Is religious peace and harmony just ahead? Will there be REVIVAL in our time? Read here how startling events — including FALSE MIRACLES — are destined to occur!
"AND the beast was taken, and with him the FALSE PROPHET that wrought miracles before him, with which he had deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them which worshipped his image" (Rev. 19:20). In this famous scriptural passage, your Bible — the inspired Word of God — speaks definitely and specifically of a coming FALSE PROPHET — a man who is destined to inspire AWE and ASTONISHMENT within the hearts of millions! WHO is he? WHAT teaching or religious denomination will he represent? WHEN will he rise up to deceive much of this world's population? WHERE will he have his headquarters? WHY will he be able to perform miracles and deceive his followers?
A MAJOR Happening
Whether or not you happen to be particularly religious, the IMPACT of this coming false prophet on world events and on your life will be of major proportions! For the inspired prophecies reveal that this man will hold sway over MILLIONS of deceived human beings in the most powerful church-state union in history. Read this article carefully! We are now going to give you, in advance, some of the BIG NEWS of the next decade! For the news of this soon-coming FALSE PROPHET — and the political-religious union under him — will make front-page, major newspaper HEADLINES over and over again during the next ten years of YOUR LIFE. So read and study carefully — and THINK — and PRAY! MANY False Prophets to Arise Jesus Christ is the greatest newscaster who ever lived — because He foretold the news of the future before it happened! In the religious sphere, He foretold the history of His true followers. And He also foretold the rise of a multitude of FALSE PROPHETS who would deceive millions. Jesus said: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it" (Mat. 7:13-14). He clearly revealed that only the FEW — in this age — are being called by God. Then He described the false prophets which would rise. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit' (Verses 15-17). In this passage, the Son of God revealed that false prophets will APPEAR to be like sheep. Outwardly, they SEEM to be very holy and pious men. But, Jesus cautioned, look at the "fruit," the product, the RESULTS of their teachings and activities. You, the reader, should learn to APPLY this God-given principle to every religious and political "ism" abroad in the world today. Start DOING this right now!
Look at the "Fruit"
Take Communism, for instance, as an example. Are the lives of the people under this political system really FULL and CLEAN and HAPPY? The answer is obvious. Rather than devoting the resources of the state to the betterment of the people, the Communist governments concentrate on: (1) holding a sullen, restive population in line; (2) preparing to conquer — either by direct attack or internal subversion — other nearby states; (3) spending their resources and man-hours on scientific and WAR projects such as going to the moon in order to insure victory in another world war — which they themselves plan to start whenever they think they can win! Now apply this principle to the major RELIGIONS of the world. Consider Buddhism. The people of India, China and Burma are the principal adherents of this religion. By the millions, they have practiced it for thousands of years. What has it brought them? What are the "fruits" — the RESULTS — in their daily lives? The history of these people is a great human epic of sadness, suffering, ignorance, superstition, filth, disease and, finally, merciful DEATH. By the millions, literally, they die at birth or in early childhood. In maturity, more millions — even in recent times — have died of plain STARVATION. Whatever "gods" they may pray to, they seem to be under unending CURSES. And this is literally true, for their ancient forefathers forsook the TRUE GOD of Shem and Noah, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and "went a whoring" — as God puts it — after FALSE GODS of their own devising. Yes, they have followed false prophets. They are under multiplied CURSES in every phase and facet of their existence. In the western "Christian" world, what nations and peoples have always been the most backward, poorly educated, superstitious in every sense of the word, filthy, hungry, down-trodden and disease-ridden? What form of so-called "Christianity" do they practice? Does their kind of religion inspire them to develop their minds and abilities, to GROW in grace and KNOWLEDGE of God's Word? Are they prospered and BLESSED after following this type of religion for literally hundreds of years? What are the "FRUITS"?
