lesson nine

MAY 26—JUNE 1

End-Time
Deceptions
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world;
he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him” (Rev. 12:9, NKJV).

Because of the properties of water and light, a process called refrac-

tion occurs when you look at an object in water, meaning that the ob-
ject appears “bent.” This pencil looks like it is broken in half, but really
it is in one piece and the light entering the water has shifted. Satan
has and will continue to use deceptions, deceptions far stronger than
refraction, that could befuddle even the “very elect.” As long as we
keep our eyes on Jesus, we will not be deceived.
 sabbath MAY 26

Gen. 3:1–6
Introduction
Normalized Hoopskirts

How does an idea or practice become “normal”? This is a question that

has endlessly fascinated historians.
Take, for example, a convention of nineteenth-century fashion: hoopskirts.
In the latter half of the 1800s, the hoopskirt was a normalized feature of
American dress. When it was introduced in 1856 as a replacement for the
crinoline—a much heavier, expensive, and difficult-to-clean undergarment—
women flocked to the hoopskirt as an ingenious and comfortable way to
maintain the ideal feminine figure.* The pull of the fashionable hoop was
strong. In the context of the times, it seemed to make complete sense.

How does an idea or practice become “normal”?

Yet today, many of us would be hard pressed to justify sewing steel Hula-
Hoops into our clothing. And my feeling is that if time travel were possible, not
a few hoopskirt-wearing women would be bowled over by how denizens of
the twenty-first century dress themselves.
Like certain ideas and practices throughout history, deception comes in
the guise of what seems “normal,” desirable, comfortable, reasonable, fun,
exciting, or lifesaving. Deception never labels itself “deception.” (If it did, it
would cease to be deception.)
In the Garden of Eden, Satan disguised himself as a beautiful serpent to
convince Eve to eat the apple. The Bible describes him as “more subtil than
any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (Gen. 3:1). Through
deception, Eve ate the apple. Yet this deception came in the form of what
seemed reasonable and attractive. To her eyes, it appeared that “the tree was
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired
to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6).
Satan is in the business of deception: from his fall in heaven to the end of
time, he works to convince or lull us into the acceptance of ideas and prac-
tices that run contrary to the principles of God’s kingdom.
Society, trends, fads, culture, and politics can never safeguard us against
deception, often, instead, normalizing and desensitizing us to sin. God’s
Word alone can help us recognize falsehood. The Bible orients us to His lov-
ing, lifesaving, beautiful system of truth—His “normal”—that runs so contrary
to the world’s “normal.”
Do you want to ask God to help you commit yourself fully to living by His
Scripture today?
____________
* H. Kristina Haugland, “Crinoline,” Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, ed. Valerie Steele,
vol. 1 (Detroit: Scribner and Sons, 2005), p. 317.

Michel Lee, Austin, Texas, USA

83
sunday
MAY 27 Logos Heb. 1:1–3;

The Word Made Flesh

John 1:14;
2 Pet. 1:16–21

God-Inspired Word (2 Pet. 1:16–21; 2 Tim. 3:16)

When Paul writes to Timothy in his second epistle, he states that the
Scriptures (Old Testament writings) were given through the “inspiration
of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). In Greek this can be translated theopneustos. It is
a combination of two Greek words, theos and pneuma—theos, meaning
“God” or “deity”; pneuma, meaning “breath” or “wind.” In the New Testa-
ment, this is synonymous with the Holy Spirit, the actual word breath. As
Christians, we accept the written Word as God’s clearly communicated
thoughts, and this directly impacts our individual relationships with Jesus
(1 Thess. 2:13). When we believe God’s Word and receive it as His Word,
Jesus can effectually make changes in our lives.

When we believe God’s Word and receive it as His Word,

Jesus can effectually make changes in our lives.

The Word Made Flesh (John 1:1–3, 14, 18; Heb. 1:1–3)
In the book of John, this Word that was in the beginning with God and
who was also God came to earth and dwelt among the people of earth in
the very flesh! (John 1:1, 14). Even though no one has seen God physi-
cally (John 1:18), Jesus the Son of God came to fully express the true
character of who God is to all who are willing to receive Him. From the
time of our spiritual forefathers, God had communicated with His peo-
ple through the prophets. However, when His Son Jesus Christ came to
earth, the primary method of communication changed from the prophets
to direct communication with God Himself in the form of a human be-
ing! (Heb. 1:1–3). When you heard Jesus speak or saw Him perform any
action, it was like hearing and seeing God the Father speak and act be-
cause Jesus is the express image of the Father’s person. Jesus Himself
testified to this, saying that whatever the Father does, the Son does in like
manner (John 5:17–19).

