This article chronicles the acceleration of major societal and legal changes in recent history, presenting them as distinct turning points that illustrate a prophetic progression of moral decline and lawlessness leading up to the Lord’s Return. All Sources will be given at the end.
A Great Falling Away
The Word of God issues a stark warning: as the end approaches, society will experience a profound spiritual departure, or “falling away,” resulting in the removal of established pillars of faith and righteousness. This period is directly linked to an increase in lawlessness and moral decay.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, KJV)
The systematic rejection of foundational Christian morality in the public square, coupled with subsequent statistical elevations in crime, serves as a powerful indicator that the world is indeed entering the perilous times foretold in scripture.
The Unraveling of the Moral Fabric and Corresponding Crime Elevation
The decades following the mid-twentieth century witnessed several landmark legal decisions that progressively stripped away biblical standards from public life, thus creating a fertile ground for the elevation of transgression.
The Removal of God from Public Education (1962–1963)
The first major blow to the nation’s spiritual foundation came through two Supreme Court decisions that effectively removed organized religious practice from public schools. The Biblical Standard Rejected was the acknowledgment of God’s supreme authority (Proverbs 1:7).
The Resulting Statistical Effect was profound. Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) shows that violent crime rates nearly quadrupled between 1960 and their peak in 1991. The U.S. homicide rate, specifically, nearly doubled from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, demonstrating the immediate and dramatic rise of a generation removed from the most basic public instruction in moral law (Source: BJS, Homicide Trends in the U.S.).
The Sanctification of Murder (1973)
On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision, legally sanctioning the termination of innocent life on a mass scale. The Biblical Standard Rejected was the Sanctity of Human Life, rooted in the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13, KJV).
The Resulting Statistical Effect illustrates the crisis of a society that devalues life. The homicide rate, having risen sharply throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, peaked in 1980 and again in 1991 at 9.8 per 100,000 (Source: FBI UCR). The introduction of the concept that life is disposable further weakened the fundamental moral basis of society.
The Perversion of the Family Unit (2015)
The Supreme Court mandated the redefinition of marriage nationwide with Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. The Biblical Standard Rejected was the God-ordained family unit (Genesis 2:24).
The Resulting Societal Effect is the legal rejection of the natural order, contributing to the escalation of societal fragmentation and a marked rejection of “natural affection” (2 Timothy 3:3, KJV). Furthermore, the homicide clearance rate—the rate at which police solve murders—has been on a steady decline since the 1960s (Source: Council on Criminal Justice), reflecting a communal breakdown.
Riots, Lax Enforcement, and the Assault on Faith and Children
The prophetic warning regarding lawlessness accelerating in the last days is further confirmed by trends witnessed since 2020, marked by distinct elevations of disorder and moral indifference, culminating in direct attacks on institutions of faith.
Civil Disorder and the Celebration of Anarchy
The large-scale protests and associated riots of 2020 demonstrated a profound societal breakdown in the respect for civil law and property rights, directly correlated with an unprecedented spike in violent crime. The Biblical Standard Rejected is the respect for authority and the civil peace: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.” (Romans 13:1, KJV). The Resulting Statistical Effect saw a dramatic and historic jump in violence; the national homicide rate rose by nearly 30 percent in 2020 compared to 2019 (Source: FBI UCR; CDC), the largest single-year increase in recorded history.
The Softening of Justice and the Elevation of Petty Crimes
Recent policy trends—particularly in states like New York and California—have moved toward reducing penalties for theft and enacting “bail reform.” The Biblical Standard Rejected is the righteous administration of justice: “Execute true judgment.” (Zechariah 7:9, KJV). The Resulting Statistical Effect is seen in soaring rates of specific crimes that were once contained. Motor vehicle theft spiked by 13% in 2020 (Source: Council on Criminal Justice), demonstrating public acceptance of minor lawlessness due to the lack of consequences.
The Rising Tide of Child Sexual Exploitation
The rise of sex trafficking and child predator cases reveals a depth of evil that fulfills the prophetic warnings of men being “without natural affection” and “fierce” (2 Timothy 3:3, KJV). The Biblical Standard Rejected is the protection of the innocent (Matthew 18:6, KJV). The Resulting Statistical Effect shows an alarming increase in prosecutions, with federal prosecutions of child-only sex trafficking cases increasing by 17% from 2019 to 2020 (Source: Department of Justice; McCain Institute).
The Targeting of Schools and Houses of Worship
The terrifying escalation in school violence is a clear mark of lawlessness. A disturbing pattern has emerged where attacks are explicitly directed at centers of faith. The attacks on institutions such as the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, demonstrate an explicit targeting of religious schools. Even more directly, Church shootings—such as those in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and Charleston, South Carolina—represent a direct spiritual assault on the community of believers and the freedom of worship. According to data tracking assaults on religious facilities, incidents have increased steadily over the last decade, indicating that the places of peace and refuge are now specific targets of the lawless spirit (Source: FBI/Homeland Security Data; National Center for Education Statistics). This fulfills the specific warning that the persecution of believers would escalate in the last days.
The Convergence of Prophecy and Evidence
The statistical and legal timeline presented herein is not merely a record of sociological change; it is a profound fulfillment of the prophetic trajectory outlined in the Holy Scriptures. The sequence is unmistakable: the removal of God from the schools in the 1960s, the institutionalized destruction of life in the 1970s, and the rejection of the foundation of the family in the 2010s.
The final stage is the resulting chaos: the normalization of anarchy in the streets, the collapse of civil order under lax enforcement, and the chilling increase in violence against the most vulnerable and against the institutions of faith. The rise in school and church shootings provides chilling evidence that the lawless spirit is now directly attacking the very foundations of truth.
When the Apostle Paul warned of the last days, he spoke of a pervasive self-love, a disregard for authority, and a world where evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV). Every data point, every legal reversal, and every rising crime statistic confirms the elevation of transgression in our time. These are not random events; they are the structured, accelerating signs of the great falling away and the direct spiritual warfare that precedes the return of our Lord and Saviour.
Therefore, let the evidence serve not as a cause for despair, but as a clear, urgent call to repentance and watchfulness. The convergence of these trends demonstrates conclusively that the time is short.
Sources
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Homicide Trends in the U.S.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Uniform Crime Reports (UCR).
- Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ). Pandemic, Social Unrest, and Crime in U.S. Cities and Trends in Homicide.
- Department of Justice (DOJ). Child Sex Trafficking in the United States.
- McCain Institute. A Six-Year Analysis of Sex Traffickers of Minors.
- Insurance Information Institute; Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); FBI/Homeland Security Data.