I have a question or maybe it is a comment with a question mark. Hoping someone may be able to either affirm my interpretation of Mat 24 or shed a different understanding. As I read this scripture, I am understanding that Jesus is telling us the steps as they will happen to His returning and that even though no one except The Father knows the time we are to be ever watchful. Not fall for false prophets, false christ. AND....that the Rapture (removal of the faithful) does NOT happen before but, AFTER Tribulation. I am finding that by reading scripture myself instead of depending on the church that I have been lied to all my life, we all have- by false teachers. Satan goes through these churches, religions that are not of God and misleads us into believing everything will be fine. Relax. Go to sleep. Someone else will watch for you. You still have time to sin a little. I am angry at how gullible I have been. They lie saying "they are in a better place now", when someone dies. Not unless the ground is a better place because the Bible plainly says the dead know nothing, are as if asleep, until Jesus comes back to gather all, living and dead, that have been and were faithful. ??
You have to let those words destroy you carnal mind.
As you carnal mind is destroyed and you come to truth what God has done by the death and resurrection of his son, then you will develop a deep relationship with God.
All is a finished work, you do nothing, just come to knowledge, through his words, what he has done for you.
I don't fear death. Only fear I have is of God, which the beginning of Wisdom. And I do agree the Word is no supposed to be a complicated book. But the rest you kinda lost me, the Holy Spirit our Comforter. God is the one that we pray to in the Name of Jesus Christ. And I would rather be healed but the meeting in the air could happen before that. Thankful my days are numbered is a first for me. I am thankful each day God gives us all, and to those that are lost. Each day is a day brought to us all by God's Grace, for no man knoweth the hour when that day comes. Could be before my days are over, only God Knows. As for deliverance God will either deliver me, or he won't. To be absent from the body is to present with the LORD.
I know the two resurrection you speak of, most believe what you believe.
The word speaks of Christ resurrection, then the resurrection of those who never believe that were raised with Christ.
Colossians 3:1 ... if ye be RISEN with Christ ....
Ephesians 2:6 .... and hath RAISED US us up together ....
Isaiah 26:19 .... TOGETHER with my dead body shall they ARISE ....
Hosea 6:2 ..... in the third day he will raise US UP .......
The saints that arose with Christ, were the Old Testament saints that had died in faith, but had never receive their promise of eternal life.
Those: in Revelation under the alter clothed in white are the Old saints awaiting their promise, eternal life, by their resurrection of Christ.
These are the 144,000 raised with Christ, the firstfruits of the resurrection.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, havlng obtained a good report through faith, received not the PROMISE (eternal life).
Hebrews 11:40 Christ having provided some BETTER THING FOR US (never having to die and wait in the grave), that they WITHOUT US should not be made PERFECT (by our resurrection as one).
Hebrews 5:9 ...and having been made perfect .... by our resurrection as one ....
Philippians 3:15 Let us therefore who be perfect (by our resurrection as one), be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise mined, God shall reveal even this to you.
I thank you for your response. I think but seeing its in other scriptures its not telling us Heavens direction. Which is ok, we does tell us will do for me. His word is enough for me.
Here is one prophecy of Christ.
Matthew 27:46
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?"
Psalms 22:1
"(To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"
John 19:30
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and he bowed His head, and gave up the ghost."
Psalms 22:31
"They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this."
That's another great verse. I wonder if anyone has ever counted all the names of God. He is the Truth in this crazy, messed up world. He is Faithful in his promises to us. I can't wait to see him on the white horse. :) Thanks for sharing.
Public school ruined my children's faith. The fact that you are on fire for the LORD is beautiful and maybe a miracle knowing what I know about public education.
This verse is for you: "When thou said, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, I will seek". Psalm 27:8 KJV.
And here is another: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast. For precept must be upon precept; precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; hear a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:9-10. KJV.
