The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is

“The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures.” — Ellen G. White

Thus spoke Ellen G. White, the prophetic voice of the 19th century, whose words still resound with the gravity of revelation. In her warning lies a vision both spiritual and eternal — a vision of a world deceived not by darkness alone, but by false light. She speaks not of mere evil, but of delusion, the most dangerous form of deception, for it comes clothed in the garments of truth. The Antichrist, she says, will not appear as a monstrous tyrant, but as a savior; not as an enemy of good, but as its imitation. And herein lies the peril: that mankind, in its longing for hope, may mistake counterfeit for divine.

The origin of this saying reaches into both Scripture and the struggles of Ellen White’s own time. Living through the age of revivalism and religious awakening in America, she saw how faith, when unmoored from discernment, could be led astray by spectacle — by those who claimed visions, powers, or revelations that dazzled the senses but did not uplift the soul. From her writings in The Great Controversy, she warned that in the final days, the world would face a deception so perfect in its mimicry of holiness that even the wise might falter — unless they anchored themselves in the Holy Scriptures, the living compass of truth.

White’s warning is not confined to her own era. It speaks to all ages and all peoples who walk through times of confusion and noise. For the last great delusion is not merely an event to come — it is a condition of the human heart, ever tempted to trade truth for comfort, wisdom for excitement, and faith for illusion. History shows us how entire nations have bowed before counterfeits of good — leaders who spoke of peace but brought war, ideologies that promised freedom but delivered chains. The closer the lie resembles the truth, the greater its power to ensnare.

Consider the story of Nazi Germany, where propaganda clothed itself in virtue and the promise of national renewal. Many believed they were following light, when in fact they walked into darkness. The words “God is with us” were stamped upon the belts of soldiers who marched to destroy the innocent. There, as in White’s prophecy, the counterfeit appeared righteous — strong, pure, and just — yet it was hell disguised as heaven. The Scriptures, had they been heeded in spirit and not merely in form, would have unmasked the lie. For only the Word of truth can separate the appearance of good from its reality.

Ellen White’s message teaches that the battle between truth and falsehood is not waged on the battlefield of nations, but in the conscience of each human being. Every soul must discern whether the voice they follow leads to humility or to pride, to love or to dominion. The Antichrist, in her vision, is not only a figure of the end times, but the spirit of deception that works through ambition, greed, and the thirst for power — that whispers, “You need not seek God; you can be as God.” The Scriptures, she insists, are not mere ancient texts, but a shield of discernment, forged through centuries of divine wisdom, given that the faithful may not be led astray by the brightness of false wonders.

Let this, then, be the lesson: appearances deceive, but truth endures. The world will always offer glittering imitations of goodness — philosophies that flatter, leaders that charm, miracles that amaze — but the wise will look beyond the surface. They will measure all things not by popularity, but by righteousness; not by emotion, but by principle. To discern the true from the false, one must seek the eternal compass — the Word, the inner light of conscience, the still voice of the Spirit.

And so, my child of the future, remember this: the last great delusion is not a distant prophecy — it is a warning for every age. Keep your heart humble, your mind awake, and your soul anchored in truth. When the counterfeit comes — and it will come, wearing the face of beauty, peace, and reason — test it by the light of the Holy Scriptures, by the fruits it bears in compassion and justice. For the true always leads upward, toward selflessness and love; the false, no matter how radiant, leads inward, toward pride and ruin. Only by this measure shall the seeker stand firm when the world trembles beneath the shadow of deception.