If you were Satan....

[Athetotheist]

I remember a TV preacher once asking his broadcast audience, "If you were Satan....." I don't remember the rest of the question, but I seem to remember that he was talking about prophecy and arguing that Satan was up to some diabolical mischief ("If you were Satan, isn't that what you would do?").

A lot of detail in Christian scripture about what is to happen before Jesus returns is tied to the activity of "Satan". The appearance of the "antichrist", in particular, is supposed to be part of Satan's last gambit before he goes down to utter defeat.

Since it was asked of me how I would react if I were Satan, I think it's fair for me to answer. I know that "Satan" is supposed to be a being of superhuman intelligence, but I can't help thinking that if such a being actually existed and if I were that being, I could do a lot better.

If I were "Satan", I would scrap the antichrist plan. If it's all laid out in the Bible, then everyone knows what to expect and you've lost the element of surprise. With that one simple deviation from the prophetic scenario, the whole thing would be gummed up. No antichrist, no mark of the beast, no abomination of desolation, no anything I was supposed to do as Satan to set the stage for the return of Jesus. And without those prophetic components in place, Jesus couldn't return to fulfill prophecy. And how could anyone stop me? I wouldn't be taking some action which could be prevented; I would be defeating prophecy by not taking action.

So let me pass the preacher's question on to you. If you were "Satan", what would you do----or not do----to thwart prophecy?

[William]

William: Who would give him that reward for this supposed 'coming out on top'?[Replying to Athetotheist in post #249]

All who recognized that prophecy wasn't being fulfilled?

In what way would these ones reward Satan?

If the Father YHWH is representative of 'the true GOD' how would the non-return of the Son signify that Father YHWH was NOT 'the true GOD', since it is up to Father YHWH alone to make the call as to when Jesus should return.

You begin that question with a conditional "if".

It is appropriate to do so.

The return of Jesus is prophesied in Christian text, so its failure to come about would mean that the prophecy was false.

So IF Jesus did return, it would mean that at least that part of the prophesy was true.

[William]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #246]

The antichrist in our opinion does not amount to the secular system of things.

The focus is on the Christian religion as the object which represents the Antichrist according to your groups theology.

Can you connect the Mark of the Beast part of the prophesy to this idea, that we might understand the significance of this take on things?

Q: What is it about the Beast-Church which can be said to show the association between what the mark is identified as being, and with that - how this mark allows for folk to buy and sell.

[JehovahsWitness]

The focus is on the Christian religion as the object which represents the Antichrist according to your groups theology.

That is incorrect. You can find all of Jehovahs Witness teaching via our'official website

www.jw.org

You will find nothing that suggests {to quote you} " Christian religion [is] the object which represents the Antichrist"


Alternatively, if you want to know what Jehovahs Witnesses believen egarding the Antichrist, you could ask me or any of the other Jehovah's Witnesse that frequent this site.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

[William]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #253]

William: The focus is on the Christian religion as the object which represents the Antichrist according to your groups theology.

That is incorrect. You can find all of Jehovahs Witness teaching via our'official website

You will find nothing that suggests {to quote you} " Christian religion [is] the object which represents the Antichrist"

___________________________

Are you saying that I misunderstood what you wrote below, replying to my comment?

William: I have heard it explained that the antichrist isn't really an individual but rather, a system of things built upon greed tyranny manipulation oppression deceit pride et al...

JW: That is our belief, not a commercial system lead by greedy individuals ("big business" would be symbolized by tye merchants in the book of Revelation) but a sector of Christedom, which is the most promenent part of Baylon the Great another individual* in the bible that is in fact symbolic of an entire system (false religion).
{SOURCE}

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #248]

Your "logical reasoning" has no bearing on why "Satan" couldn't invalidate Christian prophecy by simply not playing his role in it, and is a sorry attempt at distracting attention from that issue.

Your error seems to be, thinking that Satan proving prophecy wrong and Satan winning is automatically the same.

If Satan is concerned about little kids not to get molested by the Holy Trinity, he must take some ACTION against that!
In this scenario "winning" is secondary for him and seeing prophecy unfullfilled is only a lovable side effect. His prime goal is to stop the centurys ongoing christian child abuse which always makes headlines!

My scenario is founded on the Christian biblical concept of "Satan". If you have to cheat by giving him extra-biblical motives, then your scenario is no challenge to mine.

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to William in post #251

In what way would these ones reward Satan?

Presumably with the adoration he's said to want.

So IF Jesus did return, it would mean that at least that part of the prophesy was true.

It wouldn't be a true [complete] fulfillment without the beast showing up first.

[William]

[Replying to William in post #251

In what way would these ones reward Satan?

Presumably with the adoration he's said to want.

Which would fulfil at least that part of prophesy, yes?

So IF Jesus did return, it would mean that at least that part of the prophesy was true.

It wouldn't be a true [complete] fulfillment without the beast showing up first.

I doubt that it would matter...

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #248]

Your "logical reasoning" has no bearing on why "Satan" couldn't invalidate Christian prophecy by simply not playing his role in it, and is a sorry attempt at distracting attention from that issue.

Your error seems to be, thinking that Satan proving prophecy wrong and Satan winning is automatically the same.

If Satan is concerned about little kids not to get molested by the Holy Trinity, he must take some ACTION against that!
In this scenario "winning" is secondary for him and seeing prophecy unfullfilled is only a lovable side effect. His prime goal is to stop the centurys ongoing christian child abuse which always makes headlines!

My scenario is founded on the Christian biblical concept of "Satan". If you have to cheat by giving him extra-biblical motives, then your scenario is no challenge to mine.

I do not cheat, but gave good biblical and christian reasons for why the "Sheriff Satan theory" could be valid!

You on the other hand Just assume, against biblicality as against christian understanding, Satan to be able to thwart prophecy without even giving some explanation.
Your assuming that Satan would be wanting to thwart all prophecy also would require more explanation.

We continue to show you the problematics that come with your OP, to no avail.
Do you want this debate to lead nowhere?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #253]

William: The focus is on the Christian religion as the object which represents the Antichrist according to your groups theology.

That is incorrect. You can find all of Jehovahs Witness teaching via our'official website

You will find nothing that suggests {to quote you} " Christian religion [is] the object which represents the Antichrist"

___________________________

>>>Are you saying that I misunderstood what you wrote below, replying to my comment?[

William: I have heard it explained that the antichrist isn't really an individual but rather, a system of things built upon greed tyranny manipulation oppression deceit pride et al...

JW: That is our belief, not a commercial system lead by greedy individuals ("big business" would be symbolized by tye merchants in the book of Revelation) but a sector of Christedom, which is the most promenent part of Baylon the Great another individual* in the bible that is in fact symbolic of an entire system (false religion).
{SOURCE}

>>>Yes you misunderstood.

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

RELIGION, BABYLON THE GREAT and ...THE ANTICHRIST/ MAN OF LAWLESSNESS

[William]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #259]

Okay - feel free to say where the misunderstanding occurred. Otherwise, it doesn't matter that much to me to have to follow your links in the hope that doing so will somehow sort it...