Matthew Chapter 24

VERSES 23 and 24 “Then (during the period described in verses 15-19) if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

The deceivers here described certainly are not the fanatics who from time to time have claimed to be Christ and have deceived but few possessed of any degree of common sense and judgment. We have already pointed out THE Antichrist*, the great deceiver, the Papacy, which for centuries sat in the spiritual temple, displaying himself as the only representative of Christ–his vicegerent–concerning whom our Lord correctly foretold, that all the world would wonder respecting him, EXCEPT those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 13:8) that is those who recognize the one true Antichrist, NOT the imaginary one our futurist friends have concocted.

(*See, “The Antichrist Revealed” and “The Abomination of Desolation”)

Similarly, the Church of England is not merely a church or “body” but it has an earthly head in the civil sovereign, the Queen (although at present it is largely ceremonial). The Greek Catholic Church very similarly, though not so particularly, had at one time as its head the Czar of Russia (the last being Nicholas II, 1894-1917)—the Czar exercising even more power over the church than did the Queen. (The Russian Orthodox Church has since reunited with the Roman Catholic Church. It is now in full communion with and subject to the authority of the Pope its head as defined by Eastern canon law.)

If Papacy is Antichrist, a pseudo or false Christ, are not the other false bodies (systems of religion) with false heads also false Christs, or Antichrists–however many or few of God’s true saints may be in them? The various Protestant denominations, although they profess to acknowledge no head except Christ, nevertheless practically make their Synods, Conferences and Councils into heads, from which they take their laws, usages, and confessions of faith, instead of the one only head of the one true Church.

For a large period and to a greater or less extent these systems of men have so counterfeited the genuine Christ (head and body) as to partially deceive [seduce, lead astray—Mark 13:22] many. But now for a century past these deceptions are failing. Few Presbyterians, if any, now believe theirs THE one true Church; neither do Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans and others so think of their systems; and even Anglican, Greek and Roman Catholics are getting free from the delusion that theirs is the only Church, outside of which are none of the elect. But in the prophecy under consideration our Lord warns us of danger from false Christs “then“–that is NOW.

In harmony with this we find in Revelation (13:14-18) a prophecy of a special combination of influence by which Protestant denominations will be unified and, though separate, yet be brought into cooperation with Papacy, in a manner that will give both increased powers, and thus deceive many into supposing that this new combination will be God’s instrumentality for doing the work predicted of Messiah– and that it is thus his true representative.” (D580-581)

When this takes place everyone will be required to toe the line, no dissension will be tolerated, no one will be permitted to buy or sell (i.e. trade in the truth, teach or exchange spiritual doctrines) except those in conformity with orthodoxy, those who have the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev 13:17)

VERSE 25, “SEE, I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFOREHAND” this is a small but nevertheless very important verse. This verse can be looked at from two different perspectives, one as relating to what has transpired before, particularly the events mentioned in verses 15-19, and/or it can relate to what is to come.

The Lord expressly warned us from the very beginning of the rise of these false and misleading systems (both the Papal beast and the Protestant image), systems which would purport to be his representatives, and attempt to usher in the kingdom by force. But alas even with this warning the whole world (the professing world) still fell prey to this deception.

The Gospel age is pictured like the tree in winter

“Taking the tree as representing the growth and development of the purposes- of God throughout the Age, every detail of which had been foretold, then every new shoot would represent a prophetic fulfillment – “things [predicted] coming to pass.” Our Father’s Plan has its appointed times and seasons, even as the natural year with its autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Jesus, before whose vision the whole future lay bare, knew of the long winter yet to come when the purposes of God would seem to be at a standstill, if not dead.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. , All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be-afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and betray one another …and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold…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. Behold, I have told you before.”

Here was the long winter of the Church’s experience and if it had not been foretold as part of God’s Plan, how awful would have been the position of believers during this period!”

A WORD OF WARNING

It has typically been the practice of the Lord’s spokesmen to avoid discussing anything which is deemed to be neither edifying nor uplifting to a believers walk, this would most assuredly include anything involving the great time of trouble and the dark clouds approaching, the general consensus being, sufficient is the evil (the trouble) for today, so why add any unnecessary burdens upon the Lord’s people. When and if the subject does come up the general tendency is to distract the listener away from the clouds themselves and to focus their attention on the silver lining which lays beyond these clouds, in this case the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom.

Unfortunately we live in different times then did our predecessors; they could avoid discussing these matters because they were still a long ways off and thus would not present a problem for them, but it is a completely different matter for us. We have reached the end of the age and the Day of the Lord and as such are residing in the last stage of the church. These matters are no longer something which can be ignored for they are even at the door and to be unprepared for what is to come is to leave one’s self open to all the various deceptions soon to befall the world. We are talking about things which are shortly to transpire if not in our life time in our children’s life time, for “THE TIME IS AT HAND”, and the great storm is on the horizon.

Now is not the time for the watchmen to attempt to white wash what is coming. Despite what our rapture friends like to imagine we are not all going to be so lucky as to leave this world (die) before the great storm erupts nor to awaken after it has passed, some of us (particularly the younger generation now living, both believer and non-believer, nominal and true) are going to experience it firsthand. So then would it not seem prudent to be prepared just in case?

It is important that all the Lord’s true children take special note to the following scriptures, they are deemed not only pertinent to our victory, but also to our ability not to fall prey to the deceptions which are shortly coming upon the whole world. The time is short and soon the “four winds” will be let lose, and the spirits once confined in “age-lasting chains under darkness” will once again be loosed upon the earth to wreak havoc even as they had previous to the flood. This release is nevertheless in accordance with the divine purpose. (Jude 6)

Let us therefore carefully consider the following scriptures and their warnings.

Our first scripture is that which is presently under discussion in our study on the Lord’s Great Prophecy.

Matthew Chapter 24

VERSE 24 and 25 “For false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

How great will these deceptions and lying wonders be? So great that if not for the fact that the elect have been forewarned of these things as well as of other aspects of God’s plan involving the coming crisis, the overturning of the present order, and the events soon to transpire that even they would fall prey (be deceived) by these deceptions. That is how great these deceptions shall be.

The implication is most positively clear and evident; EVERY ONE else (NOT of the elect, the faithful, the fully consecrated) regardless of their professions will be deceived in one-way or another, this will most likely include many of the Great Company class, especially those still infants, “spiritual babes”.

Remember there are two groups composing the Great Company Class at this time (actually three, including the second death class, but we will not go into that here), those typified by Elisha who have kept close to Elijah (the faithful, the “little flock”) throughout his journeys, and thus are acquainted with “present truth”, and thus somewhat prepared for what is to come, and those “spiritual babes” residing either in the wilderness condition or trapped within the confines of Babylon (ensnared by one or more of the various deceptive systems of Christendom) totally unaware of the impending troubles approaching.

Note especially Verse 25 and the Lord’s special warning in regards to this which is addressed to HIS people (the elect, those who not only comprehend these things, but who are taking especial heed).

“SEE I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFOREHAND”

To be forewarned is to be forearmed, none of the Lord’s people who are fully awake, and who have heeded his warnings in respect to these things should be caught off guard by these lying wonders, none should be found later saying,

‘Lord I did not know that this was going to take place, I thought it was you performing the wonders, had I known it was not, I would have been better prepared to resist these deceptions.’

If you succumb to these deceptions it will be your own fault, none will be without excuse.

In our next post it will be necessary for us to leave Matthew 24 temporarily and jump over to 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2.

(Skip to Part 28 Verses 25-27)