Survival | Lesson 3, Part 2

Greetings MOL Family!

Today, we are going to study another experience that you and I must wait through…

The True vs. the counterfeit

You remember that in some of our past studies, we called attention to Joel’s prophecy of the latter rain coming in mighty power in this closing hour. The latter rain comes shortly before the close of probation, at the beginning of that short time of trouble… What for? — To give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and to prepare the saints to stand during the pouring out of the plagues. This mighty outpouring of the Spirit will result in miracles being worked by the people of God. The sick will be healed, and other mighty miracles worked. You’re familiar with that.

Now watch this point. Just as the devil will attempt at little later to counterfeit the coming of Jesus by appearing as “Christ”, so he will attempt to counterfeit the latter rain by a false outpouring of the spirit. Let’s read that in Great Controversy, then we’re going to read some things that parallel it from the Bible.

Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth [that’s before the plaques are poured out] there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. [This is the latter rain, the loud cry. Now notice what the results are going to be] at that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. [This is all the fallen churches that constitute Babylon] Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. – Great Controversy, pg. 464

Brethren, isn’t that a wonderful thought? — That out here in all these other churches are some that God has His hand on and in the crisis hour as the Spirit of God is poured out upon the remnant church, they’re going to leave those fallen bodies and come and join with us even under persecution. Won’t it be wonderful? And notice, it says that some of them are ministers:

Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming.

Now, what’s the devil going to do about it? Watch:

The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. [What’s the counterfeit? – read carefully] In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world. – Ibid

Before the true latter rain comes the false latter rain comes. Before the true loud cry comes there is to come a great religious revival sweeping over this world in the name of Christ, gathering in the multitudes into a form of godliness without obedience to the law of God.

What will you do about it? I hope you’ll wait through it just like you and I must wait through that appearance of the false-Christ. But I want to tell you something, it’s going to be harder, in a way, to wait through this than it is the other one. Any member of the remnant church ought to know that when some being walks around on the earth with his feet on the soil that he’s not the Jesus we’re looking for; because the Bible says He’s going to appear in the clouds of Heaven, and we’re going to meet Him in the air, not down here on this earth. Isn’t that what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18?

But here is something coming before that, coming before this latter rain experience; and how people who are longing for power will flock to this mighty outpouring of power. Do you know that there are members of the remnant church (right now) that they are willing to go out to other religious bodies and get a power, and they want to come and bring it back into the remnant church? Brethren, be afraid of that. I’m afraid of it. You know, the Holy Spirit that I want, it comes from the Most Holy Place. It comes from the Sanctuary above. It does not originate in any of these holiness or Pentecostal movements. I speak clear and right to the point, lest I be misunderstood. Oh, brethren, we’re going to see some of the mightiest miracles that this world has ever seen work in the name of Christianity.

Someone says “You’re talking about spiritualism, aren’t you?” Yes, I’m talking about spiritualism, but I want to tell you something, all the spiritualism is not going to be people coming to you and knocking at the door and saying, “I’m your dead mother or your dead father” – no, no. satan has many disguises. Now let’s read a few verses. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 2:

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders… – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9

satan is going to work with what? — All power. How much power? — All power. Do you know the devil has never been turned loose fully? But he’s going to work with all power and signs, that means miracles 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 [that is, He will allow to come to them what?] strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness [In other words, God is going to give people what they want.] ” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

We Need Not Be Deceived

I want us to notice what some of these signs and miracles are going to be. We’re quite well acquainted with the fact that the dead are going to appear; or rather the spirits are going to appear as the dead. We’re going to be tested on that. But there is another way satan is going to work.

We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon take place. God’s Word declares that Satan will work miracles. He will make people sick, [who will? – Satan, and he’s doing that all the time; but now watch] and then will suddenly remove from them his satanic power. They will then be regarded as healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test. – Selected Messages, Book 2, pg. 53

It isn’t only by the appearance of the so called spirits of the dead that we’re to be tested; it’s by these miracles of healing. And all that I’m reading about is not future, my friends. These faith healers are attracting audiences in great tents and audiences over the radio and over the television by the thousands. They’re gathering a harvest of money and a harvest of people being deceived. I wonder, would you be tempted to go and be healed by one of these faith healers?

