Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
Revelation is a book of visions and nightmares, with a Jesus that does not turn the other check, love neighbors, or enemies. Reason may not apply. Faith is necessary ... to accept a Jesus antithetical to Jesus in the gospels.
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Jesus is downright scary in Revelation because he is transitioning from his role as our High Priest who is interceding for us in heaven (Heb 4:14) to his destined role as King of kings and Lord of lords over the world (Rev 19:16)**. But in order to take over the world, he has to first judge it and destroy the satanic authority and kingdom present in it. Interestingly, the Hebrew word picture for peace, "Shalom" means to "destroy the authority of chaos". True Shalom cannot exist while Satan still has authority.
http://www.verserain.com/verseset/sh...7ab072f26e347d
This is not out of character with the rest of scripture and is consistent with what the prophets have predicted regarding the Messiah's second coming and eventual rule over the world. Jesus fulfilled 353 prophecies regarding his first coming, but there are even more prophecies in the OT concerning the second (hence why the Jews were so confused by Jesus' claim to be Messiah because they all thought he would only come once to become King and not die first to come again).
So the first time Jesus came was to save the world and not to judge it (John 12:47), but the second time he comes will be to judge the world so he can take it over. So in sense we are in the "age of grace". God is waiting for everyone of his elect to repent before he returns, because when he does it will be too late. Yet regardless of whether or not he is coming soon, none of us know if we are going to die today or tomorrow so daily repentance and obedience is something we should all practice.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
** And who are these 'kings' and 'lords' that Jesus is a King of? but us! The ones who are faithful! (See 2 Tim 2:12)