According to the Bible lawlessness in the last days, signifies a widespread increase in moral decay, wickedness, and disregard for God’s laws, leading to colder love and societal breakdown which is characterized by selfishness, rebellion against authority, and escalating sin.
This culminated with the rise of the “man of lawlessness” -the antichrist, before Jesus’s return.
Matthew 24:12 tells us, “Because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold.” This points to rampant iniquity and a decrease in love for God and neighbor.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 tells us, “Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction” (Antichrist). He who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 details the characteristics of people in the last days as selfish, proud, disobedient, and unloving, and lovers of pleasure rather than God, which is a direct consequence of rejecting God.
There are characteristics of lawlessness:
- Moral decay: A decline and moral standards, with people rejecting God righteous standards for their own desire.
- Contempt for law: Not just breaking laws, but holding God‘s law and the lawgiver in contempt, ignoring conscience and nature restraints.
- Societal breakdown: A prevalent turning toward evil, escalating violence, immortality, and anarchy, often seen as a sign of the times.
- Spiritual deception: The “mystery of lawlessness” is already at work, leading to a great falling away and deception by the lawless one.
Among this Jesus still offers hope, saying in Matthew 24:13, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”
The antichrist is the ultimate manifestation of lawlessness is the man of lawlessness, who will b revealed as a deceiver before Jesus’s return.
From Pity to Praise 