“In the last generation we promoted the construction of such a “historical Jesus” on liberal and humanitarian lines; we are now putting forward a new “historical Jesus” on Marxian, catastrophic lines. The advantages of these constructions, which we intend to change every thirty years or so, are manifold. In the first place they all tend to direct men’s devotion to something which does not exist, for each “historical Jesus” is unhistorical. The documents say what they say and cannot be added to; each new “historical Jesus” has to be got out of them by suppression at one point and exaggeration at another, and by that sort of guessing (brilliant is the adjective we teach humans to apply to it) on which no one would risk ten shillings in ordinary life, but which is enough to produce a crop of new Napoleons, new Shakespeares, and new Swifts in every publisher’s autumn list.”
- C.S.Lewis – “The Wisdom of Screwtape on the “Historical Jesus”
I’m sure that NBC is doing a lot of guessing and speculating by now. It’s been a while since Lewis wrote what about Screwtape and the deception of the “historical Jesus.” One iteration has followed another since then, and now the mainstream media is adding an updated version, some twenty first century “historical construct” who has absolutely nothing in common with the real Jesus.
Part eleven of God’s miniseries, the real thing follows:
Revelation 11 (New Living Translation)
Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
1Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in sackcloth and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
4These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from the mouths of the prophets and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6They have power to shut the skies so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to send every kind of plague upon the earth as often as they wish.
7When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them. 8And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem,[a] the city which is called “Sodom” and “Egypt,”the city where their Lord was crucified. 9And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will come to stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10All the people who belong to this world will give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
11But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered them, and they stood up! And terror struck all who were staring at them. 12Then a loud voice shouted from heaven, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
13And in the same hour there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake. And everyone who did not die was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14The second terror is past, but look, now the third terror is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror
15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
16And the twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped him. 17And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.” 19Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared; there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.
Footnotes: Revelation 11:8 Greek the great city.
- C.S.Lewis – “The Wisdom of Screwtape on the “Historical Jesus”
I’m sure that NBC is doing a lot of guessing and speculating by now. It’s been a while since Lewis wrote what about Screwtape and the deception of the “historical Jesus.” One iteration has followed another since then, and now the mainstream media is adding an updated version, some twenty first century “historical construct” who has absolutely nothing in common with the real Jesus.
Part eleven of God’s miniseries, the real thing follows:
Revelation 11 (New Living Translation)
Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
1Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in sackcloth and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
4These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from the mouths of the prophets and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6They have power to shut the skies so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to send every kind of plague upon the earth as often as they wish.
7When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them. 8And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem,[a] the city which is called “Sodom” and “Egypt,”the city where their Lord was crucified. 9And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will come to stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10All the people who belong to this world will give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
11But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered them, and they stood up! And terror struck all who were staring at them. 12Then a loud voice shouted from heaven, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
13And in the same hour there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake. And everyone who did not die was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14The second terror is past, but look, now the third terror is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror
15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”
16And the twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped him. 17And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.” 19Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared; there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.
Footnotes: Revelation 11:8 Greek the great city.
No comments:
Post a Comment