A88) Notes: A Wave of Deception and the Great Falling Away of 2 Thess 2; 3, "the falling away/apostasy comes first," i.e. Before Revival, (S. Dobbs, April 2022): REWRITTEN in May 2022, also including the addition of notes on the identity of the ANTICHRIST.
Intro: Many of the prophecies on this site predict that a great wave of deception will lead to an apostasy, a great falling away from the faith, especially in the western world, and that this will happen just before the start of very end times, the last seven years. I’ve always known that 2 Thess 2; 3 also talked about a falling away during a season of deception and, although I wasn’t sure, I initially thought these were probably two separate events. With so many signs of the end times, (admittedly none certain signs but indications all the same), now appearing in the last two years during the pundemic I don’t think there is now time left for two separate seasons of falling away. I therefore, now believe the falling away in the western world that I have been prophesying about since 2005, (see prophecy No A40 in particular), is part of the wider global falling away from the faith that 2 Thess 2; 3 is referring to. Since prophecies have fallen into such disrepute in the western world, due to all the false words that never came to pass concerning revivals, and even more so those which predicted that Donald Trump would win a second consecutive term as President, I am using 2 Thess 2; 3 here as support for my prophecies, to give them more biblical substance.
The Background in the C1st Thessalonian Church: The Thessalonian Christians had heard reports that the return of Christ had already happened. St Paul set about putting their minds at rest by reminding them that certain other things had to come to pass before that was possible.
2 Thess 2; 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, (K.J.V).
The first thing St Paul mentioned was a “falling away” of believers from the faith. In the Greek the word relating to “apostasy” is used so this is definitely talking about people who had once confessed Christ then abandoning the faith in significant numbers. The next sign Paul mentions is the “man of sin” being revealed. Many/most scholars appear to believe that this “man of sin” is the antichrist who Daniel was referring to in Dan 9; 27. According to that scripture this antichrist man of sin is revealed to those who are watching and aware when he makes a seven year peace treaty with Israel. [There are many potential references to this antichrist man scattered, somewhat cryptically, within Daniels prophecies]. So the last seven years start as the antichrist makes that peace treaty. The great apostasy, therefore, starts a short time before the last seven years starts when the antichrist is manifest, according to 2 Thess 2; 3.
Keeping watch: When we keep watch for the end times, (traditionally thought to be the last seven years), one of the first signs is, therefore, a great apostasy amongst Christians. Why then are so many Christians expecting the end times to start with a great revival when the bible states it will be the opposite to that, a great falling away from the faith instead? Is it not dangerous that so many Christians have got this wrong and expect the reverse of what will really take place? There appear to be great moves of the God in the end times, the last seven years but first there will be a great apostasy and we need to prepare for this. Those that get deceived and fall away will have no part on the great moves of God that follow. What happens when masses of western Christians hear reports of a move of power in their midst, and assume it’s the revival they’ve been expecting, if that then turns out to be a wave of occult spiritual manifestations and counterfeit? Surely many will get deceived and led astray into the New Age spirituality, others will become so discouraged they start doubting their previous faith in God and fall away that way.
Counterfeits of the Holy Spirit: 2 Thess 2; 9, describes this season as “after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness.” Whilst we can expect Satan to use counterfeits of the Holy Spirit and occult signs and wonders to deceive the population of the earth during this time it is Christians who Satan really wants to deceive the most. The devil already has control of unbelievers to a large degree. The greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness is Christians moving in the power of the Holy Spirit. Surely Satan will target many Christians with the spiritual deceptions therefore, and even prioritise sending the deceptions mentioned their way. It is also surely rational to assume that there is a link between the falling away and the deceptions mentioned in 2 Thess 2; 3, and that the devil will use these to target “Christians” more than unbelievers.
