For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
The Lord has just described a tribulation like nothing before it. Now He names a second danger: religious imposters with real supernatural power. If miracles can be faked, what keeps anyone safe, and who are "the elect" who come so close to being swept away?
When This Happens
These verses point to the end of the age, not to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Luke's account of that siege leaves the whole section out.
T. B. BainesAll this is left out in Luke. Nothing of the kind happened before the siege of Jerusalem, and so it formed no part of the prophecy as Luke reports it. On the other hand, other Scriptures teach us that this is exactly the state of things before Christ appears in power and glory to set up His world-kingdom.
One writer spreads these impostors across the whole seven years, and sees their shadow already:
Leslie M. GrantNo doubt men claiming to be Christ will force themselves on the public through the entire seven years. Some will show great signs and wonders, as will be true of the antichrist, the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3-12). In fact, even today there are many antichrists (1 John 2:18). Even the elect must be on their guard, for the deceptions of such men are highly plausible.
Why the Lie Works
The lie is tailored to the moment. When every other hope has collapsed, an offer of rescue finds an eager audience.
J. N. DarbyAfter that (v. 23) come the great signs. In those last times there will also be false Christs and false prophets. They will promise the deliverance that hearts will so badly need at that terrible moment, when all the false hopes of an unbelieving nation have passed away... Once again the wickedness of men and the deceits of Satan will turn souls aside. They will keep them from humbling themselves, and from seeking deliverance in the only place where it can be found.
Two Kinds of Miracles
These deceivers work real signs and wonders. That settles a question many still get wrong.
F. B. HoleVerse 24 plainly shows that not all miraculous signs are from God. There are two kinds — the divine and the devilish. The divine kind displays the divine character in grace and power. The devilish kind may often be flashier, more startling, and more attractive to unconverted people. People today who crave the miraculous should take great care that they are not deceived.
Who the Elect Are
Writers identify these elect as a believing remnant in Israel, not the church. That is why the lie tempts them at all.
William KellyBut it is clear that the Lord Jesus assumes real danger for the disciples here. They were Jewish, not Christian. So the cry that He was here or there on earth might deceive them. No Christian could be in such danger, but the Jewish disciples were. They were looking for the Lord's coming to the earth. They knew that the Lord's feet would stand in that day on the Mount of Olives.
Commentators differ over whether only an earthly people faces this danger. One writer allows a wider circle:
J. G. BellettI do not say that such words about them must prove them to be an earthly people. No. I believe, from Revelation 13, that many heavenly men will face deceits in that day, and will be kept from deception in the same way.
"If It Were Possible"
Everything turns on that small clause. It shows how close the danger comes — and where God draws the line.
Leslie M. GrantThe clause "if it were possible" implies that they would be deceived without the protection of God's grace and power. God has decreed that the elect will not be carried away, despite coming so close to it... Believers, however, have no excuse for accepting such deception. The Lord has warned them beforehand how subtle it is, and their protection is in His Word.
The Test That Cannot Be Faked
What keeps them safe is not sharper discernment. It is a plain fact about how Christ returns.
F. B. HoleThe true saints will know that the real Christ is not going to hide Himself in some corner. Men will not have to say, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There He is!" He will shine out in His glory at His coming, and every eye will see Him.
Summary
- Timed — the deception belongs to the end of the age, not the fall of Jerusalem; Luke, recording that siege, omits it altogether.
- Targeted — the elect here are understood as a faithful remnant of Israel, vulnerable precisely because they rightly expect Christ to come to the earth.
- Powered — real signs and wonders back the lie, proving that miracles alone are never evidence of God; the devilish kind is often the flashier.
- Limited — "if it were possible" concedes how close the danger comes, then denies it can succeed; grace and power hold the elect.
- Answered — no secret Christ in a desert or an inner room is genuine; He will shine out publicly in glory, and every eye will see Him.