JohnD

The LAWS of thermodynamics stand.

The common denominator among the atheists, skeptics, agnostics and so on is the varying range of omitting the metaphysical / supernatural / transcendental. The atheist especially focuses only on the physical. Their dilemma is that if by only physical means, the universe and everything in it could not exist in the first place. 1. nothing physical is or could ever be eternal (2nd Law of Thermodynamics) 2. nothing physical could come into existence from nothing (1st Law of Thermodynamics) Only by the metaphysical which supernaturally transcends physical law can anything exist. 1. the eternal source / creator existing forever without beginning or end 2. who (as the deliberate design of all things demands is an intelligent being) is supernaturally able to create everything else from nothing Atheists and their ilk will always be stopped (by their own stubborn refusal to accept and acknowledge the truth) at the border of fact for the origin of all things. They invent circular arguments and grasp after rabbit trail arguments about the implementation of time or lapse into some other form of blind faith fairy tales (ironically the very thing they accused theists of doing). But they refuse and will not face the facts. Without God nothing would even exist.

Revelation 20 (KJV) 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. Angel = messenger (malach in Hebrew aggelos in Greek) sent from heaven having the keys to the abussos = abyss. The messenger from heaven with the keys to the abyss (bottomless pit) is Jesus (Revelation 1:18). Having a great chain in his hand. He bound Satan in the abyss for thousands (plural) of years. Chillioi in Greek is a plural word. This incarceration to deliver the world from his direct evil influence is until the divinely determined end of the thousands of years is reached. Tie this is with the time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24) when the focus of the Gospel is turned away from Israel and to the Gentiles. When that reaches its end / time of completeness / fulfillment and the number of Gentiles who will come in is reached, the focus of the Gospel outreach will once again be aimed at the Jews (Isaiah 54:6-10). Verse four briefly leaves this multiple thousand years epoch foreshadowing the “little season” mentioned in verse 3 during which time the beast shall reign and decree Christians as evil and to be exterminated if they do not renounce Jesus and take the same mark of the allegiance to the beast that the rest of the world takes in that day. Previously, during the thousands of years the beast is incarcerated in the abyss, Christians reigned on the earth in Christ during the Church age (Revelation 1:6 / Revelation 5:10 / 1 Peter 2:3-9). Verse 5 calls the Church age “the First Resurrection.” And it specifies that until the thousands of years Christian Age / Era the only resurrection to take place is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The First Resurrection is the Church Age now in its 1992nd year. No other resurrection save that of Christ Jesus will occur until his second coming at the end of the age (Church Age / end of the thousands of years). Verse 6 again defines the Church Age where the second death has no power on those who are believers in Christ Jesus and who are a kingdom of priests in Christ (Revelation 1:6 / Revelation 5:10 / 1 Peter 2:3-9). Verse 7 explains the release of the beast and Satan in the “little season” known as the 70th Week of Daniel. Describing in overview the tribulation periods (also a plural) during the 70th Week of Daniel. Citing the goal eliminating first the Christians (Revelation 12:17 – Revelation 13:18) and then the Jewish people whom he has fooled into believing he is the messiah (John 5:43). The Jews with their backs up against the wall of annihilation as never before (with the 200 million man army bivouacked in the valley at the foot of Mount Megiddo) cry out to Jesus as a last resort. Psalm 118:25–26 (KJV) 25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. Which Jesus alluded to in Matthew 23:37-39. Jesus will return with such force that the Mount of Olives will split in two (Zechariah 14:4) and defend the Jews and defeat the armies of the devil (Revelation 19:11-21). Then comes the end of the age: Judgment Day! Revelation 20: (KJV) 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Philippians 2:10–11 (KJV) 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Revelation 20: (KJV) 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Everyone who ever lived will bow in acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is YHVH (LORD) to the glory of God the Father. A better name for the day of judgment would be the Day of Acknowledgement and Glorification of Christ.

Only that it makes my case. Ruth was also not of A I J but included in Israel.

