Michael Bresciani
How to deceive the very elect - - eschatological gobbledygook
By Michael Bresciani
The connection between politics and eschatology (Christ's second coming) is little known to all but a few today. This enables many whacky and sometimes dangerous political figures to slip in un-noticed by a slumbering and apostate church. That even those politicians don't know the role they are playing offers little consolation. How can we avoid this?
Between Hollywood, the new craze for Christian novels (fiction) and the old series of "Left Behind" flicks the average person, Christian or not, has been shown a picture of last day's figures and personalities that is anything but accurate.
Pictures of the antichrist and the false prophet, the major players in the last days, range from dark robed characters leading an all new religion to a leader with 666 tattooed somewhere on his head. Not even close!
When Christ spoke of the last days deceivers he clearly inferred that they would be almost perfect in their deception. This eliminates the idea and the very possibility that they are fringy, off the wall, spooky or obviously spurious in appearance, behavior or rhetoric. Christ said "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Mt. 24:24)
It must be noted that there are major and minor figures in the last day's panorama and Christ wanted us to notice all of them even if we could not see the key figures until the very last. Both the Apostle Paul and John warned that the spirit of antichrist was already at work in the world and would produce many antichrists. Spotting someone who labors under the spirit of antichrist is as easy as observing what fruit or result their labors produce. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt 7:20) No rocket science needed here.
What is the fruit of liberalism in politics, what is the fruit of Hollywood, what is the fruit of pop culture, what is the fruit of pornography, what is the fruit of secular education, what is the fruit of violent games and media, the new penchant for gambling and the new morality? I will not insult anyone's intelligence or their spirituality by adding the obvious answer here.
In politics secular liberalism produces the fruit of abortion, cloning, euthanasia, Godless education, legalized gambling, gay marriage and a list of other things too numerous to mention here. All of these things appeal to the flesh on various levels but all have to do with either fostering personal irresponsibility or fleshly indulgence. Gee, that's some great fruit.
Here's the rub. Those espousing these things make them look great and they themselves may look pretty great too. Deceivers are not clad with red robes, pitchforks and horns but most likely they will be well dressed and completely normal and attractive people. Enter the politicians.
The antichrist will no doubt be a political, military figure who will look as normal as apple pie and come up through channels of normalcy and proper education. Oddly, according to the Prophet Daniel, he will be an orator of unparalleled ability and will also harbor an unquenchable hatred for God. He will be able to suppress showing the hatred to the public for a while but as the world plunges toward Armageddon he won't even try to hide it.
It would be easy to conclude that this "highly educated" generation would not allow such a person an inch of ground. Think again. It is modern secular education that actually helps to pave the way for his entrance and subsequent success. Progressive education has been working on the removal of all accountability to God feverously for the last sixty or so years. It has successfully knocked out both ends of the accountability question namely where do we come from and where are we going?
Modern minds think we come from apes and we are going to the stars to populate thousands of planets. In one generation secular education has managed to convince our children that they have no creator except time, a lightning bolt and a one cell amoeba and they are just about ready to carry themselves into the celestial bodies for ever. Whoops, there goes God!
Let's not confuse our modern geniuses with facts. Like the fact that the entire theory of evolution is based on "prior philosophic postulation" which mocks the very definition of empirical science which is "repeatable and observable experimentation for the gathering of data," not possible when speculating about what took place millions of years ago. We would need a world class team of physicists to explain to the average high school student (if they can get beyond reading 101) the problem of interstellar space travel is in a word "time" not space.
All of the aforementioned is a more classical way of saying something else found in the scriptures. Although the biblical explanation is far more simple it is yet much more profound. It relates to the antichrist and the very nature and power by which he manages to hoodwink the whole world by a series of very subtle deceptions. Top politicians, world class scientists and false prophets of every description are included in this single warning. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" (2th 2: 9-11)
Strong delusion implies that they will not be seen as abhorrent creepy religious quacks or fringy politicians with little or no standing in the minds of most people. They will indeed be the greatest leaders and orators of the age but with a message of a whole new life but sadly in the end it leads to death.
It would seem to some that these warnings are veiled inferences to the results of recent political events in the United States. To those who are spiritually cognitive I need not explain anything but conversely to the unbelieving all the explanation in the world would not suffice. I can use the simplest adage to correctly answer the question if I must, "if the shoe fits, wear it."
I cannot express the gratitude I feel for those who have encouraged me over the years of this prophetic ministry. I can also say openly to the naysayers that I am not merely a grumpy kind of guy who just can't seem to see anything hopeful in the present world. I not only see hope but my eyes are on the only real hope of this or any age before it. That hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. His finished work on the cross and his promise of salvation to all who will receive it will shine through even the darkest days of the rule of antichrist. The world offers no such hope nor can it ever.
I look forward to the day when I can throw off this mantle that requires me to address a world of unbelievers with a message that they doubt or disdain. I will do that when the Creator God plants the feet of his only begotten Son firmly on the Mount of Olives from where he first ascended back to his Father after his resurrection. That's my day, what's yours?
