The Devil's End Times Tricks
By Jason Lovelace
Key Scripture:
Matthew 24.22-24 –
22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23Then
if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24For 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.
Mark 13.20-22 –
20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should
be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the
days. 21And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is
Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22For false
Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to
seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Luke 21.11,25 –
11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and
pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
25And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the
waves roaring;
1st Corinthians 11.13-15 –
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ: 14And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore
it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Revelation 13.2,12-15 –
2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon
gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 11And I beheld
another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and
he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first
beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship
the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth
great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the
means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the
beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he
had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the
beast should be killed.
What was the greatest trick that you ever saw
performed? Who do you think is the greatest magician or illusionist?
These are important questions, especially as we draw closer and closer to the
Tribulation and the event that Christians call the Rapture of the Church.
As the days draw nearer and nearer for the rise of the Antichrist and his
dominion over the whole earth, these questions become more and more relevant in
regards to tricks, miracles, and wondrous works. What does the Bible have
to say about end times events with regards to miraculous signs, wonderful works,
and “magical” actions? Could a trick or tricks be so well-performed that
people could be fooled into believing them to be real?
What the Devil Can do with Regards to
Miracles and Signs…
Many people truly underestimate the Devil. In
fact, one of the greatest tricks of the Devil is to lull people into believing
that he doesn’t really exist. Most people today, when someone mentions the
devil, think of him as a cartoonish character, wearing a red suit with horns on
his head, a pitchfork in his hand, a pointed tail, and a goatee. In most
cases, he is laughed off as harmless and ridiculous. This is probably his
greatest deception, as the devil is very, very powerful. According to
Isaiah 14, the devil was once known as Lucifer, and he is one of three named
angels in the Bible. Many Bible teachers and scholars believe that Lucifer
was the most powerful angel in heaven, as he is known as “the angel that covers”
in Isaiah. Being the angel that covers meant that no-one and nothing came
unto God’s presence without first passing through the pre-fallen Lucifer.
However, his power went to his head. Because of this power, when Lucifer
fell and became Satan and The Devil, he took 1/3rd of the angels in
heaven with him. The Bible describes the devil with many and varied names,
but he is one all in the same. The Bible further states in Galatians – one
of our Scripture Keys for today – that the devil can transform himself into a
righteous-looking angel, and not only thus, but so, too, can his angels that
follow him, and people who choose to follow him. We need to understand
that the devil is very, very powerful – far more powerful than people are, and
what people think. The Bible says that the devil – especially after the
beginning of the end times – will be able to perform miraculous signs and
wonderful works, even to the degree that – if people are not saved by the Blood
of Jesus Christ – many will be deceived, even some who claim to be Christians.
What, exactly, will these miraculous signs be? What will people see?
What could possibly be so wonderful-looking that people would and will willingly
give themselves over to total control of the devil? The Bible doesn’t say
exactly what these miraculous signs will be, in general, but a few are
explained. The fact that we need to remember is that the devil is powerful
– far more powerful than humans tend to give him credit for, and far more
powerful than a person is.
Everything the Devil does is a Counterfeit of
the Real Thing.
We need to remember this startling truth about Satan:
he cannot do anything, really, that is original. All that the devil does
is in imitation and mimic of Jesus Christ, and what he has done.
Everything that the devil offers is not lasting and, truly, will lead a person
who gives in right into perdition and damnation. The Bible speaks, as
well, that in the end times, the devil will do many miraculous signs, especially
after the event described as the Rapture. Something we need to remember is
that there is a world – yea, an eternity – of difference between a miraculous
sign and a miracle: A Miracle always brings lasting change, change that
will always lead to a decision about Jesus Christ; a miraculous sign never
really lasts for long, and often is used to trick or trap a person. The
latter is what the devil and his followers will and do perform. We see a
few of the signs that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be able
to perform. We see that the devil and the beast will appear to rise from the
dead, after suffering a death wound (Revelation 13.3). The false prophet,
in turn, will also appear to be able to make a statue or image of the beast to
live (Revelation 13.15), and to call down fire from heaven in the presence of
the beast (Revelation 13.12-13). However, we need to understand that these
miraculous signs are designed only to deceive, trick, and cause a person to give
up the most precious thing he or she possesses: his or her mortal soul.
This is the sole reason that the devil and his angels and willing human
followers appear to have power and the ability to perform miracles.
