MAN FROM THE FUTURE

 

  • Could you expand upon this statement in your FAQ section (Christian Futures Network - http://christianfutures.com/): "this field rejects a naive Bible prophecy"

    Gary, "Bible prophecy" is a practice of seeing to interpret contemporary events through ancient scriptures, which were written to another audience. Whether through analogy or numerology, it is naive. In the Christian tradition, this is known as apocalyptic literature, or esoteric literature, which had likely had meaning for marginalized groups when it was written, but has no predictive, nor determinative function for today. This is also known as millennialism. Having said this, there is a role for theology to speak to a contemporary audience, in the study of first things, or the architect of the possible. But doomsday thinking, on its own, apart from examining the Zeitgeist of the time, is of little social value.

    Your web site is very nice. It reminds me of a book a friend of mine wrote. Grosso, M. (1995). The millennium myth: Love and death at the end of time. Wheaton, IL: Quest. He coined the term "technoapocalypse" which refers to the reinvention of humans through technology to defy death and renew culture.

    --Jay Gary, PhD

 

  • Jay,

    I appreciate your kind words about my website, and the insight into your friend's coined word technoapocalypse. I read some reviews on his book. Intriguing!

    In terms of Bible prophecy, "rejects" is a very strong word. It suggests final empirical proof that none on earth possesses. The Jewish community in the first century could have recognized the timing of Messiah's arrival had they unlocked Daniel's prophetic key of 70 weeks. But it was not to be. They were asleep just as we are asleep in the 21st century.

    The use of the word "naive" is accurate if the emphasis is upon innocence. There is a sense in which Christians should be innocent of the world's wisdom, though not ignorant. We are to be as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves as the old text says.

    God's wisdom provokes the world. His words, His actions, and His methods appear to the world as foolishness. In every age including our own age until the end of time this will be the case. We cannot change this reality anymore than the leopard can change its spots. We can only bend to it, or break in refusal.

    The fact is prophecy is the way (the modus operandi) that God communicates to man and woman. I call it the God algorithm. For us it began with "Let there be light!" This is what the word "prophecy" in my term technoprophecy is referring to - the God algorithm.

    The "techno" part refers to the cosmos as God's technology - everything from the largest structure in the universe the superclusters to the smallest structure the subatomic particles, and everything in between including man and woman.

    One future day, as the God algorithm foretells, cosmos and ouranos shall marry and become one word again as it was in the beginning when the man and woman walked and talked with God face to face. However, there will be more (much more), for history doesn't simply repeat itself. We shall discover history is one step higher in the spiral upwards.

    New Jerusalem where God's throne will reside is the Satellite City orbiting and shining its light upon the earth replacing both sun and moon. The City shall superliterally become "the sun of righteousness" that "will rise with healing in its wings"; and we will "kick about like calves out of the stall." In that future day faith becomes sight, hope is fulfilled and joyous love is finally resolved. 

    Our hope resides not here on earth in empirical proof that can never be final. Have you contemplated Godel's Incompleteness Theorem? Mathematics leads only to mechanics, not to truth; and final proof is impossible. Godel's gap means that final ultimate reality is not reached by empirical man, but by spiritual man who is extradimensional, and whose hope resides in the prophetic word - the God algorithm.

    Jay - I guess I am part of that marginal group of whom you spoke, and to which the apocalyptic texts were written. I am the man from the future. For to me within them holds the very key to life and breath of God. Without them I would go insane in the statistical emptiness we call quantum mechanics. What is the quantum but the interface between the 3-dimensional and extradimensional? It like all particulars in the cosmos is only a signpost to meaning, but it is not meaning itself.

    I can only close with the hopefilled greeting from the first century Christians. Maranatha! The Lord come soon! :)

    Thanks!
    Gary Thomas

     

 
Home  |   First Person |  What Was  |  What Is  |  What Is To Come  |  Telescope  |  About Us  |  Links
Technoprophecy - Contact: