It all started in church today. We're going on our 9th month of a sermon series on the end times (don't worry, we take some occasional breaks). Today we studied the second half of Revelation 13 - the second beast. This second beast's goal is to point those who are still around at the halfway point of the tribulation to worship of the antichrist. In part of a big-picture illustration about the counterfeits of Satan, our pastor referenced Matthew 24:23-28, when Jesus warns His followers not to fall prey to those who claim to be Him or to have seen Him.
But what really got me was verse 24:
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
To understand my ramblings, you are going to need to accept that fact that I believe in the doctrine of election. I'm not telling you that you have to believe (though naturally, I think you should), you just need to understand it. Election is the idea that God has predestined those who will be saved. Says one theologian from the Western Reformed Seminary, "God's sovereign choosing of those who would become the recipients of the blessings obtained through the covenant of grace". This teaching says that the Lord has known from the beginning of time who will be saved, and that we are in this position because He chose us.
You will also need to work under my comprehended timeline for the book of Revelation: that we are currently in the pre-millenial stage, there will be a rapture through which the church is taken up by Christ and sometime after that (perhaps immediately) begins the 7-year period of tribulation for those left on earth. At the 3 1/2 year, or halfway mark, the antichrist, or beast will be revealed. Those who do not have the mark of the beast will be unable to participate in commerce and trade; he will do signs and wonders, and even suffer a mortal wound and live. Many will seek after him and worship him instead of Christ, and new followers of Jesus will be persecuted and face immense hardships.
The last five words of this verse, are then, incredibly disconcerting.
If possible, even the elect. Well, what I want to know is, "is it possible, or isn't it". All things are possible for God. Clearly, Satan isn't God, and neither are false christs and prophets. Phew. BUT Satan isn't man either, and if he's behind these false prophets and christs, where does that leave us in terms of his power? That, I believe, depends on where we are in time, which I will get to in just a moment.
Now I will give you a peek into my journal from this afternoon, as I tried to reason through the verse in respect to timing:
The elect are those chosen by God to accept salvation in the perfected work of Jesus Christ. If the Lord has predestined us to be saved, how could we be deceived into worshiping the false christ and prophets? Unless the deceit, in this case, is temporary. Even assuming temporary deceit, wouldn't there have to be some sort of consequences to the church as a whole? Does this deceit have place in the pre and/or post rapture places in time? If it refers only to pre, is it possible that the elect mentioned here will not be raptured, but instead come into salvation during the tribulation? I can't get my mind around how this deceit would manifest itself post-rapture. Unless the elect follow the beast for a time before ultimately being reconciled to God.
Throughout this whole series, I have seen how much I do not and can not know about God and His sovereign will. I can only be thankful for my salvation with Christ, and a new life full of His abundant grace. It is sometimes fun for me to think about these things, but in the end I know all I can do is trust the Lord with my life and put all my hope in Him.
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