The Disturbing Realities of Our Times

Message Summary:

In this urgent and topical message based on 1 John 2 and 1 Chronicles 12, Chuck Swindoll departs from his usual verse-by-verse exposition to address the chaotic cultural shift of the 21st century. Acknowledging that the world has lost its way in a “hopeless morass,” Swindoll examines the “invisible war” being waged by the cosmos—the world system headed by Satan that is hostile to Christ. He warns that the “spirit of the Antichrist” is already present, working to deceive the world through a counterfeit morality.

Swindoll identifies three specific, troubling changes that mark the current era: the blurring of the line between right and wrong, a growing ignorance of biblical knowledge (even among Christians), and the intensifying embrace of Postmodernism. He argues that society has shifted from a Christian era to a “post-Christian swamp,” where feelings replace facts and tolerance is valued over truth [22–23, 26].

The message serves as a rallying cry for believers to become modern-day “Sons of Issachar.” Drawing from a relentless group of warriors in King David’s day, Swindoll urges the congregation to cultivate discernment to understand the times and courage to know what to do [12–13]. He concludes with a chilling warning from the Holocaust Museum, reminding listeners that the enemy’s goal is to keep people “deceived until the end,” and calls for a return to serious scriptural study as the only defense against the tide of deception [31–33].

Message Key Facts:

• The Sons of Issachar: Swindoll centers his challenge on 1 Chronicles 12:32, describing a small group of 200 chiefs who “understood the times” and had “knowledge of what Israel should do.” He prays for a new generation of believers who can stare through the obvious to see the spiritual forces at work behind cultural events [12–13].
• Defining the Cosmos: Swindoll defines the “world” (mentioned six times in 1 John 2) as the system headed by Satan that leaves God out, is hostile to Scripture, and operates on lust and pride.
• The Spirit of Antichrist: While acknowledging a future personal Antichrist, Swindoll focuses on the “spirit of Antichrist” already in the world. He notes that “anti” can mean “instead of,” suggesting a counterfeit Christ offering false hope to a gullible world [9–10].
• Biblical Illiteracy Stats: Swindoll cites alarming research from Dr. Gary Burge of Wheaton College. Tests given to incoming freshmen from strong evangelical backgrounds revealed that one-third could not identify Matthew as an apostle, half did not know the Christmas story is in Matthew, and 80% could not place major biblical characters (Moses, Adam, Abraham) in chronological order [18–20].
• The Postmodern Shift: Swindoll describes Postmodernism as a philosophy that thrives on chaos, destroying moral criteria and replacing objective truth with “virtual reality” and feelings.
• Ten Characteristics of the Postmodern Era: Swindoll lists ten symptoms of the current age:
  1. No authority is valid.
  2. No rules are valid (if it feels right, do it).
  3. Style is more important than substance (image over character).
  4. Morality is a matter of choice.
  5. The cardinal virtue is tolerance (you must validate everyone’s beliefs).
  6. Words have no inherent meaning (making communication impossible).
  7. Western culture is viewed as oppressive.
  8. The line between truth and entertainment is removed.
  9. Images and fantasy reflect reality (e.g., video game violence).
  10. What you believe is right, so do anything to achieve your goals [25–29].
• “Deceived Until the End”: Swindoll shares a haunting experience from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel. He quotes a camp law recorded by the Nazis: “The Camp’s law is that those going to their death should be deceived Until the End.” He uses this to illustrate the ultimate danger of spiritual deception [30–32].

Message References:

• 1 John 2:15–17: The command not to love the world system, warning that it passes away while the one who does God’s will lives forever [1–2].
• 1 John 2:18: The warning that “it is the last hour” and that many antichrists have already appeared.
• 1 John 4:1–3: The instruction to “test the spirits” to see whether they are from God or are the spirit of the Antichrist.
• 1 Chronicles 12:32: The description of the sons of Issachar: “Men who understood the times with knowledge of what Israel should do” [11–12].
• 2 Timothy 3:1–5: Paul’s warning to Timothy about the “difficult times” in the last days, describing people as self-absorbed, arrogant, and “allergic to God” [6–7].
• Amos 8:11: Referenced regarding the “famine” in the land—not for bread, but for hearing the words of the Lord.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll