Headlines for a day Friday, 29 April, 2011, 8:00:59 PM
Its amazing how many prophecy related stories appear in a single day now. I can recall several years ago, weeks would pass before we'd see anything prophetically related in the news. These days there are several such stories in the news almost hourly, and then there are days like this in which you can barely fit all of the stories into one post:
IAEA chief: Syria tried to secretly build nuclear reactor
The head of the UN atomic watchdog, Yukiya Amano, on Thursday said for the first time that Syria tried in the past to secretly build a nuclear reactor, which was destroyed by Israeli warplanes five years ago, The Associated Press reported. The IAEA carried out an agreed inspection of another Syrian plant earlier in April as part of a long-stalled probe into suspected covert nuclear activity.
Muslim Brotherhood Urges Protests In Syria
The banned Muslim Brotherhood has called on Syrians to take to the streets to protest against the regime ahead of Friday prayers. The declaration is the first time that the Brotherhood, whose leadership is in exile, have called directly for demonstrations since pro-democracy demonstrations against President Bashar al Assad's autocratic rule erupted six weeks ago.
European governments will discuss the situation on Friday
A push for the UN Security Council to condemn the crackdown was blocked by Russia, China and Lebanon on Wednesday night.
Fayyad: PA Already Moving to Make Jerusalem its Capital
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad used his weekly address to tell listeners the PA would be making unilateral moves to establish Jerusalem as the capital for a PA stat
Telling listeners the last two years [during which the PA adamantly refused to sit down and discuss peace with Israel -Ed.] had focused on resistance to Israeli "occupation" of eastern Jerusalem, Fayyad said that now it was time to focus instead on turning the city into a capital for a PA state.
U.S. dollar's dizzying drop wreaks economic havoc
The U.S. dollar’s long decline has turned into a sudden plunge, throwing currency markets into a frenzy that is complicating life for policy makers and executives the world over. The U.S. dollar is in the midst of what Nomura Securities International analyst Jens Nordvig called a “violent … weakening move,” as a confluence of factors drive investors to seek short-term gains outside the United States.
America's Fiscal High Noon
According to the unclassified 2009 report “Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses” by financial analyst Kevin D. Freeman, what’s referred to as “Bear Raid II” — phase III of an economic terrorist attack against the United States — is poised to fatally hit the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. dollar, causing the collapse of America’s economy.
It was a threat former Secretary of State James A. Baker III underscored on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on April 10, noting if the dollar was replaced as the global reserve currency, it would be catastrophic for America.
Yet red flags galore signal that the train has already left the station.
US South drought Causes Massive Crop Losses
A devastating drought intensified across Texas over the last week, with high winds and heat causing "massive crop losses," and weather experts said Thursday that little relief was in sight. Ranchers were struggling to feed and water cattle, and farmers were left to watch their crops shrivel into the dusty soil. Some experts estimated that producers were giving up on up to 70 percent of the state's wheat acreage.
Fuchs said the drought in Texas was one of the worst in decades. The dramatically lower-than-normal amount of moisture in the soil has caused widespread crop failures, including to the state's hard red winter wheat crop.
Texas is a key production area for wheat. The losses there and in parts of the U.S. Plains hit by drought will aggravate already short supplies around the world.
Soaring crude prices putting squeeze on U.S. GDP
As crude prices soar, oil dependence is once again proving a glaring vulnerability for the U.S. economy and, ultimately, the global recession. “That’s the single biggest risk to the U.S. and the global recovery at this point, the risk that oil prices are not done with us yet,” said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. “And they could rise further.”
On Thursday, crude futures neared $113 a barrel, up more than 40% since November and up more than 30% in the last three months alone. The current price was last hit in April 2008.
US at risk of war with China, Russia
The US is at the risk of a war with Russia and China as its main objective behind engineering the Libyan war and Syrian unrest is to remove the two world powers out of the Mediterranean, a former US official warns.
“Washington is all for invading against Libya and is putting more and more pressure to intervene in Syria because we want to … clear China and Russia out of the Mediterranean,” Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary to US Treasury in Panama City said in an interview with Press TV.
“Once Russia and China come to the conclusion that the Americans simply cannot be dealt with it in any rational way and are determined to somehow subdue them and do them damage, all kinds of escalations can result. This is the real danger and we’re risking a major war,” the former senior US official cautioned.
Iran's growing clout
The fast-paced political earthquakes in the Middle East that we have been witnessing in recent weeks have one common denominator -- President Obama's influence in the region has shrunk to somewhere between a pittance and zero, while Iran's has been bolstered across the board.
By his inability to shape events, Obama created a political vacuum that Iran's theocratic rulers are filling at an accelerating pace
Abbas completely distanced himself from Obama by cutting a reconciliation deal with Hamas, another terrorist surrogate of Iran. Riding high, Tehran immediately blessed the Fatah-Hamas "unity' agreement, brokered by Cairo's new power elite, as "the first achievement of the Egyptian revolution." Hamas immediately vowed there would be ''no recognition, no negotiations'' with Israel with Hamas sharing power.
Barak reiterates: Israel won't talk to Palestinian government that includes Hamas
Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued an official response on Thursday to the announcement of Palestinian reconciliation, saying there was "no chance that we will talk with this government, if they try to create it."
"Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization that fires rockets on citizens and recently fired an anti-tank missile at a school bus of students," Barak said. "This is an organization with whom there is nothing to discuss, and therefore we will have no discourse with them."
Earlier in the day, Barak had said that Israel should negotiate with the planned Fatah-Hamas Palestinian unity government only and if it renounces terror activities and recognizes Israel.
In his official statement, the defense minister also demanded that Israel's international friends also refuse to speak with a unity government which includes Hamas, unless the group "undergoes a deep and fundamental change."
The Palestinian announcement was met with skepticism, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warning that a reconciliation deal could result in a Hamas takeover of the currently PA-ruled West Bank.
Lieberman told Army Radio of his fears that Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, would eventually take over the Palestinian Authority-ruled West Bank as well, making use of Hamas activists freed by Fatah as part of the new agreement.
President Shimon Peres also commented on the burgeoning Palestinian reconciliation agreement on Thursday, saying he felt the deal was a mistake that could prevent the formation of an independent Palestinian state.
Posted by Prophecy Update
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Weeping With Wilkerson
Weeping With Wilkerson (or These Strange Manifestations Are Not the Holy Ghost)
Thursday, 28 April 2011 11:40 AM EDT Jennifer LeClaire
People will remember David Wilkerson, who was killed in a head-on collision in Tyler, Texas on Wednesday, for many different things.
Some will remember him for his books, like The Cross and the Switchblade, which became a best-selling phenomenon with more than 15 million copies sold in over 30 languages. Others will remember him for launching Teen Challenge, a nationwide ministry to reach out to people with life controlling habits. Still others will remember Wilkerson for his sometimes controversial prophetic words.
I will remember Wilkerson for all of that and more, but there is one particular message this general of the faith preached more than a decade ago that I believe needs to be shouted from the rooftops in these last days. (Indeed, many of Wilkerson’s uncompromising messages need to be trumpeted in this hour, but a particular sermon he preached in Moscow in 2000 has weighed heavy on my heart since I first saw it a few years ago.) As was often the case with Wilkerson’s sermons, it was relevant when he preached it but it grew even more relevant as time went on.
Wilkerson’s sermon topic addressed strange manifestations that people wrongly attribute to the Holy Ghost. Now, Wilkerson was an Assemblies of God man who was well acquainted with the Holy Spirit. He was certainly one to flow with the Spirit of God. He heard from God. And it grieved his heart to witness the rise of strange manifestations in the name of the Holy Spirit—manifestations that were certainly not of God.
In his sermon, Wilkerson tells a story of a woman who was confused about what was going on in her local church. She explained, “Many of our church don’t know what to do. We were having wonderful services. The Spirit of the Lord was with us. But our pastor thought there was more. The church wasn’t growing fast enough. And he heard of revival. He went to this revival. He came home three months ago. He got up to preach. And he started to laugh for half an hour. He couldn’t control himself. He just laughed and laughed. There was no preaching. And he told us, ‘This is a new move with the Holy Ghost’.”
I want to stress this point: Wilkerson went on to explain that this wasn’t a one-time incident at that local church. This wasn't some spontaneous outbreak of holy laughter. It went on for three solid months. There was no preaching for three months of Sundays. Only uncontrollable laughing. Wilkerson asked a pointed question: “The Holy Ghost who wrote [the Bible], who said, ‘The truth sets you free,’ will He cause the minister to laugh so he cannot preach this Word?” I'm not against laughing, but three months of laughing at the neglect of equipping the saints with the Word of God?
Without naming names, Wilkerson called out ministries where people barked like dogs and made other bizzare animal noises. He referenced unnamed churches where people hiss and wiggle on the floor like snakes. He described many strange manifestations—and explained how people call it the Holy Ghost. Fighting back the tears, Wilkerson said crediting these sorts of manifestations to the Holy Ghost makes Him look like a fool. Before the end of the sermon, Wilkerson was overcome with grief and began sobbing in his hands.
Did the Body of Christ heed this prophet’s warning? Perhaps some did. But I have witnessed those things Wilkerson called out and perhaps worse over the past year.
Please don't get me wrong. I am all for experiencing the authentic power of God. I am all for valid manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I love to witness signs, wonders and miracles. I expect to see more of that in the days ahead. But I am concerned that some are ill-equipped to discern the difference between the Spirit of God and strange fire.
I’ve been to prayer meetings where a woman’s eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly as if she was under demonic control. (Are you going to tell me that the Holy Spirit rolls your eyes in the back of your head when you pray in the Spirit?) During service I saw that same woman up on the platform singing, then she abruptly stopped worshipping to prophesy utter nonsense for 10 minutes. The pastor did nothing.
I’ve seen people “toking” imaginary marijuana cigarettes and passing it down the line as if the Holy Ghost is some sort of drug. Again the pastor did nothing. People meow like cats, grown men lay on the floor in a sweaty huddle for hours, either unconscious or in some sort of funky haze, and teenagers twitch and shake uncontrollably as if having a seizure.
Again, I'm all for genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit and I've participated in plenty of them. But I never read about Abel’s eyes rolling in the back of his head when he brought his offering to God. There isn’t anything in the Bible about Enoch’s eyes fluttering rapidly and uncontrollably as he was raptured. Noah wasn’t passing imaginary joints to his family in the ark. Abraham didn’t have pileups with the 318 men trained in his own house. The Bible doesn’t record Issac, Jacob or Joseph meowing like cats (or even barking like dogs or hissing like snakes). Moses didn’t shake and twitch uncontrollably for an hour as if having epileptic seizure when he saw the glory of God.
If these heroes of faith didn’t record such strange manifestations of the Spirit of God, how can we be so quick to say it’s the Spirit of God? Can we automatically OK hissing, writhing and barking just because John said many things Jesus did weren't recorded in the Bible? Shouldn't we test the spirits, like the Bible says?
Some of you are probably angry with me for saying these things. Let me make it crystal clear. I am not coming against signs that were recorded in the Bible. A talking mule...OK. Not a person who grunts and bucks like a mule? Praying over hankerchiefs and giving them to sick people. I've done it. Dancing in the Spirit. Go for it. Let's keep the topic on the topic. This article is about none of those things. This article isn't about biblical manifestations. It's about extrabiblical manfestations that, instead of glorifying God and producing good fruit, appear more like a side show.
Instead of picking up stones, you should be weeping with me. The Holy Ghost doesn’t come to make us spiritual fruits, flakes and nuts. The Holy Ghost comes to convict us of sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of judgment. He comes to comfort us, to counsel us, to help us. The Holy Ghost makes us more stable, not less stable.
The apostle Paul said, “If the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (1 Cor. 14:23, NKJV) The Amplified translation says “demented.” The New Living Translation says “crazy.” The King James version says “mad.” And the Message translation puts it this way: “If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you’re all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?”
Get out of there as fast as I can. That’s what I do when I see these strange unbiblical manifestations and that’s what I would suggest you do if you see people hissing, foaming at the mouth, and writhing on the floor in the middle of church. If Paul offered this warning about praying in tongues, what in heaven would he say about barking like dogs, meowing like cats, and the like? Selah.
At the end of the day, I look at Jesus. You don’t get any fuller of the Holy Spirit than Jesus. And I never saw my Jesus rolling around on the ground pretending to smoke imaginary weed or rolling his eyes in the back of his head or making animal noises. I haven’t seen one record of Spirit-filled saints acting that way in the Bible. You would think if such mad manifestations were genuinely of the Holy Spirit and fell on those who were desperately seeking God’s face we would see them recorded in the Book of Acts. Yes, we see strange miracles, but that didn't include hissing, barking, writhing, etc.
Now, I did read about an encounter Jesus had with someone who offered some strange manifestations. Indeed, a boy was experiencing some strange manifestations that heightened in the presence of God. Scripture reads, “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (Mark 9:20, NIV)
What did Jesus do in the face of these strange manifestations? He rebuked the evil spirit and cast it out. So when I see people attributing animal noises, hissing, and other strange manifestations to the Holy Spirit, I weep with Wilkerson. Don't you? Please join with me in praying that the Church would have greater discernment in this hour. Amen.
Jennifer is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including the A Prophet's Heart
Thursday, 28 April 2011 11:40 AM EDT Jennifer LeClaire
People will remember David Wilkerson, who was killed in a head-on collision in Tyler, Texas on Wednesday, for many different things.
Some will remember him for his books, like The Cross and the Switchblade, which became a best-selling phenomenon with more than 15 million copies sold in over 30 languages. Others will remember him for launching Teen Challenge, a nationwide ministry to reach out to people with life controlling habits. Still others will remember Wilkerson for his sometimes controversial prophetic words.
I will remember Wilkerson for all of that and more, but there is one particular message this general of the faith preached more than a decade ago that I believe needs to be shouted from the rooftops in these last days. (Indeed, many of Wilkerson’s uncompromising messages need to be trumpeted in this hour, but a particular sermon he preached in Moscow in 2000 has weighed heavy on my heart since I first saw it a few years ago.) As was often the case with Wilkerson’s sermons, it was relevant when he preached it but it grew even more relevant as time went on.
Wilkerson’s sermon topic addressed strange manifestations that people wrongly attribute to the Holy Ghost. Now, Wilkerson was an Assemblies of God man who was well acquainted with the Holy Spirit. He was certainly one to flow with the Spirit of God. He heard from God. And it grieved his heart to witness the rise of strange manifestations in the name of the Holy Spirit—manifestations that were certainly not of God.
In his sermon, Wilkerson tells a story of a woman who was confused about what was going on in her local church. She explained, “Many of our church don’t know what to do. We were having wonderful services. The Spirit of the Lord was with us. But our pastor thought there was more. The church wasn’t growing fast enough. And he heard of revival. He went to this revival. He came home three months ago. He got up to preach. And he started to laugh for half an hour. He couldn’t control himself. He just laughed and laughed. There was no preaching. And he told us, ‘This is a new move with the Holy Ghost’.”
