The rapping delusion was presented before me, and I saw that Satan
has power to bring before us the appearance of forms purporting
to be our relatives or friends who sleep in Jesus. It will be
made to appear as if these friends were actually present, the
words they uttered while here, with which we were familiar, will
be spoken, and the same tone of voice that they had while living
will fall upon the ear. All this is to deceive the world and ensnare
them into the belief of this delusion.
I saw that the saints must have a thorough understanding of present
truth, which they will be obliged to maintain from the Scriptures.
They must understand the state of the dead; for the spirits of
devils will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved relatives
or friends, who will declare to them unscriptural doctrines. They
will do all in their power to excite sympathy and will work miracles
before them to confirm what they declare. The people of God must
be prepared to withstand these spirits with the Bible truth that
the dead know not anything, and that they who thus appear are
the spirits of devils.
We must examine well the foundation of our hope; for we shall
have to give a reason for it from the Scriptures. This delusion
will spread, and we shall have to contend with it face to face;
and unless we are prepared for it, we shall be ensnared and overcome.
But if we do what we can on our part to be ready for the conflict
that is just before us, God will do His part, and His all-powerful
arm will protect us. He would sooner send every angel out of glory
to make a hedge about faithful souls, than have them deceived
and led away by the lying wonders of Satan.
I saw the rapidity with which this delusion was spreading. A train
of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel
bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed
that the whole world was on board. Then he showed me the conductor,
a fair, stately person, whom all the passengers looked up to and
reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it
was. He said, "It is Satan. He is the conductor, in the form
of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. They are
given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie that they may
be damned. His agent, the highest in order next to him, is the
engineer, and others of his agents are employed in different offices
as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed
to perdition."
I asked the angel if there were none left. He bade me look in
the opposite direction, and I saw a little company traveling a
narrow pathway. All seemed to be firmly united by the truth. This
little company looked careworn, as if they had passed through
severe trials and conflicts. And it appeared as if the sun had
just arisen from behind a cloud and shone upon their countenances,
causing them to look triumphant as if their victories were nearly
won.
I saw that the Lord has given the world opportunity to discover
the snare. This one thing is evidence enough for the Christian
if there were no other; there is no difference made between the
precious and the vile. Thomas Paine, whose body has now moldered
to dust and who is to be called forth at the end of the one thousand
years, at the second resurrection, to receive his reward, and
suffer the second death, is represented by Satan as being in heaven,
and highly exalted there. Satan used him on earth as long as he
could, and now he is carrying on the same work through pretensions
of having Thomas Paine so much exalted and honored in heaven;
and as he taught here, Satan would make it appear that he is teaching
there. And some who have looked with horror at his life and death,
and his corrupt teachings while living, now submit to be taught
by him--one of the vilest and most corrupt of men, one who despised
God and His law.
He who is the father of lies, blinds and deceives the world by
sending forth his angels to speak for the apostles, and to make
it appear that they contradict what they wrote by the dictation
of the Holy Ghost when on earth. These lying angels make the apostles
to corrupt their own teachings and to declare them to be adulterated.
By so doing, Satan delights to throw professed Christians and
all the world into uncertainty about the Word of God. That holy
Book cuts directly across his track and thwarts his plans; therefore
he leads men to doubt the divine origin of the Bible. Then he
sets up the infidel Thomas Paine, as if when he died he were ushered
into heaven, and now, united with the holy apostles whom he hated
on earth, were engaged in teaching the world.
Satan assigns to each of his angels a part to act. He enjoins
upon them all to be sly, artful, cunning. He instructs some of
them to act the part of the apostles and to speak for them, while
others are to act the part of infidels and wicked men who died
cursing God, but now appear to be very religious. There is no
difference made between the most holy apostles and the vilest
infidels. They are both made to teach the same thing. It matters
not whom Satan makes to speak, if his object is only accomplished.
He was intimately connected with Paine upon earth, aiding him
in his work, and it is an easy thing for him to know the very
words and the handwriting of one who served him so faithfully
and accomplished his purposes so well. Satan dictated much of
Paine's writings, and it is an easy thing for him to dictate sentiments
through his angels now, and make it appear that they come through
Thomas Paine. This is the masterpiece of Satan. All this teaching,
purporting to be from apostles and saints and wicked men who have
died, comes directly from his satanic majesty.
The fact that Satan claims that one whom he loved so well, and
who hated God so perfectly, is now with the holy apostles and
angels in glory, should be enough to remove the veil from all
minds and discover to them the dark, mysterious works of Satan.
He virtually says to the world and to infidels, "No matter
how wicked you are, no matter whether you believe or disbelieve
in God or the Bible, live as you please, heaven is your home;
for all know that if Thomas Paine is in heaven, and so exalted,
they will surely get there." This is so glaring that all
may see if they will. Satan is now doing, through individuals
like Thomas Paine, what he has been trying to do since his fall.
He is, through his power and lying wonders, tearing away the foundation
of the Christian's hope and putting out the sun that is to light
the narrow way to heaven. He is making the world believe that
the Bible is uninspired, no better than a storybook, while he
holds out something to take its place; namely, spiritual manifestations.
Here is a channel wholly devoted to himself, under his control,
and he can make the world believe what he will. The book that
is to judge him and his followers, he puts back into the shade,
just where he wants it. The Saviour of the world he makes to be
no more than a common man; and as the Roman guard that watched
the tomb of Jesus spread the lying report that the chief priests
and elders put into their mouths, so will the poor, deluded followers
of these pretended spiritual manifestations repeat and try to
make it appear that there is nothing miraculous about our Saviour's
birth, death, and resurrection. After putting Jesus in the background,
they attract the attention of the world to themselves and to their
miracles and lying wonders, which, they declare, far exceed the
works of Christ. Thus the world is taken in the snare and lulled
to a feeling of security, not to find out their awful deception
until the seven last plagues shall be poured out. Satan laughs
as he sees his plan succeed so well and the whole world taken
in the snare. -