Are We Nearing The End Times - Part 2 - Boastful, Arrogant, and Revilers
So far we have seen two of twenty characteristics of men that have become prevalent at this time: Men will be Lovers of Self and Men will be Lovers of Money (see here). But that is only two out of twenty indicators that have arisen, we need more proof, so back to our passages:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB)
[1] But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. [2] For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, [4] treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Romans 1:28-32 (NASB)
[28] And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, [29] being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; [32] and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
The next three characteristics became noticeable during the first part of this year when there was a flurry of activity in the political arena. There was hate and vitriol that was commonplace, especially during impeachment hearings from both sides. Gone was the civility that characterized politics in the first part of our nations history. It has given way to shouting matches and accusatory pretentious positioning for power. How this plays into the End Times indicators are revealed in the following.
Men will be boastful - This is one of the characteristics mentioned in Romans 1:30 along with characteristics of men whom God has given over to a depraved mind, due to their abandonment of his ways and their refusal to acknowledging him as God. To be boastful means showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Only one place in all of scripture does it say when you are allowed to be boastful. But in this case it is about your understanding and knowledge about the Lord:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB)
[23] Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; [24] but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.
Other than that the scriptures predominately indicate that humility is the right way to be. So how was this shown to be prevalent in men? I have seen the president and former presidents stick out their chests over their accomplishments. It is hard to ignore boasting from our president, but there it is. I have seen members of congress do the same over their achievements, each one trying to outdo the other. But this praise should be automatic coming from persons other than the person doing the boasting. In that way you know that the praise is genuine. Otherwise, one might assume that the person boasting hasn't really done the things boasted about. The scriptures always give the principle to follow.
Proverbs 27:1-2 (NASB)
[1] Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. [2] Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
James 4:15-16 (NASB)
[15] Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." [16] But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
It would seem from this passage that boasting follows arrogance, even though they are two separate items. But the key take away here is that boasting is evil in the sight of God.
Psalms 52:1-5 (NASB)
[1] Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. [2] Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. [3] You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. [4] You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. [5] But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living.
Notice in this passage that the loving kindness of God is greater and endures longer than what a person may boast about. A person who boasts loves evil more than good, and uses words that break down others. God is opposed to that. Notice in the following passage that such things are on the “hit list” of things that the Lord hates:
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB) [16] There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
[17] Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
[18] A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
[19] A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
The following passage indicates that we should be silent and not speak boasts, nor arrogance, from our lips. We may try to elicit a specific outcome from those who listen to us, but God weighs the actions in what you are trying to bring about.
1 Samuel 2:2-3
[2] "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. [3] "Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed.
Boasting has become so commonplace in our culture that we tend to not think anything of it. However, boasting in the wrong thing without looking to the Lord and his support is evil. Since boasting is very commonplace now, I will say that we have probably achieved the level needed for approaching the End Times.
Men will be arrogant - This is also of the characteristics mentioned in Romans 1:30 along with characteristics of men whom God has given over to a depraved mind, due to their abandonment of his ways. To be arrogant means having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.
We can go back to our two passages mentioned above: 1 Samuel 2:3 and James 4:16. Note that we are to hold our arrogance, because to let that come out is evil. To be arrogant, one has to focus inward rather than outward. Such a person misses opportunities for doing good for others. Proverbs 6:17 mentioned above places this in the area of things that the Lord hates. If God is against you, how will you be able to stand. Better to rely on God for his direction and guidance than to bolster yourself up by your pretentious speech.
Proverbs 25:14 (NASB) [14] Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.
Has arrogance come to the level indicated by our list of End Times indicators? I believe it has, because along with boasting, arrogance has become commonplace in our culture. It has shown up, as indicated above, by what has happened during debates, ideas expressed during impeachment hearings, not willing to help others who have health issues by staying inside during the pandemic, and reactions of people to the Riots; calling them just and approved of, yet knowing that this was outside the call for justice and only hurt others, including those it was supposed to have helped.
Men will be revilers - to revile means to assail with contemptuous or opprobrious language; address or speak of abusively. Most Bible commentators will equate this to use of slander, angry outbursts, and foul language. Our passage in Romans 1:30 indicates that a depraved mind will push slander.
Not only did we see this in outbursts from the floor of Congress and the President, but we definitely see this throughout the Riots that took place. It is well known that actual data from the Crime Statistics Bureau of the Justice Department indicates that Blacks killed by Blacks crime far exceeds any Blacks killed by Police at a rate of 97% to 1%. And yet, in the Riots the Police were assailed as being completely out of control and murderers at best. In this nation, you are far more likely to be killed by a Police Officer if you are White or Hispanic than if you are Black based on actual data. But if you are of a depraved mind, the truth ceases to matter. You can look at news programs and opinion shows and very quickly see the amount of abject vitriol that is tossed out, as though it were the truth. Apparently the belief is that if you say it as many times as you can it becomes true. But that is not how the giver of truth sees it. There is truth, established by God, and then there is your opinion.
