#15 Understanding Revelation
Patterns of human behavior
It is 7:53am as I make this journal entry.
I mentioned a few weeks ago about staying diligent in guarding the gateways to our hearts. Being mindful of the content we set our eyes and ears to as we go on about our day.
The social media platforms and accounts we subscribe to are very good at recognizing our behavior patterns to determine what content is most likely to keep us engaged when we consume content.
The algorithm that runs the Tik Tok application has been the most effective at doing this for some time. Which is why our government, many governments in fact have been trying really hard to get their hands on that code and data.
I say all that to say, every now and then those same algos can serve us for the better. At least for brief moments.
A few days ago the YouTube algo began presenting me with some Christian based movies from the early 90s going back to the 70s.
Content that I would label as being safe for my ears and eyes. Comparing these movies from those days to what we consider norm today, the contrast is both stark and eerily nostalgic.
A central theme that threads from the format and model of those days to the present is this;
The content and media producers of those days gradually separated Jesus Christ from our ethics and morality though their story telling.
Once that separation was normalized they then began the gradual process of normalizing various types of sinful behavior. The small incremental steps have the result we would expect, desensitizing us to the acts of sin at increasing levels until we get to where we’re at today.
Sexual immoralities, drugs, family structures, gender identities, levels of violence, the enemy has been able to gain ground on all these fronts following the separation and removal of Christ Jesus from our daily lives (schools and public spaces).
None of this is new, as humans, we have been here before. For those of us that study the Bible and history, we know this to be a recurring phase in the evolution of humanity going back centuries and millennia.
If a man from a hundred years ago were to time travel to the present day, they’d assume and expect that the end days are just around the corner.
Similarly, If a man from two hundred years ago were to time travel to a hundred years ago, they’d assume and expect that the end days are just around the corner.
This sentiment has been consistent amongst Christian going back to Genesis.
The Flood (Genesis 6-9): God sent a great flood to wipe out humanity, except for Noah and his family, because of the widespread wickedness and corruption of people on Earth. Only those who were righteous, like Noah, were spared.
Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19): God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulfur because of their extreme wickedness, particularly their sexual immorality and lack of hospitality. Lot and his family were the only ones spared, and they were warned to flee the city before its destruction.
In these current times, similar foretellings are expressed in the book of Revelation. Entire businesses are founded on various interpretations and aspects of those prophecies.
My interest in the book of Revelation has been quite low compared to other books in the bible in the early stages of my walk in the Christian faith.
This is mainly attributed to these few points.
Matthew 24:36 (ESV): "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."
Acts 1:7 (ESV): "He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.'"
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (ESV): "Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
Matthew 25:1-13 (ESV): In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, five wise virgins bring extra oil, while five foolish ones do not. When the bridegroom arrives, only the prepared virgins enter the wedding feast, highlighting the need to be ready for Jesus' return.
My lack of interest in the book of Revelation has been the case, that is until recently. However, my attention has been drawn to it for a few weeks now.
Most of the content and interpretations you’ll find, speak to end times of the apocalyptic variety. Through the ages, artists and creators have discovered a wide variety of colorful interpretations from the texts contained in the book of Revelation.
When I read the book of Revelation, the literal illustration conveyed by the text is truly consistent with these commonly expressed apocalyptic themes.
However, that’s not what first came to my mind in my early readings of these texts.
I saw and understood, repeating cycles of behaviors of God and His human creations, that can be traced throughout the entire bible from Genesis in the OT to the NT texts.
Patterns of behavior that can be observed between centuries, generations and to lesser degrees even from a day to day living.
Part of the inspiration for this article came from
book “The Unveiling”. Some of the concepts he expresses in his work is somewhat consistent with the understanding that dominates my mind. A link to his (free) book can be found using this link.The media we consume IS our new church. Most of us dedicate an hour every week or so to the message of Jesus Christ by attending Church on Sunday.
But we spend tens of hours every week consuming content that separates us from Jesus Christ and his message.
We used to pay money to attend this church by going to the movies. Movies that were and are engineered to separate from Christ Jesus and His message.
In modern times and with new tech we now consume that same media from our homes, the phones in our pockets and the cost ... .is our attention and our data, while most of us think that entertainment, our new church, is free.
Going back to the cycle outlined in the book of Revelation.
Introduction to Jesus' Judgment on the Ecclesia: The book begins with an introduction to Jesus' judgment on the Ecclesia, emphasizing His authority and the significance of His revelation to God's servants.
Restoration Through Jesus: This section explores how trusting in Jesus' atonement restores harmony with God, nature, and oneself, involving suffering and discipline.
Delusion of Performance-Based Acceptance: The delusion of performance-based acceptance is discussed, highlighting how it destroys harmony with God's unconditional love and the need for divine forgiveness.
Suffering and Discipline: This part delves into the role of suffering and discipline in restoring trust in God, emphasizing the progressive nature of divine restoration.
Trust and Harmony: The importance of trusting in Jesus for salvation and the transformative power of genuine forgiveness is explored, contrasting it with fear-driven pride.
Jesus' Role and Human Functionality: Jesus' undamaged harmony with God and His role in restoring humanity's functionality are discussed, emphasizing the contrast between the Spirit and the Flesh.
Divine Forgiveness and Harmony: The concept of unconditional love and divine forgiveness is examined, highlighting how it restores harmony with God and resolves the delusion of performance-based acceptance.
The Authority of Jesus: Jesus' authority to rule over human affairs and the universe is explored, emphasizing His role as the second Adam and the firstborn among many brethren.
The Lamb of God: Jesus as the Lamb of God is discussed, symbolizing God's forgiveness and the restoration of humanity's capacity to trust in Him and nature.
