11,154
edits
The Seven Churches Ages: Difference between revisions
→Other Problems with William Branham's interpretation
(→Paul) |
|||
| Line 116: | Line 116: | ||
#As seen above, William Branham [[Plagiarism|plagiarized the concept of the seven church ages from Clarence Larkin]] (see link for detail or brief discussion below) | #As seen above, William Branham [[Plagiarism|plagiarized the concept of the seven church ages from Clarence Larkin]] (see link for detail or brief discussion below) | ||
#The Bible does not talk about church ages and this interpretation of Revelation 2 & 3 is clearly wrong on the basis of church history and current events. | #The Bible does not talk about church ages and this interpretation of Revelation 2 & 3 is clearly wrong on the basis of church history and current events. | ||
#A map shows that Revelation addresses the seven churches in the very sequence that a messenger from John, arriving first in Ephesus near the sea, would travel to each of the cities listed, presumably along the main roads of Asia (see the Introduction). The average distance between each city was about thirty to forty-five miles. | |||
#Only a forced reading of church history (regularly revised with the passing of time) has allowed this interpretation.<ref>Craig S. Keener, Revelation, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 75.</ref> | |||
#We are not in the Laodicean church age. Less than 20% of evangelical Christians live in North America or Europe where lukewarm churches abound. Today, more evangelicals live in Asia than any other continent. 60% of evangelicals live in Asia or Africa. The churches in the third world… particularly in countries where the church is persecuted… are anything but lukewarm. | #We are not in the Laodicean church age. Less than 20% of evangelical Christians live in North America or Europe where lukewarm churches abound. Today, more evangelicals live in Asia than any other continent. 60% of evangelicals live in Asia or Africa. The churches in the third world… particularly in countries where the church is persecuted… are anything but lukewarm. | ||
# | #If Revelation requires the completion of seven church ages before Jesus’ return, then in most centuries of church history Christians had no right to expect the imminent return of the Lord! This would be a curious conclusion for advocates of the seven church ages view, most of whom vehemently emphasize the imminence of Christ’s return.<ref>Craig S. Keener, Revelation, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 75.</ref> | ||
#The whole point of William Branham's interpretation was to [[William Branham's View of Himself|point to himself]]. | #The whole point of William Branham's interpretation was to [[William Branham's View of Himself|point to himself]]. | ||