Based in Minneapolis, MN, Select Comfort began in 1987 after its owner left his former company, Comfortaire. Their main attraction is an adjustable air mattress with a sleep number that sets an adjustment of softness or firmness. Kind of reminds me of the three little bears: one is too soft, one is too hard, but the middle is just right. With these mattresses, the higher the number, the more air pressure and therefore, more firmness. Less air pressure makes them softer. The company advertises with a married couple in bed. One has a number 10 – more soft, and one has a number 45 – firmer. Two different comfort needs in the same bed, so their comfort level is determined by the choice of hard or softness.
The Bible says that “two will be in one bed and one is taken; two in the field and one is “taken” (Luke 17: 34, 35). What’s your comfort level for your choice in life? False christs and deceptions are upon us and growing in intensity. Therefore, is it possible for the elect to be deceived, as it indicates in this portion of scripture?
Elect
The Greek word for “elect” is “eklektos” (verse 22), meaning “select, elect”. By implication it means “a favorite, chosen out of a larger group and chosen specifically for oneself. It comes from the Greek word “eklego” meaning “I choose, pick out for myself”. It comes from two words” “ek” meaning “out of”; and “lego” meaning “speaking to a conclusion, laying an argument to rest”. The total message is this: to pick out pieces and form a picture of one’s desired intent, just like the old Lego game. It is God’s eternal intent in choosing for Himself a people. How many of us enjoyed being chosen for softball games in school? That’s where I learned to pray. Teams were never even and always painful.
There is a difference between a group or nation being chosen by God and yet individuals still making their own choice. Israel was chosen by God as His vessel (Isaiah 44: 1; Romans 11: 25-28). Does that mean every Jewish person will come to know The Messiah? No. Romans 3: 1-4 reminds us that the Jewish people who do not choose God do not undo His call of the nation as a whole. The Gentiles were grafted in as a group, yet not all people in this category will accept Christ and live for Him either. The Bible says “few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).
In the Bible we find that for eternal salvation, God’s revealed will shows that the two categories of importance are not Jew/Gentile, male/female, slave/free, but rather saved or lost. God framed His intent through designated groups, yet the full picture shows individuals must choose Him. As in marriage, it takes two parties to agree. John 2: 24 reminds us that though many came to Jesus, He did not entrust Himself to all of them, for He knew their hearts. Jesus is not under obligation to accept any person’s decision for Him, if He knows the heart of that person is not genuine. This portion also reminds us of God’s mercy, for it says that God will cut short this horrible time for the sake of His elect.
Distress – Verse 21
The question: Is the mattress uncomfortable?
I was going to be doing an out of town wedding and the couple had secured a room for me in a local hotel. The bed was so bad that I had to sleep sideways at the bottom of the bed, hoping I didn’t fall out. Being uncomfortable does not give you the needed sleep or rest for the next day’s activities. The events coming upon the world are going to bring great distress.
“Distress” is the Greek word “thipsis” and means “tribulation, pressure, afflictions, persecution”. It also means to “constrict or rub together”, specifically “internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined/hemmed in without options.” It will be a time of unequaled terror. The Bible says that in the last days it will be like the days of Lot and Noah, so add that up and then think of the Holocaust and every other heinous time and put them all together and it will not cover the intent of this time. Is it the coming tribulation? Probably, but we know that even if we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, there still will be troubles up to that point. The root word of “thipsis” is “thibo” – a verb meaning to “rub the wrong way, press hard, afflict, persecute”. Again, this is internal pressure – done oppressively.
Heat is generated by atoms and molecules bumping/rubbing together. Remember what was used in the Boston Marathon bombings? Pressure cookers. In the air mattresses, the temperature rises and the mattresses go from soft to firm. Internal stressors rub together and wear one out.
Distress in 2 Corinthians 6: 4 and 12: 10; Romans 2: 9 and 8: 35 is the Greek word “stenoxoria”, focusing on external pressures via circumstances. These are real, but cannot by themselves remove one from their faith in Christ. It is only the internal pressure that builds which can cause spiritual hardness. It is usually in coordination with a lessening of receiving the Word of God. The Word is the washing of the water by The Word and when we get spirituality dehydrated – as with our physical bodies – we get parched, dry out, the blood thickens and won’t pump through our vessels leading to heart attacks and strokes. If we don’t get water/The Word soon enough it can lead to death.