Falling away: We probably all know of former “Christian” believers, many of whom appeared to be as sound in the faith as we were, who have since got discouraged and fallen away, lost their faith and now deny Christ. And others who became so deceived by New Age occult spiritual counterfeits of the holy spirit this led them into false teachings and ultimately a denial of the core doctrines of the Christian faith and the need for Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, replacing that with the lie that all religions lead to god instead. Once they have denied Christ they are no longer Christians, (this mystically revealed their faith was never predestined or genuine in the first place), but to all intents and purposes it will appear to the remained that they have lost their salvation.
Deception and the falling away in 2 Thess 2; 3: It seems reasonable to assume that many will fall away from the faith during the great apostasy because of the huge waves of deception that start appearing at that time. This is described in 2 Thess 3; 9 as; “the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders.” Power, signs and wonders that will be from the devil. If they come upon Christians most will think they are from God. We have seen this happening to a lesser degree in the UK since 1994, with strange power, strange signs and weird wonders that bear no fruit, serve no purpose for Gods Kingdom, and are nothing like the moves of Gods Holy Spirit described in the bible. The end time’s flood of this new age occult power is going to be far greater, and must surely be linked to the falling away mentioned by St Paul. If correct then one of the first signs we should be watching out for is a great wave of such deception flooding the churches of the western world, (and maybe beyond), followed by a great wave of apostasy. The two things are really the same thing, deception and apostasy. This is what many prophecies on this site have been warning about since 2003, i.e. Great waves of deception leading to an apostasy, especially across the church of the western world. I think prophecy No A40 is perhaps the main word I received on this. I am now using 2 Thess 2; 3 to give it some biblical credibility here.
The deceptions are already here in milder form: Many of these deceptions are already amongst us, Satan has been sowing these seeds into the western church in particular since 1994. Unfortunately most leaders have chosen to ignore or accommodate these rather than stick their necks out and risk becoming unpopular by confronting and exposing the deceptions. When the first great wave of great deception is sent by the devil, just before the last seven years start, many “Christians” will already be used to and receptive to these counterfeits and think it’s the revival they have been expecting for decades. Many will open their hearts to this deceptive power, allowing their own souls to be flooded by these demonic influences. Many will then be led into false teachings through the ministry of these spirits that falsely pertain to be angels or the Holy Spirit. Those firmer Christians will then be led out of the faith in stages and end up accepting there are many ways to God and the interfaith movement. Other will realise their error but be so discouraged by then that the devil will then able to cause them to doubt if the God they once believed in even exists. Many of us in the west have hearts set on being blessed in this world and are just not prepared to suffer for Christ t the degree we will soon need to. From the prophecies I’ve received only a remnant of Christians in the western world will survive this, the rest will be sucked into the interfaith movement and will end up following the world and then the antichrist.
The devil strikes first: 2 Thess 2; 3 surely indicates that this falling away will start before the last seven years have begun, before we are certain the end times have even started, so many believers will not be on their guard. This is surely a snare sent to test the faith of Christians? How much do they really love the truth compared with how much do they really want to use Christianity and God to advance their lives here on this world. That at least is how I would interpret 2 Thess 2, which says; “signs and lying wonders” verse 10; “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” This can’t be simply referring to unbelievers since it all starts with an apostasy according to the Greek, which can only mean amongst confessing Christians. Having their earthly hopes of blessings from God on this earth shattered and having to endure suffering instead, (as the N/T Christians and many Christians in other lands experience today already), the threat of a looming 3.5 year global persecution of believers, the secular medias bombardment their minds with reasons why all mankind and all religions should come together as one to help tackle the increasing global crises, the media highlighting and attacking every aspect of the history of Christianity in which the Church had failed in order to discourage todays Christians, and accusing those today of being bigots because they stand with the bible against there being many ways to God and oppose men marrying one another etc etc. Imagine trying to stand firm during all that as the revival you thought you had started to experience turns out to do you harm and appears to be false as well. It’s not surprising there will be a great apostasy. Those that don’t fall must remember not to judge because but for the grace of God there go they.
