I purposely didn’t include in the title who’s signs and wonders I am referring to because I believe there will be two different kinds. Satan’s and God’s. The first and foremost tool in his belt I believe is deception. I would assume you are familiar with the reference of the lying signs and wonders the “son of perdition” will be displaying from the 2 Thes 2 passage. What did the Pharisees demand from Jesus to validate his claims? Yes, a sign! What was Jesus’s response? Going to Matt 12:39 we read (KJV)”…An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign…” People in this generation will be wanting signs and he will give them for his followers.
Remember, the man of sin (Antichrist) won’t be coming wearing his own clothing.(or dark face) No, no, no! He’s coming as an impostor of Jesus and the people looking for a human savior to fix the political, social and economic woes of the world, a “messiah” for the Jews, and the people will flock to him or maybe just settle on his as the only solution.
Satan through his minions is an expert at conjuring up division and chaos. Look at our world today. It’s no surprise the one well known motto of the Satanically inspired Masonic Lodge is “ordo ab chao” in Latin translated to “order out of chaos”. I believe the most insidious sign is the deception he’s going to use to lure people to believe he is the promised one to all religions and the solution to our problems. Trust the system,… no, it’s not the mark... Jesus says emphatically 3 times in the Olivet Discourse do not be deceived! Who is going to be deceived? Remember back to section 3 in 2 Thes 2:11 where Paul said the Lord would send strong delusion to those who “love not the truth“. I believe that is our criteria! To those who calculate the future based on just human arguments, signing on to the beast system will make the most sense, but in the end, it’s the truth that (and who) wins out. Read your Bible carefully!
The second most potent tool in his belt, I believe, will be fear. Many of you may remember when the Covid 19 vaccine mandates came down from employers. Fear of losing your job was used by corporations to coerce people who really didn’t want a vaccine into complying. (Others believed the media and the medical establishment that they were doing a virtuous thing for humanity and did it willingly.) Fear is used by radical terrorist groups, countries and even religions to subdue populations into giving power over to them. I could go on and on but I’m sure you get the picture.
Yet, as I’m reflecting on the subject of this section I could talk about how close we are to Kurzweil’s “singularity” I don’t want to be inordinately interested in what the son of perdition will be cooking up as to miss what God will be doing in the very end days. I believe the key for us is to be keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus to be our defense, our provision and our comfort to deal with what ever the man of sin and his minions lure us by or will throw at us. I’m more interested in God’s power. His wonders.
What are some examples we have in the bible and in history demonstrating God’s signs and wonders in response to offenses by the enemy? The first one that comes to mind is the stoning of Stephen. Being pelted with stones in Luke account there isn’t a crying out from Stephen in pain from the stones. Instead we read that he had enough breath and strength to speaks words of forgiveness loud enough for others to hear. (Acts 7:60) To me, that’s a wonder! God miraculously made him impervious to the pain. That could only be explained by God’s miraculous work with Stephens faith. I believe that kind of provision will be afforded to us when it is similarly needed. If I am faced with a similar situation I want to believe I will be like Stephen. I pray Lord build my faith!
Anyone who grew up going to Sunday school or VBS (Vacation Bible School) knows the story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being saved in the fiery furnace and of course, Daniel being saved in the lion’s den. What strikes me about the 3 men’s disposition to their situation was not only their abundance faith but their lack of presumption . Listen to their response to the King in Daniel 3:17-18. (KJV) “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy God’s, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.”
Many will talk of one of the Lord’s names “Jehovah Jireh” which translates “The Lord provides”. Remember Elijah and the widow at Zarephath from 1 Kings 17. She did not withhold sharing her last loaf worth of flour and oil with Elijah and God replenished her. And don’t forget the feeding of the five thousand during one of Jesus’ teaching occasions where God multiplies a meager stock of 5 loafs and 2 fish. God also provided manna in the wilderness. Also, when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, the Lord through Moses parting the sea for a way to escape while on the brink of destruction. The list of miracles goes on.
For those who refuse to be part of the son of perdition’s system their faith will be tested. If we are a walking with a faith in our all powerful God, I believe he can multiply our provisions if we have and open hand to others in need. But if not, and go by the way of Stephen, he will provide comfort in our trial.
