Matthew 24:24 “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Once upon a time a man became convinced that darkness is stronger than light. He starting telling people what he believed. Almost everyone chased him away and said he was speaking insanely and should seek help.
The man did not give up his belief but only became more determined to change people’s minds. He stood on corners and preached his belief. He bought newspaper ads and radio and television ads. The man was extremely rich so he bought newspaper companies and news stations so that he could suppress contrary opinion and preach his message of the supremacy of darkness.
He got the attention of people, who mostly just laughed and shook their heads. His friends told him to get mental help. They told him to just one time prove that darkness stayed where light was. He never could but that did not dissuade him. He was convinced and no amount of evidence could change his mind.
Surprising people, something began to change. Because of his vociferous persistence people became curious why he persisted against obvious facts. So they listened more. Then people began to admire his efforts. Some, then increasingly more people, began to be persuaded by his persistence. They told their friends that they listened and were increasingly following him because he insisted and persisted so greatly. For him to do so he must know something that others don’t know. They began to believe what they thought they never would. They afterward began telling people that they would abandon all their previously held beliefs because this man was so persuasive. They became convinced that he must be right. More and more believed so faithfully in him that they said they would believe him if he told them that they had never really known their own real name. He told them that their own parents had misnamed them and that He knew what their real name and so he gave them a second name and they believed him and changed their names.
The man made a display of what he still held was truth. He created an exhibit in a large warehouse. He named it The Victory of Darkness. He put a very bright light at one end of the inside of the building. All windows were blocked off. Unless the light was on, the inside of the building was pitch black. Then he built a sliding wall that could be controlled to slide down and it would completely block the light from getting beyond the wall. The exhibit became very popular. He would bring in a group of people and the light would be on. Then a recorded speech was played to the people about his thoughts of darkness being greater than light. He would then move all the people to the other side of the wall. Once all were on the other side, he pushed the button to make the wall slide down and block the light from getting past the wall. Then in the pitch black the unnerved people were frightened by, the loudspeaker telling them “Behold! Darkness wins every time.” The spooked people left, some very concerned and others began believing the message of the supremacy of darkness.
The exhibit was wildly popular and stirred people’s thoughts of reality. One day a man came to visit the exhibit. He was telling all who waited to get into the exhibit that what was being preached was baloney. Some people scoffed at him. Some people wondered. Then, at the end of the display the announcement of “Behold! Darkness wins every time” played and as always, the people were confused and moved. Suddenly the doubting man shouted “Poppycock!” and he turned on the bright flashlight that he had secreted inside. There was no longer any darkness in the room. The man said to all “Now darkness where is your victory? See light appears in the stronghold of darkness and again darkness must succumb!” He then said that blocking light is not darkness defeating light. Denying light is not defeating light. This time all the visitors left while marveling at the silliness of the exhibit’s claim. They wondered how people could believe the obvious lie about darkness being stronger than light.
The owner of the exhibit became very angry. His error was exposed. Yet, being the stubborn man he is, he did not change his status. Instead he banned the man from coming back. He threatened every business, or newspaper or news station to not let anyone know what had happened. He threatened to put any business out of business that told what happened. He kidnapped the man with the flashlight to make sure that no-one ever heard his story again. The man with the flashlight was killed and his body hidden. The man who proclaimed darkness thought he had his victory. But truth, like light, rises to be seen. The man who had been killed had recorded what he had done in the exhibit. Seventy five million copies were made. The copies spread throughout the nation and the world. Truth overcame falsehood. Beyond the wall light broke free.
The man who preached darkness became a very small footnote in history and he was last remembered as a very silly man.
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.