So I am arguing from 2 Thess 2; 3 that the devil appears to strike first with an apostasy amongst believers. Only after that does it appear to me that the great end times move of Gods Spirit start. But surely it will be too late for those who have completely fallen away and denied the faith by then? And it will be very hard for many of those who have half fallen away too. Hopefully many will be helped back onto the narrow road by the moves of Gods Spirit later, however, I have to say, from the prophecies I have been receiving even the remnant in the UK will have false prophets sown in amongst them which will lead to another type of deception and falling away among many of them too later on. I think the best thing a UK Christian can do is to link up, in advance, with the African and majority black church movements in the UK. I believe most of them will be protected against the initial waves of deception and falling away and will survive into the following season when God starts to move very powerfully at a global level. There will then be a window of opportunity for the UK to be reached with the gospel. IF the last seven years have started by then this may only last for 3.5 years though because the bible teaches that the last 3.5 years the beast Empire will emerge and there will be a global persecution of Christians. Although Rev Ch 11 suggests this will also be the time when some Christians receive the most powerful anointing perhaps of all time too. A great clash of powers.
A quick note on the antichrists appearance and progression on to becoming global dictator: If Dan 9; 27 is informing us that the antichrist is manifest seven years before the Return of Christ, then he cannot be ruler of the entire world at that time because Rev 13; 5 states that the One World Government doesn’t appear until 3.5 years, (42 Jewish months), after that. So the antichrist must be a lower level politician or leader when he makes the peace treaty with Israel. Even when the beast empire emerges 3.5 years later when the global government appears we still cannot be certain it will control all nations from its start, it may take a few more years to gain control of the whole world. And Rev 17; 12 and 13 appear to indicate that initially the Beast Empire will be ruled by ten leaders, with Dan 7; 24 appearing to suggest that the antichrist gains power as a king along with nine of them later on. If we are expecting the appearance of the antichrist to be as a global dictator then we could miss his manifestation and even get deceived into thinking he is helping mankind, Israel and Christians. He may appear, for e.g. as a Middle East envoy who has authority form the U.N, E.U and G7 to guarantee the peace and religious freedom to Israel for 7 years, (and perhaps freedom of worship for all other religions too). He and the emerging ten kings, world leaders then break that agreement 3.5 years later as the Beast Empire Government also emerges, (I believe a unified G7 group of nations with Russia readmitted by then, who operate as a single entity, a unified government; link prophecy No A24). The antichrist doesn’t even be appear to be one of this empires original 10 leaders but will increase in power and control until he is finally accepted as World Dictator perhaps 18 to 6 months before the return of Christ, (which is when I believe the mark of the beast would then be forced upon the world). This is obviously open to alternative interpretations though. Rev 13; 17 and 18, does state the mark, “is the number of a man,” and how could the mark of that man, the antichrist, be introduced before he rules the entire One World Government towards the end of those 3.5 years, once all ten kings have submitted their authority to him? The point is the signs are subtle and we need to study them carefully. If we move in presumption and assume they will be easy for all “Christians” to spot we could miss them. And the great apostasy and falling away from the faith will start first, before any of these signs even take place, so we will have no warning about that. This is why this is so important. Waves of even more powerful and beguiling deception than we are already experiencing will flood upon us during a season of apostasy and we will not even have any warning about this or any signs to warn us about this first.
So 2 Thess 2; 3 appears to be informing us that just before the last seven years start the devil will strike first, with apostasy and deception being sent against the churches. Then the antichrist appears after that, but not as a global dictator at first but moving forwards rapidly to that position within a couple of years. I think we can expect God to start bringing in the end times harvest and moving in phenomenal power globally soon after the apostasy has started, so here will be an overlap between waves of deception and apostasy and waves of Gods Spirit moving powerfully up until the very end after that, but not necessarily with the same power manifest everywhere, parts of the body of Christ in some nations and continents will fare better than others. And there will be “a clash of powers of titanic proportions that will shake the very foundations of the earth,” (link, Prophecy No A4), as this battle occurs between God and the devil, the powers of Heaven verses the fallen angels, deception and a falling away verses Gods power and revivals in various parts of the body of Christ. BUT according to St Paul the “falling away” comes first!!
