Matthew 24:23-28 23Therefore, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it. 24For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and give great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the chosen. 25See, I have told you beforehand. 26Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Jesus next warns about impersonators who will claim to be him. These false messiahs will have something about them that deceives people into putting their faith and trust in them. People are desperate for hope and so will turn to convincing people who promise what these people need. False prophets will work out schemes and ideas that sound so convincing that the uninformed will be fooled into believing them. People especially look for a savior when there is trouble and tribulation, like what there will be in the end times. Sometimes it is the followers of the false messiahs who evangelize the naive. Deception happens not only by pointing to a person but also accepting the claims of that person who may say he or she has a new revelation or received a special vision from God. Entire religions have been built on such claims of revelation.
The basic confession of faith for believers is that only Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and Lord. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew has carefully and consistently shown Jesus to be the only one with the authority, power, and truth to be the Messiah. Any other claims of special revelations and authority must be rejected. In verse 24, Jesus further warns about how impressive these false messiahs and prophets will be with their signs and wonders. People will look at what these anti-christs do and be impressed even to the point of believing in them. The devil can do a powerful imitation of God’s power, as seen with the Egyptian magicians who battled Moses. We should not underestimate the power of evil and the forces of spiritual darkness that can deceive people and lead them into bondage. The world if full of witch doctors, shamans, and sorcerers who imitate the power of God. People are fascinated by these things, especially with the popularity of certain movies and books.
Their trickery can even deceive God’s chosen people. That means that Christians can be deceived by the subtle nature of evil. This deception could begin with interest in the world of fantasy, which especially appeals to selfish imaginations. Believers can also be tricked when they are at a point of weakness and suffering, when their faith is weak, or when they are isolated from other believers because of a lack of fellowship. Jesus mentions two places that can be especially deceiving. Out in the wilderness could imply that this person is unique and special, like John the Baptist. In the first century, the Qumran community was established out in the deserts of Judea as form of Jewish monastery where people believed themselves to be the elect of God and awaited the Teacher of Righteousness. The inner rooms were the private areas of a home where visitors usually could not go. This image could imply that the false messiahs hide themselves from contact with the public, thus protecting their image.
Verse 27 indicates that when Jesus comes, people will know it, just like everyone can see lightning. There will be no hiding or deception. Believers can know for sure that it is indeed Jesus the true Messiah because it will be obvious. He will not come back with claims of power and show up in some quiet or hidden way. His coming will not be through some group that claims special revelation. The proverbial statement in verse 28 adds a vivid image to obvious nature of Jesus’ coming again. It is obvious that there is a dead body around because the vultures circle overhead. Jesus’ coming will be obvious, and so we should not be deceived or tricked by anything or anyone else.
For older posts, click here.