humanoid

this has been on my mind a lot lately. satan and the fallen angels once lived comfortably in heaven, but have now been banned to the lower, corrupt, defiled earthly regions of the universe. because of this, their existence is that much more miserable, as they have first-hand experience of a better existence and way of life. this will also make hell extremely miserable for them - beings who were able to roam the vastness of the universe in unspeakable bliss and freedom, now confined to a dark and gloomy abode. the same concept applies to us earthly saints. we have lived on planet earth for our entire being. this existence is all we truly know. we have not completely experienced the immeasurably higher standard of living which exists in heaven. heaven is already blissful to the angels, who were there in the beginning. how much sweeter will heaven be for us then - when worms of the dust are promoted to co-heirs of the king of this universe? i just got chills writing this. it is a wonderful reality. us earthly saints are very, very blessed by god. in his infinite wisdom, mercy and love, he was aware of this very reality - that our future existence would be all the more blissful in heaven after spending time on earth. because of this, if angels could have the opportunity to switch places with us, they would do it. it's a horrible analogy, but those who own an island of paradise are completely happy and content with their possessions and well-being. but those who arrive there after paddling weeks on end in an inflatable boat will appreciate this destination far more and consequently will enjoy it more. thank you god! how wonderful will it be when this body of death, sin and corruption, which is all my soul has ever dwelled in, will be suddenly replaced with a glorious celestial body like that of jesus christ! can this even be imagined?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/104096/v-a-first-look-at-v http://www.hulu.com/watch/98204/v-sneak-peek-arrival indeed. for those who have discernment, its obvious the media is preparing the population for the arrival of satan and the fallen angels, or in other words an "alien disclosure". i believe satan and his evil companions have been banned from the highest heavens, but they have been free to roam around these lower, earthly regions. soon however, they will be cast down and confined entirely to planet earth. the sixth seal says they, being "stars", will fall from the heavens like figs being shaken by a fierce wind. this fierce wind is of course the wrath of god to rid the universe of all that pollutes. "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." Revelation 12:12 they will be forced to make a mass appearance and speak lies about their identity, claiming they're here to help the world with its destructive ways "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders..." 1 Thessalonians 2:9 indeed the world will believe it is the second coming of jesus with his angels, when in fact it will be satan and the fallen angels "masquerading as angels of light". the deluded population will readily accept them as the saviors of the world. as it says in revelation 12:12, all true christians will have been raptured into heaven, immune from the ensuing wrath and deception.

i know what that word means. i was just implying that "chilling" is not something someone should be doing when they see other christians embracing false doctrines. i am not going to just passively sit back and watch others write things which are false. and this has nothing to do with pride or ego, but rather the desire to defend solid doctrine. try going back in time and telling jesus to take a chill pill while he's overturning the tables in the temple. i'm not jesus by any stretch of the imagination, but i'm trying to overturn the tables of unsound doctrine. Brother, if you look at Hazard's reference to John 14:12, it says "In my Father's House, there are many mansions.........". He didn't say "in Heaven". jamilea, god lives and resides in heaven. it is his home. it is his "house". my friend, you posted the scripture about the many mansions, saying it's one of the things which we'll enjoy, and then right after that post you said: "Yes, God will bring His Holy City down to Earth and be with men for eternity. But at the moment God is in Heaven and He now rules the universe from there." it is a contradiction. we can't enjoy the mansions jesus has prepared us if we spend eternity on earth. it's not possible. my friends, let me end this post by saying that the bible indeed says god will create a new universe and a new earth, free from sin and corruption. i believe we'll be able to, with our new celestial bodies, roam the vastness of the glorious heavens and not be confined to a tiny little rock. that it does not mean we'll be incapable of coming down to and living on, interacting, etc on the new renovated planet earth. that's something we'll indeed do. but to say we'll be confined to it for eternity is ridiculous for many reasons.

chill? http://www.eternallifeministries.org/jcr_danger.htm

i've never felt so much joy yet so much grief at the same time. "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" like paul says in corinthians. joy because i know my redemption is near. i will soon be rescued from this wicked planet and the coming wrath. i will soon be given a new body free from sin and corruption. the list goes on. but sorrowful at my shortcomings in the face of such a reality. sorrowful that many of those who i come in contact with on a daily basis are not saved and if they don't repent, will not be "kept from the time of testing which is to come upon the whole world to test those living on the earth." it is such a bittersweet reality.

