Deception, Control, And The False Prophets

 

The False Prophets Are Much Closer When We Allow Them To Be

The main focus of today’s sermon is on 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, Verse 1-17.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

There is a lot to say on this topic. There is a lot of ground that needs to be covered. To understand what the verse is saying, it’s important to break it down. It’s important to understand the historical context, what the author intended it to say to his audience back in the day, and how we interpret these verses for modern times.

It’s widely believed that Thessalonians was written by Paul with Timothy as the co-author around 51-52 AD . However, there are disputes as many other scholars believed it was written by someone else named Paul who was unrelated. As a result, it’s believed that if this was the case, then the letters were written around 85-115AD, around the same time that Revelation was composed. At this time in history, many Christians have experienced persecution inflicted upon them by Roman Emperors like Caligula and Nero. Thessalonica, located in Greece, was the second largest city in Europe and the Roman Empire at the time, only behind Rome itself. Paul created a Christian Church there. When he departed, the congregation in Thessalonica had questions about the Second Coming that needed to be addressed. It was in response to reports that were saying that Christ has already returned. As a result, from Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to clear up the air about the events. Paul did not know if what was reported was by someone who presented the information as if it came from him or if they got the false report from another church. However, the congregation in Thessalonica were visibly upset. This is where Paul placed great emphasis on not being deceived.

Not surprisingly, the church at Thessalonica were dealing with the topic of the Second Coming very early on. Throughout history, there has been great interest on the topic. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, he would report that he would be back soon. For many of the very early Christians, they made the assumption that he would be back in a few years or decades.

Because God’s interpretation of time is very different from what we could comprehend, his definition of soon is very different from our interpretation. As a result, when the scriptures were translated into Greek, the phrase that Jesus would return in a thousand years was written in. The reason widely believed for this was that the Greek interpreters placed great emphasis that Jesus’s return wouldn't happen for a very long time. For many theologians, the phrase “thousand years” was interpreted literally. However, many knew that the Greeks were into figures of expression, and as a result, the phrase “thousand years” is widely believed to denote a very long time, and not literally a thousand years.

Paul reassures that we do not know when Jesus would return. Even Jesus himself doesn’t know of the date and time that he would return. Often, with many, things can turn into a very unhealthy obsession. This happens to the point where the core ministry takes a backseat to those looking for quote “signs”. The spiritual needs of those who need to be met now are ignored by those chasing future observations that are open to interpretation. Paul tells us that the great deceiver will come. In the meantime, many others would come to deceive Christians for their own intent. As such, things would get worse for those who uphold God’s word.

However, Paul saw the distraction that occurred because of the actions of those who made the false claim. In 2nd Thessalonians, Paul declares that those who don’t work shall not eat. That verse can tie in as well because those who are distracted with how to interpret the end times are not following the core components of the ministry that need to be done. As a result, those who are chasing signs instead of partaking in the Lord’s work will not enjoy the rich fulfillment that Christianity has to offer. They will not be fed because they didn’t do the work that Jesus commanded. It’s interesting that this verse was later adapted by Vladimir Lenin during the Russian Revolution in regard to his Communist movement: “He who shall not work, neither shall he eat.”

Modern Times

This brings up a much more general question: How should works of prophecy be interpreted for modern readers? This can be a delicate issue as many often don’t do a Biblical take on such works. For example, many will use such works to incorporate their own commentary. Others will base their interpretations on pop-culture’s idea of what the rapture is. For many others, prophecy become the quote “go-to” books for those looking to validate their personal pain and suffering. Not surprisingly, when things are bad, such works become vogue. When one faces many trials and tribulations, these individuals will often mold prophecy and Revelation to fit their personal worldview. Many Christians upset that society isn’t conform to what their idea of Christianity is uses prophecy to validate their disappointment and demonize there perceived pariahs.

Prophecy and Revelation can be tricky when it comes to interpretation. While it's straightforward in the general, big-picture sense, it's vague when it comes in the finite details, which is illustrated by symbolism and open to interpretation. This is similar to Genesis, where one has to settle for the grand idea because the scope of the details can go in various directions. Debate rages when theologians do either a figurative, metaphorical take on prophecy or a direct, literal interpretation of such works.

Paul could only give us the general picture of how the events would play out. The door was left open for interpretation of such events. Some will argue that one shouldn’t look at the symbolism and to avoid doing a figurative interpretation. They will claim that it’s only possible to do a literal, word-by-word, interpretation of prophecy and Revelation. However, misinterpretation can occur though when a literal word-by-word translation of such works takes place. As noted previously, Revelation and the works of prophecy uses a lot of symbolism. Symbolism doesn’t translate well literally.

