Thursday, March 26, 2020

200 Million Army from the East an Example of the Topic All Posts by

200 Million Army from the East Revelation: The last book of the New Testament. Easily the most controversial and feared book in the entire Bible, covering what most people believe as a prophecy of the Last days of mankind. It was written by John the Evangelist, brother of James the Martyr, when he was forcibly exiled to Patmos Island for standing firm on his faith to Jesus. Probably one of the most talked about chapters in the entire Revelation is Chapter 9:15-21, wherein there is a mention of an enormous army numbering to 200,000,000. The mere number of these invading armies causes even the most liberals to be intrigued, to be curious enough as to warrant a deeper study on the accuracy of the said prophecy. Need essay sample on "200 Million Army from the East" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Main Body The Vatican According to The Christian Community Bible, the way of using apocalyptic images as done by John in Revelation, was a popular form of literature during Jesus and Johns time. It was their way of interpreting present events using dramatic images with visions and angels, and usually involving a colossal war between the good and the bad (481). John did not intend to foretell future events or give a picture of the last days, rather he simply made use of his God-given talents as a prophet and as a writer, using the style common in his time. The Catholic Church, as explained in Christian Community Bible, intends to view the Revelation of Jesus Christ to be full of joy and hope and not as terrifying and difficult as the popular culture intends it to be portrayed (482). Contemporary Interpretations According to Robert Talley, author of countless books on Revelation, there are three main points in Revelation. The first being, it was written for the seven churches, and not for individuals. Two, the entire book of Revelation was written to encourage the faithful, warn those who are still deceived, and call upon those who have spiritual problems into repentance. And lastly, he reminds us that the first four trumpets in chapter 8 are to be taken literally, and the other two in chapter 9 are of symbolic interpretations (2007). In another report on Revelation 9:16, David Guzik is of the belief of the possibility that the number of 200,000,000 is not to be taken literally, rather it might be a representation of an army foreseen by John that is too many to count, and whose number is never before seen by mankind (2001). It is the thinking of Guzik that John may have seen in his vision the modern mechanized war machines of today, and that he was simply describing them in the only possible way he can. Furthermore, during the Second World War, the armies of both the Allies and the Axis forces combined, numbered only 70 million. China has claimed in 1965 that they have an army force of over 200 million, however, many experts doubted such claim. Even if it were true, and China marched their army towards west, as John foretold, it would be improbable for that army to wipe out 2 billion people, or roughly a third of mankind (Guzik, 2001). Hence, the safest interpretation would be to view this as a literal 200 million strong army, but of a demonic kind, invading mankind. This interpretation would also support the conclusion of a demonic army of locusts written by John in earlier chapters. Keith Krell of Bible.org shares the same views. He notes that while China has the capability of assembling 200 million armies, it is more likely that John speaks of a demonic origin. His reasons for this are: 1.Since the fifth trumpet preceding the sixth is clearly of a demonic nature, it would be almost certain that the sixth is also demonic. 2. Since the leaders of this army are fallen angels, it is safe to assume their subordinates are also demons. 3. There are also other writings in the Bible about demonic armies, e.g., Kings 2:11; Kings 6:13-17. 4. The weapons mentioned by John, like smoke, sulfur, and fire, have been commonly associated in the Bible as being weapons of hellish armies (Krell, 2004). One more point of contention is that it would be impossible to assemble 200 million horses, thus it is more plausible to interpret them as symbolic of a demonic nature (The Prophetic Years). One of the Bible scholars who believe that what is mentioned in Revelation refers to China, argues that never before in history was there a time that such an enormous number of army was possible other than in our generation. Even today over 3 billion people already live east of the Euphrates River (Koenig). Add to that all the abortions and infanticides of female children being legally practiced in China, and the result would be an excess of over 100 million in male population. According to Koenigs statistics, China would have produced over 200 million men of military age by the year 2025 or 2030 AD (The Prophetic Years). Conclusion Revelation 9:16-21 speaks of an era where a third of mankind is annihilated through war. Whether it is to be taken literally or figuratively had been the topic of debates since it has been written over 2 thousand years ago. Perhaps the main point John the Evangelist is trying to convey is for Christians to be always prepared for the Second coming of Christ, and focus on ones judgment, wherein our reward or damnation will be eternal. Works Cited Christian Community Bible. 