MovieChat Forums > Left Behind (2001) Discussion > How can you believe in Revelations but N...

How can you believe in Revelations but NOT Global Warming?

posted 17 years ago by life4all
20 replies | jump to latest

Quite a few of the plagues in the Book of Revelations are very much environmental catastrophes in nature. There is a even a verse that says, “the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit”. In fact one verse even says “touch not the OIL or the wine” which may in some way be referring to petroleum and the impact it is already having upon the environment, Global Warming, peace and perhaps soon as a catalyst to WWIII. There is also another verse that says that God would apparently be forced to “destroy those who destroy the earth”. If you have been watching the news you know that the price of food has risen globally because of the rising oil prices and people are actually fighting over dwindling food supplies in Haiti.

I can see some very pragmatic reasons for the world’s troubles, which seem a lot more frightening than the premise of this movie. The Book of Revelations seems to speak quite loudly regarding Global Warming! So quite honesty I don’t understand why more Christians aren’t scared-to-death of Global Warming! It occurs to me that they would be more concerned about Global Warning if they believed they were going to be here while the weather goes from bad to worse.

Additionally my own biblical research (over many years) has compelled me to believe that only way to leave the earth and escape these seemingly inevitable problems is by dying rather than being lifted away before All Hell breaks loose on earth! In fact, the Bible itself says “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened”. That strongly suggests to me that the elect must still be here on earth while all these earth-shattering events are taking place.

[–] Quanfa 17 years ago

Good topic.

Frankly I've always lumped in the environmental extremists with religious nuts (they're basically both religions for their patrons.) I'd like to hear what a christian has to say about all the environmental hoo-ha that's overtaking the american media right now.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Do you feel that GW is more hype than fact?

[–] Quanfa 17 years ago

I don't know, responsible conservation efforts have been around for an awful long time, and for good reason. Personally I like the idea of people not unloading a bunch of trash on the side of the highway because someone died there in a car crash; not throwing cigarette butts out the window of your car - not leaving a dirty diaper in the Wal-Mart parking lot - you know, normal, responsible efforts.

But this mania people (especially rich, Hollywood types) in America seem to have for causes just irritates me. It's a lot like the rapture - people just get bored with how things are and they need something drastic to focus on or fear.

And I guess the actual question of Global Warming has to do with whether it's man made or not. All I know for sure is, once there was an ice age, and ever since then the earth has been in a period of warming. What's the earth supposed to look like? Are we supposed to have ice caps? I say the earth is supposed to be how it is. If it changes, then we have witnessed part of the earth changing. Is this part of the evolution of the earth? Who knows? As to the "cause" of Global Warming, maybe, much like christianity and the rapture, I just haven't been convinced yet.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Well if you have time check out the threads on this board: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/board/nest/102968846?p=1 Now they really get into this subject (GW) hot and heavy over there and the thread(s) get updated about every 10 minutes.

[–] Quanfa 17 years ago

Actually it reminded me of some of the conversations on this board - a whole lot of name calling and if you dig pretty deep, a paragraph of substance hidden.

I'll tell you the biggest problem with global warming - politics. 2 scientists look at the same information and come up with 2 different opinions. Is one or both of the scientists acting completely in a truly scientific way, that is - let's see what the truth is, no matter what comes out of it? Ultimately, will politics have a role in their opinion? A good example is in anthropology.

Look at any anthropology book today and there will be a section on the racial differences in skulls. And yet the next page will probably have a picture of a concentration camp and a caption saying there's really no such thing as different races. Even though the Indian Acts of America depend on that information for biological remains and the question of ownership. Anyway, that branch of science is so wrapped up in politics it's hard to know who to trust anymore.

Can climate-based science be any different? I don't say that science is religiously biased, but I think it can definitely be politically biased. Heck, I've heard that in the 70's, leading scientists said we were in a period of global cooling. Now the great thing about science is if something turns out to be wrong, no big deal - the theory simply changes based on changing information. Would politics keep that from happening if somehow global warming as a man-made crisis were refuted and accepted?

But I'll say this - if global warming really is man-made, and we really are in danger in epic proportions with tidal waves and floods killing the human population because of greenhouse gases we are responsible for, then if other scientists oppose that view because of politics, they're wrong too.

I'm telling you - as long as we live and die by the two-party system, we're headed for a cliff anyway.

[–] zacariah-13826 9 years ago

To all you believers: from what I have pieced together over 70 years, if jesus were to "return" (from what, you ask), the first thing he'd do is torch all the "christians."

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

I definitely believe the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

I have no problem with the concept of global warming; the Bible clearly says this earth will be destroyed by fire.

I'm just not convinced that man is responsible for global warming, that man is earth's enemy, which is the mantra of many GW spokesmen today.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

How do you feel about this?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190524/board/thread/98296658?p=2&d=10 6229357#106229357

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

Matt 24:33-34
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.(KJV)

I don't see what that scripture has to do with global warming. And I know that there are scientists who posit that there are causes other than man which have caused/contribute to GW. At times over the last couple decades, 'experts' have predicted a massive 'cooling' effect. Only God knows what will happen, and when - and He knew it from the beginning.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Audree7593, not just GW but ALL THESE THINGS (quite a few signs mentioned in Matthew 24). When Jesus came, he was rejected by members of the faith (Jewish faith, not discounting the fact that Caiaphas and some of Pharisees were a bit corrupt) because he did NOT satisfy their definition of what a Messiah should be. Can it be even remotely possible to find ourselves looking to the right for the fulfillment of prophecy and ignoring the left (just as many did almost 2,000 years ago: they know not what they do)? Not every indication need be “seeing through a glass darkly” for who then profits from a biblical warning? Do we not already have enough signs to connect the dots a bit further? Someone once said to me, “When Jesus returns, it may well be the Christians that reject him most.” Now clearly that is supposition but can it be at least something to regard as we find ourselves already living in obscure and difficult days?