I am also learning and memorizing. It's a daily thing, a labor of love. May the LORD give you all understanding. Amen :)
Hello, I don't see any verse mentioning muhammed. Isaiah 21:13 mentions Arabia but I think it's a stretch to say that has anything to do with this person. I think some are eager and motivated to draw a connection to him and are trying to find any possible connection instead of simply reading the Bible and trying to understand its normal meaning.
The Bible is clear that no one can be saved and enter heaven without Jesus Christ.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 KJV
Hi Jordyn, the two resurrections that I was referring to are :
1. the resurrection of the dead at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
2. And, then 1000 years later, the resurrection of the wicked to receive their judgement.
I was not referring to the resurrection of our LORD which, in my opinion, is a special and separate deal. By the way, it's so interesting because after Christ rose, some of the dead were resurrected and seen in Jerusalem. The Bible says Jesus took captives in his train when he returned to Heaven. That's exciting. I wish it would've been me in the train. Oh well. I'll be patient. :)
( Revelation 19:11) "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a WHITE HORSE; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make WAR."
Greetings and grace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for the reply. I always had an imagination since I was a child, although it isn't quite what it used to be as I am now 35 and secular school sucked that out of me lol. When I take scripture I do try to meditate on it however, I am very young in my faith so my understanding is very very limited as I lack knowledge in scripture. I seen this post and the clouds made me think of the "final battle" that is to come. Another scripture I read somewhere of Jesus on a white horse I think? This is where I lack knowledge and need a study partner. Besides trying to study though I am also trying to rebuild my heart in accordance to God, get sound doctrine become obedient to His commands to make sure I am prepared before he comes, while also lead another soul into true salvation.
You seem to make a lot of sense, my brother. I can learn a lot from you.
Do you have facebook? I do have many questions as I am so young in understanding and I don't want to be deceived by "false prophets" as well as deceive myself.
I thank you for sharing
May God our Father bless you kindly with grace, peace and love in Jesus name.
Biblical information and evidences shows that Muhammad was actually mentioned in the Bible, and, as such, these has helped me provide a practical guide by which I examine these prophesies with Biblical references. Factually, Biblical findings have illustrated that there are a fair amount of external evidence supporting the Biblical historicity of the advent of an Arabian prophet Muhammad , which stated "The Oracle concerning Arabia in the thickets in Arabia you will lodge"
( Isaiah 21 vs 13 RSV)
.
Interestingly, in the Oracle of Isaiah, "in the thickets in Arabia you will lodge", indicated the advent of a personality to emerge from Arabia and a warning that Arabia is the Promised Land which was referred to as Tema in the same oracle, Tema is therefore a name as well as a place, which referred to the Arabian city of Madinah on the one hand, as well as the son of Ishmael on the other hand. Kedar is the name of another son of Ishmael who also dwelled in the land of Paran and referred to as another Arabian City called Makkah and according to Biblical commentators, Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Kedar, this assertion is also admitted to by Jewish Biblical commentators as well. Thank you.
Whether literal or figurative truth, its still the truth. Jesus said I am the door. That is the truth. A figurative but the truth period. He gots Head shoulders knees and toes, we know what door looks like. But its the all true what is said John 10:9. Or is it literal when it says to pluck your eye out? Well yes, if that what it takes, but better just quit the sin and keep both them good eyes. There are Three (Literal)......They are one (Figurative, not 1 being but 1,2,3 beings one is Unity, They are God(The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost), They were there at the beginning.) There are words like...........world, all, make, made, lost, fast, etc which we know to give each word in context its proper meaning. Its not for, but its for us today to know so I take it literal as it written like GEN 1:1 as I would other books, until a scripture could not be literal, buts its still speaks the truth. A figurative truth, but the TRUTH. There are parables, the beatitudes, songs, visions but the symbols explained, proverbs too. Fill me in the rest Im missing. When Jesus told Peter get ye behind me Satan, a double rebuke for trying to talk Jesus out of dying on the cross. Like the Lamentation to the King of Tyre from God too, for instance. I don't know it all and I am still learning.
This Psalm is a prophecy of what the works of his cross will accomplish.
