In the Bible, the book of Revelation can be intimidating to read or frightening to process the meaning of the words. Not only does it discuss Jesus’ second coming; it also expresses what will happen with earth, the people left on it, Heaven and also the believers that will ascend to live there for an eternity. There will be trials and tribulations that will occur on earth and to the people that are left behind. At the same time there will be praises and glory given to God by the people that trusted in Him and live in Heaven (Blackstone 11-13). Jesus came to the earth to pay the price for every person’s sins a while ago but He is going to come again to rule over all of the earth with His followers. Before Christ returns, the rapture will take place at a random time (Levy 225). The rapture is the time when Jesus will take all …show more content…
The location of the judgement is not known entirely; all that is understood is that it will take place somewhere in space (Levy 244). People that will attend this horrific judgement are all unbelievers; their age, power, popularity wealth and many other things are not factors in this particular judgement (245). Anyone that is at the Great White Throne of Judgement is being judged based on their works while on earth according to the Bible (247). Revelation 20:12 states “the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book, according to their works” (KJV). Each person will then be punished according to their wrong-doings; the more they sinned against God while on earth, the more horrific their eternity will be in the Lake of Fire (247). No person should have the desire to attend The Great White Throne of Judgement because it places them away from God and into a fiery pit
Much of Revelation is the source of debate. Many passages are symbolic in nature, and the exact meaning of the symbols can be difficult to determine. Some passages can be interpreted in various ways. The identity of the Four Horsemen, the 144,000, and Babylon the Great in particular are points of contention. Nevertheless, proper hermeneutics and careful study can illuminate these difficult passages.
The 21st century is the age of information and technology and as the human species continues to advance there are growing concerns that the human race is close to its end. Jerry Oltion uses his text Judgment Passed as an allegory for the belief of the Christian salvation and the state of the modern world. In Jerry Oltion’s text planet Earth is depleted, causing humans to send astronauts into space to colonize another planet named Dessica (Oltion). These astronauts are in space for twelve years and when they return to Earth they learn that the end of the world has occurred without them. The astronauts learn through old newspaper articles that Jesus Christ returned to earth and saved everyone. This causes the astronauts to ponder the reason they were not saved like all the people on Earth and the other colonies in space. Throughout Judgment Passed there are metaphors for the Christian belief of what happens after death such as the realm of limbo and then there are the metaphors that are a depiction of today’s world and its possible future such as Jesus Christ representing a hierarchy political figure. Therefore, Judgment Passed is more than a short narrative for entertainment, it is allegory for the Christian belief system and it is a metaphor for the human condition of the modern world.
The prophecy Jesus presents in Mark 13:30 is one of many that present teachings on the end times. In Jesus’ fig-tree lesson he states, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” This statement is one that has been analyzed and debated amongst biblical scholars for centuries. My aim is to analyze Jesus’ purpose behind this prophecy, while presenting varying interpretations and the weakness’ within each solution. My conclusion is by no means a definitive answer to Jesus’ meaning, but an analysis of a few commentaries and my own conclusion based on the research presented. In order to further understand the meaning behind this verse the larger and immediate context of the passage must be taken into account.
No one ever said love was easy, they just said it was worth it. If someone did say it was easy, they were lying. You can be sure of that. Love is probably the hardest thing you will ever go through in your life. Sure, love can be fun and silly, but there are times when you have to make sacrifices and let go of things you want to keep. Love is not gratuitous. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander says, “The course of true love never did run smooth,” which has many meanings.
Brooks and A.J Gordon (Balmer 34). Dispensationalism has been gaining followers for many years and its popularity can be seen in many places, such as in the Left Behind series which has captured the minds of many people around the world (Pagels 1). Now with historical context in mind, it is time to see what Dispensationalism teaches. Dispensationalism has three distinct characteristics: Rapture of Christians, Millennium Rule of Christ, and the Unfulfilled Prophecies of the Bible. For the purpose of this paper they will all be examined separately. The Rapture is the belief that Christians will be brought up and not have to endure the Tribulation (Robinson). The term “rapture” does not occur in the Bible but instead comes from a Latinized version of the word arpadzo which comes from “caught up” (Witherington 94). The belief in the Rapture for Dispensationalists is based on 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 which they claim describes an event where living Christians return to heaven with Christ (Robinson). Secondly, the Millennium Rule is the belief that Jesus Christ will literally rule over earth for 1,000 years after the Tribulation (Robinson). The key here is that (as opposed to the Post-Millennial views) the believers have no part in setting up his reign
This truth is revealed in the book of Revelation, and it shows the prophecy in which things at the end of this world will take place. It goes by the names of the “end times”, “final days”, or “last days”. The bible also talks about suffering Christians will go through, but are encouraged to persevere and endure until the end. The Bible states that, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give your life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death” (Revelation 2:10-11). There are times in this world where many Christians have undergone persecution and suffering for His names’ sake, but the Bible encourages Christians to not set their focus on this temporary suffering, even though it is sometimes very hard to endure, we are called to keep the focus on eternity, and the good that is to
Works Cited: Aune, David E. Revelation 1-5. Word Biblical Commentary 52A. Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1997. Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. New Testament Theology.
