The Book of Revelation -- Part 14 -- The Fifth Trumpet

What gets interesting here is that after four trumpets in rapid succession and taking up only a few verses; suddenly the book focuses at length on a couple trumpets. An additional title is given to them as well -- the first two woes.

The Fifth Trumpet has more speculation and controversy on it than much of the rest of the book -- What the heck are these things? Deformed demons or something that John could only describe in terms he could understand but is seeing something entirely different? Don't know. Don't know how machines could come from the bottomless pit. I also doubt the original hearers would have looked at this as anything other than a supernatural force or event.

What is clear is a) This is very bad -- worse than the previous trumpets. and b) they do something far worse that kill -- they torment with terrible pain for a specific time period -- five months.

Next: The Sixth Trumpet

Science Fiction and Theology -- Part 3 -- Alien Religion (Scripture)

Now consider this. When an alien race is discovered they too have a Holy Bible. What then?

If you really consider it, it becomes a difficult question. On what level would such a book be authoritative? Is it inspired? How do we determine these things? Not easy questions at all are they?

The questions of what Scripture would be if done by other races other than the human race becomes a quagmire of thought.

My thoughts are that it would be differ net from our own -- different events and characters with different actions. It would contain history, the history of God's interaction with that race, but it would be completely foreign to our own. The one thing it would have in common is that through that interaction between God and the aliens there would be a revelation of God in truth. It would echo our own understandings but would not be completely the same. it might, were we to understand it, give us a view of God that we would find opens up our own understanding and that of the aliens.

Because of this we would understand it is inspired but to whom -- us, the aliens or both? Possible both, maybe just to them.

It is also possible that they may also have conflicting religions each with their own scriptures and that means sifting through them all to find the ones that are inspired. But what criteria to use? Maybe simply finding common understandings about God may be enough; maybe not.

Next: Alien Religion (Faith and Practice)

Marriage and the Bible -- Part 13 -- Wives as Possessions

What gets interesting as you get into the Law of Moses is the dealing with the idea of a woman as a wife also being a possession of the husband.
1. If a slave is given a wife for instance the wife still belongs to the owner unless the slave decides to bond himself to his master permanently.
2. Divorce is only one way -- it is almost like giving up title to a car today the way the law for divorce reads in the law.
3. Up till now wives are given and taken but there is almost no provision in the Bible for a woman to decided by her choice who she is to marry and the opposite is true for men.
4. The handmaiden laws and customs meant that in a sense the handmaiden was property of the mistress unless she gave that handmaiden to her husband -- then she became his.

Now this would change as we go along, but up till now what is presented by the Bible both in example and the law is women as a special kind of property. With some rights but not as much as men. We are still far from the end of this study, but if we were to stop here we would have to conclude women are a kind of property. Protected and valued, but property nonetheless.

Next: Other Laws Regarding Marriage and Women

The Book of Revelation -- Part 13 -- Trumpets One Through Four

When the seventh seal is opened it, seven angels step forward with seven trumpets. Before a single one of them sounds a vial is given to another angel that contains the prayers of the saints that is poured over the altar of God. It is an addition vial to the prayers already before God and it causes these events to start.
1. Trumpet 1 -- Hail and fire that destroys one third of the world's vegetation.
2. Trumpet 2 -- mountain thrown in the ocean -- third of the world's water -- blood
3. Trumpet 3 -- Wormwood star that makes the fresh waters bitter -- people die.
4. Trumpet 4 -- Strikes third of the lights in the sky darkened.

Now there are two notes to make about this:
Firstly, that it is the prayers of the saints that start the ball rolling here.
Secondly, there is still no time table in this from the book itself.

In the end an angel speaks woe about the trumpets still to sound.

Next: The Fifth Trumpet

Science Fiction and Theology -- Part 2 -- Aliens!

My issue here is what does the existence of aliens do to our understanding of God and ourselves. The issue of whether they exist I will leave to you the reader but for the sake of argument lets us assume they do. I will add though that the universe is a BIG place and to assume that we are the only sentient life form God every created is not only egotistical but Human centric nonsense. God is also a very creative God and I doubt he has limited his creativity to just us here on planet earth.

This brings us to the first issue. Human egotism. On two fronts this confronts us a) that God's plans may involves something larger than this speck of dust rotating around a bright light in the Milky Way. Other races and beings my be involved in God's plans and we may only be a small part of that and a) In humility we may have to realize that we are not even really essential to God's plans at all and do not have an inherent right to those plans.

The second issue. The nature of what the image of God is may be called into question. If other races are also created in this image but they do not look or act like us, what does this do to our understanding of ourselves as created in God's image.

What becomes very clear is the discovery of aliens would do one of two things -- create fear or humility. Given our sinfulness -- fear is more likely and there would be war and we would start it if the race we encounter is sinless.

That brings up a final issue, one that C.S. Lewis explored in his Sci-Fi series of books -- what if another race of aliens faced their test and did not fail? How would we react to them and how they would react to us becomes and interesting issue. A non-fallen race would completely compliant with God's will. Maybe that is why we haven't met them -- it would be too dangerous -- for them. I know another blow to human pride and ego.

Next: Alien Religion

Marriage and the Bible -- Part 12 -- Giving and Taking Wives

What has happened repeatedly so far is an interesting phenomena -- there is a contstant reference to 'giving' or 'taking' wives. A man is always in charge of this giving or taking. The father or other guardian gives or the future husband takes. The woman -- well she seems to just be caught in whatever the giving or taking does to them.

The one thing the Bible does not possess when it comes to marriage is that many times it has little to do with love and romance. Marriages are more about producing children than companionship. In those stories, sometimes a couple finds love either slightly before or after the marriage but for the most part marriage is about arrangement or situation but not about the happiness of the husband or wife.

This is why I am starting to see a concept of the simple fact any man and woman can be married. Whether or not they enjoy 'oneness' by being husband and wife seems to be a matter of choice and desire.

Next: Wives as Possessions

The Book of Revelation -- Part 12 -- The Seventh Seal

OK. I am ready for Revelation Again. Revelation 8:1-2
The only thing that can really be said about the Seventh Seal is that it ends the opening of the Scroll and initiates two things -- Silence for a half hour and trumpets are distributed to angels for the next act. It does not really say what these things mean it just says they are done.

Next: Trumpets One Through Four.