Psalms 75:1 Unto thee do we give thanks, for THY NAME is near (as) thy WONDROUS WORKS declare.
We were married to Christ, becoming one flesh, and bearing HIS NAME, at his resurrection.
Psalms 57:2 When I (Christ) RECEIVE the congregation ( Psalms 2:8) I (Christ) will judge uprightly.
Psalms 57:3 The earth and the inhabitants thereof are dissolved (they will died on the cross). I (Christ) will bear the PILLARS ( Revelation 3:12 the NEW CREATION) of it.
Psalms 57:4 I (Christ) said unto the fools (all of us, because we have not knowledge of the works of God); Deal not foolishly: and unto the wicked (all of us), Lift not up the horn (a symbol of power).
Psalms 57:5 Lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck.
Psalms 57:6 For PROMOTION (going form a foolish, stiff necked people: to the sons of God) cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south,
Psalms 57:7 But (from) God (who) is the judge, he putteth down one (all of us, the foolish and stiff necked), and setteth up another (the sons of GOD).
Amen, and God Bless You for your words, and I will keeping doing so. I was saved born again from a young age, aged 5 when my Parents got saved up until age 15. By then I was the only one still born again keeping from sin in my Family. I believe God will bring them back and many others. As long as two or three are gathered in My Name the word says. I just recently got back up, I am 36, His word never departed, but I was in sin all these years. I got saved a few months back, after having my second lung collapse in 5 years (both of them) not just because of that but I been wanting to get back up for awhile. I just didnt want to quit the sin business at the time. I attended our Churches (Moose Factory Academy of Christian Education grade 3-9) and was thankful for to be taught at a young age. Not that going to church 6 days out of the week will save you, it's a relationship, abstaining from sin is the difference we have than that of religion which is dead.
Thank You for words of encouragement, kindness and I love you as Christ loved me, everyone. God Bless You too.
Everybody goes through the same things during our lives here on earth. It is a course with plains and mountains along the way. You are on a mountain right now but what follows will be a plain, it can't be always mountains.
This is where we need the help and fellowship of other believers and their prayers accompaning our own. Don't stop praying, don't stop studying and keep being among believers. Eventually a time will come that you be freed from what is happening to you now. If this is a relief, we all go through the same situations, it is not only you. Maybe you seek some spiritual advice from the pastor or elders of your congregation? GBU
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The first RESURRECTION .... is the resurrection of Christ .... and those that come to the truth of the gospel THAT YOU were joint heirs of that resurrection, and made ONE, were married to Christ, were baptised in HIS NAME.
The whole Bible is the promise of God to destroy death.
The promise has always been ETERNAL LIFE.
The wages of SIN (unbelief) has always been DEATH.
All this was accomplished when Christ was resurrected.
When you come to truth that YOU and Christ were resurrected TOGETHER, then you will never die again.
That is the FIRST DEATH and the FIRST RESURRECTION.
Luke 20:36 Neither can they (YOU) die anymore, for they (YOU) are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, BEING the children of THE RESURRECTION.
Greetings Stewart, peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I understand what you mean, a few people think I'm "crazy" because I take the whole bible literal. I know some passages are symbolic etc. But when Jesus said to the the rich man ( Matthew 19:21) "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." I took this literal. My PC and TV is all that I own and I only use it to study. Stay off youtube etc. ( Matthew 24:23) "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not." Instead continue to ( 2 Timothy 2:15) "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
I really thank you for your words of encouragement, and I let pride get the better of me. God Bless You GiGI. You really encouraged me, God Bless You and I love you as Christ loved me. I am thankful for your kindness, love and words.
Stewart. I was just having a pity party i let the devil put on me, but in my suffering I will rejoice anyways. And healing is the same as it was when Jesus was here. All manner of sickness can be healed. AMEN thank you and GOD Bless you, in Jesus mighty Name I Pray. Amen
Also of course for your words, I will continue to do so. God Bless You! and I love you as Christ loved me. We must encourage each other, rebuke out of love and I let pride get in the way of my taking advice from others.
