Luke 21:8
And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
Jesus warns His followers to stay alert so they are not misled by many impostors who will appear in His name claiming to be the Messiah and declaring that the appointed time has come, and He forbids going after them.
The warning was given about the temple being thrown down stone by stone and stands among upheavals of wars, nations and kingdoms in conflict, earthquakes, famines, diseases, fearful sights and great signs from heaven, and persecution and imprisonment before kings and rulers for His name.
Though false messiahs claiming miraculous power deceived many before Jerusalem was besieged, the warning reaches beyond that destruction to the end of earth's history and the final outpouring of wrath upon wicked cities.
The deception will repeat through the ages and climax in the last days when Satan himself will impersonate Christ and seem to do Christ's works, including apparent miraculous healings that will test those who have had great light.
Safety lies in carefully studying and digesting God's Word so truth can be distinguished from falsehood, hanging the helpless soul on Christ by faith in full armor against satanic powers, and watching and praying without following date-setters, false teachers mixing truth with error, or political agitators, so that God's commandment-keeping people stand firm through deception, accusation, imprisonment, and martyrdom in the final conflict.
Words and Prophetic Setting
Take heed not to be deceived, for many will come in Christ's name claiming to be Christ and announcing that the time, the time of deliverance, the appointed time, is near. The charge is to be on guard against that deception and not to go after them or follow their claims. It stands among the last-day teachings that must be studied carefully.
The warning was given in answer to questions about the temple being left without one stone upon another. It stands together with wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, great earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights and great signs from heaven, and persecution and imprisonment before kings and rulers for His name's sake.
That word was fulfilled between Jesus' death and the siege of Jerusalem, when false messiahs appeared claiming miraculous power and misled many.
Many of those judgments came upon Jerusalem, yet the warning was not of Jerusalem alone but covers both Jerusalem's destruction and the end of the world. It looks down the ages past the destruction of Jerusalem to the end of earth's history and the great and final visitation of wrath. Then God withdraws His Spirit from wicked cities become as the antediluvian world and as Sodom and Gomorrah and punishes presumptuous wrongdoers, and costly mansions and stately supposed fireproof buildings destroyed by fire show how quickly in a short time earth's architecture will lie in ruins. The warning applies through the ages and recurs in the last days, and its lessons apply especially to the time of the end.
It belongs to the chapter's picture of the events to expect, whose counsel is to heed the signs without following false claims. It is part of the signs of the times foretold to the disciples to instruct those who should afterward believe and to help them prepare for the great conflict, signs to be discerned in this age of the world as showing present dangers.
End-Time Deceptions Foretold
The warning against being led astray by those who arrive claiming to be Christ and announcing that the time of deliverance is near was fulfilled by false messiahs between Jesus' death and the siege of Jerusalem, who claimed miraculous power and misled many, and it reaches through the ages to the last days when such deceptions will recur. History will repeat this warning, with many deceivers arising claiming to be Christ, and believers are commanded not to go after them. Careful study of God's Word enables people in perilous times to distinguish truth from falsehood and avoid being deceived.
The verse applies to Satan himself personating Christ, professing to be Christ when it is only Satan assuming the person of Christ and apparently working the works of Christ with miracles and misrepresentations. God's people are commanded not to go after false christs and not to give them allegiance, and those who rely on human words instead of searching Scripture may give their allegiance to these deceptions. Rebellion and apostasy are in the very air and men are so easily misled that they will be affected unless by faith they hang their helpless souls upon Christ. Holding firm and unmoved requires plainly understood doctrines and anchored teachers whose vessel holds against storm and tempest, with clear understanding of Bible teaching and discernment between the true Christ and impostors. This demands standing with the whole armor on and calling rebellion by its right name, because the meeting is not with men only but with principalities and powers and satanic agencies voicing the words of the dragon in war against the saints.
The warning points to wonderful scenes soon to take place with which Satan will be closely connected. Satan will work miracles by making people sick and then suddenly removing his satanic power so they appear healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test, causing many who have had great light but have not become one with Christ to fail to walk in the light. The command not to go after them applies to those who use Scripture to support false teaching, especially claims that set a date for Christ's coming. Such date-setting teaching is not truth and can confuse people and lead them to give up the faith, so their claims must not deceive anyone or lead them astray.
The same command applies to voices proclaiming new truth when their teachings mix truth with misinterpreted Scripture and lead to dangerous error. Being deceived by people who claim to speak with authority and urge others to follow them is forbidden, and such claims do not prove that God sent them. It also applies to political agitators who claim religious authority or announce that the appointed time is near. Christ's followers must not join opposing political parties or be drawn into their strife, but remain under Christ's banner and seek God's kingdom and righteousness first.
Remaining Undeceived and Faithful
The Word of God is the sure guide against being deceived, and it must be studied carefully, eaten and digested, so that those who receive it find no pleasure in falsehoods and can distinguish truth from falsehood in perilous times. Relying on human words instead of searching Scripture leads to giving allegiance to impostors who claim to come in Christ's name and declare that the time is near. That warning is among the last-day teachings to be studied carefully, with clear understanding of Bible teaching and discernment between the true Christ and impostors, and its command is not to follow such claims.
Jesus knew beforehand what His people would need, knowing many would say Christ is here or there. The command not to go after false claimants comes from One who knows all things and every care and temptation, who speaks from the treasure house of His Word to be believed. Obeying it keeps believers from being turned away from the truth until truth triumphs gloriously. Remaining firm requires hanging the helpless soul upon Christ by faith, because rebellion and apostasy are in the very air and people are so easily misled that they will be affected without that hold. Holding firm and unmoved requires plainly understood doctrines and anchored teachers whose vessel holds against storm and tempest, standing with the whole armor on and calling rebellion by its right name.
The meeting is not with men only but with principalities and powers and satanic agencies voicing the words of the dragon in war against the saints, applying to Satan himself personating Christ, professing to be Christ while only assuming His person and apparently working His works with miracles and misrepresentations. Obeying the verse means being on guard and watching and praying, heeding the signs without following false claims. Those signs were foretold to the disciples to instruct those who should afterward believe and to help them prepare for the great conflict, and in this time, this age of the world, they are to be discerned as showing present dangers and calling God's people to reach a higher standard.
The chapter is a solemn message for the present time, calling for clear efforts to bring truth to people in the cities and for lives fortified by obedience to God's commandments. The passage applies to the final conflict, when God's commandment-keeping people will face deception, imprisonment, accusations before rulers and councils, and martyrdom. They must stand firm and obey God's express command, with strength to endure what they face.