The works of prophecy and Revelation were intentionally meant to be mysteries in the details. This isn’t a bad thing at all. There are things that we weren’t meant to know. However, mystery is never a good thing for those who want all the answers. Because the book is open to interpretation though, that basically means that those who want all the answers could fill in their own now. One could make the very safe assumption that those who created the false information directed at the Thessalonica church were filling in their own answers to satisfy what they thought that there idea of the Second Coming.

Now the works of prophecy and Revelation being open to interpretation doesn’t make them any less important. In fact, when we go through our own mini-Revelations, these works can reinforce God’s word. It means that we need to have that relationship because we don’t know how our lives will play out on a day by day basis. This is why we need to seek Jesus and why we need to have that relationship with him. We often go through our own mini trials and tribulations. Jesus provides that guidance when we face our own quote “end-of-days” when we face our mortality.

Don’t be Deceived.

However such works can be horrible abused. Paul saw how Christians were deceived because of false rumors in regard to prophecy, so he saw it first-hand. Often times, many Christians will be there own deceiver. Many Christian do not use prophecy for spiritual outreach, but to reinforce their personal worldview, and thus deceiving themselves in the process.

Satan is real. He’s called fear, paranoia, ignorance, and arrogance. When we embrace these attributes, we become our own worst enemy. The greatest threat to Christianity isn’t Radical Islam or Secularism; it’s other Christians who embraced these destructive attributes.

For many, prophecy and becomes that unhealthy obsession. Those looking for quote “THE” false prophet completely ignore the countless others that have constantly abused God’s word for centuries, like those who passed the false information to the Thessalonica church. The abuse of God’s word for spectacle and profit was not a recent occurrence either. Remember that verse read earlier: For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work;

This is another reason why people can be deceived when turning the works of prophecy into an obsession. Many seeking out that cartoon villain inspired by pop media completely ignores those misusing God’s word NOW! Many Christians obsessed with the works of prophecy will not use Biblical references, but Facebook or conspiracy theories to validate their beliefs. However, we are still responsible for the words that come out of our mouths. Megachurch leader Rodney-Howard Browne in Florida told his congregation that Covid-19 was bio-engineered and that the vaccination is designed to kill millions as part of a population control scheme. Many blindly embraced his claim because he said it. Their response would be “He’s a man of God! Would a man of God lie to me!” As a result, many Christians will die from the virus because they believed a lie designed to scare them.

Several Christians are going to avoid getting the vaccine because they read some click-bait on Facebook that stated that the vaccine in progress has a microchip in it. Even though this claim has been debunked and anyone spending a few minutes of research would have realized this, this false claim is still presented as the gospel truth. Many Christians are being deceived with their health being put at risk because of false information. Several of them will die when they didn’t have to because of a lie. Again, this really isn’t all that different than what Paul encountered.

Because people will mold the works of prophecy to fits there worldview, people will inject their own pariahs. During World War 1, a minister wrote a book that quote “proved” that the Kaiser of Germany was the Anti-Christ. When the war ended and the Kaiser was exiled to Holland, the minister tried to recall his book. Not a smart career choice if you ask me. Because many believe that things typically come in threes, many Christians tried to find the great deceiver by looking at the primary three “minor" Anti-Christ that came before. Usually Nero, Napoleon, and Hitler comes up in these conversations.

Often, many Christians will use non-biblical sources to validate their views. Nostradamus often  enters the picture. The thing with Nostradamus though was that he was very vague in his predictions. He stated that there would be wars in the future. I could have told you that. We’re destructive creatures by nature, so you're not telling me anything that I don’t know already. He said that there would be floods and droughts in the future. Again, we live on a planet with dynamic weather, so again, you're not telling me anything I don’t already know.

The False Prophet

Who is a false prophet? Many of times, those who claim to be Christians will abuse their position for their own nefarious purpose. Often, they often use God’s word for spectacle and profit. They want people to blindly believe anything that they say. They don’t appeal on facts, but on charged emotions. False prophets are consumed with power, privilege, and control. The ministry of Jesus is a spiritual one. Jesus’ ministry was never intended as being for control. As a result, spotting false prophets are as easy as seeing those who do the opposite of what Jesus intended, but doing it in his name. When someone makes a claim, the first question that needs to be asked is: what’s the motive. Are they genuine in their spiritual pursuits or are they aiming for something that benefits them.

Jesus called out the Sanhedrin for misusing spirituality for their own purpose. For them, religion isn’t an instrument for spiritual outreach, but a tool for appeasement. They abandoned spirituality and formalized their sacraments into an empty activity to maintain power and the status quo. God’s spiritual movement was never intended as being political in nature, and the Pharisees and Sadducee misused it for their own purpose. They were determined to hold onto their power at any cost. The Pharisees were looking for any excuse to punish Jesus and any of his followers for questioning their system. They deemed him a threat. The Pharisees assumed greater power and privileges, and they were going to mow down anyone who stood in their path. That included God’s Son.

