BULLSEYE!
ACCURATE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE!

QUESTION: “WHAT IS THE STRONG DELUSION”

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
 2 Thessalonians 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 70^th 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 1^st and 2^nd 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. 1 Thessalonians 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. 1 Thessalonians 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 2 Thessalonians 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 2 Thess 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. 2 Thessalonians 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 1^st 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, 2^nd

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; 2 Chronicles 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. 2 Thessalonians 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. 2 Thess 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)

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Harley Hitchcock

This website’s front page is:
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com

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