SATAN'S LAST GREAT DECEPTION

0. Introduction
The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy warn us of a time when Satan, the great
deceiver, will intensify his efforts to mislead humanity, especially God’s
faithful stewards. From the very beginning, Satan has been at war with God’s
law and truth, employing deception as his most effective weapon. As the
great controversy between good and evil reaches its climax, these
deceptions will become more subtle, powerful, and widespread. To stand
firm, God’s people must understand Satan’s methods, the nature of his final
deception, and how to overcome it through faith and obedience. This
discussion explores the qualifications of Satan in opposing God’s people, the
history of his deceptive work, and the divine provisions for victory in the last
great crisis.

1. The Qualifications of Satan in Opposing God’s People

Ezekiel 28:12-17: Satan (Lucifer) was created perfect in wisdom and
beauty but fell due to pride and rebellion against God. His exceptional
intelligence and deceptive power qualify him as a formidable enemy.

Revelation [Link] Satan is described as the great deceiver, able to deceive

the entire world.

John [Link] Described Satan as father of lies since his fall he uses lies to
deceive and mislead many.

Revelation [Link] He is described as accuser of believers. He do this to

discourage them and fell condemned due to their wrongs while John 5:24
reads: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ”

His tireless effort (unceasing zeal):

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ” 1 Peter 5:8 KJV

“Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the
earth, seeking whom he may devour… Satan works through agents. He is
making an earnest effort here. He works according to a definite plan, and his
agents act in concert.” 5T 294

Satan's deep knowledge of God's character, His laws, and Scriptures

uses them to craft cunning deceptions.

“Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a

knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At
every revival of God's work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense
activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against
Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us.”
GC 593

Satan uses his beauty as an instrument:

“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay
thee before kings, that they may behold thee. ” Ezekiel 28:17 KJV

“The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so
concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists,
much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. They
have to a great extent forgotten his past record; and when he makes another
advance move, they will not recognize him as their enemy, that old serpent,
but they will consider him a friend, one who is doing a good work.” 5T 294.1

2. Satan’s First Deception and Its Effects

Satan's first deception occurred in Eden when he disguised himself as a
serpent to lead Eve into disobedience.

God said: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 KJV

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ” Genesis 3:4
KJV

Its nowadays effects:

a. Forbidden Fruit Syndrome: Satan: “He is constantly seeking to

excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to
penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to
 search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes
overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to
salvation. Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to
believe they are entering a wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all
a deception. Elated with their ideas of progression, they are, by
trampling on God's requirements, setting their feet in the path that
leads to degradation and death.” PP 54.3

b. Irreverent liberty that disobeying God’s law brings

joy/pleasure: “Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be
gainers by breaking the law of God. Do we not today hear similar
reasoning? Many talk of the narrowness of those who obey God's
commandments, while they themselves claim to have broader ideas
and to enjoy greater liberty. What is this but an echo of the voice from
Eden, "In the day ye eat thereof"—transgress the divine requirement
—"ye shall be as gods"? Satan claimed to have received great good by
eating of the forbidden fruit, but he did not let it appear that by
transgression he had become an outcast from heaven. Though he had
found sin to result in infinite loss, he concealed his own misery in order
to draw others into the same position. So now the transgressor seeks
to disguise his true character; he may claim to be holy; but his exalted
profession only makes him the more dangerous as a deceiver. He is on
the side of Satan, trampling upon the law of God, and leading others to
do the same, to their eternal ruin.” PP 55.1

c. Through such deception, he opened a gate to spiritualism: “The

only one who promised Adam life in disobedience was the great
deceiver. And the declaration of the serpent to Eve in Eden—“Ye shall
not surely die”—was the first sermon ever preached upon the
immortality of the soul. Yet this declaration, resting solely upon the
authority of Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom and is
received by the majority of mankind as readily as it was received by
our first parents.” GC 533

