POSSIBLE END TIME DELUSIONS
By Britt Gillette
According to the bible, the
end times will be marked by widespread deception, counterfeit miracles, and
the appearance of false prophets. Each of these evils will contribute to an
atmosphere that will deceive an untold number of people throughout the
world.
Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus warned us about this time period:
“For 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.”
Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
What’s most interesting about this passage is not that false messiahs and
false prophets will appear in the end times. We’ve witnessed such people
firsthand in every generation since Christ first spoke these words.
What
stands out concerning these false prophets and false messiahs is that their
great signs and wonders will be so amazing they will be capable of deceiving
God’s chosen ones (if such were possible). These aren’t everyday signs and
wonders. They must truly be astounding to have such an affect!
These signs and wonders will deceive people who believe they are
supernatural acts of God. Instead, they will be satanic in origin. Paul
revealed the reason for this deception in his letter to Timothy:
“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;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4
(KJV)
In the last days, people will be fooled because they want to be. Although
this seems counterintuitive, it’s true. People will believe in the signs and
wonders they witness because they want to believe the lies and false
promises that accompany them.
Ultimately, a lot of people will be hoodwinked by a master of deception who
will feed their itching ears with exactly what they want to hear. In the
years leading up to Christ’s return, the world will be misled by the
greatest false prophet in human history, the Antichrist.
Deception By The Antichrist
Spiritual deception will be
rampant during the seven year rule of the Antichrist. According to the
prophet Daniel, the Antichrist will be a master of deception:
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand;
and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.”
Daniel 8:25
(KJV)
Like every false messiah before him, the Antichrist will convince his followers he is the answer to the world’s problems. Paul tells us that those who become caught in the Antichrist’s web of deceit will be guilty because they freely choose to enjoy evil while denying the truth:
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; 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: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (KJV)
Those who will be deceived
are not innocent victims. They will not be condemned simply for being
tricked. Instead, they will be condemned because, knowing the truth, they
chose evil instead. To this end, the miracles of the Antichrist will play a
pivotal role in the demonic deception that will cause the world to gather
for battle against the Lord. In the Book of Revelation, John describes these
evil forces as able to perform “miracles”:
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by
the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the
beast.”
Revelation 13:13-14 (KJV)
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go
forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
Revelation 16:13-14
(KJV)
These passages make it clear that demonic forces will perform astounding
miracles in the last days. But what will these miracles be? And if “even the
elect of God” could be fooled by them, how can average people protect
themselves from being deceived?
To find out, let’s first examine what the bible has to say about the true
Messiah.
Miracles Of The Messiah
Hundreds of years before
Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth, the prophet Isaiah recorded for
posterity some of the miraculous signs and wonders the Messiah would bring
forth. Let’s look at a few of these:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall
be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
dumb sing.”
Isaiah 35:5-6 (KJV)
During the ministry of Jesus, the people of Israel experienced first hand
the miracles He performed. Following encounters with Jesus, the mute could
speak, the deaf could hear, the paralyzed could walk, and the blind could
see. As a result, many placed their faith in Jesus of Nazareth as their
Messiah.
In addition to these miracles, Isaiah looked forward to a time when the
Messiah would personally rule over the nations of the world, settling their
disputes and ending war forever:
“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Isaiah 2:4 (KJV)
Although this prophecy was not fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus Christ, it is certain to be fulfilled immediately following His Second Coming.
These Messianic
characteristics recorded by Isaiah – the ability to heal afflictions,
perform miracles, and create peace on earth – point to one historical
person, Jesus Christ. One day soon, He will return to establish everlasting
peace on earth. But until that day arrives, the world at large is ripe for
deception.
Many of the same miracles and Messianic attributes which have
prompted people to put their faith in Jesus Christ could also be used by
Satan to deceive the world.