That's a nice visual: the calvary (angels) coming and kicking up dust. The Jewish historian, Josephus, who lived in the first century, wrote about people seeing angels and chariots in the Jerusalem sky in the years just prior to the Roman destruction.
That info is in : Flavious Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6.5.3
My hunch is you are spot on that the clouds represent the heavenly host of angels. Why would Jesus come alone? He is a great King and his angels would want to come with him for this momentous and wonderful occasion.
The following verse shows clearly what the ancient people believed it was universe, " "And every creature which is in heaven(sky), and on the earth(land), and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,... "
2. My belief is that the Word is not literally the person God. But when God says a word, an order, a command, that is done. Not like doing magic, but it is the Spirit who brings in existence all that He commands.
3. Moses and Elijah appeared on that mountain talking to Jesus. Did they have to travel through the universe to be brought there? Here there maybe 2 cases.
a. Yes, with the speed of Spirit, ie in a split second,
b. No, since before Jesus' resurrection all people were down the deepest of earth, inside Hades, the righteous in Abraham's bosom and the unrighteous in Hell. So they were brought from underneath. Unless the position of Hades in the deepest of earth is something figurative and not literal and Hades exists somewhere else.
1. As I said before in Hebrew heaven and sky is the same word. Brother Ronald wrote a very good comment explaining that.
Now to understand what ancient people meant with heaven/sky we have to understand what they considered of universe at those times. When they looked around them all they could see was a land that was flat. They didn't know anything about planets, their shape, etc. They didn't know how long and wide that land was, some thought it was limitless, some thought after that imaginary limit only chaos exists, others that it was supported by some sort of foundations, etc. In Bible it says the 4 corners of earth, thus including every land (in Hbr and grk earth and land is the same word). When they looked up to the sky they saw a blue thing, the sky, with some lights (the sun, the moon, the stars) moving along and across the sky, in a circular mode, so they assumed there was something like a solid dome. They didn't know anything about planets, stars, they thought those were some sort of lights, as I said. They didn't know how far those lights were from the land, so they placed them at the edge of the sky. They had no idea what exists after the sky, like a place with no air, no gravity, etc. That was their universe, the land and the sky up. So when they used to read Genesis about the creation, the phrase "God created the earth/land and the sky/heaven" for them it was the whole universe. Just that, the land and the sky. They imagined that God should live in a place further away than that sky/heaven, so they placed God's residence somewhere above that dome. Today we say after the universe as we know it today, and this seems to be write, unless someome believes that God's spiritual world exists inside the universe but can not be seen. This is what they meant with the word "heaven", everything that was above the land they were walking on. They didn't distinguish between the material and the spiritual world. Heaven for themwas just the sky above
First of all thank you all for your words of uplifting encouragement! I let the devil put on pity party for me and doubted what I have learned. Yes I don't understand everything and sometimes even the questions I am asked and let pride take over. I love you all as Christ loved me.
Now latest discussions on Heaven. I take the Gen 1:1 literal as we all do, until it is not possible. Then it is a figurative truth. Is its literal in Psalms 75:6-7?
1st, 2nd, 3rd Heaven....1)I thought it was the sky, 2) was the part where there is no more air from there to the 3) Heaven itself. Where God is, has day and night. A better country, many mansions streets of gold. Temples and a Throne where God sits Jesus at His right.
In Psalms 75:6 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (God is in Heaven)
So Heaven is North? Could've said side to side or beneath but up.
And God Bless you for you words of kindness, encouragement. But tell me if I am wrong here, and I will take advice like I said before, and let the devil get at me. Ready for advice, because I wondered at this scripture myself, it is saying Heaven is literally north of Earth.
You are BORN AGAIN by the word(s) of God.
You have to let those words destroy you carnal mind.
As you carnal mind is destroyed and you come to truth what God has done by the death and resurrection of his son, then you will develop a deep relationship with God.
All is a finished work, you do nothing, just come to knowledge, through his words, what he has done for you.
God BLESS YOU!
