And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie:
2Thessalonians 2:11
“…the
mystery of iniquity that doth already work” (2Thess
2:7)
THIS
‘STRONG DELUSION’ HAPPENS AFTER THE RAPTURE, RIGHT?
No.
That is
what is popularly taught. But it actually takes place before
the
rapture.
I THINK
YOU
ARE WRONG
Look,
after
the Lord has come for his own, caught up to meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) there will
not be a single Christian
left on earth. There will be no-one left to discern the truth. Those
that are
left, the unsaved, will be ‘ripe for the picking’. The anti-christ will
subject
the world to his lies.
But
this is
not what God calls “strong delusion”. And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:11
WHAT DO
YOU
MEAN?
If
I can
put it bluntly, what happens in the seven-year tribulation (Daniel’s 70th
week) is really not a concern for Paul and for the following reasons.
Don’t get
me wrong. Paul ‘bleeds’ and ‘intensely desires’ after the Jew and
wishes
himself accursed in their place (Romans
9:3). But
when he writes to the
churches his focus is on the churches.
1.
Thirteen
of his books are to the Christian churches, Timothy, Titus and
Philemon.
2. Events
of the tribulation are covered in Matthew 24 and Revelation.
3. The
main
message of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians is the
rapture
encouragement for the persecuted church.
4. The
rapture is in both his books (1Thess 2:19;4:16-18;5:1-4,5-8,9-11);2 Thess 2:1-3)
5. They
have received the love of the truth and they will escape
the
wrath of God
… when ye received
the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the
word of
men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh
also in you that believe. 1Thessalonians 2:13
Forbidding
us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill
up their
sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 1Thessalonians 2:16
6. Before
the rapture there is a falling away Let no man deceive you by any
means: for
that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first
2Thessalonians 2:3
7. The
chapter in which the phrase “strong delusion” occurs, is addressed
to the
church, not the Jews or those in the tribulation. Paul’s concern is
for
people before the rapture not after. Events in the tribulation are
covered in
Matthew 24, Revelation 6-19, Luke 21 and so on). It’s like Paul is
saying “I’ve
done my best warning everyone about the state of the church (apostasy
2Thess
2:3) and strong
delusion 2Thess 2:11) that may
stop people getting saved.”
… with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2Thessalonians 2:10. They might
get saved.
WELL WHAT
IS THIS ‘STRONG DELUSION”?
The
“strong
delusion” will be made up of strong delusionS … that is many
delusions.
LIKE WHAT?
1.
The
Catholic mass is the actual body and blood of Jesus.
2. The ‘Pentecostal Jesus’ is the Jesus of the New Testament
3. Put your hands on the TV screen and you can get healing from God,
especially
if you send the money as well.
4. All versions of the Bible are as good as, and even better, than the
Authorized Bible, The King James Bible.
LOOK I GO
TO A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!
The
delusions
were rife back in Paul’s day with over 100 cults by the end of the 1st
century. The mystery of iniquity was already at work in Paul’s day.
Today, we
have the ecumenical movement, Promise Keepers, speaking in ‘tongues’,
the Alpha course, replacement theology, physical
healing in the
atonement, apostles and prophets are for today, the prosperity
gospel, the faith gospel of Ken Copeland, Benny Hinn,
Derrick Prince,
Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, effeminate dressing
and long
hair by men, sodomy is not sin, British Israel theory,
God
pre-destinates some people for hell, T.U.L.I.P., no literal
hell,
Freemasonry, back to the Jewish feasts and ceremonies, loss
of
salvation, emphasis on the Lord’s prayer, inter-faith dialogue
between churches, the self-esteem gospel, psychiatry
and psychology
in the church, misunderstanding of baptism of the Spirit, stress and
money
management courses and prosperity seminars in churches, yoga
and healing
of memories in churches, martial arts and acupuncture
philosophy, worldly tests (Meyers Briggs) to identify gifts,
rejection
of the inspiration, infallibility, inerrancy of
the King
James Bible, the social gospel, disbelief in dispensations,
acceptance of Rome’s doctrine, the denial that Rome is behind all
other
versions of the Bible, theistic evolution, the gap theory,
co-operation with the Charismatics, creation not in six literal
days, 2nd
chance at salvation after death, inter-faith church
services, water
baptism needed for salvation, emphasis on unity, loss of
salvation, infant
sprinkling, tithing, signs and wonders, God is
love not
wrath, women preachers and pastors, no belief in
the rapture,
getting slain in the ‘spirit’, rapture happens mid-trib, Jesus
only died
for those who will be saved and are selected (Calvinism). I
could go on.
