> General Discussions
Who will be married to who?
Kat:
Well, yes Revelation is symbolic, but how far do you carry this.
Does that mean that nothing in Rev. is physically real?
It is more of a question of seeing what the symbols means in the context of what is pyhically real.
This is an excerpt from Ray's article 1, 'lake of fire'.
http://bible-truths.com/lake1.html ------------------------------------------
LITERAL OR SYMBOLIC?
In many cases it is not difficult to determine whether a verse is literal or not. But, since we use figures of speech so often we tend to forget that much of what we say daily is not literally true. Many of us would hardly be able to carry on a conversation if we had to drop out of our vocabulary every word and every phrase we speak that is NOT LITERALLY TRUE. The English language, as well as all other languages, is just filled with symbolic and metaphorical phrases.
The first eleven verses of Chapter one in Revelation are an introduction regarding where, how, and what John is going to record for us. Much of this introduction can be taken literally, however, not all. Beginning with verse twelve, however, we are confronted with one symbol after another for the remainder of the entire twenty-two-chapter-book.
Everything written in Revelation is true, but most is not literally true.
The fact is there are many many truths in the Bible that are not literally true.
Jesus "said" that the bread He gave His disciples at the Lord’s supper was His body. Yet, Jesus Himself explains in other places that this was not literally true. He gave them literal bread, and not His literal physical flesh. What that bread represented, and symbolized, was indeed, His body--but not his physical body.
Jesus said that the words that he spoke were SPIRIT (John 6:63). Jesus Christ changes not. His words are STILL spirit and they certainly were spirit when John wrote the words of Christ regarding His unveiling or revelation. Just as we physically feed on physical bread for PHYSICAL LIFE, thus also we spiritually feed on Jesus Christ’s spiritual body for SPIRITUAL LIFE.
Understand this! Some think that by accepting the Scriptures as they are given (in the case of Revelation that means AS SYMBOLS), that somehow this "spiritualizes away" the teaching. What? It is the "spiritual" aspect of these symbols that IS THE REAL THING; THE REAL UNDERSTANDING! Physical things "pass away" whereas spiritual things are eternal! The very FACT that this book is written in "symbols" is proof positive that the understanding of them is SPIRITUAL and not physical or literal.
Symbols, metaphors, and parables ARE NEVER LITERALLY TRUE! But they powerfully demonstrate SPIRITUAL TRUTHS!
"This is the second death--the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15 and 21:8) is a metaphor that is no more literal than "Jesus taking the bread...said, ‘Take, EAT. This IS My body" (Mat. 26:27).
Paul did not instruct Timothy to "STUDY" the scriptures if a mere casual reading is all that is necessary to comprehend its many deep and profound teachings. On the other hand, I believe that those who have "studied" God’s Word are able to open up much understanding to those who are not called to teach (even babes, or minors as our Lord stated).
I want to quickly show my readers just how impossible it is to assume most of God’s word is literal.
Again I state: All God’s Word is TRUE, however, much of it is figurative language which is not literally true to fact, but rather in what the figurative language of symbols, metaphors, and parables represent.
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Hi Darren,
I don't believe the physical will pass away.
The whole universe was created for a reason, who knows what purpose God has for that.
Of course we will be spirits of love, but so much more too.
We were created with thinking minds,
that I believe we will use for incredible wondrous things,
as you said that we can not even imagine now.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
hillsbororiver:
--- Quote from: YellowStone on December 05, 2006, 11:50:44 AM ---Hi All,
But here is another question: Once the physical has passed away and we're all perfect all powerfull spirits, what then?
We will be as as our Father, spirits of love. How do you think this love will be used. It seems to me that a whole new chapter will begin and this love that we have will be used in ways that I am not even able to imagine.
Darren
--- End quote ---
1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
;)
His Peace and Wisdom to you,
Joe
Prosizz:
kat, are we turning in circle? Do you mean that the scriptures you quoted me earlier today are literal? So what do you think of Ray's answer to Sue that I posted?
Something may be literal in revelation but I am wondering if we can attribute the passages you and Joe posted from revelation to the fact that Christ and the elect are reigning on earth in as spiritual beings while their subjects are physical beings?
Again, I may be missing something here but it just does not add up for me.
Thanks.
hillsbororiver:
--- Quote from: Prosizz on December 05, 2006, 11:34:00 AM ---I want to add this e-mail and response that Ray gave to add to my last posting.
Hi Ray,
I have a question that I have not found addressed and answered on your
website. If ALL of
Rev. is symbolic, is the 1000 year period of Christ's reign (Kingdom) on
earth also symbolic and what about the 100 year period to follow where Satan
is released from his "bottomless pit" for a time.
I go to your site every day to read and learn and I always find something I
didn't see before, which
fills me with even greater desire to be not only "called" but "chosen".
You and your family are always in my heart and prayers.
Sue
Dear Sue:
I am afraid that you do what we all do at some time or another, and that is
to assume that the Scriptures say things that they don't.
Technically, nowhere does it actually say that Jesus will reign for a thousand
years, althought it can be deduced, and yes, it certainly is symbolic.
As as for the 100 year where you suggest that Satan is loosed, the Scriptures
absolutely do not defend such a "100 year" period. But yes, the "little season," is also
symbolic. I will be writing on these subject in the future.
God be with you,
Ray
--- End quote ---
Hello again Prosizz,
Nowhere here does Ray say that everything is exclusively symbolic in Revelation or any book of the bible, it could be said that it is primarily a book of symbolic references.
The 1000 year reign represents a long period of time, there is no scriptural authority for 100 years of satan being loosed in any manner in any translation I am aware of, it sounds like a doctrinal pipe dream.
Reread Kat's post where she pasted a portion of Lake of Fire Part 1, it should be very helpful.
His Peace and Wisdom to you,
Joe
Kat:
Hi Prosizz,
Let's look at it this way.
We are in the age now where very few are being given the spirit of Christ, many called few chosen.
Only those with the spirit of Christ will be in the first resurrection, when Christ appears.
2Ti 4:8 Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who love His appearing.
There will still be lots of people left on earth that are not resurrected, that will then live over into the 1000 years (I know the 1000 yrs. is symbolic, but it explains the age I'm talking about).
So this age will be a period of time when Satan is locked up, Rev.20:3,
and Christ and the raised saints will rule.
Can you see that the people on earth will still be physical, but as Christ was after His resurrection, when He appeared to the disciples many times, so will He and the Saints be on earth.
There will be New Jerusalem, not a literal city, but formed by the saints themselves described in Rev. 21. You have to understand this has a spiritual aspect as well as a physical one.
But at the end of the chapter you can see that the nations seem to see it and relate to it.
Rev 21:24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
Rev 21:25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.
Rev 21:26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
So this will be an actual place or city formed by the saints, and Christ as their head, that will govern the people or nations of the earth. The people will come to the city, but they can't enter a spiritual place.
But the saints will go out to them and I believe out into the world to govern it.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
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