by golden age 43 Replies latest watchtower bible
Narkissos,
Would you conclude...
I conclude nothing I merely take Jesus at his word. If he said the meek will inherit the earth that's fine with me. No need to second guess him. He spoke plainly in Matthew 5:3-12, I therefore take him at his word.
Daytona
Daytona,
You have quoted Matthew 5:5 in the context of a specific discussion.
To me the context of this saying shows that it cannot mean what JWs take it to mean.
Narkissos,
What do you think Jesus meant by the words "the meek will inherit the earth?"
That is a plain statement, nothing ambiguous about it.
Or are we to discard all things JW simply because they are JW regardless of what Jesus said?
Daytona
I was talking to a witness the other day and i was explaining from revelation how there is only one calling to heaven and there is not an earthly calling. And the JW asked me to explain the verse from pslam which states teh meek shall inherit the earth and reside in it forever, any one have any scripture to refute his argument.
This is one of those passages that is always read out of context. Why not read the whole psalm to see what it's about?
It contrasts the wicked with the righteous, and declares that the wicked will perish while the righteous will be blessed: "Trust in Yahweh and do what is good, make your home in the land and live in peace; make Yahweh your only joy and he will give you what your heart desires ... Those he blesses will have a land for their own, those he curses will be expelled" (Psalm 37:3-4, 22). This passage has no eschatological orientation and no concept of an individual "earthly hope" in which the meek will be given the planet earth to dwell for eternity. It simply says that in the here and now "Yahweh takes care of good men's lives, and their heritage will last forever" (37:18). This is no concept of an earthly paradise, for famines still come and "bad times" still come for some (v. 19). Rather than referring to a paradise earth, the text simply states that "the humble shall have a land for their own to enjoy untroubled peace" (v. 11), and rather than referring to individuals living forever, the text plainly refers to the posterity and "descendents" of the righteous who will prosper and not "be wiped out" (v. 28, 37-38).
The Society has put a spin on the passage to make it into a prophecy of a future paradise earth, but that is reading into the text what is not there. And the psalm fits well with Jesus' message in the Beatitudes -- as he declares that God will take care of those who live righteously.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven .
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth .
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven , for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Are all these seperate groups of people?
Do only those who are "poor in spirit" get the Kingdom of heaven.
Do only the "meek" inherit the earth?
Do only the "pure in heart" see God?
Are "peacemakers" the only ones called children of God? (Doesn't 1 John 5:1 tell us that everyone who belives in Jesus isa child of God)
Are those "persecuted" get the Kingdom of heaven ----with the "poor in spirit"
Isn't the whole thing just a description of what a Christian should be.
From the immediate context, "they will inherit the earth" (as a formal quotation of Psalm 37:9,11) must mean the same thing as "the kingdom of heavens is theirs," "they will see God," or "their reward is great in heaven". Or, if we look to the wider Matthean context, "entering the kingdom of heaven" (v. 20; 7:21; 18:3; 19:23; 21:31), "eating with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (8:11), "shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (13:43), "being like angels in heaven" (22:30), "inherit eternal life" (19:29), "inherit the kingdom" (25:34).
There are a lot of equivalent expressions from the same "blessedness," which use mostly heavenly metaphors, occasionally earthly ones -- as the apocalyptic perspective ultimately encompasses the whole cosmos (cf. the Lord's Prayer: "on earth as in heaven"). What is totally unwarranted is reading into the text the unbiblical doctrine of two hopes for Jesus' followers. On this at least I think JWs are plainly wrong.
Didn't the meek of the Psalms inherit the earth or the land, the Promised Land, that is? Nothing about a future paradise earth, but all about the now.
Yes Kenneson, that is what its about. It was a high honor to be given land, they fought for it over and over. The promise in psalms was that they would be given the land they were fighting for if they obeyed Jah. It was for there and then.
I think the Matt 5:5 is right too, the meek will inherit the earth, Ephesians 1 vs 9-10 says all things will be made one, so heaven and earth will be inherited by the same people, Jesus himself has inherited ALL things, that icludes the earth.
Brummie
Ancient Israel had landed peoples it also had a priesthood which did not own lands. The general population of Israel lived on the land, the priesthood served in the Temple and when not in the Temple lived with their families in their assigned cities. All Israelites, general landed population and unlanded priesthood lived in the nation of Israel, a nation made by God. A kingdom of God.
So too, the coming kingdom of God. It too will have a population of peoples who will live on the land and those who will serve from time to time in the Temple. Jesus words referred to this arrangement, imo.
In addition, the concrete term (the earth) should not be defined by the lessor concrete term (kingdom of heaven). All the universe can be called the kingdom of heaven, even the planets and stars....but the earth is only one, the earth.
Daytona
You got it all wrong, its "The Greek shall inherit the Earth."
