LAST-DAY MIRACLES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Sep 13, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 37.

LAST-DAY MIRACLES.

THE picturing of Satan in hideous mein, as is the common way of representing him, has been the means of deceiving many well-meaning people. Because they know that his character, as the author of sin, is as black as any illustration can suggest, they easily imagine that his appearance and the appearance of everything he does is in harmony with his character. If this were true, he never could have deceived anybody, much less could he deceive any one under the light of truth as it shines out in God's Word. But he is represented in that Word as a deceiver, such a deceiver as leads men away from the truth by making falsehood appear as truth.

The Word of God represents Satan, under the symbol of the king of Tyrus, as "full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty." Of him it is further stated: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God. . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; . . . thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Eze. 28:11-15.

Such was the beauty and wisdom of Satan before he was cast out of heaven. Of course he has lost in beauty as compared with the high standard of "perfect in beauty," but not so much as to hinder his being yet very attractive. His wisdom also has degenerated to shrewdness and cunning, but he is thus all the more able to deceive. So the apostle Paul, after referring to "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ," says:

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." 2 Cor. 11:14, 15.

Christ Himself gives us solemn warning concerning miracle-workers in the last days. When questioned concerning the sign of His coming, and of the end of the world, He answered: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matt. 24:3-5. Farther on He says: "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." Verses 24, 25.

Now there is nothing that so captivates the human mind, especially of those who are in any way physically afflicted, as the "miraculous" healing of the body. It was so in the time of Christ (Matt. 4:23-25; John 11:47, 48), and for that very reason Satan aims to do miracles in imitation of Christ, that he may the more effectually deceive the people; even, if it were possible, the elect. The elect are spared because they believe the Word of God. Those who do not accept the Word of truth in preference to miracles, will be given over to strong deception. Men will go to any instrumentality in order to be healed, and when they are healed they are easily made to believe that the healer was a servant of God. Once convinced of this delusion, they are almost hopelessly in the power of Satan.

Not accepting the Word of God, they believe that any miracle-working agent is of God, and are thus deluded. The delusion is not in the fact that a miracle has been wrought, but in believing that it must have been God that wrought it. That men will be deluded by actual signs and wonders, is shown in 2 Thess. 2:7-12 and Rev. 13:11-17. It would be far better to suffer affliction and die by disease than to be temporarily healed and lose one's soul. See Luke 9:23-25.

That many professed disciples of Christ, even the miracle-workers themselves, will be deceived by so-called "divine healing," and such-like wonders, is foretold in the Sermon on the Mount: "Many will say to Me in that day [of judgment], Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name have done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."

But God will work miracles also, in His own time and way; how shall we know the true servant of God from the false? The Word gives us the true test: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20.