Receiving the Word (Luke 8:4–8, 11–15; John 1:11, 13; 8:31, 32)
In the parable of the sower in Luke 8, the world is likened to a simple
seed. A seed can be defined as a germ or a reproductive source of any-
thing. In the first stage of our reproductive process—changing from sinful
human beings into perfect reflections of Jesus Christ—how we receive
Him into our hearts, our daily lives, and our minds is of the utmost impor-
tance, and we need to get a good grasp on this. John 1:11, 13 and John

84
8:31, 32 present us with two opposite responses to Jesus and how He
was received.

Feeding on the Word (John 6:41–51, 53, 54, 61–63)

The text that Jesus quotes in John 6:45 is Isaiah 54:13, where God
makes a covenant with Israel saying that all will be taught of God. The
Word is more than just a combination of alphabetical letters written in ink
on paper. The words that are communicated are spirit and they are life!
They are a source of light in a world full of darkness. There is nothing
in this world that can give more quality and richness to an individual’s
personal life than the Word. This is especially true when the Word is ap-
plied within the personal parts of one’s life. It is important to understand
what Jesus is saying here. People consume bread and water periodically
every day for energy and sustenance; without this consumption, the hu-
man body weakens. Likewise, for the Christian, our spiritual bodies will be
malnourished and without good health if we do not consume Christ and
the words He has for us.

Power of the Word (John 14:12–14; 15:5, 7, 8)

Without a daily consumption of Christ through His Word, the Savior
says that it is impossible to do anything within the spiritual realm. Without
Christ we can never gain victory over our incredibly selfish hearts; without
Christ we cannot heal the brokenhearted or set any captives free or even
set ourselves free from slavery to sin. The greatest evidences of the Word
being made flesh in the Christian life are the changes and reformation
that lives go through when applying the Word (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:17). The
evidence seen within the personal life of that Word, indeed, within us and
we within Him is a new life. It empowers us to overcome habits that for
years have held us down with what seem like unbreakable shackles. The
thoughts and feelings toward spiritual things completely change, and we
fall in love with the principles of heaven. Our greatest passions, that rule
the minds of the majority of the masses, are brought into submission to
the power of the Holy Spirit. This is all done through Him who is the Word
whenever we ask Him to re-create us anew, moment by moment every
day. This He is more than capable of doing until we fully mature into the
fullness of His glory when He comes to take us home.

REACT
1. What are some tangible ways in which you can commune with Christ
through His Word?
2. Why is it so important that you understand that how you receive
Christ affects your relationship with Him?
3. What is some evidence in your life so far that points to the Word re-
creating you anew?

Wyson Ndovie, Detroit, Michigan, USA

85
monday
MAY 28
Testimony
That Time Will Soon 1 Tim. 6:12

Come
“Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares
that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first parents, with
all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon the Creator, leading men to look
upon God as the author of sin, and suffering, and death. Jesus was to unveil
this deception. As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. . . . He
endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own be-
half no power that is not freely offered to us.”1

“Live the life of faith day by day.”

“That time will soon come, and we shall have to keep hold of the strong
arm of Jehovah; for all these great signs and mighty wonders of the devil are
designed to deceive God’s people and overthrow them. Our minds must be
stayed upon God, and we must not fear the fear of the wicked, that is, fear what
they fear, and reverence what they reverence, but be bold and valiant for the
truth. Could our eyes be opened, we should see forms of evil angels around
us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also
see angels of God guarding us from their power; for God’s watchful eye is ever
over Israel for good, and He will protect and save His people, if they put their
trust in Him. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord
will lift up a standard against him.”2
“Live the life of faith day by day. Do not become anxious and distressed
about the time of trouble, and thus have a time of trouble beforehand. Do not
keep thinking, ‘I am afraid I shall not stand in the great testing day.’ You are to
live for the present, for this day only. Tomorrow is not yours. Today you are to
maintain the victory over self. Today you are to live a life of prayer. Today you
are to fight the good fight of faith. Today you are to believe that God blesses
you. And as you gain the victory over darkness and unbelief, you will meet the
requirements of the Master, and will become a blessing to those around you.”3

REACT
1. How has Jesus disproved Satan’s assertion that God has unfair laws?
What does that mean practically for us?
2. How should we view the time of trouble, when Satan shall use his stron-
gest deceptions? How can we be ready?
____________
1. Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 24.
2. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 60.
3. Ellen G. White, Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists,
pp. 142, 143.
Callie Williams, Columbia, Maryland, USA
86
 tuesday MAY 29

2 Thess. 2:9, 10
Evidence
Lying Wonders

Thessalonica was a major city of commerce, welcoming a lot of traffic

as it connected Rome to the East.1 Because the city attracted people from
far and near, it was inevitable that the church in this city would encounter
varying beliefs—most of which acknowledged the supernatural.

