u/Holiday-Beginning355

I finally told my parents what happened to me as a child. My parents were extremely calm. They didn't deny it. I rehearse it in my head a million times. I was ready. I had a comeback for anything they tried to say. They just sat there in shock. After a long, uncomfortable silence, we moved on to a different subject.

I think they were in shock because everything made sense. All of a sudden, my emotional, mental and physical health problems had answers. I don't know how things will go from here, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I'm fortunate to have parents who believe me. This was my next step in therapy. My therapist was excited. She's a young therapist so she didn't expect it. I'm glad that her method of therapy worked. She's very unconventional. She has a really neo-soul vibe. I'm hoping other therapists will consider her methods and techniques. I've made more progress in two years with her than anyone else in 30 years.

If you're a CSA survivor, don't give up. It took a decade to get to this point. It was worth every tear. I've gone from being a depressed hermit to a full time academic researcher. I still have a lot to work on. There's no cure for this. What I do have is hope and freedom. Watchtower has no control over me.

Most Christians use the book of Revelation to predict events during the Great Tribulation and Armageddon. They also use the book of Revelation to understand what events will lead up to Armageddon and the Great Tribulation. Most Christians forget one thing: the prophecies are based only on what John sees, not on what he hears.

He is told in Revelation 1:9 to write down what he sees. John always hears one thing, but he sees something different.

In chapter 5, John hears the lion of the tribe of Judah, but he sees a lamb that looks as if it had been killed but was still alive. This could refer to God always supporting the Israelites by giving them Superior strength in battle. Now we will be delivered by Jesus's sacrifice and not by the violence of war.

In chapter 7 John hears 144, 000 with 12,000 being taken from each of the tribes of Israel but he sees a great crowd. Many scholars believe this refers to those who can have a relationship with God. For those who wish to have a relationship with God, they are no longer required to be Israelites or hold to the Mosaic law. Jesus's sacrifice applies to everyone, not just Israel.

This is just a little bit of what I've been studying. I don't take any of this literally because I'm an atheist. At the end of the day, Revelation is a piece of literature in the Bible that does not claim to have anything in common with any other prophecy in the Hebrew Bible. So many Christians use the book of Revelation to justify the mistreatment of other humans and their apathy towards it. It's not worth using the book of Revelation to establish your primary doctrine if it can have such disastrous effects on other people.