The Final Deceptions That God’s People Will Have To Face In The Near Future
Most people today in the USA think they are pretty savvy, pretty smart when it comes to knowing the difference between an honest person and a dishonest person….between truth and error. They think they can detect when a person is lying to them. But the truth is that these same people are being deceived every day as they watch TV and videos. What we have today is a whole nation and world of brain washed deceived people who do not even know or realize that they are deceived. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about.
Let’s take the movie “Field of Dreams” with Kevin Kostner. Do you think most people question even for a minute that baseball players from the past could come back to life and play baseball out in his cornfield that he turned into a baseball diamond? No, people do not question that. Nor do they question that Patrick Swayzee’s character could be taken up to heaven at the end of the movie Ghost or Whoopi Goldberg could talk to his spirit. Why don’t they question that? Because they have been taught that when a person dies they go right to heaven or hell. This is their concept of truth.
In his book, “THE GOD WHO IS THERE,” the late Frances Schaeffer writes about “The Importance of Truth.” Pilate asked Jesus while on trial before him, “What Is Truth?” This was in response to Jesus’ explanation of why He had come to this world. When Pilate asked Jesus “Are you a king?” the KJV’s translation of Christ’s response is not clear…”Thou sayest that I am a king.” John 18:37.
More modern versions, such as Philipp’s, reads: “Indeed I am a king.” Others say, “certainly I am a king” or “Yes, you are right.” Jesus explained to Pilate: “the reason for my birth and the purpose of my coming into the world is to witness to the Truth. Every man who loves truth recognizes my voice.” John 18:37. Earlier that same evening, in the Upper Room, Jesus had told His disciples: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me.” Jn 14:6.
The title of Schaeffer’s book is “THE GOD WHO IS THERE.” Although I find some of his expressions and explanations difficult to follow he did make it a little easier when he said that what he actually meant by the title of his book is simply: “The God Who Exists.” From that premise he goes on to try and explain that without the foundation of a belief system based on the existence of God it is impossible to discover truth, per se, that is in and of itself.
The problem with the theories of the world and even of religion itself is that man has invented doctrines about God without actually knowing who God is in the first place. And that is why Jesus said He had come, to reveal the ultimate truth and reality, which He declared to be Himself, because He and the Father are one in motive and purpose. To see Jesus and understand Him and what He is really like in His personality and character is to also understand the Father. That is the reason why it is so important to understand God’s character, that He is a kind and loving person like Jesus. Once you have grasped that truth you will no longer be afraid of God the Father but will want to go right into His very heart with His only Son, Jesus.
Throughout the 6,000 years of the Great Controversy Satan has not been able to blot out the reality of Creation nor the Creator, although He has tried in many ways to do that. But having failed he realizes that his only hope of achieving his ultimate goal of becoming God, so he can be worshiped, is to pretend to be God himself in this final chapter of the Great Controversy.
With that in mind I have written the following article for the purpose of revealing this final deception of the devil so God’s professed people will not be deceived and have a chance to be ready for the real Jesus when He does come a little later.
As I read the news via the internet and/or the daily newspaper as well as e-mails, I am reminded of one of the most important prophecies Jesus made just before His trial and crucifixion. It is found in Matt 24:22-28. These verses contain the shocking comments our Lord made to His disciples regarding the future Tribulation period the church and world have already begun to enter but do not realize it.
What we need to accept as a future reality is that the problems our world will be facing sooner than we now can imagine, will be greater than any crisis the human race has ever had to endure since the world began. In fact, in a moment, I am going to quote Christ’s own words about this coming time period, because very few, if any are ready for what is just ahead. And this causes me great concern not only for the physical safety of the people but especially for their spiritual welfare. That is why I believe the Spirit has been urging me to research and write more in-depth articles, even beyond what I have already written, in order to further sound the alarm about what is just ahead of us.
So, as you begin reading this I want to urge you to pray earnestly for wisdom to understand what the Lord wants us to know for ourselves as well as for our families, friends and the whole world. Because the Lord is depending on us to give this final message to the world. We have been called to be “Watchmen on the Walls of Zion.” Ezek 3. I would also encourage you to read my book prophecies of Daniel & Revelation. It is entitled, “A COMMENTARY ON REVELATION,” with references to the book of Daniel. It is on line. Please let me know if you would like to have a hard copy of this volume.
From my own study of Jesus’ prediction in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, along with the prophecies of Daniel & Revelation, it has become clear to me that this Time of Trouble or Tribulation will last for seven years. It will be divided into two periods of 3 ½ years each. The first 3 ½ years will be a LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE. But the second 3 ½ years will be the BIG TIME OF TROUBLE. And it will be during that last 3 ½ year segment of time that the 7 last plagues will be poured out.
Here now is the quote I said I would share with you which reveals why Jesus said that this last Time of Trouble would be shortened down to just 3 ½ years. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the Elect’’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matt 24:22. In this article I hope to show you how and why the Lord is going to come and rescue (translate) this same Elect group of people after the first 3 ½ years.
In order for us to live through this time 3 ½ year period there are specific things we must know and understand to survive so that we will be ready to welcome our Lord and be translated to His Father’s throne. Listen: “For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Vs 24. Notice here the phrase Very Elect.
Some translations read “Even the Elect or God’’s chosen ones.”
What Christ is indicating in Matt 24:24 is that the Elect will be given special and specific information that will enable them to survive, because this final deception and all the lying deceptions that precede it will be so great that only the Elect will be able to detect the deceiver in his disguise.
If you have ever read page 624 of the book, The Great Controversy, you know that the servant of the Lord says there will be a Crowning Act of deception, which Satan is going to be allowed to bring on this final generation of humanity which will be greater than any other deception that has ever been perpetrated upon this world from the that first deception in Eden, until the time when Satan appears as Jesus Christ Himself.
So, that is what this final deception is going to be about….Satan not only imitating and counterfeiting Christ, but actually impersonating the actual person of Jesus Christ Himself. Let give you an illustration so you will clearly understand what I am trying to explain here about how powerful this deception is going to be.
When a comedian or actor impersonates another character or person we know that he is only pretending to be that person, even though he may be able to make his voice sound like that person and in the case of the Elvis Impersonators they can even look like Elvis.
And yet we know that it is not real because Elvis is dead, therefore, we know that could not really be him. But when Satan appears looking like Jesus it will be so convincing that the entire world will be convinced that it is really him.
