Deception & Misdirection – The Ultimate Theme in the End Times

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God’s adversary will not win people over to his side by threatening them. Satan accomplishes that through sophisticated deception. Therefore, misleading people into false beliefs is the theme of the end times. A completely underestimated danger.

Deception – The underestimated danger

The greatest danger for people, including, or rather, especially for those who identify themselves as Christians, is seduction, or rather, deception. This misleading behavior is not a marginal phenomenon that occasionally occurs, but the central theme of our time.

Temptation or deception?

There are numerous passages in the Bible that warn emphatically of the coming “temptation” (German language) in the end times. However, it is especially important to correctly classify the word “temptation.” Many translators of the German Bible version haven’t exactly had a “lucky hand.” “Temptation” (in German language) can have two different meanings.

“Temptation” can be used to persuade someone to do something they shouldn’t do or originally wanted to do, even though they know what it actually means.

A simple example: Someone has put themselves on a strict diet to lose weight. I know about this and offer them a large piece of chocolate. Now, through persuasion and by shoving the chocolate under their nose, I could “tempt” them into eating it. However, they know exactly what it is and that chocolate is anything but conducive to weight loss. Nevertheless, I “tempted” them into eating the chocolate.

In the other case, “temptation” can mean deception.

More deception than simple temptation

Another variant of seduction, and this is actually what the Bible means, is seduction in the sense of deception. For example, see Matthew 24:4 (from German Bible):
“And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man tempt [or deceive] you.”
In German, the reader is left unclear as to whether it is “temptation” or “deception.”

The word “seduced” comes from the Greek word “planao” (g4105). This Greek word has its origin in the following meaning:
To cause someone to stray (from certainty, truth, or virtue).
The actual uses of this word are:
To go astray, to deceive, to err, to seduce, to wander, to stray from the path.

There is a huge difference between seducing someone into doing something without deception and misleading the other person during the seduction.

The English Bible “King James Version (1611)” actually translates it unambiguously at this point:
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”

In this light, the word “seduction,” in the sense of deception, takes on a completely different quality for the German reader. One might be inclined to believe that one can resist a temptation, but it doesn’t occur to one that one is actually succumbing to a deception. The person on the “diet trip” may well resist the temptation to eat chocolate. But if I tell them I want to give them a vitamin and mineral bar to make their diet easier, but in reality it’s an enormous “block of sugar,” then it would be a blatant deception.

The deception has long gone a step further. You can’t fool someone for long into believing that chocolates are supposedly mineral and vitamin drops. Most will have doubts after the first bite. Therefore, it’s far more effective to create a general narrative that chocolates aren’t so unhealthy after all, but actually support diets and even boost vitality and energy. “Studies have proven this.” Repeat this often enough, with a lot of, and especially persistent, media hype about “chocolates and their benefits,” and you’ll reach the “tipping point” of around 70%, where people are convinced. And woe betide anyone who now raises a finger and points out the health risks of chocolate and sugar.

End-time speech Matthew 24 – Deception

Jesus’ end-time discourse according to Matthew 24 has a clear focus on the danger of deception. While the announced catastrophes are mentioned only once each, Jesus Christ warns against deception four times in this chapter. As already described above, in verse 4 and the following:
Matthew 24:5:
“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many..”
Matthew 24:11:
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
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.“

The word “planaó,” meaning deception, appears in all four verses in Matthew 24.

The ultimate end-time book – Revelation

The last book of the Bible, regularly ignored or dismissed as obsolete, is the ultimate end-time book. “Deception” is also found in it in numerous places.

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.“

Revelation 18:23:

“And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.“

Revelation 19:20:

“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.“

Revelation 20:3:

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.“

Revelation 20:8:

“And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.“

Revelation 20:10:

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.“

All previous examples from the Book of Revelation contain the word “planaó,” meaning deception, deception, deception.

God allows, tests and convicts

That God himself does not deceive in order to mislead man, but can and will certainly test him, is shown in Revelation 3:10:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.“

At this point, the Greek word for “temptation” is “peirasmos” (g3986). This actually means “to try, to test, to put to the test.”

If, on the other hand, the Holy Spirit’s constant calling on one’s conscience has been stubbornly rejected, the cup will eventually overflow. In this case, God will initiate or allow the hardened people to bear witness against themselves through their own actions. In this way, God demonstrates His justice by allowing the whole world to witness (1 Corinthians 4:9) how man acts, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11:

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and 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. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:“

In German, the word “temptation” (or seduction) appears twice here, but in the first instance, the Greek word “pseudos” (g5579) is used. This means “falseness, untruth, false religion.”
In the second case, the word “temptation” (or seduction) is preceded by the Greek word “plané” (g4106). This means “error, cowardice, deceit, deception, error, sin.”

Gospel as a Foundation – Standing Secure

For “on the other hand,” God provides a sure way out of this deception for all people who accepted the truth, believed it, and lived accordingly, 1 Corinthians 10:13:
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.“

Such a person cannot be deceived. While acknowledging the deceptions, he does not allow himself to be led astray, but rather holds firmly to the truth. This is the “small but subtle difference” from those described in 1 Timothy 4:1:
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;“

In the sequence of the 7 churches (Revelation 2 and 3) in prophetic view, the church of Philadelphia received from the Lord much praise and also the corresponding promises, Revelation 3:10:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Here, too, the Greek word for “temptation” is “peirasmos,” meaning “test, probation.”

What a contrast to the last church of Laodicea, but certainly to be found in the reality of today (Info).

The author of the deception

Jesus Christ encountered the Pharisees and their self-righteousness, as well as their exercise of power over people through imposed constraints. Jesus described the source of evil and its characteristics, John 8:44:
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.“

Satan doesn’t lie here and there now and then, but is the originator, the inventor of lies. This is a prerequisite for the universal deception he perpetrates. He butters things up, flatters, presents himself as a savior (“angel of light”), makes promises and preaches “good,” even though this will absolutely lead to the downfall of every gullible person who follows him. His mendacity is so omnipresent that even a simple “Hello,” uttered by someone with an “SJ” suffix, should be categorically doubted.

Increasing influence of deception

Ellen G. White also gave a glimpse of the work of the great adversary, who will continue to develop until the end of time:
“He has grown more artful. His plans are laid deeper, and are more covered with a religious garment t hide their deformity. The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away. His wrath and hate grow stronger as his time to work draws near its close.” (2SG 277.1)

To put it bluntly, in the time of the apostles, it was still possible to spread a new, erroneous doctrine among the people by appearing as a carnival barker. Today, in our “enlightened society,” this is no longer the case. Other methods are used instead. Many, especially atheists and humanists, are unaware that they too are part of a faith-based religion (Evolution Theory, Nature and Climate Protection).

A little theory from the Gospel, plus a generous dose of humanism in the Age of Reason, and this results in the desired mix of a “universally compatible world ethos.” The synthesis that is looming and will surely occur is a theosophy based on pantheism (Info). Pure religion, but not quite so “strictly looking” like it. The supposed necessity for this is conveyed by the nonstop, never-ending reports about an impending natural and climate collapse.

The constant evolution of deception

This universal deception, prepared by the adversary, did not come into this world overnight. He pursues a centuries-old agenda. The fruits of his evil work have now become visible. A large portion of the evangelical world follows one of the false teachings spread by the adversary. Specifically, this concerns, for example, the version of a “pre-rapture” told by the “Brothers of the Loyola Club,” a future Antichrist, and the establishment of a kingdom of peace on earth (Info).

The erroneous teachings about an “eternal burning hell“, a “immortal soul“, “abolished commandments of God“, Sunday as “The Lord’s Day” and an obsolete Sabbath.

For this reason, God sends three successive angels (symbolic, meaning messengers) to proclaim urgent warnings. These warnings contain precisely the essence that is meant to draw people away from the numerous deceptions (Three Angels’ Messages).

Deception, deception and deception

This cannot be repeated often enough. Deception, deception, and above all, deception are the great dangers of our time. This has nothing to do with how “strong and steadfast” one considers oneself, but solely with whether one stands on the foundation of the gospel (truth) or has been deceived by a lie that one mistakenly misunderstands as truth! In the supposed strength of one’s own power (self-righteousness, by the way), one quickly finds oneself on the path of the ultimate persecutors. This, even in the belief that one is doing the right thing, even though it couldn’t be more wrong.

Satan knows the Bible, including Revelation 20, and thus he knows full well his end. So what does he have to lose? “Like a roaring lion,” he roams around, looking for whom he can devour. His versions of an earthly kingdom of peace, pre-Rapture, abolished laws of God, universal salvation, etc., etc., are only misleading. The adversary also promised his faithful, not insignificant, earthly helpers a glorious future under his reign. But they are all…DECEIVED!

Ephesians 6:10:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.“

No one can rely on their own strength and steadfastness, but is dependent solely on the power of God, or rather, the power of Jesus Christ. This strength is only attained when one stands on the foundation of the gospel and nowhere else, not even in part.

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)