Redemption, Justification… Science Fiction Style
Occasionally, like when I am washing dishes or doing some other routine activity, I like to listen in on the overnight airwaves coming out of the States. Most of the stuff at that hour is produced with the fact that most of America is asleep at that hour, or if they aren’t they are not tuned into the radio. However, one show operates under the assumption that that is when all the fringe thinkers, conspiracy theorists and people off their meds are tuning in: “Coast to Coast AM.” I have discussed the guilty pleasure, comedic value that this show has before.
Lately, though, they have been taping into the Christian fringe. They have had shows with apocalyptic specialists and self-appointed prophetic experts. Some of these guys are even considered Biblically solid by the more main-stream prophecy junkies. (That last category is admittedly still a bit “out there.”) The mind boggling aspect of these guys’ theories is the way that they involve alien invasion and genetically manipulated humans—in general the stuff relegated to science fiction.
I find it fine when people theorize about the way things might turn out when looking at the Biblical prophetic texts. It can be an entertaining pastime. However, it should always be kept in perspective and not overindulged. Two things to keep in mind are (1) Biblical Prophecy is fully understood in retrospect, or perhaps in the time when it is being fulfilled. However, that is often mistakenly presumed. And (2) so far 100% of people trying to match Biblical predictions to their own time have been wrong. These guys on the radio in particular speak with an air of authority as biblical scholars, which is not a good thing.
On a more positive note, one of these guys did a pretty great job of presenting a short Gospel message in a way that speaks cross-culturally to the Geek Culture. Instead of talking about atonement, justification, redemption, or propitiation; he used the metaphor of the factory reboot. That may be a good way to communicate what God offers and what Christ accomplished when we speak to the iPhone generation.
Lately, though, they have been taping into the Christian fringe. They have had shows with apocalyptic specialists and self-appointed prophetic experts. Some of these guys are even considered Biblically solid by the more main-stream prophecy junkies. (That last category is admittedly still a bit “out there.”) The mind boggling aspect of these guys’ theories is the way that they involve alien invasion and genetically manipulated humans—in general the stuff relegated to science fiction.
I find it fine when people theorize about the way things might turn out when looking at the Biblical prophetic texts. It can be an entertaining pastime. However, it should always be kept in perspective and not overindulged. Two things to keep in mind are (1) Biblical Prophecy is fully understood in retrospect, or perhaps in the time when it is being fulfilled. However, that is often mistakenly presumed. And (2) so far 100% of people trying to match Biblical predictions to their own time have been wrong. These guys on the radio in particular speak with an air of authority as biblical scholars, which is not a good thing.
On a more positive note, one of these guys did a pretty great job of presenting a short Gospel message in a way that speaks cross-culturally to the Geek Culture. Instead of talking about atonement, justification, redemption, or propitiation; he used the metaphor of the factory reboot. That may be a good way to communicate what God offers and what Christ accomplished when we speak to the iPhone generation.
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