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[Dedication]

The Great Apostasy

2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
 
2:5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[Dedication]

"as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come"

Even back then people were confusing the truth.
Here were people saying that Jesus had already come back.

In the last days it will be very important to know how Jesus will return.

Before that return there will be MASIVE deception, there will be signs and wonders to deceive if possible the very elect.   According to Rev. 13 the whole world will the be worshipping the dragon (who is satan, the devil) who gives great power to a certain type of Christianity.

                                                                                                                                         

[Dedication]

"falling away" in Scripture is use to describe professed believers leaving the faith, leaving Christ, choosing a different faith, a different master.

Iniquity had been working in the followers of Satan since Cain, that was nothing new, it was no mystery. 

The mystery of iniquity, is mysteriously perverting truth into a lie, while still maintaining it is truth,   it was the falling away from Christ while staying IN Church, creating a different faith and setting up a different Lord and Master. 

The path to power was blocked by the rulership of Imperial Rome, but once the Roman Caesar's "made a league" with Christian leaders,  then this counterfeit religion started grooming for power and wealth.   What started out as a church of God, fell away into a  kingdom of Religious intrigue professing Christianity assimilated much pagan thought and customs.   Rome's religious professed Christian Pontificus Maximus would assume military might in 538 AD, 
Much has already been revealed throughout the medieval times, but the full scope will yet be revealed in the last days.   When the true connection between counterfeit Christianity and the dragon (Lucifer) will be revealed.


By reading two prophecies, and putting them together, we shall see the force of this working of Satan, through an agency through which his work has been carried on more successfully and for a longer time than through any other agency in the history of the world.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! now art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:12-14.

 This scripture  speaks of the fall of Satan and the reason for it; for Lucifer, "the light bearer," by his own course of rebellion became Satan, "the adversary."

 "Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.

The reformers knew  this prophecy refers to the papacy, and every one who puts those two scriptures together can see that they represent exactly the same spirit,-I will exalt myself above God.

[Dedication]

Self exaltation.

That seems to be the root of the problem.

Can we be part of the "falling away"  without even leaving the church?

 

[Battle Creek]

In a different forum where comments were made in connection with this lesson, a writer lamented that some of us were still accusing another Christian Church of being Antichrist.

I thank God for the lesson we have which teaches the views of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Could some have the idea that we should not identify another Christian Church as Antichrist because we share too many of their traditional doctrines with them?