Accuracy in Prophecy

From the Mount of Olives in Yahshua’s day to the Internet age, man has always been fascinated by prophecy of the last days. Entire church movements and denominations have been built on their own interpretation of prophecy.

Yahshua’s disciples were also very curious about His Second Coming and the end of the age. Their question about his return in Matthew 24 sparked Yahshua’s Olivette discourse:
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Yahshua answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you,” vv. 3-4.

Yahshua’s overriding concern was that we not be deceived. “For there shall arise false Messiahs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” Matthew 24:24. Clearly some elect could be deceived.

Verse 10 adds, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” “Offended” is skandalizo in Greek and means to entrap, trip up, apostasy and entice to sin.

False Messiahs Running Amok

Two main causes will drive the end-time deception:

• false messiahs and false prophets will appear and
• false signs and wonders will be performed.

Paul uses similar language with a similar warning in referring to the last days: “Let no man deceive you by any means.”

A time of deception is coming, says Paul, The spiritual deception to which Yahshua referred will involve rank unbelievers following false Messiahs and false prophets.

Apostasy will also plague the Body of Messiah: “For that day [of the Master] shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [Antimessiah] be revealed, the son of perdition” (2Thess. 2:3).
Although it’s unlikely that a strong, faithful believer will fall away from Messiah, the prospect is great for the weaker believer.

Paul adds to Yahshua’s warnings with, “Do not be deceived into thinking that apostasy won’t come.” Surely Paul would not say this unless in the last days the view would be to reject the idea of apostasy itself. This could happen if churchianity is so wishy-washy about doctrinal standards that apostasy won’t even matter to the majority.

The departure from the truth will be spearheaded by workers of miracles. The delusion will be made possible when personal experience becomes more important than doctrine. Paul says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2Timothy 4:3).

Once sound teachings of Yahweh’s Word no longer matter, there is nothing left but man’s imagination to follow. The substance has been stripped out and the Bible becomes a shell that one can stuff anything one wants into it.

‘Prophets’ with Rotten Fruit

In Matthew 7:22-23 Yahshua warned: “Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

These charlatans will pretend they have the power of the Spirit and the Truth, but are in fact bogus. Their lives are not guided by Yahweh’s laws. You will know them by their fruits, Yahshua said, and their fruits show who and what they are.

This passage tells us that miracles will be performed. Demons will be exorcised. Amazing works will be manifest and manifold.

Yahshua doesn’t deny that these phenomena will be accomplished. He simply says they will not be of Him. He will have no part in them. He doesn’t know these transgressors who perform these miracles because they don’t follow sound doctrine.

This means there are other unholy powers that can accomplish miracles. We see a glimpse of such in Revelation 13 with Satanic capabilities granted to the man of sin. Just because someone can heal the sick, make a statue speak, turn a stick into a snake or change water into blood does not prove that Yahweh or Yahshua is behind the miracle.

At this point it is clear in Bible prophecy that doctrine won’t matter to many. The Truth will be irrelevant to them. Impressive signs and wonders will matter most to millions.

Knowing the Truth and being obedient to it is the very anchor that will keep you not only in Yahweh’s favor but also from being taken in by a deceiver in the last days. Does the person obey Yahweh in every command that Yahweh gives? If not, it doesn’t matter how much fire he can call down from the sky because he is backed by the evil one.

by: Alan Mansager