GRAMMAVELTA SAIDDearest Crim,
It has been almost 30 years since we left the Watchtower. I have been pondering the workings of God and yes, questioning why He would destroy whole nations or cities because of their wickedness and include children in this.
The Bible says 'God is love' so there must be a reason and a plan that God has. Taking these wicked people away is good for those who are righteous, yes, but what about those who are killed? Do you think that God does not have a plan for those people who do not know Him or His righteousness? The Bible says: "God loved the world so much"; does that mean only part of the world or all of it? I believe that God loves each and every person that has ever lived.
The Bible says at 1 Peter 3:18-20 KJV
" For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."
Could this mean that the world that was destroyed by water, the millions who lived at that time are somewhere being taught how to do what is right, being rehabilitated?
Paul says at 2 Corinthians 12:2
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows."
Could there be "heavens" where there are people being taught the laws of God and how to live lives that are compatible with the way God made man to be. Could one of these "heavens" be the "paradise" that Jesus told the evildoer on the cross beside Him that "he would be with him in paradise"?
There are so many things we do not know. I have heard the testimony of many who died and were brought back. Even some who went to "hell" and who called on Jesus at the very brink and were brought back. Many of these never knew Jesus, but saw their family and loved ones there. Were they hallucinating? Maybe. But the stories are so similar it leads me to believe that everyone who leaves this life on earth, goes somewhere else. I have no other explanation for this. I have a friend whose mother and sister died at different times. Just before they died they both told her that her father was there. Some who are believers say that 'Jesus has come for them'.
I just trust God. Just as Jesus commended His spirit to God, I believe that when we die here, our spirit returns to God. We live on someplace else. Why would a loving God create a world of humans just to destroy them? He knew Adam and Eve would sin; He knows 'the end from the beginning'. Yes, He made a provision for that long before they sinned.
I believe God's plan was to find the few people who would be born that loved Him and would do His will and use them for a special purpose. The faithful prophets in Israel come to mind. There is a verse in the Bible that says: Psalm 45: 6,7,17: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows. In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever."
In Hebrews 1:8 This scripture is attributed to His Son Yeshua (Jesus):
" But of the Son He says,
“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
“YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU
WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."
Is it God's plan to use the prophets of old as "princes on earth"? I do not know, but it sounds like it.
The Apostles of Yeshua are said to be the "foundation stones" of New Jerusalem.”
Revelation 21:14
And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb'
Yeshua said that His followers would be "with Him in His Kingdom".
John 14:3
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
John 14:4
And you know the way where I am going.”
John 16:5
“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘ Where are You going?’
John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
That leaves all the other billions of persons alive on earth now or who have lived. What is God's plan for those people? Many of them never even heard of Yeshua. Will God condemn them all? Will He send those ignorant or even the willfully wicked to burn in hell for eternity? In fact, why would he condemn people to hell forever? What would be the purpose in that? Vengeance? It doesn't make sense that a loving and just God would do that. Maybe hell is for a time so that people who are wicked will come to an end of themselves and learn. The word that is translated to English from the Greek for eternity or forever is "aionos" which means an indefinite time. Could be a second, could be thousands of years, but it does have a beginning and an end..
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/saranac ... HRV60OUQUU Apr 11, 2010
The Word "Aion"
The word "aion" means age or that which pertains to the ages. Ages have beginnings and endings. Their duration’s are for indefinite periods of time. There is no time element to eternity and therefore the word is eternal is totally inappropriate translation. God made the aions: "by whom also He made the worlds [aions]" (Heb.1:2). God is called the God of the aions or the "ever-lasting [aionial] God" (Rom.16:26). There was a time before the aions: "according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world [aionios] began" (2Tim.1:9). We live in the present aion: "Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world [aion]" (Matt.13:39). There is an age after this aion: "it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world [aion], neither in the world [aion] to come.(Matt.13:32).
There are aions to look forward to: "that in the ages [aions] to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace" (Eph.2:7). Jesus reigns to the aion of the aion: "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever [to the aion of the aion]" (Heb.1:. At the end of this age: "then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father…then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (ICor.15:24,2.
During this time of the aions, Christians have aionial life (Jn.3:16) aionial salvation (Heb.5:9) and an aionial inheritance (Heb.9:15). Presently, Christians have been "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession" (Eph.1:14-15). There will come a day when Christians no longer have just the earnest, but will receive the full inheritance of true eternal life which is when God becomes "all in all" (1Cor.15:2. In the meantime, there will continue aionial judgment (Heb.6:2) aionial condemnation (Mk.3:29), aionial fire (Matt.25:41) and aionial punishment (Matt.24:26).
There is so much we do not know. I believe God will reveal it all in His time. Until then we just have to trust Him to work in His character which is love, mercy, grace. We can trust Him to do what is right.
Love you all,
Gramma Velta
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God makes everything work together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
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