Dear, dear brothers. I haven't seen anything like this for
many, many years, and truly the Lord Himself must enjoy this
place. It is strange to read so much upper room understanding
of Jesus Christ and things of the Holy Spirit. I do see that
reading down the threads, all are right. No one is wrong.
Like the Bereans, it is good to search out a matter, as long
as it does not interrupt fellowship in the love of Jesus Christ, which is the only point of his death and resurrection--to be sure we would all have a way to make it to heaven to do this forever and ever. I find that as the world implodes upon itself it is all the more important to press on and get closer and closer. So I haven't seen a word I really disagree with, and think it is quite amazing, really.
It is just different points of view, seeing the scriptures
from a slant based on our human minds' abilities to
comprehend the uncomprehendible in the first place. I think
it is a miracle that anyone posts here.
As for the millenium and being on earth with Jesus for 1000 years. Personally, the idea disgusted me for 10 years. I couldn't even
discuss it. It seemed insane that God would even consider dragging us back to a place that has been so disappointing from Heaven's view.
However, I do believe that precious John made every indication
to write Revelations as clearly as possible. He repeated words
two or three times in order to make the point perfectly clear.
John wrote as God instructed, the things God wanted him to
write. Since my only prayer of understanding God is through
Jesus Christ, obviously most of God's message was delivered
to John through Jesus Christ, who he had been best friends
with while Christ lived on earth. I believe John, Johannan,
must have been pretty special to be God's best friend. Therefore,
I love him very much. I also take him at his word, and
have no problem with anything word he ever wrote. If anyone
has any problem with me, that again is God's problem. Take
it up with Him.
Here is what John wrote about the 1000 years with Jesus:
...Rev. 20:4-6, speaking of what we call the millenium,
then: Rev.20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan
shall be loosed....and shall go to DECEIVE THE NATIONS which
are in the four corners of the EARTH...GOG and MAGOG...and
then satan is finally contained forever.
Here the word "nations" is: ethnos: as a race, probably from
one habitat; i.e., a tribe, spec. a foreign, non-Jewish one;
...gentile, heathen, nation, people.
Here the word "earth" is ghay: contr. from a prim. word: soil; by extension . a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (includes the occupants in each application).
country, earth, ground, land, world.
Then and only then does John record that at this time he sees
the NEW heaven and the NEW earth, because the other is now
passed away and it seem a no-brainer that we all move on to
something even better. And for those of us who love God's creation to the extent that it is possible for humans to love the product
of the Creator, Heaven being earth as it originally was works
for me anyway, especially since we are told that the lamb
now lies down with the lion, and the lion no longer tears him
to shreds in front of our eyes. So, either way, I'm very
happy about it.
When we also consider that gentle, gentle precious John actually
got an attitude when he finished writing, and rather strongly
warned do-gooders in the future who didn't like the ideas God
was showing him NOT to change so much as a dot on an "i", or
and I quote:
...If any man add unto these things, GOD shall add unto him the plagues that are written ni ths book:
And if any man SHALL TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of
this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of
LIFE!!
IMHO it is good to simply accept the words as they were written
by John, surely a man we can trust, and just wait to see what
happens. I believe to question John must grieve Jesus. It
just seems that would be the case. |
