Haiku Inspirations by Tom Lowenstein with Victoria James

This New Year's I went to the Gulf Coast to visit my parents and sister's family.  Needless to say we spent a lot of time on the beautiful beaches of Destin and Grayton Beach.  What can I say?  Miles of blinding white sand, sand pipers, sea gulls...no one but us because of the cold season-except a few crazy northerners braving the frigid water.  In the winter the sun takes an hour to set on the horizon and the colors are so brilliant.


I always like to go to Barnes and Noble afterward, which is on the way back home.

 
We arrive at the store. Derek, my son immediately loses himself in the aisle of graphic novels.  After I look at the bargain books, I treat my mother and myself to coffee where we visit.  This is our tradition every time I come home.  I tell her as I tell myself that, other than the half price Christmas cards, I'm not buying anything.  Nothing.  Nada.  I don't need any more books.  My mother laughed and sipped her coffee.  She knows me too well.

I almost made it.  I almost spent a pleasant couple of hours in a bookstore without buying any books. We were walking towards the exit when I saw it.   A beautiful hardback about one of my favorite forms of poetry:  Haiku Inspirations by Tom Lowenstein and Victoria James.  I left the store with it  (and a  hardback of Robert Frost's poems, but that's another post.)

On the way back to Texas I let Derek drive so I could read my treasure.  Even when we stopped at a Denny's for dinner, I brought the book in to read.  Haiku: Inspirations was even more than I originally thought it was.  Yes it is a book of Haiku but it contains even more.

 Lowenstein and  James divide into brief chapters the history of Haiku, the original authors of Haiku, and their different styles, the Buddhist and Shinto beliefs that inspired the art form, and the different reigning families  that supported and developed art and literature in Japan.

 From the Tale of Genji: Court Life

They also give a concise history of Japan, from their Chinese influences to where they eventually broke out into their own uniquely Japanese style.  We learn about Society and Court life, the symbols and different beliefs such as Zen, Koans, about suffering, transience pilgrimage and how these different beliefs affect Haiku writing.

They describe the development of arts and culture such as calligraphy, ink painting, Japanese gardens, tea ceremony and music, dance and theater.  
 


The chapters are accompanied by paintings and photos of Japan as well as Haiku.  The introduction gives a brief description of the structure and form.  For instance, Haiku can only use "essential words" and 17 syllables.  Classic haiku is three line long, with 5-7-5 "syllables".  Of course, some of the structure will necessarily be lost when Japanese is translated into English.  


 
Another attribute is "kigo".  This means "season word" which "suggests the mood and atmosphere governing the poem."    Sometimes the name of the season is included in the Haiku, other times it is implied when a seasonal attribute is mentioned, such as a flower that only blooms in summer or the rainy season, implying spring etc.



Here are a couple of samples:

Hazy morning:

as in a painting of a dream

the people passing.

Buson

Moon behind the grasses.

Wind blows through.

The cry of a cuckoo.

Shiki

Come to me:

let's play

little sparrow orphan!

Issa

The book is a delight both to the eyes with the paintings and photos and the ears and mind with its descriptions of Japanese history and culture and, of course, the Haiku which includes authors from different philosophies and time periods.

My Life Without God by William J. Murray

     I got this book because I am deeply interested in how someone arrives at their personal beliefs and deeply held convictions.  I had read somewhere that the famous atheist, Madeline Murray O’Hair’s son had become a Christian so when I learned of this book I wanted to read his story.  In a nutshell, let’s just call it a crazy trip.

     Before I review this book I want to make clear that I am not trying to prove any points about atheists or Christians.  There are plenty of nice atheists in the world and more than a few nasty Christians.  This needs to be understood before anyone reads this post so they don’t arrive at the conclusion that I’m saying, “See what a monster Madeline Murray O’Hair was?  Atheists are all horrible people!” 

   As I said, I wanted to read one man’s journey from atheism to Christianity.  What was his starting point?  Why did he believe what he believed?  What happened to change his views?  Where is he now?

    Through this process we learn a good deal about the person who initially influenced Bill Murray’s world view and beliefs.  That would be his mother Madeline.

   Madeline had Bill while serving in the Woman’s Auxiliary Corps during WWII.  The father, William Murray, was an officer and not the man she was married to.  Her husband J. Roths agreed to stay married to Madeline and adopt Bill as his son.

    Madeline refused to do this and chased down Murray Sr and did everything in her power to get him to divorce his wife and marry her.  This he never did but she named her son after him anyway. She also changed her last name to Murray even though they never married (she added "O'Hair later after she married Richard O'Hair).  Bill Jr. met his biological dad only once in his life.

