Added the History Valley Podcast YouTube interview The Second Coming of Jesus as a Plot to Assassinate Emperor Domitian (2026) by John MacDonald to the Videos category on the Secular Web.
Join History Valley Podcast host Jacob Berman as he interviews Internet Infidels President John MacDonald for about an hour and a half about the deeper Greek meaning of Parousia as a manifestation of power rather than simply the arrival of the true king over the false emperor. The destruction of an earthly oppressor is understood as God’s kingdom on Earth. But whereas the Emperor reigns through military power, Christ’s reign appears through forgiveness, transformed hearts, and participation in divine life. The apocalyptic language allows contemporaries to talk about their political realities without dangerously naming them directly. God’s kingdom becomes present not so much through military or sacrificial transaction, but through the presence of Jesus transforming people to become merciful, just, and remorseful. Check out how the discussion moves through Roman imperial politics, rival atonement/forgiveness theologies, and the historical circumstances surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion!