Bible history and prophecy show that not all miracles are from God. At the end time, there will be counterfeit miracles to deceive the nations and, if possible, even God’s people.
by Mike Bennett
In our modern age, many people are skeptical of claims of healings, miracles or any supernatural events. The miracles of the Bible are looked at as quaint fairy tales developed by primitive cultures to explain the mysteries of nature. Today, science claims to give man the godlike ability to explain those wonders, and the rational mind believes all phenomena can be explained by nature—without God.
Yet there remains something just below the surface of the modern psyche that is tantalized by the mysterious and unexplainable. UFOs, ghosts, magic and witchcraft are still incredibly popular. And the mystical elements of various religions attract myriad new converts every year. Sites like Fatima, Lourdes and Medjugorje draw millions of pilgrims each year.
The Bible foretells a time when religion will play a major role in places like Europe, where religion was written off many decades ago. How can church again dominate state in such a secular wasteland? It seems the prophesied miracles will play a major part in bringing about this change in the "zeitgeist" (spirit of the times) of the Continent.
First, can supernatural wonders really come from a source other than God?
Lying wonders
Even those with a passing knowledge of the Bible have heard of the Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea . Before the pharaoh was willing to let his Israelite slaves go, the Bible records 10 devastating plagues God brought on the stubborn Egyptian ruler and his people.
Interestingly, the pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate, on a smaller scale, the first two plagues, making water appear as blood and making even more frogs appear on Egypt than those God had sent (Exodus 7:22 and 8:7). They were also able to make their rods change into snakes (Exodus 7:11-12). Whether these were tricks and illusions or actual supernatural miracles from an evil spiritual source, they had the intended effect. They hardened the pharaoh's heart, meaning they cemented his resistance to the demands of the Israelites.
