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Can Your Bible Deceive You? Part One

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A painting of an old leather-bound Bible lying closed on a dark wooden table in a single shaft of light from a high window, carrying the article title and the Time Is At Hand name and address

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.

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
Only one of the four is a lie Distortion, omission and concealment can all be done with true words, which is exactly why they are so hard to detect.

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.

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
A counterfeit of a true sign 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.

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.

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
The light that does not wander 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.

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, which answers the question this part asks, and in 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, or send a prayer request.

On the deception this article warns of, The 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 follows the close of probation, and the door of mercy that still stands open.

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