Question about the antichrist's supernatural abilities...

[DRDS]

Hey guys this is a general question I have about the antichrist in revelation. Whoever he may be in order for him to be the true biblical antichrist, does he HAVE to be able to perform supernatural miracles?

From what I've studied about the antichrist thusfar, he is suppossed to "call fire down from heaven" which will be one of his signature moves that propel him into a world leader. That and where he later gets murdered (shot in the head perhaps) and then just like Christ, raises from the dead three days later.

Now we all know that people who get shot in the head can survive with or without supernatural help, but other than the fire from heaven thing, does Revelation say anything else supernatural that the antichrist is suppossed to do?

Plus about the "fire from heaven", could that just be symbolic language for someone who has great military power who has for instance alot of misiles and bombs that can be droped from planes and that could be the "fire from heaven" or does it HAVE to be supernatural flames out of thin air like magic falling from the sky to earth? Can it even be metorites?

The reason I ask is that if that were to happen today, no one would really be decieved into following the antichrist since any supernatural or blantly supernatural act would scare everyone and since all or at least most people are slightly aware or could easily educate themselves about the antichrist and end time events in Revelation if these blantly supernatural acts occured, they would all or almost all would come to know Christ even if it ment dying.

But IF the antichrist disguised most of his supernatural abilities or worked in such a way that it wouldn't be seen such as the "fire from heaven" being the fact that he is a powerful military leader with powerful weapons at his disposal then he could keep people decieved and thus allow for all the events in revelation to go on as planned.

I've really have been brainstorming about this, so if you all have anything please share. Thanks and God bless.

[Grizz_1]

Now we all know that people who get shot in the head can survive with or without supernatural help, but other than the fire from heaven thing, does Revelation say anything else supernatural that the antichrist is suppossed to do?

He does not just merely survive a shot in the head (if that's what actually happens) Your presuming this "shot in the head". But regardless of the how this happens we are told in scripture that the wound, however it happens, is fatal. Now fatal means dead! Dead means no life. There is no survival here. He will be dead. He will come back to life to mimic the resurrection of our lord. Remember he will claim to be God.

Plus about the "fire from heaven", could that just be symbolic language for someone who has great military power who has for instance alot of misiles and bombs that can be droped from planes and that could be the "fire from heaven" or does it HAVE to be supernatural flames out of thin air like magic falling from the sky to earth? Can it even be metorites?

Elijah the prophet three times called fire down from heaven. First in 1 Kings 18:38 when he confronts the prophets of Baal in a contest to determine who is the true God. Twice later on in 2 Kings 2:12-14 Elijah called fire down from heaven wiping out two different contingents of fifty soldiers who had been sent by king Ahab to arrest him.

King David also received acknowledgement from God in 1Chronicles 21:26 when fire from heaven consumed his sacrifice to the Lord after he had prayed. David's son King Solomon also was acknowledged by God at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem 2 Chronicles 7:1 by fire consuming his sacrifice. So if it happened in the past there is no reason to believe it won't happen again. Only this time Satan will be pulling the strings. Unless you do not believe it happened in the past.


Fire being called down from heaven is just another mimic of past events in the Bible. I don't know why people always want to equate things that will be supernatural to being " symbolic language" Supernatural things happen. Parting of the Sea, Walking on water, Water to wine, Fire from heaven, Staffs to serpents, Water to Blood. And many others. Satan who is a supernatural being, a fallen angel, will indeed have the power and enable the anti-Christ to have the power to do supernatural acts.

[DRDS]

Hey there, yes I certainly believe the old testament accounts of the prophets calling down supernatural fire. I have no problem believing those since after all, they did that with GOD'S help.

But the reason why I wondered about the antichrist doing it is well, if he did such a blantly supernatural act, it would "shock" (or at least I think it would) most people back into reality in which they would then pay more attention to either the Bible or pastors who talk about the Bible as well as end times, most of them would then accept Christ and the antichrist would be left with hardly any followers. Whereas on the flip side, if he just kept his supernatural ablities to the side and was just a big military leader, and thus having access to weapons and missles could command "fire" from "heaven" it would keep people following him in deception and thus he would have the large number of followers that the Bible says he would during the end times.

That's reason number one and reason number two is, because currently I have a major hankering in my brain that this guy....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros


fits nearly all the criteria for being the antichrist and at the very least if he isn't, he is certainly laying the ground work that the antichrist will later work with. The only thing that this guy doesn't have that the antichrist will seem to have in my view, is the ability to do supernatural miracles or acts. The moment this man does such things especially if it's the "fire from heaven" bit, I will then be sold on the idea that he is indeed the EVIL ONE.


And again I hope that you and I won't have to be around to witness these things, I hope there will be a pretrib rapture. But since I know that there is always a chance that Rich Deem's view of no rapture could be true we need to prepare ourselves and our faith to go through major persecuton and even death for our faith if that indeed happens. So I sort of have a "hope there is a rapture but prepare that there will not kind of a view.

Either way it's starting to really look like we are living in monumental times.

[RickD]

DRDS wrote:

And again I hope that you and I won't have to be around to witness these things, I hope there will be a pretrib rapture. But since I know that there is always a chance that Rich Deem's view of no rapture could be true we need to prepare ourselves and our faith to go through major persecuton and even death for our faith if that indeed happens. So I sort of have a "hope there is a rapture but prepare that there will not kind of a view.

I don't think Rich believes in "no rapture", as you say. From what I read, it seems Rich doesn't hold to the "now popular" pre-trib rapture, made popular by the Left Behind series. But, you can see for yourself here:

http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/tribulation.html

[DRDS]

Thanks for the clearification, I thought many months ago I thought I saw Rich post something on facebook that I think mentioned "no rapture" in it, and I thought from that and from the link that you provided that he didn't believe in a rapture but just in a second comming and resurrection of the dead at the end of the tribulation. I guess that too can be called or viewed as a "post trib rapture".

Either way I hope there will be a pre trib rapture (for obvious reasons) but prepare myself (as should all of you) for enduring the seven year tribulation or for a post trib rapture/resurrection of the dead.

[Grizz_1]

Yes, agreed they had Gods help. I think you have to remember that Satan has done supernatural things in the past. For instance, he was able to bring the Lord to the top of a mountain and show him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time in order to temp him. Supernatural I would say. Also remember that God tells us when speaking of the anarchist in Thess 2:9-10 "even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying wonders." These are sure to be supernatural.

To address your concern about people figuring it out. Again in Thess 2: 11 we are told that God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie. The unbelievers will not be able to figure it out. Believers will know what's going on.

[StMonicaGuideMe]

Good Lord...I'm embarrassed to share heritage with György Soros. His last name, btw, in Hungarian means "next in line". That would indeed be fitting -.-

I'm wondering if the "grand delusion" from is the sudden rise of militant atheism? We Christians can figure it out...maybe it's a sign no blasphemy intended of course, but I'm sure that we're getting to the end a lot faster than we were even 50 years ago.

I'm surprised no one commented on the revelations of Fatima during this conversation, since they're definitely relevant to the end times and the purification period.
It's also been stated that even when the anti-christ and Jesus come, there will STILL be people who disbelieve and reject what's happening. They will come up with excuses to not believe. They will be the ones who will be rejected by God at the final judgment. They saw, and still did not believe. Perfect Biblical symmetry

As much as I would be afraid of going through the end times turmoil, I think I want to be around for it. I want to see and know with my own eyes that justice is finally here. Would I die for my faith? Yes. Would it terrify me? Absolutely. I think if something bad was to happen, I'd handle it. But if I had to stand by and watch people I love suffer or die, that would be harder. I'll just trust God in whatever He chooses.