I know the two resurrection you speak of, most believe what you believe.
The word speaks of Christ resurrection, then the resurrection of those who never believe that were raised with Christ.
Colossians 3:1 ... if ye be RISEN with Christ ....
Ephesians 2:6 .... and hath RAISED US us up together ....
Isaiah 26:19 .... TOGETHER with my dead body shall they ARISE ....
Hosea 6:2 ..... in the third day he will raise US UP .......
The saints that arose with Christ, were the Old Testament saints that had died in faith, but had never receive their promise of eternal life.
Those: in Revelation under the alter clothed in white are the Old saints awaiting their promise, eternal life, by their resurrection of Christ.
These are the 144,000 raised with Christ, the firstfruits of the resurrection.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, havlng obtained a good report through faith, received not the PROMISE (eternal life).
Hebrews 11:40 Christ having provided some BETTER THING FOR US (never having to die and wait in the grave), that they WITHOUT US should not be made PERFECT (by our resurrection as one).
Hebrews 5:9 ...and having been made perfect .... by our resurrection as one ....
Philippians 3:15 Let us therefore who be perfect (by our resurrection as one), be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise mined, God shall reveal even this to you.
God Bless YOU!
I thank you for your response. I think but seeing its in other scriptures its not telling us Heavens direction. Which is ok, we does tell us will do for me. His word is enough for me.
Here is one prophecy of Christ.
Matthew 27:46
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?"
Psalms 22:1
"(To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"
John 19:30
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and he bowed His head, and gave up the ghost."
Psalms 22:31
"They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this."
God Bless You
That's another great verse. I wonder if anyone has ever counted all the names of God. He is the Truth in this crazy, messed up world. He is Faithful in his promises to us. I can't wait to see him on the white horse. :) Thanks for sharing.
This verse is for you: "When thou said, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, I will seek". Psalm 27:8 KJV.
And here is another: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast. For precept must be upon precept; precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; hear a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:9-10. KJV.
I am also learning and memorizing. It's a daily thing, a labor of love. May the LORD give you all understanding. Amen :)
The Bible is clear that no one can be saved and enter heaven without Jesus Christ.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 KJV
1. the resurrection of the dead at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
2. And, then 1000 years later, the resurrection of the wicked to receive their judgement.
I was not referring to the resurrection of our LORD which, in my opinion, is a special and separate deal. By the way, it's so interesting because after Christ rose, some of the dead were resurrected and seen in Jerusalem. The Bible says Jesus took captives in his train when he returned to Heaven. That's exciting. I wish it would've been me in the train. Oh well. I'll be patient. :)
You and me both, my brother.
So long as your heart is seeking God then I pray God will forgive us of our mishaps. I know I need a lot of rebuking, correction and reproof.
May God guide you always in truth and peace be with you in Jesus name.
( Revelation 19:11) "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a WHITE HORSE; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make WAR."
That was the verse I was referring to.
Greetings and grace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for the reply. I always had an imagination since I was a child, although it isn't quite what it used to be as I am now 35 and secular school sucked that out of me lol. When I take scripture I do try to meditate on it however, I am very young in my faith so my understanding is very very limited as I lack knowledge in scripture. I seen this post and the clouds made me think of the "final battle" that is to come. Another scripture I read somewhere of Jesus on a white horse I think? This is where I lack knowledge and need a study partner. Besides trying to study though I am also trying to rebuild my heart in accordance to God, get sound doctrine become obedient to His commands to make sure I am prepared before he comes, while also lead another soul into true salvation.
Peace be with you in Jesus name.
You seem to make a lot of sense, my brother. I can learn a lot from you.
Do you have facebook? I do have many questions as I am so young in understanding and I don't want to be deceived by "false prophets" as well as deceive myself.
I thank you for sharing
May God our Father bless you kindly with grace, peace and love in Jesus name.
I have a couple of questions so I can understand your comments better.
Where were the Old Testament saints before Christ resurrection?
Were the Old Testament saints resurrected with Christ?
