Revelations, for current times or history?? (Jesus, Earth, beliefs, America)

[BalanceFx]

Originally Posted by Dunemeister

Many people treat Revelation as though it were history written in advance and in code. That's a complete misunderstanding of how to understand apocalyptic imagery. Revelation had everything to do with the struggles of first century Christians. To the extent that Christians suffer the same sort of struggles in the 21st century, the book (and its crazy images) have relevance.

That would make more sense to me. But what of the 4 horsemen? or 21:4: He will wipe out every tear from their eye and death will be no more, neither shall mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore for the former things have passed away.

It would seem we are still in those former times?

[Dunemeister]

Originally Posted by BalanceFx

That would make more sense to me. But what of the 4 horsemen? or 21:4: He will wipe out every tear from their eye and death will be no more, neither shall mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore for the former things have passed away.

It would seem we are still in those former times?

Certainly Revelation deals with the eschaton because it's apocalyptic prophecy. So we have to be alert to those signals, and I think you've found one. But my point is that Revelation is apocalyptic prophecy written as a circular letter. So whatever interpretation we give it, it has to cohere with what a first century Jewish Christian reader might have understood it to mean and be relevant to his or her circumstances. Revelation wasn't a bolt out of the blue. It was written to somebody for a purpose. It didn't descend on a cloud purporting to tell us all about the future in some weird code.

If you want to get a handle on the imagery, I suggest you soak yourself in the Old Testament for about two or three years. Then go back. You'll find that the images make a lot more sense because you'll have seen many of them in context already.

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by Dunemeister

Certainly Revelation deals with the eschaton because it's apocalyptic prophecy. So we have to be alert to those signals, and I think you've found one. But my point is that Revelation is apocalyptic prophecy written as a circular letter. So whatever interpretation we give it, it has to cohere with what a first century Jewish Christian reader might have understood it to mean and be relevant to his or her circumstances. Revelation wasn't a bolt out of the blue. It was written to somebody for a purpose. It didn't descend on a cloud purporting to tell us all about the future in some weird code.

If you want to get a handle on the imagery, I suggest you soak yourself in the Old Testament for about two or three years. Then go back. You'll find that the images make a lot more sense because you'll have seen many of them in context already.

This makes sense.

[BalanceFx]

Zeitgeist - The Movie

Talks about revelations... One part deals with a translation error... End of The world when it should be end of the Eon....

Which would make much more sense.