As they were going out of the temple complex, the disciples had pointed out to Jesus how impressive the buildings were. Jesus responded by telling them that not one stone would be left on another that would not be thrown down. I imagine that they were stunned by His words and walked in silence until they sat down at last to rest on the Mount of Olives. As they looked across at temple complex they finally gave voice to their questions. “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place” (Mark 13:4)? Surely the destruction of the temple complex would usher in the kingdom of God!
Jesus began by warning them not to be deceived. The word deceive means “to go astray, get off-course; to deviate from the correct path (circuit, course), roaming into error, wandering; (passive) be misled.”* Jesus told them that many would come in His name, saying, “I am He.” Jesus said that they would deceive many. Since Jesus began His teaching about the end of time with this warning, I want to pause and look at those who come in His name only to cause people to be misled and deviate from the correct path.
The list is long of all those who have claimed to be the Christ since Jesus made this prophecy. A couple of ones that stand out to me are from my life time. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) was born in what is now North Korea and was the founder of the Unification Church. I remember hearing about him in the 70’s. Sun Myung Moon spoke on the grounds of the Washington Monument in 1976 and around 300,000 people came. I remember seeing his followers, who had left school and careers to devote themselves to his teaching, selling flowers for donations. I also remember Jim Jones who led some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he proclaimed they would set up a utopian community. Nine hundred of his followers were deceived when they roamed into error by following him. They ended up committing suicide.
Lately, however, I have become aware of a different group who are claiming to be the Christ. It seems to me as if they have crept unnoticed into the church and are misleading many. The word for Christ has been redefined. They have changed the Greek meaning of Christ, “the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ,”** and instead say that the Christ Mystery is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process throughout time. This teaching distinguishes “Christ” from “Jesus.” I believe that this is the kind of teaching that represents the deception Jesus was warning about in His answer to His disciples about the end-times. I also believe that this is the teaching that was spoken of in 1 John when he warned that in the last hour there would be those who went out from them but were not really of them. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). How widespread is this teaching? Books containing this teaching have been Amazon’s number-one book in both Christology and Christian ethnics. We need to listen closely to what Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:5).
*HELPS Word-studies
**Strong’s Concordance
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The list is long of all those who have claimed to be the Christ since Jesus made this prophecy. A couple of ones that stand out to me are from my life time. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) was born in what is now North Korea and was the founder of the Unification Church. I remember hearing about him in the 70’s. Sun Myung Moon spoke on the grounds of the Washington Monument in 1976 and around 300,000 people came. I remember seeing his followers, who had left school and careers to devote themselves to his teaching, selling flowers for donations. I also remember Jim Jones who led some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he proclaimed they would set up a utopian community. Nine hundred of his followers were deceived when they roamed into error by following him. They ended up committing suicide.
Lately, however, I have become aware of a different group who are claiming to be the Christ. It seems to me as if they have crept unnoticed into the church and are misleading many. The word for Christ has been redefined. They have changed the Greek meaning of Christ, “the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ,”** and instead say that the Christ Mystery is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process throughout time. This teaching distinguishes “Christ” from “Jesus.” I believe that this is the kind of teaching that represents the deception Jesus was warning about in His answer to His disciples about the end-times. I also believe that this is the teaching that was spoken of in 1 John when he warned that in the last hour there would be those who went out from them but were not really of them. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). How widespread is this teaching? Books containing this teaching have been Amazon’s number-one book in both Christology and Christian ethnics. We need to listen closely to what Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:5).
*HELPS Word-studies
**Strong’s Concordance
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