God Bless YOU!
( Isaiah 21 vs 13 RSV)
.
Interestingly, in the Oracle of Isaiah, "in the thickets in Arabia you will lodge", indicated the advent of a personality to emerge from Arabia and a warning that Arabia is the Promised Land which was referred to as Tema in the same oracle, Tema is therefore a name as well as a place, which referred to the Arabian city of Madinah on the one hand, as well as the son of Ishmael on the other hand. Kedar is the name of another son of Ishmael who also dwelled in the land of Paran and referred to as another Arabian City called Makkah and according to Biblical commentators, Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Kedar, this assertion is also admitted to by Jewish Biblical commentators as well. Thank you.
Most of the Psalms convey a prophecy of Christ.
This Psalm is a prophecy of what the works of his cross will accomplish.
Psalms 75:1 Unto thee do we give thanks, for THY NAME is near (as) thy WONDROUS WORKS declare.
We were married to Christ, becoming one flesh, and bearing HIS NAME, at his resurrection.
Psalms 57:2 When I (Christ) RECEIVE the congregation ( Psalms 2:8) I (Christ) will judge uprightly.
Psalms 57:3 The earth and the inhabitants thereof are dissolved (they will died on the cross). I (Christ) will bear the PILLARS ( Revelation 3:12 the NEW CREATION) of it.
Psalms 57:4 I (Christ) said unto the fools (all of us, because we have not knowledge of the works of God); Deal not foolishly: and unto the wicked (all of us), Lift not up the horn (a symbol of power).
Psalms 57:5 Lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck.
Psalms 57:6 For PROMOTION (going form a foolish, stiff necked people: to the sons of God) cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor the south,
Psalms 57:7 But (from) God (who) is the judge, he putteth down one (all of us, the foolish and stiff necked), and setteth up another (the sons of GOD).
All by the RESURRECTION of Christ.
God BLESS YOU.
Thank You for words of encouragement, kindness and I love you as Christ loved me, everyone. God Bless You too.
Do you believe these scripture have reference to holidays he didn't establish.
Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith the Lord, LEARN NOT the ways of the nations .....
Jeremiah 10:3 For the customs of the people are VAIN, one cutteth a tree out of the forest ....
Jeremiah 10:4 They DECK IT with silver and gold, and fasten it with nails and hammers, that it move not.
God Bless YOU!
Everybody goes through the same things during our lives here on earth. It is a course with plains and mountains along the way. You are on a mountain right now but what follows will be a plain, it can't be always mountains.
This is where we need the help and fellowship of other believers and their prayers accompaning our own. Don't stop praying, don't stop studying and keep being among believers. Eventually a time will come that you be freed from what is happening to you now. If this is a relief, we all go through the same situations, it is not only you. Maybe you seek some spiritual advice from the pastor or elders of your congregation? GBU
2 Peter 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Your right, there are two resurrections.
The first RESURRECTION .... is the resurrection of Christ .... and those that come to the truth of the gospel THAT YOU were joint heirs of that resurrection, and made ONE, were married to Christ, were baptised in HIS NAME.
The whole Bible is the promise of God to destroy death.
The promise has always been ETERNAL LIFE.
The wages of SIN (unbelief) has always been DEATH.
All this was accomplished when Christ was resurrected.
When you come to truth that YOU and Christ were resurrected TOGETHER, then you will never die again.
That is the FIRST DEATH and the FIRST RESURRECTION.
Luke 20:36 Neither can they (YOU) die anymore, for they (YOU) are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, BEING the children of THE RESURRECTION.
God BLESS YOU!
I understand what you mean, a few people think I'm "crazy" because I take the whole bible literal. I know some passages are symbolic etc. But when Jesus said to the the rich man ( Matthew 19:21) "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." I took this literal. My PC and TV is all that I own and I only use it to study. Stay off youtube etc. ( Matthew 24:23) "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not." Instead continue to ( 2 Timothy 2:15) "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
I really thank you for your words of encouragement, and I let pride get the better of me. God Bless You GiGI. You really encouraged me, God Bless You and I love you as Christ loved me. I am thankful for your kindness, love and words.
