Apocalypticist said:
With all due respect, I know you as an elder, but it is "Revelation" not "Revelations". Now going forward, do we continue accepting that you are as well learned in a book you're not even sure of its name?
Really? You're really going to question my intelligance or 'authority' because I used a colloquial term for the last book of the bible?
Maybe I should have written it all out: 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Disciple as he was exiled on Patmos Isle'. Or maybe 'The Revelation to John'
I have never, and will never, claim to be the sharpest tool in the shed, nor that my understanding is superior and vast. But what I, and others, can do, is read with basic comprehension skills. And when you throw in the guiding of the Holy Spirit, what you come up with is enough 'intelligance and authority' to be able to call a spade a spade.
"Biblically, your claim cannot be."
You said prophets withdrew from the world around them and went into communion with God? Why did you automatically guess that that did not describe what I did? But you could have asked me and I would have told you... but your posts are riddled with assumptions and this one is no different.
Um....and yet your previous post went into detail on how you were just a normal man, with normal days, doing normal stuff. Do you wonder that I drew a conclusion out of that?
But just so I do not repeat the mistake....how, then, do you 'function' in your position as 'bible character'? And you should probably actually mention who you are claiming to be....
Here's one thing I admit you did get right:
"And as for the 'resonance'....that your answers resonate with some but not others....I'm afraid that is just new age speak for "my truth is different from your truth""
I wasn't clear enough the last time around. If there is a question I can objectively answer, then I will cite that as being the 'correct' answer. But if you ask me a question and I am not certain as to the answer, I can answer briefly and tentatively but I am not going to imply to you that my answer is the best answer. I want to be clear on that... so it is that I will give you a correct answer, but only if I have it. Not everyone's opinions are equal. I agree with you.
But again, we run into a problem. A 'bible character' in Revelations (excuse me, Revelation), is not here to tenatively answer some peoples questions and not others.
The last book of the bible is a disclosure of unseen heavenly or future events or realities. The characters we see in this book play out on a global scale. We do not see the two witnesses (for example) calling people to sit at their feet and feel free to one by one, ask them questions that they may or may not be able to answer.
One last thing: that my claim 'cannot be'. I haven't even told you what the claim is. How do you knw my claim cannot be unless you made an a priori determination to deconstruct every thing I've said and to 'prove' that my claim 'cannot be'? Again, you're fine to that interpretation (opinion) because I can't change your mind. If there are people here who benefit from my language, then more power to them. If not, then more power to you as well. But I think what your post shows is you've made your mind up before even examining what I have to offer, but I respect that.
Ok....firstly, the very fact that you haven't said who you claim to be, is iffy. No one is going to believe a vague claim that you were written about in scripture, especially when that claim is made with a disclaimer: that you may or may not be able to answer their questions.
Secondly...there is another, very good reason why I say your claim 'cannot be'. Let's consider the 'characters' that come to light in Revelation.
Firstly we have John....clearly you are not him.
Then we have Jesus showing up...nope, not him either.
Then we have mention of the 7 churches in Asia...the good and the bad.....they've been gone about 2000 years, so you can't be one of those...although I question that those 'groups' can be called specific 'characters' anyway.
After that we have the the throne of heaven, on which God sits, the angels around him singing his praises...you obviously can't be found in that.
Then we see the Lamb (Jesus) opening the scroll and the seals, again, with angels around him...again, you're not there.
We see the four horsemen...one would hope you do not claim to be one of those...besides, being on a forum making such claims is not exactly killing people with plauges, famines or war.
Then we have the 144,000 servants of God, and the 'Great Multitude' of believers that have come out of the great tribulation. Now, people differ on the interpretation of who the 144,000 are, whether they represent ethnic Israeli believers, of if they are of the new covenant Church....but regardless, clearly they worship Christ, and there are a lot of them. I would not categorize them as individual 'characters' who have a special role to play in Revelation...as you claim you have. So....while you could claim to be one of these....so could any Christian alive, or dead.
Then we have more seals, more angels and then the trumpets. We see scorpion, lion things....clearly not you, and we have 'angel of the bottomless pit' who rules over them...Abaddon....hopefully, not you.
You see where I'm going with this.....
We have the two witnesses...who prophesy for 1260 days clothed in sackcloth.....they have supernatural protection, cause it not to rain, turn water into blood, and will be killed by the 'beast'. Doesn't quite sound like the life you were describing to me.
Then we have the woman and the dragon. You're not a woman, you're not clothed with the sun or pregnant, so that counts you out. I doubt you're a dragon...literal or metaphorical...
Then we have Satan, the First Beast, the Second Beast, more angels, more judgements...
We have the false prophet.....that should worry anyone making false claims....but again, we're talking about global scale here....and while this site is slowly getting bigger, it's hardly on the worlds stage.
There is the Great Prostitute and the Beast....I doubt you're claiming to be either one.
More angles, more destruction, more judgements...
Rejoicing in Heaven....that will be for all Christians and angelic beings....
The marriage supper of the lamb....the Rider on a White Horse (Christ)...
The thousand years, in which Satan is bound....Christ on the throne...
The ultimate defeat of Satan....the White Throne Judgement....The new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem......
Basically, unless you are claimin to be someone of ultimate evil....there are only two possibilities of who you are claiming to be. You are either claiming to be one of the two witnesses, or you are claiming to be one of the 144,000.
Being one of the two witnesses is unlikely, as the context of that passage leads us to believe that when they come onto the stage, the whole world will know, and oppose them. There will be supernatural events surrounding them, making it clear to all, that these two people are not normal. Claiming to be someone on a small board does not really equal the same sort of thing. As I've not seen you on TV where people have tried to kill you, and had their violence turned back on themselves...or seen you stop the rain....I have very little biblical allowance to believe this....
As for being one of the 144,000.....like I said....sure....maybe you are...but as a redeemed person, so could I be....and I'm hardly touting myself as someone special or wise enough that people should come and sit at my feet and learn. Being one of the 144,000 or one of the 'great mulititude' just means that I am incredibly blessed to have been saved by Christ. It doesn't give me authority on the prophetic level to claim "I am announcing, that I have come, just as scripture foretold"....which is sort of what you are doing.
