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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 2000)
Page B4 June 14, 2000 CLPje ^ o r t lattò (lObemwr i Metro/Religion Have a Happy Father's Day ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■I Armageddon: Disagreements Lx)calchurchhostssessionofuieOægon/ about a famous place Washington annual conference A ssociated Puts* It’s one o f those biblical places everyone has heard of: Armageddon, site o f a raging battle between the forces o f good and evil at the end o f time. Armageddon is named only once, in Revelation 16:16, which says three demonic spirits will assemble the w orld’s kings “at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon.” The first question here is whether Armageddon is meant to be symbolic or literal. That relates to the competing ways o f interpreting the mysterious Book o f Revelation. To oversimplify, the “past” school th in k s R e v e la tio n a d d re sse s persecution o f Christians in the late first century, when the book was written. The “present” school thinks it depicts believers’ struggles through history. Both regard the book as poetic and symbolic. The “future” school is popularized in A m erica by m any E v an g elical Protestants, including writers o f pulp fiction in the “Left Behind” genre, and sects like Jehovah’s Witnesses. They deem Revelation a depiction o f End-Times events, includinga literal climactic battle. Whether literal or symbolic, what is Armageddon? E lisabeth Schussler Fiorenza o f Harvard University considers it a merely “mythological place” whose name “eludes all scholarly attempts o f definition.” However, most scholars think the definition is obvious, reports Eric H. Cline o f the University ofCincinnati, who examines the famous location in an article in the current issue o f Bible R ev iew m a g a z in e and the forthcoming book “The Battles o f A rm a g e d d o n ” (U n iv e rsity o f Michigan Press). The Hebrew “Har Megiddon” means “Mount o f M egiddo.” And most conclude that Revelation refers, either literally or sym bolically, to that ancient town in Israel ’ s Jezreel Valley. However, there’s a minority view that the “H” was a breathing mark that got added to the original Hebrew “Ir M e g id d o ,” m e a n in g “ C ity o f Megiddo.” Another theory ties Armageddon to the Hebrew “Har M o’ed” or “Mount o f Assembly,” meaning Jerusalem ’s Mount Zion. (After all, Revelation locates history’s final battle, long after Armageddon, at Jerusalem.) But some scholars, including Jon Paulien o f M ichigan’s Andrews University, think there’s too big a linguistic leap from Har M o’ed to Armageddon. Some Evangelicals object that since there’s no literal mountain at Megiddo, the Bible must be referring to a nearby peak, perhaps Mount Carmel. But Cline, an archaeologist with the Megiddo excavations, insists there is indeed a mount at this site _ not some giant peak, to be sure, but a 70- foot mound created by the building o f successive cities on top o f each other in ancient times. Cline also argues that Megiddo is an appropriate setting since more than 30 conflicts have occurred at the crossroads town or nearby during the past 4,000 years. The warfare has in v o lv ed E g y ptians, Isra e lite s, G re e k s, M uslim s, E uropean C ru sa d e rs and M o n g o ls, and modern-day Germans, British, Israelis and Arabs. C o m m an d ers in th e se bloody co n flic ts included the biblical Deborah, Gideon, Saul, Jonathan and Jezebel; Egypt's Pharaoh Thutmose III; Ptolemy; Saladin; Napoleon; and World War I’s General Allenby. Cline also finds Megiddo fitting due to a biblical link that has been noted for centuries and rates a footnote in the Catholic edition of the Revised Standard Version. King Josiah, the “second David,” ascended the throne o f Judah in 639 B.C. and ordered sweeping reforms to wipe out paganism and purify worship o f the one true God. But it turned out that Josiah was the last truly independent ruler in the family line o f David. He died at Megiddo in a battle against