I am often concerned on these threads, when people have strong opinions regarding textual interpretations, what happens to people without the intellectual confidence. How does faith look for them? Not everyone is a theologian or cleric or university educated. Some people have learning difficulties and disabilities, how can faith look for them?
@heyhohello I agree with you, which is why it's so important to have a strong leadership team, who are correctly educated, available to offer prayer and guidance. There are a few people with learning difficulties at my church who are well cared for.
Out of curiosity OP, why did you decide mumsnet was the place to come and try and convert women to your particular - and rather extremist - brand of Christianity? It's not like you ever post on the rest of the forum, and so far nobody really seems to want to take you up on it.
@evangelion0 Sorry, but LOL to extremist and of course I post on the rest of the forum - just under different usernames! Besides, my primary aim is to educate, not convert, so it’s all good.
@Kdtym10
yes the NT was written in Greek but people also used Hebrew
But, John did specify when he used words in Hebrew, such as in Revelation 9:11, “They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).” However, he didn’t specify with 666, which was actually written in word form rather than numbers, further complicating the matter.
There were many supposed incidents of Nero reappearing in the centuries after his death just google it.
Are you suggesting that Nero has since been reincarnated? Even if that were true, no one in history, to the present day, has fulfilled everything that the actual Antichrist will do.
What other methods are you suggesting re calculating/reckoning the number of the beast.
In saying ‘calculate’, I believe John may have simply meant ‘work out’.
No one is cast into the lake of fire until the end.
Exactly, and the end will come when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist and his followers.
well if time doesn’t exist for God, that would indicate a world in which the second coming is already here as there is no past present or future, so why are we not experiencing everything in revelation permanently?
Time clearly still exists for us on this earthly plain. We are not God(s).
so why barcodes? They’re a fairly recent invention. Are you suggesting the end of the world is nigh? Has it already happened?
No, the use of barcodes was only one suggestion. I personally believe we are very close to the end, but a few more things have to happen first, such as the construction of a third temple in Jerusalem (which is all set to go btw).
How could it have already happened?
im not sure Jesus being “just a man” is contrary to the bible?
There are many passages from the Bible I could quote as examples, but I’m guessing you would have a very different perspective on them.
I think the main message of the bible is we should all aim to be Christ.
That is definitely one of them, but we should also remember that it is not possible to reach perfection in this life.
There is nothing in the bible that excludes reincarnation- I think Mark (short version) gives some indication.
Could you please quote which verses in Mark you’re referring to?
what is paradise Jesus talks of? A state of being or a place?
I would argue it is a place. If it was a state of being, how would the criminal next to Jesus experience this since he was about to die?
@heyhohello
So why insist Nero was the Antichrist or that the events in Revelation will happen soon in a particular way or anything else? Or why insist that people need to study the many many religious and non religious texts contemporary to the early Christians in order to gain full understanding?
Like I said before, none of this is particularly necessary to understand. I find the topic of eschatology really interesting and I also enjoy a discussion with others who have a very different view to my own.
Having said that, it is necessary to have some idea of what will happen in the ‘last days' and to watch for the signs, so that you won’t be deceived. As Jesus said when the disciples asked Him, "what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours 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 all 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 the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.* Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! *Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equalled again.
“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.
“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." Matthew 24:4-28.
@Kdtym10
Now I agree that there are many ways to the Divine, whatever suits the individual, if it’s a different holy book, good works, sacrificing a goat, offering up prayers with incense - the list goes on, find whats right for you.
Again, this is quite clearly contrary to what is taught in the Scriptures.
I look at it like reading Blake...
We may as well be taking spiritual guidance from Tolkien, J. K. Rowling or Keats. If we aren’t following the Bible in these matters, what’s to say Chris de Burgh’s version of the Christmas story isn’t just as valid?! I think C. S. Lewis had some wonderful ideas, but I would never put them on a par with what's written in the Bible.