Strong Delusions by T. E. Bowen

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 3, 1909

Strong Delusions

By T. E. Bowen

“Even Him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs 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 strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thess. 2: 9-11.

HERE it is plainly revealed that God will not permit men and women to be deceived by strong delusions from Satan until they have had opportunity to receive the truth. It is only when men turn from the truth that strong delusion overtakes them so that they are led to believe a lie.

The simple truths of God’s word have been shining forth for more than a half century with special clearness. Copies of the Bible have been multiplied as never before in the history of the world, and thus opportunity given those into whose hands it has fallen to know the truth.

We have reached a time when to an alarmingly great extent contempt is being heaped upon the word of God. That blessed rule of life is counted as an obsolete volume, unreliable, and of little value in this day of great enlightenment and scientific progress (?).

It is quite remarkable to note that when by a large class the Bible has been set aside, put out of sight — one of the most cherished schemes of the arch-enemy of God — at this time delusions are multiplying and apparently wonderful events taking place in the spiritualistic world. The time is here for the delusions mentioned by Paul to be manifested, and, true to the predictions of the word of God, they are appearing.

In a recent issue of the Washington Times, Doctor Hausmann, a noted Spiritualist, sets forth that the phonograph will be used in the near future to form another link in the connection with the spirit world, so that a beautiful song from a Jenny Lind, or a soul-stirring speech from some great orator like Daniel Webster, may be given the public. “There is nothing astonishing to me,” Doctor Hausmann goes on to say, “in this thing, and the use of the talking-machine in recording what our spirit friends say. It is as logical as a problem in mathematics. The materialized voices of spirits have spoken to us for years past. I myself have had conversations with Homer in Greek. Of course we can not always make selection of the spirits who will talk to us, and make phonographic records. For instance, I attended a seance recently with my phonograph, hoping to secure some message from my own dear departed ones, or from some great and good person. I was only successful in getting a record from Sir Henry Morgan, the buccaneer, who, as you are probably aware, was not quite a blameless character.”

To thus produce the actual voice of Abraham Lincoln, or Grant, so that some now living who heard these men speak can recognize and identify their voices, is considered to be an undisputable testimony to prove that these men are alive, and still able to think, talk, and, in fact, enjoy themselves beyond death. This would be considered a great achievement in the Spiritualistic realm.

And no one can successfully dispute these claims, if he admits the one premise that the dead are conscious after death. But when one believes the simple statements of God’s word upon this vital subject, takes the instruction from God, who has been pleased to tell us just how it is, who can not lie, and has sworn by His holiness not to deceive men, there is no need of getting into difficulty over these new discoveries. “The living know that they shall die,” says the Lord, “BUT THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANYTHING.” “Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” Eccl. 9: 5, 6.

No man can believe this scripture and at the same time believe that messages handed through some Spiritualistic medium come from departed friends — no, not even tho a voice purporting to be that of so distinguished a person as Abraham Lincoln, or U. S. Grant, or Grover Cleveland, be reproduced so accurately on a phonograph that even those who in life were closely associated with these men can plainly recognize the familiar tones of voice. The Doctor Hausmann mentioned above is reported to have said that the late President Cleveland wrote to him within twenty-four hours after his death, giving him his picture in crayon, and sending good wishes. A Mr. Randall is purported to have returned with the astonishing note that he had seen “the obsequies with mine own eyes over my own useless remains. O! O! what a remarkable incident.”

But these are not messages from those who have died. It is the work of cunning, lying, wicked spirits which have gone forth to deceive those who do not cling to the truths of God’s holy word. The Lord says when a man dies he has no portion in anything that is after that done in the earth, nor in any place lighted by the sun. Angels have voices. They talk, and sing, and live, and act. Good angels do these things, and so do the bad, fallen angels. It is quite easy to mimic the tones of another. Even professional men can train themselves so closely to imitate another voice that it would be very difficult indeed to detect the deception. Let us not think that angels who once were in heaven itself, who still possess intelligence and wisdom (altho perverted), are not able to personate those who once lived among us, even to the handwriting and tone of voice. This is the very pith of deception.

How comforting that it is after the working of the enemy, “with all power and signs and lying wonders,” that Jesus will come in the clouds of heaven, in all the glory of heaven, to gather unto Himself His faithful waiting people, that forever they may be with their Lord, delivered from these deceptions of the wicked one!