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Prophecies
and the Power of Choice
By
Vicky Thompson
When people experience a crisis of faith, some may turn to the prophecies
of the Bible to make sense of world events. The cross-over
success of the apocalyptic Left Behind series, which has
sold more than 50 million books, shows that many people want to know
how war and conflicts will affect the future of humanity.
But what if these prophecies are misinterpreted based on each individual's
practice of the spiritual teachings of Jesus?
If Jesus taught about love, compassion and acceptance, how did we end
up interpreting prophecies to damn millions of followers in other religious
and spiritual traditions? Is the Bible's book of Revelation instead
just a powerful metaphor about the choice we all hold to create lasting
peace or endless suffering in our world?
Launched in 1995, Left Behind is a series of 12 end-times thrillers
based on the New Testament book of Revelation. In the story line, when
the Rapture and final reckoning occur, God draws up millions of Christians
to heaven. Millions of non-Christians remain on Earth-left behind. The
series covers a period of seven years called the Tribulation, during
which earthbound humans still have a chance to turn to Jesus as their
savior. At the end of the period, Jesus appears and begins a 1,000-year
reign, presented in the final book of the series.
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Many scholars
believe that the book of Revelation can be interpreted as a symbolic
metaphor about God exacting his retribution upon the Roman Empire for
persecuting early Christians and oppressing the Jewish population. John,
the author who wrote Revelation while imprisoned by the Romans, expressed
great anger and hope that God would unleash the fury of justice upon
the Roman Empire.
Revelation, however, does not reflect the spiritual teachings of Jesus.
As a social prophet, Jesus pointed out inequities in both Jewish and
Roman societies, but his teachings did not espouse exclusion or violence.
Through his parables, Jesus reminded ancient people to see past religious
and social class restrictions to embrace Jews and gentiles alike with
love, compassion and acceptance.
Revelation is a powerful example of how humans choose to deal with personal
and societal pain and suffering. Its author, John, chose to use his
creational power to write a book that damned the very empire who took
away his freedom. We all hold the power to choose reactions, feelings,
thoughts and actions in response to situations that cause us pain. We
are like master painters, holding our brush of choice in different ways.
Some use bold strokes, splattering paint on those around them. Others
use delicate movements, staying within the canvas. And some lay down
the brush, never realizing that creation needs to be done. We are the
master painters of our own lives, and we choose how to create our masterpieces.
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