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deviJ. Mankind, since Eve. has been

hoodwinked into believing the devil,

despite the fact that the devil says

exactly the opposite of what God

says. lt has been this way from the

beginning. God said: "Thou shalt

su rc ly die" (Gen.

2~17).

Satan said:

" Ye sha ll not surely die" (Gen. 3:4).

Which do you choose to believe?

Satan Performs Miracles Also

Since the devil has counterfeited a

many of the things of God as he can

in order to deceive mankind into

thinking his way is God's way, he

has also used miracles. Satan has

appropriated the name of Christ. He

appropriated the tilles of the scr–

vants of God and called hi s chief

leadcr an apostle- but God la beis this

individual as a false apostle. Sincc

J esus Christ performed miracles and

since He prophesied that certain signs

(miracles) would follow His believers

(Mark

16: 15-18).

Satan the devil has

also counterfeited miracles!

This nced be no surprise to the true

Christian. Jesus Christ forewarned

through His Bible in many places that

thi s would take place. Satan has

worked this way before. and J esus

forewarncd: "For there shall arisc

fa/se

Christs. and

fa/se

prophets. and

shall

shew grear signs and wonders:

insomuch that. if it were possible,

they shall deceive the very elect"

(Matt.

24:24).

The only ones who will

not be dcceived by the great miracles

that Satan the devil will perform

through the agency of his church

wil l be th ose whom God is calling

out of this world now-the "very

elect."

Satan 's Power

The a post le Paul talks about the indi–

vidual whom Satan the devil is going

to use in this end time to deceive the

whole world:

"E

ven him. whose com–

ing is after the

working ofSaran

with

al/power

a nd

signs

and

lying wonders.

and with

al/ deceivableness ofunrigh–

reousness

in them thal are perish ing

(correct Greek rendering]" (11 Thess.

2:9-10).

Satan knows that he now hasjust a

short time (Rev. 12: 12). Therefore he

is hard at work. even at this moment

as you read this article. laying the

groundwork for the greatest decep-

The PLAIN TRUTH January 1979

tions that mankind has ever seen:

laying the groundwork for the great–

est miracles he has ever performed in

order lo deceive mankind. Let's read

that verse again in the Moffatt trans–

latio n: " ... One whose arr ival is due

to Satan's activity, with the full

power, the miracles and portents, of

falsehood, and with the full deceitful–

ness ofevil for those who are doomed

lo perish. since they refuse Lo love the

Truth that would save them"

(11

Thess.

2:9-10).

There are going to come, through

Satan's agency and his churches.

miracles and wonders that would

cause anyone to believe- except the

very elect (Matt. 24:24). Such out–

s tanding miracles will be performed

through his agents that the whole

world will reel and gasp in open-

"Beloved, believe not

every spirit, but try th e

spirits whether they are of

God : because many false

prophets are gone out

into the world"

(I John 4: l).

mouthed wonder- and they will be

real miracles!

The term " lying wonder" does not

refer to the fact that the wonder

itself is a lie. The miraclc is real

enough. but the miracle causes

those who see it to believe a lie- that

is, the miracle causes those who

see it to believe that the agent

Satan the devil uses is the agent of

God.

Are Miracles Proof of God?

Almighty God specifically warns us

about one particularly o uts tanding

miracle that thi s false prophet urged

forward by Satan will perform.

"And he doeth great wonders. so

that he

maketh fire come down from

heaven

on the earth in the sight of

men, and deceiveth them that dwell

on the earth by the means of those

miracles" (Rev. 13 : 13-14). This is

the false prophet-the ultimate

leader of Satan's religious move–

ment who will even defy the living

God at His return.

What would you do if you were

standing in a crowd of men and

women and you saw a fellow human

being dressed in ecclesiastical vest–

ments- looking as if he were a ser–

van! of God- calling down fire from

heaven, consuming somebody

standing next to you who denied

that this miracle-maker was a ser–

vant ofGod?

What would you do?

What would you believe?

How are you going to know what

is the counterfeit and what is the

truth?

Would you be deceived? We just

read in the verse above that all who

dwell on the earth are going lo be

deceived by these miracles. Or will

you remember this article that you

have read in

The P/ain Trurh,

and