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NASB | 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory]. |
Bible Question:
Hi John, Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. What would make this account of what John said he saw allegory? |
Bible Answer: Hi bibleman... First of all, I'd like to point out that I didn't say it was allegory, but only that some interpret it that way. I actually would tend to lean more toward a literal interpretation, but I really don't know for sure, thats just my humble opinion. As far as why it is sometimes interpreted that way (i.e. as allegory)... I don't think I could improve on sister Val's answer so I'll let it be as it is. (Thank you Val) Just musing a bit here if I may... And to get back to the original question. I would personally be hard pressed (again, just my opinion) to call what is going on with the soul's under the alter and the rich man as literal prayer. For the rich man to call out to Abraham, is, to me at least, just a call from someone, to someone, for help. I would not necessarily call that prayer. If I fell into a ditch, and called out to someone, to tell my brethren to be careful of the ditch; I wouldn't call that a prayer, but just a request for assistance to do something I was not able to do for myself. In the case of the souls under the alter, it would appear, (though it may be literal or allegorical) that they are having a face-to-face conversation. But thats a tough one too, because who's to say if a soul has a face. :-) So I don't think I could call that prayer for sure, though again, I would stress, that I don't know for sure. So my point is, we need to be careful when we make assertions, when we are answering questions. There are many who come here, looking for truth, and with a trusting heart. So, I think, it's better be very careful. We don't want to lead someone to believe something should be taken as doctrine, when we cannot really be sure about it ourselves. Those who are called to teach are held to a higher standard, and I believe we will have to account for every idol word, whether it be spoken or written. John |