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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



What we see then, is that unbelief today is the same as it was two thousand years ago. Some people simply don't possess the ability to believe by faith alone. Just like the Jewish religious Elders of two millennia ago, they too demand a sign that will strengthen their weak faith. They want to see Jesus here and now in the flesh. They seem to think that this will convince them that the historical Jesus is real. But will it really? As we saw in part one, even after Jesus rose from the dead, those stubborn Jewish Elders still rejected the miracle of Resurrection that occurred before their very eyes. In vain they tried to cover it up.

If Jesus were to return today, not in power from Heaven with the Holy Angels, but just as He came two thousand years ago, that is, as a man, I do not doubt that some modern skeptics would still put Him to the test. They too would demand signs of the miraculous, in order to prove His Divinity. I suspect that there would be accusations of His being a charlatan, and they would probably even require the King of Kings to submit Himself to a battery of laboratory tests. After all, science teaches us that the only things that are real, are those that can be measured, tested, verified and reproduced in the lab. Such is the sad plight of the man without faith, who always needs physical proof first. But please remember this:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."


Of course, Jesus would never submit Himself to such Earthly humiliations by sinful men. He did that once before for our sakes, and He is not going to do it again. So instead, some people demand apparitions, miracle cures, bleeding statues, strange lights in the sky, visions and voices, being slain in the spirit, gold dust in their churches, and other such nonsense; and that old serpent Satan is right there ready to fill their order for their next dose of strong delusion. So please beware! That vile serpentine deceiver has played the deception game for a very long time, and he's perfected his skill at snaring those people who foolishly let down their spiritual guard, and who demand signs from Heaven.

However, there will be no true sign given, until it is too late for this unbelieving, rebellious world. For when that sign comes, it will mark a period of Divine Judgement, as God strongly reveals His displeasure from Heaven, when His Wrath shall be poured out upon the world, and the ungodly shall all be burned up and swept away like chaff. Consider the following powerful verses:

"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."


"The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."


"How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away."


". . . he that cometh after me . . . will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."


"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God . . . For our God is a consuming fire."


"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."


"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"


"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."


"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"


"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb . . . And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."


"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God . . . And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."


"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth . . . And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath."


"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."


"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."


"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."


Thus we see the final fate of all hardcore and incorrigible unbelievers. But thank God for His everlasting Mercy as well; for He has made a way of escape for us through Jesus Christ.

As if all of these deceptive signs and lying wonders is not bad enough, just like the Greeks of old, many people today desire to hear a new thing, no matter how far-fetched it may sound, and regardless of how much it may contradict the truth of the Scriptures. I am referring to the following incident concerning the Apostle Paul that is recorded in the Book of Acts:

"Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)"


So, just like the Greeks of old who desired to hear something new, the modern rejection of God's Word has led to a plethora of false teachers and so-called spiritual gurus who teach new ideas, new ways and even new paths which they claim likewise lead to fulfillment, happiness and even salvation. Tragically, many are the people who have fallen under their delusion, and have given these deceivers a listening ear. Even the current US president seems to embrace the "many paths" mentality. But again, this development was foreseen two thousand years ago. As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

"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;"


In this day and age, people have itching ears for anything which will help them to block out the truth of God's Word; and these false teachers, gurus, holy men, channelers and false prophets are more than willing to fill the spiritual vacuum that has been created by those who have rejected the true Word of God. We have but to look at the ongoing debate between evolutionists and creationists to see how true this really is. Serious compromise, deception and strong delusion abound in many places, from educational institutions, to our places of worship, to online message forums, newsgroups, and mailing lists, to radio, television and movies, and to just about every place in between. As we read in part one, Paul tells us in his second letter to the Thessalonians that this strong delusion results from people forsaking their love of the truth, as we see here:

". . . because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved . . . and for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."


Please notice in those verses that Paul specifically states that it is our love of the truth which saves us. And exactly what is that truth? As every Bible-believing Christian knows, it is that contrary to the modern spirit of liberalism which claims that there are many ways and many paths which lead to Salvation, there is in fact only one way; and that way is the narrow path through Jesus Christ. For our non-believing readers, please consider the following verses. They are but a small sampling of the many Scriptures which explain God's wonderful Plan of Salvation, and describe the Sacrifice that Jesus Christ was willing to endure for our sakes:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."


