And [the angel] cried out with a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders said and do not write them down." Rev. 10:3, 4.
John experiences the seven thunders and finds much in them that he would like to record, but the heavenly voice tells him not to write it down. The thunders evidently reveal matters that are not yet ours to know. The hidden things belong to God alone (Deut. 29:29). No matter how much we study, no matter how brilliant we may be, we know only in part until Jesus comes (1 Cor. 13:9). We should be candid about our limitations of understanding and not speak dogmatically about uncertain matters.
Particularly with the book of Revelation, many teachers of prophecy like to fill in too many detail on which the text does not directly comment. Prophetic speculation often takes the place of obedience to the clear teachings of the Word. Instead of hearing and obeying the text, we use the Bible to satisfy our curiosity about the future. In so doing we add to the message of Scripture (Rev. 22:18).
Many put the blame for terrorism on religion. In the words of a protest sign that appeared on September 12, 2001: "No Religion, No War." The sign expresses the conviction that if you could get rid of religious authority and sacred texts, the world would be a better and safer place. In a world torn by division and hatred, any religion that adds to the divisions or fuels the hatred is part of the problem rather than the solution.
But would the elimination of religion make the world a safer place? a more tolerant place? History offers a resounding no to both questions. The architects of the French Revolution and Russian Communism both saw the intolerance of the "Christian" West and sought to solve the problem by eliminating the Christian faith. But reaction against religion tends to create a new exclusion that breeds more violence in the future ("We have to stop those narrow-minded people"). To paraphrase the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: "The line between good and evil does not run between 'us' and 'them' but through the heart of every human being."
I believe that in a terrified world we don't need less faith but better faith. We don't need less spiritual guidance--we require better spiritual guidance. Instead of "no sacred texts" we could start with a lot more humility in how we handle the Bible. The very greatness of God envisioned in the bible warns us against the tendency to think we have gained absolute clarity in our understanding of Him.
Lord, open my eyes and my heart to the limitations in my understanding of You.
John experiences the seven thunders and finds much in them that he would like to record, but the heavenly voice tells him not to write it down. The thunders evidently reveal matters that are not yet ours to know. The hidden things belong to God alone (Deut. 29:29). No matter how much we study, no matter how brilliant we may be, we know only in part until Jesus comes (1 Cor. 13:9). We should be candid about our limitations of understanding and not speak dogmatically about uncertain matters.
Particularly with the book of Revelation, many teachers of prophecy like to fill in too many detail on which the text does not directly comment. Prophetic speculation often takes the place of obedience to the clear teachings of the Word. Instead of hearing and obeying the text, we use the Bible to satisfy our curiosity about the future. In so doing we add to the message of Scripture (Rev. 22:18).
Many put the blame for terrorism on religion. In the words of a protest sign that appeared on September 12, 2001: "No Religion, No War." The sign expresses the conviction that if you could get rid of religious authority and sacred texts, the world would be a better and safer place. In a world torn by division and hatred, any religion that adds to the divisions or fuels the hatred is part of the problem rather than the solution.
But would the elimination of religion make the world a safer place? a more tolerant place? History offers a resounding no to both questions. The architects of the French Revolution and Russian Communism both saw the intolerance of the "Christian" West and sought to solve the problem by eliminating the Christian faith. But reaction against religion tends to create a new exclusion that breeds more violence in the future ("We have to stop those narrow-minded people"). To paraphrase the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: "The line between good and evil does not run between 'us' and 'them' but through the heart of every human being."
I believe that in a terrified world we don't need less faith but better faith. We don't need less spiritual guidance--we require better spiritual guidance. Instead of "no sacred texts" we could start with a lot more humility in how we handle the Bible. The very greatness of God envisioned in the bible warns us against the tendency to think we have gained absolute clarity in our understanding of Him.
Lord, open my eyes and my heart to the limitations in my understanding of You.
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