"THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD" - WHO ARE THESE END TIMES "MANY"?

[Phoneman777]

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,
but he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved".
Matthew 24:12-13 KJV​

Here, Jesus contrasts the one in verse 13 who will endure to the end and be saved with those in verse 12 who allow widespread iniquity to kill their agape cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure to the end and lost. Let's find out who are these "many":

​

Q: What kind of love does Jesus say these "many" have?
A: Strong's Lexicon G26: "agape"
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/24/12-13/t_conc_953012)
This love we all know comes from God alone.

Q: How does a person demonstrate that "agape" is in their heart?
A: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." - 1 John 5:3 KJV
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/1jo/5/3/t_conc_1164003)
The way we demonstrate "agape" is by happily keeping God's commandments.

Q: Can the wicked demonstrate that "agape" is in their hearts?
A: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." - Romans 8:7 KJV
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/rom/8/7/s_1054007)
The wicked can't keep God's commandments even if they wanted to!

So, if Jesus couldn't possibly have been referring to the wicked when He said "many" would allow widespread iniquity to turn their "agape" cold, who only could He have been referring to? The saints - whose "agape" was at first on fire for God, but somewhere along the way they allowed the devil to turn them around and turn their agape cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure to the end and lost for eternity - but remember: "he shall endure to the end, the same be saved"!

As the old Negro spiritual goes, "Don't let anybody turn ya around!"

 

[Highway54]

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,
but he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved".
Matthew 24:12-13 KJV​

Here, Jesus contrasts the one in verse 13 who will endure to the end and be saved with those in verse 12 who allow widespread iniquity to kill their agape cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure to the end and lost. Let's find out who are these "many":

​

Q: What kind of love does Jesus say these "many" have?
A: Strong's Lexicon G26: "agape"
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/24/12-13/t_conc_953012)
This love we all know comes from God alone.

Q: How does a person demonstrate that "agape" is in their heart?
A: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." - 1 John 5:3 KJV
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/1jo/5/3/t_conc_1164003)
The way we demonstrate "agape" is by happily keeping God's commandments
Q: Can the wicked demonstrate that "agape" is in their hearts?
A: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." - Romans 8:7 KJV
The wicked can't keep God's commandments even if they wanted to!

So, if Jesus couldn't possibly have been referring to the wicked when He said "many" would allow widespread iniquity to turn their "agape" cold (and dead) leaving them lost, who only is it that He could have been referring to? Christians - whose "agape" was at first on fire for God somewhere along the way, they allowed the devil to turn them around and turn their agape cold and dead, leaving them lost for eternity.

As the old Negro spiritual goes, "Don't let anybody turn ya around!"

It is prevalent today Phoneman. The sad thing is, it has even affected the Christian congregation as well. We still have great identifiable love, but a definite cooling off of what it was 50 yrs ago.

 

[Phoneman777]

It is prevalent today Phoneman. The sad thing is, it has even affected the Christian congregation as well. We still have great identifiable love, but a definite cooling off of what it was 50 yrs ago.

Jesus says the problem with the saints in church is even worse than cooling off - He says their agape turns "cold" as in "dead". If the Laodicean Christians will be spit out of His mouth for being merely lukewarm, how much more spit-worthy is a cold agape, right?

 

[Hidden In Him]

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,
but he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved".
Matthew 24:12-13 KJV​

Here, Jesus contrasts the one in verse 13 who will endure to the end and be saved with those in verse 12 who allow widespread iniquity to kill their agape cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure to the end and lost. Let's find out who are these "many":

​

Q: What kind of love does Jesus say these "many" have?
A: Strong's Lexicon G26: "agape"
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/24/12-13/t_conc_953012)
This love we all know comes from God alone.

Q: How does a person demonstrate that "agape" is in their heart?
A: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." - 1 John 5:3 KJV
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/1jo/5/3/t_conc_1164003)
The way we demonstrate "agape" is by happily keeping God's commandments.