Ah but someone says, “They do it in the name of Jesus.” Oh, yes…

Turn please to Matthew 7. These works of apparent healing, I read here will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test.

Many who have had great light will fail to walk in the light, because they have not become one with Christ. – Ibid

Matthew the 7th chapter, here Jesus is holding out the warning sign again:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in [what?] sheep’s clothing… – Matthew 7:15

Not everyone that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. [Where is the will of God revealed? – in His law] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you… – Matthew 7: 21-23

He never knew them? – Not once. Then where did they get the power to do this? – From satan. But watch, they did it all in Jesus’ name. How are you going to tell the difference? Ah, we’re going to, as we read about the other deception, we’re going to have to be diligent students of the Bible; we’re going to have to love the truth more than we want any physical comfort. Each of us is going to have to come to the place where we would rather be sick and die in the Lord than be healed by the devil. There are many miracles that God is going to work during the loud cry for people who will wait through this counterfeit loud cry. It’s going to take some faith to do it.

The following was taken from the News Week of July 1, 1968. Here is a picture of the late Pope John and Sister Catarina who had been “healed by the dead Pope”. This happened over in the Naples hospital. We won’t read it all, but just a few selected facts:

“This nun was lying helpless in a Naples hospital dying of cancer. Surgeons had carved away most of her stomach in a last ditch effort to save her. But her condition continued to fail, so she received the last rights and resigned herself to death.

The hospital sisters took up earnest prayer for her, and they prayed especially to Pope John XXIII [the dead Pope, you understand]. And after a number of days and nights of this earnest prayer: One afternoon about 2:30 pm, the attending nun cleaned Caterina’s incision, changed the surgical dressing on a festering fistula, and hurried to the hospital chapel to join the other nuns in their prayers to the Pope. [Now notice, she’d actually had surgery, there was a wound there, a fistula, a dressing on it]

“Ten minutes later the Pope appeared to the nun. She said, `I was alone. Suddenly I felt a hand placed on my stomach. Next to my bed was Pope John. I fixed my eyes on his face which was so kind and smiling.“

‘He said to me, now don’t be afraid. Everything is over. You are well. Ring the bell and call the sisters from the chapel. You have no fever. You will eat normally. The wound is closed. Have the doctor come. Have him write his testimony. Have x-rays taken, because one day they will be useful.’”

And they were. The doctor did come. The x-rays were taken. The fistula was gone. That nurse got up out of that bed and went to eating…

What Will You Do?

My friends, we are in a marvelous and wonderful hour. Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes, and greater marvels are just ahead. What will you do? Will you wait through these, or will you be led astray? Will you listen to this kind of thing and think, “Well I wonder?” If you do, the angel says to you, “Wherefore do you marvel?” I’ll show you the mystery. It’s the mystery of iniquity. Romanism and spiritualism and false Protestantism are before our eyes, joining hands and getting ready for the closing crisis.

Oh, let us join hands with the angels of God, with Jesus our Savior in the Sanctuary, and get ready. What do you say? And thus, when the Savior comes we can look into His face and say, “We’ve waited through that false, marvelous time, and waited ‘til the true latter rain came. And then we waited through that appearance of the false Christ, and now we see the real Christ, the true Christ coming.” Blessed are they that wait for Him.

Heavenly Father, what a stirring hour; what a dangerous hour; but oh, we thank Thee for Thy promise:

Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. – Revelation 3:10

May the blessed ministry of Jesus, as He sprinkles the blood in the Most Holy Place, be affective in our lives. May we hate sin so much, that we wouldn’t go near it to receive any material blessing. May we love Thee so much that we will press close to Thy bleeding side, even though we bleed with Thee. We ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Next week, we will be continuing on with our class rotation… Invite a friend, and we’ll see you then – 

-Continue on to the next study-

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To understand more about the work of preparation, that is needed even before the time of true refreshing can come, order this helpful resource, Preparing For The Latter Rain  >> Learn More

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* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.