Before I go off to bed...
"Is 66:7–9 Here is another comparison with the human birth process (see 13:8), this time to teach two lessons: 1) no birth can come until labor pains have occurred (vv. 7, 8); and 2) when labor occurs, birth will surely follow (v. 9). Cf. Jer. 30:6, 7; Matt. 24:8; 1 Thess. 5:3. The point is that Israel’s suffering will end with a delivery! The Lord will not impose travail on the remnant without bringing them to the kingdom (v. 10)." MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1057). Nashville, TN: Word Pub....[L]et me open up Isaiah 66:9 a bit more
I have no problem believing what it says; it says " They were called Christians", now WHO called them that? God and Christ did not call them that, they did not call themselves that; pagans called them that. Why should God use pagans to give his people an official title?
The Bible is the only book Jehovah bequeathed to humanity so mankind can understand God and his will. Any opinions outside of Gods words in the Bible in respect of God clearly can only be subjective, and therefore are uninspired and do not originate with God, as 2 Tim 3:16 tells us the Bible is his inspired word.
In my view, eternal hell is an example of conscious Christianity and how those humans think about punishing other humans that have no membership in their club. How a supposedly sane mind would settle the issue of fairness. Here we have a human would rejected Christ for, lets say 70 years of their life. Now here we have a Christian mind that will decide the punishment for this sorry life. Notice the " Over kill" of the Christian mind; punish this person forever! For 70 years of sin, they get an eternity in hell; they get 909,888,645 trillion years of suffering- then just as much more, then billions of years more, then quadrillion of years more, and this vicious cycle continues on into infinity! And this incredible way of thinking is labeled " Righteous?"
Stunning overkill!
And this Christian mind would have us believe that God has sanctioned this insane horror!
Amazing. Truly amazing that the worlds leading religion has actually interpreted this overkill to be something God would do. This is one reason this world is in serious trouble; our leading religion is peddling this to be true. They will argue with you up and down that this is true.
Our God would have to be a radical crack in reality for this to be true. Nothing about eternal hell has our great God's fingerprints on it. So God is being totally misunderstood by his own children, because I think Christianity are the children of God; they just got him pegged wrong.
Shall we limit God just as we also limit our experience of God? Is God separate from power and knowledge
I often wonder why people point to this argument, that Christ's followers didn't call themselves "Christian." In fact, it is an appropriate designation, because all it means is "one who follows Christ." I think it is a fitting title.
Christ said "depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels"
Put that in yer pipe and smoke it.
How about opening up your eyes? Jesus' references to "everlasting fire" meant the total annihilation of the wicked....not a literal place where Satan and his followers would be tortured forever. What does fire really do? It burns something until it is gone. The thing that you want eliminated is incinerated, true?
You dwell on the process itself, not the end result. Jesus was speaking about the end result. Obliteration. Destruction.
Mat. 25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The Greek word for "everlasting" is aiōnios:
III. without end, never to cease, everlasting
See the difference between God's Word and your human understanding?
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Notice 1 Corinth. 15:53, " For this corruptible will put on incorruption, this mortal will put on immortality!" Do you see this? This means no matter how corruptible you deem someone to be, they can be changed by the power of God. All the corrupt humans you wish to list, will put on incorruption in the Kingdom of God, its a place of complete transformation for humans. And I think the lake of fire will have a role in this transformation.
A lake of fire in heaven is not viewed like we have been conditioned to view it. In heaven its a beautiful thing with a positive purpose.
Where does it say that the lake of fire is in heaven? I doubt it!!! Anyway, why refer to Scripture when you don't accept most of it? The Scripture says that the wicked will die. It indicates that they will be annihilated. Yet you reject that. I can't discuss something with someone who cherry-picks scriptures to back up their belief. We must consider ALL Scripture.
There is nothing POSITIVE about the lake of fire. That is where Satan and his demons and "everyone not found in the book of life" are going. There is NO indication of anything positive coming out of that except that the wicked won't be around any more to cause suffering.
I think it means the people will be separated from the demons. Anyhow, I do believe humans will be placed into the lake of fire. !
No. What I said harmonizes with that scripture. I said that Jesus was telling us the END of the wicked----obliteration. The "everlasting" part means that they will be forever gone. It is truly an "everlasting" punishment. They will be annihilated forever.
:duh:
:dizzy: