SATAN'S MASTERPIECEBy: Elder Lawrence NelsonThis sermon is part of a series entitled Spiritualism
We are told by the Spirit of Prophecy, "Spiritualism is the masterpiece of [Satan's] deception." Signs of the Times, August 26, 1889. This alarming statement that spiritism is now a masterpiece needs some clarification. When will its full accomplishment take place? Thank God, divine Inspiration has the answer found in Great Controversy p. 561. We are told, "Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: 'Ye shall not surely die.' 'In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' Genesis 3:4,5. Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time."
If you believe, as I do, that we are living in the very last remnant of time, then spiritualism is the greatest deception facing the people of God, and the world, today. Before we proceed with this investigation of satanic activity we must first plead for divine guidance so we will not be ensnared.
Dear Father, our most righteous God, we have been warned in Thy Holy Word that last-day deception will be so great that it is possible that some of the very elect may be misled. Should any of us doubt in any way the truth as revealed in Thy Holy Word we will be captured by Satan. Therefore grant us Thy Holy Spirit to guide us in this study so that we may be able to understand and be unmoved by Satan's masterpiece and be grounded in Thy truth. I thank you for answering this special request, in the name of Thy dear Son, Jesus. Amen.
First, let us open the scriptures and read Revelation 16:13,14. "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy describe this three-fold union as composed of a trio of powers – the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. This is indeed a satanic trinity deceiving the world. Listen to this quotation, Great Controversy p. 588, "Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation for spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience."
G. Edward Reed, who is an ordained minister working in the North American Division office, sums up these three powers in his book, Sunday's Coming. I'm quoting from p. 114, "Adventist expositors agree with the identification of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet as modern spiritualism or paganism, the papacy and apostate Protestantism. This trio, or trinity, of religious powers together constitute the latter day great Babylon."
There is no doubt that these verses of Revelation 16:13,14 are talking about spiritism; but just how will this masterpiece of satanic deception manifest itself in the end time just before the Second Coming of Christ? Before we answer this question I believe we must clearly understand what spiritualism is.
Webster's Dictionary defines spiritism as, "A belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with the living." Bible students know that this is possible, because the devil uses his evil angels to impersonate people who have died, as we find in the Old Testament when Saul went to the witch of Endor, who worked with Satan, making it possible for an evil angel to impersonate Samuel who had died and was buried in his grave.
I Samuel 28:11-14, "Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle, And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself."
So today, Satan, through spiritualism, impersonates Mary, the mother of our Lord, in tens of thousands of apparitions as I shall document in this study in which Satan is guiding the pope's every action and preparing Catholicism for his masterpiece of spiritualism. The ultimate deception will take place when Satan, himself, will impersonate Christ in a false Second Coming.
Edward Reed in his book, Sunday's Coming, p. 114 states, "The devil will use this spiritualistic phenomenon to bring the papacy and the apostate Protestantism together along with the whole world. We are now seeing the beginning of this, the last act of Satan."
Now the purpose of this presentation is to reveal how Satan is laying the groundwork for his personal appearance in which he wants to capture the worship of the world. In order to get the complete picture it will be necessary to cover a careful review of the Marion apparitions, which started, in its beginnings, in Fatima, Portugal.
Let us begin with the observations of Ted and Maureen Flynn who are the leading spokesmen among the Catholic laity in behalf of the Marion movement. In their book, The Thunder of Justice, p. 3,4 I quote, "The twentieth century is witnessing a phenomenon that has simply grown too big for any reasonable person to ignore, the supernatural exploits in our midst on a near-daily basis; reported apparitions of Mary at a frequency never seen before in all of recorded history."
It is reported that in the United States alone there have been some 7000 Mary apparitions as reported in John Janiuk's book, Great Controversy Endgame, p. 3. John Janiuk is an ordained, Seventh-day Adventist minister, doing research at the E.G. White Library in Avondale College, Australia. "These manifestations of spiritism are having a tremendous effect in preparing Protestant America to lead the world into this false worship as foretold in Revelation 13:11,12."