    Madeline later had another son out of wedlock.  She often told Bill that his half brother Garth’s father would have married her but only if she got rid of Bill.  “I would never do that, Bill.  I love you.”

     This sounds noble, but in fact it was Madeline’s way of inflicting guilt on her oldest son.  This was a tool she used a lot with him and everyone else connected with her. 

     Life in the Murray household was filled with constant fighting and tension.  The T.V. was always on and the volume set at the loudest setting.  People screamed at each other over it.  Bill’s grandparents and Uncle all lived in this house together with him and his mother and half brother.   

     He remembers that as a baby, his brother was only touched when picked up to be fed.  Otherwise he was kept in his crib.  To get attention baby Garth would hit his head against the bars of his crib. 

     Madeline was as uninvolved with his own life. He didn’t even know she was his mother, even though they lived in the same house.  He referred to her as “Madeline” until he was eight when she informed him that she was his mother and should be called, “mom”.

    And that was the house Bill grew up in.  Loud noise, fighting, and a baby hitting his head against the crib.  No peace.

  

       Madeline and her father constantly fought and at times, Madeline could get violent, hurling plates and knives at her father.  She seemed to have a maniacal hatred against him.  She even studied ways to murder him so it would look like a heart attack.  But instead of doing it herself, she urged young Bill to do it.  This was while he was still in middle school.  “If you loved me, you’d do it,” was her constant harangue. 

  The point became moot.  Worn down by the incessant harassment and fighting.  Madeline’s father finally had a heart attack on his own and died.  At first Madeline was crass about it, “Get the cheapest coffin.”

    Later she became consumed with guilt.  For the rest of her life she would visit his grave and talk to him.  She also became involved in séances and the occult, which is ironic for an atheist.

    Madeline was deeply involved in the Communist party of America.  She was head of the local chapter.  She tried to become a Soviet citizen, even moving her family to Paris to obtain a Visa but was turned down.  Later she tried to become a Cuban citizen but was refused that as well.

   One morning she arrived at Bill’s school to pick him up.  She heard the class recite the pledge of allegiance.  She asked her son, “Do they always do this?”

    He replied in the affirmative.  When she discovered that they also prayed and read the Bible she became enraged.

   The rest is history.  Bill relates the incident from his own point of view.  When Madeline complained to the head of the school, they removed Bill from the class during prayer and Bible reading but she told Bill to sneak in.  She wanted her case to be based on the fact they were forcing her son to be subject to prayer and Bible reading.  She made him keep a daily log of every time they mentioned God or anything religious.  When she read the textbooks she became elated.

   “They teach as if the Bible stories were fact.  We can sue them for this as well.”

    Madeline had boundless energy.  She called every newspaper and TV station.  She got plenty of media attention.  And then the financial support came rolling in.  She had found her mission.

    And Bill?  He got to be the object of taunts, shunning and bullying.  His life became hell. He finally had to change schools.

    The rest of the book is an interesting study of how someone can purport to be for a cause (as in Madeline’s case to eject religion out of the public arena) and really not care at all about that cause.  What did Madeline care about?

    Herself.  Her own glory.  Receiving nationwide attention.  And making lots and lots of money.

     People from all over wrote her letters of support enclosing checks for huge amounts of money.  People bequeathed their estates to her.  She had apparently touched a raw nerve with a certain segment of society and they wanted her to succeed. Years later, when Bill was a part of her American Atheists Association he wrote these same people asking them to join him in creating positive change in the name of atheism, such as creating atheist chairs in universities or hospitals.  The response was vile, to say the least.  Apparently Madeline’s supporters weren’t interested in producing anything positive but seemed to be a bunch of malcontents whose only interest was in tearing down religion.

   Madeline Murray O’Hare is an interesting study in someone who, in my opinion, had to suffer from some kind of narcisstic personality disorder.  She had limitless amounts of energy, rage and hatred. It’s possible that she was sexually abused.  Bill mentions that in his mother’s office at her atheist headquarters, she had hundreds of figurines of animals copulating.  They covered her bookshelves and desk.

    She never stopped trying to figure out ways to keep herself in the public eye.  Her main tactic was to sue religious figures.  She sued everyone from Billy Graham to the Pope.

    By this time O’Hare’s outrageous antics had outlived their usefulness and she was starting to become irrelevant to most Americans.  She still had her supporters but they were dwindling.