Who is the antichrist? There is surprisingly little information about the antichrist in the N/T, with 2 Thess 2 and the above scriptures from the Book of Revelations being perhaps the main ones. However there is a lot of potential information about the antichrist sown into the various prophecies in the Book of Daniel. From other prophecies on this site I think we should be looking out for a US politician who was born in Europe. Dan 7; 20, appears to inform us he “looks more stout than his fellows,” i.e. he is significantly bigger and larger framed than most men, and has a “fierce countenance,” (Dan 8; 23). Dan 11; 21 states, “who they shall not give the honour of the kingdom,” which some bibles interpret “the honour of royalty,” i.e. as he grows in power he won’t become an outright king of a nation, (even though he emerges as global dictator later on), perhaps, as I believe because he cannot become President of the United States since all candidates have to be born in the USA. There are prophecies that state the USA will be divided into four regions/nations each with a leader, perhaps so it can be easier incorporated into the beast empire in a way that reflects its greater power, with it having four of the ten seats at the table? That would explain why there the Beast Empire/Global Government only has 7 heads, which is traditionally interpreted to mean led by a coalition of 7 nations, but 10 horns, traditionally interpreted to mean ten leaders. I.e. if the USA were divided into 4 regions with a leader of each, but still really be one nation then the Beast would have 7 heads but 10 horns/leaders as 4 would come from the USA. If you study Daniel the impression is that the antichrist emerges from under the power of one of these horns/leaders, Dan 7; 8, 20, emerges from under one of them, them usurps the power of four. My guess would be one of the four regional leaders on the USA gains control of the whole USA, but isn’t allowed to become President because he was born abroad, and the position of President will no longer exist anyway. Then all the other six leaders/horns decide to give their power over to him too as he emerges as overall dictator and world leader and is then worshipped in the temple as such, 2 Thess 2; 4. With this being enforced by the introduction of the mark of the beast.
Has the antichrist already been identified prophetically? If we are closing in on the last 7 years, as we now appear to be, this antichrist man is probably already a politician who has influence and is amongst us now. In fact someone I knew in the 1990’s had a prophecy identifying him. I dismissed this out of hand, without even weighing this up, as it seemed so preposterous. However, that man has since emerged as a powerful politician within the USA and fits all the other criteria mentioned above. I have never had any discernment on that prophecy though, and God has told me I am not allowed to release it for others to test until He says so, when the time is right. From that criteria can you think of any potential candidates though? Some researchers online are even suggesting that same man will become the antichrist, others believe he shows signs of being a sociopath. This still seems preposterous, though. However, shouldn’t we expect the devil, the most cunning fallen angel, to utilise his guile in the last days, to operate as if with a nod and a wink and a twinkling of the eye, by utilising disbelief to help bring his purposes to pass in a way that people wouldn’t expect or even think possible? I laughed out loud when I first heard his name mentioned in the 1990’s. Wouldn’t it help the devil if the same thing happened in the last seven years if this man were the actual antichrist? Unfortunately I have lost contact with the guy that had that prediction now but will post his prophecy online for others to test when God gives me the all clear. That candidate is getting old now so if the prediction is true the last 7 years could be starting very soon, after a great apostasy amongst Christians. Please read prophecy No A40 which identifies how and where the great flood of deception will first manifest.
Footnotes:
- The Jewish idiom “no one knows the day or hour.” According to some Messianic (Jewish), Christian scholars, (who unlike gentile believers are familiar with this this saying), this doesn’t mean that we won’t be able to tell when the season of the end is here, quite the opposite, see this link; https://www.propheciesfortoday.co.uk/insights-and-encouragement/subfolder-orange-tree/the-jewish-idiom-no-one-knows-the-day-or-hour.php).