"And he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Revelation 13:11,12
Consider these words, "Causing the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast." What does this mean? I quote from Great Controversy p. 448,449, "The enforcement of Sunday-keeping on the part of Protestant churches (in America) is an enforcement of the worship of the papacy--of the beast."
There is no doubt America is ready for this now. But before we go further, I want to make it absolutely clear that when I refer to Mary and her apparitions, in which she talks of end-time events, that this is actually not Mary who is speaking, but it is Satan, impersonating Mary, who is speaking. We know that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is still resting in her grave awaiting the return of Jesus and the resurrection. On the other hand, these apparitions of Mary which are taking place today are genuine events of satanic deceptions, and to encounter such an experience is to have contact with Satan himself.
Let us often refresh our memories by recounting heaven's assurance against spiritualism with the following scriptures defining death. Psalms 146:4, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." In Ecclesiastes 9:5,6 we read, "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing...Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." Psalms 115:17, "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Psalms 6:5 says, "For in death there is no remembrance of thee."
Now with these texts in mind we are ready to consider the most important and fascinating apparitions of Mary, which took place in Fatima in 1917. Speaking of this event the authors of the book, The Thunder of Justice, have stated, "Fatima is the key Marion apparition of the twentieth century." p. 132
The following history of what took place at Fatima is compiled from a Catholic church historian using the language and terminology as condensed by John Janiuk's book Great Controversy Endgame p. 56, "On May 13, 1917, just after noon, three children had finished lunch and were going out to play when they saw a flash of lightning, then another. A lovely lady, more brilliant than the sun, appeared over a small home oak tree. She said, 'Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm; I am from heaven.' Lucia asked, 'What do you want of us?' The lady replied, 'I want you to come here on the thirteenth day for six months at this time; then I will tell you who I am and what I want.' She departed with the words, 'Say the rosary every day to earn peace for the world and the end of the war.' (World War I was then taking place).
"In the following four months the lady appeared each time at the oak tree to the three children. She advised that she would take Francisco and Josento to heaven soon, for an epidemic of flu claimed Franscisco and Josento in 1919 and 1920. But the lady said to Lucia, 'You, however, are to stay here for a longer time. Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish the devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world.'
"On Mary's third visit, the children were shown a vision of hell. The lady said to Lucia, 'You have seen hell where the souls of the poor sinners go. To save them, God wants to establish throughout the world the devotion of my Immaculate Heart. If people will do what I tell you many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end (speaking of the first World War); but if they do not stop offending God another and worse war (the second World War) will break out in the reign of Pius XXI. When you see a light illuminated by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger, persecution of the church and of the Holy Father. To forestall this I shall come to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart. If they heed my request, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me which will be converted and some time of peace will be given to the world.'
"On October 13, 1917 the lady appeared as promised. A severe storm had raged through Europe, the ground was soaked and muddy. A crowd of people, estimated at between 50,000 to 70,000, made its way, drenched, to the apparition sight. The lady appeared, and in reply to Lucia's usual question, 'What do you want?' the reply was, 'I want to tell you that they must build a chapel here in my honor; that I am the lady of the rosary; that they continue to say the rosary every day. The war will end and the soldiers will return to their homes soon.'
"As the blessed mother was leaving, she opened her hands and from them rays of light extended in the direction of the sun. Gradually the sun grew pale and appeared as a silver disk at which all could gaze directly without shielding their eyes. Rays of multi-colored lights shot out from the sun in every direction – red, blue, yellow, green and every color of the spectrum. Then the sun began to spin madly on its axis and appeared like a giant wheel of fire. The sun began to dance.
"Suddenly the sun seemed to be torn loose from its orbit. It hurled closer and closer to the earth. The people were terrified and there arose cries of repentance and appeals for mercy. Many thought it was the end of the world. Then, just as suddenly, the sun stopped plummeting downwards and in the same swirling motion, it began to climb upward until it resumed its place in the sky. The rain-soaked clothes of the 50,000 – 70,000 people were immediately dry." This was an event reported by several newspapers of the day.
