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 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
The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 02
Themes from the New Creation In these preliminary comments on the text of Revelation 21-22, I am compelled by conscience and consistency to point out that the term “New Creation” does not occur even a single time in the book of Revelation. Since the motif of “New Creation” is the theme of Harding School of … Continue reading The New Creation in Revelation 21-22, Part 02
Why the Cross is Not Enough!
Healthy Christian doctrine has always rightly insisted that God’s work in Christ is all-sufficient. Furthermore, Christianity has additionally been clear that anyone or any group that requires belief in Christ plus other things or other people or other rituals or other revelations is heretical. What has been unclear at times is the awareness that no … Continue reading Why the Cross is Not Enough!
Breastfed by the Whore of Rome
Those familiar with Roman history, culture, and imperialistic propaganda recognize this iconic tableau. Three simple objects: the Roman she-wolf (Lupa Romana), Romulus, and Remus. This simple scene was part of the founding myth of the city of Rome, purportedly in the 8th century BC, and its ensuing empire that dominated the world in which the … Continue reading Breastfed by the Whore of Rome
Molding Citizens for the Kingdom of God 