Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
The second coming followed by 1,000 years of peace, right?
It's been suggested that the Catholic church twisted the meaning of Revelation into a dark and fearful thing.
I'm not as well-versed as you are Slech, but that theory rings true to me.
Yes imo many people miss inteprt revelation. It's meant to bring us to Christ so we can remain with him till whenever he comes back officially across the world. Praise the Lord! We love u so much Jesus. Let your kingdom come. Your will be done.
Yes I have heard that theory as well. I think it's best if we just say Satan twisted it and got man to follow along. Someone definitely worked hard to take our focus from Jesus and onto the doom and gloom. Christ is Lord though and soon the whole world will bow before his feet. Hallelujah Come Jesus Come. We are yours
Slech, you hit on such a critical point here.
That revelation, indeed the whole gospel + NT, is meant to have us focus on Jesus.
In my rather unorthodox view, the purpose - as seen from God's viewpoint - of the new Testament, including the book of Revelations, is to have humanity prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Why?
Because the Second Coming is when the conclusion of the providence takes place.
Which raises a curious theological point: When Jesus declared on the cross "it is finished", what exactly was he talking about? Because very clearly, the providence is NOT finished: Believers still carry the original sin connection and pass that on to our children (no children are yet born pure without a connection to sin, thus requiring acceptance of Christ during their life); believers still need to repent and pray during our lives, in order to keep the devil at bay; our bodies are still subject to satanic influences, and the conflict between the spirit and flesh remains (re: Paul's declarations).
So what was finished? In my view, the work of spiritual salvation was what was completed on the cross. Jesus paid the full price to accomplish spiritual salvation for humanity, so that our spirits could be completely liberated from Satan's dominion.
But because Jesus had to accomplish this by sacrificing his body, likewise, our bodies are also still subject to Satanic dominion. So why the Second Coming? The purpose of the Second Coming is to accomplish physical salvation, when the claim that Satan has on the flesh of all humanity will be liquidated, and the Kingdom can truly begin BOTH on Earth as in Heaven.
If this is the case, what are the implications? This is why we need to practice our faith, constantly reach for Jesus and always work and act to come closer to him, so that when he returns, the pathway is made clear (Just as John the Baptist had the mission of making the way clear for Jesus at the first coming).
This view may tweak some of the traditional views on providential scripture, but the conclusion is the same; focus on Jesus, and prepare your heart for the second coming. That's the real purpose of the Gospel; not simply to live well, but to live well in order to prepare for the bridegroom. In my (unorthodox) opinion, of course.
Praise God. His salvation is good, and his people will never be forgotten.