Sister Lucia is, as of this writing, still living. She has continued to receive messages from our Blessed Mother. Lucia has been told that she will see the fulfillment of all the messages of Fatima. Lucia, today (1998) is now 92-years old.
Now we are ready to consider the events that have taken place after this remarkable experience at Fatima. On June 13, 1929 Sister Lucia had another vision at Fatima in which Mary gave Lucia a message for the pope. "The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, the pope, in union with all the bishops of the world to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means."
There is no evidence that this message ever reached the pope at that time since the pope was occupied with the healing of the deadly wound which began in 1929 as prophecy had predicted. But in 1930 the bishop of Fatima declared the apparitions of Mary which had taken place in Fatima must be accepted as of a supernatural origin.
Then following this, on January 25 and 26, 1938, the predictions of the light to be seen in the heavens which was given July 13, 1917 was seen in the United States and Europe. The people were startled by the display of lights, which scientists termed as the aurora borealis, of exceptional magnitude. Lucia, at the convent in Spain, marveled at the spectacle.
In 1942 Pope Pius XII broadcast a message to Portugal in which he consecrated the world to Mary. Now I hope you are following me. Please notice how step by step the Catholic Church is preparing its members to accept the apparitions of Mary during the years from 1946 to 1967.
First, Pope Pius XII crowned the image of Our Lady of Fatima and proclaimed her the Queen of the World. Next, the pope made his first attempt to consecrate Russia to the heart of Mary. Then Pope Pius XII raised the sanctuary of Fatima to the rank of a basilica. In 1962, Pope John XIII instituted the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in honor of the Lady of Fatima. In 1964 Pope Paul VI renews the consecration of Russia made by Pope Pius XII. And on May 13, 1967 Pope Paul VI went to Fatima and gave a call for a renewed consecration to the Immaculate Heart.Now I'm stressing these events and dates because they reveal how Satan's masterpiece of spiritism is becoming the very center of the Catholic Church beliefs.
The next event that took place was the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II which took place on May 13, 1981. I am paraphrasing from The Keys of This Blood by Malachi Martin p 46. Pope John Paul II was seriously wounded by an assassin's bullet. The pope was saved from death when he turned to look at a young girl in the crowd wearing a picture of the Virgin of Fatima. Just as he bent from the slow moving "Popemobile" in a spontaneous gesture toward the child, a shot, aimed at his head, missed. The assassin then shot twice more striking the pope in the abdomen. The pope spoke from his hospital room while he was recuperating from his wounds. He read everything he could about Fatima and corresponded with Lucia and re-read the famous, unreleased 'Third Secrets.'
Then on May 13, 1982 Pope John Paul II visits Fatima to thank Mary for saving his life, stating that the message of Fatima is still more urgent. On May 25, 1984, while secretly in Russia, a bishop of the Catholic Church made the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at the alter of St. Michael's Church in the Kremlin. In conjunction with this, on the same date, Pope John Paul II was joined by a moral totality of all Catholic bishops throughout the world in consecrating the world, and therefore, Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In June 1989, before the breakup of the communist empire, Lucia stated that the collegial consecration of Russia requested by Our Lady has been accomplished and God will keep His word. A few months later the world began to witness the empire's collapse.
We have been examining how spiritism has taken control of Catholicism and now let us see how this has affected the political power of the world. Keep in mind the following: In December of 1989, Pope John Paul II met with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev claiming this visit was a result of God's providence. One year later they met again for the second time. In May of 1991 Pope John Paul II went to Fatima to thank the Lady of Fatima for sparing his life in the 1981 assassination attempt, and thanked her for the fruit resulting from his consecration of Russia to Mary. On the feast of the queenship of Mary a coup was attempted by the hard-liners in Russia, but it failed. On December 25, 1991 the Soviet flag with the hammer and sickle was lowered for the last time when President Mikhail Gorbachev announced his resignation.
