2 Sam 7
2 Thess 3
Psalm 28; Psalm 29
2 Thessalonians is a terse and inciteful book.
Perhaps one of the most serious warnings is:
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
2Th 2:12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Those who do not love the truth will be sent great deception.
A deception of cosmic proportions is coming. It won’t be just a false doctrine, a defective world-view, or one of the tragic “isms” so prevalent today. It will include a comprehensive global leadership backed by supernatural powers and capabilities that will overwhelm the imagination of the world at large. And it will be authenticated by miracles—great signs and lying wonders.
The Bible has more to say about this coming period than it does about any other period of history, including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea. Much has been written, from many viewpoints, about the conditions which will be pending at the “end times” as predicted in the Bible. Few things are as controversial.
Four disciples approached Jesus privately to inquire about his Second Coming, and this resulted in a detailed answer which is so important that it is recorded in three of the four Gospels.1 Jesus opened this famous discourse with the admonition,
“Take heed that no man deceive you”
Matthew 24:4
The first thing Jesus wanted the disciples to understand is that the primary sign that will accompany the days before he comes is DECEPTION. Jesus went on to give the signs that would precede his coming:
“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”
Matthew 24:5–8
It’s important to note that Jesus said that many would be coming in his name and that they “shall deceive many.” It is often assumed that a single individual, the “Antichrist,” will come on the scene to deceive the world. However, in this text Jesus points out that there will be many coming in his name, claiming to be “a Christ,” and will undertake a deception of unimaginable proportions. The Coming World Leader will likely be the leader of those who, claiming to be a Christ, will deceive the world with supernatural power.
The effects of the signs and wonders are catastrophic. For those who would not receive the love of the truth, Jesus Christ, God will send them a “strong delusion” so that they would believe a lie. The effect of the lie is discussed by Paul in the book of Romans:
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen”
Romans 1:21–25
The effect of believing the lie is that men will worship the creation (“the creature”) rather than the Creator.
Finally, regarding the coming deception, Jesus said that it would be so powerful that even his elect (believers in Jesus Christ) would be deceived for a while.
“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before”
Matthew 24:23–25
Again we see that Jesus wants us to understand that there will be many false Christs who will perform signs and wonders.
Once more, it is worth noting that in the times of the Gentiles, defined by Neb’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation in Daniel 2, that we might be in the ‘Times of the Toes.’
Jay