What the Devil Cannot Do with Regards to
Miracles…
Nothing that the devil does with regards to miracles
and signs truly gives life or peace. Just like with sin and the commission
of it, there is nothing wholesome that will come from the Devil’s miraculous
signs. The only reason these signs and miracles that the devil and his
minions will appear to be able to perform will be in order to steal, kill, and
destroy, as Jesus says in John’s Gospel. Unlike Jesus, who was (and Is)
God on earth, who gave life and changed the lives of all those he touched, the
devil will bring death with every miraculous sign. The devil is a creature
bent on death, and as such, he cannot deliver life. He further cannot tell
the truth: so it will be with his miraculous signs. Unlike the Lord
Jesus, who took a few loaves of bread and some fish, and, on two occasions, fed
thousands of people, giving them wholesome food on which to get home, the
devil’s “food” will leave the consumer empty, wanting, and his “bread” will
disappear like dust. Unlike Jesus, who turned water into the delicious,
fruity beverage at wedding in Cana, the devil’s beverage will leave the drinker drunken,
thirsty, and wanting. The devil cannot come through with the real thing,
no matter how he tries. This writer finds it interesting that movies and
TV Programs tend to give the devil so much power. In the movie Constantine, the devil was given more
power than God, even so far as defeating an archangel in a fight. In the
movie The Devil’s Advocate, the devil offered up much and delivered at
the end of the movie. Just as people tend to give the devil a lack of
credit and power, underestimating him, so people also tend to give him more
strength than he has (and therein, also, lies one of the secrets of his
strength: much akin to the elephant on the tiny rope, if the devil can
cow-tow people into believing that he has the strength of a chain, he can lead
people willingly on a small, thin rope). The devil, however, when compared
to God, is really and truly nothing. The Bible speaks on several occasions
that the devil is destroyed by a word form the mouth of God! The devil has
nothing with which to compare to God as far as strength and power! The
Bible further says that, currently, the devil and his cronies are being held in
check by the Holy Ghost. He cannot act, nor bring his man – the son of
perdition – to full power simply because of the Holy Ghost holding him in check.
However, there will come a day when the Holy Ghost will be taken away from the
Earth, and the devil will have total and full reign…
The End Times and the Devil’s “Miracles” and
“Signs” – Why They Will Be Necessary
So what exactly will the devil do to deceive people?
What kind of tricks does he have up his sleeve in order to trap people into
following him? What will he do to condemn the people the Bible speaks of
in today’s Scripture Keys? First and foremost, this needs to be said:
The devil does not have to
do much to get people to follow him!
Something we need to remember is what Jesus said:
No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6.24). If you are not a follower of
Jesus Christ, then you are a follower of the devil. It does not matter
which religion in this world you are following – and that includes Christianity
– if you do not have Jesus Christ in your heart as Lord and Saviour, you are
following the devil. There isn’t a lot he has to do to get people to
follow him in these present times. Just as with Adam and Eve in the
beginning, his temptations and tricky words are enough to get people to trust in
him and follow him. Maybe you are asking, “Why, then, will he need to do
all the miraculous signs and wonders?” The reason is the event that has
been predicted in the Bible for thousands of years, which has not taken place:
The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ. This will be literally an
earth-shaking event, which many will attempt to explain. While theories
will abound, the truth will largely be swept under the rug, especially by the
man who will be known as the Antichrist. This will need to be addressed
because this event will touch literally everyone across the globe. While
many people may be asleep when the Rapture takes place, many more will be awake,
and watching in broad daylight. Many people may be talking to a Christian,
or working with one, or watching one, when the rapture takes place. It
will literally happen right before peoples’ eyes! Perhaps someone will see
a Christian disappear right in front of them, and though they may outwardly try
to laugh it off as the next step in evolution or alien abduction, in their heart
of hearts, they will likely know what happened. It is because of so many
millions coming to know Christ because of the rapture that the Antichrist, the
devil, and the rest of his followers will have to act, and act with signs and
wonders great enough to convince the world that true power lies not with God,
but with them.
The End Times and the Devil’s “Miracles” and “Signs” – What
These Will Be
The Bible, again, makes only a few of the miraculous
signs and wonders that the devil and his followers will do evident. What
we do know is that things will get progressively worse and worse as the
Antichrist and his government consolidates power. What will the signs and
wonders that the devil, the antichrist, and the false prophet look like?
