It never ceases to amaze me how people can take our Book, the Bible, and distort it so much. This is another example of men foisting their rationalities onto the Catholic Scriptures. So, like Nicodemus, you unfortunately don’t understand being “born again” either.
Being “born again” is Baptism by water and the Spirit. This is what Christ established and has been passed down via Traditional Christianity. I was “born again” as an infant. Anyone Baptized has been “born again.” All salvation is related to Baptism and the Eucharist. These same people will not understand the Eucharist, and so do not understand salvation.
Neither do you understand that Christ already reigns, on His Throne in Heaven. There will be no 1,000 year reign on earth, as some falsely claim. The 1,000 years was never meant to be take literally, and in fact, this period is already in effect. The 1,000 year reign and the terrible twisting of Revelation is something hucksters sell those unfortunate enough not to know the truth. The “Left Behind” books should be left behind, as they’re really distortions. The end that was coming was Christ’s judgment on Israel and Jerusalem that was the harlot city defiling itself, and the temple was destroyed and the OT priesthood was abolished. We have the New Covenant, and so Judaism had been fulfilled and all of God’s family now belongs in the New Covenant Church. The Jews understood that the temple was a model of the world, and so this also prefigures the end of the world.
The Kingdom is here, on Earth. God’s Church is His Kingdom for His New Covenant family on Earth. There is also the Church Suffering in Purgatory and the Church Triumphant in Heaven. The New Covenant Church is the rebuilt Davidic Kingdom. Christ is the King. Like the OT, when the King was going away, he put the Prime Minister in charge. Christ left His Prime Minister in charge of His Earthly Kingdom, the Church. The first Prime Minister was Peter, and the successor of Peter is the current holder of the office of Prime Minister. Where Peter is, there is the Church.
Thank you for your thoughts (I wish you had been more civil, though). First of all, it never ceases to amaze me too, how people can claim the Bible to be their Book yet have very little knowledge and understanding of what is written there. Furthermore, it never ceases to amaze me how people can claim the Bible to be the Word of God, yet do not believe what is clearly revealed there.
Let me now address the accusations you raised against me. You accuse me of terribly twisting Revelation because according to you there is no 1,000-year reign of Christ. Let’s look at what Revelation says.
“And I saw thrones… and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and
they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4).
Does that say Christ will reign a thousand years? Read again the letters in bold: “…
they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
Now, John says what he wrote was, “
The Revelation of Jesus Christ” – yes, you read that right – The revelation of Jesus Himself, not John’s – “
which God gave unto him” – the revelation really came from God the Father, given to Jesus to be given to John. And for what purpose? Read it: “…
to show unto his servants things that must shortly come to pass…” (John 1:1).
Yes, this revelation is something that must come to pass, so says the Lord. Do I believe that it will come to pass? Oh yes, I do, because I believe in the words of Jesus. But somehow you don’t. And because of that unbelief you try to explain away Christ’s Revelation by implying that these are only metaphors and should not be taken at its face value. Who is now twisting Revelation? Is it me, who has taken God’s revelation to mean what it plainly says? Or is it you, who have put a different meaning – a TWIST – to it?
In distorting God’s revelation, you contradicted yourself pretty badly. You said: “
There will be no 1,000-year reign on earth, as some falsely claim.” But in your very next breath, you said: “…
this period is already in effect.” Now, how could there be no 1,000-year reign when this period is already in effect? Then you said it “was never meant to be taken literally.” Yet you believe that it is already in effect!? Is that not taking it literally?
These contradictory statements have made all your other pronouncements suspect. And with no supporting Scripture to back up your claims, I am sorry to say that it is difficult indeed to believe that you have the truth.
Let’s now examine your claim that the Kingdom is already here – that Christ has already started His 1,000-year reign. My first question is this: When did this happen? If you believe it has already started, you must have some idea as to when it began. Do you?
Second, we read in Revelation 20:2 that Satan will be bound during this 1,000-year period. If that is so, then Satan is bound now and had been bound since the 1,000-year reign started. So, my next question is this: Why is the world still full of evil, lies and deception when Satan has already been bound?
Finally, Rev. 20:5 speaks of a “first resurrection” that will happen immediately preceding the 1,000-year reign. It says those who will be part of that resurrection will rule with Christ. Has this resurrection already occurred? Who were part of this resurrection and who are “the rest of the dead” who “lived not again until the thousand years were finished”? And why has your church not taught anything about a first and a second resurrection?
L 16,402-403.
