News: A chapter from my book
Posted on Thursday, February 23 @ 11:23:50 PST by John |
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TJSmith submitted: "In my opinion, understanding the “Present Kingdom” requires one to see most all Scripture as a whole. Not as a collection of carefully chosen verses in which the novelist theorizes about what is considered a “real” interpretation or “symbolic” allusion that may never be fully understood.
For some reason, this position has never mollified my appetite for truth. The weak position of, “the world may never know” reminds me of the old Tootsie Roll commercial where the wise old owl licks the Tootsie Roll Pop three times, bites it and says, “Thrreee times”. Only because he lacked the patience to follow through and discover “how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop”. I often felt like the little boy left holding the half eaten confection expected to accept this answer because the owl was wise.
I’ve often felt the same way about the many interpretations of The Revelation, Daniel, Matthew 24, Ezekiel, and other books referring to eschatology. Interpreters can get just so far with their explanations then write off the “weird” stuff as “some things we’ll never know”. Now , my definition of “weird” is the things discussed that talk about dragons, seven heads, fire from sky, stuff rising up from the earth, etc. Not that I particularly have a problem with it because I think most of it is illustrative. But I could take four people who believe the same way (i.e. pre-trib, post-mill, mid-trib, whatever) and they would all have a different version of the exact same scripture. The “Bear” is Russia; no it’s China. The “West” is America; no it’s Europe. On and On.
“The Survey Says”, (remember the Family Feud?). It makes sense to me, and I have the mind of Christ, (or so Paul tells me I do) that unless the Middle East knew there was another Continent across the Atlantic, then the ‘West” John spoke of, was Western Europe. If you still disagree with that logic, then I’ll side with you that America is further west than Europe. So you must be right. But wait! Let’s keep going west. Where will we end up? China. So actually, if you left Jerusalem heading west, isn’t the rest of the world “west” of where you are? Just keep going west and you’ll get back to Jerusalem.
Did Daniel, Ezekiel, John and other prophets have knowledge of undiscovered lands that they never told us about? Could they possibly have been writing about things they understood? Could it have been possible that the world they had knowledge of would naturally have been the world they wrote about?
I am not implying they were ignorant. Yet, when present day scholars explain that John was really prophesying about rockets, helicopters, jet fighters, and nuclear weapons, they extend John the latitude and license to write down what he envisioned in words and imagery that he and others could comprehend. Man; talk about taking literary liberty! The folks deny that John could write what he saw, therefore needing their educated interpretation. Yet, when he saw Beasts, Whores and Fire falling from heaven, all the sudden they think John really saw those! You can’t have it both ways.
John was as smart as you or I. He probably knew more about his world than we know of ours. Show me the historical documentation that proves the Middle East Explorers knew America was here and I’ll believe John was talking about us. Survey Says: once again our arrogance as a Nation
has risen it’s ugly head. We truly believe we are so critical and vital to the plan of God that we are in the Bible. Maybe arrogant is too strong an adjective. How about ignorant? Yea, that’s it. Ignorance. Because ignorance is easier to forgive than arrogance.
Yet there is another possibility here not having to do with arrogance or ignorance. If someone makes their living preaching and teaching the 2nd Coming, they concurrently need job security. One way to get that is to weave your followers into the story and make them a part of it so they now require your insight to negotiate the maze. If they feel they are part of the epic struggle, then they become dependant on you as the General leading the troops. Outcome? You sell more books, tapes and c.d.’s. Marching Papers and Strategic Battle Plans, if you will.
The brilliance of this thing is that no one can prove you wrong. So they think. Either the skeptics die first or you die first. Just keep saying “no one knows the times except God” and all is forgiven.
Try this, go to the library and check out “Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsay. Don’t buy it! He’s made enough money being wrong. Read it and then read something by Tim LeHay or Irving Baxter.
It’s like three blind people describing a car wreck. The names all change to actually protect the innocent. Places’ change. Clandestine Government meetings’ change. Popes’ change. Rulers’ Change. Everything changes.
I referenced this occurrence in the previous chapter. What amazes me is that these “wiser than me” men can’t even agree amongst themselves what is actually taking place. If these guys are all hearing from God, why is God telling them different things, involving different people?
Because none of their theories substantiate any of the others. They all have special revelation that makes their product (books, tapes, c.d.s) the “have all to end all”. But wait, if they all agreed and could write one final book with all the answers and prophecies explained, wouldn’t that be desirable? Wouldn’t that be true unity in the body of Christ? Couldn’t they set an example for the rest of us and help usher in the Second Coming whereby they work together and reveal the mystery? What would be wrong with that? I think that’s a great idea! Don’t you? We could have a final say-so publication that we could all reference from now on.
I think I’ll correspond with each of these enlightened men and ask them to please pull together in harmony in these “last days” to unify the entire body by authoring one final authority on how the End will happen. It's getting late people! We don’t have much time! Put aside this bickering and give us a solidified work so that we can get on with life. Why are these authors still coming up with stuff to write about? Haven’t they all told us over and over how it’s going to happen? If they keep this up we’ll be reading their latest bestseller during the rapture!
Or …could it be…maybe…(I’m kind of hesitant to even entertain this notion), if they only wrote one last book with all the answers then they would no longer have a source of income. EGAD! (hand over mouth) Did I just say that out loud? Did I actually imply that as long as they (writers) keep coming up with new revelations and new interpretations printed in nice expensive hardbacks with scary looking artwork containing dark colors and lightning bolts and earthquakes, that they will continue making money?
Survey Says: Option 1: God is toying with these men’s quest for truth and knowledge in these ‘Last Days” and for some reason doesn’t want any of these Christian Writers of End Times Theology” to agree with each other,
Or...what do you think Option 2 is?
Note: I'm looking for feedback for my book. Do I convey? Is it entertaining? What do you think? It's actually chapter 2. Thanks."
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