by JayBird 35 Replies latest jw friends
Thank for posing this question! I've wondered about that too.
But most christians I asked don't give it much attention. Most don't know, since it doesn't have much importance to them. As a jw I thought, this is another proof that we have the truth... Satan has blinded the world... the end is near!!... ...reading Luke 21:8 even the bible disagrees with jws!
So I too look forward to more christian comments.
fts
Do you expect it to happen sooner rather than later? ----I Don't have an expectation of sooner or later simply eventually----- Who will be destroyed?-----?This question is for those who believe in annihilation maybe----And how will they be destroyed?----same here---- Do you believe that the entire human race will be divided by their destination of heaven and hell?----don't know for sure----- Will the universe, including planet Earth, remain intact for all eternity?----not sure I care or if it is spiritually or physically--- If so, WHY?---- Or am I totally off the mark and asking the wrong set of questions?----I think that it more important to focus on my life here and leave the details of judgment and afterlife to the ones who are responsible for them =) but then again that's just me =P---I'm pretty sure I'm not mainstream anything----------- PS (I use firefox and it won't let me use spaces and returns in my formatting anyone know why)------studier
Hello dear Jay,
I believe Jesus will battle the wild beast who is the personification of Satan as he has given his power to the wild beast. But in Rev. 17, it says, that the Wild Beast and 10 kings or horns will battle with the lamb, yet the lamb will win because he is King of kings and Lord or Lords.
The Wild Beast is an evil political element, the man of lawlessness, or like an antichrist.. also called the false prophet. So, he pretends to be good.
Thing is, while this war is going on, all will have a chance to view this battle and take sides, either with the beast or the lamb, thus 'the separation of the sheep and goats'. Also, the 'mark of ones sighing and groaning over the detestable things' vs. 'the mark of the beast'.
Revelations, the most misused misunderstood book of the canon.
: Do you expect it to happen sooner rather than later? I think the attitude to cultivate is a waiting one. You hope it come in your life time but are resolved to serve God till your last breath. Micah 7:7 : Who will be destroyed? All who will not acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord Acts 4:12; Psalm 2:12 : And how will they be destroyed? The best I can answer that is by the power of God, or maybe I don’t get what you mean. : Do you believe that the entire human race will be divided by their destination of heaven and hell? No, there are too many assumptions in this question to answer with brevity. : Will the universe, including planet Earth, remain intact for all eternity? Maybe : If so, WHY? Isaiah 45:18; Psalm 102:25-27 : Or am I totally off the mark and asking the wrong set of questions? YES
My thoughts have changed over time, as I went from JW to Christian to eclectic:
Do you expect it to happen sooner rather than later?
I do not expect Armageddon in the sense of a battle between God and his armies versus the devil and his armies, in heaven nor on Earth, nor in the sense of a Divinely instigated destruction of anything here on Earth. The last time I believed in Armageddon was 1975. If the Earth comes to an end, it will be due to "natural" causes - war or solar change or meteor or entropy...
Who will be destroyed?
No one. To my current thinking, it's a fundamental error to think God has any intention to destroy anyone.
And how will they be destroyed?
Underpants gnomes? Sorry, see above - no one gets destroyed.
Do you believe that the entire human race will be divided by their destination of heaven and hell?
No. I believe everyone has the same fate at death. Again, it's an error to think God dispenses retribution or reward of varying kinds to different people.
Will the universe, including planet Earth, remain intact for all eternity? If so, WHY?
My understanding of what happens to stars and planets leads me to believe that at some point our sun will probably greatly expand into a red giant, toasting up the inner planets within itself. I don't remember from my Astronomy classes if the Earth would specifically be inside the expanded sun, or just get all crispy. Because: to the best of our astronomical knowledge, our type of sun is expected to progress to a red giant stage (but its been close to 30 years since I've cracked an astronomy text, and this may have changed). In any case, barring bizarre developments, it will happen well after I'm gone and there's nothing we know to do about it presently, so it's not much in my daily consciousness. I have flights of fancy about how one might "recharge" the sun, and of course lots of people have written stories about artifical planets or other artifacts, about colonizing the outer planets, about reaching the stars, about evolving or changing the human body for survival, etc., etc.
I tend to think that man will have bridged the gap to the stars by then and have colonized other systems (or integrated in other ways with other civilizations we might come across).
Or am I totally off the mark and asking the wrong set of questions?
Are there any wrong questions?
Hello and welcome, JayBird.
Do you expect it to happen sooner rather than later?
... Sooner
Who will be destroyed?
... All those who fight against the King of kings and Lord of lords.
And how will they be destroyed?
... They will be incinerated.
Do you believe that the entire human race will be divided by their destination of heaven and hell?
... No, because Heaven is coming to earth.
Will the universe, including planet Earth, remain intact for all eternity?
... Yes, because the Father and Son are going to abide here with us.
If so, WHY?
... See directly above. I've come to these conclusions after a careful and repeated reading of Revelation.
Or am I totally off the mark and asking the wrong set of questions?
... I don't believe any questions are wrong or off the mark. Sylvia
Well I believe Armageddon really is none of my business since it is stated in the Bible that no one but The Lord knows the exact date of the End Time. So I just do not worry about it and live my life normally. If it does come in my lifetime then its come. If not then oh well. No point in worrying about it.
One other thing:
Armageddon is not the final war.
According to the 20th chapter of Revelation, Satan the Devil is going to start the final war after his release from the abyss.
Freedom is a beautiful thing.
Sylvia
