free. . . . . .( and turnorburn :wink: ). . . . The first few chapters in Revelation are John's letters to churches of his time and where he sees them in their faith. Chapter 1 does have the imagery of the "seven golden lampstands", which are metaphorical. The "seven stars", the "double edge sword out of the mouth", "face shining like the sun". . .
Chapter 4 and on is where you start with this fantastical (thus metaphorical) language.
-a door in Heaven
-voice like a trumpet
-one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian
-a rainbow encircling the throne
-flashes of lightening and cracks of thunder (does heaven experience meterological events?)
-the creatures with all the eyes and six sets of wings
-the sealed scroll with writing on both sides (do they actually write on scrolls in Heaven?)
-the imagery of the "slain lamb", but with seven horns and seven eyes.
-seven seals
-the four horsemen of the apocolypse
-the stars in the sky fell to the earth [Rev.6:13]. . . . . .which is obviously impossible (and is a topic for another discussion)
-the sky receding like a scroll
-mountains and islands removed from their place
-kings and the rich "hiding in caves calling to rocks to fall on them to hide them from the face of him who sits on the throne and the wrath of the lamb, as if men are seeing heaven from earth.
-four angels standing at the four corners of the earth (which could strike up another thread) holding back the four winds...
-seal on the forheads of the servants of God
-exactly 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
-people wearing white robes
-the seven trumpets
-the censer being hurled to earth (imagery of heaven being "above the clouds")
-the "third" of various things dying
-locust from the whole created by a falling projectile from space (who looked like horses with crowns of gold, women's hair and human faces, and lion teeth, breastplate of iron, with loud sounds, and tails with the stings of scorpians. . . . . . . tormenting for 5 months.
-people seeking death, but not finding it
-four angels who are bound at the Euphrates river
-200 million riders on horses that had the head of a lion, with fire, smoke and sulfer coming out of their mouth, which are "three plagues", with the power of the horses in their head and in their tail, which was like the tail of a snake
-an angel robed with a cloud having a rainbow above his head, face like the sun, legs like fiery pillars
-this angel planting his right foot in the sea, and his left on the land
-seven thunders speaking, . . . yet John was not permitted to write the words, so why bring them up?
-John eating a part of the scroll which is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach
-two olive trees and two lampstands. . . .and if anyone tries to harm them, fire will come out of their mouth and devour them
-"Come up here", and they went up to heaven in a cloud
-God's temple opening and the "ark of the covenant" being there. . .as if this man made box has some value in the spiritual realm. And, of course, the lightning, thunder, earthquake and great hailstorm that accompanies it.
-a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, a crown of twelve stars on her head, pregnant
-enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on each head. the dragon wanting to devour the woman's baby, but the baby is snatched up to God and she fleas into the desert for 1,260 days. (I wonder who the baby was?)
-the war in heaven between Michael, and his angels, against the dragon and his angels.
-the woman given two wings of a great eagle so she could escape the dragon (who was hurled to earth, . . . again, imagery as if "heaven was up in the sky")
-the dragon spewing water to sweep her away with the torrent
-the earth's "mouth" pitching in to help by swallowing the water.
-beast resembling a leopard with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion
-the wounded head
-men worshipping the dragon because he had given authority to the beast.
-another beast with two horns "like a lamb", but spoke like a dragon. Performing miracles.
-the number 666
-the Father's name written on men's foreheads
-no one being able to learn a song except the 144,000 redeemed
-drink the maddening wine of her adulteries
-the wine of God's fury, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath
-"take your sickle and reap"....the angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath, which is apparently outside the city, and the blood flowed as high as the horses bridle for a distance of 1,600 stadia (however far that is)
Okay, I'm getting tired and am only made it through chapter 14 out of 22..... All of it, metaphorical language. I see no reason to view "the lake of fire" as any more literal. :-?
By the way, the New Jeruselem, . . . . is a giant square cube.
Chapter 4 and on is where you start with this fantastical (thus metaphorical) language.
-a door in Heaven
-voice like a trumpet
-one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian
-a rainbow encircling the throne
-flashes of lightening and cracks of thunder (does heaven experience meterological events?)
-the creatures with all the eyes and six sets of wings
-the sealed scroll with writing on both sides (do they actually write on scrolls in Heaven?)
-the imagery of the "slain lamb", but with seven horns and seven eyes.
-seven seals
-the four horsemen of the apocolypse
-the stars in the sky fell to the earth [Rev.6:13]. . . . . .which is obviously impossible (and is a topic for another discussion)
-the sky receding like a scroll
-mountains and islands removed from their place
-kings and the rich "hiding in caves calling to rocks to fall on them to hide them from the face of him who sits on the throne and the wrath of the lamb, as if men are seeing heaven from earth.
-four angels standing at the four corners of the earth (which could strike up another thread) holding back the four winds...
-seal on the forheads of the servants of God
-exactly 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
-people wearing white robes
-the seven trumpets
-the censer being hurled to earth (imagery of heaven being "above the clouds")
-the "third" of various things dying
-locust from the whole created by a falling projectile from space (who looked like horses with crowns of gold, women's hair and human faces, and lion teeth, breastplate of iron, with loud sounds, and tails with the stings of scorpians. . . . . . . tormenting for 5 months.
-people seeking death, but not finding it
-four angels who are bound at the Euphrates river
-200 million riders on horses that had the head of a lion, with fire, smoke and sulfer coming out of their mouth, which are "three plagues", with the power of the horses in their head and in their tail, which was like the tail of a snake
-an angel robed with a cloud having a rainbow above his head, face like the sun, legs like fiery pillars
-this angel planting his right foot in the sea, and his left on the land
-seven thunders speaking, . . . yet John was not permitted to write the words, so why bring them up?
-John eating a part of the scroll which is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach
-two olive trees and two lampstands. . . .and if anyone tries to harm them, fire will come out of their mouth and devour them
-"Come up here", and they went up to heaven in a cloud
-God's temple opening and the "ark of the covenant" being there. . .as if this man made box has some value in the spiritual realm. And, of course, the lightning, thunder, earthquake and great hailstorm that accompanies it.
-a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, a crown of twelve stars on her head, pregnant
-enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on each head. the dragon wanting to devour the woman's baby, but the baby is snatched up to God and she fleas into the desert for 1,260 days. (I wonder who the baby was?)
-the war in heaven between Michael, and his angels, against the dragon and his angels.
-the woman given two wings of a great eagle so she could escape the dragon (who was hurled to earth, . . . again, imagery as if "heaven was up in the sky")
-the dragon spewing water to sweep her away with the torrent
-the earth's "mouth" pitching in to help by swallowing the water.
-beast resembling a leopard with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion
-the wounded head
-men worshipping the dragon because he had given authority to the beast.
-another beast with two horns "like a lamb", but spoke like a dragon. Performing miracles.
-the number 666
-the Father's name written on men's foreheads
-no one being able to learn a song except the 144,000 redeemed
-drink the maddening wine of her adulteries
-the wine of God's fury, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath
-"take your sickle and reap"....the angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath, which is apparently outside the city, and the blood flowed as high as the horses bridle for a distance of 1,600 stadia (however far that is)
Okay, I'm getting tired and am only made it through chapter 14 out of 22..... All of it, metaphorical language. I see no reason to view "the lake of fire" as any more literal. :-?
By the way, the New Jeruselem, . . . . is a giant square cube.
