Do not be deceived

Shalom dear brothers and sisters!

We read in Timothy “doctrines of demons” Can you imagine! Demons also have doctrines; principles, dogmas. The Apostle Paul is speaking here about the “great falling away” of the church that is described to the church in Thessalonica in Greece:

• 1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

In verse 1 we read “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”; this is the Second Coming of Jesus áfter the 7 year judgment period, where Jesus will set His feet on the Mount of Olives and returns to earth. After this the words ‘and our gathering together with Him’ follow, this is the Rapture that takes place befóre the judgment period...

the day of Christ

In verse 2 we read ‘the day of Christ’; this is the 7 year judgment period, which is meant for Israel. The Bible gives different names for this judgment period. This is the last week for the Jews.  "The day of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). "The day of the Lord" (Isaiah 13:9, Joel 1:15, 3: 1,11, Amos 5:20, Zephaniah 1:14, Jeremiah 46:10), or "The great day of the wrath of the Lamb" (Revelation 6:16-17), "The day of the great slaughter" (Isaiah 30:25), "The day of the Lord's anger" (Zephaniah 2:3), "The day of the whirlwind" (Amos 1:14), "The day of trouble" (Jeremiah 51:2). And there are many other names that the Bible gives us for this period, in which the Lord lets us know in advance what will happen in the future.

Let no man deceive you in any way

In verse 3 we read ‘Let no man deceive you in any way.’ We can be deceived by people, but do not be deceived! The fact that people are being deceived on a large scale has to do with the soon coming of the Rapture. The enemy attacks precisely that which is the ‘Truth’. He does not attack the lie. 

The fact that there is so much attack on the ‘sound doctrine*' of the Rapture that takes place befóre the time of 7 year judgment, speaks volumes about the fact that the Rapture is really at the door. In verse 3 we read further ‘for that day (day of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away firs!’

• *‘3For 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;

  4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

In another passage in the Thessalonians we read:

• 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

  10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

  11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

  12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

send strong delusion

Why would ‘.... God send them strong delusion’? Verse 10 gives the answer to this: 'because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved'. Their hearts are already hardened, their thoughts are already set.

Jesus said:

• ‘24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

  25Behold, I have told you before.'

Matthew 24:24-25

Our focus is on Jesus

We as Christians do not have our eyes fixed on miracles, signs and wonders. These are elements that can only follow us. It is not our focus. Our gaze and focus is on Jesus! We must realize that Satan is the great Counterfeiter. If we base our Christianity on experiences and not on the Word (Jesus is the Word), then I can assure you on the authority of God's Word that it will not work out well for you. Satan can very easily deceive you with miracles, signs and wonders. Do not let your relationship with the Lord Jesus depend and be based on experiences and feelings such as "wow, I have experienced a burning sensation in my body". Be careful with this, because demonic spirits can also do this kind of thing: counterfeit. The question then arises why do they do this? The answer to this question is told to us in Matthew 24:25: "so that, if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect". Again, the enemy's goal is deception.

Jesus warns us here in Matthew not to be deceived by what you see! Seeing is not the measuring we use to determine whether something is true or a deception (counterfeit).

• For we walk by faith, not by sight (seeing).

 2 Corinthians 5:7

Hold fast to The Word - Jesus - and above all do not be deceived. 

Awaiting His soon return!