Revelation
Three points here.
Dr. Richard Land has been the interim pastor at our church. How that happened I will never understand. He's going to be a tough act to follow when our new pastor gets here (target date, November 2.) Dr. Land has been preaching on Revelation. I have never considered myself a premillenialist, for a trio of reasons. Why did no one discover it until the mid-1800s? Why is it so ever-loving complicated (can't we follow the Occam's razor rule for the second coming?) And Premillenialism seemed so American, a thought I should really expand upon in a later post. However, while I'm not ready to stand up and say "Premillenialism is the only way to interpret eschatology," I can at least say I understand it now, at least, I understand how it is found in the book of Revelation (and Daniel, Isaiah, Matthew, and Ezekiel).
Secondly, my book went from 2,500,000 on the Amazon list to 116,000. How did that happen? Are people actually buying it? Why won't someone write a review if I've sold so many books?
Third, and most important, I had a revelation about American politics and religion in the public square, which I consider my research speciality even though I don't have to have one. (It fits the theme of the novel, for one thing.) I am reading Jon Meacham's The American Gospel, a fine book although not as deeply scholarly as I would like. He argues that the Founding Fathers, at least some of them, clearly believed religious devotion was an aid to the government; therefore, to them, the ongoing success of the republic was the primary value and was facilitated by free exercise of religion. Most evangelicals today, I dare say almost all, see it exactly opposite--the government by protecting our freedom of expression and religion, is an aid to the free exercise of spreading the gospel. They would point to I Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (NIV)
I think this is significant and explains a lot. It begs the question, who's right?
Dr. Richard Land has been the interim pastor at our church. How that happened I will never understand. He's going to be a tough act to follow when our new pastor gets here (target date, November 2.) Dr. Land has been preaching on Revelation. I have never considered myself a premillenialist, for a trio of reasons. Why did no one discover it until the mid-1800s? Why is it so ever-loving complicated (can't we follow the Occam's razor rule for the second coming?) And Premillenialism seemed so American, a thought I should really expand upon in a later post. However, while I'm not ready to stand up and say "Premillenialism is the only way to interpret eschatology," I can at least say I understand it now, at least, I understand how it is found in the book of Revelation (and Daniel, Isaiah, Matthew, and Ezekiel).
Secondly, my book went from 2,500,000 on the Amazon list to 116,000. How did that happen? Are people actually buying it? Why won't someone write a review if I've sold so many books?
Third, and most important, I had a revelation about American politics and religion in the public square, which I consider my research speciality even though I don't have to have one. (It fits the theme of the novel, for one thing.) I am reading Jon Meacham's The American Gospel, a fine book although not as deeply scholarly as I would like. He argues that the Founding Fathers, at least some of them, clearly believed religious devotion was an aid to the government; therefore, to them, the ongoing success of the republic was the primary value and was facilitated by free exercise of religion. Most evangelicals today, I dare say almost all, see it exactly opposite--the government by protecting our freedom of expression and religion, is an aid to the free exercise of spreading the gospel. They would point to I Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (NIV)
I think this is significant and explains a lot. It begs the question, who's right?
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