30th ed. Philippines: Claretian Publications, 2000. Guzik, David. Revelation 9-The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets. 2001. EnduringWord.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009 https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-9/ Koenig, Don. The Prophetic Years. Krell, Keith. All Hell Breaks Loose! 2004. Bible.org. Retrieved 22 April 2009 https://bible.org/seriespage/all-hell-breaks-loose-revelation-91-21 Talley, Robert. Back from hiatus with Revelation 9: trumpets, locusts, and 200,000,000 horses. 27 April 2007. WordPress.com. Castleton, Vermont.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Free sample - Consultation For Leaders In Management. translation missing

Consultation For Leaders In Management. Consultation For Leaders In ManagementOrganizations the world over are encouraging a shift from a management perspective to a leadership perspective instilled through team building so as to solve inflexibility and quicken decision-making. In this essay therefore, empowerment, whereby people are encouraged to make autonomous decisions and feel in control to the resultant outcomes, has been proposed as a means of allowing dissent, encouraging teamwork and innovation. Leaders should distribute authority rather than a hands-on control approach. This is implemented by changing the manager’s perspective by: influencing through context, creating a culture whereby all employees feel included, distributing authority without reclaiming, provision of logistical and moral support to employees, setting out a clear mandate and equipping the team for anticipated success. In order to influence through context, whereby trust is laid in a higher principle, belief and guiding force, the leader must aptly define the context and desired standards by giving team members the freedom to act and innovate thereby enhancing leadership, creating a competitive edge and nurturing proactive employees. Secondly, the leader should also nurture and empower a culture of inclusion whereby the leader should ensure that every team member’s voice is heard despite their position. This atmosphere should encourage dissent as a foundation of objectivity and innovation whic h enables new ideas to be generated superior to those developed by the exercise of positional power. Thirdly, the leader should surrender positional authority and responsibilities without attempting to reclaim it so as to create pro-active employees. There is a transitory phase where the managers feel out of control and that things have gone awry and they are tempted to tighten control. This should be highly resisted. Leaders should further support the employee empowerment strategies put into place since empowerment involves giving responsibility and the freedom of choice so as to move from position of boss to coach. Also, the leaders should clearly articulate the common goal which the team is aiming at. Clarity of vision and roles played by various members should be enhanced so as to ensure accountability for specific goals and stay inbounds. Finally, equip the team members for success through training, resource allocation and information provision at all levels. This highly boosts the chances of success. (Lencioni) Management is distinct from leadership. Management employs a hands-on control whereas leadership allows responsibility allocation and freedom of choice. Management is characterized by managers having subordinates who are structured according to levels of formal authority. Management encompasses an authoritarian, transactional style whereby subordinates act on orders. It is transactional in the sense that employees are delegated duties in exchange for a salary or monetary reward. Further, management’s focus is on work and is distinct in that managers are paid to work under time and money constraints. The work focus is naturally passed to their subordinates.   Finally, a recent study shows that managers seek comfort and prefer to avoid conflict through engaging in relatively risk-averse activities since they have been observed to come from upper-middle incomes and rich families. On the other hand, leaders do not have subordinates but rather have followers. When managers are le ading, they have to give up formal authority to encourage a following since this is usually voluntary. This style encompasses a charismatic and transformational style in that leaders have to appeal to team members in order to attract a following in risky and dangerous situations. They promise transformational awards not only through extrinsic rewards but also through value addition. Leadership focuses on people’s personalities rather than their work. Leaders do not necessarily have a loud personality or friendly attitude but rather maintain an aloof attitude and a degree of separation. They are achievement driven, but, instead of solely focusing on work, they enthuse others to work towards their goals. Finally, leaders seek risk and are risk takers rather than risk averse. They envision hurdles and problems and their respective solutions. They view risks as potential opportunities which have been attributed to the fact that most of them come from handicapped families in chall enging backgrounds. (Marcus Buckingham, 2008). The managers, by resisting empowerment through encouraging responsibility and allowing a freedom of choice, signify an attempt to manage rather than lead. The CEO is in essence, trying to break from a tradition of pure management and encompass skills in leadership by employing a consultant to chart on appropriate techniques to be employed.   