Meaning of Revelation

[Nylah]

<span style="font-style: italic">learn something new everyday</span>

so I was reading a National Post article on Peak Oil and an editorial comment on the issue used biblical revelation as an analogy....I'll skip that part but he made an interesting comment about a town in Alberta where one church (the only church in the town at the time) split into 3 because followers had 3 radically different beliefs about what the End-Times teachings really are about.

Here are the 3 questions he listed to highlight their different POVs:

1. Will Christ's second coming occur before the Millennium - the foretold golden age of Christian prosperity and dominance?

2. Will it occur only after humans have established the Millennium on their own?

3. Or is the whole idea of the Millennium more spiritual than physical?

Depending on which question the followers believed what the correct one, determined which splinter group they went to

The last question or POV caught my eye because I have never contemplated it from that perspective........

Before I run my mouth, anyone have any thoughts or opinions on the above?

[Nylah]

Re: Meaning of Revelation



Okay let me pose this question then

If Christianity in its entirety (meaning all denominations, etc.) viewed the book of Revelations as a depiction of a spiritual war that takes place within us <span style="font-weight: bold">more so than </span>an physical battle with the rise of an earthly anti-Christ, would we have a different Church today?

[evanovitch]

Re: Meaning of Revelation

show u how supposed believers continue to focus on wat dem shudden...no one knows when He will come so all should focus on weh him tell dem fi do rada dan war ovah wen Him fi come bak....

see dat..anyting rada dan change demselves...find someting fi focus on outside weh dem fi do n war ovah...

i continue to shake mi head ovah wat di ones who seh dem is di Church find as dem mission

[Nylah]

Re: Meaning of Revelation


well that is what struck me about the third question. There was so much irony in the fact that each of these 3 groups thought they had the End times doctrine right but the 3rd question chastises all of them in the sense that we chose to focus on the wrong aspect of the Bible period.

If the focus OVERALL was spiritual and that we are all waging a war inside of ourselves that must be won regardless of when He is coming back or not, then I think it would mean something radically different to be a Christian than it does today. Appearance is more important than &quot;content&quot; in so many ways. The size of my hat or length of my skirt does not determine the state of my heart or strength of my faith.

But it is sad/funny that one church in a little town would splinter or such, but that is indicative of the Church body universally....which circles back to my opening point.

[evanovitch]

Re: Meaning of Revelation

may i recommend John MacArthur's book on Revelation...u know how i love his logical mind...

[Emperah]

Re: Meaning of Revelation

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">show u how supposed believers continue to focus on wat dem shudden...no one knows when He will come so all should focus on weh him tell dem fi do rada dan war ovah wen Him fi come bak....

</div></div>

took mi a longtime fi realize seh no one naah come back. No one has eva left here and come back an it naah guh hapm. How long have we been waiting fi dis return? How long have we heard seh him soon come ar God a come feem worll?

Even if we are to bleev wah de bible seh Yashua said &quot;when he is come&quot; he didn't say when I come back or come again.

In any case if mi sit here an wait fi smaddy come back fi rescue me not a dyam ting will get done.

[DC]

Re: Meaning of Revelation

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nylah</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Okay let me pose this question then

If Christianity in its entirety (meaning all denominations, etc.) viewed the book of Revelations as a depiction of a spiritual war that takes place within us <span style="font-weight: bold">more so than </span>an physical battle with the rise of an earthly anti-Christ, would we have a different Church today?


</div></div>

Nylah, different in what way?

[Nylah]

Re: Meaning of Revelation


if the focus was on the 2nd coming was seen as an internal spiritual battle vs an external physcial battle

[evanovitch]

Re: Meaning of Revelation

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nylah</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
well that is what struck me about the third question. There was so much irony in the fact that each of these 3 groups thought they had the End times doctrine right but the 3rd question chastises all of them in the sense that we chose to focus on the wrong aspect of the Bible period.

If the focus OVERALL was spiritual and that we are all waging a war inside of ourselves that must be won regardless of when He is coming back or not, then I think it would mean something radically different to be a Christian than it does today. Appearance is more important than &quot;content&quot; in so many ways. The size of my hat or length of my skirt does not determine the state of my heart or strength of my faith.

But it is sad/funny that one church in a little town would splinter or such, but that is indicative of the Church body universally....which circles back to my opening point. </div></div>


took mi a long time to appreciate dem likkle church weh use to insist dat everybody wear a simple white frock come church....an dat everybody live outsie of di world...true, even dem got a likkle radical but dem was on the right track wid how u suppose to focus u mind an be on di vigilance...now people brag how dem get cawl fi preach n how much dem get pay fi dweet...nutten wrong wid mekking a living but u haffi wonda wich is the greatest pleasure fi di smaddy...di earning potential dat di preaching afford r di joy of preaching

[Nylah]

Re: Meaning of Revelation


but it seems to be about where the startng point is.

I do think as you move thru a spiritual process things of the world will fall away and you will choose to <span style="font-weight: bold">be different,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">look different all on your own. </span>

whenvever it is imposed from the outside - like the pulpit and disapproval from the congregation - you create believers who thing cause they wear hats and white dresses that they are holy just from the outside items. To go to such and such church, you need to wear this or that..... Which doesnt reflect the state of anyone's heart IMO.

and that is what I think leads to the one's u mention who brag in how they are pastor this and that.....again it is about outward appearances and not inward growth.