What will they be able to do? Again, an exact, sure description of what
they will do is not listed, save for a few exceptions. However, looking at
what draws people to TV, Movies, and other forms of visual entertainment, as
well as false beliefs, we can speculate:
I. Aliens –
To even take a cursory look at the paranormal, we can see that much of peoples’
attentions are drawn to UFOs, aliens, and Science Fiction in general.
Anyone who disagrees can go and take a look at the popularity of the Alien
Series, Independence Day, Signs, Mars Attacks!,
Transformers, Star Wars, Star Trek,
Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th
Century, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, E.T.,
Alien Nation, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and other
well-known science fiction films and television programs. It seems that
more and more people are becoming totally engrossed in UFOs, aliens,
extra-terrestrials, and alien mysteries (such as the “face” on Mars). If
such is the case, could it also be that this is an avenue that the devil could
use to coerce and trick people into believing he has their best interests in
mind? Jesus says in the Gospels that there will be signs and wonders in
the sky, that there will be sings in the sun, the moon, and in the heavens.
Could Jesus be referring to what we are seeing today with regards to alleged UFO
and Alien sightings? Since the alleged Roswell Incident, in which a UFO is
said to have crashed, and the bodies of dead aliens recovered, now many people
have seen UFOs or aliens? Could the devil, being the powerful creature
that he is, use UFOs, Aliens, and science fiction as signs to deceive a
population that is hard-pressed for answers, in the wake of the Rapture?
What more powerful message could there be to delude than an Alien Vessel
landing, and offering words of peace to the inhabitants of Earth? What
greater message of hope could be given in that these Aliens may profess to know
exactly what happened to those who were “taken” (raptured), and that an alliance
with them will keep it from happening again, or that this alien race that has
landed with words of peace has been at war with the “takers” for centuries, and
that this has happened before on other worlds?
II. Ghosts –
As with UFOs, more and more people are reporting seeing ghosts. There are
literally hundreds of thousands of websites dedicated to ghosts, showing photos
of ghosts, and dealing with this aspect of the so-called paranormal. Using
ghosts or spirits of the deceased is nothing new in the devil’s arsenal of
tricks, as even in the Bible, there are stories of witches being called on to
cal up the spirits of the deceased. However, we are literally seeing in
this day and age a boom in the number of sightings of ghosts, spirits, and
phantoms. A recent search on Google came up with 64 million hits for the
words “ghost photos”. Further, as with Science fiction Movies, we are
seeing an upswing in the number of Ghost or Ghost-related movies from Hollywood. In the
end times, following the Rapture, when the devil has perhaps his greatest amount
of power, ghosts could very well be used to deceive those that are left behind
into rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even “ghosts” of those taken
away in the Rapture could be used to dissuade people from believing the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. What message could loved ones have to give them hope than
to hear from their very own loved ones that were taken that they are safe and
happy? What other message could frighten those loved ones, on the flip
side of this coin, than to hear from their “taken” loved ones that they were so
terribly and horribly wrong in their beliefs?
III. Vampires, Werewolves, and Other
Monsters – Probably no other genre of movie type has had
such a rise in recent days as that dealing with classic movie monsters.
From the Nightmare on Elm Street Series, to the Friday the
Thirteenth series, to the various werewolf, vampire, and super-monster
movies, to the recent Mummy movies, no genre of movie has enjoyed such great
popularity. Could there be something else, something more sinister, behind
it? Could the devil, with the power that he has, use such “undead” types,
like a werewolf, a vampire, a nightmarish thing such as Freddy Kruger, or a
seemingly unstoppable killer like Jason Voorhees, to literally scare and
frighten people away from the Gospel? To see a relatively “normal” person
transform into a werewolf in front of someone could do wonders to persuade
someone to reject the Gospel. To further see a vampire turn into a bat, an
animal, or some other thing, would do much to dissuade people from following the
Lord.
IV. Zombies, Walking Dead –
If there is another genre of film that has had a marked increase in popularity
and production, one that can match the werewolf/vampire/monster movie genre, it
is the genre of the “zombie” movie. From the first of these movies,
Night of the Living Dead (1968) to the recent 28 Days/Weeks Later
and Resident Evil series, zombie movies have been made almost ad.
infinetum, most of them gaining incredible popularity. The remake of
Dawn of the Dead in 2004 replaced The Passion of the Christ as the
#1 movie when it was released, and the Resident Evil and 28
movies have also gained incredible followings and popularity. Could it be
that the devil, knowing the popularity of these movies, will use zombies and
zombie hordes to delude people from following the Gospel and finding the truth?
