Many of us take Biblical passages literally in every sense. But Biblical Hermeneutics teaches us to study with great vigor the preceding paragraphs to properly place what we read in the right prospective or context.
Revelations 14:03 tells us "there before the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a hymn that could be learnt only by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world." Verses 4 - 5 says: "these are the ones who have kept their virginity and not been defiled with women; they follow the Lamb wherever He goes, they, out of all people, have been redeemed to be the first fruits for God and for the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths and no fault can be found in them."
Opposition to Christianity have taken these passages and concluded if the numbers in Revelations are correct human mathematics, then we as Christians are certainly in trouble. However, teachings within the Diocese by the many competent instructors, indicate (many) Scriptural writers were using the large numbers of the period to emphasize the greatness or lesser census' to outline the importance of a given message, i.e., the number 40 is used with the floods, the time spent in the desert, etc. That does not mean (all) Biblical events were subjected to the number 40 - the writers were merely saying He spent a long time with this, a long time with that.
We may find our answer in the truth that God's mention of years is betoken God's numbers in time - His clock is certainly not a product of Timex and not to be confused with human time - or numbers of people verbatim. How would you address this in a Bible Study?
Thank you, and yours in Christ,
Randall M. Oddo (Moderator)
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