Religious deception is already rampant in the world.  There are many warnings of false teachers in the Bible. For example:

2 Cor 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
2 Cor 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
2 Cor 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works

These false teachers appear to be genuine – appear to be ministers or teachers of Christ when in fact they belong to the devil.  This is one of the ways in which the devil works.  Right at the beginning of the history of mankind, the devil deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, and ever since he has been deceiving mankind. 

But the Bible warns us that at the time of the end there will be a massive religious deception.  The question we need to answer is:  how can we recognise it when it comes?

But how massive will the deception be?  Christ warned that at the time of the end false teachers and prophets would rise and perform great signs and wonders – so great that if it were possible – even God’s people would be deceived.

Mat 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

It appears everyone will be deceived – except God’s people.  That’s a massive deception.

Right at the end time a great false teacher will arise known as the false prophet.  He will perform amazing signs and wonders.  Revelation 13 describes this false prophet.

Rev 13:11  Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing – or a dragon in lamb’s clothing.

Rev 13:13  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
Rev 13:14  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, …

This false prophet deceives people, performs great signs even making fire come down from heaven.

This is very similar to the miraculous signs that God’s servants – the two witnesses – perform.  In Rev 11 we read the miraculous signs the two witnesses perform.

Rev 11:5  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
Rev 11:6  These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

So, the great signs that the false prophet performs are very similar to the miraculous signs that God’s servants – the two witnesses – perform.

What sort of great signs and wonders might this false prophet perform? 

He might make accurate predictions of events in the future.  Such things have happened in the past.  In ancient Israel some false teachers and prophets made accurate predictions of events in the future.

Deu 13:1  “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2  “and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’; which you have not known; ‘and let us serve them,’
Deu 13:3  “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

We see that God allows false teachers to make accurate predictions of the future – for the purpose of testing us.

So back to the question, what sort of great signs and wonders might this false prophet perform?

We know that he will be able to bring fire down from heaven.  Perhaps he might mimic the miracles of the two witnesses: withhold rain, turn water into blood and strike people with plagues.  Perhaps he will make accurate predictions of things such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or hurricanes.  He will do things that cannot possibly be the tricks of a magician – it will be the real thing.  Whatever this false prophet does it will be so convincing that he will deceive people that he is of God.

Imagine being alive when this false prophet comes on the scene and starts performing miraculous signs.  Our friends, our colleagues, our neighbours will be amazed.  They will be convinced that this individual performing these incredible signs is of God.  But how can we know if he is a false teacher or not? 

How can we know if someone performing miraculous signs who claims to be of God is a false prophet or not? 

Over two and a half thousand years ago the prophet Isaiah was sent to warn ancient Israel of their impending invasion and captivity by the Assyrians.  Of course, the ancient Israelites didn’t want to listen to or believe Isaiah.  They consulted mediums and psychics to find out what the future held.

God had this to say about them in Isa 8:20.

Isa 8:20  To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

If what they say contradicts what is written in God’s word, then they are false teachers.  If they do not speak according to the teachings of the Bible, they are false teachers.

If someone teaches against the law, then he a false teacher.  It doesn’t matter how much fire he calls down from heaven; it doesn’t matter what incredible miraculous signs he is performing; if he is teaching against the Sabbath or any of God’s law, he is a false teacher.

Isa 8:20  To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.