i know i said im done posting in this thread, but i can't help myself. HAZARD, you said we have many mansions in heaven to look forward to, and then you say in your next post that we'll spend eternity on earth. isn't this a contradiction? why would jesus prepare dwelling places for us in the heavenly realms when we're going to be on earth for eternity? are they just going to be uninhabited? i'm sorry but i'm extremely appalled as to how some dismiss the clear teachings of heaven. this is all very new to me. in fact prior to participating in this thread i did not know there were professing christians who read the bible, commune with god, immersed in all things christianity, and yet do not believe the doctrine that if we are truly saved, we are not from this world, but rather we are sojourners, passing from one world to another. it upsets me actually. i think this has to do with being too earthly minded, proud, and self-centered. perhaps those who adhere to this doctrine do not have their "mind on things above", but are still earthly. i'm going to get psychological here and say it's quite possible these individuals' minds are on earthly things so much; they are attached to this world and the things of it still so much that subconsciously they don't want to leave it and so try to convince themselves that they will spend eternity on it.

there's nothing more i can say. there's nothing more the bible can say. and because of that i'm going to bow out of this thread and agian i say along with paul: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." ephesians 1:19 take care

well i honestly don't know what to say. i just don't know how some can honestly believe they're going to spend eternity on earth and dismiss the doctrines of heaven laid out in the scriptures. this is truly a strange phenomenon - one that baffles my mind. i will just say that for those who hold to this belief: you are missing out on a lot of hope. if your hope is on this planet - even if it gets renewed to an earthly paradise - it is nothing compared to the celestial paradise, known as heaven, myself and many others are looking forward to. i say the following with paul: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." ephesians 1:19

well i completely disagree with this belief, because the bible completely disagrees with it: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..." Philippians 3:20 "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." 2 Corinthians 5:1 we are told that we shall be with jesus throughout all eternity, for we are his bride. so if we want to know where we will spend eternity, we only need to find out where jesus will spend eternity: "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." -Jesus Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." -Jesus "They (christians) are not of the world, even as I am not of it." -Jesus "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." -Jesus i think some take revelation 21, where it depicts heaven coming down to earth, too literally. it is supposed to be symbolical of the presence of all that is good, holy and pure on planet earth for the first time since the fall. the city of god will not physically descend and land onto this planet.

are you saying we'll be on earth for eternity?

great question. this is something i've been thinking a lot about lately. it's first important to know that heaven is not some mere spiritual paradise consumed with fluffy pink clouds and plump infants playing harps. it is the "kingdom of light", the city of god. it exists in this physical universe. secondly, the bible says we will have physical, immortal bodies in the highest heavens. jesus ascended into the heavens physically, and so will we. so heaven is celestial paradise - an area of this universe which is undefiled and pure. "you will be with me in paradise", jesus told the thief on the cross. i love this quote from thomas watson: "Heaven cannot be fathomed. If the skirts and suburbs of the palace, namely, the stars and planets are so glorious, that our eyes cannot behold the dazzling luster of them; what glory then is there in the celestial palace itself!" also some insight from the puritan jonathan edwards: "The blessed abode of Christ and saints and angels is the third heaven, because it is above the other two; and so Christ is said to be made higher than the heavens. Hebrews 7:26, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens," i.e. higher than the visible heaven. This heaven is far above the stars. So it is said that Christ ascended far above all heavens. Ephesians 4:10, "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things," i.e. far above all the heaven that we see." "The word paradise signifies a most pleasant and delightful garden, of which the garden of Eden was a type. The garden of Eden was without doubt a place that was delightful beyond what we can easily conceive. But if this earthly paradise was so delightful, how pleasant and glorious may we conclude the heavenly paradise to be; that was not made merely top be the residence of some of the innocent creatures of God during their time of probation, as Eden was, but was prepared by infinite wisdom and skill for the everlasting dwelling-place of the great King of heaven and earth, and of his Son Jesus Christ; the place where they might show their glory, and wisdom, and love forever, and which is to be the habitation of confirmed saints and angels! When God made the universe, he made many parts of it for inferior uses, in which he displayed marvelous skill. Then he made the earth, and the sun, and moon, and stars, and the visible heavens, which appear truly glorious; but there was one part of the creation that God made more especially for himself, to be his own dwelling-place, the place of his glorious rest; and we may conclude that this is beyond all comparison more glorious than the other parts of it. If some parts of the visible world are so glorious, as the sun, moon, and stars how glorious may we conclude the highest heavens to be!" so yes we will have material possessions in heaven. this is not a greedy thing at all. it is what jesus commands: we should not desire things on this planet but the things in heaven. it is what paul commands: "set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2 "You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." Hebrews 10:34 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you..." 1 peter 1:5 it is something god will be glad to administer to his children. jesus said he is preparing dwelling places for us in celestial paradise and will come back and bring us there. we will reside there with our new immortal bodies. what a wonderful future we have!