     And what did Bill do after he served his purpose?  He supported his mom for a while but mainly he wanted to get out of her clutches and away from the stigma of being her son.  His own life journey was a head long tumble into alcohol and drug abuse.

    He doesn’t white wash his own self absorption or how he used people for his own gratification.  This was primarily through getting women pregnant.  His first wife, he married for this reason, at the age of nineteen.  The marriage didn’t last and he eventually handed the raising of his daughter, Robin, to his mother.  He knew it was the wrong thing to do, but didn’t want to be saddled with raising the toddler himself.

      Years later, when Robin was still a young girl, his brother, Garth, who was twelve at this time, pleaded with Bill to take them away from his mother.  Bill knew the situation was bad with heavy fighting, alcoholism and abuse rampant in his mother’s home but his own interests were more important to him. 

    Later, when his daughter was a teenager he tried to reestablish a relationship with her but it was too late.  She wanted nothing to do with him.  He writes all this with remorse because both Robin and Garth eventually became partners with Madeline in her American Atheists Association.

     The rest of the book describes Bill meandering from one job to another combined with sleeping around and abusing drugs.  His turning point came when he got a job at an airline with a man, Tom, who reminded him of his mother.  This man purposefully flew planes that were substandard.  Twice this cost the lives of a plane full of people.

     Bill knew why these lives were lost but because Tom was wealthy and had connections no investigation was ever held. 

    By this time, Bill was going to Alcoholics Anonymous and trying to follow the twelve-step program.  Part of this is relying on God.

    God?  Does He even exist?  Bill was pondering this while driving home from the airport, right after a close friend was killed in a plane wreck he knew could have been prevented.  He had a flash:

       “Tom ran Universal Airways the way my mother ran the Society of Separationists.  Whatever doubts I may have had that there was distinct evil in the world were snuffed out by Tom Evans....

       I was not a model of virtue, of course, and now had a very serious problem with alcohol.  I drank with Tom, and one night after he chugged a pint of brandy, he tried to molest one of the girls who worked with Val (his then wife).  Because of the amount of money Tom paid me, I looked the other way.  I hated him for what he did, and I hated myself for letting him get away with it.

     One day, while driving home from work, the truth struck me.  I thought, 'There has to be a God because there certainly is a devil.  I have met him, talked to him, and touched him.  He is the personification of evil.  I’ve seen him in the lives of people I’ve known.'" (pg. 285)

     This was the turning point for Bill Murray.  He didn’t have a sudden, irreversible leap into virtue, but it was a slow steady climb. 

      “Within days my life and attitudes began to change...I no longer intensely hated my mother.  Now I really wanted to be able to love her, whereas before I had only wanted revenge.  I began to see my mother for what she truly was, a sinner, just like me...

    ...The only thing in my mind that was left undone was to apologize.  I wanted to apologize to Susan (first wife) and Robin, to Valerie and Jade (second wife and daughter).   I wanted to apologize to my country for robbing a part of its heritage of righteousness by participating in the prayer and Bible reading case...”

  Twenty years after the prayer case Bill wrote two letters of apology.  One was to the newspaper in Austin, asking the people of that community of forgive him for helping to build the American Atheist Center in their city.  The second was to the people of Baltimore where the prayer case took place.  He quotes his letter to the Baltimore paper in full in his book.

 

Today he heads many ministries, concentrating on working with people in former Soviet countries. He has many interesting insights on the former Soviet Union.  He contends that the Soviet Union was never a world power but a third world nation with a big army.  He said the strongest currency in circulation there was the U.S. dollar.  Ironically he is allowed to talk about Jesus Christ in public schools, public parks and other venues in Russia and the former satellite countries, something his mother’s lawsuit prevents him from doing in his own country.

     When his mother was asked on TV what she thought about her son’s conversion she replied that she had a “post natal abortion” and had nothing more to do with him.

     He ends his book by sadly stating:

     “I have not seen my daughter Robin for more than a decade.  Like my mother she refuses to speak with me.  Like my mother and brother she has tremendous wealth which has been created from donations for the atheist cause.  The three of them live together, work together, take all their meals together, and vacation together.  They see nothing outside their own little family unit.  The lives of my brother Garth and my daughter Robin are dedicated to the survival and worship of my mother.”

   This book was published in 1992.  Little did Bill or his estranged family know of the horror that awaited them just a couple of years later.