The OP has discovered the inclusion factor of the Spirit House of Israel / Judah (Romans 2:28-29 / Romans 9:6 / Philippians 3:3) which applies the New Covenant to all people (Jeremiah 31:31-34). But the OP has mistakenly interpreted this to mean it replaces physical Jews (which is does not). Even in unbelief in this life the physical Jews (heirs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) are still the chosen / elect / circumcision of this world. They alone are entitled to the land grants of God in Eretz Israel (Ezekiel 46:16-18). Our inheritance is the New Jerusalem (Galatians 4). We are the chosen / elect / circumcision from above. Replacement theology of any kind is heresy. We who are born Gentiles who came to the faith in the Jewish Messiah are grafted into that vine spiritually (Romans 11). The regathering of the Jews in Ezekiel 37 is about 1948 and beyond. The Jewish people in the Holy Land are those inhabitants and the rightful owners / heirs to the land.

In Quora Digest in an area that prides itself on being "the Way" (Christian) this was declined as too political:

I was blocked / black balled from Instagram for simply clicking the follow button on a alleged Donald Trump Instagram page. "Your content does not jibe with the providers of Instagram" or something to that effect was all the warning I got. Then boom. Censorship. Welcome to communism.

I realize politics has been turned into a flaming dung pile by antagonists trying to expedite the downfall of America, but rather than giving into their tactics to silence any opposition we should weed them out as antagonists the same way we would in any other forum. George, please reinstate the Politics forum.

A very neglected commodity of this WCF one which could benefit and equip Christian men in a world arrayed against us (especially so with Christian males). It would be worth at least trying to give this forum a shot to help us. You'll need to consult George to get the password if you are interested. Hope to see you there.

What will heaven be like? We must remember that the present heavens and earth will be done away with and a new heaven and new earth will be created in their place. Since we will be with God directly in that eternal kingdom, it's just my opinion, but I believe the two (heaven and earth) will be fused into one heaven-earth (in like manner we as individuals will be fused into one spirit-body where presently we are body, soul, spirit). 1 Corinthians 15 touches on the subject of our spiritual body (which will be like Christ's resurrected body see 1 John 3:2). Eternally: Heaven has been described (in human terms) as being a mountain top where fiery stones and streets of gold and gates of pearl exist. Mansions are prepared for those who reside there. We cannot perceive of the way heaven will be, not really. The one thing we can understand is that we will be with Jesus forever and forever and ever. And IMHO that is what makes heaven heaven.

From Eden's Garden to the Day of Judgment the fallibility of man and human inability to understand have limited Almighty God in his progressive revelation to man. For example: the Apostle Paul spoke of the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12 in a time when humanity had no real understanding of cosmology: Hence the use of metaphors to covey infinite points to finite minds. Jesus described heaven as a house of the Father having many mansions. And as a far country. And that heaven is within. Of all the many attempts to describe heaven (which always fall woefully short of their claim to definitively describe heaven) suffice it to say it is beyond our ability to fully grasp in this life, with our limited minds having no reference points (other than the metaphors) to even describe heaven. Heaven is above, hell is below, it is a kingdom, it is within and among us... In our attempts at artistry (specifically writing things like science fiction) we imagine concepts which very well could be applied to heaven... as the universe, another dimension within this universe, multi-dimensional. 2 Corinthians 12:1–5 (KJV) 1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. This is a humble testimony of the Apostle Paul describing what he could about a time when he was stoned and left for dead. Humble in that it does not mention his being raised from the dead or that it was even him. Two take-aways 1. not lawful is more about beyond description than breaking any laws mentioning what he saw and heard. 2. the difference between being in a body and out of a body is apparently so insignificant as to be hard to distinguish (at least initially). Another example is found in Luke 16:19-31 we read about the disembodied spirits of Abraham, Lazarus, and the Rich Man. The account is not post-resurrection / judgment day. It is Sheol the place of disembodied spirits of the dead at a time before the cross. Since the cross of Christ, all who die believing in Jesus go directly to heaven to be with him there in our disembodied state (2 Corinthians 5:8). Note the similarities of the disembodied spirits and the functions of the human body: 1. sight 2. speech 3. hearing 4. sensing pain 5. sensing comfort 6. thirst / quenching thirst 7. recognition of others 8. the ability to speak to others across a great chasm / abyss (more a trait of spirit than body, I will grant you) This could also have been metaphor / anthropomorphic speech (using human terms to describe a situation that is beyond human understanding). Which I grant the possibility... but then again, what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12 about being unable to determine if in the body or out of the body lends itself to the literal interpretation of Luke 16:19-31. According to Ephesians 4:8-10 Abraham's Bosom was emptied out by Jesus the same day he died on the cross (according to Luke 23:43). Henceforth: 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Amen.

