We have seen how the neglect to pay true regard to the warnings of Col. 2 led to Roman Catholicism, and how Protestantism has suffered badly through the same neglect, and is rapidly approximating to Rome, history repeating itself. It will be readily seen, when the Lord comes to take His Church to glory, and all true believers are caught up, that only the empty shell of a Christless profession will be left behind. In such a condition it will be easy for the road to full apostasy to be taken.
With the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit in the peculiar way in which He is on earth in this present Church period (2 Thess. 2:77For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7)), the drag on the wheels of declension, exercised by the Spirit of God, will be removed, and the world will then see Satanic power on a larger scale than ever. The empty professors of Christianity will then throw off all restraint, and the apostasy of Christendom will be full and complete. Scripture leads us to believe that in the last days Roman Catholicism will draw into its folds Protestantism, and all forms of religious profession, only to become totally apostate, as we shall see in our closing remarks.