ARE YOU
SAYING THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SAVED OR CAN’T GET SAVED?
There
are
lots of people who go to Christian churches like the Methodists,
Baptists,
Presbyterians, Brethren (not the cults of the SDA’s, Mormons, Roman
Catholics
and such like) who think they are saved but they are not.
It might
be
they are not told the truth, therefore they do not and cannot receive
the
truth.
They like
their church because it’s a club with friendly people.
The scripture is quite clear – “… because they received not
the love
of the truth, that they MIGHT be saved.” (2Thess
2:10).
It doesn’t
say they can’t or won’t be saved. So the above apostasies/false
beliefs/wrong
doctrine limit the chances that a person might get saved. They still
can, but
their window of opportunity is reduced being clouded by false beliefs
and
teachings.
WHAT DO
YOU
MEAN?
An
unsaved
person walks into a Pentecostal service and is urged to get out the
front to
get filled with the ‘holy spirit’. They are filled with a lying spirit (1Kings
22:22; 2Chronicles 18:21). Man,
they’re jumping around and feeling good. “Wow! This ‘spirit’ is the
same
‘spirit’ that the Catholics have. They must be Christians too! They
love Jesus
like me.” But they never got saved!
Let me
stress, it’s not called the strong delusion, meaning just one
delusion,
but is simply called strong delusion.
‘Strong
delusion’ is made up many apostasies, delusions and many false beliefs.
BUT
DOESN’T
THE SCRIPTURE SAY THEY WILL ALL BE DAMNED?
No.
The
wording is very important. See what it says, not what you think it
means. That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth,
but had
pleasure in unrighteousness. 2Thessalonians 2:12
1. It
doesn’t say they will be damned, but the possibility exists
they might
be damned.
2.
Believing any of the above list of apostasies, means you have
not
believed the truth. You might end up being damned.
3. The
above list of apostasies, false beliefs, wrong doctrine are all
unrighteousness.
LOOK
NO-ONE
IS PERFECT!
The scripture says believing any of the above list (and there’s
more)
means you will be deceived. There are 3 possibilities:
1. You may be saved.
2. You may not be saved.
3. You might not get saved.
In fact, talk to any of those involved in the above list, not only are
they
wrong, but they have pleasure in being wrong. They have pleasure in
being
unrighteous. They have pleasure in not believing the truth. They are
arrogant
and blinded.
I’D LIKE
MORE PROOF!
The
word “saved”
is a Pauline word used for a person’s permanent salvation before the
rapture …
that they might be saved. 2Thess 2:10. The jailer
asks “What must I do
to be saved?” (Acts
16:30). This is
eternal security,
never to be lost! During the seven year tribulation, no-one can be
saved and
have eternal security. It’s a Jewish dispensation or time of temporary
salvation. You can lose it!
WELL I
STILL THINK THAT A ‘STRONG DELUSION’ OCCURS AFTER THE RAPTURE.
Paul’s ‘strong delusion’ occurs before the rapture. God
says
I also
will
choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because
when I called,
none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they
did evil
before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Isaiah
66:4; Rom
1:32
WHAT’S
HAPPENING TODAY?
Delusion
and fear have gripped the whole world. You may have rejected Christ.
You may
have false beliefs. You may have received a false Christ. You may or
may not be
saved. You might not get saved. You have a strong delusion that
prevents you
getting saved.
The mystery
of iniquity is not a sudden thing. It’s the slow, creeping
and
insidious
work of
Satan (2Cor
11:14-15)
****
****
Harley
Hitchcock
This
website’s front page is:
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