Posted by Elana Janson on May 20, 2009 at 16:57:32:
In Reply to: Paradoxes posted by Curmudgeon on May 11, 2009 at 12:17:57:
Thank you for your post.
Revelation shows compassion
It was predicted in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be born from the line of King David. According to the Christian faith Jesus Christ was the predicted Messiah, the Son of God, who came to live among men in order to enlighten that generation and those to follow of how God wished man to live. God chose a humble person, the carpenter from Nazareth to bring this message and he laid upon the shoulders of this man the burden of ultimately being crucified for the sins of all mankind.
One of the distinguishing features of the life of Christ was compassion for other human beings. Therefore as Christians we believe that this is also a side or characteristic of God Almighty. Rev 1:1 says “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him” therefore Revelation must hold in it compassion for humanity. Therefore I believe the correct understanding of Revelation will be compassionate and merciful.
I believe Revelation itself reveals enormous compassion for mankind in that although God wished the rule of the Christian nations (represented in Revelation by the symbol of the rider on the white horse bearing the crown and carrying the bow) to be under the rule of a Christian king, God allowed Christians during the spread of Christianity to the ends of the earth, and other peoples of nations to be delivered out of the hands of ruthless kings and leaders and be given the freedom that we have today.
I believe God reveals his compassion in Revelation to the plight of Christians who were subjected to the rule of sinful kings and leadership and given freedom that we know today even though God knew that many would not be able to handle that freedom.
The book Revelation is in itself a gift of compassion for this amazing book was written by John according to visions that he saw on the island of Patmos in c96AD. It has been locked up for almost two thousand years and today it reveals to man that God has always known the course that history would take. This provides I believe great strength to Christians living today who have many questions concerning the position of the Christian faith within modern society.
God is righteous and just
We are told by the prophet Jeremiah that God is just. Jeremiah 12:1. In Isaiah 45:21 “There is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior”. Therefore Revelation must reflect the infinitely justness and righteousness of God.
Paradoxes
I believe paradoxes in Christianity only exist in the minds of those who cannot fully comprehend the infinite greatness of God.
God reveals this to man of the twenty-first century that has through the last century accumulated great knowledge of the universe. The visions that John saw were written down in words that are not only what he saw but at the same time the prophecy of the total history in symbols of the rise of the Christian faith within the nations and its spread to the ends of the earth. I, at the end of the twentieth century was given a vision that I believe has unlocked the meaning of Revelation, but I remain in awe of the precision of the words of Revelation that were written down by John who, I believe could not have known their ultimate meaning: the history of the rise of the Christian faith and the fall of man through the deception by the beast. Only God could have give the visions to John; only God could have given John the ability to write them down in words that were so accurate and sacred that no one was to change them. Only God through Jesus Christ could give the insight to understanding that symbolism.
Through faith
Today’s thinking that the earth has evolved over millions of years has brought with it an undermining of the greatness of God and man’s perception of God. God gave his Commandments to Moses and these laws had to be obeyed by the Israelites. Transgressions of these laws and other directives given to the Israelites through the prophets revealed that God punishes those who violate his laws. It was God’s purpose to inform the Israelites through the prophets that the Messiah would come. It was also his purpose that Jesus would be crucified for the sins of man. Man cannot know the reasons for these things. We accept these things through faith.
Also beyond our comprehension is God’s reason for the concept of the Trinity. Why did God choose (we know this for Jesus Christ called him “Father”) to call Jesus Christ his Son when he is actually also God? Why is the Spirit of God, both a separate part and one with the Father and the Son - this too is to be accepted as God’s design. The Trinity is only a paradox if one does not accept that we cannot comprehend the total greatness of God.
These examples of the great purpose of God can be understood by man even though God’s choice of doing it that way is beyond our comprehension and can only be accepted as God’s will.
Through Christ we were given some insight into purpose of God and mankind was enlightened concerning the love of God for mankind. Anyone who was prepared to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ could inherit everlasting life. God also forgives our sins. Therefore God is both infinitely just and infinitely compassionate. Revelation is written in alarming symbols, but because it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ I have always believed its meaning to be essentially to inform rather than to condemn.