In need of some help explaining certain stuff in the bible. Four questions, for now.

[Treize]

Ok, so the Jehova's Withnesses came by the other day and as a result we had two booklets lying on top of the woodstove. One appeared to be a sort of bible summary. So I was interested and I just read it.


So we know that Judea was destroyed by the Babylonians and its inhabitants taken to Babylon.

-1. What happened to the Israelites in the other kingdom, Israel, when it was conquered? I guess they just stayed where the where, am I right?

-2.
How was the reunion between the two groups when the exile ended?

So after a ed up period of time Jesus will return, destoy all governments and creates his kingdom here on earth.

-3. But what will happen after the first 1000 years?

-4. What is the period between your death and your resurrection supposed to be? What happens to you? Is that the heaven stuff or what?

[Hax]

-1. What happened to the Israelites in the other kingdom, Israel, when it was conquered? I guess they just stayed where the where, am I right?

I think so. I remember reading something about it in one of my books. I think they stayed where they were, although some may have moved someplace else. Then Cyrus liberated them, of course.

[Modestus]

Read The Lord of the Rings much more fun and much better for the soul than this vomit.

[Treize]

It is not that I am converted or anything.

[Treize]

Thanks.

[austin.weathers]

Ok, so the Jehova's Withnesses came by the other day and as a result we had two booklets lying on top of the woodstove. One appeared to be a sort of bible summary. So I was interested and I just read it.


So we know that Judea was destroyed by the Babylonians and its inhabitants taken to Babylon.

-1. What happened to the Israelites in the other kingdom, Israel, when it was conquered? I guess they just stayed where the where, am I right?

-2.
How was the reunion between the two groups when the exile ended?

So after a ed up period of time Jesus will return, destoy all governments and creates his kingdom here on earth.

-3. But what will happen after the first 1000 years?

-4. What is the period between your death and your resurrection supposed to be? What happens to you? Is that the heaven stuff or what?

I believe that Scipio did a good job answering the first 2 questions, so I will just focus on 3 & 4.

3) After the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth, Satan will escape the pit and again come to the Earth only to be defeated in the last battle with Christ. Satan is defeated then is cast into the lake of fire, signaling the end of wickedness on Earth.

Now, I know that you may be confused thinking that Satan had already been defeated at the Battle of Armageddon... but that was the defeat of the Anti-Christ and his army (Satan's son).

After Satan is defeated, a New Heaven and a New Earth replace the old one that had been contaminated by Satan's wickedness. This "New Jerusalem" will be governed by Christ and will be a place where no suffering or death exist, as they are healed by the river and tree of life.

4) There are 2 different schools of thought on what happens between when you die and when the rapture happens.

Opinion 1 - Some believe that when you die, your soul immediately is sent to Heaven or Hell. To these people, the rapture is simply the body going to be with the soul.

Opinion 2 - Some believe that when you die, your soul remains on Earth "waiting" for the rapture so that it can go before the Judgement Seat of Christ and meet its fate of Heaven or Hell. Notice I put "waiting" in quotations, because this opinion involves the assumption that to the dead there is no concept of time, so the dead will not know that they have been waiting at all... it will seem instantaneous.

*on a side note, opinion 2 can be used to explain a belief in the existance of ghosts

*another side note, the Jehovah's Witnesses have some very un-orthodox beliefs that differ from those accepted by mainstream Christianity.

[Col. Tartleton]

So basically the Devil is also a God chained up in hell like Loki/Prometheus/whomever? And his Avatar is the opposite of God's Avatar Jesus? And there's a lake of fire which will be dumped in?

Looks like I'm betting on that guy.

Jehovah Witnesses actually have the most coherent version imo. I mean I don't believe it, but I can understand what they mean. Catholicism screws with your brain by using paradoxes to make it seem mystical instead of nonsense.

Christianity: Jesus is man. Jesus is God. There is only one God. Jesus is God. God is God. Holy Spirit is God. But there's only one God. And his name is Jesus. But Jesus and God and the holy spirit are not just different names for the same thing. *gunshot*

Jehovahs: God is a God. Jesus is a God. Holy Spirit, also a God. Not the Same God. But Gods none the less. The Devils an evil Godlike thingy. But not the same team. He's got the Anti Christ, and the False Prophet on his side... So its like a 3v3 death match and Jesus is so beefcake. No homo.

[austin.weathers]

I'm not Catholic. I'm Protestant.

The trinity has never been a difficult concept for me.

Yes, what I posted is what the Bible says will happen. I was answering the man's question.

No, Satan is not like a "god" chained up. Satan is an angel who is currently free, in his own Kingdom of Hell... as opposed to the Kingdom of Heaven. When he is cast into the pit, he will still just be a fallen angel.

[Col. Tartleton]

Yes, but I'm "Catholic" which was my point.

The trinity is an unnecessary complication put in to make Jesus an aspect of God instead of another righteous dude/ prophet.

[Squiggle]

Yes, but I'm "Catholic" which was my point.

The trinity is an unnecessary complication put in to make Jesus an aspect of God instead of another righteous dude/ prophet.

You and Spartan have already been corrected. The theology of Unitarianism is baseless. Hell, everything you've said in the Ethos- ever- has been routinely proven wrong. Are you an alt of helm by chance?

[Col. Tartleton]

IMHO it's very hard to debate (read: mock) the finer points of literature with so much contradictory fan fiction and retcons.


