1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

powers of darkness, transformed to appear as theangels of lightFM204and progress, shall be much more specious anddelusive than anything yet attempted. We dowell to remember the Apostle's words,— 'Wewerstle not with flesh and blood, but withprincely powers of darkness, with the spiritualthings of the Evil One.' (Eph. 6:12.) In 1842, sixyears before ‘modern Spiritism' began to operate,Edward Bickersteth, a servant of God andstudent of His Word, wrote,— 'Looking at thesigns of the times, and the long neglect andunnatural denial of all angelic ministration orspiritual influence, and at the express predictionsof false Christs, and false prophets, who shallshow signs and wonders, insomuch that if it werepossible they should deceive the Very Elect, andthat when men receive not the love of the truththat they might be saved, for this cause God shallsend them strong delusion, that they shall believea lie; I cannot but think there is a painfulprospect of a sudden recoil and religiousrevulsion from the present unbelief andmisbelief, to an unnatural and undistinguishingcredulity.' Satan is the inspirer and supporter ofevery Antichrist; and as he led those who hadpleasure in error rather than the truth to theorganization of the great Antichrist, Papacy,symbolically the ‘beast' of Rev. 13, and as he isnow operating to produce a Protestant ‘image ofthe beast' with life, which will cooperate with thechief Antichrist, so in combination with thesewill be the powers of darkness, the powers of theair, the lying and seducing spirits, operating insome manner or in a variety of ways,—Spiritism, Christian Science, New Thought,Theosophy, Hypnotism, etc." (S32.) "If we gainthe right conception of the matter thesedeceptions are to affect the whole world,including its wise men, and indeed practicallyeverybody."— Z.'09-123; Deut. 13:1-3; Matt.24:24, 25; 2 Thess, 2:9-12; Rev. 16:14.Note the readiness of Christendom to fall into thetrap: "In a sermon in which he told of the effect