In Part 1, I related the history of the development of the idea of Hell in Persia. The creator God Marduk defeated the monster and exiled him. The “place of exile” idea was transmitted to the Hebrews, to Christianity, and to today. This concept of Hell was greatly modified between AD 1000 and AD 1600 by “embellishments”, lurid paintings, and the invention of the printing press. The printing press allowed two major works of FICTION to generate widely accepted ideas about Hell that are not contained in scriptures. This is an illustration of the real power of mass marketing and good advertising. In Part 2, I explained how some few people find Hell to be useful and do things for them like provide employment, or sustain one’s position. I explained how this is done. I also explained that war is as close to Hell as it is possible to get. General Sherman said it correctly, “War is Hell.” War is an excuse for violence. There has never been an end to war because for male humans, war is “fun”. War is addictive. War provides a wonderful adrenal “rush”. Like coke, crack, and meth heads, we endlessly spend huge sums to “do” war just one more time. In Part 3, I explored the aspect of the concept and portrayal of Hell, the Devil, Lucifer, the Antichrist. My dictionary says that the Antichrist is Christ’s great antagonist expected to cause chaos in the last days before the Second Coming. That same book calls the Devil, the foe of God. The Antichrist is the Devil, or his minion. What we are really talking about is one of those great delusions that transfix humankind. A fantasy in which people gladly immerse themselves for escapism entertainment. In Part 4, I attempt to suspend judgment to attempt to learn the basis of such a belief in fantasy. The story of the Antichrist and the Second Coming of Jesus continues. People will be able to tell when His Appearance is Nigh. The Antichrist (the Bad Guy) will lead off the tale, do his “thing”. He will create havoc and chaos around the world. Then Jesus (the Good Guy) will lead the cavalry charge of the angels ( the rest of the posse) over the hill and save the day. The key in this story is in the creation by the Antichrist of havoc and chaos when he “arrives”. There will be the “signs”. Just what these signs are, is widely unclear and open to lots of highly fallible interpretation. Some are said to be natural occurrences of Nature. Other “signs” are supposed to be particular calendar dates. Other “signs” are more obscure at best. Some supposed “signs” kind of drift and change and are often just something “new”, “strange”, and “irritating”. Some supposed “signs” can be anything the person wants it to be. The most important of the supposed “signs” is the actual coming of “the Antichrist”. No one is supposed to be able to identify him / her. It is said that he may have only one eye, which puts anyone with an eye patch, a glass eye, and the one-eyed, flying purple people eater at a huge disadvantage. In Part 5, I attempt to examine what is supposed to happen when Jesus comes again. First, its a little confusing. According to some, certain events are supposed to occur, and others leave it “cloudy” at best. As I understand the timeline, it works like this: during the period when the Antichrist is in charge, there will be world wide peace. No wars. However, there will be more and more restrictions on personal freedom. Yet, things will appear to be going well. Suddenly, “all Hell will break loose”, perhaps as a revolt against diminished personal freedom? Perhaps for freedom of religion? This is unexplained. The “events” escalate into wars that escalate into the “final battle” at Armageddon, the battle at the “end of the world”. Before I try to continue with the timeline of our study, when and how the Second Coming grew to be expected, twelve ideas and problems deserve exploration. One, the dreams, visions of what is called “Revelations”, with a capitol. How are these revelations any different from a deprivation caused “vision quest” found in many cultures? The Early Christians are well known to have succumbed to the allures of “going off into the wilderness to suffer” to become “more Godly”. From this, we have developed in our culture the icons in constant use of the “hermit”, the “guru”, and the “wild man of the desert”. Three or four days without food and water will “mess” with anyone’s mind. They will see visions. They may experience delirium. Second, it could be just as likely that when food resources were scarce, as in times of repression, and persecution, that people were forced to make marginal selections in what they ere force to eat. These visions, or revelations, could simply be the result of eating “tainted cheese”, drinking a surplus of alcoholic beverages, or eating foods containing mind altering organic drugs from ergotized grains. Third, these same visions, or revelations, could also simply be the result of high fever inducing illnesses which were very common in situations where people lived in conditions of poor to nonexistent sanitation and without