Told to stay away from Revelations

[StephenBales]

As a Protestant, in my old Baptist Church, my youth pastor actually told me not to read Revelation. Now, I am not maligning my old youth pastor; he’s a great man and a man of God. And he didn’t tell me this to say that this book was verboten, he was saying this more as someone would warn a friend away from a book on string theory, because it was so confusing. He said the even he was utterly bewildered by it, and he’s gone to start a church plant! But I think I know why it was so confusing to he and I both. As I’ve been watching (sorta) old speeches from Dr. Scott Hahn, Steven Ray and others, they’ve outlined how a lot of Revelation shows Marian typology. Reading through Baptist glasses, of course you can probably see how this would be odd, and unknown to us.

There’s no real question here which I need solved (and perhaps this is the wrong section, then?), but I’m curious: any other ex-Protestants, were you ever steered away from the book of Revelation?

 

[spockrates]

So, I believe there’s a great deal on conjecture about Revelations, which runs the gamut from it’s a book of events that have already occurred in the past, to a book that predicts things to come, to a book that has no such ties to history or future events. This would be a difficult book for some pastors to teach, for if they say it describes the past, they might offend those who believe it predicts the future, and if they teach it gives us predictive prophecy of things yet to come, those who believe it’s merely history will think the pastors have gone off the deep end!

One thing is certain: The author St. John writes in the book that it will be a blessing to those who read it, which I suppose is itself a mystery, as it’s difficult to discern it’s intended meaning. Perhaps the blessing is in giving the one who reads it a desire to compare it with other scripture passages in an attempt to discover what the Holy Spirit wants the reader to know? That’s a good thing! Right?

 

[SnowRose]

I recognize something similar from my confirmation studies as a teen, and I’m high church Lutheran.
Not being taught to actively avoid it, but not something to be approached without contemplation and due study. My priest - as I interpreted it - was more trying to veer us away from supernatural fringe beliefs, more than saying Revelations aren’t important. But we didn’t have a fear of Mary, I think she was just suggesting it was seminarian or devout laity stuff, not really kiddie readings.

 

[JanetF]

Maybe just because it’s so very hard to understand? Lot’s of I believe, allegories?

 

[SnowRose]

Agree, that’s a good summary.

 

[CelticWarlord]

Here’s one semi-Protestant whose old church practically lived by the Book of Revelation. I no longer pay it much attention and go by a small RC booklet, ‘Getting to Know the Book of Revelation’ by Father Scott Lewis, S.J… In it he says that although the book is filled with vibrant imagery, it is speaking of events which have already happened and should not be used to “predict the future” as so many of my dear Protestant friends do.

 

[Bon_Croix]

Off topic… Much of revelation is about the Mass.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I grew up in a different stripe of Protestantism. We were die-hard dispensationalists, we cut our teeth on Revelations and could rattle off the 7 Seals the way a Confirmation Student can rattle off the 7 Sacraments

 

[CelticWarlord]

We were die-hard dispensationalists

Hi Little Lady,

I’m curious to know if you are familiar with the chart below. There is an older tv program on at 3am where I live called The Divine Plan which uses it. I see this show once a week when I’m up particularly early for work. To me the chart is incomprehensible.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[TheLittleLady]

I could do a big long lecture on that chart and draw some others based on various interpretations

You can read the explain of this chart (understanding that it is made up gobbeldy gook) http://www.blessedbible.com/linked/explanationofchartreturn.pdf

I’d suggest David Currie’s book “Rapture” to get a good understanding of the topic!

 

[somecanadian]

Nope. Haha.

So my journey is an odd one. I was agnostic but about a year or two before I became Catholic I felt a strong desire to find God again. So I started attending services at random churches (even ended up in a Mormon church once - with bright pink mohawk hair… they didn’t like me), and attending pretty much any bible study I could find. I was cocky, arrogant and thought I KNEW the Bible already but I also felt this deep burning desire for God.

Anyway.

The one year I ended up going to four different Bible studies, in four different Protestant churches (non-denom, Pentecostal, Baptist and evangelical) and every last one was on the subject of Revelation. LOL. What a year that was…

 

[CelticWarlord]

I’ll skip the book, but thanks for the info. I watch the show because the presenter is a very kindly old fellow whose manner calms my mind before leaving for work. I’ll be interested to check out the link to the chart, though, as I have made no headway in making sense of it, such sense as there is to be found at least.