Listen: “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.”
This is only the first sentence of this most famous quote. In a moment I will share with you the entire text of this statement. But first on pages 622, 623 there is additional information we need to understand before we are ready to read the prediction on page 624.
These are very important paragraphs which will prepare us for this quote which predicts what Satan will look like when he is allowed to appear on the earth, claiming to be Christ. For years I have only quoted this one paragraph, but now I realize how important these four preceding paragraphs really are.
Why? Because they speak about the spiritual preparation that is necessary to resist and withstand this terrible deception which is soon going to sweep the whole, entire world into its camp except for the Elect. Listen:
“Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of Himself: The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.
“It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ. Our precious Saviour invites us to join ourselves to Him, to unite our weakness to His strength, our ignorance to His wisdom, our unworthiness to His merits. God’s providence is the school in which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would choose, which seems easier and pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. It rests with us to co-operate with the agencies which Heaven employs in the work of conforming our characters to the divine model. None can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls.
“The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in heaven exclaiming: Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12. Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heavenly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble. 624
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. (For decades now many bible scholars have believed this is a direct reference to UFOs). The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: Christ has come! Christ has come! The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is the great power of God. Acts 8:10. But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God’s unmingled wrath shall be poured out. And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known–witnessed by the whole world.
“Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.”
Beloved, did you read the first part of that last paragraph there? If not, please read it again and notice in particular those words of instruction about how we will need to be shielded from the POWERFUL DELUSION THAT WILL TAKE THE WORLD CAPTIVE.
Only the Elect will escape this final delusion. Since the beginning of the Advent movement, after 1844, God’s professed people have been told that they are the Remnant Church. And they have believed this although they do not realize what it really means because they do not understand that the “Remnant” is the last group in Revelation to be translated.
SDAs in particular, and I think also sincere Christians in all religious bodies and denominations all over the globe, throughout the civilized world, have been taught to believe that they are “God’s favorites” His “Chosen people.”
The Jews have believed this since the days of Moses even though they were constantly rebelling against the Lord and whoever was their leader beginning with Moses and then Joshua and the judges who followed them, whose knowledge of the Most High was not much greater than themselves such as Gideon to mention one and then Jepthah and Samson to mention only three. And after Samuel you have the history of the Kings from Saul, David and Solomon about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. Now here we are 2015 years later with hundreds of religions in the USA alone to say nothing about all the non Christian religions of the world. And each one of them have their own end time eschatology or belief system about the coming of a Saviour or deliverer. And Jesus predicted this very end time situation when He said, “Many shall come in my name.” But Jesus said they would all be as false as Balaam who sold himself to the devil for money as Jude tells us: “Woe unto them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” Jude 11.
So, here we are today facing the final crisis. So, the question each person must ask is “How can I escape the final deception?” Jesus gave clear instruction to His followers even before He died on the cross about how to escape out of Jerusalem before she was surrounded by the Roman armies. Luke 21:20-24.
Through the SOP the Lord has already given His people clear instruction to move out of the large cities so they could survive during the coming days of famine which are just before us. But there is another trap which Jesus warned us about in Luke 21:34-36 which He said would come as a “snare…on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” I must confess that until about three months ago I did not realize myself what this “snare” is going to be. Most of us have thought it would be the Sunday Law and death decree which we have been told will develop gradually in stages. We have been waiting for this now since 1888, and yet, the National Sunday Law (first stage) has not been passed in the USA. Many have thought that the Pope’s recent address to Congress would be the beginning of it. But Pope Francis has come and gone without saying anything about a Sunday Law to Congress or the UN. He did however, refer to Climate Change which some believe will be the back door through which Sunday legislation will be enacted. So far no one has stepped forward to clearly explain what that means for sure.
But for now, let’s come back to this idea of the Remnant. Trust me, you do not want to be among the Remnant described in Rev 12:17. Why? Because they will not have immortal bodies to escape the wrath of the Dragon from whom they will be running for their very lives. This is what Jesus was referring to in Luke 21:36. “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” So, how are they going to “escape?” The answer is found in Rev. 14.
By “Standing before the Son of man” with the Seal of the Father in their foreheads. Rev 14:1-5. Eph 1:13 tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who is going to “seal” us. It is not by any good works or keeping any set of laws or regulations like the Jews did in their day. But let’s go a little deeper into this topic of the Sealing and how we are sealed. Jere 4:31 describes a woman who is pregnant with her “first child or first born.” Isa 66:7-12 and Rev 12:5 are parallel passages which describe this same event.
What I want to do now is dovetail and correlate what I have already written in more depth in the following paragraphs together with the translation of the MANCHILD who is also called THE ELECT. Actually, there are 24 titles for this same group. This is very, very important because almost every denomination and sect in the world claims title to this title ELECT.
But on what basis have they been taught to believe this? It is on the basis of doctrine. What I mean is that each group has a unique and different belief system, a different set or list of doctrines which they believe is the correct “truth” about God. This is what they think makes them so special to the Lord and the reason He will bless them and save them when the end of the world comes and Christ returns the second time. Some of them have prophets whom they revere as the only true messenger of God. For example, the Mormons have Joseph Smith. The Jehovah Witnesses have their founder and the Catholics now have the Popes of the past as well as Pope Francis today in whom they are trusting to reveal the truth they need to know in order to be saved. The point is each sect and/or denomination has a founder or leader in whom they are trusting to lead them into the kingdom.
Anyone who has gone to very many churches and studied the writings and teachings of even half of the denominations in the USA know what I am talking about. But the people in these churches do not have unity and little peace. Rev 18 names this conglomeration of churches collectively Babylon and calls for her people to “come out of her.”
So, who are they once they have come out of Babylon? Many call themselves non-denominational. We need to look now at this church of Philadelphia for a moment, which is based on the 6th church of Rev 3:7-12. Why? Because, this is the only church Christ did not rebuke but commended because even though they only had “a little strength” they “kept His word and did not deny His name,” (His true character).
