Pre-Millenial Pessimism

I am concerned that some Christians see decay and decline as inevitable precursors to the return of Christ.

If we talk about numerical decline within the church they say such decline is inevitable in the build up to Christ’s millennial reign.

If we talk about the increase in heresy, false prophets, materialism, immorality again they see such things as inevitable.

They seem to adopt a fatalistic approach to all things.

‘Christ is coming back soon’ they say and ‘so don’t be surprised if everything seems to be on the slide, such things must come to pass’.

I can see where such thinking comes from and I could identify the scriptural passages that would be selected to support such a view but in spite of this it does not sit comfortably within my spirit.

Surely a truly redemptive gospel is about going all out to save as much as you possibly can rather than almost encouraging it to slip through your fingers.

I for one feel more at home with the following quote from 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”