Stewart. I was just having a pity party i let the devil put on me, but in my suffering I will rejoice anyways. And healing is the same as it was when Jesus was here. All manner of sickness can be healed. AMEN thank you and GOD Bless you, in Jesus mighty Name I Pray. Amen
GOD BLESS YOU AGAIN!
That's a nice visual: the calvary (angels) coming and kicking up dust. The Jewish historian, Josephus, who lived in the first century, wrote about people seeing angels and chariots in the Jerusalem sky in the years just prior to the Roman destruction.
That info is in : Flavious Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6.5.3
My hunch is you are spot on that the clouds represent the heavenly host of angels. Why would Jesus come alone? He is a great King and his angels would want to come with him for this momentous and wonderful occasion.
Come Lord Jesus. Soon. Amen!
The following verse shows clearly what the ancient people believed it was universe, " "And every creature which is in heaven(sky), and on the earth(land), and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,... "
2. My belief is that the Word is not literally the person God. But when God says a word, an order, a command, that is done. Not like doing magic, but it is the Spirit who brings in existence all that He commands.
3. Moses and Elijah appeared on that mountain talking to Jesus. Did they have to travel through the universe to be brought there? Here there maybe 2 cases.
a. Yes, with the speed of Spirit, ie in a split second,
b. No, since before Jesus' resurrection all people were down the deepest of earth, inside Hades, the righteous in Abraham's bosom and the unrighteous in Hell. So they were brought from underneath. Unless the position of Hades in the deepest of earth is something figurative and not literal and Hades exists somewhere else.
This is how I see those brother.
Blessings and wish you a blessed week.
1. As I said before in Hebrew heaven and sky is the same word. Brother Ronald wrote a very good comment explaining that.
Now to understand what ancient people meant with heaven/sky we have to understand what they considered of universe at those times. When they looked around them all they could see was a land that was flat. They didn't know anything about planets, their shape, etc. They didn't know how long and wide that land was, some thought it was limitless, some thought after that imaginary limit only chaos exists, others that it was supported by some sort of foundations, etc. In Bible it says the 4 corners of earth, thus including every land (in Hbr and grk earth and land is the same word). When they looked up to the sky they saw a blue thing, the sky, with some lights (the sun, the moon, the stars) moving along and across the sky, in a circular mode, so they assumed there was something like a solid dome. They didn't know anything about planets, stars, they thought those were some sort of lights, as I said. They didn't know how far those lights were from the land, so they placed them at the edge of the sky. They had no idea what exists after the sky, like a place with no air, no gravity, etc. That was their universe, the land and the sky up. So when they used to read Genesis about the creation, the phrase "God created the earth/land and the sky/heaven" for them it was the whole universe. Just that, the land and the sky. They imagined that God should live in a place further away than that sky/heaven, so they placed God's residence somewhere above that dome. Today we say after the universe as we know it today, and this seems to be write, unless someome believes that God's spiritual world exists inside the universe but can not be seen. This is what they meant with the word "heaven", everything that was above the land they were walking on. They didn't distinguish between the material and the spiritual world. Heaven for themwas just the sky above
Now latest discussions on Heaven. I take the Gen 1:1 literal as we all do, until it is not possible. Then it is a figurative truth. Is its literal in Psalms 75:6-7?
1st, 2nd, 3rd Heaven....1)I thought it was the sky, 2) was the part where there is no more air from there to the 3) Heaven itself. Where God is, has day and night. A better country, many mansions streets of gold. Temples and a Throne where God sits Jesus at His right.
In Psalms 75:6 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (God is in Heaven)
So Heaven is North? Could've said side to side or beneath but up.
And God Bless you for you words of kindness, encouragement. But tell me if I am wrong here, and I will take advice like I said before, and let the devil get at me. Ready for advice, because I wondered at this scripture myself, it is saying Heaven is literally north of Earth.