Because of their faithfulness they are given two incredible promises. 1. The Synagogue of Satan will finally come and fall down before the saints and acknowledge that they are the beloved of God. 2. They will be kept, guarded, protected and preserved from the final and terrible test that will come upon the whole world. Some have said that Christ meant they will be preserved and protected through it but that is not what it means because there are other passages which promise the same thing, i.e. to be saved from having to go through this terrible Big Time of Trouble in a human body. We will talk about that shortly. Another passage that promises us deliverance from having to go through the big time of trouble is Luke 21:34-36, where Jesus told His disciples to “take heed” so that they would not become drunk with the cares of this life by “surfeiting” which means going to excess even in those things which are lawful “so that day (of His coming return) come upon you unawares.” Then in vs 35 He warns them further that a “snare” or a “trap” is being set for everyone on the whole earth. Then Jesus admonishes us to do two things: 1. Watch and pray. Why? “That you may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” An alternative translation of “accounted worthy” is “to prevail or be strong enough to escape.” “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13.
Here is what I wrote a few years ago on this same topic of escaping the coming Big Time of Trouble. We will begin with a quote from the book the “Great Controversy.”
“We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. The disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God’s mercy and longsuffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance, that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown. Every ray of light rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed sown which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan.” Great Controversy 34-36.
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
(The Great Controversy), unveils the often unseen battle between
Christ and Satan, and looks ahead to the day sin’s reign will end,
and Jesus will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.
“But in that day, as in the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, God’s people will be delivered, everyone that shall be found written among the living.” Isaiah 4:3. Cf Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16-18. I had never seen this verse in Isa. 4 in this light until now. I believe EGW is referring to the translation of the Little Company or the “Barley Group” (Gideon’s Band). See EW 270 and on. Notice verses 2 and 3. “In that day shall the branch of the Lord (cf. Isa. 11:1_5) be beautiful and glorious, (the margin from original the Hebrew says, “beauty & glory,” i.e. having Christ’s character) and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, (from the shaking and terrible apostasy due to deception & persecution) shall be called holy, even every one that is written (In the book) among the living in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 4:2, 3. KJV. Special Note: The word “Branch” is one of the 24 designations or titles of the Barley Group or the Elect.
This is a direct reference to those who will remain alive to be translated and is a parallel to Dan. 12:1, 2 & Malachi 3:16-18. “When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.” Cf. Mal. 4:1, 2. Then vs 5, 6 is a promise of protection for God’s Remnant who are being hunted down like animals; they will be protected by a “cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: as well as protection from the terrible searing heat of the sun (Rev. 16:1) as well as from the storm and rain. Now, we have already read in Rev. 11:12 that they are going to be translated in the sight of their enemies. But this is not the secret rapture. These are the ones who remain alive and are faithful. So, their “death” is a symbolism just like the City of Jerusalem here is symbolized as Sodom and Egypt (cf. Isa. 1:10-12). It will be just like the disciples after the death of Jesus. The character of Jesus and their own reputation was destroyed, assassinated along with Jesus on the cross. As far as they were concerned, the church was dead. But when Jesus arose from the grave on the first day of the week, the church was raised to life just as if it had died. The priests and rulers were no doubt congratulating each other that they finally got rid of that “deceiver” who had tormented them for three and half years by rebuking them and telling them that they would not stand in the day of judgment unless they confessed their sins. Do you see the parallel? These two witnesses represent the Little Barley Company, as identified in the 24 descriptions already listed. Now, let us continue with the quote from EGW.
“Christ has declared that He will come the second time to gather His faithful ones to Himself:…And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” Matt. 24:30, 31. Then shall they that obey not the gospel be consumed with the spirit of His mouth and be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thess.” EGW is now going to make a very important comment to explain the mechanics of how this destruction is effected or carried out. Notice:
“Like Israel of old the wicked destroy themselves; they fall by their iniquity. By a life of sin, they have placed themselves so out of harmony with God, their natures have become so debased with evil, that the manifestation of His glory is to them a consuming fire.” GC 37. We know how the Jewish nation was destroyed. The Romans came and sieged the city for 3 ½ years during which time the people who had rejected Jesus as their Messiah and Saviour died by starvation or killing each other fighting over the food. Finally the Romans broke into the city and set the temple ablaze. Those whom they did not kill with the sword they crucified. The remainder were sold as slaves. On page 36 of GC we read that what happened to Jerusalem is going to happen again in our day to the cities of the USA and eventually the whole world. How, by internal conflict and then by Nuclear strikes. Just as the Jewish nation was deceived by their leaders even so today, the majority of God’s professed are again being deceived. How? By rejecting the final message of His love regarding His true character of love that God does not destroy, COL 84.
Jesus came and manifested His glory, even the glorious fire of His truth when He told them, “I am come to bring fire on the earth.” Luke 12:49. And that is precisely what He did for 3 ½ years but they rejected Him and thus separated themselves from God. As a result they forfeited God’s protection and Rome came and destroyed them. I hope you will study this verse out for yourself so you will understand what the “Fire of God” truly is.
The “consuming fire” in this case was, first of all, His glorious character, “holy, harmless and undefiled” (Heb. 7:26) which they rejected. This was the “fire of His love,” Song of Solomon 8:6, which was manifested on the day of Pentecost in Tongues of Fire on the heads of the 120 disciples in the upper room.
This was the power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse the soul temple from sin so as to provide a clean dwelling place for the Presence of God which would have been their salvation and protection. It was a “spiritual fire” or “symbolical fire” that the Jewish nation refused to receive thus leaving them unprotected from the literal “consuming fire” which was the Roman armies that destroyed them. God did not destroy them although He takes the blame for it, as always, because He is the everlasting Sovereign and majestic God of Israel.
Instead, like King Saul and Israel as a nation, they destroyed themselves, just as Hosea declared, “Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thine help.” Hosea 13:9. But to the faithful who believed in the words of Jesus there was a way of escape and they wisely embraced His words and followed His counsel. As a result, “Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given His disciples warning, and all who believed His words watched for the promised sign. ‘When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,’ said Jesus, ‘then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out.'” Luke 21:20, 21.
Now, let us draw a parallel to our day from this same chapter in which we find that the Holy Spirit led Luke to record not only the method or means of escape for the Christians in AD 66 but in this last age in which we are living as well. Please take time to read all of Luke 17 & 21 for yourself along with Matt. 24 and Mark 13 as well as chapter one of “Great Controversy.” Pray as you read and the Lord will make many more things clear to your mind that we don’t have time to cover in this article. Luke21:24-33 are verses that I believe apply specifically to our day…the last age before Jesus comes. Then the very next verse begins the last recorded words of Christ on the Mount of Olives regarding the future. “Be on your guard, so that your hearts are not overloaded with dissipation, drunkenness and worldly cares, and that day takes you by surprised like a trap, for it will come upon all the inhabitants of the globe. But you be vigilant (constant watch) and pray unceasingly so that you may have strength to escape all those impending events and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36. Modern Language. A paraphrase says, “To arrive in my Presence without having to experience these horrors.”
