Prophecy

Welcome to the Grand Delusion

by Andrew Tuttle
07/08/20
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A friend of mine often closes comments regarding strange occurrences and other events in this world with “Maybe the Bible is right.”

His tone a bit exasperated tone as if to reinforce the idea that people fail to get the obvious.

He’s right!

What’s right is wrong, what’s wrong is right. How do people think this way?! A phrase some have said about the rest who continue to believe in the false narrative of (fill in the blank). Guess what? The Bible says God will send a great delusion in the End Times to those who have rejected the gospel which prevents them from ever receiving the gospel.

Maybe the Bible is right.

Now what a second, you say. The grand delusion happens during the tribulation period and affects those who rejected the offer of grace from Jesus Christ before the rapture of the church and now find themselves in the middle of all hell breaking loose. These folks will indeed have a very difficult if not impossible ability to see the error of their ways. In summary, those affected by the delusion will be lost forever.

Break It Down Again

Forgive the Tears for Fears reference, but let’s break down 2 Thessalonians 10-12 which says:

¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Yep, in context this references a tribulation view because just before this Paul says “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Many, if not most, if not all biblical scholars recognize this passage as the Holy Spirit - the supernatural force preventing the full implementation of evil - being removed from the earth along with the rest of Christ believers. Once this happens nothing restrains the Evil One or the Prince of the Power of the Air.

HOWEVER.

In the Olivet Discourse (see Matthew 24 and Luke 21) Jesus talks about the birth pains that indicate the coming of the end of this age. The signs that precede the coming of the end of the age. Let’s see, you’ve got earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, ethnicities rising against ethnicities, famines and pestilences.

Birth Pains

All of these are but the beginning of birth pains. – Matthew 24:8

And all of these, if you read Revelation, get worse during the tribulation. Therefore, doesn’t a slight or moderate, but effective delusion of the truth, pre-tribulation, fall in line with birth pains? Prior to the tribulation ALL of us will experience earthquakes, coronaviruses, rumors of wars and races fighting against races. Sounds like 2020! So why not a delusion of truth affecting some that only gets worse once the Restrainer is removed?

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. - Romans 1:28

Because right now the delusion of truth swings fully. What is good is bad, what is evil is good. Sounds like Romans 1. The news empires  lie, swindle and obfuscate  while social media has its disciples believing just about anything and everything most of which should cause rational people to think twice before forwarding on to others, much less believing.

I have witnessed many people in my life believe blatant lies that have no basis in reality. No matter what truths you lay on the delusioned, they choose to embrace a lie and follow tomfoolery.  How do they believe this! The truth is out there. But they reject the truth and ultimately the Truth.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.- 2 Corinthians 4:4

I find most troubling the number of “Christians” who toss the gospel aside for something quite demonic. Pastors who once denounced the prosperity gospel now embrace the social justice gospel and proclaim it as truth. Jesus did not come as a social justice warrior, He came to point people to God. Something the new lead pastor at my now former church fails to understand.

If the delusion as told in the Bible does rear its head prior to the tribulation who gets affected? Those already lost who will never learn the Truth? Truly I say to you, I don’t foresee the people I encounter, under the current delusion, waking up now or in the End Times.  Contrarily, I know people not under the spell of delusion without faith in Christ. Might these be the tribulation saints who, after the rapture of the church, come to a knowledge of God?

So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. – Matthew 24:33