The Impact of Jesus' Teachings: The healing power of Jesus' teachings and sacrifice is explored, highlighting how they provide a healing balm for humanity's collective wounded identity and restore trust in God.
If you think about how times have changed from just fifty years ago. Now try to imagine going back a hundred years, 1924 & 1925 to 2024 & 2025.
1924 & 1925
Based on the information available, the most common words in news headlines in America during the years 1924 and 1925 were likely influenced by significant events and trends of those years. While specific word frequency data is not provided, we can infer from the events mentioned that certain keywords were prominent in headlines.
1924 Keywords and Context:
Election: The 1924 U.S. presidential election, won by Calvin Coolidge, would have generated headlines with terms like "election" and "Coolidge".
Immigration: The Immigration Act of 1924, which restricted immigration, featured "immigration" and "quota".
Disaster: The Nixon Nitration Works disaster, a significant industrial accident, included "disaster" and "explosion".
Olympics: The first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, brought "Olympics" and "winter sports" into the spotlight.
Citizenship: The Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to Native Americans, highlighted "citizenship" and "Native Americans".
Tornado: The Tri-State Tornado, America's deadliest, featured "tornado," "disaster," and "death toll".
Television: The invention of television, a major technological advancement, included "television," "invention," and "future".
Evolution: The Scopes "Monkey Trial" on teaching evolution used "evolution," "trial," and "creationism".
Serum Run: The serum run to Nome, a dramatic medical relay, highlighted "serum," "Nome," and "dog sled".
Fascist: Italy's shift to fascism brought "fascist," "dictatorship," and "Italy" into focus.
2024 & 2025
Based on the information available, the most common words in news headlines in America during the years 2024 and 2025 were influenced by significant political, social, and cultural events. Here are some of the prominent keywords and their context:
2024 & 2025 Keywords and Context:
Election: The 2024 U.S. presidential election, won by Donald Trump, dominated headlines with terms like "election," "Trump," and "victory".
Political Figures: Names such as "Trump," "Biden," and "Harris" were frequently mentioned, reflecting the intense political climate.
Border and Immigration: Terms like "border," "immigration," and "tariff" were common, highlighting debates on border security and economic policies.
Super Bowl: The Super Bowl LVIII, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift, included sports-related terms and celebrity names in headlines.
Disinformation: The role of disinformation in shaping election narratives was a significant topic, with terms like "disinformation" and "media attention" prominent.
Election Aftermath: Post-election analysis and the impact of Trump's victory continued to be a focus, with terms like "Trump," "election," and "political realignment".
Tariffs and Economy: Economic policies, particularly tariffs, were a recurring theme, with terms like "tariff," "economy," and "trade" frequently appearing.
Super Bowl: The 2025 Super Bowl, where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs, featured terms like "Super Bowl," "Trump," and "Taylor Swift".
Political Shifts: The political landscape saw significant shifts, with terms like "realignment," "working-class voters," and "wealthier voters" reflecting changes in voter demographics.
International Relations: Foreign reactions to Trump's victory and U.S. policies, including terms like "China," "Mexico," and "tariffs," were also prominent.
Some, maybe most of us will look at the high frequency words from these two eras, 1924 & 2025 and conclude the obvious, of course there are similarities, they were both presidential election years.
Perhaps, some of us think that you can take any two calendar years that are one hundred years apart and draw some parallels, and you would likely be correct.
The point, however, is that the enemy’s game, tactic and strategy is not new. Years and names may change, but the tactic and strategy remains the same.
New technology becomes available, i.e. TV in 1924 and AI in 2024. In a hundred years the enemy leverages it to separate and draw us further away from Christ Jesus and His message.
Distractions, bread and circus routines, i.e. First winter olympics and Super Bowl.
Nation states and Governments, i.e. Italy and Fascism. We point the finger at other governments and nations while at home in America freedoms are reduced and control over the population increases. Today we’re pointing fingers at China, Russia and Iran.
Seeds of division sowed on every facet of society. Division amongst fellow Christian, wealthy vs working class, black vs white, male vs females, just to name a few. That list of divisiveness is actually endless in modern American society.
I often cite this C.S. Lewis quote, mostly as a reminder to myself to be cognizant of when I am being divisive with or towards others.
"The humans have a great fondness for dividing themselves into groups and sub-groups, and for looking down on those who are not members of their own group. This is a great help to us, for it enables us to play on their snobbery and their desire to be superior to others."
~C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
The final and most important point I aim to make in this piece is this. In my personal opinion, these human behavior patterns are inevitable. It’s the result of the original sin going back to Adam and Eve. It is what many refer to as the “human condition”.
We can protest on the streets and online, we can campaign for votes one way or another, we can go to war with the bad guys. But the fact remains the same, if Jesus Christ and His Gospel is not your plan, our plan, the pattern will continue to perpetuate and repeat, day to day, generation to generation and from one century to the next.
This is the dominant understanding that comes to front of my mind reading the book of Revelation.
That pattern comes to an end or is disrupted, when Jesus Christ becomes the starting point for everything we say and do in our hearts and concerning each other.
We’re pretty far from it as a family, country and species. Unfortunately, as a species we’re trending in the opposite direction to the aim of bringing Christ Jesus to the center of our lives.
If you’ve made it this far, I thank you for your time and attention, the two most valuable assets we have in this life, so it means more to me than I can express in mere words. 💙🤗 may your days be filled with blessings and peace.
To my current supporters, thank you for your early encouragement. Let’s keep creating together! Cheers to many more inspiring cups of fulfilling creations.
That is all and once again thank you for reading.
Shashue Monrauch
You are much better at teaching this stuff than I am, my brother soul. I loved reading all you wrote here. It is very clearly stated and easy to understand.