Psalm 34:3: "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
Although the God of all creation is by no means small, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes humanity's need to "magnify" him. In biblical context, to "magnify" does not mean to make a small object look bigger, but to praise, exalt and make the incomparable greatness of God known to others.
Therefore, I will always remind you to "magnify" God alone — even though you already know the importance and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone ... by stirring up your pure minds by way of remembrance (2 Peter 1:12-15, 3:1).
Thus, let us first remember the beautiful Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise, that showcases an individual's heart reflecting and broadcasting the greatness of God's mercy: "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46).
Just as the Blessed Virgin sacrificed her life to God's will for the purpose of magnifying the Almighty, John the Baptist also provided a perfect rule for making the incomparable greatness of God known to others: "He must increase, but I must decrease ... He must become greater and greater, while I become less and less" (John 3:30).
Did you notice that John's formula for "magnification" is an inverse relationship where two similar things cannot happen at the same time? In other words, when one goes up, the other must come down to make room for the first. Both cannot go in the same direction or occupy the same space simultaneously.
Thus, absolutely no other human interest can compete with "making God great!" That exclusion includes ... making some other man great, making some other country great, making some other political party great or making anything else great rather than "God alone!" John's prohibition means that absolutely everything must become less and less while God becomes more and more! This is the bare-bones recipe for "magnifying the Lord with me," as King David invited.
Knowing John's simple formula for "making God great" will help us identify evil imposters who appear at the end of time, and the worst among them is Antichrist. Spotting Satan's greatest counterfeit involves understanding the term "Antichrist," who is assigned the prefix "anti" for "taking the place of Christ" rather than merely being "against Christ."
Let's examine a template in Daniel's prophecy to better understand the wicked deceiver's exclusive narcissistic emphasis and focus on himself (comments in brackets explain the Bible text):
Daniel 8:25: "And through his policy also he shall cause craft [lies and deceit] to prosper in his hand [his political administration will be devious, dishonest and deceptive]; and he shall magnify himself in his heart [if he mentions 'God,' it will be used only as a trick to magnify the man], and by peace he shall destroy many [he will make war using 'peace' as a dishonest excuse]: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand [at the end of his administration, he will turn against Christ and will be destroyed by God — not man]."
Daniel 11:36-37: "And the king shall do according to his will [his only interest and motive is to serve himself]; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god [don't be fooled ... he only worships himself, not God], and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods [he utterly destroys divine truth by misrepresenting the true nature of God], and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished [he will become unbelievably wealthy and successful until God's final judgment comes]: for that that is determined shall be done [don't be fooled ... God's final judgment will come during this evil man's lifetime]. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women [as a notorious abuser, he will not respect women or fear the wrath of God], nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all [his only love is himself]."
Did any part of Daniel's prophecy sound vaguely familiar to events happening in our world today?
If so, then remember that "magnifying a man" is never the same as "magnifying God" because the two do not go in the same direction at the same time. According to John the Baptist, "God must become greater and greater, while I become less and less."
When one goes up, the other must automatically come down, as Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matt. 6:24).
As this world ends, you must decide who to glorify — God or man. But choose wisely, because the fate of your eternal soul depends on that single choice.