We need to understand, too, in light of zombies, werewolves, and vampires that
not only can these be made to look real, act real, and seem real by the devil,
but also that there will be a second resurrection, in which, the bodies and
spirits of those who disbelieved and rejected Jesus Christ will take place.
In fact, according to Scripture, this will happen towards the end of the
Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Could it be that, when the devil is
loosed for one more try at the end of the 1,000-year reign of Christ, that
millions of zombies will march with him, in an attempt to make one last attempt
to wrest power away from God? We must understand, friends, in the light of
Scripture, that the devil will have many tricks in his bag, many cards up his
sleeve that, because of the strength of the Holy Ghost in the world right now,
he will finally be able to fully and totally use when the Rapture takes place,
and the Holy Ghost for a time is absent from the world. Whatever the case, the
devil will certainly have greater strength in the world than he has now, and
very likely, he will use zombies and the “undead” to deceive people into
believing in him, and rejecting Jesus Christ.
V. Witches and Satanists –
Wicca, a self-described “nature” religion is one of the fastest-growing
religions in the world, and there are many and various forms of Wicca throughout
the USA. Witchcraft in general has
seen a steady increase in the last half-century, and Satanism – ever since the
establishment of the Church
of Satan by Anton LaVey in 1966 – has also
seen steady increases in followers and adherents. These groups, and many
others like them, seek power from Satan ,and after the Rapture takes place,
these groups and their followers will very likely see a great upswing in their
abilities with regards to “magic”, and this magic very well will be spectacular,
even to the practitioner himself or herself. We need to understand that
the devil will use any willing person to do his bidding, and after the Rapture,
when the devil has such increased power as he has not at the present, due to the
strength of the Holy Ghost at work in the world today, he will make it appear to
all around that Wiccans, witches, and Satanists have indeed been given the kind
of power that they crave. The followers of Wicca, witchcraft, and Satanism
in their varying forms may be given the power to do very extraordinary things,
such as appear to make the sun, moon, and stars move upon command; cause the
weather to change in an instant; “create” life from the ground or water;
“control” fire with a snap of their fingers or a word from their mouths; and
perform any number of gravitational and/or levitation tricks to the extent that
they may even appear to fly. In reality, these will merely be strong
illusion and stronger delusion in order to keep people in the Tribulation Period
from coming to know the saving power of Jesus Christ.
VI. Instantaneous “Evolution” –
Anyone who has been alive in the last several decades knows that one of the
greatest debates in the world today, especially in the technologically advanced
world, is between Creation and Evolution. One of the main arguments
against Evolution has to do with why there is no evolution being seen today, why
there have been no significant changes in any of the billions of species of
plant and animal life on the earth in the last century. However, after the
Rapture, the devil may very well use his power to effect some accelerated,
quick, evolutionary change to animals or plants in order to bolster the argument
of atheistic, agnostic evolution. Some plant or animal may be used and
changed in an instant, or even over a period of a few months, rather than the
millions of years that Evolution requires, to prove that the tenets of
Darwin’s Idea
are correct. Further, the Rapture itself will likely be called and deemed
some advancement for humans in the process of evolution, that such a
disappearance to a “greater plane of existence” is part of the evolutionary
idea. It could also be explained that, since these people who were
raptured away were somehow “weak” that the world is ridding itself of the weaker
members in the order of the idea of “survival of the fittest”.
VII. Miraculous Signs by Cult Leaders –
We’ve all heard, and laughed at, some of the claims made by the leaders of
various pseudo-Christian denominations in the past. Men like Sun Myung
Moon and his claims to being the new Christ on earth, or Oral Roberts, and his
vision of a 900-foot-tall Jesus appearing before him, telling him to raise a
million dollars or he’d die, or the different and various so-called prophecies
of past leaders of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses), to the
“personages” seen by Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, cult leaders
will likely be given great power by the devil in order to further deceive
unbelievers into rejecting the truth. As Jesus states in the Gospels,
these men and women will likely have great power at this time to perform
seemingly godly miracles, and they may even be given the power to fight against
and appear to defeat by their signs those who follow Wicca, witchcraft, and
Satanism – these three groups being seen as diametrically opposed to them.
