Many Jews of the Tribulation, and followers of other religions as well, will foolishly consider the Satanic miracles of that time to be the proof that their particular “brand” of religion is the true one or that a particular religious leader is an authentic representative of God. Many will be deceived.

Catholics will particularly be vulnerable to these ‘signs’; not only by miracles of healing, more and more men will hear of the miraculous appearances of Catholic Church Saints or apparitions of the Catholic version of the Virgin Mary, who will speak in support the Antichrist, lending the support of the “Scarlet Harlot” Religions of Rev. 17 and 18. There likely will be the supernatural appearance of fire, as well as blood or tears from Catholic statues (manmade idols), and many other miracles to convince its followers that God is validating their pagan worship and devotion. 

  (Re: “The Scarlet Harlot” See also; http://www.artlicursi.com/series/scarlet-harlot-religion-identified )

After the Rapture of “the body of Christ,” the time during the 7-year Tribulation period, Satan will directs his fallen angels (now demons) to lay their snares for “the elect” of the Jews who are watching and waiting for the return of Christ and who are looking for the Savior and His kingdom come on earth.

“And the dragon [Satan] was wroth [angry] with the woman [Israel], and went to make war with the remnant of her [Israel’s] seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17

As the people of God, the elect of Nation of Israel, during the 7-year Tribulation period approach the perils of “the day of the Lord” (cf. Acts 2:20, 1Thes. 5:2), Satan will implement his plan for his fallen angels to use deception and demonstrations of miraculous ‘signs and lying wonders.’ These will be Satan’s most successful plan for overthrowing their faith.

“And he [Antichrist] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,” Revelation 13:13 (KJV)

So, the Bible makes it clear that God is not the only one who works miracles. Three times Jesus warned Israel (cf. Matt. 24:4), not only of the “Nations [Gentiles]” who would deliver them up to be “afflicted and killed,” but also of the “false Christs” and ‘deceptive miracles’ of those last days— before He comes. Jesus said,

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew ‘great signs and wonders’; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [of Israel].” (Matthew 24:24, cf. 4-5, 11). 

The verse above teaches two important points.  First, signs and wonders are not a sure sign of God’s activity, since they can be performed by false christs and false prophets.  Secondly, God’s believing “elect” of Israel will, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, be able to discern the difference between false and true miracles, although Satan’s will be so convincing that even they will nearly be deceived.

The Apostle Paul gives the same warning in his discourse about the Antichrist appearing. 

“The coming of ‘the lawless one [Antichrist] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

The context of this passage is in the time of “His coming” (v. 8), in other words, the period of time immediately before the end of the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ. Although Satan has been active all throughout human history, Paul tells us his power has been ‘withheld” (KJV) or “restrained’ (NKJV) — “You know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time” (v. 6 NKJV). 

Because Satan has challenged God’s authority, wisdom, laws and government, a full demonstration of both Satan’s evil principles versus of God’s justice, righteousness and love must take place. But God has delayed this, because billions of people all over the world do not yet have enough information about His Son, Jesus Christ, in order to make their judgment to believe in the Savior’s Cross of Christ and resurrection or not. During the Tribulation and before Jesus returns to earth at His 2^nd coming, “the everlasting gospel” will be preached “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6) by the 144,000 (v 3), and the “Two Witnesses” to Israel (Rev. 11:3-12). Then God will allow the final demonstrations of power from both Satan’s side and from God’s side.  Jesus and Paul, explain it this way;

“This gospel of the kingdom [not Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God”] will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations [Gk. ethnos, races], and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14). 

“You know what is restraining… for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only He [the Holy Spirit] who now RESTRAINS will do so Until He Is Taken Out Of The Way [with the Rapture of “the body of Christ”]. And then the lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NKJV).

God permits deceptive miracles of “the last days,” but it is important to remember that the people who are deceived are those who have rejected the gospel of the truth of God’s love and offer of salvation. 

“God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie [of Satan’s deception], that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thes. 2:11-12).

In these verses we see that this deception is the final stage of a process which starts with having “pleasure in unrighteousness,” and then proceeds to a refusal to “believe the truth” about God and His Christ. This refusal to accept God’s instruction leads to deception, because “the truth” is what condemns sin, revealing the lying deceptions of Satan. When sinners reject God’s word, they reject His provision for their salvation and security in Christ.

Another Satanic miraculous occurrence in the Tribulation period will be a talking ‘image of Antichrist’ standing in the Temple. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Greek King was a ‘type’ or allegory of the Antichrist. He set up a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies and caused the cessation of the animal sacrifices, as will the Antichrist (cf. Daniel 11:31). The Antichrist will repeat this historical precedent by having an image, a statue of himself as  ‘god’ set up in the coming Third Temple in the final fulfillment of Daniel 9:27, 12:11. The difference in this case is that the statue is not of Zeus, but of the Antichrist himself who, according to Paul, presents himself as God on earth and not merely as a counterfeit Jesus (2 Thes. 2:4).

Some Jewish believers of the Tribulation time likely will decide that since Satan will work miracles in the end time, the safest plan is simply to reject ALL miracles. But miracles and signs are also a fundamental manifestation of the power that God gives to His people when they believe in Him. For as Paul writes; “For the Jews require a sign…” (1Cor. 1:22). Speaking to Israel and referring to the time of the Tribulation period, Jesus said;

“And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues [unlearned existing languages], they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

This will be especially true at the end time, when God’s people, Israel, will manifest the power of the Holy Spirit to an extent that has not been seen since the Day of Pentecost. The believers of Israel will also be saved by the miraculous wartime victories, as seen by the hand of God the battle of Armageddon, just as they had in the Old Testament… at Armageddon it will be when the final Satanic forces of the Tribulation period are utterly destroyed.   

Today, men’s rational science and humanism is skeptical of anything that cannot be explained scientifically, but at the very end of time there will be undeniable signs, wonders and miracles from every side and in particular, from “the beast [Antichrist]” of Revelation 13:11.

“And he [Antichrist will] deceive those who dwell on the earth by those ‘signs’ which He Was Granted [by God] To Do” (Revelation 13:14).

What this means for God’s people is that they cannot and should not rely upon miracles as proof of God’s working. The scriptural evidence shows us that the most spectacular miracles will be worked through the power of Satan as a tool of God in His judgment upon the rebels who refuse to bend the knee and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.! 

How essential it is that God’s people follow John’s admonition to Israel in the time of the Tribulation;

“Beloved, Believe Not Every Spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 (KJV)

We must compare everything we see and hear with the truth of Word of God “rightly divided” … DISPENSATIONALLY. That is, we must discern and divide that which applies to Israel in the Tribulation period from that which applies to the believing members of “the body of Christ” during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). We do this by reading “the word of truth” according to its context.

So, be not deceived! Satan will more and more use his lying wonders to deceive many Paul wrote:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14

As the day gets closer and closer, even before the Rapture, we grace believers may see more and more of deceptive ‘lying wonders’ of Satan… that will deceive many – but not us!

Today, our eyes should NOT be looking for miracles, but rather for the soon coming of the Lord and studying His words for us as found in Paul’s thirteen epistles…  written to and about the members of “the body of Christ.”

Don’t be distracted by what you can see with your eyes – our view is to be from heaven’s balcony – ‘being already seated “in the heavenly places” in Christ.’ Thus, we look to the “unseen” things of the eternal realm.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:18