Jesus' Prophecy
In His Olivet prophecy, Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For MANY shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall DECEIVE MANY" (Mat. 24: 4-5). Notice that as He was speaking, He said many would come in His name — the name of Jesus Christ — and would "DECEIVE MANY." Now carpenters, electricians, lawyers and scientists don't come "in the name" of Jesus Christ. But professing "Christian" ministers Do! Verse 5 shows that these men will come teaching that Jesus Is the Christ. They will talk about His person and His works. But they will PERVERT and DISTORT His Message, for these very "Christ-preaching" ministers will "DECEIVE MANY"! Later, in Verse 11, speaking of the end-time tribulation against God's true Church, Jesus said: "And MANY false prophets shall rise, and shall DECEIVE MANY." Then, obviously speaking of the last few months or years before His second coming, Jesus warned: "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" (Verse 24). Notice! Even in this "scientific" age, whole nations are going to be deceived by LYING WONDERS — FAKE MIRACLES — which these FALSE PROPHETS are going to palm off on a gullible public! Only the "elect" — those who are WATCHING and PRAYING (Luke 21:36) — will not be deceived. Will YOU be among these elect? The Roman Empire is described in the symbolism of a "beast" in Revelation 13:1-10. The "dragon" or SATAN (Rev. 12:9) gave this empire its power and authority (Verse 2). The original Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D. — receiving a "deadly wound" (Verse 3). But in 554 A.D., Justinian revived the empire in the West and the "deadly wound" was HEALED.
The "Second Beast" of Revelation 13
Then, beginning in Verse 11, Christ shows John in vision another beast. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And, he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (Rev. 13:11-12). Notice that this "second beast" does NOT replace the first — the Roman Empire — but merely exercises its power (Verse 12). This beast looks like a lamb (Christ) but speaks as a dragon (SATAN — Revelation 12:9). And he causes all men to serve and obey the first beast "whose deadly wound was healed" — the "Holy Roman Empire" as it was called during the Middle Ages after its revival by Justinian in 554 A.D. This "second beast" then, clearly, is a FALSE PROPHET — who looks like a lamb, or Christ, but speaks LIES like a dragon, or Satan — and who exercises power and influence over the Holy Roman Empire. Could anything be plainer? Now notice Verse 13: "And he doeth GREAT WONDERS, so that he maketh FIRE come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and DECEIVETH them that dwell on 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." Here we find this false prophet working great FALSE MIRACLES! God's Word calls them "great wonders" and says this man will even make FIRE come down on earth out of the skies! Has this really happened YET? Obviously, since these TREMENDOUS miracles were to take place in the area of the Roman Empire in Western Europe since its revival in 554 A.D., the complete fulfillment of these things is YET to be accomplished before Jesus Christ returns to this earth!
More Miracles Described
In Revelation 16:12, at the time JUST BEFORE the second coming of Christ, during the sixth of the seven last plagues, John sees the water of the River Euphrates being dried up to prepare the way for the Communist hordes of Russia and the Orient to come across for the final battle with the kings of Modern Babylon. Notice Verse 13: "And I saw three unclean spirits [DEMONS] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [SATAN], and out of the mouth of the beast [the coming Fuehrer over the Holy Roman Empire], and out of the mouth of the FALSE PROPHET. For they are the spirits of DEVILS, working MIRACLES, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the WHOLE WORLD, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Clearly, this is a TREMENDOUS event which is destined to affect your life whether or not you have any religion of any kind whatsoever! God says this is going to affect the rulers of the whole world! But note here again that the coming FALSE PROPHET is going to be working in close conjunction with the "beast" — ruler over the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe which will once again be REVIVED just before Christ's second coming! And this false prophet is destined to perform MIRACLES in order to gain a following and DECEIVE the leaders and peoples of this empire into following him. But the spirit power he is using to perform these miracles is the power of DEMONS!
The TIME is Just Ahead!
