(1Peter 1:25) “But the word of the Lord remains forever."
Beware of the counterfeit! It often is wrapped well in what looks like its original sealed packaging and yet it is phoney. There appears to be a market for deceiving entrepreneurs to spend money on packaging and because it is sealed, it gives the sellers a better strike rate with their sales. The supplier’s behind the “street hawkers” in South Africa have it down to an exact science. Nevertheless I am convinced the salesmen must understand that they are selling the end user a lie and therefore are consciously aware of their theft. I have seen it happen with top brands of sealed aftershaves and now with USB memory sticks, in fact these are so well sealed that it takes a surgeons brain to unravel the packaging. But once you get your hands on the actual product it is very easy to recognise that it is imitation. As far as the aftershave goes it is simply food colouring with a drop of scent in the mix. When it comes to a 32 GB memory stick when plugged into a computer, it tells you that “you need to format the disk in the drive: before you can use it.” And once that is done it then comes up with error messages and the stick is unusable! Did you know that there is a day coming when the Lord will return and rule this world, our planet with a rod of iron, no longer a period of forgiveness and grace, but a time of severe rule and yet in righteousness. Mankind will no longer have a free will to do what he likes when he likes; if God’s law is broken that individual will be punished by force. Who will do the ruling? It will be those who faithfully endure who will rule and have authority over the nations; “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.” (Revelation 2:26)
Just another glimpse of putting to bed the idea that when we get to heaven we will sit on a cloud playing a harp, we will have definite functions in heaven and on earth and we will be proactive and yet with a clearer understanding of all things hidden. How I long for that day! But until then let us be found faithful in the little things, this must happen before we will be given authority over things of grandeur. Let us remember our brothers and sisters, lets us put their needs above ours where and when we are confronted with an opportunity to do what is right. Let our witness shine bright is this perverse and dying generation, let our God be glorified!
So the reality of what is counterfeit is obvious to all and it affects us all, we must be on guard against it if we are not to be caught out by it. If a street hawker catches a customer with deceit that will not be the end of the world, he may be out of pocket but life nevertheless will go on for him. But is we are caught out by the trickery of someone selling a spiritual lie, it may be catastrophic, and it may even have eternal consequences.
Have you ever wondered why when the disciples ask the Lord about His “Second Coming” (when He returns to the earth as King to rule and not to serve as He once did) that His main concern was to avoid deception? He warns against it not once but a three times in the same passage of scripture. He understood the onslaught of all that is false and how it will come against His sheep, where possible! Let us look at some of those caveats.
This was the question His disciples posed; "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" Note the Lord’s first and clear retort; “And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.”” (Matthew 24:4)
“For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:5)
-Note: Many will come and not a few and they will come in Christ’s name saying they have the message for the hour. That does not mean that they claim necessary to be the Messiah himself, but what it may mean is they will claim to be speaking on His behalf.
Matthew Henry, probably the greatest of all biblical expositors, or at least who I have come across in trying to understand scripture, was a man born in 1662 and then died in 1714, and he had this to say! “It is observable, that what Christ here saith to his disciples tends more to engage their caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen than to give them a distinct idea of the events themselves. This is that good understanding of the time which we should all covet, thence to infer what Israel ought to do: and so this prophecy is of standing lasting use to the church, and will be so to the end of time; Christ here foretels the going forth of deceivers; he begins with a caution, Take heed that no man deceive you. They expected to be told when these things should be, to be let into that secret; but this caution is a check to their curiosity, “What is that to you? Mind you your duty, follow me, and be not seduced from following me.” Those that are most inquisitive concerning the secret things which belong not to them are most easily imposed upon by seducers, 2Th_2:3. The disciples, when they heard that the Jews, their most inveterate enemies, should be destroyed, might be in danger of falling into security; “Nay,” saith Christ, “you are more exposed other ways.” Seducers are more dangerous enemies to the church than persecutors.”
Here is the point I now I wish to highlight:
“Three times in this discourse (Matthew 24) he mentions the appearing of false prophets, which was, 1. A presage of Jerusalem's ruin. Justly were they who killed the true prophets, left to be ensnared by false prophets; and they who crucified the true Messiah, left to be deceived and broken by false Christ’s and pretended Messiahs. The appearing of these was the occasion of dividing that people into parties and factions, which made their ruin the more easy and speedy; and the sin of the many that were led aside by them, helped to fill the measure. 2. It was a trial to the Disciples of Christ, and therefore agreeable to their state of probation, that they which are perfect, may be made manifest.
Now concerning these deceivers, observe here,
(1.) The pretences they should come under. Satan acts most mischievously, when he appears as an angel of light: the colour of the greatest good is often the cover of the greatest evil.
[1.] There should appear false prophets (Mat_24:11-24); the deceivers would pretend to divine inspiration, an immediate mission, and a spirit of prophecy, when it was all a lie. Such they had been formerly (Jer_23:16; Eze_13:6), as was foretold, Deu_13:3. Some think, the seducers here pointed to were such as had been settled teachers in the church, and had gained reputation as such, but afterward betrayed the truth they had taught, and revolted to error; and from such the danger is the greater, because least suspected. One false traitor in the garrison may do more mischief than a thousand avowed enemies without.
