The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 625
Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the
heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits
of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world,
to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his
last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers
and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be
Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the
world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful 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
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