Here's a little conversation I had with an atheist that I thought might be interesting. My responses in red.
FROM GREGORY
Revelation: "A peculiar record of the visions of a drug addict." George Bernard Shaw
What I find interesting about prophecies, whether biblical or Nostrodamus style is that they're always bad news. Nobody has ever predicted "The days ahead will be sunny and bright. Humans will get along for the next 1,000 years and nobody will die in a war."
Why the constant and unrelenting negativity?
My sources tell me that a guy named John wrote Revelation. Scholars can't even agree which of three guys named John wrote it. Now you're telling me Jesus wrote it.
Make a big 2x3 foot sign. In giant, blood red, dripping letters write "The End Is Near!" Walk around whatever town in Ohio you live in and tell me how that works out for you.
Man is utterly lost and sinful, and the wages of sin is death. There is no other end for man if he will not accept the forgiveness and healing of Christ. We don't HAVE to die and go to hell. Christ can save us. He was born and died so we can choose life and heaven. That's what I call positivity!
Revelation 1:1 - "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John..."
John may have physically written the book, but he wrote only the things that Christ revealed to him. That's why John himself calls it "The revelation of Jesus Christ" and not "The revelation of John". It was Jesus who originated ALL of Revelation.
No need to wear a sign, Greg. There are plenty of signs all around us, and they're the same signs that Jesus predicted.
Ok. Give me your list. I'd like for you to teach me something today. Please.
Alrighty, Greg…I’ll give you a couple predictions that fellows like you used to mock in the past, but for some reason, don't anymore.
Jesus predicted that the anti-christ would mark every person on the planet In either their right hand or forehead, and that without that mark, a person would not be able to buy or sell anything. Bible critics used to have a field day touting the impossibility of that prophecy, but not long ago, I was at the groceries with a friend, and as she paid with her debit card, she said, “I hate messing with this stupid card. I wish they’d come up with something so I could just pass my hand over it, and it would pay!” GPS chips already mark the locations of many things on this planet. They have chips RIGHT NOW that can be embedded in a person’s body with all their health information. Google “digital angel” and tell me what you think. People no longer ask IF scientists can unite this kind of technology with a person’s body; they’re doing it NOW. How long before they include financial information on these chips? How long before they come up with a citizenship code that gives a person certain rights as an American citizen and excludes illegal aliens? How difficult do you think it will be for an anti-christ to change all the citizenship codes to a WORLD code?
Jesus predicted that in the last days, Israel would be a nation and offering sacrifices in its temple to Jehovah. “Bah!” said the critics less than a hundred years ago. “Israel isn’t a nation and hasn’t been for two thousands years, and it never will be again! The Jews are scattered all over the world. It’s silly and ridiculous!” In 1948, Israel became a nation again. The critics are strangely silent on the first part of the prophecy, so now they say, “Bah! They can’t build a temple! The Mosque of Omar is planted right where they want to build it. The Moslems would raise Cain if they started tearing that down!” I wonder when it will be that the earthquake or bomb or whatever removes that mosque?
It’s all coming true right in front of your eyes, Greg. Your blindness to these things is not because Jesus was vague or unclear in His prophecies or because their near-fulfillment is not blatantly obvious enough. No, it’s simply as Jesus said: you refuse to believe. And according to Christ, you will pay a severe penalty for your disbelief. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Even now, Christ offers you forgiveness and freedom from your sins. While you live it is never too late. A criminal crucified with Christ reviled and insulted Him while they both died on their crosses, but later, he changed his mind and asked Christ to remember him when Christ came into His kingdom. Christ said to him, “This day, you will be with Me in paradise.” His grace extends to the last second of your life, but none of us knows when we will die. Won’t you consider Him today?
Ok. I give up. The microchips in the necks of both my dogs means the end of the world is right around the corner. Why just last week when my wife lost her cell phone she lamented that she wished it were surgically planted in her fore arm. If only I'd known what this sign meant. Should I have killed on the spot? I've seen her naked acouple of times over the last 30 years and have never noticed the 666 thing.
Tonight I will give away everything I own and hitchhike to your house to live with you till the end comes. Address please. I'll be travelling light so I might be kinda smelly, can i use your washer?
As for Isreal I can only say this: that region of the world has been embroiled in bloodshed as long as recorded history. And the conflicts always pertain to "what god said". I think once organized religions are abolished there will be Peace On Earth and Goodwill Toward Women. And Men Too.
We'll discuss this at length once I get settled in at your place. You and me John. We'll be buddies.
So the fact that Jesus predicted this type of thing happening impacts you not at all? Alrighty.
I said nothing about the end of the world. I spoke only of something implanted in your right hand or forehead that enables you to buy and sell as Jesus prophesied. The story of my friend was just a personal anecdote, not meant as any kind of evidence. The evidence is that technology is very close indeed to fulfilling Christ's prophecy. I said nothing about 666. Actually, I, and really nobody I've ever read, understands what that specific prophecy means yet.
Christ says the situation in the Mideast will worsen.
No thanks to the roomie offer. I doubt your ridicule would be any more attractive in person.
"So the fact that Jesus predicted this type of thing happening impacts you not at all? Alrighty."
My bible says that " the third angel" made the reference to marks on the forehead or hand. Not Jesus. In Revelation Jesus is "the Lamb". Is that not correct?
If that is not correct, where is my error? If it is correct why are you misrepresenting Jesus?
While you're figuring that out, maybe you could flashback to last week when I asked you to explain why Mark and Luke give different Jesus pedigrees. Do you recall the insulting answer you gave me? Perhaps you could review that. It might serve to explain to you why I ridicule you. I asked you a legit question and you gave mena childs answer.
It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. All of it. When the angel told John something, Jesus orginated the information, and the angel conveyed it to John. The angel could not have told the information if Jesus had not revealed it to him and given him permission to tell it. ALL of it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And yep, in one vision, Jesus is the Lamb that was slain. What of it?
As to the pedigree question, I believe I said it is not unreasonable to believe that one lineage is Jesus's lineage through Joseph and the other is Jesus's lineage through Mary, and that this was done to show that Jesus had both legal (Joseph) and blood (Mary) right to David's crown. How you view that answer as insulting is a bit puzzling.