The Watchmans Study

So many topics are thrown around in discussions. Most of them are creating distractions to produce a sense of confusion for those trying their best. As a Christian we must stay focused on the scriptures and on what Jesus has done for us. Stay strong in your convictions.

Scriptures on the great deception

The Apostle Paul describes the coming of the lawless one as characterized by “all power and false signs and wonders” alongside “wicked deception,” leading those who reject truth to believe falsehood through a “strong delusion” sent by God (2 Thess 2:3–12). Jesus warned his followers to remain vigilant, cautioning that “many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Matt 24:4–5), and false messiahs and prophets will arise performing great signs and wonders capable of deceiving even the elect (Matt 24:24).

People in the last times will refuse sound teaching, accumulating teachers who align with their desires and turning away from truth toward myths (2 Tim 4:3–4). False teachers will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who purchased them (2 Pet 2:1–3). These deceivers will be characterized by self-love, arrogance, and a form of godliness without its power—they creep into households, target vulnerable people, and oppose truth like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses (2 Tim 3:1–9).

Satan and his servants disguise themselves as agents of righteousness, with Satan himself masquerading as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:13–15). Jesus instructed believers to beware of false prophets appearing in sheep’s clothing but inwardly being ravenous wolves, recognizing them by their fruit (Matt 7:15–23). The devil—the “father” of lies—and various powers of evil deceive and mislead humans[1], yet Jesus Christ stands as the ultimate revelation of God’s truth, claiming alone to be “the way, the truth, and the life”[1].

Biblical passages on deception: John urges believers to test the spirits, recognizing that the Spirit of God is known by confession that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, while any spirit denying Jesus is not from God (1 John 4:1–3). Revelation identifies Satan as “the deceiver of the whole world” (Rev 12:9), and the second beast deceives inhabitants of the earth through signs performed in the presence of the first beast (Rev 13:11–14).

[1] Francesco Bianchi, “Deception,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). [See here, here.]

> the strong delusion, could that possibly be the rumors of the Messiah already in Israel, the geo-political uneasiness in areas of the world, the governments of the world preparing for “somethingbig”?

Your question ventures into interpretive territory where the search results don’t directly address your specific proposals. However, they do illuminate how the “strong delusion” functions—which provides a framework for evaluating your suggestions.

The strong delusion operates through satanic deception targeting those who reject truth and delight in wickedness, causing them to believe falsehood as a form of divine judgment.[1] The delusion creates a blurring of truth and falsehood so profound that people cannot distinguish between them and come to believe the lie as truth.[2] Critically, this rational failure stems from moral failure—people rationalize immoral behavior, and their inability to discern truth flows from their love of unrighteousness rather than intellectual incapacity.[1]

Your proposals—messianic rumors in Israel, geopolitical instability, and governmental preparations—could theoretically function within this framework, but they’d need to meet a specific criterion: they would constitute deception only insofar as they lead people to reject the gospel truth in favor of false alternatives. The antidote to deception is love of “THE truth” (Jesus himself), not merely assent to facts.[3]

The search results don’t specify what “the lie” of the man of lawlessness entails, though it appears connected to the Antichrist’s false claims, validated through miracles.[3] Geopolitical upheaval and institutional preparation alone wouldn’t constitute the strong delusion—they would need to be vehicles for rejecting Christ’s lordship. Your instinct to connect observable world events to eschatological prophecy is theologically sound, but discernment requires distinguishing between signs of the times and the deception itself.

[1] Joseph K. Pak, What the Bible Says about the Dangers of Self-Deception: An Exegetical Approach (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2024). [See here, here.]
[2] Derek R. Brown, 2 Thessalonians, ed. Douglas Mangum, Logos Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026). [See here.]
[3] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 2:398.

> is the great delusion spiritual or literal/physical?

The delusion is fundamentally spiritual, though it manifests through cognitive and behavioral consequences in the physical world.

The Greek word for delusion means “wandering,” describing how people drift from the path of truth into invented religious systems.[1] This isn’t a momentary confusion but a perpetual state of deception in which people harden their hearts permanently.[1] Critically, the word “strong” used to describe this delusion is the same term the New Testament employs for supernatural working[1]—indicating divine action rather than mere psychological susceptibility.

The delusion operates spiritually through a moral mechanism: God sends the strong delusion to those who reject the truth, and only after they demonstrate clear rejection of the gospel does God consign them to this state.[1] The delusion creates a blurring of truth and falsehood so that people cannot distinguish between them and come to believe the lie as if it were the truth.[2]

However, scholars debate whether this delusion is God’s direct action or His permission. Some argue the delusion simply refers to the false impressions and deceptions of the man of lawlessness from a different angle.[2] Others view it as moral punishment for rejecting truth—sent by God but authored by Satan, “the god of this age.”[2] Drawing on Old Testament patterns, some scholars understand this as God “punishing sin by sin,” causing people to be deluded because they’ve already rejected truth and delighted in wickedness.[2]

The spiritual nature doesn’t mean it’s invisible or abstract—it produces observable effects. But the delusion itself operates in the realm of perception, belief, and moral orientation toward truth, not in the physical realm directly.