Q: Can the wicked demonstrate that "agape" is in their hearts?
A: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." - Romans 8:7 KJV
(https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/rom/8/7/s_1054007)
The wicked can't keep God's commandments even if they wanted to!

So, if Jesus couldn't possibly have been referring to the wicked when He said "many" would allow widespread iniquity to turn their "agape" cold, who only could He have been referring to? The saints - whose "agape" was at first on fire for God, but somewhere along the way they allowed the devil to turn them around and turn their agape cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure to the end and lost for eternity - but remember: "he shall endure to the end, the same be saved"!

As the old Negro spiritual goes, "Don't let anybody turn ya around!"

Hey, Phoneman.

Yeah there is actually a case that can be made that agape was intended to describe only the love God possesses, or places within us for Himself and others. It is exceedingly rare in Classical Greek, yet all over the place in the LXX and the New Testament.

About your contention, I think the passage teaches the need to walk in forgiveness.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

He was talking here about enduring hatred so great that they would afflict, imprison and kill the faithful; of the betrayal of friends and family into the hands of authorities; of false prophets arising to deliberately mislead, use, and exploit, both financially and sexually, as the Gnostics were doing.

All of these things require walking in forgiveness towards others. You mentioned the Laodiceans, and I think the superficiality of the modern church is what opens up the door for great resentments, because those who are spiritually superficial do NOT generally have the capacity to forgive. They are more easily offended, while at the same time unable to get over things easily. So I would say that walking in the agape of God requires forgiveness above all else. Without it, we may never survive all the cruelties we may be subjected to as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Highway54]

Jesus says the problem with the saints in church is even worse than cooling off - He says their agape turns "cold" as in "dead". If the Laodicean Christians will be spit out of His mouth for being merely lukewarm, how much more spit-worthy is a cold agape, right?

To me Phoneman those accounts bring home the accountability of the appointed shepherds over God's flock. I believe they are held to a higher accountability. Remember Revelation is symbolic with a message. Likely you would agree these are not literal churches formed in those particular regions, but represent God's people all over the world.

 

[Phoneman777]

Hey, Phoneman.

Yeah there is actually a case that can be made that agape was intended to describe only the love God possesses, or places within us for Himself and others. It is exceedingly rare in Classical Greek, yet all over the place in the LXX and the New Testament.

About your contention, I think the passage teaches the need to walk in forgiveness.

Rather, the passage teaches about our need to continue to walk in forgiveness, to abide continually - not sporadically - in the Vine (John 15:4 KJV), to continue in His word, that we may be His disciples indeed (John 8:31 KJV) lest we allow widespread iniquity to turn our agape cold and dead.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

He was talking here about enduring hatred so great that they would afflict, imprison and kill the faithful; of the betrayal of friends and family into the hands of authorities; of false prophets arising to deliberately mislead, use, and exploit, both financially and sexually, as the Gnostics were doing.

Yes, it's about enduring hatred, imprisonment, and martyrdom, betrayal, ecclesiastical deception, etc., "to the end", lest we allow those things to kill our agape cold and dead, leaving us unable to endure to the end, and lost. Remember the parable of the sower, where the "stony place" represents them who rejoice in salvation at first, but eventually are "offended" because of tribulation? They do not "endure to the end" and wind up lost.

All of these things require walking in forgiveness towards others. You mentioned the Laodiceans, and I think the superficiality of the modern church is what opens up the door for great resentments, because those who are spiritually superficial do NOT generally have the capacity to forgive. They are more easily offended, while at the same time unable to get over things easily. So I would say that walking in the agape of God requires forgiveness above all else. Without it, we may never survive all the cruelties we may be subjected to as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Laodiceans were not converted - they were lukewarm and spitworthy, which makes the "many" of Matthew 24 all the more spitworthy due to their "cold" hearts.

 

[Phoneman777]

To me Phoneman those accounts bring home the accountability of the appointed shepherds over God's flock. I believe they are held to a higher accountability. Remember Revelation is symbolic with a message. Likely you would agree these are not literal churches formed in those particular regions, but represent God's people all over the world.

