New book.  “In God’s Time”, by Craig C. Hill.  It’s a fairly new book, of which a new curriculum is being published through Wesley Theological Seminary.  I’ve finished the first and second chapters.  I like it so far.

First, I’d have to say my thoughts and reasons behind selecting this book.  In any given church family, you could approach individuals and ask them “How do you interpret Revelation?”, and you’ll get as many responses as there are people.  You also might get the opposite of the spectrum…and people who are so unified and yet blindly accepting of anything preached that every person you ask gives the same word for word answer.  When asked for a reasoning, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear “God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it.”  For those who have it all figured out, and know what they believe…congrats.  I really look up to you.  But in a way, I also feel sorry for you.  There’s a world of living, in seeking an understanding at which you will never fully and finally arrive.  It becomes a lifelong process of knowing our creator.  And for me, it is a way I am in love with God.

I don’t know much about Revelation.  That is, I’ve heard a great deal about “End times prophecy”, etc.  Some of it sounds interesting.  Some of it sounds scary.  Some of it makes me laugh.  My understanding of it all has changed and grown with my relationship with God.   I remember a time when I believed Hell was a place of fire and brimstone; and it was because of the great physical pain and suffering that we would not want to go there.  My understanding of hell now has changed to the point where I think it could be sitting on a lazy boy eating ice cream for all I care….an eternity knowing of God, but completely and utterly separated from Him would be more torture than we can comprehend.  But even in all that, I’m sure something will change of that view in my lifetime.  But anyways, the more we worship God, and realize His purpose for our lives, the more we see that interpretation of end times stuff, Revelation, etc…matter.  Because it is an eternal thing. 

The first chapter “Are We There Yet?” basically buids the need.  It illustrates in many ways why this book was written, and why it’s important for us to concern ourselves with these topics.  It also explainsto the reader what “eschatology” means. (the study of last things)  “More broadly, eschatology is about the fulfillment of God’s plan for human history”.  Hill acknowledges a few major streams of beliefs (i.e. The Late Great Planet Earth – where the world was supposed to end in 1988, and “Left Behind” theology, which is selling big lately)  I’m excited about reading this book.  Hill seems to have done extensive studies into the background of biblical authors, providing an incredibly fresh view on how they may have been thinking when the books we usually read without much thought were written.  Does this mean the Bible is no longer a source of authority for our faith?  No.  But merely gives us more to chew on, as we seek to love, honor, and serve God who became Christ. 

The second chapter discusses the issue of “inerrancy” of the scriptures.  Realizing these were human writers, who were writing in a cultural setting, along with all their personal nuances, this must inform our interpretations and understandings of why things were written in a certain way.  He doesn’t give an exhaustive list…but he gives several examples where the details of a story told in one place of scripture differ from the same story told in another passage.  He then goes into each authors background and gives a brief explanation on why they each may have told it the way they had.  Does this make the Bible wrong?  No.  Does this make the Bible human, and give us better understanding of it?  Yes.  To not acknowledge the discrepencies found within the Bible, and to Blindly say (as so many do) that contradictions simply do not exist, is to miss out on a great part of reading the Word of God we’ve been given. 

2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” – King James Version     – Hill points out that this interpretation is often used as an argument for the fact that nothing in the Bible could ever be contradicting, and that if we find details that don’t coincide, we don’t apply reason, but simply dismiss them, or overlook them.  But a reading of the original Greek of this verse gives us a new understanding. “The sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salavation….all inspired writings are also profitable for teaching….”  Hill isn’t arguing that we throw out the Bible because of these small discrepencies, but rather look at it for what it is.  The Word from God, filled with life, and knowledge of Christ, but made up of several types of writing, books, authors, and contexts from which to interpret and read it.  I’m writing a lot, so I’ll end with a thought that will lead is into the books’ further discussions….

“It is interesting to enquire about Revelation’s view of the timing of the end of history, but it is more important to ask what Revelation teaches us about faithful discipleship and how it’s perception of Christ might properly be applied to our world” – Craig Hill