Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to get unbiased information on the Middle East. Even the links in the article talk about "blood-soaked colonialism" etc. There's definitely something going on to cause the Middle East, especially Israel, to be a very polarizing issue politically. It's so strange to me that conservatives tend to support Israel while liberals tend to oppose Israel. Why the correlation? Like I said, there's definitely a lot of powerful forces and feelings involved with Israel as it currently stands so bias reigns.
I've read news articles from both sides about the same event and they read so differently that it's hard to believe they're reporting on the same event. So turning away from God's word and toward man's word hasn't helped me much so far, though I have found that I need to hear both sides before assuming anything when it comes to reading men's word.
Certainly we need not to overreach when reading the scriptures, but I don't know if we can just state that the Book of Revelation isn't for us in our day without citing a prophetic source for such a claim. Without such a source, it's just an opinion - like my opinion.
CraigAugust 2, 2017
Sorry, Ron the author is right. The apocalypse was written to reassure Christians undergoing persecution(probably during the reign of Nero, but possibly under the reign of Domitian) that their problems were temporary, to keep the faith, and in the end they would triumph. Trying to understand contemporary events through its lens is misguided and foolish.
Elizabeth SHEARERAugust 2, 2017
Well said Ron. :). Good comment.
Ron BarnesAugust 1, 2017
“The Book of Revelation was primarily written to give comfort to Christians living 2000 years ago under Roman imperial power.” Wrong! The Book of Revelation was written to prepare and to warn people of events that would happen just before the return of Christ. This includes not only the Middle East but other areas of the world as well.
“Such mis-readings can keep us from finding the very needful solutions to contribute to lasting peace in the Middle East.” I having been following and studying the events in the Middle East for about 45 years. As part of this I have read the Qur’an, of which I have 2 English copies. I have known Muslin Arabs and I have found them to be as interested in peace as anyone else. I have nothing against them. Unfortunately, leaders of Arab nations and others use passages from the Qur’an to justify the total destruction of Israel.
In spite of 70 years spent trying to destroy Israel they will not give up. Egypt, once Israel’s strongest enemy, has learned to live with them. The two nations are now trading partners. If the leaders of other Arab nations would learn from Egypt’s example then there could be peace in the area. But they won’t. They will continue to fight against Israel no matter what.
Until Christ returns there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East.
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RobertAugust 8, 2017
Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to get unbiased information on the Middle East. Even the links in the article talk about "blood-soaked colonialism" etc. There's definitely something going on to cause the Middle East, especially Israel, to be a very polarizing issue politically. It's so strange to me that conservatives tend to support Israel while liberals tend to oppose Israel. Why the correlation? Like I said, there's definitely a lot of powerful forces and feelings involved with Israel as it currently stands so bias reigns. I've read news articles from both sides about the same event and they read so differently that it's hard to believe they're reporting on the same event. So turning away from God's word and toward man's word hasn't helped me much so far, though I have found that I need to hear both sides before assuming anything when it comes to reading men's word. Certainly we need not to overreach when reading the scriptures, but I don't know if we can just state that the Book of Revelation isn't for us in our day without citing a prophetic source for such a claim. Without such a source, it's just an opinion - like my opinion.
CraigAugust 2, 2017
Sorry, Ron the author is right. The apocalypse was written to reassure Christians undergoing persecution(probably during the reign of Nero, but possibly under the reign of Domitian) that their problems were temporary, to keep the faith, and in the end they would triumph. Trying to understand contemporary events through its lens is misguided and foolish.
Elizabeth SHEARERAugust 2, 2017
Well said Ron. :). Good comment.
Ron BarnesAugust 1, 2017
“The Book of Revelation was primarily written to give comfort to Christians living 2000 years ago under Roman imperial power.” Wrong! The Book of Revelation was written to prepare and to warn people of events that would happen just before the return of Christ. This includes not only the Middle East but other areas of the world as well. “Such mis-readings can keep us from finding the very needful solutions to contribute to lasting peace in the Middle East.” I having been following and studying the events in the Middle East for about 45 years. As part of this I have read the Qur’an, of which I have 2 English copies. I have known Muslin Arabs and I have found them to be as interested in peace as anyone else. I have nothing against them. Unfortunately, leaders of Arab nations and others use passages from the Qur’an to justify the total destruction of Israel. In spite of 70 years spent trying to destroy Israel they will not give up. Egypt, once Israel’s strongest enemy, has learned to live with them. The two nations are now trading partners. If the leaders of other Arab nations would learn from Egypt’s example then there could be peace in the area. But they won’t. They will continue to fight against Israel no matter what. Until Christ returns there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East.
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