So no I'm not a Helm alt because Helm unless memory fails me actually has religious beliefs (quasi Pagan something or other) whereas I think its just a good though long collection of short stories. Pales in comparison with Different Seasons, but still a good effort. On that note I'd enjoy reading a Stephen "King James" take on the bible. That would be... different.

[Captain Cipher]

Yes, but I'm "Catholic" which was my point.

The trinity is an unnecessary complication put in to make Jesus an aspect of God instead of another righteous dude/ prophet.

To start this off, I am currently a Religious Studies student. Not to be rude here, but the aspect of the Trinity is the underlying, unifying factor of Christianity. The idea here is that, particularly in an Old Testament Theology way, only God can forgive us of our sins, which I’m sure you believe, being a Catholic and all. The problem with not having the Trinitarian idea, and assuming that God and Jesus are two different persons, is that by doing so you are worshiping a Lord that is not the Biblical God (this notion was shut down by the First Ecumenical Council in 325 c.e.). Simply, without accepting the Trinitarian approach to Christianity one would be practicing Polytheism.

[SigniferOne]

Yes, but I'm "Catholic" which was my point.

The trinity is an unnecessary complication put in to make Jesus an aspect of God instead of another righteous dude/ prophet.

No it's not, uhh, it's in the Bible. Not the coequality of the Three, which comes from a later Creed, but the existence of the three manifestations of divinity is in the Bible itself.

[Spartan90]

I'll answer the questions I know, but the best thing to do is ask them? Jehovah's Witnesses are probably the best people to ask when you want to know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe in

So after a ed up period of time Jesus will return, destoy all governments and creates his kingdom here on earth.

Yes, this time is called Armaggeddon (sp?) which I'm sure you're familiar with. The Great Tribulation is the time that precedes Armaggeddon, where all false religion will be destroyed.

-3. But what will happen after the first 1000 years?

After the 1000 years, Satan will be let out "for a little while" as the Bible says (forget which scripture). I'm not sure if this is meant to be a final test to the people or what (best to ask the Witnesses), but then Satan will be destroyed.

-4. What is the period between your death and your resurrection supposed to be? What happens to you? Is that the heaven stuff or what?

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the same type of heaven that mainstream Christianity believe in. Nor do they believe in Hell. Upon death, JWs believe that you are just dead - you're soul doesn't exist elsewhere, nor do you burn in Hell or go to Heaven. I forget the scripture, but there's one in Ecclesiastes (sp?) which talks along these lines. Once again, best to ask them.

Sorry I wasn't of much help, it's the best I could do.

[Treize]

Thanks.

[Angrychris]

you want biblical answers or real ones?

[Col. Tartleton]

"Catholic" means I'm Irish American but don't believe in God if only because it interferes with my lack of morals and fear of recreational cannibalism.

The way I see it is they're trying to complicate something that could be said much easier.

Jesus was a man whose existence was predestined by God. Jesus was God's instrument in the world. As such we can acknowledge that Christ spoke as the mouthpiece of God. Jesus was a Prophet but he was the last and greatest prophet until Doomsday.

God is a omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient entity. God is beyond human concepts of Good and Evil but it has got a plan and things are working out for the best no matter how bad they seem.

The holy spirit is the Spirit of Jesus after his crucifixion and he continues to work miracles in the plan of God.

Something easy you know?

[austin.weathers]

"Catholic" means I'm Irish American but don't believe in God if only because it interferes with my lack of morals and fear of recreational cannibalism.

The way I see it is they're trying to complicate something that could be said much easier.

Jesus was a man whose existence was predestined by God. Jesus was God's instrument in the world. As such we can acknowledge that Christ spoke as the mouthpiece of God. Jesus was a Prophet but he was the last and greatest prophet until Doomsday.

God is a omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient entity. God is beyond human concepts of Good and Evil but it has got a plan and things are working out for the best no matter how bad they seem.

The holy spirit is the Spirit of Jesus after his crucifixion and he continues to work miracles in the plan of God.

Something easy you know?

No, not really. It's much easier to say that they are 3 in 1.

[Treize]

you want biblical answers or real ones?

Both

The holy spirit is the Spirit of Jesus after his crucifixion and he continues to work miracles in the plan of God.

Something easy you know?

I actually think that the JW's explaination makes more sense. That the HS is the 'power of god' and not a person.

[Captain Cipher]

[/QUOTE]

The way I see it is they're trying to complicate something that could be said much easier.

Jesus was a man whose existence was predestined by God. Jesus was God's instrument in the world. As such we can acknowledge that Christ spoke as the mouthpiece of God. Jesus was a Prophet but he was the last and greatest prophet until Doomsday.

God is a omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient entity. God is beyond human concepts of Good and Evil but it has got a plan and things are working out for the best no matter how bad they seem.

The holy spirit is the Spirit of Jesus after his crucifixion and he continues to work miracles in the plan of God.

Something easy you know?

The argument that I think you are going for here was one started by Sabellius around 215 c.e. This argument completely woks in regards to rebuking the trinity (although I do not agree with it). It states that there is one God sequentially. God the Father, became God the Son, who later became God the Spirit. The problem I personally have with this idea is that it takes away the power of God the Father. I tend to agree more with the Old Testament idea of God and am not able to see how He just changed forms while not retaining His powers elsewhere. It almost takes away His omnipresence. Although this Sabellianism works, it was formally rejected by the Church and called heresy.