[2.] There should appear false Christs, coming in Christ's name (Mat_24:5), assuming to themselves the name peculiar to him, and saying, I am Christ, pseudo-christs, Mat_24:24. There was at that time a general expectation of the appearing of the Messiah; they spoke of him; as he that should come; but when he did come, the body of the nation rejected him; which those who were ambitious of making themselves a name, took advantage of, and set up for Christ. Josephus speaks of several such impostors between this and the destruction of Jerusalem; one Theudas, that was defeated by Cospius Fadus; another by Felix, another by Festus. Dosetheus said he was the Christ foretold by Moses. Origen adversus Celsum. See Act_5:36, Act_5:37. Simon Magus pretended to be the great power of God, Act_8:10. In after-ages there have been such pretenders; one about a hundred years after Christ, that called himself Baṙcochobas - The son of a star, but proved Baṙcosba - The son of a lie. About fifty years ago Sabbati-Levi set up for a Messiah in the Turkish empire, and was greatly caressed by the Jews; but in a short time his folly was made manifest. See Sir Paul Rycaut's History. The popish religion doth, in effect, set up a false Christ; the Pope comes, in Christ's name, as his vicar, but invades and usurps all his offices, and so is a rival with him, and, as such, an enemy to him, a deceiver, and an antichrist.
[3.] These false Christs and false prophets would have their agents and emissaries busy in all places to draw people in to them, Mat_24:23. Then when public troubles are great and threatening, and people will be catching at any thing that looks like deliverance, then Satan will take the advantage of imposing on them; they will say, Lo, here is a Christ, or there is one; but do not mind them: the true Christ did not strive, nor cry; nor was it said of him, Lo, here! or Lo, there! (Luk_17:21), therefore if any man say so concerning him, look upon it as a temptation. The hermits, who place religion in a monastical life, say, He is in the desert; the priests, who made the consecrated wafer to be Christ, say, “He is en tois tameiois - in the cupboards, in the secret chambers: lo, he is in this shrine, in that image.” Thus some appropriate Christ's spiritual presence to one party or persuasion, as if they had the monopoly of Christ and Christianity; and the kingdom of Christ must stand and fall, must live and die, with them; “Lo, he is in this church, in that council:” whereas Christ is All in all, not here or there, but meets his people with a blessing in every place where he records his name.
(2.) The proof they should offer for the making good of these pretences; They shall show great signs and wonders (Mat_24:24), not true miracles, those are a divine seal, and with those the doctrine of Christ stands confirmed; and therefore if any offer to draw us from that by signs and wonders, we must have recourse to that rule given of old (Deu_13:1-3), If the sign or wonder come to pass, yet follow not him that would draw you to serve other gods, or believe in other Christs, for the Lord your God proveth you. But these were lying wonders (2Th_2:9), wrought by Satan (God permitting him), who is the prince of the power of the air. It is not said, They shall work miracles, but, They shall show great signs; they are but a show; either they impose upon men's credulity by false narratives, or deceive their senses by tricks of legerdemain, or arts of divination, as the magicians of Egypt by their enchantments.
(3.) The success they should have in these attempts,
[1.] They shall deceive many (Mat_24:5), and again, Mat_24:11. Note, The devil and his instruments may prevail far in deceiving poor souls; few find the strait gate, but many are drawn into the broad way; many will be imposed upon by their signs and wonders, and many drawn in by the hopes of deliverance from their oppressions. Note, Neither miracles nor multitudes are certain signs of a true church; for all the world wonders after the beast, Rev_13:3.
[2.] They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect, Mat_24:24. This bespeaks, First, The strength of the delusion; it is such as many shall be carried away by (so strong shall the stream be), even those that were thought to stand fast. Men's knowledge, gifts, learning, eminent station, and long profession, will not secure them; but, notwithstanding these, many will be deceived; nothing but the almighty grace of God, pursuant to his eternal purpose, will be a protection. Secondly, The safety of the elect in the midst of this danger, which is taken for granted in that parenthesis, If it were possible, plainly implying that it is not possible, for they are kept by the power of God, that the purpose of God, according to the election, may stand. It is possible for those that have been enlightened to fall away (Heb_6:4, Heb_6:5, Heb_6:6), but not for those that were elected. If God's chosen ones should be deceived, God's choice would be defeated, which is not to be imagined, for whom he did predestinate, he called, justified, and glorified, Rom_8:30. They were given to Christ; and of all that were given to him, he will lose none, Joh_10:28. Grotius will have this to be meant of the great difficulty of drawing the primitive Christians from their religion, and quotes it as used proverbially by Galen; when he would express a thing very difficult and morally impossible, he saith, “You may sooner draw away a Christian from Christ.”
(4.) The repeated cautions which our Saviour gives to his disciples to stand upon their guard against them; therefore he gave them warning, that they might watch (Mat_24:25); Behold, I have told you before. He that is told before where he will be assaulted, may save himself, as the king of Israel did, 2Ki_6:9, 2Ki_6:10. Note, Christ's warnings are designed to engage our watchfulness; and though the elect shall be preserved from delusion, yet they shall be preserved by the use of appointed means, and a due regard to the cautions of the word; we are kept through faith, faith in Christ's word, which he has told us before.
However my intention is not to single out anyone in particular but to warn us to be on the lookout for such imposters; let us always remember to hold the Word of God and what it teaches in higher regard then that what people may say or do. I leave you with this encouragement; “but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1Peter 1:25)
Signing off
Tyrone
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