Christ came and taught us many things, but the most important was love. It is a shame to hear our brothers preaching of the end of days. That’s what the early Christians believed, that Christ would return promptly for them and after 2000 years, they continue with the same way of thinking. I am not saying that He will not come one day, but we should live in the love of Jesus and follow His example every day in everything we do. What good does it do us to live in fear that we will go to hell?
Many times in history, men like William Miller, have declared that they have discovered the exact date of the second coming of Christ. Him and his Millerist movement were part of the “Great Disappointment.” The 22nd of October of 1844, they were awaiting the end of the world, the rapture, the judgement, but nothing happened. Many people lost their faith and continued on with their lives. Those who stayed ultimately founded what is now known as the church of the Seventh Day Adventists.
This was only one of many, but they try to teach in a radical manner and they misinterpret the Bible. It can be dangerous because many people lose their faith and stop believing in God. The Bible is very powerful, but we must study it before we preech it’s message. There are also people that believe that the book of Revelations speaks of the end of the world. This is not true. If we take the time to study the culture and the history of the time when the book was written, we come to see that all of the beasts are symbols of the Roman Empire that was in power. The oppressed the people and for them that was the only way to speak of the situation without finding themselves under the sharp blade of a Roman soldier.
In all actuality, the book of Revelations gives us hope, that Christ can triumph over evil. It doesn’t mean that the world will end and Jesus will come riding in on a white horse to save us. It is symbolism, because in those times the Christians were persecuted by the Emperor Nero. Using symbols and secret codes they could continue writing without fear of the Romans. But the Bible doesn’t tell us this. It is something very important that if we want to learn from the Bible, in all it’s profundity, we must look at the text and the context. We have to study the culture, the customs, and the history of the times when it was written and also take into account the theology and archeology that many times prove what the Bible says.
Of course it isn’t easy and it requires work, but it is what God wants of us. He gave us a mind with the ability to think an learn. If you have only finished elementary school, you will only know what they teach children. The same that if you only know what your parents have taught you, you probably won’t understand the Bible in it’s complexity. That is why there are Bible studies from introductory levels up to Doctoral studies. You have to decide up to what level you want to go. God gave you a mind to continue learning. If you want a house, you have to work and earn enough money to buy it. If you want to understand the Bible, which is the Word of God, the Sacred Scriptures, then you have to study and ask God to give you understanding and knowledge to reach your goal. To know the Word of God is to know God himself.