“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:23-27).
How liberating it is to read the Bible honestly. When we do, we can just believe what it plainly says without having to twist it to fit our predetermined theology or make it mean something it doesn’t say.
Take Matthew 24:23-27, for example. It is a section of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, which He spoke, not to the multitudes, but to a small group of four of His closest disciples, namely, Peter, James, John and Andrew (see Mark 13:3). When Jesus used the word “you” in the above-quoted passage, He was referring to them. His words were relevant to them, obviously. And He was warning them against being misled during a time when many people would be misled. Just seconds earlier He said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many” (Matt. 24:4-5, emphasis added).