Our Lord's Great Prophecy, Part 30

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2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

A word of Warning, continued

VERSE 9 continued, “Whose presence [shall be] according to an in working of Satan, with all manner of mighty work ad signs and wonders of falsehood.” (Rotherham Version)

The following three paragraphs on 2 Thess 2:9–11 are excerpts from the article “All Deceivableness of Unrighteousness.”

The intimation is that the severity of the testing will come first to the saints. In whatever proportion our doctrines (professions, beliefs) include fallacies, errors, in that same proportion will be the severity of our testing. Those whose faith structure contains little of wood, hay and stubble will suffer least; while those who have more of these combustibles will suffer the more.

Be it noticed that all the creeds handed down to us contain many errors and that the test of our loyalty to the truth was our willingness to renounce these and to replace them with the gold, silver and precious stones of the divine Word. For one reason or another, this matter of confessing error and relinquishing it is a severe trial to many.

Many even after having been presented the truth cannot let go of the errors they have long been taught as truth, this is generally due to a lack of humility, the ability to admit that one may be in error. Meekness and humility are essential to overcoming the errors of the professing church, without which one is destined to suffer great lost in the trial soon coming.

It tests loyalty to God and his Word. It tests humility of heart. It tests willingness to confess our errors. It tests love for the brethren. However trifling the mistake, it requires an overcoming courage to declare it, to renounce it. [In other words, if we find out that what we have been holding is wrong doctrine, it is very difficult, in humility of heart, to have the courage to say that we now think differently.]

Pride one of the most daunting vices generally stands in the way, especially amongst those who have been the most active in promoting errors and who now realize they may have erred in their understanding.

This has been the procedure for the past three hundred years, as God’s people have emerged more and more from the smoke of the ‘dark ages.’ Because of these difficulties and tests the progress out of darkness into the full, clear light has been slow. At every step of the journey light and truth have been slandered, opposed, vilified, persecuted, and the advocates of truth have been pilloried and roasted either figuratively or literally.

But we cannot hope thus of all—especially now when the light of truth is shining so much more brightly and when the Lord is especially testing the loyalty or disloyalty of those professing his name, with a view to their separation and to the determining of their eternal destinies. No doubt some who will be of the Great Company will be more or less deceived of the adversary by the strong delusions of this hour. Such in their blindness and deception may set forth darkness for light and light for darkness. They may do it with great positiveness (fully convince that what they promote is truth), but scarcely, we think, with bitterness [they are a little off track, but at least they do not manifest a bitter attitude]—anger, malice, envy, hatred, strife—works of the flesh and of the devil.” (R4583)

In the phraseall power and signs and lying wonders,” what would be thesigns? What kind ofsigns?

Signsare something visible. For example, the world will see thesignof the coming of the Son of man (Matt. 24:30).

We continue once again with our look at Verse 9 in our next post.

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