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]

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...

...if that were the case, then there has been no noticeable attempt to thwart prophesy. Business as usual...

At the same time, how is anyone to know when prophecy has been fulfilled?.....

Well...since you stated "And without those prophetic components in place, Jesus couldn't return to fulfill prophecy." so if Jesus did return, the components must have been in place whether they were understood or not.

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to William in post #141]
There were and are alleged second comings amass.

Believers and returned Jesuses never made a problem of the fact that Antichrist and Satan had not yet made their move. That is very telling.
This thread OP lists the most prominent second comings we already got:
viewtopic.php?t=28186&sid=9c0b75e107102 ... e44dd0414a

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #137

Nephites are not comic book characters, but a legit part of christian mythology.

According to your own logic in post #106, that's the Book of Mormon's "opinion".

First: It is not only the BoM and the mormonism opinion, but also the Joseph Smith Bible opinion.
And the Strangite opinion. And the opinion of the Book of the Law of the Lord.

Second: in post # 106 I had rightly called your OP statement an opinion. Than you took the word and used it for mainstream christianity. Than I took the word back and used it for bible.

Now you research back in our thread and use semantics to attack my exact anwer to your OP.

But why? This time I really gave a proper answer!
Who else did ? Why do you not build on my answer instead of irationally undermining it?

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to William in post #141

Well...since you stated "And without those prophetic components in place, Jesus couldn't return to fulfill prophecy." so if Jesus did return, the components must have been in place whether they were understood or not.

Then Jesus not having returned would suggest that the components aren't in place, wouldn't it?

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #143

First: It is not only the BoM and the mormonism opinion, but also the Joseph Smith Bible opinion.
And the Strangite opinion. And the opinion of the Book of the Law of the Lord.

It isn't mainstream Christianity's opinion. And you wrote that one of my arguments was....

Your opinion. Mainstreaam christianity (and me) doesnt think so.

So if the existence of Nephites isn't mainstream Christianity's opinion, it shouldn't be yours either.

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #144]
Yes, but its up to exegetics to decide if and what components are/should be in place.

Evangelicals, Jehovahs Witnesses, Adventists & Co announced Jesus return repeatedly and not always caring for all components in place.

Years back a christian sect (mostly academic scholars) burned a baby alive, fearing it to be the antichrist.
Lets hope it wasnt, or else this sect would have commited the terrible crime of thwarting prophecy!

[Tcg]

Years back a christian sect (mostly academic scholars) burned a baby alive, fearing it to be the antichrist.

Wait. Can you document this occurrence?


Tcg

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #145]

1) LDS do their best this days to get accepted into mainstream christianity.

2) Argument from Quantity Fallacy there, pal.

3) I didnt say mainstream christianity is always right, but said that in some certain question mainstream christianity and I tend to have the same opinion.
And it is not yours.

4) Really strange of you to give a question for debate and not allowing an answer other than the one you prescribe.

Presuppositionalist William Lane Craig would love your apologetics.

[The Nice Centurion]

Years back a christian sect (mostly academic scholars) burned a baby alive, fearing it to be the antichrist.

Wait. Can you document this occurrence?


Tcg

It would be better if I could, but I read it in a prominent newspaper, perhaps 15 years back. It happened in a southern prominent island like Haiti or Hawaii.
I believe there were 7 churchmembers grilling the baby.
And it was stated that this believers were all upper class people: A doctor med, an attorney, a movie director . . .
Researching the internet could clear it up.

[Tcg]

Years back a christian sect (mostly academic scholars) burned a baby alive, fearing it to be the antichrist.

Wait. Can you document this occurrence?


Tcg

It would be better if I could, but I read it in a prominent newspaper, perhaps 15 years back. It happened in a southern prominent island like Haiti or Hawaii.
I believe there were 7 churchmembers grilling the baby.
Researching the internet could clear it up.

So, you are suggesting that I do your research for you to support a claim that you made?


Tcg