Episode 424 – The Great Apostasy

ROMANS You may not think about Romans as being an important book when studying biblical prophecy. Steve takes us into the book of Romans to outline some context in scripture that might help us understand what’s to come. Referenced in today’s episode: Romans 3:15-16 Grace & Justification by Stephen Wood, page 108 Acts 18 Romans 16 Romans 15:5 Romans 14:13-15 For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! If you are enjoying what you’re listening to, please share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners.

2 THESSALONIANS The last seven years of human history that will be marked by intense persecution, afflictions, and martyrdom of Christians. Although many Christians believe they will escape the Tribulation, the biblical evidence, particularly from the epistles to the Thessalonians, indicates that believers will be kept in the Tribulation rather than taken out of it. Steve also shares his personal motivations for focusing on biblical prophecy, concerned that many may not make it through the difficult times to come. He references historical and theological perspectives on the severity of the Tribulation period. Referenced in today’s episode: 2 Thessalonians 1:4, and 3:1-3 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, and 3:-3-4 Matthew 24:9-13 John 17:15 Augustine, Sermon 94 2 Timothy 3:12 Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist   CCC 675 We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS Steve Wood discusses the claim that Pope Benedict XVI was the "restrainer" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2. While he disagrees with this view, Steve believes the New Oxford Review article which this view came from, contains valuable insights, namely that Benedict's warnings about the growing power of the Antichrist and the great separation within the Church are worth heeding. Steve notes that Benedict, as a student of St. Augustine and the influential writer, Tyconius, believed the Church contains both the true followers of Christ as well as those aligned with the Antichrist. This great separation was a concept Benedict had warned about as early as the 1950s. Steve encourages listeners to carefully read the New Oxford Review article and consider Benedict's apocalyptic warnings about the Antichrist's growing influence, even within the Church itself. These insights from Benedict are highly relevant and valuable for understanding the spiritual battles of our time. Referenced in today’s episode: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 New Oxford Review Article: Was Pope Benedict XVI Holding Back the Destroying Flood. We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS Who is the "restrainer" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2? Although a respected conservative Catholic leader argued in 2020 that Donald J. Trump is the restrainer, Steve Wood argues that it is actually St. Michael the Archangel according to Revelation 20. The restrainer must have been present during the time when St. Paul was writing 2 Thessalonians, around A.D. 50. This makes it impossible for Trump to be the restrainer. Steve emphasizes the importance of using reliable resources, like the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, when researching biblical prophecy and quoting Greek words. Referenced in today’s episode: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 Revelation 20:1-3 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS What is the key to resisting the deceptions of the Antichrist and what are the limitations of Sola Scriptura when it comes to this? Steve recounts how he discovered the significance of Church Tradition through the writings of early church father Saint John Chrysostom. Chrysostom's teachings emphasize that the unwritten traditions of the Church hold the same authority as the written Scriptures. These homilies challenged Steve's previously-held belief in Sola Scriptura. Steve also explores the limitations of Sola Scriptura and highlights the practical importance of including all of the books of the Bible. ----- We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS In 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a vision where he saw Satan asking God for permission to attack the Church. This ultimately led him to write the St. Michael the Archangel prayer. The prayer describes events from the book of Revelation, where Satan is released for a short time before Jesus returns. Steve shares more ‘cousin verses’ from scripture and how the intimate connection between Pope Leo XIII and St. Michael the Archangel can help us understand how bible prophecy relates to today. Referenced in today’s episode: Daniel 10-12 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 Revelation 20 Revelation 13 We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS The identity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2 has puzzled Christians for many centuries. There have been many ideas about who the restrainer is, but none are very persuasive. This all changed for Steve after reading the work of Dr. Colin Nicoll. The key to the puzzle was the book of Daniel. Steve discusses the true identity of the restrainer using Dr. Colin Nicholl’s work on Thessalonians and the book of Daniel. Referenced in today’s episode: 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 2 Thessalonians 2:4-6, 9-10 Augustine, City of God Daniel 10:13, 20-21 Daniel 11:31-32, 36-37 Daniel 12:1 We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/ Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS Steve presents a comprehensive comparison between the epistles of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, arguing that they contain "cousin verses" that describe the same events related to the Second Coming of Christ and the Gathering of Believers. Referenced in today’s episode: 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 2 Thessalonians 2:1 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Mathew 24:30 Mark 13:24 Colin R. Nichol, PhD. Cambridge Theological Dictionary of the New Testament We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

2 THESSALONIANS “Self-deification is the satanic counterpart to theosis, leading the world to worship the Antichrist.”  In today’s episode, Steve explores the concept of “theosis,” or “divinization.” He explains that the Antichrist will deceive the world by proclaiming to be God, taking advantage of a spiritual vacuum in modern Christianity. Referenced in today’s episode: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 CCC 460  2 Peter 1:3 Genesis 3:1, 4-5 Augustine, City of God We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you’re a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/  Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible

Steve discusses the dangers of legalism in the Catholic Church and Christianity. He argues that Catholics are at risk of succumbing to the temptation of the Antichrist, who is referred to as the "man of lawlessness" in Second Thessalonians. Wood suggests that this danger stems from an excessive emphasis on legalism among Catholics. Referenced in today’s episode: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-6 Genesis 3 Ephesians 2:8-10 CCC 1996 Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don’t want to use a Catholic bible