Millennial Weaver
22 January 2008
Millennial Weaver
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Here is a segment from Michael Moore's TV Nation (1994) in which correspondent Louis Theroux investigates the religious groups known as "Millennialists" (the most infamous being the Branch Davidians), most of which believe the world was to end in the year 2000.
Yes, it is particularly humorous in retrospect. But beyond the lesson -- which most Adventists know well -- of not setting dates lies a deeper pattern that deserves attention. To wit: the way that the hopeful weave together their fantasies, their prejudices and strands of scripture.
Especially since we come from an at times disappointing proof-texting lineage, I think that the church, particularly the Sabbath School Lesson, should focus more on hermeneutics. Not to defend the past, but rather to prepare Adventists for future challenges. For how we read scripture influences not just our eschatology, but also our morality and social hope.
One reason for our lack of serious conversation as a church lies in our DNA. We started with picking dates out of the air. We've quit that. Yet the deeper cause -- what still plagues our debates from the sanctuary to homosexuality -- is our habit of stripping texts of their literary and cultural context. Most Adventists know better than to predict the end; but the Numbers-to-Hebrews-to-Daniel-to-Revelation structure of weaving together old cultural threads with current questions cannot continue as more and more of international Adventism moves from 1844 to 2008.
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In few words A. Carpenter made a powerful statement that has become a longing for many Adventists today. I would be so bold to say that not only international Adventism is crying for more on hermeneutics and less of the spec of the nineteenth century; here, at home, SDA churches are feeling a strong need of moving ahead from the time line of 1844!...
I particularly like the part where the narrator says, "Let's say I worship Satan, Should I be worried?". The people he is talking to answer it seriously.
A very clever way of affirming Des Ford's view. Tom
Even before we eliminate the endless "proof-texting" (which we should) there should be a far more critical approach to the entire Bible. What were the ancients attempting to say about what they believed as they told and retold their origin myths? There are far too many evidences of drawing from sources other than their own: The Enuma Elish, other flood stories, Hammurabi's Code of Law, and the similarites between Rahab and Leviathan in Job and other OT writings.
Why do we use tautology in claiming the Bible to be the Word of God? Or that it is inspired on the basis of internal statements? f that is so, was God so confused as to give several differing accounts for the same events? Why, and on what basis do we claim that the Bible is literal and in other places allegory? Why is there such inconsistency in applying some of the rules and laws, and flouting others? The other genres: poetry, wisdom and prophecies are too often accepted on a literal basis resulting in agnosticism rather than adopting the Christian belief. The almost universal refusal to analyze and take a serious look at the Bible as we would any other set of ancient writings, is a disgrace to postmoderns in the world today and has made a laughing stock of Christians because of that. We should and must do better. And before
Elaine
The Old Testament was the epic story of the Hebrews. When Jesus announced His mission He employed many of those epic stories to Himself. Not to validate the stories, but to
incorporate their history with His. He referenced Moses, David, Solomon, Job, Jonah, Isaiah and others not to validate Hebrew History but His Messiahship.
True Christianity is based upon the New Testament not the Old. We read the Old Testament to gain context and The New to read a true picture of God and Godliness. Tom
Tom, I agree that we SHOULD read the OT to understand the world in which Christianity was born. However, we know that the OT has been used quite consistently within the SDA church as a guide for rules, laws, and prophecies that applied to the Hebrews and not to Christians.
Adventists have used the prophecies, both Old and New Testaments as a cryptic message that extends past our time, and from which many millenial messages originated. Overlooked is that most of the prophecies were based on foundational principles. of justice, honesty, compassion and humility. Focusing on the interpretation of imagined beasts and attempting to interpret them in the context of the particular time of the interpreter, has been far more exciting, instead of preaching their more frequent message for justice, to show mercy, and walk humbly with God.
Regina, thanks for being "so bold." Always great to see emerging members of the Spectrum Blog commentariat.
History shows that the Millennium is a perennial hope that surfaces periodically.
Some of the current situations in Israel to take back the land that God gave them, is generously funded by Christians who fund the illegal settlements in Palestinian territories. Those who see all controversies as a cosmic battle between good and evil, mandates that the "evil" must be identified because they are Satanic forces. When Israel is "rightfully restored" the the millenium will begin. Tim LeHaye has made and sold millions of books outlining this belief.
The ability for some to see a coming conflagration in such announcements as the Pope calling for Sunday worship, reflects this type of eschatology that captures many Christians, including, at times, Adventists.
I wonder where the urge to set dates comes from? Even though we don't set dates anymore, we like to feel in control of the future--it's somehow a comfort to many to be "in the know" about the future.
Just when I think this urge is subsiding in Adventism I go to a more conventional setting. The church where I coordinated a family wedding this weekend had a rather easy to crack security code if you know anything about Adventists--1844!
It was William Miller who had a fixation on numerology. He was among the first to admit his error. As a young farm boy, I used to walk through the corn field and imagine Hiram Edison that frosty morning. You know, my edition of Great Controversay doesn't have that incident in it.
It read as if the Heavenly Sanctuary came as a direct revelation to E.G.White--my edition is a trade edition entitled the Triumph of God's Love.
1844 is a good number to remember, if you ever want to use the SDA campground and beach at Clarks Hill, S.C. the padlock can be opened with the correct use of the numbers 1 8 8 4. Tom
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