Revelation, Jesus and Hype Cycles (Part 3)

This whole project actually got started more than 13 years ago.

<span class="wgs-Quote2" style="font-size: 14px; color: #993300;"><img class="size-full wp-image-4313 alignright" src="//godversusreligion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/seven-churches-350-270.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="270" />I'll put the 2016 updates in text like this so you can identify it.</span>

In the Intro to the series and in Part 2, we looked at an introduction to the Gartner Group Hype Cycle and how it applies to things in the technology field. Also that it's an indicator of human behavior.

And then there was the concept that somehow Jesus fits in with it.

No doubt will be a few changes in the original hype cycle chart in order to have it work within the context of Revelation.

First off - we need a "technology" trigger. So let's lose the word "technology" and just say that the trigger is Jesus. What better trigger?

^{Ge 1:1} In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

^{Jn 1:1} In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

^{Jn 1:14} The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So - in the beginning, Jesus "was". No doubt about whether He was the original trigger. So let's modify the hype cycle chart a little bit:

OK - we have a beginning. We're making the transition from a techno chart to a real life example of the single most important event to ever take place in our world.  So far.

Now - remember about the different stages of learning in the tech fields? There are the "newbies", the people with "some experience" and the "experts". No surprise, the same thing exists in the spiritual world of faith in God & Jesus. In this case, the terms sometimes used to describe the levels of faith are "infant", "adolescent" and "mature".

For example, Paul writes this in Hebrews 5:11-14

Warning Against Falling Away

^{Heb 5:11} We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Not to say that the intent of what Paul says isn't important, but for this context in this particular article - the point was merely to show the use of infant versus the mature in terms of a measure of relative faith. Not that either is good or bad - because out of context, they mean nothing. The important thing is to even start the journey if you haven't yet begun - and then continue to progress towards maturity.

In any case - we can now add a couple more things to our hype cycle chart:

Now it should begin to make even more sense. As we grow in our faith - our expectations change. They become more grounded in teaching from the Word of God. They become more focused on God and what He desires for and from us.