It does the Bible disservice to interpret it literally. One common error is the misinterpretation of the Biblical Apocalypse.
The true meaning of apocalypse is disclosure, unveiling, and revelation. The Biblical Apocalypse is the lifting of the veil, the revelation of the underbelly of reality. The apostle John of Patmos wrote the book of Revelation using hyperbolic images, stars falling from the sky, and the moon turning to blood.
Apocalypse is for the sake of birth, not death.
In Luke 21, Jesus says right in the middle of the catastrophic description: “By standing firm, you will win your souls.” Falling apart is for the sake of renewal, not punishment.
In Mark 13, Jesus says “Stay awake” four times in the last paragraph (Mark 13:32–37). In other words, “Learn the lesson that this has to teach you.” It points to everything that we take for granted and says, “Don’t take anything for granted.”
An apocalyptic event reframes reality in a radical way by flipping our imagination; it presents us with “what if” so that we would choose whatever would prevent catastrophic damage to God’s creation.
It’s not the end of the world, but the end of the worlds that we have created. It’s not a threat, but a summon to profound wisdom, to the real, to the lasting, to what matters.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
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