© Michael Bresciani
January 25, 2009
The connection between politics and eschatology (Christ's second coming) is little known to all but a few today. This enables many whacky and sometimes dangerous political figures to slip in un-noticed by a slumbering and apostate church. That even those politicians don't know the role they are playing offers little consolation. How can we avoid this?
Between Hollywood, the new craze for Christian novels (fiction) and the old series of "Left Behind" flicks the average person, Christian or not, has been shown a picture of last day's figures and personalities that is anything but accurate.
Pictures of the antichrist and the false prophet, the major players in the last days, range from dark robed characters leading an all new religion to a leader with 666 tattooed somewhere on his head. Not even close!
When Christ spoke of the last days deceivers he clearly inferred that they would be almost perfect in their deception. This eliminates the idea and the very possibility that they are fringy, off the wall, spooky or obviously spurious in appearance, behavior or rhetoric. Christ said "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Mt. 24:24)
It must be noted that there are major and minor figures in the last day's panorama and Christ wanted us to notice all of them even if we could not see the key figures until the very last. Both the Apostle Paul and John warned that the spirit of antichrist was already at work in the world and would produce many antichrists. Spotting someone who labors under the spirit of antichrist is as easy as observing what fruit or result their labors produce. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt 7:20) No rocket science needed here.
What is the fruit of liberalism in politics, what is the fruit of Hollywood, what is the fruit of pop culture, what is the fruit of pornography, what is the fruit of secular education, what is the fruit of violent games and media, the new penchant for gambling and the new morality? I will not insult anyone's intelligence or their spirituality by adding the obvious answer here.
In politics secular liberalism produces the fruit of abortion, cloning, euthanasia, Godless education, legalized gambling, gay marriage and a list of other things too numerous to mention here. All of these things appeal to the flesh on various levels but all have to do with either fostering personal irresponsibility or fleshly indulgence. Gee, that's some great fruit.
Here's the rub. Those espousing these things make them look great and they themselves may look pretty great too. Deceivers are not clad with red robes, pitchforks and horns but most likely they will be well dressed and completely normal and attractive people. Enter the politicians.
The antichrist will no doubt be a political, military figure who will look as normal as apple pie and come up through channels of normalcy and proper education. Oddly, according to the Prophet Daniel, he will be an orator of unparalleled ability and will also harbor an unquenchable hatred for God. He will be able to suppress showing the hatred to the public for a while but as the world plunges toward Armageddon he won't even try to hide it.
It would be easy to conclude that this "highly educated" generation would not allow such a person an inch of ground. Think again. It is modern secular education that actually helps to pave the way for his entrance and subsequent success. Progressive education has been working on the removal of all accountability to God feverously for the last sixty or so years. It has successfully knocked out both ends of the accountability question namely where do we come from and where are we going?
Modern minds think we come from apes and we are going to the stars to populate thousands of planets. In one generation secular education has managed to convince our children that they have no creator except time, a lightning bolt and a one cell amoeba and they are just about ready to carry themselves into the celestial bodies for ever. Whoops, there goes God!
Let's not confuse our modern geniuses with facts. Like the fact that the entire theory of evolution is based on "prior philosophic postulation" which mocks the very definition of empirical science which is "repeatable and observable experimentation for the gathering of data," not possible when speculating about what took place millions of years ago. We would need a world class team of physicists to explain to the average high school student (if they can get beyond reading 101) the problem of interstellar space travel is in a word "time" not space.
All of the aforementioned is a more classical way of saying something else found in the scriptures. Although the biblical explanation is far more simple it is yet much more profound. It relates to the antichrist and the very nature and power by which he manages to hoodwink the whole world by a series of very subtle deceptions. Top politicians, world class scientists and false prophets of every description are included in this single warning. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" (2th 2: 9-11)
Strong delusion implies that they will not be seen as abhorrent creepy religious quacks or fringy politicians with little or no standing in the minds of most people. They will indeed be the greatest leaders and orators of the age but with a message of a whole new life but sadly in the end it leads to death.
It would seem to some that these warnings are veiled inferences to the results of recent political events in the United States. To those who are spiritually cognitive I need not explain anything but conversely to the unbelieving all the explanation in the world would not suffice. I can use the simplest adage to correctly answer the question if I must, "if the shoe fits, wear it."
I cannot express the gratitude I feel for those who have encouraged me over the years of this prophetic ministry. I can also say openly to the naysayers that I am not merely a grumpy kind of guy who just can't seem to see anything hopeful in the present world. I not only see hope but my eyes are on the only real hope of this or any age before it. That hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. His finished work on the cross and his promise of salvation to all who will receive it will shine through even the darkest days of the rule of antichrist. The world offers no such hope nor can it ever.
I look forward to the day when I can throw off this mantle that requires me to address a world of unbelievers with a message that they doubt or disdain. I will do that when the Creator God plants the feet of his only begotten Son firmly on the Mount of Olives from where he first ascended back to his Father after his resurrection. That's my day, what's yours?
© Michael Bresciani
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