There are several arguments in favor of leadership rather than management. First, managers should provide an inspiring vision and a strategic alignment in a team rather just control. The leader should envision the future and passionately believe on the aspired goals. Secondly, leadership is an influence relationship whereas management is an authority relationship which deters the team spirit. Leadership further defines direction through establishing a vision. This vision can easily be communicated and aligned into the team member’s spirit and energy. In a team, there is a need to energize and inspire team members in order to overcome any obstacles rather than delegating duties and authority as is the case for management. Effective leadership brings about positive, much needed change and opens up channels for innovation. (Avolio, 2003) As a consultant, there are various steps that I propose that a manager should take to change from a management style to a leadership style. Managers should first clarify and codify their convictions. The manager should evaluate his values, beliefs and ethics, how they can be demonstrated, their link to the overall organization’s goals and how the manager can change to fit within the team. Any additional assistance needed to enhance personal and organizational success should be obtained. The managers should constantly re-evaluate these steps to serve as a reality check. People cannot be forced into a following; hence, the manager should then accord the organization time to change towards their convictions. The next step is for the manager to align his or her behavior according to the convictions so as to build a collaborative culture based on the direction desired. Identify individual team player’s needs and their dreams in the workplace. Further, the manager should inte rview suppliers and customers on their specific needs in order to promote chance of success. Consultants further encourage managers to engage in conversation and communication. Listening is highly insisted upon so as to detect trends, themes and various possibilities. (Nahavandi, 2006) Empowerment has various outcomes. Key among them is decentralization whereby decision-making is as close to the action as possible hence quickening decision-making. This shall also lead to sharing of information n the organization’s goals and mission. The need to hoard and withhold information and knowledge in order to maintain control is surpassed by an openly shared information system that encourages operation on the basis of facts. Contingent rewards are also used so as to motivate team members who significantly contribute to the organization. Failure should not be automatically punished for this inhibits empowerment. Teams created ensure employees are not only responsible for their individual success but also their team members. This therefore serves to unify the employees. Alignment in an organization is compulsory so as to maintain coherence and direction by sharing common goals and vision. There are various recommendations on what the CEO should strive to attain. The CEO should ensure that: all team member participate in the formulation of a strategic plan and line of action; ensure effective communication through meetings, trainings, electronic bulletin boards, e-mails and oral channels such as the phones so as to ensure healthy team dynamics; ensure a team charter is put in place in which the project’s goals are clearly stated; ensure regular meetings are held between team members in order to brainstorm on topical issues through forms such as retreats; organize training and simulation exercises in the team by subdividing the team into subgroups that simulate healthy rivalry such as tug-of-war and ice breaking; delegate tasks so as to encourage trust in the team; promote collective responsibility in the team for mistakes committed by individual team members rather than apportioning blame for failure or inefficiency; establish appropriate conflict resolution tec hniques; carry out continuous appraisal and review on   individuals so as to curb inefficiency; introduce awards for significant achievements; keep the team focused so as to overcome any obstacles and finally, recognize the performing stage the team is currently in such as the peak period so as o maintain a consistent focus.(Argyris, 1976) References Argyris, C. (1976). Increasing Leadership Effectiveness. New York: Wiley. Avolio, B. J. (2003). Leadership Models, methods and Applications. John Wiley Sons Inc.. Lencioni, P. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership Fable. J-B Lencioni. Marcus Buckingham, C. C. (2008). First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. Nahavandi, A. (2006). The art and science of leadership.