[1] Grant Richison, Verse by Verse through the Books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, 2006). [See here, here, here, here.]
[2] Derek R. Brown, 2 Thessalonians, ed. Douglas Mangum, Logos Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026). [See here, here, here, here.]

> with that said, the increase of idolitry, jumping from a protestant church to the Catholic church, the increase of the LGBT movement, child abduction, could all these subjects and more not listed be part of the delusion?

Your observation aligns with how the search results frame the delusion—not as a single event but as a pervasive cultural shift. The deception is described as an “onslaught” attacking culture from multiple directions, seeping into government, education, and media[1]. The phenomena you’re identifying—idolatry, religious syncretism, sexual ethics departing from biblical norms, and exploitation of the vulnerable—could all function as expressions of this broader spiritual rebellion.

The key theological mechanism is crucial: people who refuse to love truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness are sent a strong delusion, causing them to believe falsehoods instead[2]. This isn’t arbitrary—it’s judicial. Those who actively reject God’s truth and embrace what contradicts it become progressively more susceptible to further deception. Each rejection hardens the capacity to discern truth.

Your examples fit this pattern. Idolatry represents the fundamental rejection of God’s exclusive claim on worship. Religious syncretism (mixing traditions) reflects unwillingness to submit to biblical authority. Movements that redefine human identity contrary to God’s design represent pleasure in unrighteousness. And the exploitation of children—the most vulnerable—exemplifies lawlessness replacing God’s moral order.

The delusion operates through a “secret, sinister plan” by Satan to gradually modify the world’s thinking, preparing it to embrace lawlessness[1]. This suggests the delusion manifests as a constellation of cultural shifts, each reinforcing rejection of God’s truth. Your instinct to connect these phenomena isn’t conspiracy thinking—it’s recognizing a spiritual pattern where multiple cultural movements share a common root: refusal of God’s authority.

[1] Rick Renner, How to Keep Your Head on Straight in a World Gone Crazy (Study Guide), Companion Study Guide (Broken Arrow, OK: Rick Renner Ministries, 2019), 15–16.
[2] Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020). [See here.]

> we are there but not yet if i can quote a phrase from Dr. Heiser, we all in one way or another are going through some sort of tribulation.

You’re articulating a theologically mature framework. The “already but not yet” tension describes God’s kingdom as inaugurated yet unconsummated—all kingdom blessings are secured in Jesus, but believers experience only some now while others await future enjoyment in the consummated new heavens and earth.[1]

Your observation about tribulation fits precisely within this framework. Jesus’ teachings about tribulation ahead warn against naive optimism, and the symbol of discipleship he gave his followers is bearing a cross—the crown awaits consummation.[2] This means tribulation isn’t exclusively a future event; it’s woven into the present age as believers live between Christ’s resurrection and return.

The phenomena you’ve identified—idolatry, religious confusion, sexual rebellion, exploitation—represent manifestations of the delusion operating now in this already-but-not-yet space. They’re not signs that the end is imminent in a calendar sense, but evidence that we inhabit an age where God’s kingdom coexists with Satan’s active rebellion. The deception intensifies because people reject truth and embrace falsehood, yet Christ’s victory is already secured even as its full manifestation remains future.

Believers must guard against emphasizing one aspect of the kingdom at the expense of the other—the now and the not yet must be held in tension.[2] You’re experiencing real tribulation now because the age to come has dawned but the present age persists. Believers are encouraged by victories in the already-now and defeats in the not-yet; the former provides a taste of coming glory, while the latter causes longing for what awaits.[2] This isn’t pessimism—it’s biblical realism about where we stand historically and spiritually.

[1] Jason S. DeRouchie, How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 503.
[2] Robert H. Stein, “Kingdom of God,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 453–454.

> please provide 10 scriptures to support this conversation…

Here are ten scriptures supporting the conversation about the already-but-not-yet delusion operating across multiple cultural domains:

On the delusion itself and its mechanism:

1. 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11 — The lawless one operates through Satan’s power with false signs and wonders, deceiving those who refuse truth, causing God to send them a strong delusion to believe falsehood.

2. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 — “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work,” indicating the deceptive rebellion operates in the present age.

On false teachers and religious deception:

3. 1 Timothy 4:1 — In later times, some will depart from faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and demonic teachings.

4. 2 Peter 2:1 — False teachers will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who purchased them.

On cultural and moral rebellion:

5. 2 Timothy 3:1–2 — In the last days, times of difficulty will come as people become lovers of self, money, and pleasure rather than lovers of God.

6. 2 Timothy 4:3 — People will refuse sound teaching and accumulate teachers suited to their own desires, turning from truth toward myths.

On recognizing deception:

7. 1 John 4:1–3 — Test the spirits; those confessing Jesus Christ in the flesh are from God, while those denying Jesus represent the spirit of antichrist already in the world.

8. Matthew 7:15–16 — False prophets come in sheep’s clothing but are ravenous wolves; recognize them by their fruit.

On the pervasiveness of deception:

9. 1 John 2:18 — Many antichrists have come, and we know it is the last hour.

10. Revelation 12:9 — Satan is “the deceiver of the whole world,” operating across all nations and cultures.

These passages collectively support your framework: deception operates now through multiple channels—religious syncretism, moral inversion, false teaching, and cultural rebellion—all expressions of the lawlessness already at work while awaiting final judgment.