/lit/ - Literature

Had always held the premillennial view as that was what I was introduced to in my early Christian years. This book was a refreshing perspective with excellent cross-walk references between NT to OT, which gave strength to the maxim that scripture interprets scripture. As my first in-depth look at amillennialism, I found Riddlebarger's book compelling. One thought occurred to me: How would those receiving Revelation from John in the first century have understood it? There could also be the tendency to perceive chapters 4 - 22 of Revelation as little more than a bolt-on, eschatological freebie provided to, but not really applicable to, first century Christians. This book dispels that erroneous notion quickly. As I pondered some of the symbolism, the thought also occurred to me that we can be so focused and preoccupied looking for a literal view of, say, the "mark of the beast," that we may miss the more subtle fulfillment by what we allow ourselves to do (right hand?) and believe (forehead?). Like the churches in Rev chapters 2 and 3, believers today are susceptible to the draw of the antichrist culture in which we live; to compromise our christian walk by embracing many views of the antichrist world. Having done so, many have become willingly "marked" inside, such that if/when a literal "mark" should come, many will find no good reason to reject it. But if the "mark" is not literal but actually only symbolic, could it be that many, through their compromise, have already willingly received it in their heart? Every generation of the church has lived in an antichrist world in one form or another - so we always need to be diligent, careful and centered on God's word. Overall, this book was a great read and I highly recommend it, especially for those who have long held other perspectives.