Fearful sights of a
supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the
power of miracle-working demons. 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.
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