Even further, Christian Leaders who, because of lack of belief and faith in the
saving power of the blood of Jesus Christ, may also be given miraculous powers
to further deceive people into disbelieving the Gospel, thereby causing millions
more to fall away from Jesus Christ. All of this will be a ruse in order
to further blind the unbelieving world into giving power and control to the
devil.
VIII. Living or “Real” Superheroes –
There can be no doubt that comic book and movie superheroes have long captured
peoples’ imaginations. In 1938, he Super Hero genre was established with
the successful publishing of the first Superman Comic Book., there has been a
literal explosion of Superheroes, Super-Heroines, and Super-Villains, and each
with a comic book series to go along with. Even further is the recent
proliferation of Superhero movies, such as the Fantastic Four, the Superman,
Spiderman, and Batman Serials, and their amazing gross totals in the box office
receipts. Cult be that the devil will use some sort of seemingly “real
life” superhero to deceive the world away from Jesus Christ? Could a “real
life” Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, or other superhero arise,
with amazing powers in which people are amazed surprised, and led away from the
saving Gospel of Jesus Christ? Could the devil give special powers to one
of his demons or to a human follower, the likes of which make comic book lore
come to life, and offer this kind of power, as well, to all who will follow him?
Further, could the devil create a super-villain, such as Marvel’s Carnage or DCs
Doomsday to fight against a superhero, and thus, further lead people astray?
Each and every country – especially the technologically advanced – seem to have
their own superheroes of some kind or another, along with their super-heroines
and super-villains. Could the devil use his heightened powers at the time
following the Rapture to lead people astray by “creating” superheroes with the
express intent to lead unbelievers further astray?
IX. Living or “Real” Cartoon and
Animation Characters – For many people in the world today,
all one really needs to say is one name that instantly captures everyone’s
imagination: Mickey Mouse. Only slightly lesser-known but just as
beloved would be Bugs Bunny and the characters created by Warner Brothers
Studios. In the world today there are any and many cartoon and animation
characters. Some are written, drawn, and designed for children, some for adults,
some for good intentions, some for ill. The fact of the matter is that in
the last century, there has been an explosion of cartoons and animations, with
movies, newspaper sections, books, and magazines galore full of any number of
characters, ranging from playful and funny, to evil and diabolical. Japan has become, in recent decades,
a country that has produced animations and animation characters to the Nth
degree. In the United States, animation films from such film companies as
Dinsey, Dreamworks, and Pixar have set and broken box-office records time and
time and time again. Following the Rapture, it is not unimaginable that
the devil could use some sort of living animation to deceive and dissuade people
from accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the truth of the Rapture.
Any children that may be left behind, or that may come of age during the
tribulation period will easily be dissuaded from the Gospel simply by tuning in
to their local television station, or opening up the latest comic book.
Teens and young adults, as well, through video games, comic magazines, and
movies could also be dissuaded by the devil by animation films with seem to come
to life right before them. The popularity of cartoon and animation
programs and movies, such as South
Park and The Simpsons lead
to the fact that animations are effective not only with children and younger
ages, but also with adults. Could the devil use animations to his own
designs to turn people away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially through
a “live” appearance by some of today’s favorites?
Will all of these signs that have been described here
happen exactly like this? Will the devil use any one of these or all of
these in order to fulfill his wish of deceiving people into a Christless
Eternity? We cannot say for certain that any of these will be used, but
seeing how there has been significant rise in all of these areas in these
post-modern days, one cannot help but believe that some aspect of all of these
will be used by the devil to deceive and cause people to turn away from the
truth of the Rapture and, ultimately, the truth of Jesus Christ. What we
need to understand through all of this is that at the passing of the Rapture,
the devil will be given more control, more power, and will seem to have more
strength in the world. As the Bible clearly states, the devil is already
empowered with the ability to deceive, and this is even now in this day and age
when the presence of the Holy Ghost is still strong on the earth. How much
more powerful will Satan be when the Holy Ghost is removed for a time, following
the Rapture of the church? Nothing can really be taken off of the table,
as far as the means for the devil to use to deceive, steal, and destroy the
lives of people who will be all too open, easy, and ready to be deceived.
What All of these Have in Common…
When one takes the time to look at each and every
area of the nine aspects listed above, we see a very common theme: In each
and every one of these, Jesus Christ is either not present, or distorted or
mocked if he does appear. Websites and groups that search into the
paranormal, investigating UFOs and Ghosts, rarely – if ever – have anything to
say regarding the Bible, and if they do, it usually isn’t positive.