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

Where did Jesus mention GW in Matthew 24, or anywhere else? When Jesus returns, whatever anyone has already done will be sealed; people will either have received Him and walked with Him, or else they will have rejected Him. It will then be too late to change the decision they've already made.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Audree, I think GW is relative to our potential destruction but I don't believe that is the only "plague" we need to be concerned about. Here is a snapshot of what has been happening on planet earth since 1947: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Clock

In 2007 the hands were set to 11:55 (see the chart) partly because concerns about GW. Do you see any connection between any of this and biblical prophecy?

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

I found these statements interesting:

The clock was started at seven minutes to midnight during the Cold War in 1947, and has subsequently been advanced or rewound at intervals, depending on the state of the world and the prospects for nuclear war. Its setting is relatively arbitrary, set by the Board of Directors at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in response to global affairs.

I heard of this clock years ago - and it's been more than 60 years now since this clock was made. I wonder what happened to the clock when Israel regained [at least part of] her land in 1948? The people who are setting this clock obviously have no idea what will happen, or when. They're just making guesses.

Again: Where did Jesus mention GW in Matthew 24?

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Again: Where did Jesus mention GW in Matthew 24?

Oh, well its right next to the verse that says there will be a Rapture. Audree no one in this thread ever said it was in Matthew at all. What is being discussed here are-end time events and how the ecological chaos already taking place may play into them. Quite a bit of the Book of Revelations is written in metaphorical language. Many of the verses were never meant to be taken literally. As in Daniel, the Beast is certainly not a literal being but rather an empire that is perhaps being formed even as we speak. Some even say the USA fits the description of Revelation 18 more than any other nation thus far.

If Matthew 24 does not relate to Revelations and Daniel I’d say we have a serious problem somewhere in our biblical understanding. Call me irresponsible but could GW or 12,000-26,000 Nuclear Warheads even remotely play into mankind's last-day demise? There has never been a weapon made by man that was not eventually used (i.e. the Hydrogen Bomb which is in every single ICBM). Bush even used the fear of such weapons being in the hands of people like Saddam as an excuse to attack and occupy Iraq (though $5.00/gal at the pump suggests ulterior motives were at work).

In 1941 during a Joint Session of Congress, Winston Churchill made this statement: “I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below, of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.” If you take a critical look at Revelations you may see that many of the plagues appear to be ecological in nature. Why not GW as at least ONE of the forces at work? The Atomic Clock is adjusted each time something significant happens relative to mankind’s survival. The creation of the Atomic Bomb opened Pandora’s box so wide that it can’t be ignored. Not everything I do in life is based solely upon what I read in the Bible but I do greatly value what it has to say.

I believe your faith is based largely on the Bible. As such, you should be well versed in Hebrew history. Are you able to articulate the difference (according to the Bible) between a Hebrew, a Jew and an Israelite? This is critical if you wish to understand prophecies for the Hebrew people.

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

I had asked, "Where did Jesus mention GW in Matthew 24?"

You replied, "Audree no one in this thread ever said it was in Matthew at all."

Really? You had said this to me earlier:

"Audree7593, not just GW but ALL THESE THINGS (quite a few signs mentioned in Matthew 24)."

And - please, pretty please, the book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ, not 'Revelations'. I've mentioned that to you before.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Really? You had said this to me earlier:
"Audree7593, not just GW but ALL THESE THINGS (quite a few signs mentioned in Matthew 24)."

Well, the focus of my answer was meant to be ALL THESE THINGS that tie Matthew 24 back to the The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Ouch. It hurts my little fingers to type such a verbose phrase when everyone already knows what is meant by just using the word Reva...uhh, never mind.

Now if I really had to choose a verse from Matthew 24 to suggest GW (i.e. Global Warming in verbose terms) it would be this one:

Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:(KJV)

P.S. Would a Nuclear Missile in Israel qualify as an abomination of desolation?

[–] audree7593 17 years ago

Surely you can see that the words I've italicized here made it look like you were saying Global Warming is mentioned in Matthew:

Audree7593, not just GW but ALL THESE THINGS (quite a few signs mentioned in Matthew 24)

But if you have now withdrawn that claim, no problem.

When I read the verse you posted, I didn't think of GW at all. A reading of Daniel shows what the 'abomination of desolation' will be.

[–] life4all 17 years ago

Audree, I see what happened here. I referenced a thread to illuminate a side topic (a connection between history and prophecy) but we got off on a tangent (mainly because the context was refocused away from the topic). What was highlighted in blue from this thread?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190524/board/thread/98296658?p=2&d=10 6229357#106229357

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin888 15 years ago

Sigh

The issue is more about what's causing it.

Climate change is normal it always happens it has happened long before the Industrial Revolutions, in the 1700s there was a "Mini Ice Age".

Man is certainly doing a horrible job stewarding God's creation today, but Carbon output is not the Issue, Plants breath Carbon to make Oxygen, we breath Oxygen and make Carbon, it's part of the cycle of Life, if there was no Carbon in the atmosphere all life on Earth would Die instantly.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

[–] roswell_iv 10 years ago

Global warming is a lie; it is about control by the government. The "little ice age" ended about 1900. Things have warmed up since then. Evolution is another lie~! Maybe you and Al Gore should go to Boston, MA where they can measure their snow in yards this winter.