sewer systems. What would cause people of that time, the early years of Christianity, to pay more attention to such ravings (of a seriously ill person) than they normally would? Fourth, sure the person might be ill, fevered, but these were desperate times, and they were seeking help in prayer, hoping that God would answer their prayers for relief of suffering. Why wouldn’t God answer through one suffering even more (a sick, raving person) than they? Remember, too, that many cultures respect and defer to those who “rave” or “speak in tongues”. Some groups still do, even today. Fifth, I think the answers lie in the long, continuous persecution of the Early Christians by the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire, even though it was fraying at the edges, was so strong, so powerful, and so large that it took a very long time to crumble. About a thousand years. The Empire, like any political entity, was a seething maelstrom of conflicting interests, constantly stirred by the paddles of greed and power. There were parties, factions, powerful families, commercial interests and many, many competing religious interests. There was no freedom of speech. Not even in your own home. It was a time when any set of ears that could report hints of sedition, or unrest, could be well paid. Constant spying was a fact of life. Cautious person, especially those putting words to papyrus, to stay alive and remain healthy, knew to curb their “tongues”. The common penalty for most “crimes” of the times was death by public and deliberately painful execution. Punishment of death was not considered enough. To extract the largest learning value from an execution, they had to be public and entertaining. This meant lots of screaming for a long time, awful tortures, horrible suffering, copious blood flow and a well staged program. Execution events were staged in a continuous stream to last for hours and days. Sixth, in such a culture, it was not a good idea to be seen as suspicious. Which even today gives us the saying, “Do, as the Romans do.” and “Be a Roman candle.” Trouble makers would have been carefully watched. The Romans were not paranoid. They had learned to be cautious. Even the mildest comment, less than a level of enthusiasm, might be enough to be captured, arrested, and finally be executed in the arena. Seventh, the arena was calling. It called, loudly, all the time. The arena needed more and more “criminals” to be executed. The arena needed more and more animals to kill. The arena needed more and more gladiators to fight and die. The arena needed more and more spectacle. The show must go on! Someone had a vested interest in supplying those “criminals”. There was money to be made. This was especially true in large cities like Rome. Eighth, everyone knew this. The Early Christians certainly knew this. They were, supposedly, not totally stupid, or ignorant. The early Christians were known as a sect of Judaism. There were sects of every religion under the sun all over the Roman Empire. The Romans not only tolerated all of them, they protected them all, especially from each other. Ninth, there appears to some evidence that the Early Christians “struggled” with other sects. That would have been seen as “promoting civil unrest”. That was enough for your personal “command performance” invitation to a very special style of royal Imperial dinner party. Tenth, the Early Christians, however it happened, were called to the attention of Caesar Nero, Emperor of the Roman Empire. It could very well have been a total propaganda ruse, as well as an opportunity to fill the underground cells of the Coliseum arena with spare food supplies for the lions and tigers and bears. Those big guys eat a lot, and feeding time made for a great show and entertainment. Everyone enjoys a good “cat and mouse” game that lasts for a long time. The suspense and anticipation was really enthralling. And the ending! Eleventh, in such an atmosphere, basic prudence suggests rather strongly that negative thoughts and comments about certain fat government officials should be very cryptic, encoded, and well hidden. Many suggest that the code number, 666, is nothing more than a Greek alphanumeric representation and value to mean Caesar Nero. This may, or may not, be true. The symbol, 666, however, persists as the symbol of the Antichrist. Twelfth, in this high stress environment that lasted for more than two hundred continuous years, many people would latch onto the thinnest thread of hope to sustain their ability to cope.
(c) Copyright 2006: George Wallace recently published a book on religion which lashes out at nearly all of the comfortable ideas about God, the trappings of organized religion, and the priesthood. His pithy comments and suggestions for a return to a God-centered personal religion will interest everyone. This article may be freely reprinted so long as all copyright attributions, and the full content of this resource box are included. www.OhGodIsThatYou.com
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