I want to stress this point: Wilkerson went on to explain that this wasn’t a one-time incident at that local church. This wasn't some spontaneous outbreak of holy laughter. It went on for three solid months. There was no preaching for three months of Sundays. Only uncontrollable laughing. Wilkerson asked a pointed question: “The Holy Ghost who wrote [the Bible], who said, ‘The truth sets you free,’ will He cause the minister to laugh so he cannot preach this Word?” I'm not against laughing, but three months of laughing at the neglect of equipping the saints with the Word of God?
Without naming names, Wilkerson called out ministries where people barked like dogs and made other bizzare animal noises. He referenced unnamed churches where people hiss and wiggle on the floor like snakes. He described many strange manifestations—and explained how people call it the Holy Ghost. Fighting back the tears, Wilkerson said crediting these sorts of manifestations to the Holy Ghost makes Him look like a fool. Before the end of the sermon, Wilkerson was overcome with grief and began sobbing in his hands.
Did the Body of Christ heed this prophet’s warning? Perhaps some did. But I have witnessed those things Wilkerson called out and perhaps worse over the past year.
Please don't get me wrong. I am all for experiencing the authentic power of God. I am all for valid manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I love to witness signs, wonders and miracles. I expect to see more of that in the days ahead. But I am concerned that some are ill-equipped to discern the difference between the Spirit of God and strange fire.
I’ve been to prayer meetings where a woman’s eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly as if she was under demonic control. (Are you going to tell me that the Holy Spirit rolls your eyes in the back of your head when you pray in the Spirit?) During service I saw that same woman up on the platform singing, then she abruptly stopped worshipping to prophesy utter nonsense for 10 minutes. The pastor did nothing.
I’ve seen people “toking” imaginary marijuana cigarettes and passing it down the line as if the Holy Ghost is some sort of drug. Again the pastor did nothing. People meow like cats, grown men lay on the floor in a sweaty huddle for hours, either unconscious or in some sort of funky haze, and teenagers twitch and shake uncontrollably as if having a seizure.
Again, I'm all for genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit and I've participated in plenty of them. But I never read about Abel’s eyes rolling in the back of his head when he brought his offering to God. There isn’t anything in the Bible about Enoch’s eyes fluttering rapidly and uncontrollably as he was raptured. Noah wasn’t passing imaginary joints to his family in the ark. Abraham didn’t have pileups with the 318 men trained in his own house. The Bible doesn’t record Issac, Jacob or Joseph meowing like cats (or even barking like dogs or hissing like snakes). Moses didn’t shake and twitch uncontrollably for an hour as if having epileptic seizure when he saw the glory of God.
If these heroes of faith didn’t record such strange manifestations of the Spirit of God, how can we be so quick to say it’s the Spirit of God? Can we automatically OK hissing, writhing and barking just because John said many things Jesus did weren't recorded in the Bible? Shouldn't we test the spirits, like the Bible says?
Some of you are probably angry with me for saying these things. Let me make it crystal clear. I am not coming against signs that were recorded in the Bible. A talking mule...OK. Not a person who grunts and bucks like a mule? Praying over hankerchiefs and giving them to sick people. I've done it. Dancing in the Spirit. Go for it. Let's keep the topic on the topic. This article is about none of those things. This article isn't about biblical manifestations. It's about extrabiblical manfestations that, instead of glorifying God and producing good fruit, appear more like a side show.
Instead of picking up stones, you should be weeping with me. The Holy Ghost doesn’t come to make us spiritual fruits, flakes and nuts. The Holy Ghost comes to convict us of sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of judgment. He comes to comfort us, to counsel us, to help us. The Holy Ghost makes us more stable, not less stable.
The apostle Paul said, “If the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (1 Cor. 14:23, NKJV) The Amplified translation says “demented.” The New Living Translation says “crazy.” The King James version says “mad.” And the Message translation puts it this way: “If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you’re all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?”
Get out of there as fast as I can. That’s what I do when I see these strange unbiblical manifestations and that’s what I would suggest you do if you see people hissing, foaming at the mouth, and writhing on the floor in the middle of church. If Paul offered this warning about praying in tongues, what in heaven would he say about barking like dogs, meowing like cats, and the like? Selah.
At the end of the day, I look at Jesus. You don’t get any fuller of the Holy Spirit than Jesus. And I never saw my Jesus rolling around on the ground pretending to smoke imaginary weed or rolling his eyes in the back of his head or making animal noises. I haven’t seen one record of Spirit-filled saints acting that way in the Bible. You would think if such mad manifestations were genuinely of the Holy Spirit and fell on those who were desperately seeking God’s face we would see them recorded in the Book of Acts. Yes, we see strange miracles, but that didn't include hissing, barking, writhing, etc.
Now, I did read about an encounter Jesus had with someone who offered some strange manifestations. Indeed, a boy was experiencing some strange manifestations that heightened in the presence of God. Scripture reads, “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (Mark 9:20, NIV)
What did Jesus do in the face of these strange manifestations? He rebuked the evil spirit and cast it out. So when I see people attributing animal noises, hissing, and other strange manifestations to the Holy Spirit, I weep with Wilkerson. Don't you? Please join with me in praying that the Church would have greater discernment in this hour. Amen.
Jennifer is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including the A Prophet's Heart
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Last Days Revival or End Time Apostasy?
Last Days Revival or End Time Apostasy?
The topic on the minds of many Christians and Messianic Jews today is revival. Christian TV, radio and best-selling books persuasively argue that we are in the midst of the greatest revival in the history of the world. Enthusiasts point to the signs and wonders occurring in such places as Toronto, Pensacola, Benny Hinn's church in Orlando, Promise Keepers filling up stadiums, and their recent million man rally in Washington DC, as signs of this revival.
As a result, I've been thinking more about End Time revival. Knowing that we are drawing closer and closer to Acharit HaYamin (the Last Days), those days in which we can almost hear the footsteps of Yeshua approaching, I want us to consider the question, "Does the Bible predict there will be a great End Time revival that sweeps the world before the Second Coming?"
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew contains the Messiah's most comprehensive teaching on His Second Coming. In it He gave us specific signs to look for that would immediately precede His return. Some of the signs include: false prophets and false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famine, the persecution of God's people, the moral decay of society, a great apostasy, or falling away from true Faith, the rise of the Anti-Christ, the rebirth of Israel, the rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple, a final outbreak of anti-Semitism, and unprecedented destruction on a world wide basis.
When you hear these precursors of His return, you might object, "Rabbi Loren, we have always had these things. We have had wars and rumors of wars from time immemorial. There have always been earthquakes and famines. Even in the first century there was the persecution of Messianic Believers. Humanity has usually been morally loose. There has been anti-Semitism since the time of Pharaoh. The people of God have always been plagued by false prophets and false messiahs." It's true that throughout history we have experienced many of these signs. But Yeshua gives us the key to understand these signs when He compares them to a woman in labor. He says that "all this is but the beginning of the birth-pains" (Matt. 24:8). Why does our righteous and wise Messiah compare the Last Days to a woman in labor?
A woman's labor pains increase in two ways: in intensity and in frequency. The labor pains become more intense and the contractions come closer and closer together until the very end, when the pain is most agonizing, and the contractions almost continuous, one right after the other, and then the child is born. Rabbi Yeshua is telling us that the world is going to go through more troubles and disasters, which will increase in frequency and intensity, until the very end, when they are almost unbearable, and nearly continuous, one coming right after the other. Then He will return, bringing with Him a delightful new time in history, the golden age of man.
Since Israel became a nation once again in 1948, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth-pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Messiah foretold. The first sign Messiah gave us in His message on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24) has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected, and that's the one I want to focus on. While there has been spiritual deception ever since the Garden of Eden, we are forewarned that spiritual deception will reach its zenith in the Last Days.
"Yeshua answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name saying, I am the Messiah, and will mislead many'" ... "Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many"... "For false Messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders; so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24).
In Matthew 24:4 Messiah issued this warning: "See to it that no one misleads you." The repetition of this warning three times in this chapter underscores its seriousness. The nature of this warning is specified: false messiahs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders. His four-fold use of the word "many" indicates a deception that involves multitudes.
According to Yeshua, this End Time departure from the Truth will be spearheaded by apparent miracle- workers. The false prophets of the Last Days, to whom Messiah refers, will use signs and wonders to support their false teachings. The signs and wonders they are able to perform are apparently so impressive that without discernment by the Holy Spirit, even God's elect sons and daughters would be deceived by them. Obviously, something more than mere trickery is involved. These miracle-workers are empowered by Satan, whom they unwittingly serve in the name of God.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul issued a similar warning: "Let no one in any way deceive you... (2 Thess. 2:3). Rabbi Paul goes on to explain that the deception of the Last Days will infect the professing community of believers. That is evident from the words "falling away," or apostasy, that he uses in the rest of the verse: ... "for it [Messiah's return] will not come unless the apostasy [falling away] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Anti-Christ] be revealed, the son of destruction."
Rabbi Paul assures us that the Last Days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival. We are not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won't come; it must come first, or Messiah simply will not return! Therefore the teaching that there will be a world wide revival in the Last Days, however well intentioned, is biblically untenable. Paul's prediction can only mean that in the Last Days many professing believers will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable.
Other scriptures confirm that false signs and wonders will be an integral part of the Last Days apostasy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Messiah declared, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matt. 7:22-23).
These apostates about whom Messiah speaks are high-profile Christians and Messianic Jewish leaders, who apparently perform signs and wonders in the name of Messiah! Tragically, they seem to think that their ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform miracles proves that they belong to Him. Their signs and wonders are so impressive that the accuracy and truth of their doctrine and the purity of their lives no longer seems to matter. They are able to delude others by emphasizing experiences over doctrine - exactly the situation we see today!
Speaking of what well describes our own day, Rabbi Paul gave this warning to his young disciple Timothy, "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). We seem to be in that time.
I've been a follower of King Messiah for almost twenty-three years, and there is no question in my mind that there has been a definite trend away from sound doctrine, to a religion based largely on personal experiences. When someone points out bad doctrine, they are told that they are being too critical and should focus on the positive (as if bad doctrine can be swept under the rug, where it won't do any harm. But God's Word says that a little leaven will leaven the whole batch). They are told it is enough to confess that Yeshua is Lord (which is essential to good doctrine, but it is not all of good doctrine). They are told to "judge not" (which is misapplied - Yeshua did not mean that we are to stop using our faculties to discern good from evil, sin from holiness, right from wrong - He meant that we must not act as if we are the final judge. We aren't to condemn people to hell, thinking that God is finished with them, and that they are beyond redemption).
Clearly, the Bible predicts a "signs and wonders" movement of the Last Days, but it will be empowered by Satan, and thus a delusion that will deceive many. After a solemn warning that in the Last Days "difficult times [not revival] will come" (2 Tim. 3:1), Paul makes this remarkable statement: "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men [false prophets] also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the Faith" (2 Tim 3:8).
Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh's court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated (up to a point) the miracles that God did through Moses. Rabbi Paul thus declared that the Last Days opposition to the truth would be accompanied by demonstrations of power, though certainly not originating with God. These modern false prophets operate by performing apparent miracles in Messiah's name. However, they are actually empowered by Satan. In that way, they deceive and lead many astray. Shrewdly, they don't lead them out of the visible Community of Believers; instead they destroy them with false doctrine and thus false hope from within the Body of Messiah. Satan has no more effective tactic to damn souls!
The whole gamut of today's so-called revival scene, from Toronto to Pensacola, must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony, and worse. Many of those being baptized at Pensacola seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank lest they drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. Such manifestations were also found in past "revivals" among the Shakers, the Mormons and many other cults. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit only testifies to the extent of the delusion that is already permeating the Messianic Community!
Jude exhorts us to "contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Contend earnestly against whom? Not against godless enemies outside the Messianic Community, but rather the warning concerns those who are within: "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed" (Jude 4). "Crept in" can only mean those who are inside the visible Body of Believers.
That we must earnestly contend for the Faith against those who have crept into the Messianic Community implies that the battle is not so much one of faith against unbelief, but rather of true faith against false faith. Those relatively few apostates who announce themselves as atheists or convert to Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism are not the primary focus here. Yeshua, Paul and Jude are instead warning of a falling away from the Truth from within the professing Community of Believers. That is precisely what we see today.
Is it possible for wolves in sheep's clothing to creep in unnoticed, and assume positions of leadership in the Messianic Community? Paul confirms the words of Jude when he addressed the Ephesian elders: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). Rabbi Paul affirms that spiritual deception would arise within the Church.
Does the Word of God predict a great revival for the Last Days? It doesn't appear that Yeshua thought so when He raised the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? This does not bode well for a dynamic faithful Messianic Community when Yeshua returns.
Rabbi Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, also did not seem to think so. Instead, he predicted that the days immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah would be characterized by Anti-Christ, "whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive a love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thes. 2:9-12).
Again, the apostle to the Gentiles warns, "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience" (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
Beloved brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is warning us that false teaching is demonic in origin and frequently promulgated by liars who occupy places of prominence in the Church. This deception will take place in the later times. In the Last Days there will be those who fall away from the Faith into demonic delusion as a result of listening to these treacherous pseudo- Christian religious leaders. Does the Bible teach that in the Last Days the Church will experience revival, grow increasingly numerous and powerful, faithful and pure, and that it will take over more and more of the political and social institutions of society? Hardly. According to Messiah, it's a time for Anti-Christ to bring desolation. It's a time of unparalleled tribulation so overwhelming that no life would survive unless the Almighty intervened. It's a time of terrible persecution for Jews and Christians. It's a time for those in Israel to flee to the hills. It's a time characterized by false messiahs and prophets who deceive multitudes. (Matt. 24:15-24).
The book of Revelation gives us the most detailed picture of the Last Days, and it does not portray a powerful, faithful Church which has taken over the political and social institutions of the world. Yes, there will be a great harvest of humanity during that period known as the Great Tribulation, which immediately precedes the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a time of salvation for many, but it comes at a very high price. Revelation 7 records that a great multitude, so large that no one could count it, a multitude from every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages, will come to a saving faith in Messiah during the Great Tribulation. However, at the same time it will be given to the Anti-Christ to make war with the saints on earth and to overcome them (Rev. 13:7). There will be those who are beheaded because of their testimony about Yeshua and their faithfulness to Word of God. They will not worship the Anti-Christ or receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand (Rev. 20:4).
To summarize, the scriptural warnings foretell the growing delusion we find in our day:
A false signs and wonders movement led by many false prophets.
Many being deceived through these apparent miracles.
