The Signs and Wonder of The False Prophet

 I've decided to make this post a follow up to, The False Prophet Outside Revelation.

I've been struggling with the fact that in Revelation 13 it's clearly the Second Beast (The False Prophet) who performs the Signs and Wonders, the miracles. Yet it's equally clearly the First Beast who is deified and worshiped.

This is an example of how Revelation explains the rest of Scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2, read plainly on it's own in isolation would not give the impression that the man deified and the man performing miracles are separate. In fact the Miracles seem to confirm his deity in this coming deception. However the scenario revealed in Revelation 13 is by no means in conflict. Paul was ambiguous enough that his scenario works either way.

But the reason I struggle with this is, it's not logical at face value, I believe The Bible whether it seems logical to my human mind or not, but it's still Ok to take note of these things. Why the one performing the miracles isn't the one people think is a god. It could be a matter of simply the Antichrist saying this Prophet is doing these things because of power he gave him. But, in the modern world especially, I think most people would just ask why he doesn't simply cut out the middle man.

One Atheist I often communicate with, likes to quote Captain James Tiberius Kirk from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier "Why would God need a Starship". It's hard for me to imagine him not applying the same question here "Why does God need this random guy to perform his miracles?" I know the way Christians often think of the coming deception is that all unbelievers will simply accept everything The Beast says by the sheer magic of his voice, no matter how much it conflicts with their earlier beliefs or thought processes. Or if not they'll become Saved. But I have had enough interaction with unbelievers that I prefer to give them more credit then that. I do certainly believe The Beast and False Prophet's powers of deception will have a supernatural quality to them, but I also think there will be thought put into their deception.

Meanwhile I've also rethought a lot about our assumptions on The Antichrist.  And I think it's probably us Judeo-Christians not The World he's trying to device.  And would not want to look obviously like what we expect The Antichrist to look like.

There are others though who think this needs to be understood in the context of fulfilling the Messianic expectations of Modern Rabbinic Judaism. Fire coming down from heaven shows the second beast is trying to be Elijah to the first's Messiah.  Which I'll talk more on in part 3.

But Orthodox Judaism is not expecting The Messiah (Ben Joseph or Ben David) nor Elijah to deify themselves or anyone else. So even if the focus here is to deceive Jews mainly, it's still not exactly what their currently expecting.

Yes, Christians know The Messiah is divine, and we believe that can be Demonstrated from the Hebrew Scriptures, I wrote a study on it. But while Jesus did empower others to perform Miracles (Us, The Church, but also Judas who despite not being Saved was among the 12). He proved his own Divinity not by those Miracles but by what he did himself.

I have developed a theory. One that could be wrong, but if it's true it might cause confusion for Christians who haven't already considered it, so I want to share it.

I think maybe John was describing how things actually are, but to the World when it happens it will look like The Beast is doing them. The False Prophet will officially only be a sort of spokesperson. And only Saved people who understand Revelation will be able to properly deduce what's really going on.  And that could explain Paul's reference being the way it is too. The Holy Spirit gave him only a glimpse, but John got to see the whole picture.

Or it could be a little of both, after The Beast's "divinity" is established The False Prophet will then perform open miracles on his own, claiming their done with power given to him by The Beast.  Perhaps indeed playing the Elijah role, or perhaps as someone else.

Fire coming down from Heaven is one specific sign alluded to. There are clearly implied to be many more.

 I don't believe the life like behavior of thev"Image of the Beast" means Satan can truly create life. I believe this is an illusion to modern technology. Many see a Robot or a Hologram, and that could be part of it. But I also like the 2000 film Revelation's suggestion that it's a sort of Computer program anyone on Earth can plug into directly relating it to the Mark.  A computer generated image. Google Glasses makes such a thing even more plausible now.

I want to now discuss a very conjectural theory I have about the subject.

Daniel 9:27 has a difficult to Translate statement, "and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate". It's not the exact phrase "Abomination of Desolation" but uses both key words implying a connection. But what's difficult is "overspreading" in many other translations is "Wing", or "Wing of the Temple".

The second Temptation Satan gave to Jesus in Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple". The word Translated "Pinnacle" here also means "Wing" as in a Wing of a Building.

Since we definitely see the Third Temptation of Jesus, as one that Satan will also make to The Beast, but which The Beast will accept. Why not view the Second as also connected to The Beast?

Now I explain in a different post that I support the Southern Conjecture of The Temple's location (The Al-Kas fountain view). And how I tie that into Revelation 11 and Daniel 11:45. And how I think the Willful King's body might be entombed in the Dome of The Rock after receiving his "Mortal Wound".

I have a theory that between when The Beast's "Mortal Wound" is healed, and when he performs the Abomination of Desolation, (which I think could all go down the same day). The world will see him Fly, or at least appear to. I think The False Prophet will levitate him up to the top of a high wall of The Temple, and then levitate him back down, and from there he'll march into the Holy Place.

So, these theories could be wrong. But I think their worth considering.