Jesus partook in his ministry to lead people to Salvation and spirituality, not to build a new order to replace the old one. Many Christians have abandoned spirituality for power and privilege. Those Christians who traded in spirituality for power will stop at nothing to protect their interest. They will use fear to control people.

The false prophets will misuse the word persecution for their own benefit. The word persecution is weaponized by those who want to hold onto their power. The word persecution becomes a vague umbrella term to denote any critique or criticism to those in power. In short, the word persecution becomes a term for sensationalist bloggers to abuse. This is a disservice to those around the world that have genuinely suffered because of their faith. Yet, when those consumed with power highlight persecution, it’s not to bring awareness to those who actually suffered and died because of there faith, but to expose those perceived villains robbing them of their privileges.

Doomsday Cults

One could make the very strong case that the worst of the worst false prophets are the cult leaders. They are the ones that lust for total control. They just don’t want your money. They want your heart and soul as well. They are the ones most ready to exploit a person’s vulnerability.

The idea of the persecution complex takes hold. It’s the idea that persecution isn’t inflicted to validate faith, but provide that quote “I told you so” moment. As such, horrific pain must occur in order for a person’s faith to be validated. Prophecy becomes a weapon used to control people to their own will.

David Koresh brainwashed people to his own will. One day in Waco in 1993, many people died, himself included, because he wanted his vision of Armageddon to be fulfilled at any cost. The followers who blindly followed him didn’t want Paul’s help in bringing awareness to Koresh’s madness. Paul already wrote that letter warning believers about false prophets, but they didn’t want to read it. Where as the church of Thessalonica embraced Paul’s warning, several others ignored them, with dire consequences. Koresh manipulated the works of prophecy for his own intent.

Sure, mistakes were made on both sides. However, David Koresh wanted his vision of Hell to be fulfilled. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. False prophets wouldn’t have it any other way either. For those who embraced Koresh as the Messiah who would rescue them, he became their destroyer instead. His vision of the Apocalypse had to become a reality by any means necessary, even if that included forcing the hands of others. Men, women, and children died as a result of someone who manipulated God’s word for his own will. David Koresh is no martyr. He went from madman to monster, taking many with him.

The works of prophecy were abused by a man who committed an atrocity. For the man who was intent on making his vision of Hell a reality at any price, there never was going to be that happy ending. Neither for him or his followers.

What makes this situation more depressing was that no one needed to die. The beliefs of the followers were never compromised and they weren't being asked to surrender their faith or die because of it. However, Koresh had such a powerful grip on his followers and he was determined to lead them to a violent end. The strongest of false prophets will have that powerful grip on those who follow them. Whereas Jesus led his followers down the path of life, Koresh led his followers down a violent and bloody path defined by death.

The persecution complex has become popular with Christianity. It’s become popular with those that want suffering to happen not so that their faith could be validated, but to provide that quote “I told you so” moment. When God's word is misused in this manner, there are very real consequences. Those that see persecution as a game of ambition could lead others down a horrible demise. Those that use the claim of persecution for their own benefit will see themselves as martyrs, but a fool in God's eye. One becomes that false prophet.

Things will Get Worse For Those Who Uphold God’s Word

There are always hard days ahead for those who devote themselves to God’s word. Christians face challenges for their faith. Often though, it’s interesting seeing where these challenges of faith come from though. The biggest danger to Christianity isn’t going to come from some external source, but from other Christians. 

For those who try to do the right thing, persecution will come. Persecution comes to those who call out other Christians who abandoned spirituality for power and privilege. Persecution will come to those who call-out Christians who abuse God’s word for spectacle and profit. Those consumed with power, privilege, and image will mow down anybody who stands in their way. The Pharisees were intent on maintaining power. Jesus being God’s Son wasn't going to stop them.

Jesus expected tribulation. He was intent on doing the right thing. He had to in order to fulfill his ministry. 

Conclusion

We’re reminded that when he embrace the attributes of ignorance, arrogance, fear, and paranoia, we become our own worst enemy. We become susceptible to those spreading false information. The biggest danger comes from those who come with their own intent, but do so in Jesus’s name. Paul didn’t encounter this test of faith from the outside, but from others who called themselves the followers of Christ. The biggest threat to Christianity are other Christians who abuse God’s word for there owe benefit.

The works of prophecy and Revelation are important. They do exist for a reason. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be in the Bible.