are you saying you need evidence that we're in the end times? don't you know this mentality is completely unbiblical? "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family." Hebrews 11:7 you must not believe heaven and hell exist then, if you hold to this, for you don't have any "evidence", in the worldly sense of the term, of their existence, do you? and i'm going to overlook the fact that you've just called myself and numerous other christians "chicken littles", and say that i agree there is a ton of end times hysteria. indeed it seems to be the current fad. so much so that christians are not the only ones participating in it, or religious individuals of any kind, but rather unbelievers/athiests/new agers/agnostics/etc have jumped aboard as well. so yes in this regard, when the only outcome is an increase of fear and panic, it is very "juvenile and immature" as you say. but it would be very juvenile and immature to completely dismiss the possibility that we're in the end times merely because of some foolish individuals, tv shows, movies, etc, would it not? i do not intend to sound harsh or what not - i don't want to cause arguments or anything, and i'm not trying to be rude when i say this, but your words make you sound no different than an unbeliever. you don't believe prophecy is about to unfold because you don't have evidence? not only that but your post reeks of pride and arrogance. perhaps if you would only become more humble, you would be less stubborn and therefore more capable of changing your beliefs? "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15 like jesus said, we should become like little children (humble). and why should we become like little children? because they're easy to teach. i really do encourage you to go alone in your room, close the door, shut the lights off, seek god, and ask his holy spirit to "lead you into all truth" about the coming events. if you do so like a little child, it will be done. again i realize my words may sound very harsh - like i am a mean, angry person or something, but i write this with sincerity.

i'm not sure if i understand what you're saying, hx9. are you being sarcastic? do you believe the end is coming? thanks

(and yes i know i spelled ezekiel wrong. i have a friend from argentina who's named ezequiel. )

ah yes, the popular argument that the belief we're in the end times is the result of an increase in technology and efficiency in news distribution. you know, this is a very common argument among unbelievers. are you sure you want to side with them? this argument needs to be laid to rest. it is a scientific fact that the frequency of earthquakes, for example, are unprecedented. http://www.thehorizonproject.com/earthquakes.cfm this goes for all earth changes in general. also, i've observed through much reading and conversation that those who use the word "rubbish"/"nonsense"/etc are indicating a strong presence of denial - as if they are not saying to others that it is rubbish but are rather trying to convince themselves, by typing it out physically, that it is rubbish, for if they believed it to be real then that may be intolerable. they have nothing substantial to reply with, and so they resort to using the aforementioned words and short sentences. as angelindisguise pointed out, there are are plethora of reasons to believe we're in the end times. but the big one for me is the "gog-magog" war prophesied by ezequiel. he said that in the end times russia and iran would form an alliance and attack israel. well we are seeing that right now. russia has been supplying iran with a steady and hefty amount of military supplies for quite some time now. this has not been covered on mainstream news, of course. moreover, the leader of iran has been frantically pursuing nuclear weapons and has made numerous blatant threats against isreal, such as "wiping it off the map". these are all no mere coincidences. this "increase in awareness" argument indeed sounds convincing, that is until you see the facts and face reality with boldness.