We know that for years Pentecostals have been teaching they will be secretly “raptured” before the Tribulation begins which I do not agree with because they teach that it is a Secret Coming. But in addition to that, they have never taught that God’s army (Rev. 19) led by Jesus on a White Horse, will return to this earth with immortal bodies, for the purpose of transferring the kingdoms of this earth from Satan to Christ by the authority and power the Father will give Him through this Barley group or little company. Rev 11:15. “The kingdoms of this earth have (now) become (belong to) my ‘Christos.’”
The Christos is another one of the 24 Titles which is the same as THE ELECT.
Why is it almost no one seems to know this wonderful truth…The real good news…? Why? Because, my friends, they have rejected the character of God message, “Denying His Name.” Where do I get that idea? Let’s read it together in Rev. 3:8: “I know your doings (works).” The word “see” in original Greek is “idou” meaning to “Behold,” which means to take a good, long look at something and study it out, i.e….observe it carefully. I have provided (set) an open door in front of you, one which no one is able to close; because, while possessing little strength, you have observed My word and have not renounced (denied) My Name (character).”
Remember this is what Moses requested God to reveal to Him…”His glory” which He declared to be His Name. Ex. 33:12_19. And so the Lord revealed His goodness to Moses which literally means, “my beauty,” or “my excellence.” This was done by revealing the attributes of His character such as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Ex. 34:6, 7.
Here again are the texts to look up re: how the Elect or Chosen will be delivered after this first 3 ½ years. Malachi 3:16-18. Luke 21:34-36. Rev 3:7-12. In the first text from Malachi, we read of a group who are referred to as the Lord’s “Jewels” which in the original Hebrew language means “Special Treasure.” In some reference Bibles you will find this in the middle column reference or as a foot note. In the second reference in Luke Jesus spoke of those who would be “counted worthy” of escaping the final trap that is even now being set for the whole world. And in the last ref. Rev 3:7-12, we read how the mature church of Philadelphia will be protected from the final test of the Mark of the Beast and then how the leaders of the false church will come and bow down to them because they get rid of them by killing them. Please read these three texts and and pray over them my friend and then accept them as your own promise to you personally, so you will be protected and shielded in these last days of earth’s history.
Please notice that sentence again: “the powerful delusion that will take the world captive.” How will Satan do this? Through a very subtle means that has already been perfected. What I am referring to is the modern Blue Beam technology the NWO has perfected to flash holographic images in the sky. You can read about this on my web site at: www.godslastcall.info
Many professing the 3rd angel’s message today think they are ready for this last day delusion. There are probably many reasons why they are so confident they cannot be fooled, deluded or deceived. But this just shows how great of a danger they are already in. It is called being over confident and sure of yourself, which in this case is false spiritual pride. This is exactly what the Jews in Christ’s day had after they crucified Jesus in AD 33.
Saul of Tarsus is a good example. He was so sure that Jesus was a false Messiah that he began persecuting His followers. However, when Jesus appeared to him in person he was converted. There is no record that any other Jew was converted in this manner although many priests became followers of Christ. But the majority, probably about 95 %, never accepted Christ as the Messiah. Why? Because another spirit had control of their minds and their emotions (feelings). This is a form of idol worship which is idolatry.
The reason the majority of God’s people will be led astray in these last days and end up falling down and worshiping this false messiah is because they are already worshiping false idols (gods) but do not realize it because they have been blinded to the truth through false teachings. This is what all the people did in Dan 3 when King Nebuchadnezzar built an idol (image) of solid gold on the plain of Dura and commanded all of the appointed leaders of his wide flung kingdom to not only be present at this most august dedication ceremony but to “fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.” Dan 2: 5.
Evidently, the common or ordinary people (citizens) were not required to be present at this dedication, only government officials. But had they been there, the Jewish captives included, I am sure they all would have complied with the King’’s orders to bow down. Why? Because idol worship was a fact of life even among the Jews. See Jeremiah 7 and 44 which reveals why the Jews went into captivity. They were worshiping the false Queen of heaven, Astarte, a Caananite fertility goddess. But in vs 13 we see that there were three Jews who refused to bow down and worship this image. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Of course, we know the story of how these three Hebrew worthies were cast into the fiery furnace but were delivered. This is a most encouraging story for all of us who are willing to take our stand for Jesus and His Father today.
In preparation for this article I did some research on the subject of idols, idolatry and idol worship in the index to the writings of the SOP. I was amazed to find over 300 references on these topics. It would take too much time and space to give even a partial list of all of these quotations but let me try and summarize what I discovered.
First of all the very first two commandments of the decalogue (Ten Commandments) forbids the worship of idols or their creation or manufacturing as was commonly done all through history. Even Jacob’’s favorite wife, Rachel, stole and hid from her father some of her families idols or statutes they evidently worshiped, Gen 31:30-35. In Acts 19:24-29 we read about the craft of the silversmiths began protesting, causing a riot in the Greek city of Ephesus, because Paul’’s preaching against idol worship was so powerfully effective that these silversmiths felt that their livelihood was in danger of going out of business. In chapter 67 of the book ‘Patriarchs & Prophets,’ I found one of the richest sources of information which clearly link and tie together the worship of idols and evil spirits. As I already mentioned, the first two commandments ties together the false ‘gods’ of this world with idol worship by commanding, ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything…’ Ex 20:1-4.