In light of not presuming on God, that’s why do some prepping. I am preparing for a time coming of widespread need. I am fully aware that in the natural what I am able to stock up will likely be woefully inadequate for the time of need that is coming. But, as much as I can I want to be a blessing to others and to be able to share with them in our collective time of need and increase, even inspire, the faith of others. Sadly it seems that I’m an island in this perspective in my own local community. I would think it would be a wonderful sign to unbelievers if we, the church, were a model of a community preparing to take care of each other for the future. Many share and take care of peoples need now and that is awesome but who is preparing for the future?
When I think about the way people lived in the not so distant past and even now in poor countries where refrigeration is not available nor was (is) there an abundance of shelf stable food from commercial agriculture and processing, stocking up for the winter was (or is) a way of life. Virtually everyone was a “prepper” for the winter. It was so much a way of life there was even in Proverbs 6 the proverb of the ant that praises that behavior.
Spinning forward to today, what percentage of the population in the United States now do you think grow, prep and store their own food for the winter? We view this as progress but at the same time it increases our dependence of the systems of the world and we know who’s running it. (Luke 4:6). I suspect the systematic bankrupting of small farmers by “Big Ag” is intentional but I digress. It’s not only in the U.S, many other places in the world are also dependent on the systems of mass food production so access to it can be used as a tool to control us and push us to sign on or starve.
We also have examples in scripture of times of special prepping for a coming time of need. Consider Joseph, he knew by revelation that famine was coming and advised Pharaoh to tax and stock. Consider Noah, building a boat for roughly a hundred years. I bet the people around him though he was a kook, yet Noah and Joseph later are both remembered as a blessing to those after them and enduring examples of faith and not fear. Most people view preppers as fear driven nut jobs. Seem like a disconnect to me. Now, if your focus is to only hoard for yourself and self excommunicate from others, then maybe that label is not too far off. We are a body of Christ. The appendage disconnected doesn’t long live.
Going further on the idea of presuming, do you have a locks on the doors to your house? Nobody snickers at you for doing that. Yet if God is your protector why do you need them? Has anyone tried to break into your house? We go forward in faith, but still prepare for the future.
As I’m writing this section just today something struck me a wonder of the system. My wife ordered an item on the Amazon website at 10:30 pm last night and is arrived about 8:00 am this morning at our doorstep! Globally speaking, some A.I. entity could create a live-stream and broadcast it to everyone’s computer or phone all around the world. Is that how the image of the beast going to speak? I can’t even sign in to the electronic medical record where I work without my phone.
I think most Christians are lulled in a false sense of an indefinite continuation of our convenient lifestyles. Some call that “normalcy bias”. But, has not the increase of “natural” disasters in the country and world and global turmoil made us think the trajectory we are on? What are resources that you can share for the persecuted brethren who also will “check out” of the system when invited to “check in” and pledge allegiance to a false messiah who holds access to all the worlds market of resources locked up and will only permit entry to those who have a digital pass. Are we slaves to convenience?
To finish this section I believe I should swing back to God’s wonders during the tribulation and that takes us back to Daniel again but this time to chapter 11:32-35. Now the context of this part of chapter 11 is that this is a time immediately following the abomination of desolation is set up. (KJV) “32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and to exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.” If everyone who has understanding is mysteriously gone, who will instruct those who are left?
I actually prefer how the Septuagint renders the end of verse 32 “… but a people knowing their God shall prevail, and do valiantly.”
Think of that! Not only does God do wonders at that time but he empowers us to “do valiantly” Even though as a people collectively we believers will be conquered or “worn out” (Daniel 11 and Revelation 13 both prophesy this) a remnant of believers will be used by God to display his power.
Don’t forget the theme for us believers throughout the book of Revelation from chapters 2,3 and 12 is that we will be “overcomers”. In chapter 12 John gives us the detail of how in verse 11 (KJV) “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
A few verses to keep in mind:
1 Cor 2:9 which quotes Isaiah 65:4 (KJV) “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Heb 13: 5 (KJV) “… I will never leave thee or forsake thee”
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. ”
Rev 21:7-8 (KVJ) “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son”. (or daughter)
Many christian talk about revival coming and I believe it is true, but I see it to not mean an increase in numbers. I believe it will be a lukewarm Laodicean type, nearly dead church coming alive!