The replacement of sound doctrine with personal experience.
The rejection of the biblical teaching concerning apostasy and the insistence that we are in the midst of, or at least are building up to, the "greatest revival in the history of the Church."
Such is the prevailing teaching today among most charismatics and increasingly among evangelicals and Messianic Jews. The promise of revival will be part of the Last Days deception, so beware. Don't be part of it! Don't assume that the apostasy of the Last Days will take place in the distant future. There are too many signs of Messiah's return, and examples of false teaching and unusual phenomena taking place in the Church today, to make that assumption.
Instead, ask yourself a few questions: Is it not enough that Messiah indwells us? Is He not in our midst each time we meet? Are we not to be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times? Is not the Word of God enough for us? Is not His grace sufficient? Are we not complete when we are joined to Him by faith? Why then would we run after signs and wonders, as though they automatically prove that God is at work, while neglecting what the Lord has already given us?
It's really so simple: we are to learn what the Bible says for ourselves. We are to be like the members of the synagogue at Berea, who were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word of God with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). We are to love one another, help one another, and reach out to a confused, lost, corrupt and dying world with the Good News of Messiah.
May God help us remain pure and holy in our faith, take a stand for the Truth, and be found faithful, doing those things He has called us to do when Messiah returns. "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Let's hope that He finds some genuine faith on the earth, especially in you and in me.
By Dave Hunt's newsletter, "The Berean Call."
Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
The topic on the minds of many Christians and Messianic Jews today is revival. Christian TV, radio and best-selling books persuasively argue that we are in the midst of the greatest revival in the history of the world. Enthusiasts point to the signs and wonders occurring in such places as Toronto, Pensacola, Benny Hinn's church in Orlando, Promise Keepers filling up stadiums, and their recent million man rally in Washington DC, as signs of this revival.
As a result, I've been thinking more about End Time revival. Knowing that we are drawing closer and closer to Acharit HaYamin (the Last Days), those days in which we can almost hear the footsteps of Yeshua approaching, I want us to consider the question, "Does the Bible predict there will be a great End Time revival that sweeps the world before the Second Coming?"
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew contains the Messiah's most comprehensive teaching on His Second Coming. In it He gave us specific signs to look for that would immediately precede His return. Some of the signs include: false prophets and false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famine, the persecution of God's people, the moral decay of society, a great apostasy, or falling away from true Faith, the rise of the Anti-Christ, the rebirth of Israel, the rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple, a final outbreak of anti-Semitism, and unprecedented destruction on a world wide basis.
When you hear these precursors of His return, you might object, "Rabbi Loren, we have always had these things. We have had wars and rumors of wars from time immemorial. There have always been earthquakes and famines. Even in the first century there was the persecution of Messianic Believers. Humanity has usually been morally loose. There has been anti-Semitism since the time of Pharaoh. The people of God have always been plagued by false prophets and false messiahs." It's true that throughout history we have experienced many of these signs. But Yeshua gives us the key to understand these signs when He compares them to a woman in labor. He says that "all this is but the beginning of the birth-pains" (Matt. 24:8). Why does our righteous and wise Messiah compare the Last Days to a woman in labor?
A woman's labor pains increase in two ways: in intensity and in frequency. The labor pains become more intense and the contractions come closer and closer together until the very end, when the pain is most agonizing, and the contractions almost continuous, one right after the other, and then the child is born. Rabbi Yeshua is telling us that the world is going to go through more troubles and disasters, which will increase in frequency and intensity, until the very end, when they are almost unbearable, and nearly continuous, one coming right after the other. Then He will return, bringing with Him a delightful new time in history, the golden age of man.
Since Israel became a nation once again in 1948, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth-pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Messiah foretold. The first sign Messiah gave us in His message on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24) has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected, and that's the one I want to focus on. While there has been spiritual deception ever since the Garden of Eden, we are forewarned that spiritual deception will reach its zenith in the Last Days.
"Yeshua answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name saying, I am the Messiah, and will mislead many'" ... "Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many"... "For false Messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders; so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24).
In Matthew 24:4 Messiah issued this warning: "See to it that no one misleads you." The repetition of this warning three times in this chapter underscores its seriousness. The nature of this warning is specified: false messiahs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders. His four-fold use of the word "many" indicates a deception that involves multitudes.
According to Yeshua, this End Time departure from the Truth will be spearheaded by apparent miracle- workers. The false prophets of the Last Days, to whom Messiah refers, will use signs and wonders to support their false teachings. The signs and wonders they are able to perform are apparently so impressive that without discernment by the Holy Spirit, even God's elect sons and daughters would be deceived by them. Obviously, something more than mere trickery is involved. These miracle-workers are empowered by Satan, whom they unwittingly serve in the name of God.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul issued a similar warning: "Let no one in any way deceive you... (2 Thess. 2:3). Rabbi Paul goes on to explain that the deception of the Last Days will infect the professing community of believers. That is evident from the words "falling away," or apostasy, that he uses in the rest of the verse: ... "for it [Messiah's return] will not come unless the apostasy [falling away] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Anti-Christ] be revealed, the son of destruction."
Rabbi Paul assures us that the Last Days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival. We are not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won't come; it must come first, or Messiah simply will not return! Therefore the teaching that there will be a world wide revival in the Last Days, however well intentioned, is biblically untenable. Paul's prediction can only mean that in the Last Days many professing believers will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable.
Other scriptures confirm that false signs and wonders will be an integral part of the Last Days apostasy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Messiah declared, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matt. 7:22-23).
These apostates about whom Messiah speaks are high-profile Christians and Messianic Jewish leaders, who apparently perform signs and wonders in the name of Messiah! Tragically, they seem to think that their ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform miracles proves that they belong to Him. Their signs and wonders are so impressive that the accuracy and truth of their doctrine and the purity of their lives no longer seems to matter. They are able to delude others by emphasizing experiences over doctrine - exactly the situation we see today!
Speaking of what well describes our own day, Rabbi Paul gave this warning to his young disciple Timothy, "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). We seem to be in that time.
I've been a follower of King Messiah for almost twenty-three years, and there is no question in my mind that there has been a definite trend away from sound doctrine, to a religion based largely on personal experiences. When someone points out bad doctrine, they are told that they are being too critical and should focus on the positive (as if bad doctrine can be swept under the rug, where it won't do any harm. But God's Word says that a little leaven will leaven the whole batch). They are told it is enough to confess that Yeshua is Lord (which is essential to good doctrine, but it is not all of good doctrine). They are told to "judge not" (which is misapplied - Yeshua did not mean that we are to stop using our faculties to discern good from evil, sin from holiness, right from wrong - He meant that we must not act as if we are the final judge. We aren't to condemn people to hell, thinking that God is finished with them, and that they are beyond redemption).
Clearly, the Bible predicts a "signs and wonders" movement of the Last Days, but it will be empowered by Satan, and thus a delusion that will deceive many. After a solemn warning that in the Last Days "difficult times [not revival] will come" (2 Tim. 3:1), Paul makes this remarkable statement: "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men [false prophets] also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the Faith" (2 Tim 3:8).
Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh's court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated (up to a point) the miracles that God did through Moses. Rabbi Paul thus declared that the Last Days opposition to the truth would be accompanied by demonstrations of power, though certainly not originating with God. These modern false prophets operate by performing apparent miracles in Messiah's name. However, they are actually empowered by Satan. In that way, they deceive and lead many astray. Shrewdly, they don't lead them out of the visible Community of Believers; instead they destroy them with false doctrine and thus false hope from within the Body of Messiah. Satan has no more effective tactic to damn souls!
The whole gamut of today's so-called revival scene, from Toronto to Pensacola, must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony, and worse. Many of those being baptized at Pensacola seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank lest they drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. Such manifestations were also found in past "revivals" among the Shakers, the Mormons and many other cults. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit only testifies to the extent of the delusion that is already permeating the Messianic Community!
Jude exhorts us to "contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Contend earnestly against whom? Not against godless enemies outside the Messianic Community, but rather the warning concerns those who are within: "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed" (Jude 4). "Crept in" can only mean those who are inside the visible Body of Believers.
That we must earnestly contend for the Faith against those who have crept into the Messianic Community implies that the battle is not so much one of faith against unbelief, but rather of true faith against false faith. Those relatively few apostates who announce themselves as atheists or convert to Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism are not the primary focus here. Yeshua, Paul and Jude are instead warning of a falling away from the Truth from within the professing Community of Believers. That is precisely what we see today.
Is it possible for wolves in sheep's clothing to creep in unnoticed, and assume positions of leadership in the Messianic Community? Paul confirms the words of Jude when he addressed the Ephesian elders: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). Rabbi Paul affirms that spiritual deception would arise within the Church.
Does the Word of God predict a great revival for the Last Days? It doesn't appear that Yeshua thought so when He raised the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? This does not bode well for a dynamic faithful Messianic Community when Yeshua returns.
Rabbi Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, also did not seem to think so. Instead, he predicted that the days immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah would be characterized by Anti-Christ, "whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive a love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thes. 2:9-12).
Again, the apostle to the Gentiles warns, "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience" (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
Beloved brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is warning us that false teaching is demonic in origin and frequently promulgated by liars who occupy places of prominence in the Church. This deception will take place in the later times. In the Last Days there will be those who fall away from the Faith into demonic delusion as a result of listening to these treacherous pseudo- Christian religious leaders. Does the Bible teach that in the Last Days the Church will experience revival, grow increasingly numerous and powerful, faithful and pure, and that it will take over more and more of the political and social institutions of society? Hardly. According to Messiah, it's a time for Anti-Christ to bring desolation. It's a time of unparalleled tribulation so overwhelming that no life would survive unless the Almighty intervened. It's a time of terrible persecution for Jews and Christians. It's a time for those in Israel to flee to the hills. It's a time characterized by false messiahs and prophets who deceive multitudes. (Matt. 24:15-24).
The book of Revelation gives us the most detailed picture of the Last Days, and it does not portray a powerful, faithful Church which has taken over the political and social institutions of the world. Yes, there will be a great harvest of humanity during that period known as the Great Tribulation, which immediately precedes the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a time of salvation for many, but it comes at a very high price. Revelation 7 records that a great multitude, so large that no one could count it, a multitude from every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages, will come to a saving faith in Messiah during the Great Tribulation. However, at the same time it will be given to the Anti-Christ to make war with the saints on earth and to overcome them (Rev. 13:7). There will be those who are beheaded because of their testimony about Yeshua and their faithfulness to Word of God. They will not worship the Anti-Christ or receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand (Rev. 20:4).
To summarize, the scriptural warnings foretell the growing delusion we find in our day:
A false signs and wonders movement led by many false prophets.
Many being deceived through these apparent miracles.
The replacement of sound doctrine with personal experience.
The rejection of the biblical teaching concerning apostasy and the insistence that we are in the midst of, or at least are building up to, the "greatest revival in the history of the Church."
Such is the prevailing teaching today among most charismatics and increasingly among evangelicals and Messianic Jews. The promise of revival will be part of the Last Days deception, so beware. Don't be part of it! Don't assume that the apostasy of the Last Days will take place in the distant future. There are too many signs of Messiah's return, and examples of false teaching and unusual phenomena taking place in the Church today, to make that assumption.
Instead, ask yourself a few questions: Is it not enough that Messiah indwells us? Is He not in our midst each time we meet? Are we not to be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times? Is not the Word of God enough for us? Is not His grace sufficient? Are we not complete when we are joined to Him by faith? Why then would we run after signs and wonders, as though they automatically prove that God is at work, while neglecting what the Lord has already given us?
It's really so simple: we are to learn what the Bible says for ourselves. We are to be like the members of the synagogue at Berea, who were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word of God with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). We are to love one another, help one another, and reach out to a confused, lost, corrupt and dying world with the Good News of Messiah.
May God help us remain pure and holy in our faith, take a stand for the Truth, and be found faithful, doing those things He has called us to do when Messiah returns. "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Let's hope that He finds some genuine faith on the earth, especially in you and in me.
By Dave Hunt's newsletter, "The Berean Call."
See also:
Who will left behind? Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Spiritual Deception Of The Last Days
The Spiritual Deception Of The Last Days
Spiritual deception is the result of not following or obeying the Word of God. When a believer adopts any thought, doctrine, or practice which is contrary to God’s written word then he enters into the spiritual darkness of heresy and deception.
This is especially true in relation to the Last Days. It seems that spiritual deception and a departure from the true “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude :3) will increase as we approach the final days. This is because Satan and his hordes know that their “time is short” (Revelation 12:12) to win as many souls as possible. These souls include believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For 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” (Matthew 24:24). If it were not possible to deceive the very elect then Jesus would have not bothered to state this. The apostle Paul tells us that the last day Church will be invaded by teachings originating in Hell, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Not only has Satan sent false Christs into the world to capture the hearts of those who do not know the true God and Saviour, but he has also commissioned deceivers, false brethren (Galatians 2:4) to promote a form of Christianity to seduce believers who do not abide in God’s written word. We live in an age when “false prophets” have arisen and are showing many “great signs and wonders”. Those, of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements are being duped by signs, wonders, and false miracles performed by the latest superstar to come onto the scene. They fail to acknowledge Paul’s warning about this very thing when he said, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). They fail to be Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11), and so allow “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15) to minister a corrupted gospel to them. These teachers are really “ravening” and “grievous wolves” who do not care for the people in the least, but instead speak “perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). At the root of the deception is “mammon” (Matthew 6:24) for they “through covetousness shall with feigned words make merchandise” of their followers (2 Peter 2:3). This is a perfect description of the Wealth and Health preachers of today.
The Lord Jesus asks, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The devil’s work of deception operating within the Church is so fashioned to destroy the faith of many through false prophets, false teachers, false brethren, and false bibles. He desires to destroy a person’s faith in the eternal word of God. Many of our Churches no longer want to “endure sound doctrine” but would rather listen to foolish stories and receive “pep-talks” on various carnal subjects. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”. Few want to hear a preacher of righteousness speaking about true faith, against sin, and about Hell. It seems that we live in a day when fabulous tales and exaggerated experiences are more to the liking of Christians than the pure word of the Lord. These people think that they no longer need to be rebuked and exhorted “with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). In general today’s churchgoer wants sermons that do not demand anything from them or causes them to consider their own souls. They will not accept a call to repentance, obedience, or commitment. They love their false teachers. Jeremiah explains, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (5:31). Preachers that make them feel uncomfortable in their sin and compromise are usually labelled ‘legalistic’ or ‘doom and gloom’. This wilful ignorance of God’s word has caused them to open both their churches and their hearts to “lying spirits, and doctrines of devils” that have seduced them from Christ so that now their minds and consciences are “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). No wonder Jesus asks if He will find true faith when He returns!