     This is not in the book but for those of you who don’t know, Madeline Murray O’Hair, her son, Garth and granddaughter, Robin disappeared in 1995.  Their bodies were found on a Texas ranch a year later.  They had apparently been tortured to death and their bodies dismembered.  A former employee and two accomplices were charged with the crime.

     And that is the story of William J. Murray.  The book is a worthwhile read for those interested in the life of the son of one of the most controversial characters in American history and also learning the life story of that controversial character.

I got this book for free at www.paperbackswap.com

$7.69 on Kindle

Related links:

My Life Without God book reviews on amazon.com

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/mbb209_kathy_reichs/1_index.html

   

       

The Triumph of Truth: A Life of Martin Luther by Jean Henri Merle D’Aubigne (translated from the French by Henry White)

This book is valuable to read, not only because it chronicles the life of the founder of the Reformation but because the author wrote it in the 18^th century. Consequently the style is quaint but eloquent.

Martin Luther is D’Aubigne’s hero. This is made clear from the get go by his almost fawning descriptions of Martin Luther, omitting any faults or negative attributes and his demonizing of the Roman Catholic Church. D’Aubigne’s opinions were not fettered by the narrow confines of political correctness or “cultural sensitivity” writers today feel obligated to conform to.

On the one hand it’s refreshing to know exactly where someone stands on a subject without having to read between the lines. On the other hand a certain amount of credibility is lost when it’s so obvious where the author’s prejudices lie.

On yet the other hand, it’s not as though today’s writers don’t write from a specific bias, we’ve simply had to become more clever at looking even handed. And besides, it’s not the bias that discredits a person’s viewpoint but whether the bias is a valid one or not.

But I digress.

Having said all that, I found D’Aubigne’s biography to be beautifully written, if stylistically dated, and highly informative of a man who has recently begun to fascinate me as I have become interested in more liturgical forms of worship. I’ve recently finished reading Luther’s Small Catechism, which is as solid an exegetical thesis on Christianity as I’ve ever read, not to mention his Ninety-nine theses and another book called “The Lutheran Difference.” All of these books break down in specific points what exactly it means to be a Christian and what precisely do we believe when we say we are a Christian.

Only a man as robust as Martin Luther could have had the gumption to take on the Roman Catholic Church. For those who aren’t familiar with Luther or the Reformation, the can of worms that Luther opened is that he translated the Bible into vernacular German. For over a thousand years, the Bible had been in Latin, the Church service had been held in Latin (and was until the 1960’s), a language that people, except an elite few (priests, scribes, etc.) no longer understood. (Ironically, the reason St. Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin Vulgate in the 4^th century was that it was the language of the masses.)

Now, for the first time in Germany, the average citizen could read the Bible for himself, in his own heart language. This created complications, because people could compare the mandates of the Holy Roman See to what Scripture actually said and see if they were compatible.

It turned out that not all of it was. There is no mention of purgatory in the Bible. Or a paying for pardons, or praying for the dead, or a works-based salvation. Or anything remotely implying that a man could be an infallible Pope who had the authority to forgive sins and have power over people. In Luther’s Ninety-nine theses, he demands of the Pope that if he did have that authority, why did poor people have to pay exhorbant prices to receive salvation? Why didn’t the Pope give salvation away freely?

Needless to say, the Roman Church, did not take any of these challenges lying down. Luther had to go into hiding for a while but the can of Worms (pun intended-Worms is the city where Luther nailed his Ninety-nine theses) had been opened and the Holy Roman See to this day blames Luther for fracturing Christians into contentious groups.

It is true that different denominations got off to rocky starts and bloody wars were fought as a result. The wars didn’t go on forever, however, and frankly, another way to look at it is realizing that instead of blindly following one man who claimed to have sole authority given to him by heaven, every individual could now think for himself. He or she could read scripture for him or herself and commune directly to God without going through a human mediator.

One could argue that this also ushered in the “Enlightenment” era where people decided to reject God altogether. That may be, but I believe that people who reject God will do so regardless of whether they belong to a church or not. Compulsory church membership saves no one.

Martin Luther, a monk who had once been plagued by guilt because he realized all his good works could never save him, realized it is by grace alone a man can be saved.

The main difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is that Catholics believe that good works are instrumental in producing salvation (along with taking the Eucharist) and Protestants believe that salvation is by God’s good will alone and afterwards produces good works. That’s an oversimplification, but still the bare bones truth.

