Son of man as described here
View of the present world
Kingdom of God as described here
When?
| Period | Earthly Kingdom | Kingdom of God | Hope | Messiah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-exilic | Israelite king rules over Israelites | King answers to God, God appoints the king (David) | David’s dynasty continues forever | Every king was anointed |
| Post-exilic | Foreign empires rule Israelites | God allows foreign rule as chastisement | God will restore David’s dynasty | Anticipated but ordinary human will be king |
| Hellenistic and Roman | Foreign rule lasts centuries | God is waiting for a final day of judgment | A kingdom worth waiting for | Super-human |
| Harshest persecution | Corruption everywhere | Beyond Earth | Escape destruction of Earth | Non-physical |
After Jesus was there ever a claimed Messiah for the Jews or are they still waiting for one to come?
So how does the anointed one differ from God?
The teaching that the Kingdom of God is spiritual place really helped explain God. Is the temple in Jerusalem a tangible example of the Kingdom of God? If the Jews could openly speak to God in it, then it should be right?
Why is the term apocalypse misused if it is a literature in the genre? Does the word just sound fearful so they went with that?
Something I found interesting from the reading was the definition of the word apocalypse. To me, the first think I think of is like a zombie type situation. In the text it says that there are many apocalypses outside the Bible, what are some examples?
It doesn't seem like Daniel had a good vision of what life would be like when the holy ones took over, is this why he was still terrified after his vision?
Was there any particular reason or evidence that Christians had that would make them expect Jesus to return almost immediately?
How soon will it be judgment day? Are there any signs that it may be soon? Are there apocalyptic signals?
When the text says "world as so thoroughly corrupt that when God does intervene God can do nothing for it except destroy it completely and start over." Is this the same concept as in 2.4 where the only way the land could be cleansed is by purging of it sinners but in this chapter its a bit more extreme in saying it will be destroyed in order to start fresh. As in instead of it being just the land its on a wider spectrum being the whole earth?
... when God feels like the only way to continue is to destroy Earth and start over