Have you ever read something from the Bible and wondered what it was talking about? Good news. You're not alone! In fact, I would dare say that every single person on the face of this earth would have to say the same thing (providing that they actually did read through the Bible). We simply cannot understand some of the things that God communicates with us.
Personally, I think the book of the Bible that best personifies this is the last one. The revelation of Jesus that was given to John has been one of the more confusing books of the Bible for a long time. I would even dare to say that this is especially the case for those of us who were raised in the "Western" way of thinking. I say that because the way we are taught to think greatly impacts how we understand what we read, and if our way of thinking is different from that of the writers, then we truly have a difficult time understanding.
In recent years, much has been made about the differences between "Eastern" and "Western" ways of thinking. These are actually very helpful when it comes to our understanding of the Bible. We "Western" people tend to like things that are presented in a logical fashion. Such letters as Paul's to the Romans and the Galatians are popular because they are presented in such a fashion. They move from point to point in a way that makes sense to us, and therefore, they appeal greatly to us.
But what happens if we try to enforce our way of thinking onto a section of the Bible that isn't fitting for it? I would suggest that's what happens quite often with Revelation. It's written in a style familiar to Eastern ways of thinking, but not Western. So if we apply our "Western" way of thinking to it, we come out with something far different than what it was written to convey.
Take the idea that Revelation paints a timeline of world events. That is taking a "Western" mindset and applying it improperly to the book. In one sense, it's easy to point out why this is wrong. If you take it as a timeline of world events, the problem you encounter is that the world ends three times in the book! And yet, this approach continues to be prominent in the "Western" world, made popular by such books as the "Left Behind" series.
Next week, I'll present a bit of a different approach that will help us see a little bit better what is going on in such a book as this one. But prepared to be challenged, because it will take thinking in a way that is unfamiliar with our way of thinking in which we were raised. But who knows? You might learn something as we do that!
Personally, I think the book of the Bible that best personifies this is the last one. The revelation of Jesus that was given to John has been one of the more confusing books of the Bible for a long time. I would even dare to say that this is especially the case for those of us who were raised in the "Western" way of thinking. I say that because the way we are taught to think greatly impacts how we understand what we read, and if our way of thinking is different from that of the writers, then we truly have a difficult time understanding.
In recent years, much has been made about the differences between "Eastern" and "Western" ways of thinking. These are actually very helpful when it comes to our understanding of the Bible. We "Western" people tend to like things that are presented in a logical fashion. Such letters as Paul's to the Romans and the Galatians are popular because they are presented in such a fashion. They move from point to point in a way that makes sense to us, and therefore, they appeal greatly to us.
But what happens if we try to enforce our way of thinking onto a section of the Bible that isn't fitting for it? I would suggest that's what happens quite often with Revelation. It's written in a style familiar to Eastern ways of thinking, but not Western. So if we apply our "Western" way of thinking to it, we come out with something far different than what it was written to convey.
Take the idea that Revelation paints a timeline of world events. That is taking a "Western" mindset and applying it improperly to the book. In one sense, it's easy to point out why this is wrong. If you take it as a timeline of world events, the problem you encounter is that the world ends three times in the book! And yet, this approach continues to be prominent in the "Western" world, made popular by such books as the "Left Behind" series.
Next week, I'll present a bit of a different approach that will help us see a little bit better what is going on in such a book as this one. But prepared to be challenged, because it will take thinking in a way that is unfamiliar with our way of thinking in which we were raised. But who knows? You might learn something as we do that!
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