Luther lived long and had a wife and children but his last days were very sickly and it’s possible he became mentally disturbed. He was a turbulent, fiery and at times, highly antagonistic individual, but you won’t hear about any of that in D’Aubigne’s account. However, in a future review I’m going to discuss Table Talk, a collection of Luther’s actual sayings. Reading his quotes, one can see why many people-not only the Catholic Church- could become offended at his inflammatory language.

Even Hitler used some of his quotes to incite anti-Semiticism in the thirties and forties.

Many of these quotes were taken out of context and also were said when he was extremely ill. Still, I won’t justify his words.

Luther was a sinner saved by grace. If you don’t believe in sin, then don’t judge him.

As an aside, Luther’s translation of the Bible not only helped set off the Protestant Reformation but it also codified the German language and united the Germanic speaking peoples.

If you’re interested in the life of one of the major movers and shakers of the Western world, D’Aubigne’s biography would be a good (but shouldn’t be the only one) source to start.

I bought this book.

The Book of Daniel by Clarence Larkin

Clarence Larkin (1850-1924) is best known for his copious dispensational diagrams and charts on a host of theological subjects. His The Greatest Book on Dispensational Truth in the World sits on bookshelves far and wide. Much truth is contained therein. In the quote below, the "some books that fell into his hands" were books written by the original Plymouth Brethren.  (From the With Christ web site)

    

 This is part of the series of books I’ve been reviewing about end times.  In addition to Revelation, the book of Daniel is one of the most important books of the Bible that prophecy about world events.  Many of the prophecies have already come to pass as history has verified.  Today Christians examine this book to make sense of what is happening in our world today and where it is leading.

     Rev. Larkin takes the reader through each chapter in the book of Daniel and their meaning as it pertains to Daniel's time as well as its relevance to us. His book is divided into ten chapters.  Chapter one describes the beginning of Gentile dominion.  This started when Israel was taken away into captivity into Babylon.  Daniel was one of the young men that was taken away.  He and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego so impressed the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, that they become high officials and advisors to him.

    Chapter 2 records Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation. For those not familiar with the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a giant image.  This image was of a man.  The man’s head was made of gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron and his feet were part iron and clay. A stone hits the image and it breaks up into pieces.

 Daniel informs Nebuchadnezzar that this image represented the different powers that were going to succeed each other.   (For those not familiar with the scripture, go here.) Rev. Larkin breaks down each part of the body

Much of the dream has already transpired as historical events show.  Here is the breakdown:

1.  The Head of the Image:  The Babylonian Empire

2.   The Arms and Breast:  The Medo-Persian empire.

3.  The Abdomen:  The Greek empire.

4.  The Legs:  The Roman empire.

5.  The Feet and Toes:  Powers that are still to come.

6.  The Stone:  The Millennial Kingdom of Christ  (And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:  and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand Forever.  (Daniel 2:44)

Chapter 3 is about the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar erected for everyone to worship.  Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse and are thrown into the fire.  Their response to the king is one of my favorite passages of scripture:

    Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If it be so, Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King, but even if He does not, be it known unto you, O King, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up." (Daniel 3;18)

    And, as we know, God does deliver them and Daniel records:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."

He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods."  Daniel 3:25

  The 4, 5, and 6^th chapters form the rest of the historical part of Daniel and include the Tree Dream, the Fall of Babylon and the Lion’s Den.  The final chapters analyze Daniel’s visions and how they pertain to the future and our modern day.  He explains the meaning of the Four Wild Beasts, the Ram and the He Goat, the Seventy Weeks and the Scripture of Truth.  

    He also includes charts with time lines.  It’s important to note that Rev. Larkin takes a dispensationalist point of view when evaluating these scriptures.  So he interprets the Great Tribulation as a time that is still coming to the earth.  He also believes in a thousand year reign of peace following the return of Jesus Christ.

     He writes about the regathering of Jews to the nation of Israel. He calls this a “National Resurrection”.   He quotes Jeremiah 16:14-15 and Ezekial 37:11,12.  and explains that  the “dry bones” coming back to life are Israel becoming a nation again.  What’s exciting about this is that Larkin wrote his book in 1919.  It hadn’t even happened at the time of his writing.  Little did he know it was just around the corner!

  I found this book to be eloquently written and scripture lucidly explained.  If you weren’t excited about Christ’s coming before, you should be after Rev. Larkin explains the book of Daniel to you.

