Something Happened Along The Way..............

[Sally]

Something happened along the way and the leaders of the Christian Churches decided that they needed to show a real existence of the embodiment of both good and evil - obviously as the name would imply, Jesus the Christ would be the embodiment of good so an Antichrist was made to embody all that is evil.

We have all seen this Antichrist portrayed in so many movies, always bearing the mark of the beast - 666.

Pure evil, intent on gaining as many human souls as possible, condemning them for an eternity in Hell - pain and suffering forever.

However, I am always a little concerned that they always portray this evil as knowing that he is evil and what he is doing is wrong - what if the Antichrist thinks that he is indeed the return of the actual Christ and all of his works he sees as good rather than evil and that he is saving these souls?

This would certainly explain all of those that use the pulpit to preach lessons of hate, bigotry and intolerance all for a good cause - counting on their listeners zeal to carry out these plans.

There is an old saying that the road to ruin is paved with good intentions - this would certainly explain a lot.

Just something to think about.

Love ya,

Sally

[VickySGV]

Its been figured out that the 666 was actually an anagram on the name of the Roman emperor in business at the time old Johnny was having his dream about the Apocalypse and getting writers cramp from it.

The legend of Lucifer, who was reportedly the brightest and most beautiful angel in God's creation of Heaven involves Lucifer's conceit and pride. When mankind did not stack up with his vision of himself, he told God that God had made a terrible mistake and would not back down. Lucifer actually wanted men made better by God before he turned them loose on the world so they could be more like the Angels who could not do some of the cussedness that men could and did do. When God would not listen to Lucifer, its an even tale that he was kicked out or just moved out to a place removed from God's presence.

I see too many people who, like Lucifer actually want to make men better, but somehow, they don't get the idea that God is happy with a lot of stuff that appears to need fixing. They look at the parts that might make men like perfect angels and work on them, forgetting that Angels are a different part of creation, making and old Ford into a Rolls Royce is still making it a car. Mankind needs to become better humans and not perfect angels, we have too much good stuff to do, and that is our real purpose.

Angels only need one of the two Great Commandments -- "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart mind and soul."

We men have add on "Love thy neighbor as thyself!" to get it right.

[Guest Sarinah]

Vicky,

I havent heard that rendition of the story of the fall of lucifer, where does that come from.

Sally,

I have had many discussions with Biblical scholars both of the seminary educated kind and the self educated kind about the antichrist. One thing the Bible mentions is that there are actually many antichrists (1 John 2:18-19). The term refers to those who appear to be followers of the Christ but in truth are preaching contradictions to Jesus' teachings.

Some theologians believe that "the antichrist" refered to by John in Revelation was actually the emperor Nero. Nero fulfilled all of the prophecy concerning "the antichrist" in Revelation. There is a theological group called the Preterists who hold this belief to be true.(http://www.preteristarchive.com/Rome/Monarchs/nero.html).

I decided a long time ago that i personally do not try to focus on Revelation because it has no bearing on what I as a Christian am doing today. Christ gave me my commission and it hold true until I am no longer on this earth regradless of how that happens. For that reason I do not claim to know who is, was, or will be "the antichrist".

As far as the movies go. I think they have it wrong. I believe any antichrist whether they are "the" or "a" will come like wolves in sheeps clothing. They will go out into the world to decieve both Christians and non-believers. They will do so with empty promises founded on principles of self gratification rather than love.

-Evalyn

[VickySGV]

Evalyn;

I am sorry that at the minute I cannot put my finger on exactly where I originally heard or found that version of the heavenly fall, and even there it may not be exactly the way the "authorized version" tells it. I am a story teller who is well in her 60's and loves telling stories that I heard from childhood and teenhood.

Among other books that I have read though are C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters another by Taylor Caldwell titled Dialogues With The Devil. The first book is still pretty easily found, but the second one is out of print (it was a fiction title). I may also have lifted it from some other religion, I love some of the old Jewish tales and even from some other non-Abrahamic religions that have God and fallen angels in it.