Facebook knows. It knows I’m thinking these days about the Book of Revelation so it sends me video clips of preachers talking about Israel and the imminent return of Jesus; it sends me ads about conferences that will reveal to its audiences some very recent signs of the rapture.
GREAT, Scott. GREAT. Hammer away at this as long as possible. I grew up on this stuff and at age 9 with no "experience" of God but lots of prayers, I was TERRIFIED. I could not sleep at night, worried that my parents would be "raptured," and I would be left behind in a godless world. That brought on physical illness that lasted five years until at age 14 I walked away from everything the church was teaching me. I know I'm not alone in this. So keep preaching the violent dangers of an interpretation, destroying that glorious book of Revelation.
I don’t have to google it... I grew up with this, my parents are fully ensconced in it still. My mother “studies” Revelation with her Bible study class about once every year or two, far more than any other book of the Bible. My one encouragement from her latest study is that she told me they recently talked about how Revelation was meant to encourage the early believers, and wasn’t meant to be something to make them afraid. So that’s a good start, maybe...
Spot on! You can't see my face, Scot, and the "look" you describe on your students probably would have been more prevalent in my 40 or 50 years ago, when I was just beginning to move away from this tack on Revelation. It certainly describes a part of my early history well.
Excellent!!! As someone who grew up Roman Catholic, acquired a Pentecostal-type mother-in-law, who introduced me to The Book of Revelation, and attending a Salem Kirban speaking event, and then my wife and I became United Methodist, which led to being in my 34th year Ada UMC pastor (ordained in 1999) who’s not leaving, I, too, can’t wait for your book! You have made this an exciting time! Thank you!, and best to you!!!
GREAT, Scott. GREAT. Hammer away at this as long as possible. I grew up on this stuff and at age 9 with no "experience" of God but lots of prayers, I was TERRIFIED. I could not sleep at night, worried that my parents would be "raptured," and I would be left behind in a godless world. That brought on physical illness that lasted five years until at age 14 I walked away from everything the church was teaching me. I know I'm not alone in this. So keep preaching the violent dangers of an interpretation, destroying that glorious book of Revelation.
I don’t have to google it... I grew up with this, my parents are fully ensconced in it still. My mother “studies” Revelation with her Bible study class about once every year or two, far more than any other book of the Bible. My one encouragement from her latest study is that she told me they recently talked about how Revelation was meant to encourage the early believers, and wasn’t meant to be something to make them afraid. So that’s a good start, maybe...
If nothing else, those Facebook videos ought to reinforce the desperate need for your book!
Spot on! You can't see my face, Scot, and the "look" you describe on your students probably would have been more prevalent in my 40 or 50 years ago, when I was just beginning to move away from this tack on Revelation. It certainly describes a part of my early history well.
Excellent!!! As someone who grew up Roman Catholic, acquired a Pentecostal-type mother-in-law, who introduced me to The Book of Revelation, and attending a Salem Kirban speaking event, and then my wife and I became United Methodist, which led to being in my 34th year Ada UMC pastor (ordained in 1999) who’s not leaving, I, too, can’t wait for your book! You have made this an exciting time! Thank you!, and best to you!!!
Irony - An email just popped up from Patheos announcing the movie Left Behind: Rise of the Anti-Christ in theaters January 26th.
Maybe Jesus could hold off until the 27th?