I want this to be a thread where I can bring forward a list of ideas in response to questions had on this subforum. I believe this will be more productive as it can have a secondary function of raising Revelation as a topic unto itself and also will bring a notoriety to my posts that they would probably lack in other threads. I have a few questions to start off with
1. Revelation says the Philadelphians will be spared from the hour of temptation. Does this imply mid-trib Rapture?
I am post-trib. What this verse means is that those who are spared from the hour of temptation will be preserved through, but not from. A careful study of the Greek bears that out. The idea in mind is 'preservation' and is different from the raptural notion of being removed from hardship. So it does not abrogate the idea that the elect will suffer through the Tribulation.
2. Revelation 12,
This is about the church reaching maturation. Being carried into the wilderness has reference to Matthew 24 Jesus says, "When you therefore shal see the abomination of desolation... let those who be in Judea flee into the mountains." It is there in the wilderness that the bride will be perfected. Not everyone will be gathered to the wilderness however. Some will have ministries in their home countries and many will be scattered aearound like chickens with their heads cut off. It is in the Tribulation period where the Bride is perfected, goes into labor so to speak and gives birth or reaches maturation. Mary and Joseph and Jesus fleeing into Egypt was a type and even Exodus was a type to foreshadow the ultimate New Testament Exodus.
3. Physical or symbolic interpretations in Revelation (specifically the Mark)
A great deal of Revelation is physical. If you put down the kool-aid for a minute and drop what it is you're doing, you'll realize that becaiuse the book makes many bizarre and outlandish claims, people over the years have sought to turn it into a symbol or puzzle. But is that really the way it is or is it more convenient to set aside some of its more bizarre pronouncements to save face, or to spare ourselves trouble? To some degree, both are at work. There is symbolism in the book and their are claims made that are quite physical in their implications that most folks, even strong Christians are not comfortable in their implications. As to a mark, I'm open to it being a chip but I personally lean towards it being a tattoo.
4. What are the meaning of these two verses?
"That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation"... "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
The meaning of the 'who', who is being blamed for these murders. It is a demonic spirit who is to blame and all that he controls. The spirit has control over religious dogma, supremacy, and zealotry. From day one, Abel was the theological, God-honoring variety. Cain was a secular moralist who offered grain. It was in his zealous passion that he killed Abel. As you examine the prophets, Jeremiah was greatly hounded by those who believed they did a work for God. Amos was banished and told 'stop prophesying and leave'. Moses was challenged for over forty years, essentiall from the beginning of his ministry by people believing they did the work of God, like the sons of Korah, or Miriam who said "Hasn't God spoken through us too?" Onward it goes... Zechariah was not killed by radical socialist atheists, but rather by devout rabbinical Jews who believed they were 'stoning the heretic'. Jesus was killed for the belief of the elite that He was espousing blasphemy and heresy as much as anything else. Stephen too went against the solemn traditions of the high priests. And further down the list James was thrown from the height of the temple and stoned, Peter was crucified upside down... and on and on it goes.
These were done in some cases by zealous Romans who believed they were honoring Caesar and 'the gods'. And then we reach modern Mystery Babylon who is on a crusade of its own. That is for a later discussion though. The 'who', is the demonic power that infects people with religious zealotry, a willingness to kill to assert the supremacy of one's beliefs.
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