"For when they shall say, peace and safety." The peoples of the earth are going to experience some very difficult times in the period of history just ahead of us. But even with all this tribulation there finally will come a day when a world leader will bring about worldwide peace and worldwide economic security. In those days the people, including the lukewarm Christians, will be worshiping Antichrist.

The so-called "Christian" churches will be subsidized by the new world order and will flourish but the Spirit of God will not be in them. Their teachings will be taken from the Scriptures and they will believe they are following Christ. This is the church of Laodicea, the church of the rights of people. The foreshadowing of the worldwide ruler and of the church in which human rights and pleasures are held to be the highest good is here already.

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (Luke 17:26-28)

In the days of Noah the people were violent and wicked. In the days of Lot the people were violent and wicked. It is true today in some nations that the people are violent and wicked.

But in the above passage God does not mention the violence and wickedness. Christ states they were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building. People were going about their business as usual.

A major sin of the last days will be the sin of neglecting salvation, the sin of conducting one's life apart from the diligent worship and seeking of the God of Heaven. It is the sin of indifference toward, and rebellion against, the Presence and rule of God Almighty. Their neglect of their salvation will open the believers to the deceptions of Antichrist, just as is taking place in our time.

Numerous Christians of our day are worldly and are neglecting their salvation.

Christian believers increasingly are occupied with eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building. They are indifferent toward the demands of Christ and will not be able to ascend to meet Him in that Day.

God will allow Antichrist to establish for a brief period a world system in which there will appear to be material security. But suddenly the heavens will split open and the slain Lamb will appear.

This will take place at the time that the saints are resurrected and caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

"Then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." The wrath of God will fall on Antichrist and his world system the moment the saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air:

. . . until the day that Noe entered the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:27,29)

To be continued.