Chapter 1

“…ANOTHER JESUS”

         “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached…you put up with it easily enough.”  {2 Corinthians 11:3, 4}

Is there any possibility whatsoever that large numbers of conservative, Spirit of Prophecy loving Seventh-day Adventists have, unbeknown to them, accepted “another Jesus?” Before you give your answer, consider a few facts.

We are told that there are more than a hundred million angels before the throne of God:

“I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders (4 beasts & 24 elders, v.8) and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.”  {Revelation 5:11; See Daniel 7:10 also}

We are also told:

“His false representations won to his side one third of all the heavenly angels; and so strong was their delusion that they would not be corrected; they clung to Lucifer, and were expelled from Heaven with him.”  {Signs of the Times, October 25, 1883}

Even using the most conservative figures, of more than fifty million angels it is written: “so strong was their delusion that they would not be corrected.”  Incredible and sad beyond human comprehension. Fifty million angels, that for who knows how long lived in the very presence of God; fifty million angels, who were free from the weaknesses and encumbrances of fallen humanity; deceived, so powerfully and horribly deceived, “that they would not be corrected,” and were forever “expelled from Heaven.”

How do we compare with angels?  Well originally not too bad: “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels.” {Hebrews 2:7}. Unfortunately, things didn’t stay that way for long:

“Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made captive by Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God specially interposed.”  {Steps to Christ 17}

From there, for the most part, it has been nothing but downhill:

“For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth.”  {Desire of Ages 117}

So far as our part of the equation is concerned there can be no denying that the possibility of our being deceived must be almost infinitely greater than was that of the angels. And to make matters worse, not only has our ability to discern and resist the devil greatly decreased, but the devil’s power to deceive has greatly increased:

“The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away. His wrath and hate grow stronger as his time to work draws near its close.”  {2 Spiritual Gifts 277}

“…ten-fold greater…and it will increase….His wrath and hate grow stronger.”  We need a much deeper awareness of just how real (“Satan does not merely pretend. He is in earnest.” 2T 287) and unceasing (“an unceasing, desperate conflict between good and evil.” RH 5/3/06) this great controversy between good and evil is, which every one of us is a part of.

Surely, when we consider our weakness, along with Satan’s tremendous power, it should cause us to realize to the very depths of our being: WE NEED GOD! And: WE NEED HIS WORD!

“…the word of life.”                                                     {Philippians 2:16}
“…the word of truth.”                                                 {Ephesians 1:13}
“…as it is in truth, the word of God.”                       {1 Thessalonians 2:13}
“…the word, which is able to save your souls.”     {James 1:21}

 How was it that Satan managed to deceive so many heavenly beings?

 “[Lucifer] sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God… With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels.”  {Desire of Ages 21, 22}

 “He misrepresented God…Thus he deceived angels.” Satan deceived fifty million angels by presenting to them a wrong conception of the Father.

Not only is it possible, but it is a reality, that today Satan is deceiving multitudes of Seventh-day Adventists by presenting to them a wrong conception of the Son. In other words: “another Jesus.”

 I feel I must sound two very solemn warnings in connection with what I just said. #1—This time it is not those poor, deluded Seventh-Day Adventists that have given up their faith in the Spirit of Prophecy that it is happening to. #2—Few seem to realize just how serious and just how widespread this problem actually is.