"Signs and Wonders" that lead astray



The delivery of Israelites from the repressive hand of the Egyptian Pharaoh is recorded in the Old Testament as God bringing them out "with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with signs and wonders" (Deuteronomy 26:8). The New Testament also records that Jesus and the Apostles performed signs and wonders, which are also referred to as miracles. To this very day, the Christian Church teaches and believes in the supernatural interventions of God in human history and refers to them as "signs and wonders."

In looking at the Greek meaning of "signs and wonders" in the New Testament, this is what we find: The Greek word sēmeíon  is translated as "sign." It is given specifically to confirm, validate, or authenticate the end goal of exalting the giver. The Greek word téras is translated as a miraculous wonder. It is performed to elicit a reaction from witnesses; it is an extraordinary supernatural event that has an impact on everyone who witnesses it. This teaches us unequivocally that "signs and wonders" performed by God through Jesus or any of his chosen ones were to exalt and glorify the God who performed them and lead people to believe in him. St. John, at the conclusion of his gospel narrative, wrote: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book." "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30-31).

When there are "signs and wonders" taking place today, it is vital that we cross-check in line with John 20:31. The reason being that Jesus, who performed "signs and wonders," also warns us about "signs and wonders" that would appear to mislead people.

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:24)

The warning of Jesus is clear: not all "signs and wonders" will lead to God and his kingdom. Strangely, he speaks about them with the adjective "great." Satan can produce counterfeit miracles that are spectacular and attractive. He can disguise himself to appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). This means he will masquerade in today’s world, pretending to do good. Satan is the one who wanted to feed Jesus by turning the stones into bread. What an attractive way to win the whole world for Jesus! However, Jesus has identified satan as a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Though his power is limited, he can and does perform "signs and wonders" in order to deceive or lead others astray.

Very unfortunately, today deception has creeped into churches undetected. There are preachers who have got caught up in the "whatever it takes to reach people" mindset and become parties to deceptions while using the name of Jesus. Mobile phone charging, dropping money into bank accounts, the appearance of gold dust (artificial), etc. are playing heavily on the genuine desires of the vulnerable people who want a "tangible visit from God." Such people are susceptible to believing in the preachers and miracle workers they esteem. This creates a ripe congregation for deception. Those who always seek "signs and wonders" that are spectacular open themselves to being led astray more than they would imagine.

A very sad experience that I have of some people who have been carried away is that they seem to have reached a point of no return. They are held captive to the extent that they would not even be willing to look at this objectively to see what is happening to them. This is the enslavement Satan imposes on people by leading them astray.Satan is our "enemy [who] prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Those who relentlessly follow people who perform "great signs and wonders" must realize that on the day of judgment, they will be surprised to hear, "Lord, Lord, did we not do many mighty works in your name?"To which Jesus will reply, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:22–23). The problem was not that the signs and wonders weren’t real, but that they were in the service of Satan and not Christ. If the miracle worker is teaching something contrary to God’s Word, then his miracles, no matter how convincing they seem, are a demonic delusion.

Rev. Asir P. Perera
January 24, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

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