David Jeremiah: ‘Exvangelical’ Phenomenon ‘Could Be the Beginning Stages’ of End Times

Pastor and author David Jeremiah says the departure of prominent Christians from the faith isn’t a new phenomenon, although he warns it could be the beginning stages of a “major” wave of defections from the church during the End Times.

Jeremiah, the pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon., Calif., discussed the subject of “exvangelicals” on Sunday as he began a new sermon series, “Where Do We Go From Here? – How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems.”

“According to the Bible, spiritual deception will cause many to fall away from Christ in the days leading up to the End Times,” Jeremiah said, quoting 1 Timothy 4:1-2, which says, in part, that “in latter times some will depart from the faith.”

Jeremiah began the sermon by quoting a prominent author and former pastor, Joshua Harris, although Jeremiah didn’t mention him by name. Harris, the bestselling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbyesaid in 2019 he no longer considers himself a Christian.

Such a story “cuts me to the heart,” Jeremiah shared, but “unfortunately,” it’s not the only one. Deserting the faith also is not new, he added, noting that Demas, a New Testament figure mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:10, abandoned Paul because he loved the world.

Jeremiah quoted 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 and said a “major specific recognizable departure” from the faith will occur during the tribulation.

“What we’re experiencing right now could be the beginning stages of that,” Jeremiah warned.

The Bible, he added, prophecies that “before Jesus comes back, there’s going to be like a defection from the church.”

“Before He comes back, there will be a gradual lessening of interest in the things of the Lord,” the pastor noted.

“The rapture can happen at any time, but what we know from the Bible is as soon as the church goes up, seven years of all hell breaks loose on this earth, called the tribulation period, and it lasts for seven years. And let’s suppose that the falling away doesn’t take place until halfway through. What that means … is if the rapture could happen any time, we might be just three and a half years away from the falling away,” Jeremiah said.

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