The Bible reminds us that in the end days “people’s hearts will be failing them for fear”, and “the love of many will grow cold”. It is not what happens to us, but how how we internally process it that matters.
Arise – Verse 24
“Arise” is the Greek word “egeiro”. It means “to awaken, rouse”. The sleeping giant arises. The anti-christ and false christ’s are probably alive already, but have yet to waken to their ultimate purpose. Out of no where they will say they are “the” Christ. In the Greek the phrase “ho Christos” means “The” Christ – Anointed One, not a christ or one of many.
The atmosphere will be ready. Like Hitler who returned Germany to financial health, ending mass unemployment, people will follow the anti-christ and others. A sales tactic that works very easily is to point out a need (that may not even be realized by the person) and then lifting the person up to self importance by flattery to get the sale. In the same way, people will be lifted up by wounding them.
Remember, when Jesus told Peter, “Peter, Satan wants to sift you like wheat, but I prayed for you, that you faith would not fail” (Luke 22: 31). Sifting is throwing grain in the air and the wind comes along and carries away the chaff and the grain falls to the ground. Satan seeks to lift us up in pride and then blow in with adversity, so he can sift the fulness right out of you. Remember that Jesus, who is now the Eternal High Priest and Interceder, said He was praying for Peter. Jesus couldn’t believe it for Peter, though. Who would think Jesus’ prayers can’t get through?
Jim Jones at Jonestown targeted one group of people – 80% were Southern African Americans who were disenfranchised with the churches they attended. Jones served cherry Koolaid mixed with poison and gave it to the children to drink. Parents now wounded internally didn’t want to live and now easily drank the poison themselves. Jones literally threw out the Bible and in the end his followers had nothing to stand on. Know that Jesus is praying for you now, but you have to make the decision to continue to be a follower.
Deception – verse 24
False christ’s – “False” is the word “pseudo or pseudes” meaning “lying, false, deceive”. It is, in effect, a return to the Garden of Eden. The question then becomes: does a whole statement have to be wrong for it to be a lie? No! Just one little piece can be error and the whole thing is a lie. If the word of God is altered in any way, one will need to find the altar (Revelations 22: 18,19).
Just as in the Garden of Eden, one could never say that Eve had bad parenting, or that there was a bad physical environment. Similarity, when Jesus comes back to reign for a thousand years, at the end of that time the enemy will be released for a short time and will deceive most people. Is that because Jesus was a bad King? NO! It’s because the nature of man is to sin and disobey. And circumstances, environment, and even parentage and family history cannot make us saved or take us away from our choice.
Misleading
“Misleading” is the Greek word “planao”. It means “to cause to wander, doubt, lose direction”.
It is the root of the word planet, which is a wandering body in outer space. Notice in the spelling of the Greek word our English word “plan”. The effort of these deceivers is to devise a plan/strategy to move you from your standing in Christ.
Is it possible to deceive the elect? Yes, unless one has selective hearing only for The Shepherd. There is an advertisement for a bankruptcy attorney and his slogan is this: “I do one thing, and I do it well”. The enemy does one thing well – to deceive and lie so that followers will slowly drift away. He seeks to bankrupt our souls.
The last verse talks about the vulture gathering, which is at Armageddon. There are two types of vultures: a) Old World – Asia and Africa, where they find prey by sight; b) New World – The Americas, where they find prey by smell. They can smell up to a mile away. Vultures gather around wounded, sick and dying beings. When they are feeding they are referred to as a “wake” of vultures. Vultures do not come to those that are healthy. If you have a festering wound of any kind, get it healed and restored or the enemy will pick at you and seek to devour you.
You and I will select our comfort for eternity. Though God elected to work through nations and groupings, it is still our own choice that will determine our destiny. The enemy will seek to feed off of our wounds and hurts, and will seek to find ways of distressing us internally where the pressure will build and we’ll get hard and move from our steadfastness. Stay soft. Stay in The Word. Let God heal your hurts.