Deception in the Last Days

By Dave Hunt
The Berean Call, Bend, Oregon

The Bible tells us God, through His prophets, provides signs of the times: Isaiah 7.14.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not knowing and recognizing the prophetic signs of the Messiah's First Coming: Luke 12.56. It was therefore reasonable for Christ's disciples to ask Him, "What shall be the sign of Your coming?" Matthew 24.3. In response, Christ gave a number of signs which would herald the nearness of His Second Coming.

The very first sign Jesus offered was religious deception and He emphasized this sign above all others, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My Name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and shall deceive many. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. 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 24.4,5,11,24.

Christ is not referring to this worldwide deception coming from rival religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam. The "false christs and false prophets" are professing Christians inasmuch as they claim to have done miracles in Christ's Name. Not only do these false prophets deceive others, but they also seem themselves to be deceived. These "false christs" could include some contemporary religious leaders who major in the "miraculous."

This Scripture passage adds insight into a major sign of the nearness of the Second Coming as the deception by false prophets will involve an improper emphasis upon the seemingly miraculous.

Christ's warning of a false signs and wonders movement in the Last Days was repeated by the apostle Paul, using similar language, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day, the day of Christ, shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasy) first…" 2 Thessalonians 2.3.

Paul explained the nature of this apostasy to Timothy as he compared the apostate church to that of Jannes and Jambres, 2 Timothy 3.1,8. Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh's court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated to a point the miracles God did through Moses and Aaron. As in the days of Moses, the major opposition to the truth in the Last Days will neither be atheists nor skeptics, but those deceiving multitudes through signs and wonders.

That this movement, which perverts the truth through false signs and wonders, will help to prepare an apostate church to embrace the antiChrist seems clear: "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power, signs and lying wonders…God shall send them strong delusion…that they all might be damned who believed not the truth," 2 Thessalonians 2.9,11,12.

Paul's final warning to Timothy leaves no doubt the Church at Christ's return will have been corrupted through the rejection of sound doctrine both by the many false prophets and those who love their ways, encourage and support them, 2 Timothy 4.2-4.

Remember the exhortation of the Holy Spirit through Jude, which is all the more urgent in our day, "Beloved…earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in (to the church) unawares... denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ," Jude 3,4.

From Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible - King James Version
Published by AMG Publishers, 2000. Used with permission.