Attended another church service.
I enjoyed the modern music at the beginning of it. The 'sermon' or message was a discussion of Leviticus chapter 3. I found it interesting, but not particularly inspiring. Afterward I was cornered by one of the zealots. A nice guy really, but a real Bible thumper. He reminded me of me when I was a Jw. I was always the guy who spent the entire time after a meeting talking with a visitor, trying to sell him/her our version of Truth.
It seems that this little 'independent' church is pretty fundy. They seem to take the Bible very literally. This is a synopsis of what I gathered from the conversation with the fellow;
- We are living in the last days. The 'church age' he called it.
- The Rapture will take all believers to heaven soon.
- When the Jews take control of the Temple again, then the Rapture followed by the Tribulation will begin soon.
- The 144,000 are literal Jews who, following the Rapture, see that indeed Jesus was the Messiah
- When the forces that oppose them, stop the new grain offerings in the Temple, the Tribulation will be starting.
- The dead [not destined for heaven I think] are really 'dead'. For now. They will literally come to life after the 1000 years.
- Jesus will reign on an earthly throne for 1000 years.
- Hell is a place that God designed, not with intent of torture, but because those who reject Him are not able to be in his presence.
- Paradise and Hell were compartmental areas in the bowels of the earth. After Jesus went to Hades [the paradise side] for three days, he then left and emptied it. Thus the evildoer could actually be with Jesus in Paradise that day.
I don't think I will be going back. I may have gotten some of what he said akilter. But this was pretty close. I got that same ole' feeling - though he didn't say the words, that, 'We have the Truth. No one else has it right that disagrees with us. As long as the mainstream churches accept our view of Jesus at least, and his divinity, they might might make it through too. But mostly, we have the Truth."
It was too fundy for me. We talked about cults, including the one I have left. But all the time he is talking, I am thinking that all I see here indicated a cult too. Of course he didn't see that forest due to the trees.
Jeff