Movies, books, Television shows, and other media that have anything to do with
vampires, mummies, werewolves, or zombies also have nothing positive to say
concerning Jesus Christ or the power of God, and instead show God as powerless,
the saving grace and Gospel of Jesus Christ ineffective. Witches, wiccans,
Satanists, as well as cults, distort or totally oppose Jesus Christ and his
Gospel, making God out to be something he is not. Evolution has long been
an opponent of anything having to do with God or the Bible, even theistic
evolution totally distorting what the Bible says with regards to the creation of
all things. Also, superhero comic books usually deny the existence of or
the power of God was he is described in the Bible, instead causing people to
place their trust in the superhero for salvation and freedom. Further,
most animations in today’s world totally ignore, totally disregard, and/or mock
Jesus Christ, desecrating his life, his ministry, and his proper position as
God. Even such so-called "Christian" animations, such as VeggieTales,
have been watered down when they hit the big screen and movie theatres in order
to be more appealing to the secular world. We need to understand that
anything that rejects Jesus Christ is accepting of the devil. Most people
disbelieve this, but the fact of the matter is that anything that rejects Jesus
Christ is leaving itself open for influence, and even possession by the devil.
This includes people as well as the things that people create, especially arts
that have the power to influence people for or against Jesus Christ and his
Gospel. The sad truth about all of the areas and all of the things
mentioned above is that each one, in one way or another, reject Jesus Christ,
and anything that rejects Jesus Christ is accepting of the devil and his lies.
The Devil’s Greatest Trick
After looking at the possible deceptions above, we
cannot overlook the devil’s greatest trick in his attempt to deceive and cheat
people out of going to heaven. The devil’s greatest deceptive trick will
come in the form of two men. The first is called “The False Prophet” by
the Bible, and the second, “The Beast” or “The Antichrist”. Both of these
men will be given extraordinary powers, for the sole purpose of deceiving the
world. They will be given power, and their power will be immense. The
False Prophet will have the power to call down fire from heaven, akin to the
prayerful power that Elijah possessed. He will further be able to give
life to an image of the Beast, so that it will command people to bow down, and
take the mark of the beast. The False Prophet is described as a beast
coming out of the earth, having a tongue like a dragon (Revelation 13.11).
Just as the serpent deceived and tricked Eve and Adam into sinning in the Garden
of Eden, so too will the False Prophet have the extraordinary ability to seduce
with his words. The Beast will, in turn, have even greater power. He will
be able to speak powerfully (Revelation 13 says he will speak as a lion),
insomuch that he will also cause people to be greatly deceived. He will be
given immense power to perform signs and wonders in front of people, and he wil
be so charismatic, so believable, so refreshing that people will follow him and
worship him as god (Revelation 13.8). In reality, these two men will be no
more than clever deceptions of the devil, and in fact, the Beast will be
indwelled by the devil at some point in the tribulation. At some point in
the tribulation, as well, the Antichrist will receive some sort of mortal wound,
something that everyone will see, and will appear to die. But, just as
with everything else that the devil does, the Antichrist will mimic Christ’s
resurrection with one of his own, and, unlike Jesus’ resurrection, everyone will
see the revival of the Antichrist. For seven years, the False Prophet and
the Antichrist will reign, given power from the devil himself, and at the end of
that seven years, both the False Prophet and the Antichrist will have brought
horrifying, terrible destruction upon the Earth. Blame will be cast on
God, as the Book of Revelation states time and again, but in reality, it will be
the fault of the people of the earth, having given into the deceptive tricks and
subtle persuasion of the devil through just about every means.
How to Avoid Being Deceived
There really is only one way to avoid being deceived
by the devil: trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Without the
covering of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, you, friend and reader, are in
eternal and mortal danger. The devil can do anything whatsoever he chooses
with you if you do not have Jesus Christ on the inside, and have not trusted in
him for salvation. The Bible states that though the followers of Jesus
Christ won’t be deceived, it will be a close run thing because of the good
disguises and clever deception of the devil and his minions. However, the
Holy Ghost, which lives in the hearts and minds of those who’ve received Jesus
into their hearts and minds, will lead, and does lead, each and every follower
of Jesus Christ into the truth. If you, reader, try to make it on your
own, you will only end up being horribly deceived, tricked into giving up that
thing which is the most precious thing you possess: you very heart and
soul. You may fight temptation, you may fight that deception for a time,
but eventually, you will give in because you do not have the covering of the
blood of Jesus Christ on your heart and life, have not taken the seal of the
Father in heaven, and have not the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you.
