Gambling affords the proper metaphor here; I will lay my cards on the table. I believe that the prophet John, just like the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12:1; Gal. 1:12; 2:2; Eph. 3:3; Acts 16:9; 18:9), the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:17), gifted believers (1 Cor. 14:26, 30), and followers of Jesus (Matt. 17:9; Lk. 24:23; … Continue reading Revisiting Literalism in Prophecy ~~ The Inspiration of Imagination
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Summary & Musical Remix of Stories in the book of Acts
Next post is Guest Post ~~~ you will not want to miss it!Post 07 [Whew!, the last one]SummaryTonight I have not wanted to spend my time illustrating John’s imagery and teachings against the important backdrop of Second Temple Judaism or against the backdrop of important sources from the Graeco-Roman world. Although I do enjoy doing … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Summary & Musical Remix of Stories in the book of Acts
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 06
Life in the New Jerusalem Continuation of Previous post, https://richardoster.com/2014/02/06/the-new-creation-in-revelation-21-22-part-05/ Third, it is important to highlight the fact that John sees the New Jerusalem as a utopia and Babylon as a dystopia. If dystopia is a new term to you, think of literary works and movies such as 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 06
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 05
Post 05New Perspectives on the Heavenly JerusalemMany Christian hymns of an eschatological emphasis have used the language of John’s picture of the New Jerusalem extensively, a Jerusalem situated in the very heart of the new heaven and earth. In the past generation especially, there has been increased momentum for questioning whether John intended his picture … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 05
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 04
Post 04 Trash-Talking Hymns While there can be no doubt that competing religions of the Ancient Near East were sometimes crassly ridiculed and trashed in Israelite Scripture and worship (Ps. 31:6; 96:5; 97:7; 115:4; 135:15; cf. Isa. 44:18-20), the Psalter of Israel was sung largely by Israelites, for fellow Israelites. Like Revelation, many statements of … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 04
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 03
Judgment and the New Heaven and Earth For centuries there have been those who have found it theologically unbearable to embrace the traditional Christian teaching about hell, divine punishment, and the wrath of God, resorting as a consequence either to universalism or to annihilationism for doctrinal consolation. John himself portrays the judgment of God in … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 03
Molding Citizens for the Kingdom of God 