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Showing posts with the label Deceivers

The Apostasy

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Paul warned of the future Apostasy and linked it to the unveiling of the Man of Anarchy, the Son of Destruction . The Apostle Paul responded to  false reports  about the “ Day of the Lord ” by pointing to the expected Apostasy and the “ Man of Lawlessness .” Jesus would not “ arrive ” until the “ Apostasy ” occurred and the “ Lawless One ” was revealed. Rumors claiming that the “ Day of the Lord had set in ” had circulated in Thessalonica, disrupting the Assembly – (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Howling Imposters

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The New Testament warns repeatedly of coming deceivers and false prophets who will cause many to depart from the faith . Jesus warned his disciples about coming “ deceivers ,” “ false Anointed Ones ,” and “ false prophets ” intent on misleading his followers, warnings reiterated and expanded in the writings of his true Apostles. He began his ‘Olivet Discourse’ with the stern warning - “ Beware lest anyone deceive you ,” for “ many ” deceivers will come and successfully “ deceive  many .”

Rumors and Disinformation

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Rumors about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion in the Thessalonian congregation  – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. Paul addressed rumors and false claims about the “ Day of the Lord " in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Incorrect information concerning Christ’s return had disrupted the Assembly. The disinformation was attributed either to a “ spirit ,” word ( logos ), or a letter “ as if from ” the Apostle Paul and his coworkers.

Prophetic Blunders

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According to Moses, “ When the prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh and the word does not come to pass, that is the word Yahweh has NOT spoken .” If this guideline remains applicable, many churches have embraced an interpretive school of prophecy that does not represent what the Bible says, namely, Dispensationalism, and this is demonstrated by its long history of failed predictions, speculations, and expectations.

Babylon Unveiled

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The interpreting angel exposes Babylon’s true nature – She is a seductive whore stained with the blood of martyrs .  Chapter 17 of Revelation presents the reader with an impressive female figure, “ Babylon, the Great City .” Her outward appearance is so appealing that even John is mesmerized by her, at least, for the moment (“ I was astonished when I beheld her, with great astonishment! ”). Yet the interpreting angel identifies her as a “ whore ” and links her to the violent deaths of the “ witnesses ” of Jesus.

Deceivers and Disasters

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Jesus began his final discourse with a sharp warning - Beware of the “ many deceivers ” who would come and spread false information about his return based on wars, earthquakes, and other calamities. They will “ deceive many .” Likewise, “ false prophets ” and “ false anointed ones ” would propagate lies about his whereabouts and “ coming .”

Discerning Times and Seasons

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Popular preaching often claims that Jesus commanded his disciples to “discern the times and the seasons” so they may know when the end of the age draws near. They must know and understand the “signs” so they can be prepared to meet Jesus on his return. Though we may assume this is an established fact, Jesus never stated anything to this effect. At no place in the New Testament does he command his followers to know all the times, signs, and seasons. He taught them something rather different.

The False One(s!)

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In his first epistle, John declares it is the  Last Hour , a period elsewhere in the New Testament called the “ Last Days .” As evidence of this, he points to the presence of false teachers who are disrupting the congregations under his care. These deceivers are the products and instruments of the “ Spirit of Antichrist ” that is active already in the world, and these very same men are forerunners of the final “ Antichrist ” who is yet to come.

Proclaiming Another Jesus

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When certain “ super-apostles ” began undermining his authority, the Apostle Paul warned the Assembly in Corinth not to heed anyone who “ proclaimed another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or a different spirit, or a different Gospel .” He pointed to the same Jesus that he first proclaimed, the “ Crucified Messiah ,” the Jesus who is the measuring rod against which all other messianic claimants must be evaluated.

The Final Antichrist

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The Spirit of the Antichrist is raising up deceivers in the Church, but a final Antichrist will appear at the end of the age .  The Apostle John applied the term “ antichrist ” to false teachers who were disrupting his congregations, namely, deceivers who denied that “ Jesus is the Christ ” and “ came in the flesh .” They were inspired by the “ Spirit of the Antichrist ” that has been operating in the world since the beginning of human history.

The Spirit of Antichrist

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The Antichrist Spirit works to destroy the church from within, especially through deception propagated by false teachers and other deceivers  – 1 John 2:18-22. In popular preaching, the  Antichrist  is a political tyrant bent on world domination. However, Jesus and his Apostles expressed more concerns about the  deceivers  who would spread false teachings in the Church than world leaders. The New Testament applies ‘ Antichrist ’ and related terms to false teachers infiltrating the Body of Christ to distort apostolic teachings.

In the Assembly

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The term “antichrist” occurs only in the second and third letters of John, and the Apostle applies the plural form of the Greek noun to deceivers who were spreading false teachings in his congregations. The presence of “ antichrists ” constituted irrefutable evidence that the “ Last Days ” were underway, and the false teachers were the product of the “ Spirit of Antichrist ,” forerunners of the final “ Antichrist ” who was yet to come.

Counterfeit Christs

Since its founding, Satan has been sending many deceivers and false prophets to destroy the church from within .  Popular preaching presents the  Antichrist  as the ultimate global leader, a tyrant bent on subjugating all nations. But New Testament shows far more concern about deceivers working inside the church and causing apostasy than with political events in the surrounding world.

Predicted Final Events

The New Testament warns the disciples of Jesus about several things that will characterize the period between his first and second comings, ones that will intensify as the end approaches. They include a great many deceivers that will infiltrate the church along with deception, apostasy, the rise of an especially significant deceiver just prior to the end, and Satan’s final assault on the church.

Another Gospel

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The epistle to the  Galatians  opens with a stern warning. What some believers contemplated doing would replace the true Gospel with something quite alien to the Apostolic message. To turn from the “ faith of Jesus Christ ” to the “ works of the law ” for justification meant abandoning the grace of God and rejecting the message preached by Paul, which is why he summoned God to “ curse ” any man, even “ an angel from Heaven ,” who preached “ another gospel .”

Stand Fast!

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After explaining the coming “Apostasy” and the “Man of Lawlessness,” Paul instructed believers in Thessalonica on how to avoid the coming deception and thereby find themselves standing “blameless” before Jesus when he “arrives.” To do so they must “stand fast” by adhering to the teachings and “traditions” of the Apostles. The conclusion to his discussion includes verbal links to his first letter to the Assembly. The second letter was written within a few weeks or months at the most of the first letter.

Rumors and Disinformation

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In  Second Thessalonians , Paul addresses rumors and claims that the “ Day of the Lord has set in ." False information about the “ arrival ” of Jesus was disrupting the Assembly, and this disinformation was being attributed either to a “ spirit ,” word (l ogos ), or a letter “ as if from ” the Apostle Paul and his coworkers.

His Repeated Warning

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The discourse of Jesus given on the Mount of Olives includes instructions for his disciples about the future. In it, he warns repeatedly of the “ many deceivers ” and “ false prophets ” who will appear among his followers, spreading false information about his return and the end of the age and otherwise striving to mislead “ the elect .” Constant vigilance by his Church is vital for avoiding deception and apostasy.