Question: Knowing that the Word of God prophesies that the age will end with apostasy both in the world and in the professing church, does this truth leave us with no hope of a revival in the American church that would alter the social and moral state of | thebereancall.org

Dave Hunt

Question: Knowing that the Word of God prophesies that the age will end with apostasy both in the world and in the professing church, does this truth leave us with no hope of a revival in the American church that would alter the social and moral state of the nation? Can there be a true spiritual awakening in America where the power of evil is turned back and a return to righteousness occurs? 

Response: We don’t read of anything like that in the Bible for any time in history, much less in the last days. Jesus made it very clear that few are saved: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Mt 7:14). There have been spiritual awakenings at times that have apparently influenced segments of the population, but none have lasted. 

Reconstructionists misinterpret Christ’s command, “Go ye therefore, and teach [disciple] all nations” (Mt 28:19), to mean that entire nations are to be discipled. In fact, discipleship is for individuals. We are to call individual disciples out of the nations as Christ has called us out. That Christians are not of this world but have been called out of the world is stated by Christ; indeed, the world will hate those who belong to Him (Jn:15:18-20;17:14,16). That hardly sounds like a vast number of people will be saved so that society itself is changed. 

Christ, Paul, and Peter all warned of apostasy in the last days, that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,” that false prophets would proliferate, that even those who call themselves Christians would not endure sound doctrine, that not only the five foolish but also the five wise virgins would be asleep at the time of the Rapture, etc. This does not mean that we should not continue to oppose heresy, to preach the gospel and seek to win as many as we can for the Lord. But rather than indicating a revival that would reform society, the Bible indicates the opposite.