The False Prophet

13 “If a prophet or someone who has dreams^(A) arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, ² and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ ³ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.^(B)

¹¹ Many false prophets^(A) will rise up and deceive many.

The Response of Simon

⁹ A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.^(A)

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie,^{(A) 10} and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.^{(B) 11} For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie,

¹³ It also performs great signs,^(A) even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people.^{(B) 14} It deceives those who live on the earth^(C) because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast,^(D) telling those who live on the earth to make an image^[a] of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.