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?

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #319

You asked: "Do any christians believe that revelation has been fullfilled?"

I found some and answered positively.

I pointed out that their belief is flawed.

Of course they would say that your understanding of prophecy is flawed.
Your phrophecy exegetic against their prohecy exegetic is a religious matter.
Who is to say who is right? For sure I wont play Judge here.
But the mere fact that there are christians who can bend prophecy so much that it all already happened, proves my point that it is possible to bend prophecy that way.

Therefore, you can't use their belief as a buttress against the proposition that "Satan" would nullify prophecy by not playing it out.

I was never against the proposition that Satan would nullify prophecy by not playing it out.
I only insisted that there are countless complications for that plan.
One of the complications is the preterists belief.

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #321

I was never against the proposition that Satan would nullify prophecy by not playing it out.
I only insisted that there are countless complications for that plan.
One of the complications is the preterists belief.

I believe I've effectively argued that preterist belief doesn't measure up. I wouldn't say much for other "complications" either.

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #321

I was never against the proposition that Satan would nullify prophecy by not playing it out.
I only insisted that there are countless complications for that plan.
One of the complications is the preterists belief.

I believe I've effectively argued that preterist belief doesn't measure up. I wouldn't say much for other "complications" either.

Good luck in effectively arguing against some certain christian exegesis.
The various christian denominations do such all the time, started from the very dawn of christianity.

Even your arguing rises complications.

If preterists are wrong, are then apostles still among us?

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #322]

But - correct; even if they had all died for what they believed, that wouldn't show that what they believed was true. Just ask any Martyr for the Jihad.

I suspect that any Martyr for the Jihad would tell you that what he or she believes is true!

True, the apologetic is intended to show that their faith in the resurrection was strong because they'd seen it, so the Gospel resurrection - stories must be true.

Appeal to Emotion among other things.

I say that the contradictions (also with I Cor) shows that it isn't true, so whether faith the disciples died for was just what they believed, not what they knew. That's if they really died for anything other than running out of life.

Or they never died at all, as some christians believe. Christ promised to return in their lifetime , so to not prove him liar they have no choice but still strolling around!
viewtopic.php?t=35781

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #323

Good luck in effectively arguing against some certain christian exegesis.

Again, I believe I've done so.

Even your arguing rises complications.

If preterists are wrong, are then apostles still among us?

That's what you would have to argue in order to claim it as a "complication".

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #323
Even your arguing rises complications.

If preterists are wrong, are then apostles still among us?

That's what you would have to argue in order to claim it as a "complication".

Of none of that two is true, did then Christ lie when he said this?

January 4, 2022
Mark 13:30 (ESV)
30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Matthew 24:34 (ESV)
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

January 4, 2022
Luke 21:32 (ESV)
32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.

Even the saviours own words in his very own gospels create complications, therefore how can you assume that your Strike-Satan creates none?

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #323
Even your arguing rises complications.

If preterists are wrong, are then apostles still among us?

That's what you would have to argue in order to claim it as a "complication".

Of none of that two is true, did then Christ lie when he said this?

January 4, 2022
Mark 13:30 (ESV)
30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Matthew 24:34 (ESV)
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

January 4, 2022
Luke 21:32 (ESV)
32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.

Even the saviours own words in his very own gospels create complications, therefore how can you assume that your Strike-Satan creates none?

I'm raising a question about what the Christian Bible says, so none of Jesus's complications create any complication for me.

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to Athetotheist in post #326]
Therefore you think that some apostles are still alive?
There are proven sightings, for example, of St.Andreas partaking in battles against mohammedans in 11th century europe I think.

He was clad in shining white armor, and both friend ad enemy beared witness that it really was St.Andreas..

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #327

Therefore you think that some apostles are still alive?

Aren't you paying attention to what I'm writing? I said I'm questioning what the Christian Bible says. If anyone were assuming that apostles were still living, it would have to be you in order to propose that as a "complication".

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #327

Therefore you think that some apostles are still alive?

Aren't you paying attention to what I'm writing? I said I'm questioning what the Christian Bible says. If anyone were assuming that apostles were still living, it would have to be you in order to propose that as a "complication".

Yeah, I honestly couldnt get your above sentence.

Didnt see that "raising a question" meant "questioning" in your context.

Still by questioning the bibles gospels you only worsen the problem. For then revelation prophecy and your exegetic of it also can be questioned without end.

If you dont even believe Christs own exact words what then are the already far and wide bended endtime prophecys worth?

You are undermining your own cause here, pal

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to The Nice Centurion in post #327

Therefore you think that some apostles are still alive?

Aren't you paying attention to what I'm writing? I said I'm questioning what the Christian Bible says. If anyone were assuming that apostles were still living, it would have to be you in order to propose that as a "complication".

Yeah, I honestly couldnt get your above sentence.

Didnt see that "raising a question" meant "questioning" in your context.

Still by questioning the bibles gospels you only worsen the problem. For then revelation prophecy and your exegetic of it also can be questioned without end.

If you dont even believe Christs own exact words what then are the already far and wide bended endtime prophecys worth?

You are undermining your own cause here, pal

The questionability of Jesus's words supports my questioning of Christian prophecy, "pal".