011-7B
Conservative
projection:
(11) 2022-8B;
(11) 2033-9B;
(10) 2043-10B;
(10) 2053-11B;
(9) 2062-12B;
(9) 2071-13B;
(8) 2079-14B;
(8) 2087-15B;
(7) 2094-16B;
(7) 2101-17B;
(6) 2107-18B;
(6) 2113-19B;
(5) 2118-20B;
(5) 2123-21B;
(4) 2127-22B;
(4) 2131-23B;
(3) 2134-24B;
(3) 2137-25B;
(2) 2139-26B;
(2) 2141-27B;
(1) 2142-28B;
(1) 2143-29B;
If you extend that
forward into the future, with a gradual acceleration for each billion, perhaps
in 11 years or ten years or nine years, and so forth, then the population could
easily grow at a gradually accelerated pace for yet another century or more.
That means that the 2100’s or the 2200’s could easily be the era in which
Christianly will decline while the population reaches epic proportions, and the
world finds itself primed for the next increment of history.
But who knows. Things could happen tomorrow. For certainly there is more than sufficient
turmoil and apostasy in the world right now.
Whatever timetable is
on Gods calendar, we know that continued spiritual negativity will lead to a
positive attitude and pursuit for lies and that which is false, which by the
way is the same as pursuing sin and evil.
The time of the
historical changes are irrelevant with regard to your personal spiritual
life. God will deal with the major
issues, you need to be concerned with your personal spiritual life such that
you do not become a willing partner and contributor in the decline of society
and history.
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