But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:13

Paul’s word to Timothy in chapter 3 ties in so will with our study in 1 John with John’s warning about fall teachers.  In these days, as we look at the events around the world, it certainly seems like everything is falling into place for the Lord to return.  But we need to be careful.

In the early 1800s, speculation boiled over as to the exact day and year when Christ would return, and among the speculators was William Miller of New York. He announced that according to his careful calculations Christ would return to earth on October 22, 1844. When that morning dawned, a sense of foreboding fell over New England. People gathered on mountaintops and in churches. Normal activities ceased as everyone awaited the sudden rending of the skies and the end of the world.

When the day passed uneventfully, many Christians grew disillusioned. The unsaved became cynical, and the following years saw a decline in conversions. The event became known as “The Great Disappointment.”

People had forgotten that Christ warned against setting dates for His return (Matthew 24:36). The Bible is filled with rich, true, accurate prophecies, but we must be discerning as we study—and especially as we listen to the theories and teachings of others. There are many false and mistaken Bible teachers in the world today. Ask God for a wise heart and be like the saints in Berea who studied the Scriptures daily “to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

John Newton once wrote:  The chief means for attaining wisdom…are the holy Scriptures, and prayer.