I have no problem with people having strong eschatological views, but going out of their way to insult other people who don’t share them is hardly Christian.
So explain Revelatiom 3:10 to me, ace. “Because thou has kept the hour of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation to come upon the entire world, to try them that are in the Earth.” (KJV) This guy makes a mockery of the “blessed hope.’
I didn’t like “Left Behind.” I agree that it was drawn out to be a money maker. It was just plain bad, not nearly as gripping as similar works of fiction down through the years.
But post-tribbers sure do want everyone to suffer. Bottom line is, neither side can do anything but argue.
This piece was insulting and apostate!
What dribble
As an adult walking into the world of pentecostalism, I did not have any preconceptions of some of the ideas forwarded by them. The ideas at that time, 1986, were: the U.N., computers, anything TV bad, radio music bad, dancing bad, among the other usual bads of the world.
Here was ‘the rub’ . I am a 1st generation computer geek, complete with punchcards, purchases, reels of magnetic tapes filled with COBOL and versions of FORTRAN. I learned all this in the U.S. military in the 1970’s. So this “computer bad” thing was ahem scatalogical. As a Vietnam veteran, a simple radio playing American music was as close to home as it got. (Even today, I am still more radio than TV.)
Radio a problem? Again, ahem scatalogical.
But, yes, after several years of experience, and last straw, after commenting that I write science fiction, and being informed that science fiction is ahem witchcraft, I moved on.
Revelation 3:10 is in context with the entire paragraph to a particular community
The Letter to Philadelphia Rev. 3:7–13. 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” 3:7–13. Philadelphia suffered a devastating earthquake in AD 17. Several smaller ones rocked the city afterwards. It was rebuilt thanks to imperial funds
Jesus offers words of comfort and stability to the citizens of this city that was constantly shaken by earthquakes. The imagery of a “pillar” and a lasting temple assures these Christians a home in a city that will never need Imperial funds to rebuild—the city of the New Jerusalem.
3,9 talks of the Pharisees and how the Jesus movement Jews ie the Christians kept the hour of Jesus’s patience.
The thing is we don’t want to suffer. Jesus did say we need to be prepared to suffer for his sake. That’s what Christian’s in Pakistan etc face.
going out of their way to insult other people who don’t share them is hardly Christian.
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Simple answer ?
They are bullies.
Long answer
They are PRIDE filled ear lopping bullies.
These arguments are meaningless since Chapters 2 through -22 in Revelation were created by Lucius, the Bishop of Cyrene. He wrote almost all the New Testament scripture after the deaths of the apostles. Christ did appear to john at Patmos, but only 3-4 verses reflect John’s report of Christ’s spiritual appearance. Lucius really corrupted Revelation 1 where he created Alpha & Omega, and turned Jesus into God. Revelation 17 was inserted by someone else in the 6th or 7th century, probably after Empress Theodora died. Lucius also wrote most of the Epistles, including Thessalonians, not Paul, and the Rapture is the fiction of Lucius. Look him up on the internet; it is very disturbing news, but his antics now explain all the inconsistencies contained in the New Testament.