Remember also that from the very beginning of the Great Controversy between Christ & Lucifer (Satan), the devil has always wanted to be worshiped. This has been his number one goal and objective which he has infected and imbued into all of his evil angel followers as well as the majority of the people of this planet. Notice those two words ‘likeness’ and ‘anything,’ because we will soon learn that modern idol worship is not limited to graven stones, wooden or metal images. An idol can take on any form, real or imagined in the human mind. Even “cherished ideas” can become an idol. The desire to argue and debate over the final points of theology just to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong. Paul speaks about some of these things in his writings, especially in Rom 1:18-28 when he gives a history of people in the past, no doubt before the flood as well as after, especially the leaders in the days of Ezekiel, who were worshiping the devil right in the sanctuary itself. He was taken by the Spirit in vision to Jerusalem and shown how 70 leaders of Israel were worshiping idols which had been carved around on the walls. The Spirit “put me down at the entrance to the inner gate facing north, where stands the image of Lust to rouse lustful passion.” What is going on in the modern churches today is not new. Ancient Israel was doing it in 600 years before Christ. And that is why they went into Babylonian captivity. The only difference is that today it is being shown on world wide TV in every country on the planet. Lust is the most degrading idol of all.
Chapter 67 of the book “Patriarchs & Prophets” is entitled, ‘Ancient & Modern Sorcery.’ Today we call sorcers witches and wizards. Have you ever seen the sitcom, ‘The Wizards of Waverly place?’ Hollywood and TV have come a long way from the days of Elizabeth Montgomery twitching her nose to perform magic tricks on her popular comedy sitcom ‘Bewitched,’ back in the 50’s and 60’s. Meanwhile, the whole USA and world have truly become possessed of another spirit which is not the Holy Spirit. During that same half century witchcraft and their evil angels have taken on an altogether different form and appearance so they are hardly detected as Satanic. Fortune tellers and gypsies with their crystal balls have been replaced by modern psychics, spiritual consultants, astrologers with their horoscopes, zodiac and tarot cards.
Because I am not able to improve on this original source from Patriarchs & Prophets I am going to share a few paragraphs here which clearly show how the worship of demons or evil spirits, idol worship and so-called communication with the dead are all tied together under the title and heading ‘Spiritualism,’ today.
“Nearly all forms of ancient sorcery and witchcraft were founded upon a belief in communion with the dead. Those who practiced the arts of necromancy claimed to have intercourse with departed spirits, and to obtain through them a knowledge of future events. This custom of consulting the dead is referred to in the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isaiah 8:19.
“This same belief in communion with the dead formed the cornerstone of heathen idolatry. The gods of the heathen were believed to be the deified spirits of departed heroes. Thus the religion of the heathen was a worship of the dead.” Note: Hitler’’s Third Reich was based on hero worship of past military warriors and conquerors of Europe.
“This is evident from the Scriptures. In the account of the sin of Israel at Bethpeor, it is stated: ‘Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor.’ Numbers 25:1-3. The psalmist tells us to what kind of gods these sacrifices were offered. Speaking of the same apostasy of the Israelites, he says, ‘They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead’ (Psalm 106:28); that is, sacrifices that had been offered to the dead.
“The deification of the dead has held a prominent place in nearly every system of heathenism, as has also the supposed communion with the dead. The gods were believed to communicate their will to men, and also, when consulted, to give them counsel. Of this character were the famous oracles of Greece and Rome. (Such as the oracle of Delphi). The belief in communion with the dead is still held, even in professedly Christian lands. Under the name of spiritualism the practice of communicating with beings claiming to be the spirits of the departed has become widespread. It is calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Spiritual beings sometimes appear to persons in the form of their deceased friends, and relate incidents connected with their lives and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead men to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them and communicating with them. Those who thus assume to be the spirits of the departed are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the word of God.
“There are many, however, who regard spiritualism as a mere imposture. The manifestations by which it supports its claims to a supernatural character are attributed to fraud on the part of the medium. But while it is true that the results of trickery have often been palmed off as genuine manifestations, there have also been marked evidences of supernatural power. And many who reject spiritualism as the result of human skill or cunning will, when confronted with manifestations which they cannot account for upon this ground, be led to acknowledge its claims.
“The Hebrews were expressly forbidden to engage in any manner in pretended communion with the dead. God closed this door effectually when He said: ‘The dead know not anything. . . . Neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.’ Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. ‘His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.’ Psalm 146:4. And the Lord declared to Israel: ‘The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.’ Leviticus 20:6.
The ‘familiar spirits’ were not the spirits of the dead, but evil angels, the messengers of Satan. “Ancient idolatry, which, as we have seen, comprises both worship of the dead and pretended communion with them, is declared by the Bible to have been demon worship. The apostle Paul, in warning his brethren against participating, in any manner, in the idolatry of their heathen neighbors, says, ‘The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.’ 1 Corinthians 10:20. The psalmist, speaking of Israel, says that ‘they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,’ and in the next verse he explains that they sacrificed them ‘unto the idols of Canaan.’ Psalm 106:37, 38. In their supposed worship of dead men they were in reality worshiping demons.
“Modern spiritualism, resting upon the same foundation, is but a revival in a new form of the witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned and prohibited of old. It is foretold in the Scriptures, which declare that ‘in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’ 1 Timothy 4:1.
Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the second advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ’s second coming, he declares that it is ‘after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:9. And Peter, describing the dangers to which the church was to be exposed in the last days, says that as there were false prophets who led Israel into sin, so there will be false teachers, ‘who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. . . . And many shall follow their pernicious ways.’ 2 Peter 2:1, 2. Here the apostle has pointed out one of the marked characteristics of spiritualist teachers. They refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: ‘Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.’ 1 John 2:22, 23. Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the manifestation of antichrist.
“By the prediction of Saul’s doom, given through the woman of Endor, Satan planned to ensnare the people of Israel. He hoped that they would be inspired with confidence in the sorceress, and would be led to consult her. Thus they would turn from God as their counselor and would place themselves under the guidance of Satan. The lure by which spiritualism attracts the multitudes is its pretended power to draw aside the veil from the future and reveal to men what God has hidden.” Patriarchs & Prophets pgs 684-686.
And yet beloved, there is more to idolatry than this because the human mind is capable of making almost anything into some kind of idol. In the famous Shakespearan play, Romeo & Juliet Juliet confesses her great affection and love for Romeo by telling him that if he wishes to declare to her his love that he need only swear by his own self, which, she said, is ‘the god of my idolatry.’ In other words, Romeo, I have not only fallen in love with you at first sight, but you have also become my idol.
