Thursday, March 23, 2023

Revelation--Discussion I

Please read the first 12 chapters of Revelation for Thursday's class.  Concentrating on the first five chapters would work, but it's better if you you read all 12 chapters.

Do you find Revelation a difficult book? A beautiful book? Something of both? Cite a verse or two from the first 12 chapters that shows particularly well either the beautiful side or Revelation or the difficult side of the book.

9 comments:

  1. In all honesty, I have always regarded the book of Revelation as a scary and frightening book to read. It is neither difficult nor beautiful to me for there is not a lot of comforting verses in this book. One of the verses that makes that book kind of terrifying and not comforting is this. "When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the Earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale." (Revelation 6:12-13) The reason this verse in particular is one of the verses that makes this book terrifying to me is because of what will happen when the sixth seal is broken. It also makes me think that although God is all knowing and loving, he also might secretly despise humanity even though he himself created it. This thought by itself is a very terrifying and unsettling thought.

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  2. I find revelation an extremely difficult book, and a "beautiful book". It's loaded with imagery, and if you're not fully paying attention you miss all of it's meaning. I also, am not great with interpretations, so that doesn't help.
    Exactly what I mean is Revelation 8:6-13
    Even to this day, I have no idea what these verses mean. All of it is open to interpretation, and all of it freaky to say the least. Like could the water being turned bitter, just be decreasing amounts of fresh water on the planet, I do not know.
    Another example is Revelation 1:8, it's a really beautiful reminder that he's the beginning and end. But it's also kind of ominous, no matter what you do. You can't prevent God.
    It's multiple verses like this that sum up revelation, it's beauty and terror mixed into one book.
    -Walker Larson

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  3. I find Revelation a very difficult book to understand and even scary to a certain point. The only beautiful part in it is Christs certain eternal victory over death and Hell. An example of the difficult part is (Revelation 4: 6) "And around the throne on each side of the throne are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind." An example of the beautiful part is (Revelation 1:18) "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have keys of Death and Hades." Like I said its a difficult book to understand because of all the imagery and some of things that are going to happen. But its also a beautiful book because the outcome isn't in doubt and nothing can stop God from victory.
    - Eathen Erck

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  4. I would say it is a combination of difficult, scary and Beautiful. When it comes to Beauty an important thing is that keep mind of Gods promises. But if you are on the fearful side the doomsday stuff can get scary as well. But if you remember that these are to fulfill Gods promises you will be alright. Verses i like are Rev : 1:4-8 " 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” This reminds me of the Glory of God. -Austin Dreyer

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  5. Revelation is a very difficult book to understand. One thing that confuses me is the part about the first four trumpets that the angels play. My bible says that each of the terrible disasters that follow resemble the plagues on Egypt. So if this book is supposed to give a glimpse into what life will look like at the end of time, how do these events fit in? Are the events related to the first four trumpets going to happen again or have they already happened? When they happened in Egypt was that the only time these strange events will occur? (8:6-13)

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  6. As I read revelations, I saw things that are beautiful, but also things that were very difficult to understand. The verse that I read and believe is the most beautiful are from the beginning verses of chapter 10. Verses 1-4 begins saying, ”Then I saw another mighty Angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the Sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand, and he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from Heaven saying, seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” Seeing that judgment is happening, and a lot is going on. It’s beautiful that this voice is saying don't tell them it all. Don't write this down. Don't let people know of it. It gives this cliffhanger that makes us all cower in fear of. It's like this is the story and this is what is going to be, and this is what's going to happen, but I dare not say the end because it’s all too sweet to see the reaction.

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  7. Reading the book of Revelations I found it both to be beautiful as well as difficult to read. On the more beautiful aspect is really enjoyed reading Chapter 4. 4: 1-6 this section just talks about a variety of beautiful things. To start off you have to door to heaven open with the sound of a trumpet playing music so appeasing to the ears. It also talks about the different royalty with a throne in heaven as well as twenty four others surrounding the throne. The image that you create in your head when reading this is beautiful. One chapter that I found to be difficult to understand was chapter 6. The whole chapter just seemed interesting but hard to comprehend what was really happening. A lamb opening a bunch of seals revealing such a variety of things such as horses and then a great earthquake. To me it was just a lot of random things coming together making it difficult to understand.
    -Dawson Pfister

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  8. I personally find the book of Revelation to be a very beautiful book that is a source of much disagreement between christians. While the book is in my opinion beautiful I do acknowledge that it has some difficult parts in it.

    Somethings I find beautiful:
    Revelation 7:16-17
    They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
    Or Revelation 1:17-18
    Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
    Or Revelation 21:6-7
    And he said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
    Or Revelation 21:4
    He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

    Somethings I find difficult:
    Revelation 2:10
    Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
    Revelations 9:4-5
    And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

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  9. I have always been wary of reading Revelation ever since I was a child. I went to a Southern Baptist church and my pastor was extremely vocal (volume wise), and every time we had a sermon on Revelation, it would always frighten me to a certain extent. I was always trying to wrap my head around God and the concept of forever, and I think Revelation made my head spin even more. For example, chapter 1 verse 8 says, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Reading this verse just confuses me to a whole other level, and I think it introduces the confusion of the Revelation and, frankly, the Bible itself. How can something always exist? How could God exist before time? It makes my brain foggy every time I think too hard on it.
    -Lauren Bland

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