We can see that the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) or departure “from the faith” is not that there will be less people attending church, but that fewer of them will be able to distinguish between what is true and what is false. The greatest spiritual battle for the souls of men is taking place within the church not outside of it. The Last Days are clearly here when we see such personal and denominational apostasy at an all time high because of the infiltration of perverted and distorted gospels promoted by compromising preachers and pastors. Nevertheless, there will always be God’s faithful remnant who will never bow their knee alongside the prophets of Baal.
The believer has protection from such deception. This involves being totally loyal and faithful to God and His inspired word. Added to this we must realise that deception can enter at any level, so that even a sound preacher can become deceived and promote a mixture of truth and error. Such awareness has to be united with a desire to obey only that which is contained in God’s written word and to have our lives sanctified through it, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and to walk in righteousness. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit warns us to stay faithful to God’s word, even if it means being persecuted for doing so, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:12-14). It is our duty to stand firm with the “Sword of the Spirit” in our hand (Ephesians 6:17). We need to be like Eleazar who fought the Philistines “until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword” or like Shammah who defended a field of lentiles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 23:9-12). Our “Philistines” are the false teachers and false doctrines, therefore we need to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Standing for truth and righteousness will involve separation from people, churches, and ministries who deny the Scriptures in word or in practice, and who preach a compromising message. The apostle Paul says that they may appear like good Christians but by “denying the power thereof” they prove themselves false, therefore we should “turn away” from them (2 Timothy 3:5). We must remind ourselves that we bring a curse into our lives when we associate with anything that twists, adds or takes away from God’s word, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). This separation from falsehood is of vital importance if we are to be kept free from spiritual deception. Again, the Lord encourages us to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Loyalty to Scripture and seeking out faithful ministers is needful for the days we are living in. By doing so, prayerfully and watchfully, we can be assured of close fellowship with Christ. This calls for abiding in the word of God every day of our lives and neither looking to the left or the right of it. It means “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We do not need new doctrines, practices, or experiences. What will cause us to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13) is a solid Scriptural foundation and an undivided commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Our safeguard against false doctrine and apostasy is found in obedience to the Scriptures, by taking it alone as our firm foundation and standard for faith and practice.
The final authority must always be God’s written word. If it is not clearly in the Bible then the teaching must not be entertained for a moment. The Lord said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:3-7). We will protect ourselves therefore by keeping our lives (both physical and spiritual) within the confines of the word of God, by yielding to His direction and guidance, and by being in a constant state of watchfulness and prayerfulness because we know that our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
by Pastor Gary J. Hall
Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Spiritual deception is the result of not following or obeying the Word of God. When a believer adopts any thought, doctrine, or practice which is contrary to God’s written word then he enters into the spiritual darkness of heresy and deception.This is especially true in relation to the Last Days. It seems that spiritual deception and a departure from the true “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude :3) will increase as we approach the final days. This is because Satan and his hordes know that their “time is short” (Revelation 12:12) to win as many souls as possible. These souls include believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For 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” (Matthew 24:24). If it were not possible to deceive the very elect then Jesus would have not bothered to state this. The apostle Paul tells us that the last day Church will be invaded by teachings originating in Hell, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Not only has Satan sent false Christs into the world to capture the hearts of those who do not know the true God and Saviour, but he has also commissioned deceivers, false brethren (Galatians 2:4) to promote a form of Christianity to seduce believers who do not abide in God’s written word. We live in an age when “false prophets” have arisen and are showing many “great signs and wonders”. Those, of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements are being duped by signs, wonders, and false miracles performed by the latest superstar to come onto the scene. They fail to acknowledge Paul’s warning about this very thing when he said, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). They fail to be Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11), and so allow “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15) to minister a corrupted gospel to them. These teachers are really “ravening” and “grievous wolves” who do not care for the people in the least, but instead speak “perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). At the root of the deception is “mammon” (Matthew 6:24) for they “through covetousness shall with feigned words make merchandise” of their followers (2 Peter 2:3). This is a perfect description of the Wealth and Health preachers of today.
The Lord Jesus asks, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The devil’s work of deception operating within the Church is so fashioned to destroy the faith of many through false prophets, false teachers, false brethren, and false bibles. He desires to destroy a person’s faith in the eternal word of God. Many of our Churches no longer want to “endure sound doctrine” but would rather listen to foolish stories and receive “pep-talks” on various carnal subjects. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”. Few want to hear a preacher of righteousness speaking about true faith, against sin, and about Hell. It seems that we live in a day when fabulous tales and exaggerated experiences are more to the liking of Christians than the pure word of the Lord. These people think that they no longer need to be rebuked and exhorted “with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). In general today’s churchgoer wants sermons that do not demand anything from them or causes them to consider their own souls. They will not accept a call to repentance, obedience, or commitment. They love their false teachers. Jeremiah explains, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (5:31). Preachers that make them feel uncomfortable in their sin and compromise are usually labelled ‘legalistic’ or ‘doom and gloom’. This wilful ignorance of God’s word has caused them to open both their churches and their hearts to “lying spirits, and doctrines of devils” that have seduced them from Christ so that now their minds and consciences are “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). No wonder Jesus asks if He will find true faith when He returns!
We can see that the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) or departure “from the faith” is not that there will be less people attending church, but that fewer of them will be able to distinguish between what is true and what is false. The greatest spiritual battle for the souls of men is taking place within the church not outside of it. The Last Days are clearly here when we see such personal and denominational apostasy at an all time high because of the infiltration of perverted and distorted gospels promoted by compromising preachers and pastors. Nevertheless, there will always be God’s faithful remnant who will never bow their knee alongside the prophets of Baal.
The believer has protection from such deception. This involves being totally loyal and faithful to God and His inspired word. Added to this we must realise that deception can enter at any level, so that even a sound preacher can become deceived and promote a mixture of truth and error. Such awareness has to be united with a desire to obey only that which is contained in God’s written word and to have our lives sanctified through it, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and to walk in righteousness. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit warns us to stay faithful to God’s word, even if it means being persecuted for doing so, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:12-14). It is our duty to stand firm with the “Sword of the Spirit” in our hand (Ephesians 6:17). We need to be like Eleazar who fought the Philistines “until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword” or like Shammah who defended a field of lentiles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 23:9-12). Our “Philistines” are the false teachers and false doctrines, therefore we need to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Standing for truth and righteousness will involve separation from people, churches, and ministries who deny the Scriptures in word or in practice, and who preach a compromising message. The apostle Paul says that they may appear like good Christians but by “denying the power thereof” they prove themselves false, therefore we should “turn away” from them (2 Timothy 3:5). We must remind ourselves that we bring a curse into our lives when we associate with anything that twists, adds or takes away from God’s word, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). This separation from falsehood is of vital importance if we are to be kept free from spiritual deception. Again, the Lord encourages us to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Loyalty to Scripture and seeking out faithful ministers is needful for the days we are living in. By doing so, prayerfully and watchfully, we can be assured of close fellowship with Christ. This calls for abiding in the word of God every day of our lives and neither looking to the left or the right of it. It means “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We do not need new doctrines, practices, or experiences. What will cause us to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13) is a solid Scriptural foundation and an undivided commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Our safeguard against false doctrine and apostasy is found in obedience to the Scriptures, by taking it alone as our firm foundation and standard for faith and practice.
The final authority must always be God’s written word. If it is not clearly in the Bible then the teaching must not be entertained for a moment. The Lord said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:3-7). We will protect ourselves therefore by keeping our lives (both physical and spiritual) within the confines of the word of God, by yielding to His direction and guidance, and by being in a constant state of watchfulness and prayerfulness because we know that our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
by Pastor Gary J. Hall
See also:
Who will left behind? Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Next Gaza War Will Be a Coordinated Attack
The Next Gaza War Will Be a Coordinated Attack
Today, 15 April, 2011, 2 hours ago josephwouk
By Neil Snyder
There should be no doubt that the next Gaza war won’t resemble the 2008-2009 war, and it could start at any time.
On Thursday, April 7, an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip by a Hamas terrorist slammed into an Israeli school bus loaded with children and exploded. No one was killed, but the message was clear: Israeli citizens, even little children, aren’t safe anywhere. Immediately following the attack, a barrage of mortar fire from Gaza hit near Israeli towns in the Negev. Israel responded with helicopter gunships, and in short order Hamas announced that a ceasefire would go into effect Thursday evening. Two days later, Hamas resumed firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel. That’s a ceasefire Hamas-style.
If you follow events in Israel closely, you recognize the routine. First Hamas engages in indiscriminate attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. Next Israel responds. Then Hamas announces a unilateral ceasefire. Soon thereafter, the attacks resume, and Israel responds. Eventually, a full-scale war breaks out. It’s as predictable as clockwork. That’s how the Gaza War of 2008-2009 began, and that’s how the next Gaza war will start — only the next Gaza war will be markedly different.
Since the end of the last Gaza War, we’ve witnessed a flurry of activity to rearm Hamas and Hezb’allah. For example, in November 2009, Israel seized a ship carrying Iranian arms bound for Hezb’allah on Israel’s northern border. According to Israel’s deputy naval commander, Rani Ben Yehuda, the cargo included “dozens of containers with hundreds of tons of arms.” Later reports revealed that the shipment contained more than 500 tons of weapons. (One ton equals approximately 2,205 pounds.) Just last week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad admitted that he has allowed Iranian weapons to flow through Syria to Hezb’allah, and Hezb’allah chief Hassan Nasrallah has made it clear repeatedly that Hezb’allah will cooperate with Hamas if another Gaza war breaks out. Those weapons are needed for an attack on Israel.
In May 2010, the Israeli navy intercepted the “humanitarian aid” ship MV Mavi Marmara, which was bound for Gaza on Israel’s eastern border. Nine terrorists posing as passengers died when they attacked Israeli commandos boarding the vessel. Ten commandos were wounded during the clash. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called the incident “a massacre”; a host of European Union officials demanded a full inquiry; Turkey erupted in protest; Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to do his part to protect Palestinians in Gaza; and the global media launched a vigorous campaign to smear Israel. Scant attention was given to the fact that the ship’s cargo contained weapons of war.
In February 2011, the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to emerge from the shadows and engage openly in political activity for the first time in 57 years. Following Mubarak’s resignation, Muhammad Ghannem, a leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, told the Iranian news network Al-Alam that the Egyptian people need to prepare for war with Israel. Supplying weapons to Hamas is a step in that direction. Mubarak worked with Israel to prevent weapons from flowing into Gaza though the Sinai Peninsula, but the Brotherhood’s lust for Israeli blood raises serious doubts about that arrangement as we look to the future. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel, and the Egyptian military says the peace is intact, but that can change quickly. As the Muslim Brotherhood gains political strength in Egypt, you can bet that it will change.
In March 2011, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reached an agreement with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to build an Iranian naval base in Latakia, Syria’s largest port, from which Iran can operate freely in the Mediterranean Sea. Within days of the announcement, Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound ship leaving Latakia carrying Iranian weapons to Gaza. Syria is on Israel’s northeast border, and the two countries have been sparring over the Golan Heights since the end of the 1967 Six Day War. Under the dictatorial regimes of Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar, Syria has served as field headquarters for Hamas, Hezb’allah, Islamic Jihad, and a host of other Islamist terrorist organizations brazenly committed to Israel’s annihilation. Will they take part in the next Gaza war? With Assad’s power diminishing and Islamist groups in Syria increasing their strength, the answer is probably “yes” — if not directly as combatants, then as guerrilla fighters.
Since the Arab Spring began in Tunisia in January 2011, Iran has stepped up its efforts to spread its version of radical Islam throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Jordan’s King Abdullah, noticing a tidal shift occurring in the region and feeling the heat at home, decided it was time to make nice with Iran. Both the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda have a presence in Jordan and close ties with Iran, but until recently, they have been kept in check. That’s changing, too, and an emboldened Islamist element in Jordan could topple Abdullah’s regime and/or force him to rethink Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel. Will Jordan join the next Gaza war? The answer isn’t an unequivocal “no.”
Iran’s attempts to change the balance of power in the Middle East and North Africa by picking off one country after another is evident in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, and Saudi Arabia as well. President Obama’s missteps in response to Iran’s gains caused Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to reexamine the United States’ role in the region. Rather than deferring to the U.S., Abdullah sent Saudi troops into Bahrain to help quell violence there, and, according to Martin Indyk, former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and former U.S. ambassador to Israel, the King “views President Obama as a threat to his internal security.” Moderate Arab leaders feel the same way. They have every reason to believe that President Obama will not come to their aid if they need help, but Iran stands ready to assist Islamist elements throughout the region.
We’re witnessing the fruition of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s plan to destroy Israel. His first step was to announce his intention to the world. Some mocked him, but he meant business. Next, he worked to undermine political regimes in every country in the region and to strengthen Islamist elements beholden to him. All the while, he has worked feverishly to develop Iran’s nuclear capability. Today, Israel is surrounded: Hamas in Gaza on the west, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on the south and southwest, Hezb’allah in Lebanon on the north, a host of emerging Islamist terrorist organizations in Syria on the northeast, and on the east, a weakened monarch in Jordan attempting to restrain radical Islamists. With Ahmadinejad’s unswerving support, the only step remaining is a coordinated attack on Israel.
Given its proximity to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Israel’s most populous region, Gaza is the logical place for the war to begin. From southern Lebanon, Hezb’allah has promised to join the fight, probably with an attack on Haifa, Israel’s third-largest metropolitan area. Syria, Egypt, and Jordan may join the fight as well, and Israel could end up fighting a war for survival on all sides, much like the Six Day War. But things have changed markedly since 1967. The U.S. is weaker in the Middle East than it has been in decades, and Islamist groups are stronger than they have ever been. There should be no doubt that the next Gaza war won’t resemble the 2008-2009 war, and it could start at any time.
Neil Snyder taught leadership and strategy at the University of Virginia for 25 years. He retired from UVA in 2004 and is currently the Ralph A. Beeton Professor Emeritus there. His blog, SnyderTalk.com, is posted daily.
Today, 15 April, 2011, 2 hours ago josephwouk
By Neil Snyder
There should be no doubt that the next Gaza war won’t resemble the 2008-2009 war, and it could start at any time.
On Thursday, April 7, an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip by a Hamas terrorist slammed into an Israeli school bus loaded with children and exploded. No one was killed, but the message was clear: Israeli citizens, even little children, aren’t safe anywhere. Immediately following the attack, a barrage of mortar fire from Gaza hit near Israeli towns in the Negev. Israel responded with helicopter gunships, and in short order Hamas announced that a ceasefire would go into effect Thursday evening. Two days later, Hamas resumed firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel. That’s a ceasefire Hamas-style.