And this is my point. Anything or anyone can become an idol to us if we allow it to displace our affection and worship of God Himself, our Creator. When a scribe heard Jesus’ excellent answer to a trick question from the Sadducees found in Mark 12 he asked Christ what the first or most important commandment of all? “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mk 12:28-34. Jesus also added a second command, namely, to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
And let me insert here that once you really learn to know the Father through Jesus, His only begotten son, then you truly will enter into the Father“s heart where you will become acquainted with the whole God family, i.e. Father, Mother, Son and daughter, because there are four of them, as we read in the first chapter of Ezekiel.
Why else would Satan try to counterfeit this with his male trinity of Father, Son and holy Ghost and then add Mary to make four. Paul tells us in Eph 3:14, 15 that the Father has a family in heaven and Gal 4:26 tells us that Jerusalem is the Mother of us all. Zion is another name for Jerusalem. That is why Isaiah and Jeremiah refer to the “Daughter of Zion” so many times. And Rev 22:17 says that the Spirit (Mother) and the Bride (Daughter) say to all of those weeping and crying outside of the New Jerusalem, “Come and drink of the water of life freely.”
If we hope to be among those who will be translated without seeing death we need to be like the 300 soldiers of Gideon”“s army (a type of the Elect or Barley Group) who not only had faith, courage and self control, but “They had not defiled themselves with idolatry. God could direct them, (because they did not have any other voices in their heads to confuse them) and through them He could work deliverance for Israel.” Notice the word defile. This is a word which especially refers to the work of unclean spirits which desecrate, contaminate, infect, corrupt, make dirty and deprive mankind of his God given rights, especially his sanity and freedom.
These evil spirits hide and lurk behind the false idols they have led men to make and create so they can play with their minds and thereby control their bodies. They are first of all wicked, filthy and unclean spirits. The Bible dictionary states under “Uncleanness,” that “In the NT uncleanness is used of immorality, unnatural vices, and sexual sins.” Rom 1:24, Eph 4:19; Col 3:5, I Th 4:7. So, an unclean spirit would be a satanic devil of sexual lust and perversion as mentioned in the prohibitions in the law of Moses which included incest, sex with animals and homosexual sex. Gay sex, as we know, is now being sanctioned and blessed by many churches throughout the world as well as the USA. In Rev 18:2 this very condition is outlined in detail as an exact description of modern Babylon. “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird…..And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven…” Same as in the days of Sodom, Gen 18:21. Jesus also predicted that as it was in the days of Noah and Lot so it will be again in the end of the world.
Now, I am going to quote a few paragraphs from the author of “Desire of Ages” which describes the moral condition of Israel and the world at the time Christ was incarnated into this world. Notice what is said re: how the Jews had caused the truth to become corrupted. And then remember the statement from this same author that the church today is following in the exact same steps of ancient Israel. That should truly make one stop and think. Especially when the gospel writers quote Jesus as saying that Israel “knew not” the time of her visitation.
Sometimes wicked men and criminals admit they have done wrong, especially when they are caught, put on trial and sentence to prison or death. But in the case of the nation that crucified God’s only Son we have yet to hear a confession or even an admission that they committed the crime of the ages when they crucified Jesus.
In the book of Judges we also read of a man who was given supernatural strength as a gift but perverted and wasted it on his own lustful desires and pleasures. When Samson was finally captured blinded by putting out his eyes we read, “And he wist (knew) not that the Lord was departed from him.” Judges 16:20. We also read of King Saul who was tormented by an evil spirit yet he never fully realized what was going on in his life. My point is beloved, one of the characteristics of evil spirits is to remain unknown and anonymous in their work of defiling and destruction. It is only by the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost that a person can come to his senses and realize what is going on. That is what happened to Saul of Tarsus. The question we must ask ourselves today is this: Is there some idol in my heart or mind that is leading and guiding me in my life without my even realizing it? Now, listen to this quote from Desire of Ages page 36.
“The message of salvation is communicated to men through human agencies. But the Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth which is eternal life. They had hoarded the living manna, and it had turned to corruption. The religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offense. They robbed God of His glory, and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction.
The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.
The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,–to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world”s Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold! Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.”
As I mentioned earlier, I found over 300 references to this subject of Idols and Idol worship. I am impressed to share with you a few of these as they pertain to this very topic of how the evil spirits work in the mind and life without detection of their victims. On page 209 the chapter title is: THE PERIL OF COVETOUSNESS. Here is the very first sentence: “Many of the people of God are stupefied by the spirit of the world, and are denying their faith by their works. They cultivate a love for money, for houses and lands, until it absorbs the powers of mind and being, and shuts out love for the Creator and for souls for whom Christ died. The god of this world has blinded their eyes:” This reminds me of another quote in which this same author states that “Satan works side by side with professed Christians, yet they do not detect him.” This is a paraphrase but I will quote the entire reference shortly. I just found this on line so I do not have to type it out. It is taken from Vol 2: 439.
The heading is: AN APPEAL TO THE CHURCH. The only paragraph I always quoted was on pages 441, 442 re: what I just quoted above re: how Satan works undetected and then the paragraph in which she says that “Christ has departed.” That always shocked and fascinated me that Jesus Christ had departed from the SDA church as early as 1868 and had never gotten back in. Incredible. It certainly helped me to understand why the leaders of the church had been trying to stop me except in May of 1977 when Elder Max Torkelson called together all the conf. Presidents of the N. Pacific Union to give me time to explain to them the work that I was doing.
We ended up having a meeting for 2 ½ hours in Elder Torkelson”“s office that day. Later I realized the Lord him to do that because of the character of God message. It was not about me per se, but about God”“s character that He wanted the people to have a chance to hear it. And that was granted that day, praise the Lord. And that was how the churches were opened during that period of time for about two years until we moved to West Virginia. Now, let”“s go to this quote. I will bold the words that pertain to our topic re: idols and evil spirits and being blind or not realizing what is going on.
October 2, 1868, I was shown the state of God”s professed people. Many of them were in great darkness, yet seemed to be insensible of their true condition. The sensibilities of a large number seemed to be benumbed in regard to spiritual and eternal things, while their minds seemed all awake to their worldly interests. Many were cherishing idols in their hearts and were practicing iniquity which separated them from God and caused them to be bodies of darkness. I saw but few who stood in the light, having discernment and spirituality to discover these stumbling blocks and remove them out of the way. Men who stand in very responsible positions at the heart of the work are asleep. Satan has paralyzed them in order that his plans and devices may not be discerned, while he is active to ensnare, deceive, and destroy.
