THE MEANING OF “PERILOUS TIMES”

The Bible states in 2 Timothy that the last days will be “perilous” times. When we think of that word “perilous”, we think maybe dangerous, maybe great in suffering, maybe terrible – and all of these would be correct – but there’s more.

The verse I’m referring to is:

2Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

The translated word for “perilous” in this verse is Strong’s G5467; chalepos, which means:
1) hard to do, to take, to approach
2) hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous
a) harsh, fierce, savage.

What do those words mean to you? Hard to do? Hard to take (physically? mentally?)? Hard to approach? Hard to bear? Dangerous? Harsh? Fierce? Savage? What do they speak to your heart?

The antichrist is prophesied to “wear out the Saints” (Daniel 7:25). To “wear out” means to wear away, wear out, to harass constantly. This is the beginning of our struggles in the prophesied time period. This would definitely fit hard to do, hard to take, hard to approach and bear, but could this term “chalepos” mean more?

To look at this a little more in depth, let’s look at the only other place this particular translated word was used in the Bible because that will give us more of an understanding of what we should be seeing in those “perilous times”.

I’m sure many of you know the story of the Jesus casting out the demons from a man into a herd of swine right? Well that little section of the Bible is where this “chalepos” was used again:

Matthew 8:28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

So here we see the word “chalepos” translated as “exceedingly fierce”. So far we know that this stems from these men being demon possessed, that were living among the dead (the tombs), and that no one would pass by because this man/men (Mark and Luke record this event was one man) was so ferocious and insane. Luke’s description of this person is quite interesting:

Luke 8: 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.

And Mark’s description gives us even MORE insight to this:

MARK 5: 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

It’s quite intriguing that the same word was used to describe the last days, AND this demon (2,000 of them!) possessed man.

What I find interesting about this is this man described in all 3 of these depictions seems to worship Jesus, yet says what do I have to do with You – implying possibly what we call today “multiple personality disorder”. He was a “cutter” as we call them today – cutting himself with stones. He was violent, and had amazing strength in his “psychosis”. He was naked and appeared to be non-caring or unaware of it. People were terrified of this man because he had no sense of “mental stability”. He was violently crazy, plain and simply if we are to put it into 2013 English Psychological terms. And as the mental health institution calls it today: a threat to himself and others.

No doubt today we are seeing more and more antichrists rise – those who deny Jesus and His power. No doubt today we see more and more people committing heinous acts of violence on others with no apparent cause, or such crazy causes that it’s hard to fathom. We saw that in the Black Knight theater shooting, the Muslim terrorism going on worldwide, government officials sharing photos of their private parts on the web thinking no one will notice or care, the rioting over the Zimmerman verdict, the chaos in the Middle East, the Jodi Arias story where she shot her boyfriend and stabbed him violently numerous times…the list can go on and on displaying the insanity that is filling so many to do such crazy heinous and ugly things.

I have never heard so much from the others “the world has gone crazy” as I have the past few years.

Back in the days of Jesus, this type of stuff was considered to be that of one “demon possessed” in which people witnessed Jesus casting demons out of people. Today we call it “mental illness”.

If we are headed for “Perilous times”, could this mean we are headed for more Jodi Arias’? More people like Charles Manson rising up? OJ Simpson? Or how about the NFL football player recently arrested for murder? Muslims beheading Christians, burning their wives’ faces with acid, raping and murdering others in the name of their god Allah? WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE?

The insane things people do today, and those murderous, hateful, vengeful, psychotic acts that are completely unreasonable and seemingly crazy is on the rise. Every day we hear of some new insanity that took place somewhere in the world. Could we really be looking at some type of demon possession in these stories? Are we facing perilous times that have everything to do with insanity, or demon possession?

Either way, something or someone is seeking desperately to strike fear and terror into the hearts of others. For us Christians, we know that something or someone as Satan.

I think this is something for all of us to ponder on; these “perilous” times that are coming for the whole world.

If you aren’t protected by the blood of Jesus, how will these times affect you?

That’s my teaching for today. If you haven’t given your life to Christ yet, right now is a great time. Seek Him out. Seek His comfort and protection today.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 3: 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Peace to you all, today and every day.