DECEPTIVE MIRACLES AND LYING WONDERS by David Paulson; W. S. Sadler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 26, 1901

DECEPTIVE MIRACLES AND LYING WONDERS

By David Paulson; W. S. Sadler

DAVID PAULSON AND W. S. SADLER

The preceding article was devoted to a consideration of the signs, that follow those who believe. Likewise, there are signs that to human appearance closely resemble the genuine manifestations, only they follow those who do not believe, and by these many will be deceived. Elijah the prophet brought down fire from heaven, and this led many to believe, who had hitherto neither recognized him as a prophet nor his message as the words of truth.

To-day there are vast multitudes who know not truth by its flavor; who have not within their hearts the Spirit of truth to tell them what truth is. It is for the purpose of deceiving this class, that Satan will in these last days, perhaps under similar circumstances, bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men. “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” Rev. 13:13. And every son and daughter of Adam who has not previously learned to recognize truth by its flavor will be deceived by these colossal demonstrations of Satan’s ingenuity and deceptive skill. See verse 14: “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast.”

One important distinction between the signs attending those who believe, indicated in Mark 16:17, 18, and the signs attending those who do not believe, is that the true signs follow those who believe, instead of going before. Like their Master, those who believe never advertise their miracles. Genuine miracles are wrought as a result of the truth with which their lives are permeated. They are the natural result of the presence in their lives of the mighty working power of the Master Miracle-Worker. But in this same time there will be another company that will prophesy in the name of Christ, will cast out devils in that name, and will perform a long series of wonderful works. On every hand, and in every public gathering, these miraculous demonstrations will be pointed to as undeniable evidence that they are true followers of Christ. But notwithstanding all these things which they have wrought, and which in the final day they reiterate in the presence of Christ, and which even then He does not deny,—yet, after all this, Christ’s last words to these truth-disobeying miracle-workers are, “I never knew you;” or, as another translation states it, “I never approved of you.” Matt. 7:22, 23.

Already we are beginning to see greater enthusiasm manifested in securing the healing of a man’s afflictions than in securing from him genuine and heartfelt repentance of the cause that produced his affliction. Magicians before Pharaoh were able to imitate many of the miracles which God worked through Moses and Aaron. However, they could not undo any of those which Moses was the instrument of working. In the closing hours of earth’s history, our adversary, the devil, will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders,” in his last great effort to deceive and destroy those who obey not the truth. It is regarded as a remarkable experience to have the evil spirit of an irritable and contentious disposition cast out of us at some great religious gathering; but as long as the fiery, irritating, and stimulating foods, which are so largely responsible for this condition of the nervous system, are persistently indulged in, instead of being cast out of the house, so long the apparent casting out of this evil disposition will prove to be anything but permanent; and eventually Christ will declare, “I never approved of it;” for He does not propose to annul the law that says, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The law of sowing and reaping runs throughout the universe of God. In all His doings it is honored, and we can no more expect its abolition than we can the annulling of the Second Commandment. The true test of truth is not the outward signs and miracles that accompany it, but is its real and abiding effect upon the life and character of its possessors.

IMAGINARY HEALING OF IMAGINARY DISEASES

A large percentage of the ills from which mankind are suffering have their origin and existence in the mind. They are not organic diseases. Mental depression and moral despair are the mother of many derangements, which those who suffer therefrom suppose to be diseases of a very serious nature. Through channels of disobedience to natural and spiritual law, Satan has, in many instances, gained either partial or complete control of the human mind. He holds his thumb, as it were, upon the mind of such an unfortunate one. Thus the imagination is held captive by the enemy. Every thought is more or less influenced and controlled by the arch-deceiver. Now, if Satan knows that he can accomplish more mischief upon either the individual or in the world at large by removing this depressing influence, and releasing the captive imagination, he will not be slow to do it. And so the columns of the newspapers and the telegraph wires will flash abroad the news of “another remarkable healing,” another instance of the prayer-prevailing power of some supposed divine healer. Disease that exists in the mind may be removed instantaneously by simply getting the patient to believe he is well. His disease existed only in the imagination, and disappears when he ceases to imagine himself sick.