Feb 09 2008
II Thessalonians 2: 11 A Problem For Dispensationalists
Romans13blog
Friday, February 8, 2008
II Thessalonians 2: 11 A Problem For Dispensationalists
Bernard Pyron
A guy on a Christian Yahoo Group said that the Strong Delusion of
Thessalonians 2: 11 is to be a spectacular flying object in the sky
which will fool many people into believing this is the appearing of
Jesus Christ.
I have a vague memory of some years ago reading something like this
written by a dispensationalist. But I didn’t find exactly what I was
looking for on Google. What I did find was a description of something
on the web site of Harry Walther which he claims will be the Strong
Delusion of II Thessalonians 2: 11.
Walther described a spaceship he says the devil got control over which he thinks will be the
Strong Delusion.
Because Walther talks about the pretrib rapture, he can be identified
as likely being a follower of dispensationalism.
Fallen angels under Satan may try to deceive many that they are space aliens in space ships. But this deception in the last days comes under Christ’s warnings not to be deceived, such as in Matthew 24: 4, or Luke 21: 8. II Thessalonians 2: 3-12 is not about being deceived by demon spirits in space ships.
Paul says in II Thessalonians 2: 10-12 that “And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. “
Truth is used twice in this text. In both cases the people who do not
receive or believe the truth are not saved and are damned.
Truth refers to the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In John 14: 6 Christ
says “I am the way, the truth and the life…” In John 16: 13 he says
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Jesus in John 18: 37 tells us “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art
thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To
this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I
should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth
heareth my voice.”
Importance of doctrine in the New Testament:
Romans 6:17 “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but
ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you.”
Romans 16:17″ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
and avoid them.”
1 Timothy 1:10 ” For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves
with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if
there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”
1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and
them that hear thee.”
Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers. “
2 John 1:9 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he
hath both the Father and the Son.”
It is doctrine that is truth. Doctrine saves us and can save those we
show doctrine to. If one does not have the doctrine of Christ, he is
not in Chrst.
II Thessalonians 2: 11 becomes a problem for dispensationalists if they
even come close to
realizing that they could be the ones who do not have the love of the
truth and do not believe the truth, and are sent a strong delusion, or
error.
So its not surprising that dispensationalists would try to find
interpretations of II Thessalonians 2: 11 and the strong delusion
which do not involve truth as Christ’s doctrine.
Chuck Smith, a dispensationalist celebrity, tries to dodge II
Thessalonians 2:3-12 by teaching that the “falling away” in verse 3,
from the Greek word apostasia, or apostasy, means a falling away into
heaven at the pretribulation rapture of the followers of
dispensationalism.
Harry Walther’s web site on the spaceship of Satan as the strong
delusion is found at:
http://www.satansrapture.com/ezekwheel.htm
Walther teaches that anti-Christians will say God has a
spaceship, and that he is just an Extra-Terrestrial, a space alien, not God.
He says that when the followers of the dispensationalists are taken to heaven through the stargate in the rapture, then people on earth will be looking at the sky. At that time the antichrist or the beast will arrive in the sky in the devil’s spaceship.
“THIS WOULD SURELY BE THE “STRONG DELUSION” THAT PAUL WARNS OF IN 2 THES:2:10″ says Walther. He also claims he found this event in the Bible Codes.
(My Note: Strong delusion, translated from the Greek word, Strong’s
number 4106, plane, meaning error, is in Second Thessalonians 2: 11, not in verse 10.