3. Various Deceptions of Satan in the Last Days

o Wearing Christian cloth he performs various deceptive
miracles by aid of his agents:
 2 Corinthians [Link] Satan transforms himself into an
angel of light to mislead people.
  Matthew [Link] In the last days, false Christs and false
prophets will arise, performing great signs and wonders to
deceive even the elect.
 Revelation 13:13-14: Satan, working through the beast
power, uses miracles to deceive the world.
o Counterfeit Revival: “Popular revivals are too often carried by
appeals to the imagination, by exciting the emotions, by gratifying the
love for what is new and startling. Converts thus gained have little
desire to listen to Bible truth, little interest in the testimony of prophets
and apostles. Unless a religious service has something of a sensational
character, it has no attractions for them. A message which appeals to
unimpassioned reason awakens no response. The plain warnings of
God's word, relating directly to their eternal interests, are unheeded.”
NL 9.2
 Lying spirits to arouse the interests of men
 False speaking in tongues
 Church theatricals and ceremonies
 Powerful musical instruments
 Miracles/Healing the sick.
o Behold, He is in the desert: This is unheeded warning from Christ.
“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. ”
Matthew 24:26 KJV
“False prophets did rise, deceiving the people, and leading great
numbers into the desert. Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous
power, drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes. But
this prophecy was spoken also for the last days. This sign is given as a
sign of the second advent. Even now false christs and false prophets
are showing signs and wonders to seduce His disciples. Do we not hear
the cry, "Behold, He is in the desert"? Have not thousands gone forth
into the desert, hoping to find Christ? And from thousands of
gatherings where men profess to hold communion with departed spirits
is not the call now heard, "Behold, He is in the secret chambers"? This
is the very claim that spiritism puts forth. But what says Christ?
"Believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." DA
631.1

4. His Last Great Deception and Its Objective

“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many.” Matthew 24:5 KJV

“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!" LDE 163.2

In this countenance he will do the following:

 He will bless people as Jesus did to His disciples

 He will heal the sick
 He will pretend to answer prayers of the believers
 He will perform various miracles including fire from Heaven
 He will be Deified (Praised as god).

Objective
“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.” GC 624.2

5. How God’s People Will Detect and Overcome Such

Deception
“ If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth
thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof
he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not
known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to
know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul. ” Deuteronomy 13:1-3 KJV

 “He will turn people from immutable God’s laws”: “Christ will be
personified, but on one point there will be a marked distinction. Satan
will turn the people from the law of God. Notwithstanding this, so well
will he counterfeit righteousness, that if it were possible, he would
deceive the very elect.” FE 471.3

 Miracles Cannot Supersede the Bible and Prove Nothing: “The

way in which Christ worked was to preach the Word, and to relieve
suffering by miraculous works of healing. But I am instructed that we
cannot now work in this way, for Satan will exercise his power by
working miracles. God's servants today could not work by means of
miracles, because spurious works of healing, claiming to be divine, will
be wrought. For this reason the Lord has marked out a way in which His
people are to carry forward a work of physical healing, combined with
the teaching of the Word.” 2SM 54.2 “Bible will never be superseded
by miraculous manifestations. The truth must be studied, it must be
searched for as hidden treasure. Wonderful illuminations will not be
given aside from the Word, or to take the place of it. Cling to the Word,
receive the ingrafted Word, which will make men wise unto salvation.”
2SM 48.2


Knowledge of Scripture: A thorough understanding of God’s Word is the key
defense against deception. Satan cannot counterfeit the truths of the Bible
when they are engraved in the heart (The Great Controversy, p. 593).

Prayer and Watchfulness: Constant prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit
will give discernment (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 409).

Faithfulness to the Sabbath: Observance of God’s true Sabbath will be a

distinguishing mark of His faithful people (The Great Controversy, p. 605).

Conclusion

Satan’s deceptions, especially in the last days, are designed to mislead

humanity from God’s truth and to secure their destruction. However, through
reliance on God’s Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to
God’s commandments, His people will discern and overcome every
deception. As Ellen G. White wrote: “God has promised to guide His people
through every peril if they trust in Him” (The Great Controversy, p. 560).