Curved space-time is peculiar. It is curved and has a compressing effect on all things from that curved state (which produces gravity) ← I've gone round and round with physicists / armchair cosmologists on this who can never quite accept that the universe pushes back against the mass and energy that displaces it producing what we call gravity. They can't explain gravity. They just believe I'm wrong / what I teach can't be true. Period. Curved space-time also invokes equatorial plains (the rings around Jupiter and Saturn for example). And the flatness of spiral galaxies. Add in the right-angle of light, the upwelling of curved space-time causing it to expand over the universe... and the rarity of the precise conditions necessary for life to exist on this one infinitesimally small planet... and it all adds up to an intricately designed cosmos (meaning a Designer exists, who designed and created it) for a very specific purpose. And we have only to read the divinely inspired Bible to learn what the purpose is. For this Grande Designer Creator of the unimaginable greatness and vastness of all that exists is completely capable of communicating with the human race. And by God's traits, his ability to see the future before it happens / and to inspire 40 different authors on 3 different continents over 1500 + years to write the same narrative (and each using their own communication skills without deviating from the overall theme) assures us that the Judeo-Christian Bible is in fact the very Word of God. Read it, study it under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible through the prophets (2 Peter 1:20-21) with a vengeance. A time is coming when the Bible will be taken from us or we will be kept from it (Revelation 12:17 / Revelation 13:7).

One must also remember that the sun is a giant ball at its source but is in fact a star as luminous as the distant stars we see over trillions and trillions of miles away. The sphere of the sun's influence is many times greater than its actual source, and that sphere cannot be totally blocked out by the moon which can only block the source temporarily. I call it the right-angle of light. Light is strange in that sense. In the vast darkness of space, you can look across that sphere of influence and see the darkness beyond and look to a planet or other body further away from the light source to see the reflection of the light source within that greater sphere of influence. One would think (using our monkey brains) that the entire sphere of influence should be lit up like a room with a lamp turned on. It has something to do with the nature of light (mixture of particle and wave) but also the vastness of space. Let's the last bit of air out of the flat earth belief.

All I know is it's totally weird to see the little half circles of light under trees (projected on the ground through the leafs) during a partial eclipse and the major darkness drop in a total eclipse (or super tall thunder storm for that matter). It's unnatural. I do recall during a partial eclipse looking at the sun (with eye protection USE EYE PROTECTION [like a welder's mask] if you look ! ! ! or you'll lose your eye sight). And it gave me a strong sense of depth of field (me to moon, moon to sun). Almost like looking over the moon's shoulder at the sun. But other than that it was no more spectacular to actually see than looking at a photo of it online. Be safe (and and all who are in the path of the eclipse today) ! ! !

There is so much joy in giving especially to the helpless and truly needy. I hear Mother Teresa has a nut of some $6 million which she never touched / used personally. Perhaps mostly money people who wouldn't take "no" for an answer put in bank accounts for her / her cause. But her TRUE wealth was in the giving she selflessly gave to all. I am in no way a Catholic or supporter of Catholicism, but there are those within who (despite Catholicism) are examples for us all. Also Father Joe Carroll in San Diego. ← who I just now learned passed in 2021.