Egypt in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29-30,2 Chronicles 35:20- 27) and Judah became a mere puppet o f Egypt under Josiah’s sons. The later Old Testament prophet Zechariah (in chapter 12) referred to M egiddo w hen he foretold the restoration o f the Davidic monarchy. And the Gospel o f Matthew (in chapter 1) traced Jesus C h rist’s ancestry through Josiah back to David. The meaning, says Cline, is that the Messiah will restore the line o f David a, Megiddo, the very town where it disappeared. So the battle o f Megiddo in 609 B.C. ended an epoch, while the future battle o f Megiddo will “initiate a new era and re-establish the kingdom ofGod." Obituary In Loving Memory of Baby Ruth Armstrong Baby Ruth was bom in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1924. She moved to Portland in the late 1940’s. She married Thedios Armstrong in June o f 1965. She survived by her husband Theios R. Armstrong a son Claud Edward Davis and daughters, Althea L. Davis, B obbie A gbonze and D oris R. Armstrong all o f Portland. She is lay to rest at W illam ette N ational Cemetary. CONTRIBUTED STORY Approximately 150 church leaders and appointed delegates from O regon and W ashington w ill convene June 21 -2 5 in Vancouver, W A. C o m m u n ity A frican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church w ill host th is y e a r’s annual gathering. The conference is being held this year at “The Worship, The Work and The Witness” Romans 8:1- 5.The conference meets annually to re c e iv e re p o rts, ap p o in t conference officers and pastors and review other items o f interest. An important topic at the conference will be a discussion centering on the proposed m erger o f AME Zion denomination with the Christian M eth o d ist E p isc o p a l (C M E ) denomination. Another issue before the conference is the declaration o f Harriet Tubman’s home (located in Auburn, NY) as a national historic site. Scheduled to attend the 108th Opening Session on W ednesday, June 21 is: Royce Pollard, Mayor, Vancouver, Washington Vernon Stoner, Vancouver City Manager Val Joshua, NAACP President, Vancouver M ayor Pollard is expected to proclaim June 21 - 25 as African Methodist Episcopal Zion Week The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church wasestablished in 1796 because blacks were unable to worship and grow in leadership under then M eth o d ist denomination. As a result, blacks separated and formed their own denomination. TeeBee Enterprises Mr. Terrell Brandon, CEO/Founder PROUDL Y PRESENTS Portland's Gospel Explosion 2000!!! A two - day Music Extravaganza Featuring: Pastor Shirley Caesar & The Caesar Singers Friday, June 23, 2000. 8 p.m. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall SW Broadway & Main Tickets $25.00 in advance $28.50 at the door Congratulations You have worked hard. Pastor John P. Kee & The New Life Community Choir Saturday June 24, 2000 7:30 p.m. Portland Foursquare Church 1302 SE Ankeny Tickets $18.50 in advance $21.50 at the door Also featuring The TeeBee Enterprises Mass Choir To register and participate in the Mass Choir call (503) 727-2677 T ickets N ow A vailable at All Ticketmaster locations Terrell Brandon's Barber Shop, Melodies From Heaven and Christian Supply Stores For more information call (503)460-0348 ticketmaster Marcus V. Spencer 18 Jarvey Hall 18 G.I. Joes, Meier & Frank, Lamb's Thriftway and other indipendent locations (503)224-4400 www.ticketmaster.com Love, your family. Big City Produce Named BEST FRESH MARKET in Portland 1999!! A Ticket A Tasket The place for cards, gifts and baskets Buy the Case, Buy the Pound, or Buy the Bunch, You Save BIG at Big City Produce! Best Greens in Portland. Best ethnocentric selections in Portland. 722 N. Sumner St. (Corner of N. Albina & N. Sumner) One Block West of Jefferson High School. 460-3830 Open 7 Days a Week Mon-Fri 7:30 - 7:00pm Sat. 9:00am - 6pm Sun. 10:00am - 6pm Fresh Flowers Balloons Candles Journals Cards Candies 1305 NE Fremont Portland, Or. 97212 0 284-7344 tisketgifts@yahoo.com I
