POP26 - Revelation
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 on to me about these pages you may do so at: 
DawnSayer@webpal.org
There are as many paradigms 
as there are people. 
We all view the world differently. 
Some people view the world 
as having been created a few thousand years ago - 
others think that it may have been 
millions or billions of years ago. 
Whatever one imagines 
it is too little 
because we are dealing with 
the Infinite and Eternal 
and that is a different concept. 
A different paradigm. 
A different way of looking 
at the world and Reality. 
Some people see Creation in a "magical" way. 
Others feel that they have a "scientific' appreciation of Creation. 
But no matter what our concepts 
the best that we can know today is that 
they are limited and relative to the Absolute Reality.
There are many speculations held by people 
about the nature of reality, 
the nature of creation, 
the source and purpose of our being. 
I hear a great variety, 
about reptilian evolution, 
seeding from the stars, 
special creation from the dust, 
and many others that I won't delve into.
The two extremes which I challenge are 
scientific materialism 
that says man has all the answers in his intellect 
with no need for revealed religion 
and its opposite pole 
dogmatic orthodoxy
which says all Truth has been already revealed 
and no further Truth can be revealed. 
It has been to the followers of scientific materialism 
that I have made the attempt  
to prove mathematically 
that Jesus was the Christ 
and that the Bible was a reliable source of prophecy. 
While the mathematical proof that Jesus was the Christ 
was a difficult emotional challenge to the atheist and agnostic 
the next mathematical proofs from the Bible 
will be an equally difficult emotional challenge 
to any of a dogmatic orthodox religious inclination 
who have managed to hold on to this point. 
Because whereas before 
we used mathematical proofs
to show from the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures 
that those Scriptures contained prophecies about the Christian Religion 
we are now going to use the Christian Gospel  
to show with EVEN GREATER MATHEMATICAL SURETY 
that the New Testament contains prophecies about other religions 
such as the Moslem and the Baha'i.
There are many marvelous prophecies in the Book of Revelation, 
but they are mostly concealed from Christians 
who give fantastic superstitious interpretations about them. 
The Book of Revelation contains prophecies 
about things both past and future. 
It is through understanding its prophecies about things past 
that we can have confidence about its prophecies of things future.
In my next email 
I shall get into the mathematical proofs 
and while I shall not spend a lot of time 
dealing with the prophecies themselves 
other than showing the mathematical key to them 
my dear saintly wife has asked that I at least share with you 
a typical interpretation of one of those Scriptures. 
Many a Christian has opened the Book of Revelation 
to find Marvelous Prophecies and Exhortations 
directed to several small and insignificant congregations  
in the vicinity of Israel. 
The Churches Addressed 
were not those actual specific congregations, 
but the church  names were used  in the Prophecies 
as type designators or markers 
for whom to the Messages were actually addressed. 
Each of these tiny little congregations were but symbols 
for the Religions of the World. 
Each one being used as a Symbol for one of the 
World's Major Religions. 
This is why they were so Important as to be addressed 
in this Summary Book of Christian Revelation. 
What was actually being addressed was 
each of the World's Major Religions.
The Seven Religions were:
1. Sabaenism: 
            Southwest Arabia and later Ethiopia- 
                                     Revelator unknown. 4000 - 5000 B.C.
2. Hinduism:  
             India - 
                                     Krishna. 2000 - 3000 B.C.
3. Judaism:    
4. Zoroastrianism:  
   Persia - 
                                    Zoroaster. 900 - 1000 B.C. 
5. Buddhism:  
           India - 
                                    Buddha - 500 - 530 B.C.
6. Christianity:    
      Palestine -  
                                    Christ. 26 A.D. 
7. Moslem:   
             Arabia - 
                                   Mohammed. 622 A.D.
While a study of each of the ancient religions would be interesting 
and I might be able to make it interesting to some of you 
since I  have a degree in Comparative Religions 
it is far beyond the limits of this presentation.
Nevertheless, it was not beyond the view of the Bible. 
And it was to each of these Religions 
that the Book of Revelation was addressed.
Rev: 1:4
"	John to the seven churches which are in Asia ----"
The messages are not addressed to the Churches (Religions) 
in the order (above) of their appearance, 
but one who has studied the religions 
can determine which Church is which 
by the nature of the Message delivered unto it.
The  references to things like 
Seven Stars being in the Hand (or Crown) of the Messenger 
or the Seven Golden Candle Sticks 
are symbolic 
and again refer to the Seven Religions being in the Hand
and Kingdom of the Lord, 
and that He walks among them.
One might note also that it is the Angel of Each Church 
that is addressed.
Rev. 2:1   Ephesus
Rev. 2:8   Smyrna
Rev. 2:12 Pergamos
Rev. 2:18 Thyatira
Rev. 3:1   Sardis
Rev. 3:7   Philadelphia 
Rev. 3:8   Laodiceans
Each Church (Religion) is generally praised 
for some aspect of its behavior 
and chastised for some other aspect. 
And thus it is with any open minded student 
of comparative religion 
that usually we can find some 
strong beneficial point in each religion 
along with some characteristic weakness in its followers.
I am not as much a student of the Book of Revelation 
as my dear wife. 
(She does not like for me to refer to her as saintly,
but I tell her that since everyone else does also, 
how can I deny it. But let me tell you also, 
it is not always easy living with a saint.) 
My wife has deeply studied the book, 
has taken courses with numbers of churches, 
maintains 3 ring binders on the subject, 
and a library of reference books. 
She would have me tell you much more, 
than this little bit, 
but that is not my intention here, 
and it is only in deference to her 
that I have told you so much as I have.
Next time, now, I can return 
to the mathematical proofs.
Peace and love,
Bruce Beach
DawnSayer@webpal.org