Jesus, like a loving parent, warns us—not to scare us

but to prepare us.
The word wonder is derived from the Greek word terasin or teras, which
means “a miraculous wonder, done to elicit a reaction from onlookers, an
extraordinary event with supernatural effect on all witnessing it.”2 On two
occasions this Greek word is used in favor of God, but in the context of
2 Thessalonians 2:9, the adjective lying is used. Thus miracles or wonders
are not limited to God and His followers, for in the last days there will be
“spirits of devils, working miracles” (Rev. 16:14). So how do we distinguish
between the wonders of God and lying wonders? Spiritual discernment is
needed. The Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) guides us to discern between
good and evil with the Word of God as our ultimate standard (Isa. 8:20).
In the end times, “all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all
unrighteous deception” (2  Thess. 2:9, 10, NKJV) will be witnessed. Paul
needed to communicate this message to a church surrounded by beliefs
not founded in Jesus. Today, we, too, are prone to these influences (Rev.
12:12). The devil is well aware that his time on earth is soon expiring; thus,
he goes to great lengths to deceive and lead people astray.
Yes, there will be extraordinary marvels, things that shock us and maybe
even distract us. But Jesus, like a loving parent, warns us—not to scare us
but to prepare us. May our senses be unmoved by the “lying wonders” but
focused on the true object of our attention: Jesus Christ and His truth. Let
us focus on our first love, our first wonder, and the source of all true mag-
nificent wonders, that we may receive the love and be saved.

REACT
1. What are some practical ways we can focus on Jesus, in spite of the
lying wonders that surround us?
2. Are there lying wonders that we can distinguish in the present day?
____________
1. “The Birth and Growth of a Church,” Bible.org, accessed January 18, 2017, https://bible.org
/seriespage/1-birth-and-growth-church.
2. HELPS Word-studies, Bible Hub, s.v. Greek: “5059. teras,” accessed January 18, 2017,
http://biblehub.com/greek/5059.htm.
Davina Buruchara, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
87
wednesday
MAY 30
How-to Gen. 3:1–7;
Deceived Rev. 12:3, 7–9

The Bible warns us about being deceived by Satan. It is his very nature
either to get us into trouble or to make us complacent with the way things
are. That’s essentially the current condition of the Laodicean church.
After deceiving the angels to join him in his rebellion against the govern-
ment of God, Satan gave his earliest, and perhaps clearest, example of
how his method really works when he deceived Eve (Gen. 3:13b).

Eve’s deception included taste, vision, and intellect.

After finding herself separated from her husband, Eve was enticed and
seduced by the words of the serpent. To the skeptical and cunning question
“Has God indeed said . . .?” Eve somewhat defensively responded with her
version of what God had commanded in Genesis 2:16, 17. Moreover, upon
entering into a conversation with the serpent, she found herself to be en-
raptured by the promise of knowledge and power that she would gain after
eating from the fruit. Sadly, Eve chose to distrust God’s command and thus
believed a lie. Eve’s deception included taste, vision, and intellect.
So how can we prevent, avoid, and meet Satan’s deceptions today?
To know error, you have to know truth. God’s Word, the Bible, is the most
reliable source for truth (John 17:17; Prov. 30:5). Although the world may
provide many books that can inform, only the Bible has the power to trans-
form your life. It is as easy as reading a short portion of His Word every day.
To combat deception you have to be connected to the power source.
As depicted in Ephesians 6:10–17, God calls us to put on His armor, and
after putting on the armor we ought to pray (verse 18). Having all the knowl-
edge about God’s Word and doing all the “right” things will not be sufficient
unless you stay connected to God in prayer.
To meet deception and overcome it, you have to be willing to make
yourself vulnerable to God’s correction. You can’t correct what you aren’t
willing to confront. Satan’s deceptions are so cunning that one of the first
natural reactions is to deny or blame others for our condition (just like Adam
and Eve blamed each other and God after they sinned). But as we meet
temptations, our heavenly Father wants us to overcome them with His help.
When you are weak, He is strong (2 Cor. 12:9).