What if Satan and his minions were to appear on earth, using promises of
world peace and miracle healings to trick the world into following a false
messiah? Would this really be effective? Wouldn’t the same people who remain
skeptical of the miracles of Jesus also be skeptical of someone else? Jesus
Himself issued a warning which provides us with the answer:
“I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” John 5:43-44 (KJV)
In the end times, most of the world will reject Jesus as the Messiah. But they will gladly follow someone else who comes in his own name. The Antichrist will deceive most of the world into following him. But how will he do this?
One way he could do this is by exhibiting many of the same Messianic attributes highlighted by Isaiah. And it may surprise you to learn that an emerging technology will endow the one who possesses it with the ability to perform the very same miracles we just examined.
The Deceptive
Potential of Molecular Manufacturing
In earlier writings, we’ve examined the enormous power of molecular
manufacturing (MM). This technology will effectively provide humanity with
total control over all matter in the physical world. Able to break and
create chemical bonds with atomic precision, molecular manufacturing will
provide humanity with unprecedented power.
If the Antichrist were to administer the world’s molecular manufacturing
capability, he could easily rule the entire world. And the abilities of this
revolutionary technology would provide him with a powerful means for
deceiving its people.
Perceived Peace On Earth
As stated in a previous article, the development of molecular manufacturing will inevitably lead to a global government given the severe consequences of competing nation states having simultaneous possession of this powerful technology. With a single unified government, and the inability of conventional arms to counter the immense power of MM, it will appear to most people that war is forever a part of humanity’s past.
However, only Jesus Christ
can bring a lasting world peace. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
man’s fallen nature consumes him with a desire to acquire what he does not
have. This is the root cause of all human conflict:
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of
your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and
desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not,
because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye
may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not
that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
James 4:1-4
(KJV)
Despite the continuation of this wickedness in the heart of humanity, the world could appear to be at peace due to the extraordinary power of a global government in possession of molecular manufacturing. Such circumstances could lull the population of the world into believing this false peace is eternal and deceive most of the world into worshipping the Antichrist:
“And they worshipped the
dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast.”
Revelation 13:4 (KJV)
Can you begin to see how the world could be deceived?
Counterfeiting the Miracles of Christ
It’s easy to see how a
Christ-rejecting world could fall prey to the deceptions of the Antichrist.
With the aid of molecular manufacturing, the Antichrist could replicate many
of the miracles of Christ.
Molecular manufacturing will enable the construction of nanoscale devices
capable of repairing, rebuilding, and restoring almost every aspect of a
human’s physical body. These devices could be used to regenerate cells,
tissues, organs, and even entire systems within the human body. As a result,
nearly every healing miracle performed by Christ will be available during
the era of molecular manufacturing. Just a few of the capabilities of MM are
listed below:
Restoration of vocal abilities for the mute.
Reversal of paralysis for those with spinal cord injuries.
Restoration of sight for the blind.
Restoration of auditory abilities for the deaf.
The curing of just about any physical disease now afflicting humans.
In effect, molecular manufacturing will herald an era in which “the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, the mute will speak, and the sick will be healed.”
This is reminiscent of one of Isaiah’s most famous messianic prophecies:
“Behold, your God will come
with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be
unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
dumb sing.”
Isaiah 35:4-6 (KJV)
According to Isaiah, all this will happen when “God comes.”
Can you begin to see how the world could be deceived?
Turning Water Into Wine
Even the ability to turn
water into wine will be possible with molecular manufacturing. Remember,
naturally occurring chemical processes create both water and wine. With
molecular manufacturing, humans will have the ability to break and create
chemical bonds at the precise location where chemical reactions occur. With
the proper software application, a special purpose nanofactory, and the
availability of all the elements necessary to form the chemical compounds
most commonly found in wine, MM could easily transform water into wine.
Is it any wonder the world could be deceived?
Feeding 5,000 With 5
Loaves of Bread and Two Fish
Essentially every element necessary to create a loaf of bread or a
fish is present in dirt. With the molecular blueprint for a fish or a loaf
of bread, a nanofactory could rearrange the molecules found in a small pail
of dirt (discarding those molecules which are unnecessary) and create a fish
or a loaf of bread. With enough dirt, a person in possession of a
nanofactory could feed five thousand people. In fact, the number of fish or
loaves of bread that could be created is only limited by the amount of dirt
available for use.
