Do Not Be Deceived: Deception in the Last Days (Part 3 of 4)

Paul in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 warns of a coming apostasy in the last days that people will love only themselves and their money, be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred and will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Paul warns to stay away from people like that! Jesus confirms this by saying that many will turn away from Him, fall away and betray and hate each other, sin will be rampant and the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:10-12).

In the last days, beware that scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires saying, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

In the end times, Jesus said that deception will run rampant for many will come in His name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah’ and will deceive many (Matthew 24:4). We will hear of wars and rumors and threats of wars, but the end won’t follow immediately (Matthew 24:6). There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world, but these are only birth pains with more to come (Matthew 24:7-8). Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken and then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens (Matthew 24:29-30).

In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul says that people will no longer listen and respond to the healing words of truth because they will become selfish and proud. They will seek out teachers with soothing words that line up with their desires, saying just what they want to hear and they will close their ears to the truth and believe nothing but fables and myths. 

Many lying prophets will arise, deceiving multitudes and leading them away from the path of truth (Matthew 24:11). There will be imposters falsely claiming to be God’s ‘Anointed One,’ many false prophets and messiahs will arise to perform miracle signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, those God has chosen to be His (Matthew 24:24). Beware of the coming of the lawless one which is by the activity of Satan with all power and false and counterfeit signs, wonders, and miracles. He will use every kind of evil and unrighteous deception to fool those who are perishing and on their way to destruction, because they refused to love and accept the truth that would save them (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). 

Revelation 13:13-14 elaborates stating that the lawless one will perform great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

But do not be deceived by any means by them who say that the Lord has already come, for the day of the coming of our Lord will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The great falling away is where many will be deceived and fall away from the church and rebel against God. Let us not fall victim to such great deception and rebellion but keep in His absolute truth. 

As believers we are to live in a state of peace knowing that God is in control, for it is He who is restraining and holding back from us the antichrist, this mystery of lawlessness, although it is secretly currently at work, we are to keep in mind the outcome of this mystery, that the Lord Jesus will slay and consume him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him with the brightness and splendor of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).

Although we may be arrested, persecuted, killed and hated all over the world because we are His followers (Matthew 24:9), we are still not to be disturbed, dismayed, easily shaken or alarmed in mind (2 Thessalonians 2: 1-2), we are to stand fast and firm and hold the traditions which we were taught, the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:15) because in the end the body of Christ with our King, wins. 

Always be alert and conscious

We as believers should always ask the Lord for divine discernment to distinguish truth from falsehood. We must always be on our guard because the wicked imagine deceits all the day long (Psalm 38:12) and their houses are full of deceit (Jeremiah 5:27). Never question or compromise what the Lord says and what’s in the bible. Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). We must be sober-minded, watchful, alert, conscious and cautious at all times because that enemy of ours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion in fierce hunger, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Jesus in His own words warned us to take heed that no one deceives us (Matthew 24:4).

In these dark days the Lord is our safe haven, the one person we can run to and be totally safe and secure. Biblically meditate on these wonderful scriptures below, hold them in your heart and you will stand firm knowing fully well that you don’t stand alone but our Almighty God and King, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is with us always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). 

Biblical Meditation

References:
Derek Prince. (2014, August 19). Take Heed That You Are Not Deceived - Derek Prince [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yiAukSfVAc


Max Ocheredko. (2016, October 4). RELIGIOUS DECEPTION. Derek Prince. Audio sermon [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz39stIFyrI

Robin D. Bullock. (2021, May 25). The Eleventh Hour S13 #3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn9QX_3Hh9E

Should I Get An Abortion? | Information to Help You Decide. (2021). Planned Parenthood. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/considering-abortion

Webster, N. (2015). Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language (Compact Edition). Waking Lion Press.