The only way to avoid the deception that is coming – yea, the only way to avoid
even being caught in the tribulation – is to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and
Saviour. Then and only then, and walking with Jesus every day for the rest
of your life, will you truly be safe from the deceptive tricks and subtle
schemes of the devil. Come to Jesus today, won’t you? He will accept
you, forgive you, and walk with you if you really want him to.
Conclusion – Ready to
Receive, or Ready to Be Deceived?
This is an important question, because the Bible
states with frightening clarity that the whole world will fall under the
deception that will be created and maintained by the Devil, the Antichrist, and
the False Prophet. While there will be believers in the times of the
Tribulation, those times will be extremely hard, extremely trying during that
time. Most of the world will be deceived by the Antichrist, by the False
Prophet, and by the devil. This is not a threat to scare anyone into
believing Jesus Christ as Saviour, this is not a trick to lure someone into the
church, this is not a scare tactic to get numbers for any particular church or
denomination: this is the bona fide truth. The sad reality today is
that everyone who has not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are in
danger of being deceived, being tricked, and of losing his or her very soul to
eternal damnation. Another sad truth is that many people will go through
the tribulation when they do not have to, for by the saving blood of Jesus
Christ, anyone who receives is saved, and will be saved from that hour of wrath.
The Bible states clearly:
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but
to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…”
– I Thessalonians 5.9
Friend, if you are reading this today, and would like
to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, you can do so right
now. Simply Pray a prayer similar to this:
Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I am a
sinner. I know that I have transgressed your law and am worthy of the
eternal destruction that the Bible speaks of. I am sorry for my sins, and
apologize for the trespasses that I have committed against you. With your
help, Dear Father, I repent of my sins, and turn away from them, and I ask for
your forgiveness, in Jesus Precious Name, and by his blood. I recognize,
here and now, Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, Risen again form the dead, and
that he reigns ever more. Thank you, father, for your Holy Ghost. I
pray all of this in Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.
Friend, if you prayed that prayer, and were serious and
meant business with the Lord, you are now his Child. Your salvation can
never be taken away, and you will reign with Jesus Christ forever more! It
is important that you find a church to attend where the Bible is preached, where
Christ is praised, worshipped, and revered as Lord and Saviour, and where the
Bible is the foundation. You now have the Holy Ghost living inside of your
heart, and he will guide you to all truth. Read your bible every day,
starting with the Gospel of John, and try to read a chapter a day. Also,
begin to set aside a time of prayer, as God wants to meet with you every day!
The devil will assault you, telling you that what happened isn’t real, that you
are not saved, and that Jesus Christ is a farce. However, the Bible says
that you can know that you are saved (I John 5.13). Don’t give in to the
devil’s lies nor his tricks! As a believer, you can now fight against the
devil, and defeat him so long as you trust in Christ’s strength, and not your
own. Best of all, you will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, and, when the
rapture happens, you will go with the other believers, and miss out on the
Tribulation. Those who have chosen not to believe, not to pray the prayer
above, please understand that the longer you wait, the more you reject Jesus
Christ, the harder it will be later to turn to him, and if you reject him now,
when the Rapture happens and the Tribulation begins, you very likely will reject
him for ever. I beg you: trust in Jesus Christ today! Alone,
you are too weak to fight against and avoid being taken in by the devil’s
tricks! The choice is yours: Receive and believe, or be tricked and
deceived. There is no middle ground!
Prayer –
Father in heaven, we glorify your name! Thank you, Lord, for
loving us so much that you came out of heaven, took on human flesh, laid down
your life, and died for us, in our place. Thank you for rising again from
the dead, to complete the victory over the devil. We pray, Lord, that
anyone reading this will be drawn closer to you, and understand that the Devil
has many, many tricks, and many, many schemes, of which he is successful in
using in the world today. Help those, Father, who are searching, to find
you, and may this lesson plant a seed in everyone’s lives which will grow into a
bountiful fruition. We pray this in Jesus Christ’s wonderful and precious
Name, Amen.
Verse to Remember:
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.”
– 1st Corinthians 11.14