"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."


"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."


"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."


"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"


"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."


"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."


So as Jesus plainly states in the previous verses, not only is He the only Way to Salvation, but all of the other modern teachers, gurus and prophets who claim that there are many ways, and many paths, to Salvation, are in fact thieves and robbers. They are stealing souls from God's Kingdom, and in fact sending them straight on their way to destruction. When the Prophet Jonah disobeyed the voice of the Lord, and failed to fulfill the mission of warning that God had given to him, he eventually found himself trapped in the belly of a great fish. It was only then, after God had dealt severely with him, that Jonah finally cried out in his desperation with the following words:

"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy."


What a profound statement to make in the midst of his own suffering. It was like Jonah's confession to God. In modern terminology, it was like saying "Uncle!" to God. Jonah had realized his error, and he repented of his disobedience. In similar fashion, when a person, society or nation chooses to reject God's truth, and instead listens to the lying voices and deceptions of our spiritual enemy -- Satan, the adversary of God -- they are in essence rejecting the very mercy that God wishes to have upon them. It seems that God's Mercy and Protection are removed from those people who foolishly refuse to acknowledge His existence, and who reject the truth that is plainly revealed in His Word through His many Prophets, as well as by His own dear Son. In such a case, they become open targets for attacks from our spiritual enemy and his minions.

As we have seen, these subtle attacks abound in many forms within Christianity, within Eastern religions, within New Age thought, within our governments, within national educational systems and within the entertainment industry. This spiritual onslaught is being fought everywhere, and at all levels. We are constantly being blasted with, bombarded by, brainwashed with, and indoctrinated with the ungodly lies and delusions of Satan, who, according to Jesus Himself, is the very father of lies, deception and delusion, as we see here:

". . . He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."


So the warning is very clear. The influence of these false prophets, seers, channelers, prognosticators, astrologers, etc., will be so strong and so convincing, that if it were possible, even God's very elect will be deceived by them. It is imperative then that we each know and understand to the best of our ability, the Word of God, because it is the only thing that can protect us from the deception and delusion of the Endtime, and reveal to us the way forward. We must cast off the works of darkness, and walk in the Light of the Lord and in the Light of His Word. Consider the following verses:

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."


"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."


"Neither give place to the devil."


"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."


"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."


"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."


"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"


"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light . . . And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."


"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"


"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."


"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"


"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"


So what about Sheldon Nidle and others who predict mass UFO landings? Quite frankly, as I point out in such articles as "Chariots Of Fire: A Voluntary Voyage To Heaven?" and "Nature Of The Alien", I believe that one of these days there will in fact be an "invasion" from Outer Space. Depending upon your personal understanding of a number of Endtime-related verses that we find in the pages of the Bible, there may actually be two such invasions. However, the first invasion will be evil, while the second one will be good. The question is, will the first invasion really be from Outer Space, or is it possible that it will actually come from Inner Space; that is, from the Dark Side of the Spirit Realm?

I am of course referring to Satan's fall from Heaven, and his ultimate possession of a man, who will lead the world in its final dark hours of rebellion against the Lord, and against His anointed. Bible scholars and Bible students who adopt the Futurist point-of-view refer to this vile world leader as the Beast, or the Antichrist. As we read in Psalm Two:

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."


For those of you who may not be familiar with the Christian concept of the Endtime Beast -- or the Antichrist, as some people refer to this world leader -- allow me to offer you an explanation in the following paragraphs. I am not going to provide a lot of Scriptures here, because I do that in other articles, if you wish to avail yourself of them. What follows is a recap of the generally-accepted scenario as it is embraced by those Christians who hold to what is referred to as the "Futurist" point-of-view. In contrast to this, the "Preterists" have a very different understanding of these events.

Within certain Christian circles, there is a common belief that due to their rejection of the one true God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, there are some very powerful leaders in the world today -- that is, the Globalists -- who place their hope in a savior from elsewhere; that is, in some kind of political superman, who will "miraculously" solve many of the world's current problems. In particular, there will be ten nations -- which the Bible symbolically refers to as the Ten Horns -- who will pledge their allegiance to this Beast. Some Christians refer to this political alliance as a kind of resurrected Roman Empire, but personally, I embrace other ideas which I explain more fully in other articles.

