Beyond the Fire and Brimstone: 5 Impactful Truths About How We Read the Apocalypse I. Introduction: The Enigma of the Unveiling For centuries, the human imagination has been held captive by the specter of the "end of the world." Within contemporary discourse—from Hollywood’s high-octane disaster tropes to the sensationalist headlines of "prophecy experts"—the Book of Revelation is frequently reduced to a gothic horror script or an impenetrable riddle. However, as a scholar of contemporary religion, one must recognize that the Apocalypse is less a cinematic nightmare and more a rigorous hermeneutical battleground . The term apocalypse is derived from the Greek apokalypsis , meaning "unveiling" or "clarity." It is not a synonym for doom; rather, it signifies a profound covenantal shift . It is the King’s battle plan—a war report that pulls back the curtain on the power dynamics of heaven and earth. How we interpret this unveiling does not merely...
I grew up in a world looking up to great men and women who are selfless and who are willing to sacrifice for people other than themselves. Heroes, real or fictional; they would always go out of their way, putting their lives in danger and even losing them for the sake of the many. So when we see soldiers die in battle or firemen rush into a fiery blaze or a collapsing building, we admire their courage and remember and honor them for their sacrifice. Selflessness. For the happiness and the welfare of all. Christ-like. A world without God is a world where mothers can opt to kill their own babies and call it choice. A world without God is world where love and happiness of oneself is the most important thing even if it meant it costs the happiness of those around them. A world without God is world where people choose to abandon truth and insist that reality is whatever they believe in no matter how obnoxious it is. Congratulations, we ar...