REACT
1. How have you been able to detect and avoid Satan’s deceptions?
2. Read Revelation 12:11. What does this promise mean to you in light of
overcoming Satan’s deceptions?
Esther Bettina Nanasi, Saginaw, Michigan, USA
88
 thursday
MAY 31
Matt. 4:1–11; Opinion
Rev. 12:9
Will I Be Deceived?

How good is the devil at deception? Let’s look at the devil’s best at-
tempted deception ever.
The devil tried to get Jesus to prove His identity. In the first temptation,
the devil started with, “If you are the son of God . . . ” The devil was trying to
get Jesus to prove Himself just by saying “If.” Many of us have gone down
horrible paths all because of an if. If you are man enough . . . or if you really
love me . . . or if you’re not scared . . . We wish to be seen a certain way,
and we even end up trying to prove to the devil that we are, in fact, children
of God. You are what you are; you have nothing to prove to anyone.

A simple prayer suffices to fight the devil.

The devil tried to get Jesus to prove the power of God. The second
temptation tackles faith versus presumption. Faith claims the promise and
obeys; presumption claims the promise without obeying. Presumption is
a different kind of if; it asks individuals to prove the power of God—to put
ourselves in danger so that God delivers us. Presumption is getting into
a romantic relationship with an unbeliever, trusting that God will change
them, for instance.
The devil tried to get Jesus to do the work of God without the character
of God. In the third temptation, the devil offered Jesus what He was hoping
to save—the kingdoms of the world. The temptation lay in the fact that Jesus
could get what he wanted—without suffering and pain, without difficulty—if
he would only worship the devil. He tells us that we can flirt-to-convert, we
can lie to win people to Jesus. It is to pass with top grades, while c­ heating—
achieving what God wants us to do without trusting in God’s way. I call them
Judas tactics because Judas wanted to get Jesus in the presidential office
of Jerusalem; however, he chose to act dirty to achieve it.
A simple prayer suffices to fight the devil: “Lord, I’ve seen you fight the
devil in ____ before; do it again in my life, help me to ____.” Whether iden-
tity, presumption, or Judas tactics, Jesus can beat the deceiver.

REACT
1. In which of the three areas discussed does the devil attack you the
most?
2. What do you think are the best strategies against the devil’s decep-
tions?
3. What do you think about the short prayer at the end? Do you think
Jesus can help us overcome anything that the devil throws at us?
Rodney Matambo, Anasco Puerto Rico.
89
friday
JUNE 1
Gen. 3:1–7;
Exploration Ps. 146:4;

Deception Defeated Matt. 4:1–11;

Rev. 12:9

CONCLUDE
This week’s lesson brings to our attention the fact that we are living in a
time when Satan will attempt to deceive us now more than ever “because he
knows that he has a short time” (Rev. 12:12, NKJV). However, we are also
reminded that we need to look unto Jesus, who has already overcome the
deceptions of Satan (cf. Heb. 4:15, 16). Thus we have the hope that we, too,
can overcome and that Satan’s deception can be destroyed through faith in
Jesus Christ.

CONSIDER
• Drawing, sketching, or painting the following three scenes from history:
(1) deception in heaven: Satan deceiving the angels; (2) deception on
earth: Satan deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden; (3) deception de-
feated: Satan’s attempted deception being overcome by Jesus relying
on God’s Word in the wilderness. These scenes should remind us that
Jesus has gained the victory and can help us overcome Satan’s decep-
tions as well.
• Making a table to compare popular beliefs about what happens after
death and what the Bible says happens after death. Are there huge dif-
ferences, or are there subtle differences? What impact does each under-
standing of life after death have on how people live their daily lives? Why?
• Debating with a friend about why God can use only truth, while Satan
can use truth and lies, both flattery and deceit?
• Singing the hymns “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (290) and “Faith Is
the Victory” (608) in the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. Reflect on the
messages of these songs when we face trials and end-time deceptions.
• Journaling about other stories in the Bible or from your own personal
experience when deception was a means to bring about a desired re-
sult. What were the outcomes?
• Observing insects that can camouflage or appear to be something
else. Then compare and contrast reasons why insects at times disguise
themselves and why Satan would want to disguise himself.

CONNECT
John 1:7–11; 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15; 1 Peter 2:8–10; Revelation 12:7–
12, 17; 20:10.
Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 1, “Why Was Sin Per-
mitted?”; The Great Controversy, chapter 33, “The First Great Deception.”

Emely Umaña, Centreville, Virginia, USA

90