Now can you begin to see how the world could be deceived?
Miracles Molecular
Manufacturing Can Not Counterfeit
However, despite its tremendous power, molecular manufacturing will
never be able to replicate all the miracles of Christ. Pharaoh’s magicians
derived great power from deception and trickery, but ultimately, their
parlor tricks lacked the true power of God. In similar fashion, molecular
manufacturing will enable humans to counterfeit some of God’s greatest
miracles. But in the end, molecular manufacturing lacks true spiritual
power. Its usefulness only applies to the physical world.
Let’s study some examples:
Casting Out Demons
The New Testament records that, on a number of occasions, Jesus cast out
evil spirits. The Book of Mark provides one such account:
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried
out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of
Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy
One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of
him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice,
he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for
with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about
Galilee.”
Mark 1:23-28 (KJV)
As the true Messiah, Jesus had total power over the spiritual realm.
However, the power of molecular manufacturing is strictly confined to the
physical world. And since this world is temporal in nature, its power is
only a matter of perception. Its power is not real. Nevertheless, most of
the world will be deceived by it.
Knowing this, why would the world place its faith in anyone but Jesus
Christ?
Raising the Dead
Molecular manufacturing, with its ability to repair and regenerate human
cells, tissues, and organs, will promise an indefinite extension of the
human lifespan as well as perpetual youthful and healthy lifestyles. But
again, this power will only extend to the physical world. True life comes
from God, and once a person’s soul leaves his body, it belongs to Christ,
whether or not that person acknowledges His power or not:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have
life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also,
because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in
the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own
self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek
not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
John 5:25-30 (KJV)
Knowing this, why would the world place its faith in anyone but Jesus
Christ?
The Power to Forgive
Sins
Molecular manufacturing will provide humanity with unprecedented power to
manipulate what God has already created. But the earth remains cursed, and
mankind still retains its sinful nature. As such, ability to control the
physical world will have no bearing on man’s ability to overcome the sins of
the world. Man and his technology are powerless in this respect. For as the
Book of Mark demonstrates, only Jesus has the power to forgive sins:
“And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no
room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the
word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy,
which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the
press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up,
they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw
their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven
thee.”
Mark 2:2-5 (KJV)
No matter what level of power human beings achieve, forgiveness of sins will
remain the exclusive domain of God. No matter how powerful humanity believes
itself to be, it can never redeem itself in the eyes of God. Only the blood
of Jesus Christ grants an individual forgiveness of his sins.
Knowing this, why would the world place its faith in anyone but Jesus
Christ?
Conclusion
The end times will be a time
of great spiritual darkness, cultivated by the demonic deceptions of the
Antichrist. Molecular manufacturing could be one of the tools at his
disposal, with its perceived ability to end war, cure physical ailments, and
literally turn dirt into an abundance of material objects.
In such a world, it’s easy to see how people could be mesmerized by such
power. But placing one’s faith in technology or human beings – or anything
other than God Himself – leads only to destruction.
Unfortunately, this will be the choice of the end times generation. Human beings will become drunk with their own power, believing themselves to be superior to God Himself. This arrogant mindset combined with unimaginably powerful technology will eventually lead to a physical confrontation between fallen mankind and the King of kings, Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah foresaw this day, as well as the futility of those who would place their faith in that which is merely human:
“Cease ye from man, whose
breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
Isaiah 2:22 (KJV)
This is a brilliant observation, instructive to any generation. Instead of
placing your faith in fallen mankind and the material things of this world,
put your faith in Jesus Christ. If you do, God promises you will not be
disappointed:
“and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
1 Peter 2:6
(KJV)
Is this the foundation upon which you’ve built your life? Or do you trust in
the things of this world? If so, you’re only setting yourself up to be
deceived.
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Britt Gillette is founder of BrittGillette.Com, a website examining the relationship between bible prophecy and emerging trends in technology. For more information or to sign up for his email alerts, please visit HERE