In addition to this, the Book of Revelation informs us that this global leader will be accompanied by a very persuasive propaganda agent who will convince the world to accept this man. The Bible refers to this second spiritual leader as the False Prophet; because just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, this propaganda agent will likewise prepare the way for the Antichrist, or the Beast. The Scriptures indicate that this global leader will be involved in many military maneuvers, particularly in the Middle East and the European arena. It is also possible that the Beast may be involved in the final peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, which may result in the Jews rebuilding the temple of Solomon, as well as re-instituting the Daily Sacrifice -- or oblation -- as in the days of old.

Because of this fact, some Christians embrace the view that the global leader may be heralded as the long-awaited Jewish messiah by the Orthodox Jews. However, please note that the Jewish concept of the messiah is not the same as that which is embraced by Christians. While Christians recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and the Son of God who was Divinely Appointed by God to suffer for the sins of mankind, this is not the case with the Jews. According to Jewish beliefs, the messiah will not be of Divine Origin. He will be an earthly figure -- a descendant of David -- who will bring political and military victories to the people of Israel, as well as inspire repentance and a return to God, or "teshuva".

The Bible also indicates that the Ten Nations who become the allies of the Beast, will assist him in destroying Babylon the Great, which the Book of Revelation tells us is a great city which reigns over the Earth. This concept in itself is a very complex subject which has led to a wide variety of interpretations. In fact, it has been the subject of debate for many years. Please refer to the article "Revelation's Babylon The Great" for a more in-depth discussion concerning this particular topic.

While all will appear well at first, only too late will the satanic deception be exposed. Once the Beast has secured his power base in the Middle East by means of political maneuvers and deception, it seems that he will betray Israel, and break his agreement with her. As I explain in such articles as "Who Hindered the Antichrist?", halfway through the seven-year peace treaty, not only will he break the "Holy Covenant", but once Satan has possessed this man, the lust for power will go to his head, and he will declare himself "God". The Apostle Paul tells us that in his delusion, and under the control of, and by the power of, Satan, the Antichrist will sit in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and convince many people that he is "God" by the great signs and lying wonders that he is able to perform.

Once his demonic possession is complete, together with his evil human cohorts, this Beast or Antichrist, who is likewise known in the Bible as the little horn, the stout fellow and the son of perdition, will implement a mandatory worldwide computerized identification and credit system. At this time, some nations and peoples will be destroyed by him when they refuse to bow down and worship him as god. As I explain in a number of my 666 articles, anyone who refuses to participate in this devilish Mark of the Beast credit system will then be considered an enemy of the state, a social outcast, a misfit, and a rebel, and will be hunted down and killed if they are caught.

The Book of Revelation makes it very clear that no one will remain immune to this oppressive economic system. Unless you belong to this global credit system, you will not be able to legally engage in any kind of commercial activity. You won't be able to obtain a job, have food to eat, be able to pay the bills, or do anything that relates to money. You won't have a place to live. It will literally be a time of hell on earth, ruled by Satan through the person of the Beast. If you rebel against the New World Order, you will be a marked man, or a marked woman. Many people will choose to die, rather than to surrender to the devil-inspired Beast.

If there is one thing that the Bible teaches us, it is that in his pride and folly, Satan has always desired to usurp the very Throne of God. In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, we find the following revelatory verses:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."


The Satan-inspired Beast will eventually become so deceived by his own pride, that he will even think that he can wage a victorious war against Jesus Christ; and that is where he'll make his grand mistake. The Book of Revelation tells us that this vile leader, that is, the Beast, or the Antichrist, will lead the world in a futile war against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he will utterly fail, as I explain in such articles as "From Armageddon To The New Earth".

It is a Biblical fact that Satan has claimed our world as his domain. The Apostle Paul seems to be inferring as much when he writes the following in two of his Epistles:

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."


"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"


While Satan has always claimed this world as his domain, it is possible that he may not actually be able to physically rule over it until the day that he possesses the Beast. While there are a variety of interpretations regarding the actual timing of the following verses, there exists the possibility that they foretell Satan's future and final fall from Heaven, when he loses a major war against the Archangel Michael and his fellow warriors. Perhaps it will be at that time that he actually possesses the Beast. Consider these verses:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"


"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."


"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."


Please go to part three for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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