If you follow events in Israel closely, you recognize the routine. First Hamas engages in indiscriminate attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. Next Israel responds. Then Hamas announces a unilateral ceasefire. Soon thereafter, the attacks resume, and Israel responds. Eventually, a full-scale war breaks out. It’s as predictable as clockwork. That’s how the Gaza War of 2008-2009 began, and that’s how the next Gaza war will start — only the next Gaza war will be markedly different.
Since the end of the last Gaza War, we’ve witnessed a flurry of activity to rearm Hamas and Hezb’allah. For example, in November 2009, Israel seized a ship carrying Iranian arms bound for Hezb’allah on Israel’s northern border. According to Israel’s deputy naval commander, Rani Ben Yehuda, the cargo included “dozens of containers with hundreds of tons of arms.” Later reports revealed that the shipment contained more than 500 tons of weapons. (One ton equals approximately 2,205 pounds.) Just last week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad admitted that he has allowed Iranian weapons to flow through Syria to Hezb’allah, and Hezb’allah chief Hassan Nasrallah has made it clear repeatedly that Hezb’allah will cooperate with Hamas if another Gaza war breaks out. Those weapons are needed for an attack on Israel.
In May 2010, the Israeli navy intercepted the “humanitarian aid” ship MV Mavi Marmara, which was bound for Gaza on Israel’s eastern border. Nine terrorists posing as passengers died when they attacked Israeli commandos boarding the vessel. Ten commandos were wounded during the clash. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called the incident “a massacre”; a host of European Union officials demanded a full inquiry; Turkey erupted in protest; Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to do his part to protect Palestinians in Gaza; and the global media launched a vigorous campaign to smear Israel. Scant attention was given to the fact that the ship’s cargo contained weapons of war.
In February 2011, the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to emerge from the shadows and engage openly in political activity for the first time in 57 years. Following Mubarak’s resignation, Muhammad Ghannem, a leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, told the Iranian news network Al-Alam that the Egyptian people need to prepare for war with Israel. Supplying weapons to Hamas is a step in that direction. Mubarak worked with Israel to prevent weapons from flowing into Gaza though the Sinai Peninsula, but the Brotherhood’s lust for Israeli blood raises serious doubts about that arrangement as we look to the future. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel, and the Egyptian military says the peace is intact, but that can change quickly. As the Muslim Brotherhood gains political strength in Egypt, you can bet that it will change.
In March 2011, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reached an agreement with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to build an Iranian naval base in Latakia, Syria’s largest port, from which Iran can operate freely in the Mediterranean Sea. Within days of the announcement, Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound ship leaving Latakia carrying Iranian weapons to Gaza. Syria is on Israel’s northeast border, and the two countries have been sparring over the Golan Heights since the end of the 1967 Six Day War. Under the dictatorial regimes of Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar, Syria has served as field headquarters for Hamas, Hezb’allah, Islamic Jihad, and a host of other Islamist terrorist organizations brazenly committed to Israel’s annihilation. Will they take part in the next Gaza war? With Assad’s power diminishing and Islamist groups in Syria increasing their strength, the answer is probably “yes” — if not directly as combatants, then as guerrilla fighters.
Since the Arab Spring began in Tunisia in January 2011, Iran has stepped up its efforts to spread its version of radical Islam throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Jordan’s King Abdullah, noticing a tidal shift occurring in the region and feeling the heat at home, decided it was time to make nice with Iran. Both the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda have a presence in Jordan and close ties with Iran, but until recently, they have been kept in check. That’s changing, too, and an emboldened Islamist element in Jordan could topple Abdullah’s regime and/or force him to rethink Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel. Will Jordan join the next Gaza war? The answer isn’t an unequivocal “no.”
Iran’s attempts to change the balance of power in the Middle East and North Africa by picking off one country after another is evident in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, and Saudi Arabia as well. President Obama’s missteps in response to Iran’s gains caused Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to reexamine the United States’ role in the region. Rather than deferring to the U.S., Abdullah sent Saudi troops into Bahrain to help quell violence there, and, according to Martin Indyk, former special assistant to President Bill Clinton and former U.S. ambassador to Israel, the King “views President Obama as a threat to his internal security.” Moderate Arab leaders feel the same way. They have every reason to believe that President Obama will not come to their aid if they need help, but Iran stands ready to assist Islamist elements throughout the region.
We’re witnessing the fruition of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s plan to destroy Israel. His first step was to announce his intention to the world. Some mocked him, but he meant business. Next, he worked to undermine political regimes in every country in the region and to strengthen Islamist elements beholden to him. All the while, he has worked feverishly to develop Iran’s nuclear capability. Today, Israel is surrounded: Hamas in Gaza on the west, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on the south and southwest, Hezb’allah in Lebanon on the north, a host of emerging Islamist terrorist organizations in Syria on the northeast, and on the east, a weakened monarch in Jordan attempting to restrain radical Islamists. With Ahmadinejad’s unswerving support, the only step remaining is a coordinated attack on Israel.
Given its proximity to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Israel’s most populous region, Gaza is the logical place for the war to begin. From southern Lebanon, Hezb’allah has promised to join the fight, probably with an attack on Haifa, Israel’s third-largest metropolitan area. Syria, Egypt, and Jordan may join the fight as well, and Israel could end up fighting a war for survival on all sides, much like the Six Day War. But things have changed markedly since 1967. The U.S. is weaker in the Middle East than it has been in decades, and Islamist groups are stronger than they have ever been. There should be no doubt that the next Gaza war won’t resemble the 2008-2009 war, and it could start at any time.
Neil Snyder taught leadership and strategy at the University of Virginia for 25 years. He retired from UVA in 2004 and is currently the Ralph A. Beeton Professor Emeritus there. His blog, SnyderTalk.com, is posted daily.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Can Satan Heal?
Deborah (Discerning the World) spent many a day praying about the answer to this question and this my dear readers, this IS THE ANSWER to the question that evades everyone so much.
The answer is, absolutely, but in a very ‘counterfeit’ sort of way. You see, Satan can cause sickness, and mankind is born into a sinful evil world. What you see as being a miraculous healing by today’s false prophets is none other than Satan taking away the sickness / injury he had given the person in the first place. Satan can not do any good, he is the father of LIES.
In the bible there is a story of a woman who walked bent over for 18 years. It was a demonic spirit which caused this infirmity. Jesus healed her and she walked upright.
Luke 13:11-13 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
But what about creative healings you ask, an arm with crushed bones starts to slowly fix itself and heal?
Job 2:4-6 4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
Satan had full control over Job’s body and could do anything to him he wanted, except kill him. We fail to comprehend the immense power Satan has and what he has control over. Of course I am NOT saying that all illness is from Satan. Never. But in the case where people are healed by false teachers, Satan is the cause of the illness to start with.
So what has Satan to gain by taking away an illness from someone? Because you can not see into the spiritual world, you do not know what else Satan has given you in EXCHANGE for you believing in him. Yes, by going to a false teacher you are believing in Satan to heal you. One thing I do know is that the person who has received the counterfeit healing truly believes they were healed by God and ends up following after the false teacher and his doctrine of demons. Satan now has this person’s soul in a firm grip.
Is it not a scary thought to think that Satan spends time planning how to deceive you? If you are unsaved, without the protection of God, you are at his mercy.
1Peter 5:8 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
So how do you tell what is a genuine healing from God?
The first thing you do is you TEST the words they preach. If they do not tie up with scripture, the man is a false teacher. Sometimes faith healers like to preach as little as possible, and rather concentrate on their core business; counterfeit healing. Understand too that the false teacher is deceived as he truly believes he is performing mighty healings.
Secondly, you look to see if any people are falling over backwards. In the bible no one ever fell over. If they did it, was willingly to WORSHIP God, NO supernatural power involved, and they always FELL FORWARDS (Genesis 17:3, 17, Matthew 26:39, 1Corinthians 14:25). When you see people falling backwards, know immediately that a false ‘holy spirit’ is at work. (See also slain of the spirit)
Thirdly, regarding the healings themselves:
Jesus NEVER publicised His healings, nor had a healing ministry. He did not use it as an excuse to raise money either. In fact there were times he told those he healed to tell no one. (Matthew 8:1-4, 9:27-31)
Jesus healed every kind of infirmity. (Matthew 9:35)
Jesus He did not have special days for healing specific illnessess. Nor any specific time periods when healings would take place.
Jesus NEVER performed a partial healing. People where “made whole” instantly when Jesus healed. Jesus NEVER told the person that it would take time for them to recover. (Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37)
Jesus NEVER failed to heal anyone in His attempt to heal a person. He never had to make any embarassing explanations.
Jesus NEVER healed by faith alone, but by divine power.
Now the reason I wrote this little article, besides the fact that it answers that big question, is because I am writing an article or three on some false teachers who have strong occult powers and it appears they perform mighty miracles. But these are not miracles, these are but mere Satanic illusions.
2Corinthians 11:14 “14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
In fact the signs and wonders these men are performing are so surreal even I had to put my eyes balls back in their sockets and do a double take and triple take. It made me realise how susceptible people are who do not know the Word of God well, who do not have a good relationship with Jesus Christ, that they will actually believe these things. Because in the end times Satan will do GREAT signs and wonders through his false prophets:
Matthew 24:24 “24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” and
2Thessalonians 2:9 “9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders”. (See also the article written by Derek Prince)
And when the anti-Christ is on the scene he will even call fire down from the sky.
Revelation 13:13 “13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”
The number of false prophets creeping out of the woodwork is astronomical; the numbers range into the hundreds of thousands. Many use hypnosis on their audience and the power of suggestion which is demonic never the less, but there are some who wield terrible occult power and once you land in their grasp it’s very difficult to escape.
The answer is, absolutely, but in a very ‘counterfeit’ sort of way. You see, Satan can cause sickness, and mankind is born into a sinful evil world. What you see as being a miraculous healing by today’s false prophets is none other than Satan taking away the sickness / injury he had given the person in the first place. Satan can not do any good, he is the father of LIES.
In the bible there is a story of a woman who walked bent over for 18 years. It was a demonic spirit which caused this infirmity. Jesus healed her and she walked upright.
Luke 13:11-13 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
But what about creative healings you ask, an arm with crushed bones starts to slowly fix itself and heal?
Job 2:4-6 4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
Satan had full control over Job’s body and could do anything to him he wanted, except kill him. We fail to comprehend the immense power Satan has and what he has control over. Of course I am NOT saying that all illness is from Satan. Never. But in the case where people are healed by false teachers, Satan is the cause of the illness to start with.
So what has Satan to gain by taking away an illness from someone? Because you can not see into the spiritual world, you do not know what else Satan has given you in EXCHANGE for you believing in him. Yes, by going to a false teacher you are believing in Satan to heal you. One thing I do know is that the person who has received the counterfeit healing truly believes they were healed by God and ends up following after the false teacher and his doctrine of demons. Satan now has this person’s soul in a firm grip.
Is it not a scary thought to think that Satan spends time planning how to deceive you? If you are unsaved, without the protection of God, you are at his mercy.
1Peter 5:8 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
So how do you tell what is a genuine healing from God?
The first thing you do is you TEST the words they preach. If they do not tie up with scripture, the man is a false teacher. Sometimes faith healers like to preach as little as possible, and rather concentrate on their core business; counterfeit healing. Understand too that the false teacher is deceived as he truly believes he is performing mighty healings.
Secondly, you look to see if any people are falling over backwards. In the bible no one ever fell over. If they did it, was willingly to WORSHIP God, NO supernatural power involved, and they always FELL FORWARDS (Genesis 17:3, 17, Matthew 26:39, 1Corinthians 14:25). When you see people falling backwards, know immediately that a false ‘holy spirit’ is at work. (See also slain of the spirit)
Thirdly, regarding the healings themselves:
Jesus NEVER publicised His healings, nor had a healing ministry. He did not use it as an excuse to raise money either. In fact there were times he told those he healed to tell no one. (Matthew 8:1-4, 9:27-31)
Jesus healed every kind of infirmity. (Matthew 9:35)
Jesus He did not have special days for healing specific illnessess. Nor any specific time periods when healings would take place.
Jesus NEVER performed a partial healing. People where “made whole” instantly when Jesus healed. Jesus NEVER told the person that it would take time for them to recover. (Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37)
Jesus NEVER failed to heal anyone in His attempt to heal a person. He never had to make any embarassing explanations.
Jesus NEVER healed by faith alone, but by divine power.
Now the reason I wrote this little article, besides the fact that it answers that big question, is because I am writing an article or three on some false teachers who have strong occult powers and it appears they perform mighty miracles. But these are not miracles, these are but mere Satanic illusions.
2Corinthians 11:14 “14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
In fact the signs and wonders these men are performing are so surreal even I had to put my eyes balls back in their sockets and do a double take and triple take. It made me realise how susceptible people are who do not know the Word of God well, who do not have a good relationship with Jesus Christ, that they will actually believe these things. Because in the end times Satan will do GREAT signs and wonders through his false prophets:
Matthew 24:24 “24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” and
2Thessalonians 2:9 “9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders”. (See also the article written by Derek Prince)
And when the anti-Christ is on the scene he will even call fire down from the sky.
Revelation 13:13 “13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”
The number of false prophets creeping out of the woodwork is astronomical; the numbers range into the hundreds of thousands. Many use hypnosis on their audience and the power of suggestion which is demonic never the less, but there are some who wield terrible occult power and once you land in their grasp it’s very difficult to escape.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Satan’s Thirteen-point Plan
Satan’s Thirteen-point Plan to Take Over the World
Prof. Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (January 2011)
We live in a critical time of world history, right at the end of the church dispensation and shortly before the revelation of Satan’s world empire which will be headed by the Antichrist and the false prophet. Christians proclaim the second coming of Jesus Christ and the future revelation of His kingdom, while the non-Christian world is preparing for a new world order which will be in direct opposition to the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are, apart from a conflict in spiritual realms, also heading for a physical confrontation which will lead to the second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon at the end of the great tribulation. On this occasion the Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, their followers will be destroyed and Satan will be bound in a bottomless pit for one thousand years (Rev. 19:19-21 to Rev. 20:3).That will be followed by the revelation of God’s kingdom on earth.
Satan is the adversary and enemy of God since his casting out of heaven in prehistoric times because of his self-exaltation and rebellion. He wages an unabated battle against God and His kingdom as he aspires to be worshipped instead of God and also to become the sole ruler of the universe. He has a large following of fallen angels (demons or evil spirits) as well as unsaved people who are doing his will on earth. Together they constitute the kingdom of darkness, and they occupy such a dominant position that the Bible refers to them as “the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Eph. 6:12; cf. 1 John 5:19).
We have not been surrendered to the control of these satanic powers, since the Lord Jesus came to spiritually “deliver us from this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) and to establish His kingdom in our hearts. But we still physically find ourselves in an evil and hostile world in which we have to put on the full armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11).
