Are we studying End-Times Prophecy in the Book of Revelation from the right Perspective, and is there another possible Perspective worthy of Consideration?
The Debates of Pre/Mid/Post Tribulation and Pre-Wrath positions has gone on for decades, possible centuries. Each position is sometimes adamantly defended with select verses by their followers, while ignoring other versus that may not fully support their position. For me it has become somewhat of a mouse wheel that we go round and round on, with no real positive progression, and some negative impacts in regards to Church division. As God is not about division, and divide and conquer (or distract) is a tool of our enemy, I have wondered if we are not being distracted into missing something.
I view the debates of these 4 positions, like defending the City of Babylon in the days of Daniel. The city had a North, South, East and West side, that all needed to be considered in defense of the city. Watchmen would have been positioned on each side. For the sake of this analogy, the East side could be called the Pre-Trib Watchmen position, the West side the Post-Trib Watchmen side, the North Mid-Trib, and the South Pre-Wrath. Every side having Watchmen in position, and each position providing equal importance to the others. The Watchmen would ideally share a mutual respect for each other, and value those Watchmen in other positions. The Watchmen would engage in friendly banter about the perceived importance of their Watchmen position. Respectful bantering is good, as it keeps moral up, the Watchmen wake, and on their toes. Disrespectful disagreement though is not good, as it leads to division within the ranks, hinders morale, and distracts the Watchmen. The Watchmen would have been aware of this, challenging only the positions amongst them, not the holders of those positions.
But as we know, the Persians entered the city from a fifth, unattended position. It was either an unrealized defensive perspective, or maybe it was realized and just dismissed, as being too unrealistic to give any serious credence too.
I believe we need to accept and respect all the positions of the Watchmen, but always be seeking any missed possibilities, as good and trustworthy Watchmen. In that light, I am presenting the possibility of a slightly different perspective in the study of the Book of Revelation which may lead to a wake call, for the Brides of Christ. It may be possible the alarm clock has started to ring, or is about too, but our perspective is distracting us from seeing or hearing it.
Perception – The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.
This is about Perception and how we look at what we read, and then interpret it. Here is a visual example of how perceptions can change depending on how we focus on what we see. This is a painting of a “Young Woman” (probably from our 1st perspective).
But if we adjust our focus just a little, we see that our perception may not be completely accurate, as it could just as easily be a painting of an “Old Woman´s Face”. It may be hard to see the alternative perspective at first, but if you let go of your 1st perspective for a moment, and look from a slightly different perspective, you will see the optical illusion. So, which perspective did the Artist intend, perception A, perception B, or probably both? We usually see what we want to see, and struggle to see a slightly different perspective.
How often does the NT portray the message, “He who has an eye, let him see, He who has an ear, let him hear”. Maybe this is about perspective. This also reminds me of
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings,
and
Isaiah 55:8 ¨for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Does God hide things in perceptions?
This is not the 1st time God has used the tactic of 2 perceptions. Many Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, because he ultimately did not fit their perception as the coming King of the Jews. They refuse to consider the perspective of 2 comings, one as the Suffering Servant, and the other as King of Kings. They were too focused on the 1st perspective, to even consider (to this day) the possibility of a 2nd perspective. And many of those who would consider the 2nd perspective, couldn´t accept it, because it was possibly to far outside the box of the 1st perspective, and maybe they questioned the source (the uneducated disciples). But some Jews were open minded Bereans, not necessarily blindly accepting, but willing to consider the alternative perspective, and investigate it, to see how it possibly fit with the scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Could the Church be faced with a perception challenge, as did the Jews?
continued Part 2
The Debates of Pre/Mid/Post Tribulation and Pre-Wrath positions has gone on for decades, possible centuries. Each position is sometimes adamantly defended with select verses by their followers, while ignoring other versus that may not fully support their position. For me it has become somewhat of a mouse wheel that we go round and round on, with no real positive progression, and some negative impacts in regards to Church division. As God is not about division, and divide and conquer (or distract) is a tool of our enemy, I have wondered if we are not being distracted into missing something.
I view the debates of these 4 positions, like defending the City of Babylon in the days of Daniel. The city had a North, South, East and West side, that all needed to be considered in defense of the city. Watchmen would have been positioned on each side. For the sake of this analogy, the East side could be called the Pre-Trib Watchmen position, the West side the Post-Trib Watchmen side, the North Mid-Trib, and the South Pre-Wrath. Every side having Watchmen in position, and each position providing equal importance to the others. The Watchmen would ideally share a mutual respect for each other, and value those Watchmen in other positions. The Watchmen would engage in friendly banter about the perceived importance of their Watchmen position. Respectful bantering is good, as it keeps moral up, the Watchmen wake, and on their toes. Disrespectful disagreement though is not good, as it leads to division within the ranks, hinders morale, and distracts the Watchmen. The Watchmen would have been aware of this, challenging only the positions amongst them, not the holders of those positions.
But as we know, the Persians entered the city from a fifth, unattended position. It was either an unrealized defensive perspective, or maybe it was realized and just dismissed, as being too unrealistic to give any serious credence too.
I believe we need to accept and respect all the positions of the Watchmen, but always be seeking any missed possibilities, as good and trustworthy Watchmen. In that light, I am presenting the possibility of a slightly different perspective in the study of the Book of Revelation which may lead to a wake call, for the Brides of Christ. It may be possible the alarm clock has started to ring, or is about too, but our perspective is distracting us from seeing or hearing it.
Perception – The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.
This is about Perception and how we look at what we read, and then interpret it. Here is a visual example of how perceptions can change depending on how we focus on what we see. This is a painting of a “Young Woman” (probably from our 1st perspective).
But if we adjust our focus just a little, we see that our perception may not be completely accurate, as it could just as easily be a painting of an “Old Woman´s Face”. It may be hard to see the alternative perspective at first, but if you let go of your 1st perspective for a moment, and look from a slightly different perspective, you will see the optical illusion. So, which perspective did the Artist intend, perception A, perception B, or probably both? We usually see what we want to see, and struggle to see a slightly different perspective.
How often does the NT portray the message, “He who has an eye, let him see, He who has an ear, let him hear”. Maybe this is about perspective. This also reminds me of
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings,
and
Isaiah 55:8 ¨for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Does God hide things in perceptions?
This is not the 1st time God has used the tactic of 2 perceptions. Many Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, because he ultimately did not fit their perception as the coming King of the Jews. They refuse to consider the perspective of 2 comings, one as the Suffering Servant, and the other as King of Kings. They were too focused on the 1st perspective, to even consider (to this day) the possibility of a 2nd perspective. And many of those who would consider the 2nd perspective, couldn´t accept it, because it was possibly to far outside the box of the 1st perspective, and maybe they questioned the source (the uneducated disciples). But some Jews were open minded Bereans, not necessarily blindly accepting, but willing to consider the alternative perspective, and investigate it, to see how it possibly fit with the scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Could the Church be faced with a perception challenge, as did the Jews?
continued Part 2