Some who occupy the position of watchmen to warn the people of danger have given up their watch and recline at ease. They are unfaithful sentinels. They remain inactive, while their wily foe enters the fort and works successfully by their side to tear down what God has commanded to be built up. They see that Satan is deceiving the inexperienced and unsuspecting; yet they take it all quietly, as though they had no special interest, as though these things did not concern them. They apprehend no special danger; they see no cause to raise an alarm. To them everything seems to be going well, and they see no necessity of raising the faithful, trumpet notes of warning which they hear borne by the plain testimonies, to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins. These reproofs and warnings disturb the quiet of these sleepy, ease-loving sentinels, and they are not pleased. They say in heart, if not in words: “This is all uncalled for. It is too severe, too harsh. These men are unnecessarily disturbed and excited, and seem unwilling to give us any rest or quietude “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them.” They are not willing that we should have any comfort, peace, or happiness. It is active labor, toil, and unceasing vigilance alone which will satisfy these unreasonable, hard-to-be-suited watchmen. Why don”t they prophesy smooth things, and cry: Peace, peace? Then everything would move on smoothly.”
These are the true feelings of many of our people. And Satan exults at his success in controlling the minds of so many who profess to be Christians. He has deceived them, benumbed their sensibilities, and planted his hellish banner right in their midst, and they are so completely deceived that they know not that it is he. The people have not erected graven images, yet their sin is no less in the sight of God. They worship mammon. They love worldly gain. Some will make any sacrifice of conscience to obtain their object. God”s professed (this is important because it reveals that an idol can be something other than an actual image or statute.
Christ”s followers are required to come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean, and they have the promise of being the sons and daughters of the Most High, members of the royal family. But if the conditions are not complied with on their part, they will not, cannot, realize the fulfillment of the promise. A profession of Christianity is nothing in the sight of God; but true, humble, willing obedience to His requirements designates the children of His adoption, the recipients of His grace, the partakers of His great salvation. Such will be peculiar, a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men. Their peculiar, holy character will be discernible, and will distinctly separate them from the world, from its affections and lust.
I saw that but few among us answer to this description. Their love to God is in word, not in deed and in truth. Their course of action, their works, testify of them that they are not children of the light but of darkness. Their works have not been wrought in God, but in selfishness, in unrighteousness. Their hearts are strangers to His renewing grace. They have not experienced the transforming power which leads them to walk even as Christ walked. Those who are living branches of the heavenly Vine will partake of the sap and nourishment of the Vine. They will not be withered and fruitless branches, but will show life and vigor, and will flourish and bear fruit to the glory of God. They will be careful to depart from all iniquity and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
“Like ancient Israel the church has dishonored her God by departing from the light, neglecting her duties, and abusing her high and exalted privilege of being peculiar and holy in character. Her members have violated their covenant to live for God and Him only. They have joined with the selfish and world-loving. Pride, the love of pleasure, and sin have been cherished, and Christ has departed. His Spirit has been quenched in the church.
Satan works side by side with professed Christians; yet they are so destitute of spiritual discernment that they do not detect him. They have not the burden of the work. The solemn truths they profess to believe are not a reality to them. They have not genuine faith. Men and women will act out all the faith which they in reality possess. By their fruits ye shall know them. Not their profession, but the fruit they bear, shows the character of the tree. Many have a form of godliness, their names are upon the church records; but they have a spotted record in heaven. The recording angel has faithfully written their deeds. Every selfish act, every wrong word, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling, is faithfully chronicled in the book of records kept by the recording angel. T2 441, 442.
I was amazed as I beheld the terrible darkness of many of the members of our churches. The lack of true godliness was such that they were bodies of darkness and death, instead of being the light of the world. Many professed to love God, but in works denied Him. They did not love, serve, nor obey Him. Their own selfish interests were primary. With a large number there seemed to be an alarming lack of principle. They were swayed by unconsecrated influence and seemed to have no root in themselves. I inquired what these things meant. Why was there such a destitution of spirituality, so few who had a living experience in religious things? I was referred to the words of the prophet: “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.”
If any have not the Spirit of Christ, He is none of His.” Go to introduction of Great Controversy.
The great controversy between good and evil will increase in intensity to the very close of time. In all ages the wrath of Satan has been manifested against the church of Christ; and God has bestowed His grace and Spirit upon His people to strengthen them to stand against the power of the evil one. When the apostles of Christ were to bear His gospel to the world and to record it for all future ages, they were especially endowed with the enlightenment of the Spirit. But as the church approaches her final deliverance, Satan is to work with greater power. He comes down “having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12. He will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9. For six thousand years that mastermind that once was highest among the angels of God has been wholly bent to the work of deception and ruin. And all the depths of satanic skill and subtlety acquired, all the cruelty developed, during these struggles of the ages, will be brought to bear against God”s people in the final conflict. And in this time of peril the followers of Christ are to bear to the world the warning of the Lord”s second advent; and a people are to be prepared to stand before Him at His coming, “without spot, and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14. At this time the special endowment of divine grace and power is not less needful to the church than in apostolic days. Rom 8:9…If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, etc.
Blue beam technology deception….those who have the spirit of the anti Christ will accept him. How deep is your dedication and love for Christ. To what lengths would you go to show your love? What sacrifice would you be willing to make to reveal this love to the world? We are counseled to ask Jesus for help to sacrifice all.
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Revealing and Exposing Satan’s Plan to Deceive the World in Our Day
Throughout history the devil also known as Satan in both the Old and New Testaments has used deception in order to carry out his plans. Throughout the Old Testament era he was able to operate in virtual secrecy without being exposed as to his real identity and character. It was only through the ministry of Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God, that Satan was unmasked. We see this in Luke 10:17-20 where Jesus stated “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” This statement was prompted by the joyous report from the 70 disciples he sent to many cities where He planned to go. Luke 9:51 seems to indicate this was toward the end of His ministry. Chapter 53 of Desire of Ages, entitled: “THE LAST JOURNEY FROM GALILEE” is based on Luke 9:51-56 and Luke 10:1-24. Bible chronology gives the date of AD 32 for Luke 10 and AD 33 for Luke 11. So, the casting down or exposure of Lucifer or the devil has been progressive from the very beginning of the Great Controversy when Lucifer first began to plot the overthrow of God’s government. We read about this in Isaiah 14:12-14 as well as Ezek 28. Lucifer does not form his plans without counsel from his evil fallen angels as we see in I Kings 22:15-23.