Proverbs 12:17 (NASB) [17] He who speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
Proverbs 16:6-7 (NASB) [6] By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. [7] When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
John 3:19-21 (NASB) [19] “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.[20] “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.[21] “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Exodus 34:6-7 (NASB) [6] Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; [7] who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
So can we say that boasting, arrogance, and reviling have achieved the level indicated in our End Times indicators? check.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB)
[1] But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. [2] For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, [4] treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Romans 1:28-32 (NASB)
[28] And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, [29] being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; [32] and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
The next three characteristics became noticeable during the first part of this year when there was a flurry of activity in the political arena. There was hate and vitriol that was commonplace, especially during impeachment hearings from both sides. Gone was the civility that characterized politics in the first part of our nations history. It has given way to shouting matches and accusatory pretentious positioning for power. How this plays into the End Times indicators are revealed in the following.
Men will be boastful - This is one of the characteristics mentioned in Romans 1:30 along with characteristics of men whom God has given over to a depraved mind, due to their abandonment of his ways and their refusal to acknowledging him as God. To be boastful means showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Only one place in all of scripture does it say when you are allowed to be boastful. But in this case it is about your understanding and knowledge about the Lord:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB)
[23] Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; [24] but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.
Other than that the scriptures predominately indicate that humility is the right way to be. So how was this shown to be prevalent in men? I have seen the president and former presidents stick out their chests over their accomplishments. It is hard to ignore boasting from our president, but there it is. I have seen members of congress do the same over their achievements, each one trying to outdo the other. But this praise should be automatic coming from persons other than the person doing the boasting. In that way you know that the praise is genuine. Otherwise, one might assume that the person boasting hasn't really done the things boasted about. The scriptures always give the principle to follow.
Proverbs 27:1-2 (NASB)
[1] Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. [2] Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
James 4:15-16 (NASB)
[15] Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." [16] But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
It would seem from this passage that boasting follows arrogance, even though they are two separate items. But the key take away here is that boasting is evil in the sight of God.
Psalms 52:1-5 (NASB)
[1] Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. [2] Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. [3] You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. [4] You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. [5] But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living.
Notice in this passage that the loving kindness of God is greater and endures longer than what a person may boast about. A person who boasts loves evil more than good, and uses words that break down others. God is opposed to that. Notice in the following passage that such things are on the “hit list” of things that the Lord hates:
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB) [16] There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
[17] Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
[18] A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
[19] A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
The following passage indicates that we should be silent and not speak boasts, nor arrogance, from our lips. We may try to elicit a specific outcome from those who listen to us, but God weighs the actions in what you are trying to bring about.
1 Samuel 2:2-3
[2] "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. [3] "Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed.
Boasting has become so commonplace in our culture that we tend to not think anything of it. However, boasting in the wrong thing without looking to the Lord and his support is evil. Since boasting is very commonplace now, I will say that we have probably achieved the level needed for approaching the End Times.
Men will be arrogant - This is also of the characteristics mentioned in Romans 1:30 along with characteristics of men whom God has given over to a depraved mind, due to their abandonment of his ways. To be arrogant means having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.
We can go back to our two passages mentioned above: 1 Samuel 2:3 and James 4:16. Note that we are to hold our arrogance, because to let that come out is evil. To be arrogant, one has to focus inward rather than outward. Such a person misses opportunities for doing good for others. Proverbs 6:17 mentioned above places this in the area of things that the Lord hates. If God is against you, how will you be able to stand. Better to rely on God for his direction and guidance than to bolster yourself up by your pretentious speech.
Proverbs 25:14 (NASB) [14] Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.
Has arrogance come to the level indicated by our list of End Times indicators? I believe it has, because along with boasting, arrogance has become commonplace in our culture. It has shown up, as indicated above, by what has happened during debates, ideas expressed during impeachment hearings, not willing to help others who have health issues by staying inside during the pandemic, and reactions of people to the Riots; calling them just and approved of, yet knowing that this was outside the call for justice and only hurt others, including those it was supposed to have helped.
Men will be revilers - to revile means to assail with contemptuous or opprobrious language; address or speak of abusively. Most Bible commentators will equate this to use of slander, angry outbursts, and foul language. Our passage in Romans 1:30 indicates that a depraved mind will push slander.
Not only did we see this in outbursts from the floor of Congress and the President, but we definitely see this throughout the Riots that took place. It is well known that actual data from the Crime Statistics Bureau of the Justice Department indicates that Blacks killed by Blacks crime far exceeds any Blacks killed by Police at a rate of 97% to 1%. And yet, in the Riots the Police were assailed as being completely out of control and murderers at best. In this nation, you are far more likely to be killed by a Police Officer if you are White or Hispanic than if you are Black based on actual data. But if you are of a depraved mind, the truth ceases to matter. You can look at news programs and opinion shows and very quickly see the amount of abject vitriol that is tossed out, as though it were the truth. Apparently the belief is that if you say it as many times as you can it becomes true. But that is not how the giver of truth sees it. There is truth, established by God, and then there is your opinion.
Proverbs 12:17 (NASB) [17] He who speaks truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
Proverbs 16:6-7 (NASB) [6] By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. [7] When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
John 3:19-21 (NASB) [19] “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.[20] “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.[21] “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Exodus 34:6-7 (NASB) [6] Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; [7] who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
So can we say that boasting, arrogance, and reviling have achieved the level indicated in our End Times indicators? check.