Revalations- written for hope not prophesy

I attended a Christian private University and every conversation I've had with religious professors about the book Revelation comes to the same conclusion. That it was written to provide hope for persecuted Christians of the time. It was NOT a prophesy of things to come. I think its interesting how certian evangelists are using this book to scare people into supporting($$$) them.

Originally posted by groovyguru
I attended a Christian private University and every conversation I've had with religious professors about the book Revelation comes to the same conclusion. That it was written to provide hope for persecuted Christians of the time. It was NOT a prophesy of things to come. I think its interesting how certian evangelists are using this book to scare people into supporting($$$) them.

here here, i completely agree with that comment
In my humble opinion, evangelists have no right telling anyone how to worship God its up to each and every individual and that includes the stupid 10% tithe because, giving of your heart because you truly feel compelled to is all that is needed. The Church is nothing more than an Elitists Club 'no offense to anyone who attends church btw' but since i do live in a Country that allows free speech, i'll damn well tell it like it is

I agree, groovyguru.
I have come to the same conclusion after reading numerous books, aritcles and interpretations of it.

It's one option.

I certainly think it's being used as a blueprint by some people thoiugh.

i'm not christian but i definately agree that it was written for hope. for me i personally view it as hope myself that even though the nwo is coming, it will ultimately fall due to divine forces.

thanks for your input...Jesus said it himself when asked about the end of it all. The only reply was that it would come like a thief in the night, he didn't know. No stories or fantastic tales of seals breaking/sings/ or portents.

Who are these self righteous people to prey upon peoples faiths...just to get in their pocketbooks.

I'm new to this Board, and I think its the best one on the internet.

i think revelations was written to propagate laziness amoung the people who believe in it because why try and fix things when u can just be good and get brought to heaven.

the self righteous people who prey uppon people are cointelpro disinformation agents i think anyways. they lead people away from the truth and the quest and the great work

I've always believed that, at that particular point in "God's Plan", that we're *not* locked into the Revelations...

...In order to *avoid* that particular line of the future, we'd have to turn ourselves around, as an entire species, & bring Peace on Earth for ourselves.

The trick with that problem though is that the Churches, Politicians & Corporations promote ignorance among People...And to avoid the Revelations, we must Deny Ignorance & become enlightened first.

This post is in line with what I believe as written in Future Shock...We have to break the repetition of history in order to be free of that "dark future".

"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."--The Terminator (Movie)


[Edited on 22-11-2003 by MidnightDStroyer]

Just because it was written by a person to be a message of hope does not mean it could have another message. If shakespear told you hamlet was supposed to be a love story you are not going to think he is bad playwright would you?

So apparently the things that are supposedly determined to be within a certain timeline are meaningless as far as time is concerned.....
Revelations?....did the book or story already act itself out?.
According to who's measure of time is it set to happen?.
What is Revelations?.
Questions questions, this is what those who have power do not want the masses to ask.
Ignorance, meaninglessness.
Being alive is supposed to be a study in living, all you do and all you know has nothing to do with reality.
?

Revelations and such just means the truth will finally be revealed. As a result of the truth being revealed, the things which were built on lies will crumble. The people who have gained power by using lies are the only ones that need to fear - and they do.

It is certainly coming true. But it isn't going to be like the people who scream about it as doom and gloom say it is. Join their lie based on your fear as they make 1 last final push to keep the truth hidden.

Lincoln once said - Do I not destroy my enemy by making him my friend? Destroying all the bad people doesn't always mean they will die. If you teach that bad person the truth, so they no longer do bad things, then have you not just destroyed/removed a bad person from the earth?

Great point. I have listened to many evangelicals during my life, and the one who finally made me sit up and think did it this way:

He had a short segment at the end of his program, and he was pacing a bit as though he was nervous. I do not recall his exact words, but I will try to paraphrase it as close as I can:

It's time to mention the offering. Now, I don't need any money. This ministry is doing just fine. The bills are all paid, and we are growing. So if you feel led to do so, there is an address at the bottom of the screen where you can send in your offerings and tithes. If you do, we will pray over them and bless them, but if you are not led to send us anything, please don't. Put your money where you feel led to put it.

I had never heard that said by anyone who spoke from a pulpit before. And I learned so much from him I could not list it all here if I had 1,000,000 characters to play with.

So from that day on, one of the things I use to justify whether or not to give to an evangelist is whether or not they beg for money. I still give generously, but I now give to those who are not as greedy and money-driven (I hope). And yes, that has included him at times.

TheRedneck

It is the story of the Zodiac told by all cultures around the world. People need to wake up, it has always had a date and it has always been kept by them. They put these people in place to teach you lies, they do not let them teach unless they have learned and agree to teach only lies. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, get away from them, they are ignorant. The sad thing is they have convinced most of the world that they do not know the time, it is not true. Deny the peoples ignorance, all of these stories are all the same, all over the world, all dated with the same date.