In the end-time, with an interval of only seven years between them, both these kingdoms and their kings, Christ and the Antichrist, will be publicly revealed on earth. First, the kingdom of darkness under the leadership of the Antichrist will be revealed. During the subsequent tribulation period he will physically control the world. When the withholder of the Antichrist – that is the true church as the temple of the Holy Spirit – has been taken out of the way at the rapture (2Thess. 2:6-8), the Antichrist will be revealed.
During the seven years of the Antichrist’s reign the judgements of God will be poured out upon this evil kingdom right up to the moment when it will lose all authority on earth. The climax of these judgements will occur on the last day of the tribulation when Christ will return to earth to destroy the satanic powers and have Satan bound in a pit. After this, Christ’s kingdom will be revealed and established on earth.
Satan is fully aware of the dire future prophesied for him in the Bible but he altogether rejects it. Since the origin of humanity he has been waging a war to gain more control over people and eventually also to be worshipped by them. He does not want to be known as Satan but as Lord and God. That is the reason why he comes as an angel of light and employs all the powers of his cunning to deceive people in such a way that they would worship and follow another god, another Jesus and another spirit, which are all impostors from his kingdom (2Cor. 11:3-15).
We are in the final phase of the church dispensation, during which evangelical Christians have all reason to expect the imminent coming of Christ. That is why Satan is intensifying his efforts to bring humanity under the power of delusion to such an extent that they will rather engage in preparing the way for his false kingdom than waiting for Christ. Deceived people do not realise that they are advocates for Satan’s kingdom since they have lost the ability to discern between the truth and the lie. Their minds have been blinded by the god of this world (2Cor. 4:4).
This deception is so subtle and convincing that even those many Christians who have a poor knowledge of the Bible are falling for it (compare the saying that “if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything”). Consequently, they will “depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
(1Tim. 4:1). The Lord Jesus also warned against this serious deception: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many… For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:4-5,24).
The deception is aimed at perverting and falsifying the principles and characteristics of God’s kingdom, and then applying them to Satan’s kingdom. Humanity should still expect God’s kingdom and also actively promote it, but in such a way that they actually prepare the way for Satan’s kingdom. Changed thinking caused by spiritual deception should be the driving force behind people’s actions to support Satan’s alternate kingdom rather than the true kingdom of God.
This other way of thinking and believing is the fruit of deception. Some people refer to it as a paradigm shift; others see it as the emergence of a new, ecumenical belief system, while large groups justify it as postmodern reforms brought about by the demands of a new world order. Whatever the excuses for their new way of thinking may be, the fact remains that they are all victims of the master deceiver of the ages. The Bible calls him “the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). He is responsible for transforming theological thinking in such a way that it complies with the principles of hís kingdom and no longer with those of God’s kingdom.
When Satan’s most important strategies for the revelation of his kingdom are investigated, it becomes evident that he has a thirteen-point plan for the final deceiving of the world with a view to taking it over. The application of the plan leads to such a distortion and misrepresentation of God’s kingdom that humanity, including a large segment of the nominal Christian church, is becoming involved with efforts to reveal the alternate kingdom of Satan. They are doing it under the false assumption that they are still involved with God’s kingdom.
Satan’s major battle is against the Bible as it contains facts on the revelation of God, His plan of salvation for humanity through Jesus Christ, as well as clear prophecies on what the future holds for the world and its inhabitants. The subversive works of the kingdom of darkness are also revealed in the Bible, as well as God’s judgements upon Satan and his kingdom. These divine truths stand out like a beacon of light in a dark world, and refute everything that is contrary to it. God is truth, His Word is truth, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth (John 14:6; 16:13; 17:17).
Satan realises that he first has to try and do away with the Bible as the source of Christian doctrines before he will be able to institute his plans for an alternate faith. When the basic statements of faith in the Bible have been successfully questioned, spiritualised or distorted, any possible meaning can be ascribed to them. That will lead to a far-reaching transformation of thinking in support of a satanic new world order. This new way of thinking which is propagated by false prophets, is spiritual in nature and occurs in the following 13 areas:
1. The truth of God’s Word is presented as a lie
Satan will not at all be able to reveal his kingdom without resistance in the world as long as there are significant numbers of people who regard the Bible as credible. That is the reason why throughout the ages he has been waging relentless attacks against the Bible. He does not at all want people to believe in the Bible as the inerrant and literally inspired Word of God as such people are not open to other convictions and will therefore not become his followers.
There is no end to the attacks made against the Bible by deceived theologians. They allege that the Bible is a compilation of humanly-conceived books on religious and moral matters, and not God’s word to humanity. They regard it as predominantly of a mythological nature and therefore not historically authentic. Most of the biblical accounts are belittled as myths, including the creation account and the description of Satan’s kingdom in the air.
Many of the statements on the person and attributes of Jesus Christ are described as mere speculation or wishful thinking, e.g. the ‘unscientific’ supposition of the virgin birth of Jesus, and also the belief that He is God, that He was resurrected from the dead, ascended to heaven and will bodily return to the earth. Biblical prophecies on the end-time and the second coming of Christ are not literally interpreted and considered in a futuristic sense, but regarded as historical (preteristic), symbolical and allegorical descriptions with little value.
The implication of the sustained campaign of subversion against the Bible is that the statements which fundamental Christians accept as literal and unchangeable truths are actually all lies. As far as the henchmen of Satan are concerned there is no Triune God as Jesus was only an ordinary prophet and not God; the crucifixion of Christ was only a political act without any spiritual significance; there is no heaven, hell or devil; there will not be an Antichrist, a great tribulation or a literal battle of Armageddon; the Lord will not physically intervene to remove believers before the time of judgement; and there will not be a thousand-year reign of peace or a final judgement.
We have reached a stage in which deceived theologians on a large scale are discrediting and rejecting these biblical truths. The way is now open for the propagation of an unbiblical worldview in which Satan’s false kingdom is gaining credibility. The truth of divine revelations has been replaced by the lies of Satan’s kingdom which are based upon imposture. Much more than during the time of Isaiah we are living in a religious environment in which people backslide from the Lord, eventually deny Him and also abandon the truth of His Word:
“Our sins testify against us… in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter” (Isa. 59:12-14).
However, the lie is not always easy to discern because Satan is offering his alternate kingdom to people in the name of God and also in the name of Christ (cf. Matt. 24:4-5). But his kingdom will be multi-religious as the followers of all religions will worship the Christ of the new world order and also follow him as their conqueror and prince of peace (Rev. 6:2; 13:3-4). These lies are so strongly established by now, also in the traditional Christian world, that the time for the planned revelation of Satan’s kingdom must be very near.
2. The lies of the non-Christian religions are presented as truth
Concurrent with the period when the Bible loses credibility among apostates, the doctrines and holy books of the non-Christian religions are increasingly recognised and adhered to. In various multi-religious textbooks which have been published in South Africa and are also used for the training of teachers, the positive value of the non-Christian faiths is acclaimed.
It is alleged that Westerners have lost their spirituality because of the big impact of materialism on their lives. As a solution to this problem Christians are encouraged to take over from Eastern religions, e.g. Buddhism and Hinduism, mystical techniques such as transcendental meditation to spiritually enrich themselves. The opinion is also held that we can learn much from the nature religions. The collective consciousness of the San (Bushmen) and their ecological relationship with nature can, for instance, be taken over to great benefit.
In the light of these postmodern reforms, traditional Christianity is regarded as narrow, judgemental and out of step with reality. Consequently, it is now presented as being composed of lies and half-truths. The things however which the Bible exposes as lies and camouflaged Satanism, e.g. idolatry (cf. 1Cor. 10:19-20);
2Cor. 6:14-18), all of a sudden become acceptable practices and the discovery of new truths.
3. The true Christ becomes the Antichrist, or cosmic Christ
A very important objective in Satan’s strategy for a takeover is the deconstruction of the biblical image of Jesus Christ. In the process, Jesus is rendered another Jesus to enable the Antichrist to come in His name. It is evident from this approach that the devil is not out to destroy religion but to change it in such a way that he and the Antichrist can be worshipped by all people. That will indeed happen: “And all the world marvelled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast?” (Rev. 13:3-4).
Evangelical Christians do not participate in deconstructing the image of Jesus as that would amount to rejecting the Bible and the misrepresentation of Christ. They are aware of the dangers of denying or changing God’s Word. However, nominal, ecumenical-minded Christians who were deceived by the devil, fully support the transformation of the biblical Jesus to the multi-religious Jesus of the new world order, who will be accepted and worshipped by the followers of all religions.
Theologians who hold this opinion allege that the biblical account of Jesus as God and Son of God, who is the only Saviour of the world, is a false one. They refer to Him as the cultic Jesus or the Jesus of faith. That is unacceptable to them, and consequently they are replacing Him with the “historical Jesus” who was in their view only an ordinary prophet. This approach enables them to relegate Jesus to the same level as the prophets of other faiths, e.g. Buddha, Krishna and Mohammed.
Religious leaders in the non-Christian faiths followed suit and devised theories which either closely associate the historical Jesus with their own religions or even render him inherently part of their faith. Some of these leaders openly state that the world messiah who is expected shortly will fulfil multiple roles by being Christ to the Christians, Krishna to the Hindus, the fifth Buddha to the Buddhists, and the Imam Mahdi to Islam. He will therefore be the cosmic Messiah, or the Messiah of all faiths. According to the Bible he will be the Antichrist.
The important question, therefore, is not so much if Christians in the traditional Christian world accept or reject Jesus, but rather which Jesus they accept and follow. It is either the Son of God who is the only Saviour of the world (Acts 4:12), or it is the interfaith messiah who will deceive all religions to accept and proclaim his false gospel (Rev. 17:3-6). The true Christ will be the King in God’s revealed kingdom (Rev. 19:11-16), while the false Christ (the Antichrist) will be the king who will rule over Satan’s kingdom of darkness (Rev. 13:2).
It is obvious that the lies of Satan are increasingly getting the upper hand in large segments of the Christian church, thus rendering them forerunners of his false Christ.
4. The Triune God becomes the universal God of all faiths
Satan is not only intent on making the Antichrist acceptable to the world as Christ and eventually also as God (2Thess. 2:4), but he himself wishes to be worshipped and honoured as God. Consequently, in his strategy for taking over the world he does not only conduct a campaign against the biblical Jesus but also against the idea of a Triune God. A God who revealed Himself to the world only through His Son, thereby excluding all other faiths, is not acceptable to the devil. That is the reason why he not only renders Jesus the cosmic Christ of all faiths, but also presents God as the universal God of all faiths. Satan fulfils this role as he is the god of this age (2Cor. 4:4).
Any person who supports the statement that all faiths worship the same God has become a victim of Satan’s deception and therefore also a follower of this false god. The world at large has already been induced to shun the Triune God of the Bible and to bow the knee before the satanic triumvirate – the God of this age, the cosmic Christ and the false prophet.
5. Spiritual rebirth becomes a mystical spiritual experience
The Lord Jesus said: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Because of this very clear statement Satan is also specifically intent on keeping people from being born again, thereby becoming members of God’s kingdom. If he succeeds in preventing rebirth by offering people false foundations such as baptismal regeneration and good works, he would ensure his continued influence upon them in the kingdom of darkness. Satan approaches them in the image of an angel of light to blind them to the truth and justify them in their unsaved condition.
Many people are looking for an ecstatic spiritual experience whereby to declare themselves as being born again. Satan gladly supplies in this need by, among others, slaying in the spirit when people fall into a trance and do strange things like uncontrollable laughing and the uttering of animal sounds. But this experience does not lead to conviction of sin and true repentance. When these people rise from the floor they nevertheless regard themselves as being born again because the Spirit of God had allegedly fallen upon them.
Mystical experiences, or trance states, can also be induced by listening to certain kinds of music, by loudly singing and repeating specific songs, by practising transcendental meditation in which certain key words (mantras) are repeated over and over, and also by using mind expanding drugs. Such people come under the influence of Satan’s deceiving spirits (1Tim. 4:1) and are therefore being prepared for his kingdom.
6. The narrow way to heaven becomes the false road of conflict
Satan casts a dark shadow of doubt upon the narrow way which leads to heaven (cf. Matt. 7:14). He does not want people to walk on this road because they belong to the Lord. He finds it more difficult to deceive such people as many of them have a good knowledge of Scripture and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit; because of that, they are outspoken adversaries of the kingdom of darkness.
True believers strived hard to gain access through the narrow gate of rebirth onto the way which leads to heaven (Luke 13:24). They believe in the biblical Jesus (not the historical Jesus who was only a prophet) and confess the saving power of His death on the cross. They also believe that He is the only way to heaven and that all people outside of Him are lost (John 14:6; 1John 5:12). They are fundamental believers.
Through the devil’s doing the narrow way of the true life of faith has increasingly been given a bad name. It is alleged that these believers have a negative and judgemental attitude because they think that only they are right and all the others are wrong. They are loveless people and worship a loveless God who condemns the majority of people to the everlasting lake of fire because they are not Christians.
There are various well-known Christian preachers who hold the view that fundamental Christians pose a great threat to the emerging church of the 21st century because they strongly insist on the honouring of biblical principles. Such Christians resist the ecumenical movement and undermine the forging of unitary ties among the various Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, while strongly condemning any ties with the non-Christian religions.
Because of these factors the narrow way of Christian fundamentalism is rejected. Through continued deception more and more people are negatively inclined towards evangelicalism and that accounts for their increasing openness towards the false gospel of Satan’s kingdom in many parts of the world.
7. The broad way to hell becomes the accepted way to harmony and peace
The discrediting of the narrow way to heaven opens the way towards the acceptance of the majority’s broad way in which everything and everybody is permissible. This is the multi-religious way in which people may approach the universal God of all faiths through different mediators. Because of this practice, various multi-religious movements have been established in the world in which members of all faiths can join hands and congenially collaborate with one another.
This is the way of harmony and world peace upon which all people can become one through compromise and adaptation to their new spiritual environment. The devil is the only winner in this situation since all the spiritually lost people are justified and praised. They are fellow builders of a modern tower of Babel and they will all inherit Satan’s kingdom when the Antichrist is revealed after the rapture (Rev. 17:3-6).
However, these deceived people’s hour of glory will be short-lived. When the Antichrist declares himself to be God in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, all his followers will be forced to unconditionally worship him as God. All forms of religion will then be declared redundant and abolished. Those who refuse to comply with the demands of the Antichrist will be executed (Rev. 13:15; 17:16).
8. Prayers to God become meditation and the invoking of spiritual powers
Intensified efforts are made by Satan’s kingdom to sever all contact between people and the true God. Not only are Christians kept too busy to pray but the very nature of prayer is distorted. This is achieved by teaching people how to substitute prayer for transcendental meditation, which is an exercise in mystical contemplation through descending to the so-called deeper, creative levels of one’s right-brain. A single word or short sentence is repeated over and over until the person enters a hypnotic or trance state which is referred to as an altered state of consciousness.