The works of prophecy reminds us of God’s will at the end. It reveals that he will be victorious, regardless of the circumstances that play out. It’s a reminder that the chance of having that relationship with God is fleeting. We all face judgment when we meet our fate on our deathbed. One can’t escape from it. This is why we need to have our affairs sorted and our relationship with Jesus there.

The urgency to lead people to Salvation has always been. One doesn’t know how life will play out. However, the occurrence of bad things wasn't a recent development either. The false prophets who treat it as such have been blind and oblivious to the suffering of others that has been ongoing while being consumed by their own wants and demands. 

The pursuit of Salvation should be because we love Jesus and what he has done for us. If one wants to spread God’s word, it’s should be because we show our appreciation of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Golden rule here is that if we cherish the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, then Jesus will cherish those that accept his love and gift of Salvation. Many are in the need of Salvation. It’s never too late to spread the good news. The need has always been there. Life is uncertain, so one must be on the constant move to seek Salvation. It’s a task that one shouldn’t put off for a later time. There might not be a later chance down the road. It's important to count the blessings that God has done for us. It's important to recognize the things that God has done for us.

For those who don’t have that relationship with God, they won’t be able to comprehend the internal pain that they will encounter: the pain of not knowing God’s love. Hell is not being with our loved ones again. Hell is not being with Jesus. Hell is not being exposed to God’s loving embrace. Anyone who doesn’t know God’s love will cry out in pain of not knowing what he did for them. This is the true pain of Hell.

We don’t live forever. Life is short and fleeting. We start dying as soon as we’re born. When one days goes by, that is one day less for us. One doesn’t know how the day will play out. One doesn’t know if there going to be in a car crash. One doesn’t know if they have cancer. With a out-of-control virus, embracing God’s love is more vital than ever. That’s why we need to embrace God. However, we need to embrace God because we love him.

Articles Of Interest

Bible Gateway - 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, Verse 1-17: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thes%201:3-2:17&version=NIV
Bible Gateway - 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 3, Verse 10 : https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thess.%203:10;&version=ASV 
Wikipedia - The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians :  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Epistle_to_the_Thessalonians

Articles of Interest - Don't Be Deceived
Patheos : 3 Reasons Evangelical Christians Fall for Conspiracy Theories - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jaysondbradley/2020/05/3-reasons-evangelical-christians-fall-for-conspiracy-theories/
Wikipedia - Rodney Howard-Browne : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Howard-Browne
Snopes  - Is Kansas City Ordering Churchgoers To Register with the Government? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kansas-city-churches/
PolitiFact - No, Democrats aren’t pushing microchips to fight coronavirus : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/23/facebook-posts/no-democrats-arent-pushing-microchi...
PolitiFact - No, the Gates Foundation isn’t pushing microchips with all medical procedures : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/20/facebook-posts/no-gates-foundation-isnt-pushing-mi...
PolitiFact - No, the US isn’t developing a vaccine or ‘antivirus’ with a chip to track people : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/03/facebook-posts/no-us-isnt-developing-vaccine-or-an...

Pastor: I’m Holding Services Because I Have Machines That Shoot Down Viruses : https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/27/pastor-im-holding-services-because-i-have-machines-th... 

BBC : 'They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out' - https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-53174415 

BBC : Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19 - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53892856

BBC : 'Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53755067

BBC : Coronavirus: Pastor who decried 'hysteria' dies after attending Mardi Gras - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52157824

NYTimes : Pastor Who Defied Social Distancing Dies After Contracting Covid-19, Church Says - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/bishop-gerald-glenn-coronavirus.html

AP : Mormons chided for airport welcoming of missionaries - https://apnews.com/14fc5e1316fb7c74daeb7043f367c19f

Oklahoma News 4 : Louisiana church hosts more than 1,800 people amid COVID-19 outbreak - https://kfor.com/news/louisiana-church-hosts-more-than-1800-people-amid-covid-19-outbreak/

Articles of Interest - The False Prophets
Patheos - Unbelievable : https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2019/03/19/unbelievable/
Patheos - Jim Bakker: If Donald Trump Doesn’t Win in 2020, Christians Will “Suddenly Die” https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/06/22/jim-bakker-if-donald-trump-doesnt-win-in-2020-christi...
RWW - Jim Bakker: Christian Leaders and Politicians Will Be Murdered if Trump is not Re-Elected https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-christian-leaders-and-politicians-will-be-murdered-if... 
Patheos :  Christian Persecution – Fact or Fiction - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/blackwhiteandgray/2013/06/christian-persecution-fact-or-fiction/

Articles of Interest - Doomsday Cults
FRONTLINE : Waco: The Inside Story - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/waco/
Wikipedia : Waco Siege - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_siege
Wikipedia :  Branch Davidians : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Davidians
Wikipedia :  David Koresh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh