THE GREAT… A Prophetic Word

This came to me as I was reading 2 Timothy 3, where Paul warns Timothy, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). While I sat with that chapter, the Lord showed me a picture of these two words: THE GREAT. As I asked what I was seeing, the words split into two sets, one going up and the other going down. Inquiring further, I heard Him say that we are in the time of the two greats. One is the great falling away, and the other is the great faith.

THE GREAT FALLING AWAY

Regarding the great falling away, I heard the Lord say, “It won’t look like much on the outside. It will actually look like no one is departing, but it will be large-scale.” When I asked what that meant, He said that those who fall away will mostly never leave the church. They will still be in the building, but their hearts will be far from Him. They will hold on to religious practices and traditions, but it will be void of relationship. They know of Him, and they know how to perform for Him, but they do not actually know Him.

This is the same pattern Paul warned Timothy about: people “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). He also described them as “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). The form remains, but the power is gone.

THE GREAT FAITH

Concerning the great faith, I heard the Lord say that there are people emerging with astounding faith exploits, taking territory for the Kingdom. They are people who have read the Scriptures and believe them fully. They are taking God at His word and moving in great levels of faith. Their faith will be the catalyst for great transformation in regions.

These are the ones Paul urged Timothy to become: “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Timothy 3:14). Their confidence is not in themselves but in the God-breathed word: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). They are equipped, and they know it.

These two groups will observe each other carefully. Those falling away will see the ones walking in great faith and be riddled with shame because of their own lukewarmness. The ones with great faith will look at those falling away and grow in discernment, so that they do not fall into the same place.

There is a way out for those falling away, and it is called repentance. They will be offered the opportunity, over and over, to humble themselves before the Lord in true repentance so that they can be transformed. But many will say no, because the comfort found in inaction feels better to them than the discomfort of change.

The ones with great faith will be challenged by Holy Spirit to venture out even further. He will ask them, “How far will you choose to go? How abandoned will you choose to be?” The Lord never hid the cost of this road; He told Timothy plainly, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12), and He called him forward anyway. These are the ones who will see and do exploits for the Kingdom that many have talked about but have not truly seen.