In this state of mind and spirit the meditator becomes aware of the god within him, he sees the world in a new light in which everything converges into a harmonious unity, he experiences peace in his heart while fully relaxing, and he also finds solutions to all his problems. In actual fact he practises Eastern meditation in which a person empties his mind of all thoughts, thereby opening it up to influencing by occult spiritual powers. This is exactly the channel which the devil needs to communicate with people and instil a consciousness of his new world order in them.
9. The Christian faith becomes an ecumenical alliance of all faiths
The multiple religious influences which Satan imposes upon modern humanity causes Christianity to lose its unique character and eventually diminishing itself to one of many communication channels with God. Ecumenical Christians then join hands with other faiths in terms of the deceptive premise that God revealed Himself to humanity through all faiths and cultures.
When that happens, common belief in the Triune God no longer unites people, but belief in the universal God of all faiths does. That is not the God of the Bible but the false god of this world who blinds the minds of people that they should not know, worship or follow the God of the Bible (2Cor. 4:4). When that happens, the time for the revelation of Satan’s kingdom has drawn nigh.
10. The temple of God in Jerusalem becomes Satan’s temple of all faiths
The devil also has a specific strategy for deceiving Israel as God’s people. He knows that the spiritually restored Israel is destined to play an important role in the kingdom of God during the Millennium. It is consequently a highly prioritised strategy of the devil to subject the entire Israel to the authority of the false Messiah, thereby ensuring that they will be under his full control. The true Messiah has warned Israel more than 2000 years ago that they would conclude a covenant with the false Messiah (John 5:43).
The prophet Daniel also indicated that Israel would conclude a covenant with the Antichrist for one year-week of seven years (Dan. 9:27). As part of this covenant they will be granted the right to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. But that will specifically be a temple for the world Messiah, i.e. the common Messiah of all faiths.
To the utter amazement of many people, this antichristian and interfaith approach has already taken root in Israel. A modern Sanhedrin was established in October 2004, and they follow a multi-religious approach in terms of scriptures such as Isaiah 56:7: “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” This statement is erroneously interpreted in a multi-religious way by also giving recognition to the non-Biblical faiths. There is a Jewish website which promotes the view of “God’s holy mountain” for all faiths, i.e. www.godsholymountain.org
From the Bible we know that the Third Temple which will be built in Jerusalem will be the temple of the false Messiah. In this way he will try to ensure that the Jews do not accept the once for all sacrifice of the true Messiah on the cross. Furthermore, he will use this temple to declare himself to be God in the Holy of holies (2Thess. 2:4; Dan. 11:31; Matt. 24:15-21). By then, the temple of God will have become the temple of Satan.
From all these developments we know that the coming of the false Messiah is at hand. It may happen any time.
11. Divine revelations in the Bible become extra-biblical revelations
Information on the future revelation of Satan’s kingdom on earth is given by false prophets. They present it as God’s kingdom in which people of all faiths will live together in peace and prosperity. They reject all biblical warnings on an end-time tribulation under the dictatorship of the Antichrist, and for that reason all biblical prophecies are distorted, spiritualised, ignored or merely regarded to be irrelevant. The only accepted information on what the future holds for us comes from major contemporary prophets who wrongly claim to speak on behalf of God. They only predict mighty revivals, good times, and a peaceful world empire – no tribulation, judgements or suffering.
12. The futuristic kingdom of God becomes a humanistic kingdom-now
According to the Bible, Satan knows that Christ will return to the earth to destroy His enemies, save the remnant in Israel, and then establish His kingdom on earth with Jerusalem as capital. In an all-out effort to avert this turn of events he will, before the second coming of Christ, establish his own government on earth under the leadership of the Antichrist. The devil’s idea of a kingdom here and now, before the coming of Christ as King, has by now become so firmly rooted in theological thinking across the globe that most of the leading Christian churches actively support and promote this idea. The strong humanistic and multi-religious nature of this kingdom will render proof of its unbiblical and satanic character.
Preparations for this kingdom are in such an advanced stage that an interfaith messiah has, at this stage of the world history, a very good chance of being universally accepted, followed and even worshipped (Rev. 13:3-4). When this kingdom has been well established, the Antichrist will instigate his followers to fight against the true Christ on the day of His second coming in an effort to kill Him. They will know that Christ will return to earth at the end of that particular year-week to destroy the Antichrist and his world empire, therefore they will mobilise an international force to fight against Him (Rev. 16:13-16).
But it will be a day of great tragedy for this multinational force when they try to fight against the One who has all power in heaven and on earth (Rev. 19:19-21; Zech. 14:12-13; Joel 3:2; Isa. 13:9-13).
13. The rapture of believers becomes the removal of rebels
The Lord has promised to take away His bridal congregation before the dawning of the coming time of judgement (Luke 21:36; John 14:2-3; 1Thess. 4:16-17). The true believers are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and their presence on earth withholds the revelation of the Antichrist and the institution of his satanic world empire (2Thess. 2:6-8).
When the evangelical Christians suddenly disappear the Antichrist will be revealed as a false prince of peace in the name of Christ, and also in the names of the other messiahs of the world religions. He will give a bad name to the evangelical Christians who have disappeared, by alleging that they promoted hatred and conflict because of their refusal to enter into brotherly relations with the members of other faiths. They will be branded as stubborn rebels, and all sorts of theories will be advanced to explain their disappearance as a divine act which was needed to allow unity and peace to prevail on earth.
The promise of the rapture will, therefore, be changed in such a way by the enemies of God that it will not be seen as the catching away of true believers but as the supernatural removal of the fundamentalist troublemakers. They will be described as the stumbling-blocks in the transition to a new dispensation, and that will justify the act of removing them.
Conclusion
Satan’s thirteen-point plan is composed of religious lies which are used as propaganda for the revelation of his kingdom. These lies are successfully proclaimed by his large number of collaborators, since public support is vital for the implementation of his plan to take over the world.
The first half of the Antichrist’s rule will predominantly be characterised by deception. During this phase he will voluntarily be recognised and worshipped by virtually all people. It will only be towards the middle of the tribulation when opposition against him will be mounting, and that will induce him to institute the most severe military dictatorship in the entire history of humanity. The Lord Jesus describes it as a great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world, and that it will bring humanity to the very edge of total annihilation (Matt. 24:21-22). Only then will Christ intervene at His second coming to save a remnant of Israel and the nations (Matt. 24:29-30).
The Lord Jesus has good advice for a time such as this: “Take heed that no one deceives you…” (Matt. 24:4). Abide in Christ, abide in His Word, walk in the Spirit, resist the present evil world and put on the full armour of God that you may remain standing against the wiles of the devil. The Saviour has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).
Prof. Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (January 2011)
We live in a critical time of world history, right at the end of the church dispensation and shortly before the revelation of Satan’s world empire which will be headed by the Antichrist and the false prophet. Christians proclaim the second coming of Jesus Christ and the future revelation of His kingdom, while the non-Christian world is preparing for a new world order which will be in direct opposition to the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are, apart from a conflict in spiritual realms, also heading for a physical confrontation which will lead to the second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon at the end of the great tribulation. On this occasion the Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, their followers will be destroyed and Satan will be bound in a bottomless pit for one thousand years (Rev. 19:19-21 to Rev. 20:3).That will be followed by the revelation of God’s kingdom on earth.
Satan is the adversary and enemy of God since his casting out of heaven in prehistoric times because of his self-exaltation and rebellion. He wages an unabated battle against God and His kingdom as he aspires to be worshipped instead of God and also to become the sole ruler of the universe. He has a large following of fallen angels (demons or evil spirits) as well as unsaved people who are doing his will on earth. Together they constitute the kingdom of darkness, and they occupy such a dominant position that the Bible refers to them as “the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Eph. 6:12; cf. 1 John 5:19).
We have not been surrendered to the control of these satanic powers, since the Lord Jesus came to spiritually “deliver us from this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) and to establish His kingdom in our hearts. But we still physically find ourselves in an evil and hostile world in which we have to put on the full armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11).
In the end-time, with an interval of only seven years between them, both these kingdoms and their kings, Christ and the Antichrist, will be publicly revealed on earth. First, the kingdom of darkness under the leadership of the Antichrist will be revealed. During the subsequent tribulation period he will physically control the world. When the withholder of the Antichrist – that is the true church as the temple of the Holy Spirit – has been taken out of the way at the rapture (2Thess. 2:6-8), the Antichrist will be revealed.
During the seven years of the Antichrist’s reign the judgements of God will be poured out upon this evil kingdom right up to the moment when it will lose all authority on earth. The climax of these judgements will occur on the last day of the tribulation when Christ will return to earth to destroy the satanic powers and have Satan bound in a pit. After this, Christ’s kingdom will be revealed and established on earth.
Satan is fully aware of the dire future prophesied for him in the Bible but he altogether rejects it. Since the origin of humanity he has been waging a war to gain more control over people and eventually also to be worshipped by them. He does not want to be known as Satan but as Lord and God. That is the reason why he comes as an angel of light and employs all the powers of his cunning to deceive people in such a way that they would worship and follow another god, another Jesus and another spirit, which are all impostors from his kingdom (2Cor. 11:3-15).
We are in the final phase of the church dispensation, during which evangelical Christians have all reason to expect the imminent coming of Christ. That is why Satan is intensifying his efforts to bring humanity under the power of delusion to such an extent that they will rather engage in preparing the way for his false kingdom than waiting for Christ. Deceived people do not realise that they are advocates for Satan’s kingdom since they have lost the ability to discern between the truth and the lie. Their minds have been blinded by the god of this world (2Cor. 4:4).
This deception is so subtle and convincing that even those many Christians who have a poor knowledge of the Bible are falling for it (compare the saying that “if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything”). Consequently, they will “depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
(1Tim. 4:1). The Lord Jesus also warned against this serious deception: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many… For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:4-5,24).
The deception is aimed at perverting and falsifying the principles and characteristics of God’s kingdom, and then applying them to Satan’s kingdom. Humanity should still expect God’s kingdom and also actively promote it, but in such a way that they actually prepare the way for Satan’s kingdom. Changed thinking caused by spiritual deception should be the driving force behind people’s actions to support Satan’s alternate kingdom rather than the true kingdom of God.
This other way of thinking and believing is the fruit of deception. Some people refer to it as a paradigm shift; others see it as the emergence of a new, ecumenical belief system, while large groups justify it as postmodern reforms brought about by the demands of a new world order. Whatever the excuses for their new way of thinking may be, the fact remains that they are all victims of the master deceiver of the ages. The Bible calls him “the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). He is responsible for transforming theological thinking in such a way that it complies with the principles of hís kingdom and no longer with those of God’s kingdom.
When Satan’s most important strategies for the revelation of his kingdom are investigated, it becomes evident that he has a thirteen-point plan for the final deceiving of the world with a view to taking it over. The application of the plan leads to such a distortion and misrepresentation of God’s kingdom that humanity, including a large segment of the nominal Christian church, is becoming involved with efforts to reveal the alternate kingdom of Satan. They are doing it under the false assumption that they are still involved with God’s kingdom.
Satan’s major battle is against the Bible as it contains facts on the revelation of God, His plan of salvation for humanity through Jesus Christ, as well as clear prophecies on what the future holds for the world and its inhabitants. The subversive works of the kingdom of darkness are also revealed in the Bible, as well as God’s judgements upon Satan and his kingdom. These divine truths stand out like a beacon of light in a dark world, and refute everything that is contrary to it. God is truth, His Word is truth, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth (John 14:6; 16:13; 17:17).
Satan realises that he first has to try and do away with the Bible as the source of Christian doctrines before he will be able to institute his plans for an alternate faith. When the basic statements of faith in the Bible have been successfully questioned, spiritualised or distorted, any possible meaning can be ascribed to them. That will lead to a far-reaching transformation of thinking in support of a satanic new world order. This new way of thinking which is propagated by false prophets, is spiritual in nature and occurs in the following 13 areas:
1. The truth of God’s Word is presented as a lie
Satan will not at all be able to reveal his kingdom without resistance in the world as long as there are significant numbers of people who regard the Bible as credible. That is the reason why throughout the ages he has been waging relentless attacks against the Bible. He does not at all want people to believe in the Bible as the inerrant and literally inspired Word of God as such people are not open to other convictions and will therefore not become his followers.
There is no end to the attacks made against the Bible by deceived theologians. They allege that the Bible is a compilation of humanly-conceived books on religious and moral matters, and not God’s word to humanity. They regard it as predominantly of a mythological nature and therefore not historically authentic. Most of the biblical accounts are belittled as myths, including the creation account and the description of Satan’s kingdom in the air.
Many of the statements on the person and attributes of Jesus Christ are described as mere speculation or wishful thinking, e.g. the ‘unscientific’ supposition of the virgin birth of Jesus, and also the belief that He is God, that He was resurrected from the dead, ascended to heaven and will bodily return to the earth. Biblical prophecies on the end-time and the second coming of Christ are not literally interpreted and considered in a futuristic sense, but regarded as historical (preteristic), symbolical and allegorical descriptions with little value.
The implication of the sustained campaign of subversion against the Bible is that the statements which fundamental Christians accept as literal and unchangeable truths are actually all lies. As far as the henchmen of Satan are concerned there is no Triune God as Jesus was only an ordinary prophet and not God; the crucifixion of Christ was only a political act without any spiritual significance; there is no heaven, hell or devil; there will not be an Antichrist, a great tribulation or a literal battle of Armageddon; the Lord will not physically intervene to remove believers before the time of judgement; and there will not be a thousand-year reign of peace or a final judgement.
We have reached a stage in which deceived theologians on a large scale are discrediting and rejecting these biblical truths. The way is now open for the propagation of an unbiblical worldview in which Satan’s false kingdom is gaining credibility. The truth of divine revelations has been replaced by the lies of Satan’s kingdom which are based upon imposture. Much more than during the time of Isaiah we are living in a religious environment in which people backslide from the Lord, eventually deny Him and also abandon the truth of His Word:
“Our sins testify against us… in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter” (Isa. 59:12-14).
However, the lie is not always easy to discern because Satan is offering his alternate kingdom to people in the name of God and also in the name of Christ (cf. Matt. 24:4-5). But his kingdom will be multi-religious as the followers of all religions will worship the Christ of the new world order and also follow him as their conqueror and prince of peace (Rev. 6:2; 13:3-4). These lies are so strongly established by now, also in the traditional Christian world, that the time for the planned revelation of Satan’s kingdom must be very near.
2. The lies of the non-Christian religions are presented as truth
Concurrent with the period when the Bible loses credibility among apostates, the doctrines and holy books of the non-Christian religions are increasingly recognised and adhered to. In various multi-religious textbooks which have been published in South Africa and are also used for the training of teachers, the positive value of the non-Christian faiths is acclaimed.
