FALSE PROPHETS (PART 1)
One morning after prayer my spirit was fed with thoughts on – ‘to deceive the very elect.’
I sought further understanding as to what my spirit was digesting. I began to ask some very pertinent questions. What was revealed in the dark I now hasten to put it on the housetop.
I asked myself, ‘Who are the elect?’ ‘What is the deception?’ ‘How could this happen in a time of great prophetic revelations?’ ‘What is the great falling away?’ ‘Who can be deceived?’ I now explore how to remain steadfast and true in this turbulent prophetic season.
Background:
The world events unfolding in this time are bringing great fear, distress and anxiousness as people work through their daily challenges. These times of widespread uncertainty are an indication of our world being just a ‘global village’. Transmitted diseases can spread so quickly across borders. Devastations caused by fire affects others far beyond the source of the outbreak. Natural disasters from various weather systems wreak havoc decimating entire island chains. Swarms of tropical devouring pests bringing national devastation on vegetations affecting already fragile food chains and eco-systems. There are other anomalies affecting the quality of human lives and they appear to be becoming global norms.
These global natural trends can be paralleled with spiritual forces destroying the bond of unity in the body of Christ. Fierce deceiving spirits are prevalent in this prophetic season, actively engaged in deceiving the flock. The lawless spirit is the spirit of the Evil One and is already at work to bring destruction to the inner temple of the hearts of those who are unsuspecting and undiscerning in the subtle attempts of evil to disarm God’s people. Others outrightly rebel against the Word of God and are easily overtaken by strong, violent seducing spirits. The current season of epic changes and shifts requires spiritual vigilance in the Word.
What is the Great Deception?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 21:7 ESV). Many will be deceived in the last days simply because they fail to keep the commandments of the Lord. They may preach, teach, cast out demons, doing many great signs and wonders that would deceive the every elect, if it were possible. Yet, they work from an impure spirit. (46) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (47) Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: (Luke 6:46-47). These verses illustrates that the quality of one’s foundation makes a distinction concerning doing the will of the Father. One cannot stand in the evil day unless they have built on the foundation in Christ Jesus. A sure foundation that is robust and formidable to withstand the Evil One. How deeply are you abiding to lay your spiritual foundation in Christ Jesus, and to withstand the spiritual storms ahead? Jesus said, ‘Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.’ (John 14:24, ESV).
Who are the Elect?
At the beginning of the time of the tribulation there will be a greater anguish of soul as dread and unprecedented upheaval grip the hearts of people as the spirit of fear becomes the new normal. The level of restive times of the pre-tribulation, the beginning of sorrow will not have been experienced by mankind in any previous age, since the beginning of human existence. (21) “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (22) In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.” (ESV)
The elect are those who have made themselves spiritually ready as the bride of Christ. Strong’s (G1588) – From the Greek word ‘eklektos’ we get a meaning for the word ‘elect’ which are: ‘chosen of God’ or ‘choice’, ‘select’ and the ‘best of a kind or class.’ Best of its kind or class is a suitable application of meaning here. If there is a great falling away as the scripture suggests, then the elect are those of excellence. This explanation of the ‘elect’ corroborates with Matthew 25:1-12. The elect ones are here likened to wise virgins who are diligent in preparation for the wedding occasion. They trim their lamps ensuring they are filled with oil. So the elect ones are diligent in the application of the word and oiled in the Spirit. It is these times of purifying under the prophetic end time mantle that will test and separate the wise and foolish categories of christians.
What is the great falling away?
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (2) through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, (1 Timothy 4:1-2, ESV). There is already an audacious spirit of rebellion resisting against the Word of God in the hearts of many that profess Christ. Strong’s (G646) gives us ‘apostasia’, with an interpretative meaning of: ‘to forsake’, ‘defection’ and ‘apostasy’. It is a troubling thought that many will forsake their first love in Christ and be deceived and led away into apostasy. They will become mockers of the faith even condoning the unmarried state and forbidding others to eat certain foods. They will begin to operate out of the flesh. Before we judge them let us bear in mind the strong forces that contort and twist around a lost soul. Only those with a conscionable and Christ-like spirit can stand in the gap to bear the burden of a lost soul. Those under the grip of evil forces are unable to help themselves. The end time spirit easily take hold of the duplicitous hearts of vulnerable christians who are less than attentive to the things of God.
For out of the issues of the heart, the fierce, rebellious, unrepentant and unforgiving manifestations will reveal the abundance of their evil works. 2 Timothy 3:2-7 draws reference to some of the characteristics of the rebellious end time spirit. “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, (4) traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these (6) They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, (7) always learning and never being able to come to a knowledge of the truth.“
The spirit of disobedience is at the root of their rebellion. This spirit of rebellion is also likened to being as the spirit of witchcraft. What is witchcraft? It is an evil insidious spirit operating at different levels through individuals, families, organisations etc. Strong behavioural traits of manipulation, rebellion to the things of God and exhibiting control over others are high levels of captivity. Low level witchcraft can be characterised by evil vocalising of seemingly harmless curses on others, continual muttering and whispering against others with evil intent. In truth, those who harbour witchcraft tendencies are in effect experiencing a relational problem with the Father. Their behavioural manifestations are an indication of not being able to digest the truth of God’s Word. They will leave the faith because their hearts are overrun with evil and they will not confess, repent and forsake their sins.
Gwendolyn Smith. January 2020