Scoffers In the Last Days?

  Many have quoted Peter’s remark concerning the coming of “scoffers” in the “last days”, or the “end times”.  It is interpreted by many teachers today that “scoffers” will show up making fun of Christians for believing and teaching in a creator god or a savior.  The problem with such an interpretation is that this kind of “scoffer” has always been and never exclusive to the “last days”.   Let’s take a look at what Peter says, then decide what he is really saying.

 (2Pe 3:3-4)  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.

 Peter says “in the last days”, so we know the time period he is discussing, a time in the future.  He cannot be talking about “atheist” as there has always been non-believers in any sort deity.  He cannot be speaking of those rejecting YaHshua as Savior, as there were in his day and down through every century those rejecting the Messiah as Son of the Living God.  He is speaking of someone living in the “last days”, different from biblical critics, or non-believers as those types have always existed but the “scoffers” to come are complaining about something an atheist would not be concerned with.  The scoffers complaint is about something they expected, or were told would happen but did not. 

 “Nothing has changed” they cry, “where is the promise of His coming”, they scream out in disappointment?  It is my opinion these “scoffers” are actually professing believers expecting the RAPTURE and are really disappointed when they see and experience the troubles of the world and see that they are still here.  There anger is express toward those having taught them this lie, feeling conned, they are demanding answers.  Their question is not addressed to you and me but to those having led them into the deception of escape.

 Escape is the “lust” of the flesh.  When we read, “walking after their own lusts” this is what a con man feeds on.  Being conned into a deception for power and money can only happen when the mark believes they are going to receive something of greater value, in this case, escape from the “trouble” to come.  This is the evil of the Rapture teaching, a teaching of escape to heaven while the earth is suffering the “Wrath of God”.  This false promise is presented with the twisting of the scriptures feeding the human desire not to suffer or feel pain of any kind.  They fear what is to come but in their deception and encouraged by the teachers of this doctrine they are told they do not need to be bothered with much of what is revealed about the “Wrath” or about the time the “Beast and the False Prophet” are present as they will be gone, Raptured away.

 The Rapture teachers are teaching this “disappearance” of millions upon millions of Christians will cause such a worldwide disaster, planes crashing, empty cars running wild with drives having disappeared, and hundreds of other things happening due to the recapturing away of such a large portion of humanity.  This, of course, ignores our Savior’s comparison of the “last days” as being similar to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39) forgetting that in the days of Noah only eight souls were saved and they were taken to heaven.  Noah and his family had to rely on what Noah was told, the Word, is you will, and he believed what he was told and prepared himself and his family for the coming event.  The people in the days of Noah had every opportunity, the very Spirit of God residing with them, still they went their own way bringing this destruction upon themselves by their abominations against their Creator.  No Rapture for Noah, he had to ride the destruction believing YaHWeH would deliver him and his family. 

 This is not something you hear the rapture teachers mentioning.  No, they convince you that millions of Christians will disappear.  If the time coming is to be similar to the days of Noah I would guess, like those of Noah’s day, they have no clue as to what is really in store and do not want to hear it anyway.  No, they support teachers that tell them what they want to hear, not what they should hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and follow after “fables”.  There are several ‘fables” and myths being taught but the one that will create the “scoffers” of the “last days” will the Rapture Myth, not to be confused with the Resurrection.  Please remember, the “resurrection” is the “rapture” teaching.  In the “resurrection” the dead are raised, meet our Lord YaHshua in the air and then gather with Him on the Mount of Olives in the process of subduing the nations having come against Israel.  In the “resurrection” no one is going to Heaven where our Father is.  Read the last chapter of the Book of Revelation and you will see plainly that our Heavenly Father is going to come here, we are not going there.  He is going to recreate the Universe but that is after the 1000 year rule of the Messiah from YaHusalem (Jerusalem, meaning the Peace of YaH).

 The “scoffers” will come and are being made ready right now -- certaily there have always been "scoffers", but these are spoken of appearing in a time of hatefullness built on false promises and are aimed at people in the times preceding our Lord, YaHshua's return .  Take care not to fall into this deceptive trap pinning your hope on a false “salvation” of the flesh (a type of lust) in the false Rapture Doctrine.  Our Savior told us nothing can go to the Heaven of our Father, the place He alone, YaHshua, returned to, because only that which is from there can go there (John 3:13 -- read this verse anyway you want, it says what it says).  We are of this earth, made of dirt.  Our origin is not Heaven but of the Earth.  Yahshua, on the other hand, came from the Father, from the Heaven of His thrown.  Stay alert, please, and stay awake, do not be lulled to sleep by fine words of escaping into heavenly places to sit out what is coming on this world. 

 Scoffers to be, wake up, so you do not curse the truth.  Ask yourself, what will I think if things turn from bad to worse and I find myself still on earth, I see that no one has "left" -- what will I say?  Certainly, even if you believe in the "Imminent" return doctrine, you can see the negative reaction some of your brothers and sisters might have if such a thing were to happen. 

Jude, brother of James, warns of this same thing as he reminds those he is writing to of what the Apostles taught --