Food for thought... I see so many people being told the bible does not predict the end times or it was in 100 AD (that would be almost funny if it wasn't so bad of a theory) but below are some fine examples of what is yet to come. For those of you reading that are not familiar with the text, please make up your own mind.

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand (200 million): and I heard the number of them," Revelation 9:16.

(the number of them 200 million... not a "whole bunch" or some metaphor like a "great wave" but the number 200 million.

First and foremost the 200 million man army and the death of 1/3 of humans, plants, & animals on the planet... hands down, that isn't 100 AD and only today in our modern era could a few countries field an army of that size and only in the last century have we had the means of blowing up 1/3 of the earths population.

Abomination of Desolation:
When the Antichrist sits down in the rebuilt Jewish Temple and declares himself to be God, the great tribulation of 42 months will then begin. At the occurrence of this event, the Jews living in Israel are commanded to flee into the wilderness. All tribulation saints will know, from that day on, they must now wait 1260 days before the Lord returns.
(Dan 9:27) ,(Mat 24:15-19)

Matt 24:10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. 2 Thes 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord - God's judgment upon the earth) will not come unless the apostasy (a falling away from the faith) comes first.

2 Tim 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it.

Bold text seem kind of familiar??

An Increase in wickedness and a decrease in morals.

Matt 24: 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
Matt 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Luke 17:28-30 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot... Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

The days of Noah were known for their wickedness (Gen 6:5). The days of Lot, living in Sodom and Gomorrah


The emergence of a world leader. (No world leader in the 100AD timeframe could have even come close to ruling the whole world or why would a Roman Emperor come to Jerusalem and declare himself god... didn't happen yet .)

Rev 13:3-8 The whole world was astonished and followed the beast (the Antichrist, who will rule the world)... and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Listen to the world leaders today as they speak of the 'New World Order'. See the unification that is occurring within Europe and other nations. Even non-Christians can see that we are heading for a one world government. This is what the Bible predicted nearly 2000 years ago. This government will be given into the hands of the most wicked man this world has ever known.

Rev 13:16,17 He (the antichrist) also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
What was an absurd impossibility 2000 years ago, is rapidly becoming reality today

False Prophet:
He will administrate the workings of the one-world church. The False Prophet's primary mission will be to cause the world to worship the Antichrist.
(Rev 13:11-14)

Knowledge and Travel will be greatly increased.
Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
This increase in knowledge is occurring now at an exponential rate

In the last days, Jerusalem would be a burden to the entire world.
Zech 12:2-3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about... And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces.
Turn on your TV and watch the news. What nation and what city would you most likely expect to see? Israel and Jerusalem! Today, Jerusalem is a burden that causes trembling for all the nations just as God foretold. What makes this prophecy even more remarkable is that when the prophet Zechariah spoke these words around 520BC, Jerusalem lay in ruins.


Jesus Himself warns us in the Gospel of Matthew that in the latter days, "False christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance." (Matt. 24:24-25) Matthew 7:16: "You will know them by their fruits.")

Sources: www.raptureready.com...
jesusplusnothing.com...
www.earthharvest.org...

reply to post by groovyguru


groovyguru:

Hey there, part of what you said is true but I am going to give you some other things that Jesus said and the end times.

Matthew 13:39 Here Jesus is telling the disciples about the the parable of the weed in the field. The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seek stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are the angels.
Matthew 13:49"This is how it will be at the end of the age Tis is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous, and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:4-14 "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Christ, and will decieve many. For you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by ann nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who STANDS FIRM TO THE END WILL BE SAVED. And this gosple of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Jesus continues in verse 36-41 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marring and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken the other left. Verse 44 "So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

In Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time men will see the Son of Man, coming in the clouds with great power and glory And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens." In verse 32-33 "No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be aleret! You do not know when that time will come."

Now, in Hebrews 9:26-28 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Now in Revelations Jesus tells us he is the Alpha and the Omega," (the beginning and the end) who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. I believe that it is both a book of hope and prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

I also believe you do not need to attend a church to be taught the heavenly knowledge one needs to know. We are all creatures of the Creator and he put his spark in our hearts that we might seek him. I believe if we come to him with a humbled heart, humbled spirit, humbled mind, and body....
His spirit can reach down to our spirit and with the receiving of the Holy Spirit which is the teacher, the Father will entrust us with the secrets of heaven that will make our soul rejoice.

Just my two cents worth

Peace,
Grandma

reply to post by uNBaLaNCeD


Yes it does for those who are just embarking on their personal journey and enlightenment. As our intelligence tells us this reality does not exist we also know that it does until we crucify all the earthly desires. Then we receive our spiritual knowledge of the mysteries of the heavenly Father.


Remember.......TO BE A LIGHT TO THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE WAY HOME!


Peace,
Grandma