# Can Your Bible Deceive You? Part One

> Matthew 24:24 warns that false Christs and false prophets will work great signs and wonders, so convincing that, if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. This first part defines deception, reads the warning beside Revelation 13:14, and poses the question the series will answer: can your Bible deceive you?

- Source: https://timeisathandlive.org/blog/can-your-bible-deceive-you
- Site: Time Is At Hand Evangelistic Ministries (https://timeisathandlive.org)
- Key scripture: Matthew 24:24
- Topics: present truth, end-time, Bible study
- Licence: free to read, quote and share, with attribution.

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> **Matthew 24:24** — 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.

**We are told that "The crisis is stealing gradually upon us ... Satan sees
that his time is short. He has set all his agencies at work that men may be
deceived, deluded, occupied and entranced, until the day of probation shall be
ended, and the door of mercy forever shut."**

Deception is the act of misleading by hiding the truth. It involves lies,
distortion and even subtle omissions of information. Deception is always
designed to mislead, relying on concealment and strategy to avoid detection. It
is often disguised in places where you are least expecting to find it. The
Bible tells us to expect a lot of deceptions in the last days.

<figure>
  <picture>
    <source
      type="image/webp"
      sizes="(min-width: 80rem) 44rem, (min-width: 48rem) 60vw, 100vw"
      srcset="/images/blog/what-deception-is-400w.webp 400w,
              /images/blog/what-deception-is-800w.webp 800w,
              /images/blog/what-deception-is-1200w.webp 1200w,
              /images/blog/what-deception-is-1600w.webp 1600w"
    />
    <img
      src="/images/blog/what-deception-is.jpg"
      alt="A painting of a heavy crimson curtain drawn almost shut across a stone archway, one thin line of gold light escaping down the middle, carrying four marks of deception: lies, distortion, subtle omissions of information, and concealment and strategy"
      width="1600"
      height="1000"
      loading="lazy"
      decoding="async"
    />
  </picture>
  <figcaption>
    <strong>Only one of the four is a lie</strong>
    Distortion, omission and concealment can all be done with true words, which
    is exactly why they are so hard to detect.
  </figcaption>
</figure>

## Can your Bible deceive you?

***In these last days there shall be great signs and wonders and impressive
miracles to deceive.***

> **Revelation 13:14** — 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; saying
> to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast,
> which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

<figure>
  <picture>
    <source
      type="image/webp"
      sizes="(min-width: 80rem) 44rem, (min-width: 48rem) 60vw, 100vw"
      srcset="/images/blog/by-the-means-of-those-miracles-400w.webp 400w,
              /images/blog/by-the-means-of-those-miracles-800w.webp 800w,
              /images/blog/by-the-means-of-those-miracles-1200w.webp 1200w,
              /images/blog/by-the-means-of-those-miracles-1600w.webp 1600w"
    />
    <img
      src="/images/blog/by-the-means-of-those-miracles.jpg"
      alt="A painting of a pillar of fire rising from a dark hilltop under a stormy night sky, carrying Revelation 13:14 — and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do"
      width="1600"
      height="1000"
      loading="lazy"
      decoding="async"
    />
  </picture>
  <figcaption>
    <strong>A counterfeit of a true sign</strong>
    The verse before names the wonder: he maketh fire come down from heaven on
    the earth in the sight of men — the very sign by which Elijah showed on
    Carmel who the true God was.
  </figcaption>
</figure>

False prophets will exercise miraculous power that is difficult to detect or
differentiate from the miracles.

Our Saviour says "if it were possible," they would deceive God's people. So
deceptive will be their miracles that it will be difficult to detect them; in
such manifestation, that if it were possible they would deceive true Christians.

<figure>
  <picture>
    <source
      type="image/webp"
      sizes="(min-width: 80rem) 44rem, (min-width: 48rem) 60vw, 100vw"
      srcset="/images/blog/if-it-were-possible-400w.webp 400w,
              /images/blog/if-it-were-possible-800w.webp 800w,
              /images/blog/if-it-were-possible-1200w.webp 1200w,
              /images/blog/if-it-were-possible-1600w.webp 1600w"
    />
    <img
      src="/images/blog/if-it-were-possible.jpg"
      alt="A painting of a still marsh at night, one steady light high above and many small wandering lights among the reeds, carrying Matthew 24:24 — if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect"
      width="1600"
      height="1000"
      loading="lazy"
      decoding="async"
    />
  </picture>
  <figcaption>
    <strong>The light that does not wander</strong>
    Marsh lights drew travellers off safe paths by looking like a lamp in a
    distant window. The one that stays fixed is the one to steer by.
  </figcaption>
</figure>

The question is, "Can your Bible deceive you?" In the next blog we will show you
if it's possible for your Bible to deceive you.

Thanks for reading — God bless you always until next time.

Maranatha.

---

The series continues in
[Can Your Bible Deceive You? Part Two](/blog/can-your-bible-deceive-you-part-two),
which answers the question this part asks, and in
[Part Three](/blog/can-your-bible-deceive-you-part-three), which sets the King
James text beside the modern versions.

If this study has raised something you would like to talk through, the team
reads every message: [ask a Bible question](/contact/bible-questions), or
[send a prayer request](/contact/prayer-requests).

On the deception this article warns of,
[The Three Angels' Messages](/end-time/three-angels-messages) takes up
Revelation 14 — the chapter that answers Revelation 13 — and the warning that
divides the earth between the mark of the beast and the seal of the living God.
On the passage it opens with,
[Time Shall Be No More](/end-time/time-no-more) follows the close of probation,
and the door of mercy that still stands open.