30 May 2019

A Few Thoughts on Heaven Part 2


Part 2
A few verses and thoughts
B1 Questions
C1 After death
D1 Existence?
E1 We exist:
F1 The dead talk: Revelation 6:9-10 NIV When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
F2 The dead see, feel, and communicate. Do the words of Jesus Christ have any meaning except the plain, normal sense? Luke 16:23-26 NIV In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
E2 We do not exist
D2 Conscious
E1 Yes as seen above
E2 No
D3 Some sort of body
E1 Yes as seen above
E2 No
D4 Sensation
E1 Yes as seen above
E2 No
C2 Resurrection
D1 Body
E1 Yes
F1 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 NIV Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
G1 The word clothed means (according to Vincent’s Word Studies) ependuo, G1902 a strengthened form of No. 2, used in the Middle Voice, "to cause to be put on over, to be clothed upon," is found in 2Co 5:2, 4, of the future spiritual body of the redeemed.
G2 To be clothed upon (ἐπενδύσασθαι)
Only here and 2 Corinthians 5:4. Compare ἐπενδύτης fisher's coat, John 21:7 (see note). Lit., to put on over. The metaphor changes from building to clothing, a natural transformation in the mind of Paul, to whom the hail-cloth woven for tents would suggest a vesture. [Source]
F2 Our present body is described as a body of death: Romans 7:24 NRSV Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
E2 No
D2 Eternal
E1 Heaven—Yes
E2 Hell
F1 Yes
G1 Daniel 12:2 NLT Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
G2 Matthew 25:41, 46 NLT "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. ... "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
F2 Sorta yes which some groups believe. 7th Day Adventists believe this. A former 3rd generation Adventist writes: Of course I knew Jesus rose from death on that first day of the week, but I couldn’t see anything about that resurrection that was important for me now. It was the evidence that one day all of us would be resurrected—a dubious promise because none of us knew whether we would be raised to eternal life or to everlasting annihilation after a temporary burn. Nevertheless, Jesus’ resurrection was the event that confirmed we would all rise one day. [Source]
F3 Temporary
F4 No
B2 Interpretation
C1 Methods
D1 Some depend on the “Father”
D2 Some depend on the organized church
D3 Some depend on a Systematic Theology
D4 Some depend on aberrant interpretations as symbolic, allegorical, typical, moral, mystical, etc.
D5 Some depend on the plain, normal reading of the Scriptures.
C2 Thoughts
D1 If God is truly omniscient and omnisapient, then He knows how to communicate perfectly. Perfectly in the sense that people can understand it.
D2 If there are symbolic or communicative types, then it will be understood by the context or if prophecy, then by those living at that time.
E1 The Lord Jesus says: Luke 24:25-27 NIV He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
E2 The Jewish leaders did not understand the concept of a suffering Messiah.
E3 The Suffering Messiah as read in Isaiah 52:13-53:12
E4 The King Messiah as read in Zechariah 14
D3 Also consider Revelation 9 with descriptions of locusts from the pit. I do not know what these are, but I do know that God communicates perfectly, and John wrote perfectly, being under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on what he saw. This is what he saw. I do know that this is a judgment affecting an unbelieving humanity.
D4 If God can communicate perfectly, then what He states in the Scriptures whether prophecy or not prophecy is also perfect. We do not need a early church father or saint or triple doctorate to inform us. We are priests (both brothers and sisters) to God. Both brothers and sisters have the same Holy Spirit.
C3 Examples
D1 Luke 23:40-43 NIV But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
D2 Orthodox interpretation:
E1 The passage: The Son of Man will send His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father (Mt 13.41–43).
E2 Orthodox view: According to the saints, the “fire” that will consume sinners at the coming of the Kingdom of God is the same “fire” that will shine with splendor in the saints. It is the “fire” of God’s love; the “fire” of God Himself who is Love. “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12.29) who “dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Tim 6.16). For those who love God and who love all creation in Him, the “consuming fire” of God will be radiant bliss and unspeakable delight. For those who do not love God, and who do not love at all, this same “consuming fire” will be the cause of their “weeping” and their “gnashing of teeth.”
E3 Plain, normal sense view (because God can communicate perfectly):
F1 Sin (breaking God’s law) will be punished. The punishment is torment in fire for eternity. Implication is this: repent and believe the Gospel.
F2 Those who believe and those who do NOT believe are separated from each other.
F3 Those who believe are in God’s light:
G1 Revelation 21:23-25 NIV The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
G2 John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
F4 Those who refuse to believe have no light. Why should we be forced to believe anything but the obvious?
G1 2 Peter 2:17 WEL These [people] are like wells without water, clouds blown around with a storm, to which the darkest of darkness is reserved forever.
G2 Matthew 8:10-12 NIV When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

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