In order to correctly interpret which Lord is speaking in this passage you must understand the true character of God in the OT as revealed in the life of Jesus. “I saw the Lord (Satan) sitting on his throne, and all the host of (evil angels) heaven standing by him on his right hand on his left. And the Lord (Satan) said, who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at ramoth gilead? And one said no this manner, and another said on that manner.
And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade (trick)* him. And the Lord (Satan) said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he, said, Thou shalt persuade (trick) him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you.” I Kings 22:19-23. KJV *NVC.
Numbers 23:19 tells us that “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? Or has he spoke, and shall he not make it good.” Psalm 89:34, 35 says the same thing. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.” Even the 9th Commandment tells us not to bear false witness. And God would not break His own law because it is a transcript of His very character. See also Heb 6:16-18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation.”
Now, also compare John 8:44 where Jesus stated that “Satan is a liar and a murderer from the beginning and the father of all lying.” So, this is Lucifer’s modus operandi from the beginning. I was recently reading “Secrets of the Lost Races” by Rene Noorenberg when I came across the following evidence about the wife of Japeth who wrote a diary about life before and after the flood of Noah.
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I am sharing the info below because Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be in the end of world (age).” Matt 24. As we see our present world descending into increasingly more savagery and chaos I was impressed to begin a deeper search into what really happened prior to the flood, 2,300 years after Creation.
This led me to begin reading Rene Noorbergen’s book “SECRET’S OF THE LOST RACES” again, where on page 70 and 71 he mentioned a book or diary written by Japeth’s wife. Here is what I have found out so far via Google which has several sites on this lady and her Diary or book. I found this statement quite interesting. “This desire also endangered the lives of his family. It so happened that the city was the royal seat of the one who ruled the planet. This ruler was known as Lucifer the Light Bearer, King of the Sun. He and his kind were ruling the earth for over 1100 years, since the days of Jared. These beings were known as the Devas. The Devas were angelic spirit beings that materialized into human form.”
It would seem that Lucifer’s desire for control and worship has not changed except that evidently, before the flood, he was able to manifest himself more openly because there was no angel or man to challenge his “divine” authority.
Evidently, after the flood the devil had to start over again from scratch with the three sons of Noah which was 1786 years from creation, 4004 BC. So, 2218 BC was the date for Gen 10 and 2247 BC was the date for the beginning of the tower of Babel. Gen 12 records the call of Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees as 1921 BC, 297 years after the languages were changed at the Tower of Babel. This no slowed everything down as far as both the true Lord and the false lord being able to communicate to the human race. An understanding of the Two Lords in the OT is necessary to delineate and identify the difference between the True Lord and the false lord.
How thankful we should be that Jesus was willing to become a man so everyone could see the real truth about the Father and the devil as well.
“Not until the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds. The archapostate had so clothed himself with deception that even holy beings had not understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his rebellion.” Desire of Ages, 758, 759.
In the days of Noah only eight people were saved on the ark from the flood because the moral character of the human race had sunk so low. And Jesus said the same conditions would exist in our day just before His Second Coming. But the Lord has promised that He will not only have a faithful Elect but 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel that He has preserved until our day Rev 7 and 14.
Thanks again to Jesus we will be able to detect the deceiver in his disguise even when he appears as an angel of light, 2 Cor 11:14.
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Alberto Part 6
Learn how the papacy helped start Islam, only to have this new daughter rebel against her. You’ll understand the Arab’s place in Bible prophecy. Muslims have been saved by reading this book. See how Rome guided the development of Islam, only to be double-crossed later.
Read how the Virgin Mary is being used to bring that rebellious daughter, Islam, back into cooperation with “Mother Church.” The global “super-church” is forming!
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On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 12:11 AM, Michael Clute wrote:
A short message I wrote to a person who believes God kills and always is very fearful about the future, etc almost all Christians are going to die, etc.
—–Original Message—–
From: Michael Clute
Sent: Tue, Sep 29, 2015 7:46 am
Subject: Re: pope said Christ failed on the Cross
I would like to hear about that. So, if you know the prophecy about that the Vatican in Rome is going to be destroyed who do you think will do it and why? This prophecy is from the book and the last Pope, #112.
If this prophecy is going to come to pass, i.e. that the Vatican will be destroyed then we have to ask why?? My answer for now, is that Satan is running out of time (knows that he has a short time Rev 12:12) and is sick and fed up with everyone who is supposed to help him become the King of the World…So, in his frustration he begins to destroy what he has been using previously which has been his modus operandi in the past. Remember he is a runaway rebel like the Prodigal son. He has thrown these kinds of tantrums before before in the past, like when he stopped killing Christians and let the Christian church go ahead and get set up because He could not stop it from growing. So, although the true message was changed to Sun worship he decided to try and pervert and distort it, which we know that he has done. We understand that part, AD 313 and on with Constantine. The point is that Satan could not stop the message that Jesus came and died and that His followers were willing to die for him which I do not think that he expected them to do…Another instance is when they took down the Berlin Wall…that failed too.
And then the changing of the last Pope, Benedict, and switching to this one, Francis. I think Satan does not know what he is doing…he is running scared. “The devils believe and tremble.” The devil has to ask advice from his own fallen angels as to what he should do. It is found in I Kings 22.
Also look at the Dragon in Rev. 12. He is enraged but he cannot kill the man child, who is the same as the ELECT. He failed to do that the same as he failed to kill Jesus at His birth and Jesus grew up and defeated him on the cross. I have a friend who has a series about how we always defeat Satan when we take up the cross and follow Him.
So, many will die in this end time but the Church of Philadelphia is going to be saved alive and be translated….Rev 3:7-12 and the false Jews….”Those who say they are Jews but do lie…I will cause/make them to come and bow down before you,” i.e. the Church of Philadelphia…. Why? Because they will have immortal bodies that the Father will give them which cannot be hurt of killed. This is really good news. But most will not believe it so they will die needlessly.
There is a lot more I could share but that is enough…and I don’t know if you will believe this or not but I have a lot more proof. I believe you are a sincere person Laurie and I do appreciate you. So, just sharing. God bless. Pastor Mike.