Re-Vealing Revelation … Conclusion
So you see, my Friends, while quite a few of Revelation’s gentler verses (for example, Revelation 5:13) do give more devout followers of The Way of Christ the opportunity to interpret even this crass & drastic book in a Loving manner, there is a more flagrant Truth that cannot be denied: namely, that when it comes to the book of Revelation, all Christians have a very important choice that they simply must make … and this choice is as follows:
EITHER they must admit that the Jesus found in the Gospels does not condone the dysfunctional & brutal ramblings of the “angel of the Lord” we read in Revelation (meaning they can discount the book in its entirety, just as thousands of Followers of Jesus did for the first several hundred years after his death), OR they must admit that Jesus had a complete personality shift after his ascension – meaning that all of his teachings on perfect Love found in the Gospels (specifically those found in the Sermon on the Mount) can be disregarded, if not fully discounted. After all, the one & only Son of God certainly has the right to change his mind, and if Revelation is talking about the same Jesus Christ as the Peace-full prophet found the Bible’s earlier texts, then there can no longer be any doubt that change his mind – and change his mind drastically – he did.
Of course, it is Good News indeed that we all have free will as well (at least I choose to believe that we do), and therefore that none of us are required to worship such a passive-aggressive, codependent, tyrannical deity. In fact, in a delicious twist of irony, it is the Jesus of the Gospels who would tell us to beware of and indeed fully denounce the teachings found in Revelation, as well as any other “false prophets” preaching similarly damning dogmas. In fact, when we return to the Sermon on the Mount, we read that Jesus did in fact encourage us to do just that …
Consider: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits … A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” ~ Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:15-20)
Personally, I think Jesus’ “Fruit of the Tree” test makes the Revelation conundrum extremely simple to resolve … for Jesus in the Gospels is a pure believer in perfect LOVE, and Jesus in Revelation is a pure reflection of Love’s opposite – fear. As such, it makes perfect sense to simply state that — if we are going to make a mistake, then we definitely want to err on the side of following the teachings of the “Good Jesus”, not the fear-filled one.
And so we come to the most important delineation of this entire treatise: namely, that regardless of our own unique set of religious/spiritual beliefs, what are the practical ramifications of this now-clear schism between the “Jesus” we find in the book of Revelation and the Jesus Christ found in the Gospels?
First of all, for atheists (and Buddhists, and Hindus, and Jews, and Taoists, and Sikhs, and agnostics, and New Age mystics, and all other members of all other religions non-Christian), you are now all free to cease being annoyed or frightened by the book of Revelation, just as you are now all free to cease being insulted or angered by those who quote the contents of that tome at you. When being condemned by a believer in Revelation’s “angry Jesus”, you can now have the wherewithal to pause, quell your disgust, and exude a sincere compassion for those doing that condemning … After all, there is a far more Loving God in their own Bible – and they are refusing to see Him!
Secondly, for “awakened Christians” – those members of Christian churches who simply don’t resonate with the colder preachings of their pastors or the more rage-filled ramblings of their reverends, your faith can be reborn into a Faith of real & lasting LOVE. Indeed, you can now in all Faith remain a Christian, while simultaneously discounting the hate and the fear and the discord that Revelation has sown into your Sundays … In essence, you are now all free to take your churches back, and your Caring God back with them!
And finally, for traditional, “conservative” Christians, the question has now become not whether you can prove that Jesus is indeed coming back pissed off & judgmental, but rather why you are determined to do so. Each & every one of you now has the information required to leave your man-made & undivine dogma of hate and judgment behind. In essence, you are now all free to stop doing Satan’s work (spreading fear & judgment), and to start fulfilling God’s Will (forgiving others and actively caring for them) instead!
Frankly, I think it’s high time that all Christians stopped perverting the Gospel teachings of their own Lord & Savior … I think it’s high time that all Christians stopped using the book of Revelation to damn their brother Muslims & atheists and sister Buddhists & Hindus to Hell — and started treating them like Brothers & Sisters instead.
Amen … Let it be so!
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