Prophecies and the Power of Choice

When people experience a crisis of faith, some may turn to the prophecies of the Bible to make sense of world events. The cross-over success of the apocalyptic Left Behind series, which has sold more than 50 million books, shows that many people want to know how war and conflicts will affect the future of humanity.

But what if these prophecies are misinterpreted based on each individual’s practice of the spiritual teachings of Jesus?

If Jesus taught about love, compassion and acceptance, how did we end up interpreting prophecies to damn millions of followers in other religious and spiritual traditions? Is the Bible’s book of Revelation instead just a powerful metaphor about the choice we all hold to create lasting peace or endless suffering in our world?

Launched in 1995, Left Behind is a series of 12 end-times thrillers based on the New Testament book of Revelation. In the story line, when the Rapture and final reckoning occur, God draws up millions of Christians to heaven. Millions of non-Christians remain on Earth—left behind. The series covers a period of seven years called the Tribulation, during which earthbound humans still have a chance to turn to Jesus as their savior. At the end of the period, Jesus appears and begins a 1,000-year reign, presented in the final book of the series.

Many scholars believe that the book of Revelation can be interpreted as a symbolic metaphor about God exacting his retribution upon the Roman Empire for persecuting early Christians and oppressing the Jewish population. John, the author who wrote Revelation while imprisoned by the Romans, expressed great anger and hope that God would unleash the fury of justice upon the Roman Empire.

Revelation, however, does not reflect the spiritual teachings of Jesus. As a social prophet, Jesus pointed out inequities in both Jewish and Roman societies, but his teachings did not espouse exclusion or violence. Through his parables, Jesus reminded ancient people to see past religious and social class restrictions to embrace Jews and gentiles alike with love, compassion and acceptance.

Revelation Illustrates Powerful Choices

Revelation is a powerful example of how humans choose to deal with personal and societal pain and suffering. Its author, John, chose to use his creational power to write a book that damned the very empire who took away his freedom. We all hold the power to choose reactions, feelings, thoughts and actions in response to situations that cause us pain. We are like master painters, holding our brush of choice in different ways. Some use bold strokes, splattering paint on those around them. Others use delicate movements, staying within the canvas. And some lay down the brush, never realizing that creation needs to be done. We are the master painters of our own lives, and we choose how to create our masterpieces.

We are a smaller version of God’s world of creation, and we can create on a small scale during our life on Earth. Each choice point in our life acts like a moment of creation in the following ways:

• Free will. Our little can of paint holds our free will, which represents our creative energy store of potential possibilities that we will choose to create in our lives.
  

• Potential possibilities. When you dip your paint brush into your little can of possibilities, you may choose to create many realities, and some may be different from your divine plan.
  

• Separate realities. As you lay your brush upon the canvas of your life, your thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions act like the bristles on the brush, creating realities separate from your divine plan. Using your little disconnected can of creation, these separate realities often do not reflect the essence of your higher spirit-self. The energies and experiences of your life are often not a true reflection of your divine plan.
  

• Divine plan. As master painters, when we decide to pull from a greater source of creation, we access the power of our divine plan with God. The energy of the little can of possibilities and separate realities merges back into God’s great creational energy. Using our free will as master painters, we choose to create our divine plan on Earth through experiences that provide opportunities to choose greater reconnection with Spirit.
  

• Heaven on Earth. Through an open, loving connection with the God of our hearts, we become master creators and instruments of Spirit, letting the power and love of God illuminate the world through our choices.

I will guide you to affirm your power of choice in The Eye of the Storm.

As a master creator, if you accept the power of your choices, you accept the power others have over their choices. 

We are all responsible for our own creations, and a master allows others to experience the consequences of their actions, whether positive or negative. A master does not carry another master’s brushes. We choose to give to others what God gives to us: free will to make choices and take responsibility for the outcome of these choices. 

The dark destruction of the world becomes a viable choice when we forget the love and compassion dwelling within. Through a spiritual practice of listening to the still, small voice within, we can choose to create a peaceful world of the heart.

Life is a choice experience.

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