Revelation identifies itself as “both an “apocalypse”…and as prophecy”, making it distinctly different from the rest of the New Testament. “Jewish apocalyptic literature flourished in the centuries following the completion of the OT canon”, and it is scattered throughout the Old Testaments in books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. Apocalyptic literature is full of “visions that dramatize the prophet’s admission to God’s heavenly council”, and convey their meaning primarily through symbolism. John brings a “balanced message of comfort, warning, and rebuke” in Revelation, testifying to the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Apart from the OT literature, Revelation shows a distinct optimism toward the end of days, for “Christ’s death has already won the decisive victory over evil”, with the Kingdom of God already among believers. This book was written in “approximately A.D. 95 on the island of Patmos”, which is still standing to this day. It was written under the emperor Domitian, with Roman authorities exiling John “to the island of Patmos (off the coast of Asia)”. The events in Revelation are also “ordered
There will be an examination of every believer where their works are tried by fire by the judge, who is Jesus as stated in John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” There will be a one on one between every believer and Jesus, not about whether they have salvation, but about what they did in their life for to glorify God. Nor is the judgment seat for believers about sins they have committed as Romans 8:1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The sins of believers were forgiven at the cross so there is no judgment for sins committed in the life of a
Literalist fundamentalists read Revelation’s multivalent visions as predictions of doom and threat, of punishment for the many and salvation for the elect few. Scholarly scientific readings seek to translate the book’s ambiguity into one-to-one meanings and to transpose its language of symbol and myth into description and facts. In Elisabeth Schûssler Fiorenza’s The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment, a third way of reading Revelation is depicted. The collection of essays in this book seeks to intervene in scholarly as well as popular discourses on the apocalypse from a liberationist feminist perspective.
As defined by Migliore, Revelation means an “unveiling,” uncovering,” or “disclosure” of something previously hidden. Today, Community of Christ affirms the Living God is ever self-revealing to the world through the testimony of Israel and Jesus Christ. Revelation provides important decisions about who God is and how we are to understand the world and ourselves. In seeking to understand, as a member of Community of Christ, we must explore the historical and contextual response of the leaderships to revelation within the setting of the Restoration and the Reorganization era.
Pentecost, J Dwight. Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1964.
Although I could relate to many of the problems Aaron faced in Rapture Practice, I never had to deal with most of them. Even as children, Aaron and I had noticeable differences in the way we were raised. In Chapter 24 page 323, Aaron speaks about getting spanked by his father as child. This is one of the most significant differences between us. As I was growing up, my father found other ways of disciplining my sibling and I. He did not believe in spanking his daughters.
From the time of the creation of God’s Kingdom and the earth until present day in the eternal life, God has intended for His people to live as full human beings in order to live a fulfilled life, and a life of salvation and redemption through His son Jesus Christ. Through living the eternal life and living within God’s Kingdom, the anticipation of the return of Christ and the beginning of the New Heaven and the New Earth is what Christians are currently living for and anticipating. New Heaven and New Earth are both goals Christians work towards through their faith in Christ, along with the anticipation and work towards the eschatological goal as we work and live towards the future and end result, while some aspects of life will continue and some will discontinue in the New Heaven and the New Earth. While the New Heaven and New Earth is an opportunity to refresh our spirituality and redeem ourselves in a spiritual way through the work of the Holy
Finally, the last book of the Bible inspires hope in the lives of the worshipping church. It depicts they day when God and the Church will be united forever and face-to-face. No longer will there be a temple to go and meet God, because God himself will be the temple (Revelation 21:22). The hope for ultimate intimacy with God forever drives the focus and vision of the church to worship in the meantime. Through good or bad, easy or difficult, success or failure, pleasure or pain… the reality of intimate worship with God for eternity gives strength and eager expectation of the New Earth to come.