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The Great Controversy 1888
miracles of healing, and will profess to have revelations from Heaven
contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself
will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the
Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great
deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of
the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being
of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God
given by John in the Revelation. [
Revelation 1:13-15
.] The glory that
surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet
beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come!
Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before
him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them,
as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is
soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he
presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour
uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed
character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday,
and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares
that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming
his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light
and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the
Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from
the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is
“the great power of God.” [
Acts 8:10
.]
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this
false Christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures His blessing is
pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image,—the very
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class upon whom the Bible declares that God’s unmingled wrath shall
be poured out.
And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner
of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned his people against decep-
tion upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of his second
coming. “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect.... Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east,