 

Additional links:

The Second Coming by John Macarthur

The False Prophet by Ellis Skolfield

The Harbinger by Johnathon Cahn

The Apocalypse Code by Hank Hanegraaff

Revelation: Four Views

http://www.gotquestions.org/tribulation.html

More information about Clarence Larkin:

Larkin Bookstore

http://www.biblebelievers.com/larkin/larkin_rightly-dividing.html

 

   

Revelation Four Views A Parallel Commentary ed. by Steve Gregg

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins by William Blake (1822)

    This is the latest book I’ve finished about the book of Revelation and the end times.  I’ve heard so much about different view points I was glad to come across a book that categorizes and defines each view point.  This book takes the entire book of Revelation and outlines each verse and step by step gives each view’s interpretation of that piece of scripture.

     Before delving into the actual book of Revelation, the editor gives a historical background, the years  people believe  the book was written,  and why John the Apostle is the author.  He also analyzes its structure as to how the different prophecies were grouped and the order in which they were revealed.

   The next section describes each end time interpretation.

       The four viewpoints included  are:  Historicist, Preterist, Futurist, and Spiritual Approach

Historicist View:  Revelation surveys the whole of church history.   It aligns specific historic events with certain details in Revelation.

     Those who teach this approach today are rare but Gregg includes it in this volume because it survives today in most of the classic commentaries of the past centuries.  Historicists of the past include:  John Wycliffe, John Knox, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Foxe, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and C.H. Spurgeon.

      Historicists believe that God revealed the entire church age in advance through the symbolic visions of the apocalypse.  For example, the breaking of the seven seals (chap 6-7) is often said to be the barbarian invasions that sacked the Western Roman Empire.  The Scorpion/locusts that come out of the bottomless pit (ch 9) are the Arab hordes attacking the eastern Roman Empire.  “The beast” (ch. 13) represents the Roman papacy.  (From the Introduction.)

Preterist Approach:  fulfillment is in the past, shortly after the time of writing.  There are two types of Preterism.

   The first type of Preterists are also called Contemporary-Historical.  They are also called hyper or full Preterists- and are not Preterists in the evangelical sense.  They believe that contemporary elements of John’s own day can be identified in the symbolic language he uses.  They do not believe in any actual fulfillment in ensuing events of the things prophesied in the Apocalypse.  They believe the date of writing to be during the Roman Emperor Domitian’s reign (A.D. 95-96).

 In contrast, Classical Preterism believes in the infallibility of Scripture and dates the Book of Revelation prior to A.D. 70.  Classical Preterists-also known as partial Preterists- point out many details in Revelation that they believe were fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem, and see in later chapters the prediction of the fall of Rome and beyond to the second coming of Christ. 

   Another point favorable to the early-date Preterist approach is that the prophecies of Revelation exhibit many points of correspondence with the fall of Jerusalem as recorded by the eyewitness historian Flavius Josephus.  Since Josephus was not a Christian and probably never  read the book of Revelation, these correspondences seem to bolster the credibility of this interpretation. 

The Futurist approach:  Everything after chapter three awaits fulfillment in the future.

   The futurist approach is primarily a literal interpretation of Scripture.  Most futurists believe in a dispensationalist point of view.  They believe a world leader will arise, seeming to bring peace but will eventually turn out to be a world oppressor.  He will seem to help the Jews rebuild the temple but will then set himself up as the object of worship (the Abomination of Desolation who sits on the throne).

    He will demand that everyone comply and worship him and carry his mark on his arm or forehead.  Those that don’t won’t be able to keep jobs or buy or sell anything, including food.  There will be a seven years’ tribulation followed by the return of Christ where He will destroy this antichrist Beast and will Himself reign from Jerusalem for one thousand years with all the believers.

    At the end there will be one final battle with the enemies of God before they (the enemies) are completely destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire, along with Hell and death. (Revelation 20:14)

Spiritualist:  No single fulfillment: only transcendent principles and recurrent themes. 

     Spritiual appraoch includes all approaches that do not look for individual fullfillments of the prophecies of Revelation but which believe only that spiritual lessons and principles are depicted sympbolically in the visions.   There are many spiritualists who hold Scripture to be inspired and that John had visions revealed to him exactly as he claims, but who believe that their meaning is to be spiritually understood in a way that would be edifying to believers of any age.

To give one example of the four different approaches I’ll write out one excerpt of Revelation followed by the different viewpoints.  The following are all direct quotes from pg.202-207:

Revelation 10:1-4 

       I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud.  And a rainbow was on his head; his face was like this sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.  He had a little book open in his hand.  And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.  When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.  Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up he things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.

