A common misinterpretation is taking the phrase 'if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect' literally to suggest that true believers can lose their salvation through deception, whereas the conditional 'if it were possible' actually affirms the impossibility of ultimate deception for the genuinely elect due to God's preserving grace; others wrongly limit this solely to a future tribulation without recognizing its ongoing application throughout church history, or dismiss all miracles and supernatural claims as inherently false, ignoring biblical precedents for genuine signs.
Matthew 24:24
King James Version (1769)
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
In Jesus' Olivet Discourse on end-time events, this passage warns of false christs and prophets who will perform impressive signs and wonders to deceive people, with such power that they could almost mislead even the elect—God's chosen believers—highlighting the urgency of discernment, steadfast faith, and reliance on Scripture to recognize and resist such deceptions amid escalating spiritual warfare before Christ's return.