More Than This
At a recent Bible study on the Book of Revelation, we spent some time discussing the statement "mystery of God" found in the 10th chapter.
Now, there are myriad ways in which the book of Revelation can be interpreted. Some are more cogent than others, but they all have some slight validity given the source material. The book is so odd that making sense of it is a huge task from whatever point of view you begin.
But as we were talking about the phrase "mystery of God" I pointed out that the term itself isn't unique to Revelation. It is, in fact, a pretty standard apocalyptic term used to mean divinely concealed information about the end of the age or about some divine/heavenly secret that cannot be shared unitl it is disclosed to the inspired insight of a prophet, apocalpticist, or visionary.
And that idea isn't unique to Revelation, either. The idea that there are things in heaven and on earth that we cannot comprehend, let alone give description to is pretty common.
In 2nd Corinthians 12, Paul tells of a man - usually understood as himself - who was caught up into paradise - "whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter." As Dr. Bruce Metzger wrote in his commentary on Revelation, “this suggests that there are dimensions of reality that mortals are not able to comprehend.”[1]
Of course, Quantum Mechanics is reaching that point as well - or has reached that point. I find it interesting that science is now saying what the more mystical elements of faith have postulated for centuries. There is more to the world and more to life than meets the eye.
I also find it interesting that as a fan of comic books - Marvel comics in particular - I had been exposed to the ideas of multiverse, parallel dimensions, alternate realities, and a vast universe long before I ever heard of quantum mechanics or the mystical traditions of the faith.
I think what I get from this is that there have been signs pointing beyond this world long, long, long before we thought to look in our present age. There are realities, truths, and ideas yet to be thought, yet to be encountered, and yet to make sense.
I might return to this idea at a later date, but I just found the observation to be one of great interest.
Now, there are myriad ways in which the book of Revelation can be interpreted. Some are more cogent than others, but they all have some slight validity given the source material. The book is so odd that making sense of it is a huge task from whatever point of view you begin.
But as we were talking about the phrase "mystery of God" I pointed out that the term itself isn't unique to Revelation. It is, in fact, a pretty standard apocalyptic term used to mean divinely concealed information about the end of the age or about some divine/heavenly secret that cannot be shared unitl it is disclosed to the inspired insight of a prophet, apocalpticist, or visionary.
And that idea isn't unique to Revelation, either. The idea that there are things in heaven and on earth that we cannot comprehend, let alone give description to is pretty common.
In 2nd Corinthians 12, Paul tells of a man - usually understood as himself - who was caught up into paradise - "whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter." As Dr. Bruce Metzger wrote in his commentary on Revelation, “this suggests that there are dimensions of reality that mortals are not able to comprehend.”[1]
Of course, Quantum Mechanics is reaching that point as well - or has reached that point. I find it interesting that science is now saying what the more mystical elements of faith have postulated for centuries. There is more to the world and more to life than meets the eye.
I also find it interesting that as a fan of comic books - Marvel comics in particular - I had been exposed to the ideas of multiverse, parallel dimensions, alternate realities, and a vast universe long before I ever heard of quantum mechanics or the mystical traditions of the faith.
I think what I get from this is that there have been signs pointing beyond this world long, long, long before we thought to look in our present age. There are realities, truths, and ideas yet to be thought, yet to be encountered, and yet to make sense.
I might return to this idea at a later date, but I just found the observation to be one of great interest.
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