Historicist:  After Rome fell to the barbarians in 476, as signified in the first four seals, the power of the papacy arose in its place in Western Europe.  The peoples and the system that sustained their authority became incredibly corrupt.  In fact, they became antichrist, the principal opponent of the pure faith of Christ in Europe.

   The rise of the papacy has not been mentioned in Revelation until this point.  The fall of the eastern empire in the sixth trumpet now turns our attention back to developments in the west.  The prophecies of chapters 10 and 11:1-5 are about the Reformation period in the early 16^th century. This follows naturally the identification of the second woe with the fall of the Byzantine (Greek) Empire in 1453. 

Preterist:   This mighty angel is, no doubt, Jesus Himself.  His face shining like the sun is a feature mentioned in the vision of the first chapter.  The rainbow, which is now on his head, was seen around the throne of God in revelation.  The second prophecy, contained in chapters 13-19 concerns the fall of Rome, as the first was concerned with the fall of Jerusalem. The things uttered by the seven thunders could have been too horrible to record or it could have been for John’s ears only.

Futurist: The descending angel is thought to be by some Christ Himself, The little book in the angels hand is interpreted as representing the authority given to the angel to fulfill his mission.   The sealing up of the prophecy illustrates a divine principle that while God has revealed much, there are secrets which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time. 

Spiritual:  The mighty angel who appears here is either Christ Himself or a special envoy of Christ bearing a striking resemblance to him.  This angel has a message for the whole world, indicated by his having a foot on the land and a foot on the sea...the seven thunders represents the voice of the Lord.  The sealing of the seven thunders, leaving them unwritten, suggest that the whole counsel of God has not been revealed or that never shall we be able to know and to describe all the factors and agencies that determine the future.

  

I’m someone who likes to be clear on different positions and I found this book fascinating, not the least of which of how I could see the different viewpoints not necessarily contradicting each other but rather complementing different aspects.  I could see how scripture could apply to the people of John’s time period but also how they apply to us today.  I saw how certain things could be taken as meaning certain epochs in history as well as historical figures but also how it could mean actual times in the future as well as spiritual principals that could be applied everyday.

   I don’t know why God wrote Revelation the way He did but one thing I do know:  how we should live our lives and be prepared to watch the signs and times is very clear.  Like the wise virgins, we better have enough oil in our lamps to keep them burning.  (Matthew 25:1-13)

Further links:

The Second Coming by John MacArthur

The False Prophet by Ellis Skofield

The Harbinger by Johnathon Cahn

The Apocalypse Code by Hank Hanegraaff

What is the abomination of desolation

The Mormonizing of America by Stephen Mansfield

 In his book The Mormonizng of America, Stephen Mansfield mixes history with real life antecdotes to help his readers get inside the head of today's Mormon. He attempts to objectively present how the average person views Mormons verses how they see themselves.

To the average non Morman, Mormans are cult followers who believe they are going to one day be gods, each populating their own planet. And they wear “magic underwear” they can never take off.

If you watched (and enjoyed) the Broadway show, The Book of Mormon, you probably think they're a bunch of idiots. For that matter, if you're the sort of person to like a show like The Book of Mormon, you probably feel smugly affirmed in your  atheistic belief that all religious people are idiots.

How do Mormons view themselves?

For one, they believe in premortality. This means that they and the family they will belong to- the spouse they will marry, the children they will have- pre existed before they came to earth. They refer to their god (no he's not the same as God as I'll explain later) as Heavenly Father. Mansfield relates a conversation between a Mormon husband and wife:

It's our duty, honey. I know you believe as I do that our family has already existed in premortality. I've become absolutely certain there are still more spirits who are part of us...We need to conceive so that the spirits of our unborn children can assume their bodies and be with us for time and all eternity.

Spirits? Children? You're talking about more than one.

Yes. I believe that we have three more children waiting to be with us. (pg. 15)

They also believe in post mortality (my word). However, not in the way Christianity or other religions do. Muslims believe that they will live forever in Paradise with “flowing water running by their feet” and “many blushing virgins”. Buddhists and Hindus believe they will reincarnate until they achieve perfection and reach Nirvana. According to World of Judaica the question is irrelevant to Jews (although some Jews may wish to debate that). Christians believe that only through Jesus Christ has the barrier of sin been removed between them and God and they will then live with Him and enjoy relationship with Him and fellow believers forever.

Mormons believe they will remain with their earthly families throughout all eternity. They will one day rule a world as Heavenly Father rules this world now with his family. Mormons do not believe Heavenly Father created matter; he organizes it (pg. 32). Once upon a time, he was a human with his family on another planet. He achieved god status and populated this world with his progeny.

