Strange Fire from Heaven

A Warning From Christ

Matthew 24:24 (AV 1873)

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Jesus reiterated this in his Revelation to John, giving us more details.

Revelation 19:20 (AV 1873)

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

What similarities do we see in these two passages?

Both passages warn of:

A false prophet

Which works miracles

To deceive people

Characteristics of Revelations False Prophet

Who is this main “false prophet” Jesus warned about which will do miracles to deceive God’s people?

Revelation 13:11–14 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast...

Here we have a power which is described as appearing lamb-like, or Christ-like, but he does “great wonders” to deceive people.

These are the characteristics Christ said the “false prophet” has in Revelation 19:20.

Identifying Factors of the False Prophet

1. Described as a Beast

Revelation 13:11 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast...

What is a beast symbolic of in prophecy?

Daniel 7:23 (AV 1873)

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth...

The false prophet is not necessarily an individual, but a large group of people.

2. Origin of this Power

Revelation 13:11 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth...

The origin of this beast is the exact opposite of the first beast:

Revelation 13:1 (AV 1873)

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea...

Revelation 17:15 (AV 1873)

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Waters = Highly populated area

Therefore logic informs us that the “earth” would represent the inverse of the sea, i.e. a less populated area.

Is this idea Biblical?

Jeremiah 2:6 (AV 1873)

6 Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

Jeremiah 51:43 (AV 1873)

43 Her cities are a desolation, A dry land, and a wilderness, A land wherein no man dwelleth, Neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

Job 38:25–27 (AV 1873)

25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, Or a way for the lightning of thunder; 26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man; 27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

This kingdom arose out of, or was established, in a sparsely populated area (relatively speaking).

3. A Young Country

Revelation 13:11 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb...

What is a lamb? If you look up a lamb in a dictionary, you will find that a lamb is simply a baby sheep (“especially: one that is less than one year old or without permanent teeth”)

4. Time of the Beast’s Appearance

Revelation 13:10–11 (AV 1873)

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

The first beast (the Papacy) ruled for a period of 1,260 years, until the Pope was taken captive in 1798, at the end of that period.

After this is described in Revelation 13:10, we see another beast arise. indicating that the second kingdom would be established around the time the first beast received its deadly wound.

In 1754 John Wesley wrote concerning the 2nd beast, that:

“he [the 2nd beast] is not yet come, though he cannot be far off. For he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast [the Papacy].”

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1754), p. 704

5. Appearance of Christian Character

Revelation 13:11 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

John 1:29 (AV 1873)

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Luke 10:3 (AV 1873)

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Appearing as a lamb is equated with appearing as a Christian.

The majority of people who comprised this nation claimed to be Christians.

6. A World Superpower

Revelation 13:11–12 (AV 1873)

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

As this beast develops, its character is seen to be that of a dragon, not a lamb. This is evident when we see that it will use force to compel the whole world to worship, or obey, the laws of the first beast.

The character of Christ, the Lamb of God, does not force any to worship Him.

This informs us that this power will be a world superpower with the military ability to force other countries into doing its will.

Summary

1. A Powerful Kingdom

2. Arising in a Sparsely Populated Area

3. A Relatively Young Nation

4. Arising in the Late 1700’s

5. A Nation Full of Professed Christians

6. A Powerful Military and Global Presence

What power arose during the late 1700’s in a sparsely populated area as a Christian nation, which is today a dominate world power?

The United States of America is the only nation that fits all these characteristics.

Further Biblical clues inform us that it is the “Protestants” of America (the Church) will manipulate the civil government (the State) into enforcing her dogmas. This union of Church and State makes an image of the Papal Church which used the arm of the State to enforce her dogmas.

Thus, the false prophet is America, generally speaking), but specifically it is the apostate Protestants of America.

How will Protestants in America cause this Union?

Revelation 13:14 (AV 1873)

14 and [he] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

This union is caused by deception, specifically false signs and wonders.

What kind of miracles will be done to bring about this union of Church and State?

Revelation 13:13 (AV 1873)

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

There is much speculation as to what the above means, do you all have any thoughts?

“Fire from Heaven” in the Bible

Fire from Heaven in the Old Testament

1 Chronicles 21:26 (AV 1873)

26 And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

Fire from heaven is here used as an evidence of God answering a prayer.

2 Kings 1:10 (AV 1873)

10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

Fire from heaven is here used to show that someone is a “man of God.”

Elijah on Mount Caramel:

1 Kings 18:37–39 (AV 1873)

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

Fire from heaven in Elijah’s day caused reformation and brought people back to the true God.

Keep these points in mind, because we will come back to them and make a connection for today.

Fire from Heaven in the New Testament

Acts 2:1–4 (AV 1873)

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Here we see men of God (the disciples) praying together (Acts 1:24), which results in “fire from heaven” which leads many people to come back to God.

The manifestation of this miraculous “fire from heaven” was seen when the apostles spoke in tongues.

Ephesians 4:8 (AV 1873)

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...

Ephesians 4:13 (AV 1873)

13 till we all come in the unity of the faith...

The purpose of this gift was to help unify the church and spread the Gospel.

The Counterfeit

Today the gift of tongues is being counterfeited by Satan to accomplish the same ends of true spiritual gifts: unity, and bringing the people with the spirit to its originator.

SHOW VIDEO OF PEOPLE SPEAKING IN TONGUES AND CALLING DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN

Fire from heaven came when as a result of prayer.

The counterfeit gift of tongues is given as a result of counterfeit prayer.

[STRANGE FIRE]

Fire from heaven was an evidence that one was filled with God’s Spirit (“a man of God”).

The counterfeit gift of tongues is evidence that one is filled with a counterfeit spirit, while they claim it is evidence they are filled with “God the Holy Spirit.”

[TONGUES NOT SIGN FOR BELIEVERS]

Fire from heaven led people to turn to the true God.

The counterfeit gift of tongues turns people to a counterfeit god during a counterfeit reformation.

[WONDERS BUT TURN TO FALSE GODS = FALSE PROPHET]

[SHORT SCENE OF FALSE REFORMATION]

The gift of tongues, like all spiritual gifts, are meant to help unify the church in truth.

The counterfeit gift of tongues unifies the church in falsehood.

[IF TONGUES IS A SIGN THAT YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, THEN WE HAVE NO REASON TO STAY SEPARATE]

[CHARISMATICS BRINGING PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS TOGETHER]

Fire from heaven was evidence that the true God was on Elijah’s side.

The counterfeit gift of tongues is evidence that a counterfeit God is on their side.

After Elijah called down fire from heaven, the priests of Baal were killed.

After Protestants call down fire from heaven, the priests of the true God will be killed.

[VIOLENT IDEAS OF CHARISMATICS — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij6Lj5QZLvw&list=PLvKlNC333iYBfqrwYoP3r0ZvAjRI8gwHV&index=2 (19:19)]

Revelation 18:1–4 AV 1873

1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, And is become the habitation of devils, And the hold of every foul spirit, And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, That ye be not partakers of her sins, And that ye receive not of her plagues.