Bible Study Seattle

In a bible study, the question was raised, “Would Jesus ever treat people this way?”  The study was on Joseph.  It was observed that much of Joseph’s early struggles pictured Jesus’ first advent.  It was then noted that perhaps Joseph’s reign under Pharoah is a picture of Jesus’ second advent.  It was noted how apparently mean Joseph was to his brothers.  Would Jesus ever treat the Jews that way?  This made some uncomfortable.  So much so, that someone complained, “You’re reading too much into the text.”

Even more extreme is this scene in Revelation:

“ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.  But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.”  Revelation 19:11-21

Will Jesus actually kill people?  This passage must be symbolic, no?  Not my Jesus, meek and mild!  But what if he does?  How many will reject him, because that’s not the Jesus they believe in?  Wasn’t it the same the first time around?  Jesus didn’t do what people expected, even his own family and disciples!  But we trust God, that he knows what he’s doing.