The final prophecy describing this coming false prophet is found in Revelation 19:19-20. After describing Jesus Christ coming from heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords, John states: "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the FALSE PROPHET that wrought MIRACLES before him, with which he DECEIVED them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." The God of your Bible states that the armies of this revived "beast" power — with the soon-coming FALSE PROPHET — will be FIGHTING against Jesus Christ at His second coming! Even though he can perform FAKE MIRACLES, this false prophet — along with the coming Hitler or super-dictator over the ten rulers of the coming Roman Empire (Rev. 17:12-14) — is going to be destroyed by the living CHRIST at His second coming in glory and power! These tremendous developments WILL HAPPEN. You had better be watching and praying for UNDERSTANDING. When Christ returns to this earth as a conquering King, you had better be sure whose side you are on!
What about MIRACLES?
"But," some will ask, "I thought miracles were the PROOF of God's true Church and His true servants!" What about this? Obviously, if you have thought about the portions of the Bible we have just covered, you will realize that miracles ALONE are not the proof of God's true servants at all. For the false prophet WILL WORK MIRACLES! God states in His Word that when people turn to familiar spirits or DEMONS, He tells His people: "To the LAW and to the TESTIMONY: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). In every age, God's true servants will obey His law, and have the same practices and teach the same way of life which God teaches through Jesus Christ and the Bible! In describing His true Church after the days of the original apostles, God NEVER mentions miracles as a sign of their identity one way or the other. Study God's inspired description of the true Church during the Middle Ages which had to flee for safety from the bounds of the Roman Empire. This is given in Revelation 12. Notice the real mark of IDENTITY of the true Church in Verse 17: "And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [the true Church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God, and have the TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ." In Revelation 14:12, God IDENTIFIES His true saints NOT by miracles but by their OBEDIENCE to God: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God, and the FAITH of Jesus." The Apostle John, writing near the very end of the Apostolic Age, was inspired to state: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4). A man does not even KNOW the true God unless he has learned to exercise the character of God by OBEYING the Ten Commandments — the great spiritual law which reveals God's character, and helps us know what God is like! According to this plain scripture, any preacher, priest, prophet or minister who claims to represent God and fails to KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS is a LIAR! Could anything be more clear?
The Right KIND of Miracles
Jesus Christ did state in Mark 16:17-18 that certain signs would follow His true servants in every age. Notice: "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Notice what KIND of signs these are which Jesus said would follow His Church. They include the laying on of hands for the sick which God commands in James 5:14. They include the casting out of demons — expelling EVIL SPIRITS which take over the minds of men and which may be causing a great deal more of the mental illness today than most people dare realize! They include speaking in different languages — as a supernatural gift. The original disciples did this on the Day of Pentecost when they spoke — NOT IN SOME GIBBERISH — but in the normal languages of the Parthiaas, Medes, Elamites and others who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost from all over the Roman Empire (Acts 2: 8-11). And these signs include protection from poisoning through snake bite or accidentally drinking some poison — as in the case of the Apostle Paul who ACCIDENTALLY picked up a snake when he was gathering firewood in Acts 28:3-6.
Miracles Are to SERVE and HELP
Notice some inspired accounts of how these miracles actually were carried out by Christ, our EXAMPLE. In Mark 6:5, Jesus had found that the people in His own home country were lacking faith. "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he LAID HIS HANDS upon a few sick folk, and HEALED them." Then (Verse 7) He sent out his twelve apostles to cast out demons and heal the sick. The Scripture states: "And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and HEALED them" (Verse 13). Here we see the example of James 5:14 being carried out. The sick were being anointed with oil — a symbol of God's Holy Spirit — and the laying on of hands employed as a sign of God working through His human servants to bless and heal. Often, of course, Jesus was so filled with the POWER of God's Holy Spirit that He simply commanded the person who was sick to be healed (Mat. 12:13). But nearly ALWAYS — following the example of the laying on of hands — Jesus either touched the afflicted part or laid His hands on them when people came to be healed of sicknesses and afflictions (Mat. 8:15; 12:13). Another very important point to remember is that these miracles had PRACTICAL results in helping and alleviating people who were sick and demon-influenced or possessed. They were performed IN THE WAY that God's servants had ALWAYS healed throughout the Old and New Testaments — except, of course, Jesus' own miracles were of greater number and power in His office as the very Son of God. However, the miracles of Jesus and His apostles were NEVER performed as a type of "show-off" demonstration in the middle of a big "tent meeting" or preaching service! They were NEVER accomplished to the accompaniment of a lot of violent, demon-inspired, uncontrolled human emotions and screaming! Nor did Jesus' miracles EVER involve weeping dolls, crosses that glowed in the dark, dead people's breath being "liquefied" — or any other superstitious and RIDICULOUS and PURPOSELESS manifestation!
Strange Manifestations
In Europe, the very area destined to see the rise of the Holy Roman Empire once again and THIS VERY SYSTEM described in the Bible which we have been discussing, notice the kind of miracles to which people have begun to look with awe. A United Press clipping from Konnersreuth, Germany, states: "Therese Nuemann today began her lonely, PAINFUL reenactment of Christ's agony as she has every year since 1926. "The sixty-year-old villager of the Upper Palatinate first suffered the mystic wounds of the crucifixion on Good Friday thirty-three years ago. "Every year, on Good Friday, the stigmatic has bled from various of the wounds Christ suffered. This year, she is bleeding from the heart wound and from her eyes. "Her family has reported that since the first appearance of the wounds, she has eaten nothing. In the thirty-three years that have passed since then, they report, the only solids she has consumed were the hosts she received at communion." Very frankly, this describes a DEMON SPIRIT keeping a human body alive — on very little solid food — and causing an admittedly "PAINFUL" condition which is supposed to be a reenactment of Christ's suffering! The miracles of Christ and His apostles never were the CAUSE of people's suffering! Rather, they were performed to relieve human suffering and heal people so that they might return to a normal way of life, be able to GROW in grace and in the KNOWLEDGE of Christ, to overcome their human nature, and to become in character LIKE God — able to rule with Christ at His second coming as kings and priests governing the nations of this world (Rev. 2:26).
Demons Playing with BLOOD
Another example of DEMON WORSHIP is contained in another clipping from Naples, Italy. It states: "Thousands will gather in the Cathedral of Naples tomorrow to witness the 'miracle of San Gennaro' — the liquefaction of the saint's human blood — that has baffled world scientists for 570 years. "Three times each year, a vial of his congealed blood is placed on the altar, locked and sealed. The faithful pray to their patron saint and, in from ten minutes to three hours, the blood becomes pure liquid." Did Jesus or His disciples ever run around with jars and tubes of the BLOOD of dead human beings made in God's image? Did they pray to the DEAD? From the newspaper accounts, I don't necessarily doubt that this dead blood becomes pure liquid! However, I would ask a blunt but simple question. So WHAT? Does this "miracle" in any way SERVE God's people? Does it give them food to eat — as when Jesus fed the five thousand? Does it give them wine to drink — as when He turned water into wine? Does it make them strong and healthy again — as when He healed the sick? Does it help them OBEY God, keep His COMMANDMENTS, and GROW in the character of Christ? Does it help them UNDERSTAND God's Word and live by it? "But," some will ask, "isn't this a REAL miracle?" Probably YES! But is this KIND of miracle a Godly miracle performed by God through His Holy Spirit in order to heal, to help and to serve His people? Clearly, what we have been describing is NOT the kind of miracle which Jesus or His apostles ever performed — EVER, at any time. At best, it is useless and purposeless. At its worst, this type of miracle — as we have seen — sometimes causes actual pain, suffering and DAMAGE to the human body, the temple of God's Holy Spirit! And it is very likely bringing its devotees in contact with DEMON SPIRITS whose power is used to perform these FALSE MIRACLES! Learn to use your God-given mind and look at the "fruit" — the real RESULT, of these so-called miracles that we read about today! Learn to compare these things with what Jesus Christ and His disciples actually did. Learn to UNDERSTAND!
The MAN of LAWLESSNESS
Your Bible reveals that the coming great FALSE PROPHET is going to exalt himself and take unto himself titles, functions and prerogatives perhaps more than ANY major leader in history! He is going to BLASPHEME the true God — yet all the while claim to be His servant! In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul told the brethren there not to be concerned about the coming of Jesus Christ by either spirit or word of any fake letter that might be passed around claiming to come from him (II Thess. 2:1-2). Then he warned: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that MAN OF SIN be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (Verses 3-4). Here the Apostle Paul warned that after his death and after the death of the original apostles of Christ, there would be a great APOSTASY from the truth. A man of sin — or as the literal Greek means, LAWLESSNESS — was to rise up and sit in a temple showing himself as GOD by his titles and claims. Here is a man, then, who OPPOSES the laws and commandments of the true God, while at the same time sitting in the temple and calling himself GOD — and allowing himself to be worshipped as God! Paul stated: "For the mystery of LAWLESSNESS [correct Greek rendering] doth already work: only he who now hinders will hinder, until he be taken out of the way" (Verse 7). The false prophet, then, is part of a whole SYSTEM of LAWLESSNESS — a religious teaching like the ancient pagan "mysteries" which were filled with ceremony and ritualism but DENIED God's law and authority. Paul showed that this false system was slowly building up even in his lifetime. Paul knew that soon it was to come on the scene and DECEIVE the world: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of 'Satan with all power and SIGNS and LYING WONDERS" (Verses 8-9). Notice that the great FALSE PROPHET eventually rising up out of this lawless system will be living at the TIME OF THE END — at Christ's second coming! For, Paul said, Christ shall DESTROY him "with the brightness of his coming" (Verse 8). And this false prophet is again identified as one who performs — through SATAN'S power — great signs and LYING WONDERS! Do you BELIEVE what God's Word truly states? Most will not. For this coming false prophet misleads them with signs and lying wonders, "and with all DECEIVABLENESS of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (Verse 10). These people apparently WANT to be deceived — they WANT t0 follow human traditions and vanities which seem interesting and exciting and allow them to DO AS THEY PLEASE. God says that they have not received the "love of the truth" that they might be saved. They do not really LOVE and STUDY God's Word, the Bible. For God's Word is truth (John 17:17).
Learn to STUDY and UNDERSTAND Your Bible
The deceived masses of our supposedly "educated" twentieth century refuse to BOTHER THEMSELVES to really STUDY the Bible and to UNDERSTAND God's law and the purpose of human existence! Therefore, when the political, military and religious pressure gets TOO STRONG — even the wavering ones among them will fall into line and learn to "BELIEVE" in the great FALSE PROPHET described in this chapter and in the book of Revelation! They will allow themselves to be ASTONISHED and AWED at his FALSE MIRACLES done through the power of DEMON SPIRITS! Your Bible reveals that this man is going to have a hypnotic effect upon MILLIONS. Like Adolph Hitler, his eyes may have a strange, blazing, piercing quality — with a DEMON in control part of the time! This soon-coming false prophet is going to ally himself with the Fuehrer or super-dictator over a revived Holy Roman Empire. He will use its military and secret police powers to CRUSH God's people and any other dissidents as long as God permits. There will be a terrible time of PERSECUTION upon God's people before Christ intervenes! But FALSE MIRACLES will be performed — and millions of people will come to WORSHIP this false prophet and idolize him as GOD! They will think that a millennium has been set up on earth under his auspices. They will bow and scrape, obey and WORSHIP him and his false system of LAWLESSNESS. This man is ALIVE somewhere on earth today — probably in Europe! The time of his revealing is SOON — for he will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His coming! His headquarters will be in Europe — and perhaps later in Jerusalem, Palestine — as head of a coming Holy Roman Empire! World events are speeding up to hasten the appearance of this man in the very NEAR FUTURE! It is later than you think! "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!"
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