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Transcript 274B — Was that an Image of the Lord I Saw?
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: I would like to ask you a question. This friend of ours took a picture. He was in an airplane. There were these two airplanes, and he was going to take a picture of this other airplane. And as he took the picture, this cloud got in the way, as he stopped the camera. And we have a photograph. When he developed it, I guess he didn't notice it, but there's a figure on a cloud. And it has a robe, and it's arms are stretched out. And my family and I have been looking at this picture and I was wondering if there are any scriptures about seeing figures, or images, or something. His arms are stretched out, and he's on a cloud. And this was taken up in the air, as he was taking a picture of another airplane.
HC: The question that is raised concerns the possibility that there might be an image of Christ or of God seen by man in some fashion. Our caller indicates that somebody took a picture while he was in an airplane, and when they developed the picture there is what appears to be a picture of a man with his arms outstretched.
Now incidentally, this phenomenon has been spoken about many, many times. There are certain pictures being circulated with this kind of a scene on them. First of all, we don't know whether those pictures are authoritative or not. People can do all kinds of things, you know, in the darkroom, to doctor up the slides, or doctor up pictures. And there's a tremendous amount of chicanery and deceitfulness going on. So I would never put any trust in any photograph. A photograph is no proof of anything in itself.
We can know that God Himself would not project anything like this. God has given us His Word. This is the revelation of God which we are to go to. And when He comes again, it will be on the clouds of glory, and every eye will see Him. There will be no mistake that it is Christ. It's the end of the world. The universe will be collapsing.
Now this does not mean, however, that Satan himself, who does break through the barrier between the supernatural and the natural through his occult powers, could not possibly do something like this. This is possible. There are those who say they have seen a cross here or there that just will not go away, for which there is no earthly, natural explanation. And so they believe that it is supernatural in some way.
Well, it's not going to be from God. It may be that Satan may do something like this, because Satan is always trying to get people to turn their eyes away from the Bible. If we begin to look for signs and wonders, then we are already on a path to discredit the Bible. The Bible no longer retains its authority that it should have as being the only divine Word of God. Now God does speak about Satan coming with signs and wonders, near the end of time. It doesn't speak about God coming with signs and wonders until Christ Himself appears on the clouds of glory, but that is the end of time. But prior to this nowhere in the Bible does it speak about God doing signs and wonders.
But it does speak in a number of places of Satan doing signs and wonders. In Matthew 24:24 we read, "False prophets and false christs will arise, with signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." In Revelation 13 it speaks about the false prophet coming out of the earth, and he will come with signs, even making fire come down from heaven. We read in II Thessalonians 2 about the man of sin taking his seat in the temple. And in that connection it speaks of him coming with signs and wonders of falsehood.
And so all of these references refer to Satanic activity. And all of these references refer to the period of time just before Christ comes back, which is probably where we are today. And so if there is any kind of supernatural activity going on, it is not from Christ. It is from Satan, who comes with signs and wonders.
And therefore, as believers, we would not want to have any interest or anything to do with such activity.
Thank you for sharing that.