It is alleged that Westerners have lost their spirituality because of the big impact of materialism on their lives. As a solution to this problem Christians are encouraged to take over from Eastern religions, e.g. Buddhism and Hinduism, mystical techniques such as transcendental meditation to spiritually enrich themselves. The opinion is also held that we can learn much from the nature religions. The collective consciousness of the San (Bushmen) and their ecological relationship with nature can, for instance, be taken over to great benefit.
In the light of these postmodern reforms, traditional Christianity is regarded as narrow, judgemental and out of step with reality. Consequently, it is now presented as being composed of lies and half-truths. The things however which the Bible exposes as lies and camouflaged Satanism, e.g. idolatry (cf. 1Cor. 10:19-20);
2Cor. 6:14-18), all of a sudden become acceptable practices and the discovery of new truths.
3. The true Christ becomes the Antichrist, or cosmic Christ
A very important objective in Satan’s strategy for a takeover is the deconstruction of the biblical image of Jesus Christ. In the process, Jesus is rendered another Jesus to enable the Antichrist to come in His name. It is evident from this approach that the devil is not out to destroy religion but to change it in such a way that he and the Antichrist can be worshipped by all people. That will indeed happen: “And all the world marvelled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast?” (Rev. 13:3-4).
Evangelical Christians do not participate in deconstructing the image of Jesus as that would amount to rejecting the Bible and the misrepresentation of Christ. They are aware of the dangers of denying or changing God’s Word. However, nominal, ecumenical-minded Christians who were deceived by the devil, fully support the transformation of the biblical Jesus to the multi-religious Jesus of the new world order, who will be accepted and worshipped by the followers of all religions.
Theologians who hold this opinion allege that the biblical account of Jesus as God and Son of God, who is the only Saviour of the world, is a false one. They refer to Him as the cultic Jesus or the Jesus of faith. That is unacceptable to them, and consequently they are replacing Him with the “historical Jesus” who was in their view only an ordinary prophet. This approach enables them to relegate Jesus to the same level as the prophets of other faiths, e.g. Buddha, Krishna and Mohammed.
Religious leaders in the non-Christian faiths followed suit and devised theories which either closely associate the historical Jesus with their own religions or even render him inherently part of their faith. Some of these leaders openly state that the world messiah who is expected shortly will fulfil multiple roles by being Christ to the Christians, Krishna to the Hindus, the fifth Buddha to the Buddhists, and the Imam Mahdi to Islam. He will therefore be the cosmic Messiah, or the Messiah of all faiths. According to the Bible he will be the Antichrist.
The important question, therefore, is not so much if Christians in the traditional Christian world accept or reject Jesus, but rather which Jesus they accept and follow. It is either the Son of God who is the only Saviour of the world (Acts 4:12), or it is the interfaith messiah who will deceive all religions to accept and proclaim his false gospel (Rev. 17:3-6). The true Christ will be the King in God’s revealed kingdom (Rev. 19:11-16), while the false Christ (the Antichrist) will be the king who will rule over Satan’s kingdom of darkness (Rev. 13:2).
It is obvious that the lies of Satan are increasingly getting the upper hand in large segments of the Christian church, thus rendering them forerunners of his false Christ.
4. The Triune God becomes the universal God of all faiths
Satan is not only intent on making the Antichrist acceptable to the world as Christ and eventually also as God (2Thess. 2:4), but he himself wishes to be worshipped and honoured as God. Consequently, in his strategy for taking over the world he does not only conduct a campaign against the biblical Jesus but also against the idea of a Triune God. A God who revealed Himself to the world only through His Son, thereby excluding all other faiths, is not acceptable to the devil. That is the reason why he not only renders Jesus the cosmic Christ of all faiths, but also presents God as the universal God of all faiths. Satan fulfils this role as he is the god of this age (2Cor. 4:4).
Any person who supports the statement that all faiths worship the same God has become a victim of Satan’s deception and therefore also a follower of this false god. The world at large has already been induced to shun the Triune God of the Bible and to bow the knee before the satanic triumvirate – the God of this age, the cosmic Christ and the false prophet.
5. Spiritual rebirth becomes a mystical spiritual experience
The Lord Jesus said: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Because of this very clear statement Satan is also specifically intent on keeping people from being born again, thereby becoming members of God’s kingdom. If he succeeds in preventing rebirth by offering people false foundations such as baptismal regeneration and good works, he would ensure his continued influence upon them in the kingdom of darkness. Satan approaches them in the image of an angel of light to blind them to the truth and justify them in their unsaved condition.
Many people are looking for an ecstatic spiritual experience whereby to declare themselves as being born again. Satan gladly supplies in this need by, among others, slaying in the spirit when people fall into a trance and do strange things like uncontrollable laughing and the uttering of animal sounds. But this experience does not lead to conviction of sin and true repentance. When these people rise from the floor they nevertheless regard themselves as being born again because the Spirit of God had allegedly fallen upon them.
Mystical experiences, or trance states, can also be induced by listening to certain kinds of music, by loudly singing and repeating specific songs, by practising transcendental meditation in which certain key words (mantras) are repeated over and over, and also by using mind expanding drugs. Such people come under the influence of Satan’s deceiving spirits (1Tim. 4:1) and are therefore being prepared for his kingdom.
6. The narrow way to heaven becomes the false road of conflict
Satan casts a dark shadow of doubt upon the narrow way which leads to heaven (cf. Matt. 7:14). He does not want people to walk on this road because they belong to the Lord. He finds it more difficult to deceive such people as many of them have a good knowledge of Scripture and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit; because of that, they are outspoken adversaries of the kingdom of darkness.
True believers strived hard to gain access through the narrow gate of rebirth onto the way which leads to heaven (Luke 13:24). They believe in the biblical Jesus (not the historical Jesus who was only a prophet) and confess the saving power of His death on the cross. They also believe that He is the only way to heaven and that all people outside of Him are lost (John 14:6; 1John 5:12). They are fundamental believers.
Through the devil’s doing the narrow way of the true life of faith has increasingly been given a bad name. It is alleged that these believers have a negative and judgemental attitude because they think that only they are right and all the others are wrong. They are loveless people and worship a loveless God who condemns the majority of people to the everlasting lake of fire because they are not Christians.
There are various well-known Christian preachers who hold the view that fundamental Christians pose a great threat to the emerging church of the 21st century because they strongly insist on the honouring of biblical principles. Such Christians resist the ecumenical movement and undermine the forging of unitary ties among the various Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, while strongly condemning any ties with the non-Christian religions.
Because of these factors the narrow way of Christian fundamentalism is rejected. Through continued deception more and more people are negatively inclined towards evangelicalism and that accounts for their increasing openness towards the false gospel of Satan’s kingdom in many parts of the world.
7. The broad way to hell becomes the accepted way to harmony and peace
The discrediting of the narrow way to heaven opens the way towards the acceptance of the majority’s broad way in which everything and everybody is permissible. This is the multi-religious way in which people may approach the universal God of all faiths through different mediators. Because of this practice, various multi-religious movements have been established in the world in which members of all faiths can join hands and congenially collaborate with one another.
This is the way of harmony and world peace upon which all people can become one through compromise and adaptation to their new spiritual environment. The devil is the only winner in this situation since all the spiritually lost people are justified and praised. They are fellow builders of a modern tower of Babel and they will all inherit Satan’s kingdom when the Antichrist is revealed after the rapture (Rev. 17:3-6).
However, these deceived people’s hour of glory will be short-lived. When the Antichrist declares himself to be God in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, all his followers will be forced to unconditionally worship him as God. All forms of religion will then be declared redundant and abolished. Those who refuse to comply with the demands of the Antichrist will be executed (Rev. 13:15; 17:16).
8. Prayers to God become meditation and the invoking of spiritual powers
Intensified efforts are made by Satan’s kingdom to sever all contact between people and the true God. Not only are Christians kept too busy to pray but the very nature of prayer is distorted. This is achieved by teaching people how to substitute prayer for transcendental meditation, which is an exercise in mystical contemplation through descending to the so-called deeper, creative levels of one’s right-brain. A single word or short sentence is repeated over and over until the person enters a hypnotic or trance state which is referred to as an altered state of consciousness.
In this state of mind and spirit the meditator becomes aware of the god within him, he sees the world in a new light in which everything converges into a harmonious unity, he experiences peace in his heart while fully relaxing, and he also finds solutions to all his problems. In actual fact he practises Eastern meditation in which a person empties his mind of all thoughts, thereby opening it up to influencing by occult spiritual powers. This is exactly the channel which the devil needs to communicate with people and instil a consciousness of his new world order in them.
9. The Christian faith becomes an ecumenical alliance of all faiths
The multiple religious influences which Satan imposes upon modern humanity causes Christianity to lose its unique character and eventually diminishing itself to one of many communication channels with God. Ecumenical Christians then join hands with other faiths in terms of the deceptive premise that God revealed Himself to humanity through all faiths and cultures.
When that happens, common belief in the Triune God no longer unites people, but belief in the universal God of all faiths does. That is not the God of the Bible but the false god of this world who blinds the minds of people that they should not know, worship or follow the God of the Bible (2Cor. 4:4). When that happens, the time for the revelation of Satan’s kingdom has drawn nigh.
10. The temple of God in Jerusalem becomes Satan’s temple of all faiths
The devil also has a specific strategy for deceiving Israel as God’s people. He knows that the spiritually restored Israel is destined to play an important role in the kingdom of God during the Millennium. It is consequently a highly prioritised strategy of the devil to subject the entire Israel to the authority of the false Messiah, thereby ensuring that they will be under his full control. The true Messiah has warned Israel more than 2000 years ago that they would conclude a covenant with the false Messiah (John 5:43).
The prophet Daniel also indicated that Israel would conclude a covenant with the Antichrist for one year-week of seven years (Dan. 9:27). As part of this covenant they will be granted the right to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. But that will specifically be a temple for the world Messiah, i.e. the common Messiah of all faiths.
To the utter amazement of many people, this antichristian and interfaith approach has already taken root in Israel. A modern Sanhedrin was established in October 2004, and they follow a multi-religious approach in terms of scriptures such as Isaiah 56:7: “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” This statement is erroneously interpreted in a multi-religious way by also giving recognition to the non-Biblical faiths. There is a Jewish website which promotes the view of “God’s holy mountain” for all faiths, i.e. www.godsholymountain.org
From the Bible we know that the Third Temple which will be built in Jerusalem will be the temple of the false Messiah. In this way he will try to ensure that the Jews do not accept the once for all sacrifice of the true Messiah on the cross. Furthermore, he will use this temple to declare himself to be God in the Holy of holies (2Thess. 2:4; Dan. 11:31; Matt. 24:15-21). By then, the temple of God will have become the temple of Satan.
From all these developments we know that the coming of the false Messiah is at hand. It may happen any time.
11. Divine revelations in the Bible become extra-biblical revelations
Information on the future revelation of Satan’s kingdom on earth is given by false prophets. They present it as God’s kingdom in which people of all faiths will live together in peace and prosperity. They reject all biblical warnings on an end-time tribulation under the dictatorship of the Antichrist, and for that reason all biblical prophecies are distorted, spiritualised, ignored or merely regarded to be irrelevant. The only accepted information on what the future holds for us comes from major contemporary prophets who wrongly claim to speak on behalf of God. They only predict mighty revivals, good times, and a peaceful world empire – no tribulation, judgements or suffering.
12. The futuristic kingdom of God becomes a humanistic kingdom-now
According to the Bible, Satan knows that Christ will return to the earth to destroy His enemies, save the remnant in Israel, and then establish His kingdom on earth with Jerusalem as capital. In an all-out effort to avert this turn of events he will, before the second coming of Christ, establish his own government on earth under the leadership of the Antichrist. The devil’s idea of a kingdom here and now, before the coming of Christ as King, has by now become so firmly rooted in theological thinking across the globe that most of the leading Christian churches actively support and promote this idea. The strong humanistic and multi-religious nature of this kingdom will render proof of its unbiblical and satanic character.
Preparations for this kingdom are in such an advanced stage that an interfaith messiah has, at this stage of the world history, a very good chance of being universally accepted, followed and even worshipped (Rev. 13:3-4). When this kingdom has been well established, the Antichrist will instigate his followers to fight against the true Christ on the day of His second coming in an effort to kill Him. They will know that Christ will return to earth at the end of that particular year-week to destroy the Antichrist and his world empire, therefore they will mobilise an international force to fight against Him (Rev. 16:13-16).
But it will be a day of great tragedy for this multinational force when they try to fight against the One who has all power in heaven and on earth (Rev. 19:19-21; Zech. 14:12-13; Joel 3:2; Isa. 13:9-13).
13. The rapture of believers becomes the removal of rebels
The Lord has promised to take away His bridal congregation before the dawning of the coming time of judgement (Luke 21:36; John 14:2-3; 1Thess. 4:16-17). The true believers are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and their presence on earth withholds the revelation of the Antichrist and the institution of his satanic world empire (2Thess. 2:6-8).
When the evangelical Christians suddenly disappear the Antichrist will be revealed as a false prince of peace in the name of Christ, and also in the names of the other messiahs of the world religions. He will give a bad name to the evangelical Christians who have disappeared, by alleging that they promoted hatred and conflict because of their refusal to enter into brotherly relations with the members of other faiths. They will be branded as stubborn rebels, and all sorts of theories will be advanced to explain their disappearance as a divine act which was needed to allow unity and peace to prevail on earth.
The promise of the rapture will, therefore, be changed in such a way by the enemies of God that it will not be seen as the catching away of true believers but as the supernatural removal of the fundamentalist troublemakers. They will be described as the stumbling-blocks in the transition to a new dispensation, and that will justify the act of removing them.
Conclusion
Satan’s thirteen-point plan is composed of religious lies which are used as propaganda for the revelation of his kingdom. These lies are successfully proclaimed by his large number of collaborators, since public support is vital for the implementation of his plan to take over the world.
The first half of the Antichrist’s rule will predominantly be characterised by deception. During this phase he will voluntarily be recognised and worshipped by virtually all people. It will only be towards the middle of the tribulation when opposition against him will be mounting, and that will induce him to institute the most severe military dictatorship in the entire history of humanity. The Lord Jesus describes it as a great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world, and that it will bring humanity to the very edge of total annihilation (Matt. 24:21-22). Only then will Christ intervene at His second coming to save a remnant of Israel and the nations (Matt. 24:29-30).
The Lord Jesus has good advice for a time such as this: “Take heed that no one deceives you…” (Matt. 24:4). Abide in Christ, abide in His Word, walk in the Spirit, resist the present evil world and put on the full armour of God that you may remain standing against the wiles of the devil. The Saviour has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).
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