They also believe that eternal life is not given through grace. It is merited by the works one achieves.

A Mormon believes he is in this world to pass tests... Mormons believe that this life is like an obstacle course they must master in order to qualify for what comes in eternity...Mormon rituals and doctrines are filled with the language of accomplishment and achievement, possessed of the virtue of reaching goals and passing tests. Much of the terminology of Mormonism sounds like it comes from the handbook of the US Military Academy at West Point or from the textbooks of an elite MBA program. (pg. 32)

What is the history of Mormonism and where did they get their beliefs?

Starting in the year 1820, in upstate New York a young teenager named Joseph Smith began receiving visions. An angel, Moroni, appeared to Joseph Smith and told him about a book written upon gold plates.

There were also two stones in silver bows....use of these stones were what constituted 'seers' in ancient or former times ; and the God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. (pg. 104)

Joseph Smith put these stones in his hat and would “read” them. Here are a few of his revelations:

The American Indians are the lost tribes of Israel

The Aaronic and Melshizedek presthoods were “restored” through which the Book of Mormon was recovered and translated.

The pure teachings of Jesus Christ were perverted...all Christian churches had become corrupt, ..and were an abomination to God. (pg. 146)

And then there's the subject of polygamy. Joseph Smith has this to say:

Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was Aaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that sent me, and I have endowed him with the keys of the power of this priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law and by my word, he will not commit sin, and I will justify him.

Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.

And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood -if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. (pg. 181)

Mormons believe in “progressive revelation”. That means what they may have believed in the past isn't necessarily what they hold to today. In the words of LDS president Ezra Taft Benson : “ A living prophet trumps a dead prophet.” Which is why Mormon president Wilford Woodruff, speaking as all Mormon presidents do-in the office of “prophet, seer, and revelator” declared polygamy at an end in his Manifesto, printed in 1908. (pg. 182)

This is also why Mormons hold to doctrines not found in the Book of Mormon such as: baptism for the dead, eventual exaltation to godhood, celestial marriage, eternal progress, a multitude of gods, varying levels of heaven, Temple ceremonies, and avoiding tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol...(pg. 183)

Though Joseph Smith was killed by a mob for "marrying" a thirteen year old in 1844, Brigham Young took over the church and was the one who eventually led them out West.  Mansfield proceeds to bring us up to date from that point to the Mormon church of today.

Mansfield tells us from the beginning of his book that he is not a Mormon and he makes it clear by his research that he believes that the Mormon faith is built upon the foundation of a man who was described in his own day as a “magician and seer, and wicked charlatan.” However, at the very end of the book we come to his actual thrust.

In a nutshell, yes Mormons may be deceived, they may have a historically faulty foundation for their faith, they may be flat out wrong. BUT. Let's not call them a cult. Instead, Mansfield suggests that we refer to them as a “Fourth Abrahamic Religion” along with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Through out the book Mansfield extols the virtues of Mormonism: their work ethic, the emphasis they place on education, on tight, stable families. He lists all the famous Mormons who have achieved so much. His conclusion?

Mormonism is, at heart, about progress, about ruling pristine territory, about the spiritual matrix of family, about the democratization of spiritual experience, about sacred ritual, about the elevating power of community, about a people escaping a corrupt world in the east to establish a holy communion in the west, about a “land of Liberty”...This is the religion of the Saints, but it is also the underpinning of the American dream..

If this is true... it would mean that the earthly success of the Saints is replicable, that is occurred on the strength of principles the non-Saint may emulate. In this view, the Mormon distinctives would ...become principles of Americanism available to the willing of any faith. (pg. 242)

If this is true... that's the crux right there, isn't it? Is it true?

What does the Christian perspective say? For one thing, salvation doesn't come from our merit or works. That not only includes personal salvation but the salvation of a nation. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, it says,

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Mr. Mansfield seems to be under the belief that, even if a man belongs to a false religion, if the laudable -or at least, workable- characteristics of that religion will work for the country, hey! Let's embrace it. He seems to forget another important piece of scripture from Matthew 15:26:

For what will it profit it a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?

This book has come out at a convenient time, right before the election. I really have to wonder who paid to produce it. I know that many Christians will be voting for Romney because they want Obama out of office. I can appreciate that. But I for one can't pretend to overlook the fact that this man is a member of a cult that views the rest of us as “corrupted, ignoble spirits”.

If we think that's not going to carry repercussions, we're being naive.

I received this book for free.