Just a thought, remember that Revelations was the last book added to the NT and Just what would you believe if it wasn't there? i'm inclined to disregard it myself.
Bsmart
So Everything Was Going Good Until...
by tryingtoexit 34 Replies latest jw friends
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sinis
... and why are you taking the word of some ancient Doctor Doolittle book, known as the Bible? How do you know that we go somewhere after death? For all you know, and which is probably the most correct and accurate, you just die and thats it! Socrates said it best, with regards to death. Why hang up on your life over some book? Eat and be merry for tomorrow we may die... nothing wrong with those words...
Too many people hung up on the whole religion thing. RELIGION is a product of TIME and GEOGRAPHY. If you had been born in the M.E. you would be Muslim, in the East - Buddahist, etc., Africa - Voodoo... and with each of those religions you would believe with your whole heart and mind that you had the truth and that what ever the holy book said, must be true, along with your fate. WAKE THE FUCK UP!!
Religion is a means to control people. Religion has and remains, in some places, the only form of government. Religious governed/government reigned with an iron fist up until about 300 years ago for most of the world. RELIGION has always been a means to control the masses, and their doctored books are not any different. Even today government uses religion to their own benefit to keep the masses under control.
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Elsewhere
That's what happens when you try to logically analyze a book of fairytales.
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bsmart
Edit to the previos post to say. Revelation was added last, because of the controversy of whether it was inspired or not. It took years!
PS. Are there FAQs regarding how editing works on this site?
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sinis
Editing - the little pencil on the right hand side next to the posted time and date. HTH
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jonathan dough
We discussed that, then my pops interrupts and says "well if the Great Crowd is in heaven like you've just shown us, then who will live on earth?" I dont know why but I straight blanked out, didnt have an answer so I had to do the typical Witness response I'll get back to you on that. I cant believe I never took the time to really examine that. Like now I believe the Great Crowd and the 144,000 are all in heaven, but after Armageddon who resides on earth, will there always be people on earth like Proverbs/Pslams mentions or am I asking the wrong question. Somebody enlighten me based on their understanding of the Bible, or point me in the right direction.
Earth will still be inhabited, but not according to the scenario the JWs picture, and not according to their time frame. Those who inhabit the earth won't do so as flesh and blood, like we are today. In time the heavenly Jerusalem comes down.
Granted, the Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe the earth will be destroyed and base this teaching in large part on Psalm 37:29 where the psalmist wrote that "The just will possess the land (earth) and live in it forever." However, the earth "wears out like a garment (Isa. 51:6), so the word "forever" is hyperbole, and nothing here indicates that there won't be a hiatus, or break, in the earth's habitation. Psalm 37:29 does not say man will inherit the earth continuously without interruptionn, and Revelation 21:10 suggests that reconstituted, glorified man, without the warts, will come back down out of heaven sometime in the future.
Actually, the earth has experienced significant disruptions evidenced by the meteoric annihilation of the dinosaurs and great flood of Noah's time. Remember, we are dealing with geologic time, and cycling through another ice age that would wipe off the post-apocalyptic mess left in the wake of Armageddon is entirely within reason. It is more reasonable than handing the Great Crowd brooms and haz-mat suits and telling them to turn the earth back into a paradise. Not my idea of a good time.
More to the point is Peter's comparison of the earth's pending fiery destruction to the great flood which is a real, not metaphorical, example of earth's fate (2 Pet. 3:5-13). Jesus likewise made it known that ultimate destruction will be modeled after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That man's governments are changed in the process goes without saying. Remember, "...he was seated on the throne and said, "Behold, I am making all things new. (Rev. 21:5).It's impossible for the 144,000 anointed JWs to reign over man on earth. The answers you seek are in these pages. And just for the sake of argument man in not meant to inhabit the earth, it really wouldn't matter because the benefits of paradise, whatever that is, would eclipse our earthly existence. He would take care of us and whatever is in store, it would be better, much better.
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zombie dub
Revelation 21 and 22 show that Heaven is coming to Earth!
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sinis
... I have to ask, "Why do you feel that the Bible has the answer?"
You want to know something that will bend your mind?
Destruction of the "Earth" as taught by Jesus, Peter, Paul, John (Patmos), all correspond with celestial events that other ancient civilizations have been tracking or recorded. Sumerians (twins of Tiamut/Marduk). John of Patmos describing either a CME or NEO. The real kicker is "Jesus" was also describing events that are eerily close to the same thing. Other civilizations, through science, tradition have also recorded similar events to come, or already happened, or exist on a fixed celestial time schedule. The big kicker is the Jews/Jesus did not KNOW the day or the hour, but knew what would happen based on ancient texts from Egypt, Sumer, etc. However other cultures tracked the event, through astronomy, gave a rough idea of WHEN it might happen but did not really grasp the extent to what events would unfold.
My suggestion to you, is to explore other things. The Bible is not the say all be all...
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WingCommander
Ah yes....the age old question of, "What about the Earth?" Here are my thoughts.
1. Revelations states that , "Look!! I am creating a NEW heavens and a new earth, as the old have passed away," or some such. I am paraphrasing but you know which scriptures I am referring to. If that is the case, then I'm sure we are to inhabit both, but how??
2. This brings us to "The How". As in, how are we going to be in heaven, AND on earth at the same time? Well, look what we used to say about Jesus, about Him not only being a great teacher, but also an EXAMPLE for all of us "foot-step followers." It is my opinion that while yes we may be that Great Crowd singing praises before the Great Throne in heaven, we also have the ability as spirit-creatures (or angels if you must) to be able to materialize and de-materialize from physical human beings to angels and back again, being able to go back and forth, just as the angels and also Jesus himself was able to do.
3. Proof of my above theory?? Easy. Jesus said, and I paraphrase, that the resurrected "would be as the angels, neither being married or being taken into marriage." A-ha!! A clue Watson!! Jesus Himself stated that the resurrected would be as the angels, and we all know angels are able to transform from spirit-creatures into human form. Proof: the account of how some of the angels came down to earth, took on human form, and took wives for themselves. After the flood God forbid them (or possibly removed their power to do so) as punishment for this inter-mingling of the seperate species at this time. I believe this power will be restored after Armaggedon.
I think other branches of Christianity believe something similar, that is that once you die and become an angel, and after the great battle of Armaggedon, that the earth would then become an Eden-like Paradise again and we could go back and forth....a literal heaven where God is, and of course Paradise on earth restore, governed over by God, Jesus, and the 144,000 Kings under God & His Son.
Am I crazy, or is this plausible?
- Wing Commander
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sinis
3. - First, I think you have to conclusively, irrefutably, prove that Jesus was A) a real person, and B) who he said he was, for #3 to even be accurate and plausible.