Thus far, Mary's predictions have come to pass. Perhaps this is a good place to stop and do a little summarizing. Notice spiritism's achievements thus far. Satan's personation of Mary has demanded that the people worship Mary rather than God, the Creator; and to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart. In order to remove the worship of God, don't overlook Mary's requirement to consecrate Russia to her instead of to God., bringing about the collapse of the Russian empire. Then there is the fact that every Marion apparition demands, "Say the rosary every day," instead of praying in the name of Jesus, to God the Father. In these Marion apparitions we are seeing the development of spiritism, the masterpiece of Satan's deceptions.
Now let us give special attention to this third secret document dealing with the end-time messages of Satan. We shall discover that these Marion apparitions are the foundation for Satan's final attempt to counterfeit the Second Coming by giving instructions to the papacy as to what she must do to prepare for this coming, and that this special coming of Christ will happen at the beginning of the coming millennium of peace.
What are these specific end-time messages of Satan? In the book, The Thunder of Justice p. 289 we read that Mary stated on December 3, 1992, "I have announced to you many times that the end of the times, and the coming of Jesus in glory is very near." This is the gist of Mary's message to the world today.
Now you may ask, "Why is the devil preparing the world for the coming of Jesus?" - Because he is getting ready to counterfeit the real coming of Jesus and His Second Coming. Remember, Satan's counterfeits always appear before the genuine takes place.
In the book, The Thunder of Justice p. 15 there is a paragraph that summarizes what these end-time messages of Mary are all about. "The multiplication of reports of Marion apparitions in our day and the signs and wonders being experienced by millions of ordinary people are an indication that Christ is very much present and concerned over our deepening alienation from Him."
Now take special note of this: "Christ's personal intervention is necessary to warn us, to shelter us, to inform us, to prepare us in every possible way so that we may be able and ready for the day of His coming in the very near future." Don't forget, this is actually Satan speaking. John Januik in his book The Great Controversy End Game, chapter three, takes the following messages of Mary and the pope and reveals their true meaning to Seventh-day Adventists. I shall closely follow chapter three in the rest of this tape which he has graciously given me permission to do.
On January 1, 1990, through Father Golby, Mary further stated, "I am the mother of the second advent. I am preparing you for His coming." (Thunder of Justice 156) The authors of the book Thunder of Justice say, "As John the Baptist prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus, Mary prepares the way for His Second Coming." (p 12)
Recently the present pope quoted a very startling message that Mary gave to Father Golby on July 30, 1986 in which she said, "This is the moment for all to take refuge in me because I am the ark of the new covenant. At the time of Noah, immediately before the flood, those whom the Lord had destined to survive his terrible chastisement entered into the ark. In these, your times, I am inviting all my beloved children to enter the ark of the new covenant which I have built in my Immaculate Heart for you that they may be assisted by me to carry the bloody burden of the great trial which precedes the coming of the day of the Lord." (p 57)
As you can see, Mary has claimed to be our refuge; but the Bible in Psalms 91:1,2 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."
In a message to the Marion movement of priests, Mary explains about the mark of the beast. Are you awake? Listen carefully! "If my adversary is signing with his mark all his followers, the time has come when I also, your heavenly Leader, am signing with my Motherly seal all those who have consecrated themselves to my Immaculate heart and have formed a part of my army." Thunder of Justice p. 101. But Revelation 7:2 says, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God." From this we see the angel, not Mary, having the seal of the living God.
On January 24, 1984 Mary said to Father Golby, "I am always among you." But in the Bible in Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Do you see how Satan is attempting to remove Jesus and put himself in the place of Christ?
John Paul II confirms Mary's vital role in the preparation of the people of God for Christ's Second Coming through her personal intercession and as the mediatrix of mercy. Thunder of Justice 48, "As advocate, Mary brings to God the petitions of the people of God." (Ibid.) But again, the Bible in 1 Timothy 2:5 "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
Satan wants to remove Jesus as the advocate from the minds of the people and have them pray to Mary. What is Mary's role in Catholicism, with the rosary? The saying of the rosary is a very vital part of Catholic worship. What is the rosary? It is a string of 50 small beads, separated by four large beads and a crucifix. As the small beads are touched, the worshiper says a "Hail Mary." On the large beads, the Lord's Prayer is prayed. On the crucifix the Apostle's Creed is recited. Thus the rosary tell us that Mary is the center of Catholic worship.
