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I have no problem with your speaking what you believe, but you're risking being branded a fool by claiming its the truth, without any evidence.
Considering #2, you must not understand or agree with the Bible you seem to believe because the Bible consistently proposes that last minute conversions are acceptable, i.e. the thief on the cross.
Please, do not concern yourself with the "risk's" I choose to take...if being labeled a fool for Christ and His precious truth, BRAND ME ! HANG A SIGN ABOVE MY HEAD ON MY CROSS THAT IBARE ! LET IT PROCLAIM TO THE WORLD IAMAFOOLFORCHRIST !
It appears I've been reading the Psalm 130 wrong. David is not addressing the privilege of God not marking iniquities to everyone, only those who are called by His Name.
It doesn't change my opinion about Revelation, but I worded my initial post harshly and I apologize to those I've offended. I concede that while I find some issues with Revelation's authenticity it is possible it is divinely inspired. Further study is needed.
I don't wonder, though, that one of the leading exponents of the Bible of our times gave up on it, even after writing a bestselling book on it, "Approaching Hoofbeats".
I'm sorry for upsetting you, Verna. But you have to remember that just as I ruffled some feathers by pointing out what I perceived to be inconsistencies in two scriptures, so did you ruffle some feathers of others by denying what many here perceive to be the reality of eternal torment in hell for unrepentant sinners. You see, you have your beliefs which we respect and I have my beliefs which we should also respect, if not agree on. My belief is that the Book of Revelation is a phony. I don't land on that conclusion without a ton of reading, studying and meditating on the evidence presented. If Revelation carried the same credentials as Isaiah, for example---that being that hundreds of prophecies about Christ have been fulfilled and that it has been proven without doubt to have been written by Isaiah via careful record keeping and by the Dead Sea Scrolls---then sure I'd line up to support it.
BUT!
We don't have that kind of record on Revelation. Despite many who will shout from the mountaintop that it was written by John the Apostle circa 95AD, we simply have no conclusive evidence to prove those assertions. For every pro-Revelation theologian that die-hard Revelation believers in here pull in to support it, I will pull in five Bible forensic experts who will disprove their assertions and prove that it was written circa 63-67 AD by someone other than John the Apostle right before the fall of Jerusalem and its focus is on the fall of Jerusalem and not on end-times eschatology.
Finally, I will point out that, while I appreciate Mike 555 being gracious enough to point out to me a 240-hour study on Revelation (thank you for that, Mike--I will be eternally grateful for that ) no less a Biblical luminary than Billy Graham has spent considerably more than 240 hours studying Revelation and here's what resulted:
Now if Billy Graham can't figure it out, do you actually think that anyone in here is going to?????????
Billy Graham was an evangelist. He did not have the spiritual gift of pastor/teacher and beyond giving the gospel message he was not very knowledgable concerning matters of doctrine.
The book of Revelation is easy to understand. Your remarks and your sarcasm are just about what I expected from you and show that you have no desire to understand what Revelation says. You are unwilling to even listen to any of that study. It appears that your intent with this thread was simply to once again attack the Bible and to discredit it.
Last edited by Michael Way; 08-11-2012 at 12:25 AM..
It appears I've been reading the Psalm 130 wrong. David is not addressing the privilege of God not marking iniquities to everyone, only those who are called by His Name.
It doesn't change my opinion about Revelation, but I worded my initial post harshly and I apologize to those I've offended. I concede that while I find some issues with Revelation's authenticity it is possible it is divinely inspired. Further study is needed.
I don't wonder, though, that one of the leading exponents of the Bible of our times gave up on it, even after writing a bestselling book on it, "Approaching Hoofbeats".
Thrill, Man not only bares His Name, he's made in the image of that Name.
What is man that You remember him? The son of man that you visit him?
And cause him to lack a little of Godhead, And with honour and majesty compassest him. Psalm 8
It appears I've been reading the Psalm 130 wrong. David is not addressing the privilege of God not marking iniquities to everyone, only those who are called by His Name.
It doesn't change my opinion about Revelation, but I worded my initial post harshly and I apologize to those I've offended. I concede that while I find some issues with Revelation's authenticity it is possible it is divinely inspired. Further study is needed.
I don't wonder, though, that one of the leading exponents of the Bible of our times gave up on it, even after writing a bestselling book on it, "Approaching Hoofbeats".
...God our Father IS Who you should be most concerned about having offended thrill......and until you receive His word in faith and obedience, I'm afraid He'll not be moved by any appology. As for me, I accept your appology while still understanding you continue to walk in unbelief and accusations against Him and His precious word.
I'm still very upset with you....because you take me on roller coaster rides with your turning with every wind that blows......no good can come from that.
Don't worry Thrill, He who created the wind is blowing you in the right direction. He stirs the waters of your innermost being and brings you into your desired haven( that which your heart seeks after).
Please, do not concern yourself with the "risk's" I choose to take...if being labeled a fool for Christ and His precious truth, BRAND ME ! HANG A SIGN ABOVE MY HEAD ON MY CROSS THAT IBARE ! LET IT PROCLAIM TO THE WORLD IAMAFOOLFORCHRIST !
...SO BE IT !
That makes about as much sense as being a fool for Satan or Venus or Vishnu or Buddha or Solomon.
It doesn't say who does the judging. (Ever read any NDE's? If you put any stock in those experiences at all, it is interesting to note that the judging is always done by the person themselves during a "life review".)
Secondly, the passage doesn't say that what is being judged are the wrongs of people, but rather their works. Perhaps the passage is meant to indicate that God is giving people insight/knowledge into the things that they have done that they consider to be "good works' and showing which of those works are really the works of God/love. That would fit with the Matt 25 passage that speaks of people feeding, clothing, visiting, etc. In that Matt. passage, there's no mention of people doing evil or "working iniquity" (nothing about keeping a record of sin), but rather of people having either embraced or ignored opportunities to love.
The Book of Life in Rev., as I see it, is Christ. The other books that are opened, are each of our lives (our life review). Works done in love are the things that are done in/through the life/spirit of Christ. So anything anyone has done in love as seen in their book/lifetime is what is recorded in that Book of Life/Christ.
So, nothing about God keeping a record of wrongs, but rather of God "keeping a record" of LOVE.
People are always looking for ways to contradict the Bible or demonstrate in their own foolish thinking that the Bible contradicts itself. In the end, the Bible always contradicts them! God has revealed Himself and His truth in His timeless, perfect Word of truth. "Those who suppress God's truth are without excuse" (Rom 1:18-21)
People are always looking for ways to contradict the Bible or demonstrate in their own foolish thinking that the Bible contradicts itself. In the end, the Bible always contradicts them! God has revealed Himself and His truth in His timeless, perfect Word of truth. "Those who suppress God's truth are without excuse" (Rom 1:18-21)
Amen....
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) no less a Biblical luminary than Billy Graham has spent considerably more than 240 hours studying Revelation and here's what resulted:
while still understanding you continue to walk in unbelief and accusations against Him and His precious word.
Great post. (tried to rep you)
