| Author | Message | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 2185 Registered: 6-2006  |
Hi friends! Bible Study Fellowship, "BSF" is starting up next week and they will be studying Revelation this year for the first time. For those of you who have never heard of it, it's a non-denominational Bible study, line by line with cross referencing only (no commentaries allowed!). It's an excellent way to learn and study the Bible. It is not a church or a means to recruit people into a particular denomination. Just good, solid weekly study, which lasts from Sept to April. They have women's only classes as well as men's only classes. The classes are a little less than 2 hours long with group discussion time and an excellent lecture afterward. Again, it's Bible only! No agendas or denominations are allowed to be discussed. Classes can be found all over the world and are conducted during the day and evening. I've been going to BSF for 5 years now and have been absolutely BLESSED! Made some great friends and really feel a grasp of the books I've studied. I'm especially excited to dig into Revelation this year. I promise you, this is NOT a Revelation seminar! This is the link to find a class: https://www.bsfinternational.org/locate-a-class1 | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 15238 Registered: 12-2003  |
Leigh Anne, thank you! BSF is a wonderful Bible study; I heartily recommend it to those who don't know where to look for deep Bible study and fellowship. Colleen | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 687 Registered: 5-2009  |
Adding my encouragement to join a BSF class! Especially this year. I am looking forward to studying Revelation too! (Message edited by cloudwatcher on September 11, 2015) | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 2186 Registered: 6-2006 |
Thanks, Ladies! I'm really looking forward to it. A little nervous, but excited to get a chance to understand it better.  Leigh Anne | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 3159 Registered: 5-2007  |
Even though I've been through the book of Revelation a number of times I am just now in recent years at the point where I'm 'beginning' to understand it. There are, at certain points, a number of alternate interpretations to consider, none of which alter the overall message. In the context of Adventist teaching: 1. The 144,000 are going to be Jewish evangelist, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. 2. There is only one gospel and it can only be centered on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Calvary for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. To replace that with the 'Health Message' masquerading as the 'right hand of the gospel' or 'Sabbath Keeping' being a later day test of who don't have the mark of the beast....are false claims not stated in Scripture. They are doctrines of demons. 3 The word 'eternal' means.....eternal. Eternal conscience suffering of the wicked dead who have been cast into the Lake of Fire is of the same duration as the eternal life that the Saints of God will experience. 4. This book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. No prophet comes after him. Jesus Christ is 'The Spirit of Prophecy'. Attaching that name to any other person is heresy. With those points in mind it is not impossible to understand Revelation, assuming you are indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. Fearless Phil (Message edited by philharris on September 12, 2015) | ||
| Mjcmcook Registered user Username: Mjcmcook Post Number: 1854 Registered: 2-2011  |
Phil~ ALL your points are well-taken~ #4~~~~"This book is the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST NO 'prophet' comes after HIM. JESUS CHRIST "IS" the 'Spirit of Prophecy'. Attaching that "NAME" to any other person is HERESY." Period. ! I AGREE COMPLETELY ! I hope you don't mind that I 'emphasized' some of your words! IMO~~It is of the most Vital Importance that people believe this! And act accordingly~ ~mj~ (Message edited by mjcmcook on September 12, 2015) | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 3160 Registered: 5-2007 |
Sure go ahead. Of course I didn't really invent those points so I don't have a copyright on them anyway. Fearless Phil | ||
| Iamfree Registered user Username: Iamfree Post Number: 61 Registered: 3-2014 |
Fearless Phil, Thank you so much for your post. Here is the amazing part, all of those points you listed I have only come to understand in the last year. In fact, I feel that the Holy Spirit has led my husband and I to the same understanding or what you listed. We have heard sermons and read books and studied the Bible and God has released us from the false prophecy that we were taught. It is just so good to see them in print form because sometimes I forget how different each point is from what we grew up with. | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 2210 Registered: 7-2004  |
I fear there may be a little eisegesis rather than a simple, literal reading of the passage. The 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel will be sealed. Whether they are serving as "evangelists" is a speculation that is not contained within the passage. We do know some things that being sealed means, but I'm not sure that being an evangelist is one of those. Sorry to interject as the "contrarian" here. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 15245 Registered: 12-2003 |
It's true that the evangelist part is not specified in Scripture. I find the fact that I can even see the 144,000 as being identified as coming from the 12 tribes of Israel to be pretty amazing. That fact alone is part of a significant paradigm shift. Colleen | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 2187 Registered: 6-2006 |
Digressing here, but I am one of those who appreciates the theory that Emperor Nero was the "Beast of Revelation" and an anti-Christ John referred to. | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 2214 Registered: 7-2004 |
The use of "anti-Christ" in John's writings is an interesting study. It challenges many of the ideas we often hear. | ||
| Goldcityboy7 Registered user Username: Goldcityboy7 Post Number: 17 Registered: 1-2015 |
Only found of these classes in my area and it's women only. So this BSF has no doctrinal position at all? That worries me a little. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 2188 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi Goldcityboy7, Here is the statement of faith. https://www.bsfinternational.org/statement-of-faith;jsessionid=8e4c74c632ff5a22ea63f1f5ed31 It's a solid, well established, Christian organization. They only discourage members from discussing personal church affiliations as it detracts from the study. Leigh Anne | ||
| 1john2v27nlt Registered user Username: 1john2v27nlt Post Number: 556 Registered: 5-2009 |
I am doing the BSF Revelation & last night found myself with a question. They strongly advocate that participants use the Bible alone, no commentaries, no study references, nor footnotes. Our class format has about 45 minutes of discussion; then about a 1 hour Lecture. The printed study guides include usually 6 pages or more of Notes. My question is: Isn't this a good bit of commentary, coming from whoever at BSF is writing it all, & their point of view? And from the weekly lecturers? Our lecture has primarily been done by one person. Then we have the same group leader every week. Is this limiting? Does this make a lie of their urging to wrestle it out with scripture & the Holy Spirit alone? I wish we had 90 minutes for discussion & less lecture time, less notes. We do not really have a 'discussion' even. People have a chance to say their answers to questions, but really there is no discussion, no questioning. I posed one thing I was questioning & my group leader has referred to my question twice in her weekly phone calls, with let's talk about it, or I have some information about it. I am ok with letting my question hang out there, discovering as God reveals, if & when He reveals. I am ok with pondering -- a long time even. I am having a hard time sticking with this group. Maybe because I have been reading & rereading the bible alone & enjoying the insights from the Holy Spirit, & from letting God teach me? I'm almost scared to say this anywhere. I'm expecting to hear a lot of arguments against what I am putting out there. I am asking myself if I am just arrogant, rejecting, critical? or if I am discerning, sensitive, having tasted something sweet & good? Somehow it feels like organized religion to me, in ways which are stifling. I am thinking that I really like the Biblica plan (Books of the Bible) of reading the Bible, & having 5 simple questions, the same every week, which spark discussions. Like 'what was new to you? what questions came up for you? how does it apply? Our BSF study meets on Thursday nights so I have not had this week's lesson #7. But it is all from Daniel, chapters 1-2, 6-7. I have not written out any formal answers. I think I will need to just attend & listen, let myself hear & receive what others have as a perspective on these chapters & questions. I certainly have a lot of preconceived teachings & bias as to the book of Daniel. At the same time I have wrestled out some things over the past 9 years, reading through the bible 2x per year on average. God really does lead & teach us. That has been my experience. |