Mary says, "The only weapon which will remain for you will be the rosary. Pray very much the prayers of the rosary. I alone am able to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved." (Ibid.) Do you see what the main deception is? Satan wants to remove Jesus as our Savior from the people's minds, from their hearts and in their faith.
Mary many times has predicted that we are in the last decade of year's history. She claims to be the messenger of the Second Coming, and following this decade she predicts a long period of peace – the millennium of peace. Listen as she describes the shortness of time, "Our Blessed Mother told us, through Father Golby, in a message given September 18, 1988 that we have a period of ten years. In this period of ten years there will come to completion the time of the great tribulation which has been foretold to you in Holy Scripture before the Second Coming of Jesus. In this period of ten years all the secrets which I have revealed to some of my children will come to pass, and all the events which I have foretold to you by me will take place." Sunday's Coming p. 129.
On January 1, 1990 through Father Golby, Mary further stated, "During the last decade of your century the events which I have foretold to you will have reached their completion." (Ibid.) "In another very interesting prediction Mary has used the lives of two very old people as timelines leading up to the Second Coming and the end of time." (Ibid)
In the first timeline, Mary has said to Lucia, that Lucia would live to see the fulfillment of all the messages. She is now 92. Mary has promised her that she will be alive when Jesus Christ comes. The other timeline is the life of the current pope, John Paul II. From one of the visionaries of Spain, we read, "After Pope John XXIII, there will be three more popes. One will reign only a short time (that was 33 days) and then it will be the end of time but not the end of the world."
As most listeners well know, one of the last two popes, Pope John Paul I, reigned from August 26, 1978 to September 28, 1978 – only 33 days. The current pope, John Paul II, is getting old. He is now 77 and feeble, and he is the third pope since John XXIII. Sunday's Coming p. 130 says, "Regarding these breathtaking predictions referring to the lives of Lucia and the present pope we know that only God knows the future, but we also know that the devil is a smart operator. He is acquainted with Ellen White's statements that the last movements will be rapid ones, so he is guessing a final wind-up is soon. We shall see.
"But as Seventh-day Adventists we have a message based on Bible prophecy which cannot fail, which tells us that we are living in the last days, and that the Second Coming of Jesus is very near. So, we must prepare ourselves for Satan's counterfeit - his crowning act of deception. 'For Satan, himself will impersonate Christ in a false Second Coming.' Great Controversy p. 624."
Satan is determined to be worshiped by the whole world. This is why he is speaking through Mary, "I am your refuge and ark. I am sealing you by my Motherly seal. I am your advocate and intercessor before God. I am the mother of the body of Christ. I am the mother of the church." Do you see how Mary has usurped that which belongs only to Jesus? Satan is the same old Lucifer of Isaiah 14 in which he proudly boasts, "I, I, I, I will be like the Most High."
And now listen carefully to the crowning apparition of this tape. Listen to what Mary has said to Father Golby in December 19, 1994. This is very important. "I confirm to you that by the great Jubilee of the year 2000 there will take place the triumph of my Immaculate heart of which I foretold you at Fatima. And this will come to pass with the return of Jesus, in glory, to establish His reign in this world. What will come to pass is something so very great that it will exceed everything that has taken place since the beginning of the world." (This is taken from a video of prophecy and news by Ted Flynn)
Satan knows very well that his time is short. He knows that the Lord is coming soon and he knows that when this takes place he will begin the end of his existence. So in his desperate situation he decided through his impersonation of Mary to tell the world that the end is near; that Jesus is coming and to be ready. In this way he is preparing the world for his counterfeit; of his impersonation of Christ's Second Coming to take place just before the true coming of our Savior. Thus he hopes that the whole world will accept him and worship him as the Christ and then reject the Son of God when He comes.
Let us pray, Dear God, may these timely facts of spiritism awaken us to the fact that we are now living in the very last days. Help us, O God, to prepare for this soon coming crisis. Amen.
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