Actually, there were seven literal churches in Asia Minor in the first century to which John's messages were sent. And, yes, each church represents prophetically timeline upon which the worldwide church would travel. For instance, "ye shall have tribulation 10 days" represents Emperor Diocletian's 10 year savage persecution of Christians wherever he could find them.

The point of my OP is that if the Laodiceans - which represent the church age in which we live and continues until the Second Coming - are "lukewarm" and therefore worthy only to be spit out of Jesus' mouth, how much more spit-worthy are the "many" of Matthew 24 who are unable to endure to the end, and are lost?

 

[Hidden In Him]

The Laodiceans were not converted - they were lukewarm and spitworthy, which makes the "many" of Matthew 24 all the more spitworthy due to their "cold" hearts.

I'd have to disagree with you on this part, cuz I don't think they would be a church if they were still unconverted, but the rest we seem to be on the same page with.

 

[Highway54]

Actually, there were seven literal churches in Asia Minor in the first century to which John's messages were sent. And, yes, each church represents prophetically timeline upon which the worldwide church would travel. For instance, "ye shall have tribulation 10 days" represents Emperor Diocletian's 10 year savage persecution of Christians wherever he could find them.

The point of my OP is that if the Laodiceans - which represent the church age in which we live and continues until the Second Coming - are "lukewarm" and therefore worthy only to be spit out of Jesus' mouth, how much more spit-worthy are the "many" of Matthew 24 who are unable to endure to the end, and are lost?

Glad we agree on that point Phoneman, of course we fully realize that the broad road to destruction is the most populated one, so it stands to reason that we live in a lukewarm period, but we also live in the greatest period of all time, if I am correct in my understanding, those who survive through the upcoming greatest tribulation of all times, will never have to die, could you imagine being one of those?

 

[Phoneman777]

I'd have to disagree with you on this part, cuz I don't think they would be a church if they were still unconverted, but the rest we seem to be on the same page with.

I think the part about spitting them out His mouth says it all - also, the part about them lacking the gold of saving faith 1 Peter 1:7 KJV), naked without the white raiment of His righteousness (Revelation 19:8 KJV), and their inability to see clearly with spiritual discernment (Acts 8:23 KJV).

 

[Phoneman777]

Glad we agree on that point Phoneman, of course we fully realize that the broad road to destruction is the most populated one, so it stands to reason that we live in a lukewarm period, but we also live in the greatest period of all time, if I am correct in my understanding, those who survive through the upcoming greatest tribulation of all times, will never have to die, could you imagine being one of those?

As one who fully believes the church will go through the final "time of trouble" just before Jesus comes, I know it's going to be very difficult. Many will turn their back on Jesus forever just as was the case when He told His followers they must eat His flesh and drink His blood.

That's why Jesus told us about the man in Matthew 24:13 who will "endure to the end" and be "saved" and contrasted him with the "many" saints of verse 12 who allow iniquity to kill their "agape" cold and dead, leaving them unable to endure and lost - it was a warning to Laodicea.

Would God that we would give ourselves wholly to Him, holding back nothing, not even our lives in order to faithfully serve and obey Him!

 

[Manonfire63]

Love grown cold is related to having a Heart of Stone like the Rolling Stones song.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

A Heart of Stone may be like "Heart of Stone" The Rolling Stones song. It has been used in the media, and has very particular Biblical and spiritual associations. Someone with a Heart of Stone may have been in sexual sins. His love grew cold. A Heart of Stone would be opposed to God and a Circumcision of the Heart or a Heart of Flesh.

Many colleges have been more known for debauch than higher learning for several decades. Many colleges have been producing bad fruit like Wokism......which was stealing things from Christianity, corrupting it, and presenting it back to the public in gross ways.

A lot of people have become egotists, self-centered seekers of pleasure, rejecting God. Love grown cold.