Biblical prophecy warns of a great counterfeit spiritual movement that will appear on earth in the last days under the guise of revival. And this won't be any ordinary revival; it will be backed by demonic power that will manifest in supernatural phenomena that science won't be able to explain away.
That seems far-fetched given that so much of the modern world has relegated supernaturalism to myth and superstition. Millions of professing Christians certainly don't believe in miracles anymore, even though their faith was founded upon great signs, wonders and miracles. It was Christ himself who healed cripples; restored eyesight to the blind and even raised the dead. During the early days of the fledgling church, the apostles such as Peter performed incredible miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit that convinced thousands that God was real and His Son Jesus Christ was the savior of the world.
But that was then and this is now. Existentialism and Darwinism have convinced millions that God is just a myth created in the minds of primitive, ignorant men. And dead, corporate and apostate religion has turned off millions of others by denying the miraculous presence and power of God for hackneyed liturgical rituals and jaded choreographed prayers. If Christianity has lost millions of members since the dawn of the 20th Century it's because Christendom lost its faith in God and snuffed out the Holy Spirit's fire. Many modern churches have become religious mausoleums where any talk of miracles is discouraged or met by disparaging looks.
Hence, the world is ripe for deception. And the greatest spiritual deception in world history is getting close. Concerning the last days, the apostle Paul warned: "The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing." (2Thessalonians 2:9-10) Christ himself warned: "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible." (Matthew 24:24)
What will ignite this destructive revival? Two things: (1) A world torn by war and strife that is desperately seeking a miracle-working savior who will appear and bring peace, and (2) a renewed interest by millions in the occult and supernatural. Remember that Paul prophesied that the Antichrist will make his appearance as a miracle-worker that will convince millions that he is divine. And remember that with the advent of the counterculture movement that began in the early 1960s, millions exposed themselves to the demonic through hallucinogenic drugs and eastern religious practices such as Yoga and Transcendental Meditation. Tragically, the world is unprepared for the supernatural revival that is coming and it has been primed to embrace this event when it begins.
And so has much of Christendom. Millions of Christians are biblically illiterate concerning end-time biblical prophecy and they are going to embrace this counterfeit revival as a genuine manifestation of God. Ultimately, this revival is going to lead to the Antichrist and many professing Christians will embrace this fraud as Jesus Christ when he appears. Though that seems impossible, consider the burgeoning Signs and Wonders Movement that has gained millions of adherents throughout Christendom over the past 40 years. This aberrant movement ignores biblical prophecy by teaching that Christ's return will be preceded by the greatest global spiritual revival Christianity has ever experienced. What's the basis for that belief? A scripture recorded by the ancient Hebrew prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32) that the apostle Peter interpreted as beginning at Pentecost right after Christ's ascension to Heaven (Acts 2) rather than in the end times.
The misapplication of that scripture has already deceived multitudes of Christians. When the Antichrist appears, they will mistake him for Jesus Christ. That's a tragedy of epic proportions. And that's avoidable. What's the antidote? Knowing what the bible predicts regarding the future. Paul stated: "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in doing so have wandered from the faith." (1Timothy 6:20-21)
No comments:
Post a Comment