The Mother of all Whoppers
This is a bit of speculation on my part, but in my mind, I'm trying to reconcile a number of different significant events and how they tie into each other. Both scholar and student have long wondered how and when the Battle of Gog and Magog tie into both the Olivet Discourse, and the Seal Judgments. The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, makes mention of something that has long puzzled many on what exactly it could be.
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess. 2:9-12
Many have proposed ideas of what they think "the lie" really is, and here are a few of the front runners thus far;
1. Aliens finally make contact with mankind just after the Rapture, and tell the earth that they removed the Christian's because they were what was holding man back from the next great, evolutionary leap forward.
2. The mother earth goddess Gaia, made the rapture (or great disappearance) happen as a way to rid the world of all the trouble makers.
3. The Nephilim will rise up as a master race and magically rid the world of Christian's.
4. The Islamic Mahdi returns, and rids the world of Christian's, or presents himself as the Messiah shortly thereafter.
5. The Antichrist's miraculous resurrection (or perceived as such) from the dead. (Rev. 13:3)
But, I have a different theory about what the 'the lie' is. Let me emphasize again, that this is a theory, I've not worked out all the details on it, but study this on your own, and you be the judge. Don Koenig had a really good article on something similar, although I don't think he holds to the same conclusion I do on it as being 'the lie'. I also don't discount Satan's ability to conjure up some kind of story to explain away the disappearance of millions of Christian's at the Rapture of the Church, and he may use this to bolster his whopper of a lie.
'The lie' is, that the Battle of Gog and Magog, is mistaken for the Battle of Armageddon, at which at its conclusion, the antichrist rides in on proclaiming a 'false peace' that the Jew's think will usher in the Messianic Kingdom they have for so long waited for. Due to the nature of that battle, it's not a stretch for many people around the world to mistake the Battle of Gog and Magog, for the Battle of Armageddon, given both the general ignorance on the specifics of each for the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 for the Jews. Adding to that, is the looseness that the word 'Armageddon' has had applied to it over the years in popular movies and culture. Bruce Willis anyone?
But if you read Ezekiel 38:18-23, there are a lot of similarities there, and it would not be difficult to imagine that Biblically illiterate people are fed the notion that the Biblical Armageddon had just transpired, (when in reality it was the Magog battle), and now "peace" has come upon the earth. This lie would particularly be effective on the Jewish people, who soundly reject the New Testament as divinely inspired and thus, also do not recognize the book of Revelation as divinely inspired text. That may also be the point in which the Antichrist introduces or reinforces a peace covenant or accord with Israel and her surrounding neighbors...and not for Israel's protection, but for theirs. (Dan. 9:27)
Jew's today and for the past 2,000 years, have largely rejected Jesus as their Messiah, because they state if Jesus was truly the Messiah, then He failed to usher in the peaceful Messianic reign that is promised throughout the Old Testament. They cannot reconcile that Jesus had to die first (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53), before coming back to bring in His Kingdom (Psalm 2; Isaiah 2, 11; Daniel 2:44-45; Zech. 12, 14)
Once this pseudo-peace is brokered, the Antichrist would then be in many Jew's and Gentiles' eyes, the man who finally brought 'peace' to the Middle East, thus fulfilling the Jewish requirements for their Messiah, particularly after a great battle and victory as was the case for the Battle of Gog and Magog. Of note, God repeatedly claims to be the sole source of victory for Israel, and the nations will know HIS name because of it. It would seem that the Antichrist comes in riding on God's coattails, and then takes credit for something God did. (Dan. 8:23-26, 11:36-39)
Again, students of Bible prophecy know and recognize the distinctions between the two battles, but I'd venture to guess, that the general population have no idea what those differences are and will likely buy into 'the lie', that this was the battle to end all battles, and that a new era of peace is about to be ushered in. Realize, that Satan knows Scripture as well, and if he can get Israel going after the wrong Messiah immediately after a miraculous victory, then Israel will have that hand of protection removed from them allowing for the time of Jacob's trouble.
This is a bit of speculation on my part, but in my mind, I'm trying to reconcile a number of different significant events and how they tie into each other. Both scholar and student have long wondered how and when the Battle of Gog and Magog tie into both the Olivet Discourse, and the Seal Judgments. The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, makes mention of something that has long puzzled many on what exactly it could be.
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess. 2:9-12
Many have proposed ideas of what they think "the lie" really is, and here are a few of the front runners thus far;
1. Aliens finally make contact with mankind just after the Rapture, and tell the earth that they removed the Christian's because they were what was holding man back from the next great, evolutionary leap forward.
2. The mother earth goddess Gaia, made the rapture (or great disappearance) happen as a way to rid the world of all the trouble makers.
3. The Nephilim will rise up as a master race and magically rid the world of Christian's.
4. The Islamic Mahdi returns, and rids the world of Christian's, or presents himself as the Messiah shortly thereafter.
5. The Antichrist's miraculous resurrection (or perceived as such) from the dead. (Rev. 13:3)
But, I have a different theory about what the 'the lie' is. Let me emphasize again, that this is a theory, I've not worked out all the details on it, but study this on your own, and you be the judge. Don Koenig had a really good article on something similar, although I don't think he holds to the same conclusion I do on it as being 'the lie'. I also don't discount Satan's ability to conjure up some kind of story to explain away the disappearance of millions of Christian's at the Rapture of the Church, and he may use this to bolster his whopper of a lie.
'The lie' is, that the Battle of Gog and Magog, is mistaken for the Battle of Armageddon, at which at its conclusion, the antichrist rides in on proclaiming a 'false peace' that the Jew's think will usher in the Messianic Kingdom they have for so long waited for. Due to the nature of that battle, it's not a stretch for many people around the world to mistake the Battle of Gog and Magog, for the Battle of Armageddon, given both the general ignorance on the specifics of each for the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39 for the Jews. Adding to that, is the looseness that the word 'Armageddon' has had applied to it over the years in popular movies and culture. Bruce Willis anyone?
But if you read Ezekiel 38:18-23, there are a lot of similarities there, and it would not be difficult to imagine that Biblically illiterate people are fed the notion that the Biblical Armageddon had just transpired, (when in reality it was the Magog battle), and now "peace" has come upon the earth. This lie would particularly be effective on the Jewish people, who soundly reject the New Testament as divinely inspired and thus, also do not recognize the book of Revelation as divinely inspired text. That may also be the point in which the Antichrist introduces or reinforces a peace covenant or accord with Israel and her surrounding neighbors...and not for Israel's protection, but for theirs. (Dan. 9:27)
Jew's today and for the past 2,000 years, have largely rejected Jesus as their Messiah, because they state if Jesus was truly the Messiah, then He failed to usher in the peaceful Messianic reign that is promised throughout the Old Testament. They cannot reconcile that Jesus had to die first (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53), before coming back to bring in His Kingdom (Psalm 2; Isaiah 2, 11; Daniel 2:44-45; Zech. 12, 14)
Once this pseudo-peace is brokered, the Antichrist would then be in many Jew's and Gentiles' eyes, the man who finally brought 'peace' to the Middle East, thus fulfilling the Jewish requirements for their Messiah, particularly after a great battle and victory as was the case for the Battle of Gog and Magog. Of note, God repeatedly claims to be the sole source of victory for Israel, and the nations will know HIS name because of it. It would seem that the Antichrist comes in riding on God's coattails, and then takes credit for something God did. (Dan. 8:23-26, 11:36-39)
Again, students of Bible prophecy know and recognize the distinctions between the two battles, but I'd venture to guess, that the general population have no idea what those differences are and will likely buy into 'the lie', that this was the battle to end all battles, and that a new era of peace is about to be ushered in. Realize, that Satan knows Scripture as well, and if he can get Israel going after the wrong Messiah immediately after a miraculous victory, then Israel will have that hand of protection removed from them allowing for the time of Jacob's trouble.
