Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.
What thoughts do you have, given this passage from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, regarding the end [of this worldly order]?
Matt 24 predicts great deception at the end of time - so great that it would deceive if possible "the very elect".
Paul says the devil appears as a heavenly angelic being of light - Jesus said false Christs... as if they are the second coming of Christ. This is what Satan's ultimate false charade will be.
2 Thess 2 says
8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9
that is,
the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with
all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for
those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will
believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who
did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
Rev 13 says the
entire world is deceived by it.
3
I saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the
whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4
they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and
they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” ...
7 It was also given to him to
make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8
All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the
book of life of the Lamb who has been slaughtered.
.... 13 He
performs great signs, so that he even
makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people. 14 And he
deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling
those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
... 16 And
he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 and
he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark,
either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
Rev 14 has
the antidote message to this world wide deception..
Rev 14:
6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven with an
eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, “
Fear God and give Him glory, because
the hour of His judgment has come;
worship Him who
made the heaven and the earth, and sea and springs of waters.”
8 And another angel,
a second one, followed, saying, “
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 Then another angel,
a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12 Here is the perseverance of the
saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
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There is one Denomination that has as its official stated mission - to proclaim that problem-solving end-time-warning, end-time-Rev 14 message.
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Once that message is complete -- then in Rev 15:8 we have the close of probation for mankind.
And in Rev 16 - the seven last plagues
And in Rev 19 the appearing of Christ at the end. Which starts the 1000 year millennium
