Medieval Lexicon of Symbology

 At the end of October and early November, many cultures celebrate this season or time of the year, and while it is known by many names, generally in the northern hemisphere across Europe and North America is a traditional time for celebrating a Harvest festival.  This is the time of the year that marks the end of the growing season when all of the major crops will have been brought in from the fields and made ready for storage over the winter.  This is also the time when livestock specifically raised for meat production are butchered and made ready for storage.  Meat and fish was most often dried and smoked, hanging in smoking barns while smoking fires burned slowly in pits underneath. Of note, here, is that the Autumn is the time not only of harvesting but also storage and preserving.  This is the time to turn apples into cider, or to cellar it for winter storage.  Cabbage would be pickled for long storage; roots like carrots, onions and turnips would be ...

 Vlad Dracula, affectionately known as Vlad the Impaler, and Dracula the Vampire of story and legend is actually far different than the current iteration of his story.  So let's dive into it.   Vlad was born around 1430 and lived during the height of the Muslim conquest of Europe.  He lived in what is modern day Romania but for him, his home was in the historical state of Wallachia, one of three such states with Moldova and Transylvania.  All of these eastern European states were caught up in the ongoing struggle between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. However, Wallachia is the most immediately adjacent to the Ottomans and is in the forefront of all their attacks, literally the first stop on the way to Hungary or Moldavia. His father, Vlad II, was entangled in this conflict and his loyalties wavered between the Ottoman sultan and Hungary, depending on which power had overrun his small nation.  It is at this point that historical records becom...

  Does the "Soon" Language of Revelation Prove Preterism?   "The primary thing that people appeal to is this: the language of 'Near" and "quickly" that are used in Revelation seem to indicate that Jesus is going to come back immediately, in that generation." Two words :   Takos:  Quickly or suddenly    Angus :  Near  For the time is near.    If John says that the time is near and things must soon come to pass then it has to happen within a few years.  We can't be looking thousands of years down the timeline for fulfillment.  This doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the proper interpretation. These two words are used throughout Revelation, from chapter 1 to chapter 22. Therefore the entire span of time that the book of Revelation covers is all considered "soon".  This includes the letters to the churches, the visions, the binding of Satan, the release of the Beast, the new heaven and the new earth.  All of these time p...

 This approach to Bible study asks 5 distinct questions of a given passage.   1.  What is the overt meaning of the passage? 2.  Who is the passage written to? 3.  Is there an Old Testament/ New Testament connection?  Does this passage look forward, anticipating what is to come, or does it look backward, referencing something in the Old Testament? 4.  Is there meaning being conveyed that is symbolic, anticipatory, metaphorical, either overtly or as part of a pattern? 5.  What is the modern application to our current situation?    

The terms Preterism, Futurism, and Missionism refer to the views of interpreting prophecy found in the New Testament.  These prophecies are generally regarding what is referred to as the End Times and are found primarily in the book of Revelation, as well as in the Olivet Discourse recorded in the Gospels.  There are, however, several other passages in Paul's epistles (2 Thessalonians) that reference Jesus' second coming that are also key elements in our understanding of eschatological principles.  Another reference is 1 John's discussion of the Spirit of antichrist. Futurism asserts that none of the New Testament prophecy have been fulfilled at this point, and that all the references are to future events that will happen at Jesus' future second coming, heralding the end of our current existence on Earth. Typically, these prophecies are referring to real events that are interpreted literally whenever possible, and as references to real events even when symbolic....

 The Escape Valve Theory is an explanation for the seemingly intractable religious wars that, throughout history, seem to characterize certain regions and time periods. This is typically a phenomenon in cultures that are steeply divided by class, particularly economic class, with elite leaders who live lives of luxury and affluence.  These leaders are supported by an underclass that is economically impoverished, with no hope of upward mobility or improving their lives in any way.  This serf class is necessary for things like manual labor, agriculture, mining and so the ruling class need to keep them at a certain population level.   However, if the serf class begins to rise to form an independently wealthy middle or merchant class, or if they become informed by education or the free exchange of ideas, then they become difficult to control.  The educated or middle class begins to question the authoritarian policies of their rulers and they begin to protest an...