Religion / Theology

Topics related to theology.
jdcpapa
Posts: 190
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:38 pm

Re: What happens when we Die

Post by jdcpapa »

The following is summary of research conducted by Peter Fenwick, PHD a Neuro Psychiatrist as published in his Art of Dying, and of a nursing manuscript published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine entitled-Dying in Transition by Nurse Monika Ranz:

Stages of the transitional death and separation of the spirit (conscious personality)from the body (not seen to be linear):

1. Premonition: Some humans have a premonition of their death, sometime as much as 2 years in advance.

2. Pre-transition: This happens before an inner transformation of perception when patients feel: needs such as need for bonding, quenching thirst, pain and emotion such as fear and joy, A growing auditory sensitivity is a sign of progressive transition. Death bed visitors appear: angels, family, friends, light beings.

3. Transition itself: Implies losing "ego consciousness". There are signs of anxiety and struggle because the patients realize they must give up life.

4. Post transition: The "ego consciousness" is no longer dominant. There is now an "ego distant consciousness". There is serenity. Most patients cannot speak but can hear. They communicate by gestures, uttering or single words. Sometimes reconciliation and a sense of peace are experienced, visions observed as reported by the patients. It is comparable to a spiritual awakening or self realization.

5. Transition: The patients experience a tunnel, deafening noises, shouting, fear of falling, restlessness.

6. Post transition: The patients report observing " the light", hear flutes, a sense of peace, being held, falling into beauty, awe and joy.

After death, many people can get a visit from the spirit (conscious personality). It normally occurs within 30 minutes of death.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

The Resurrection

Post by Navigator »

I believe that one of the most important events in the New Testament is Christ’s resurrection. It is also a subject about which I believe there is a lot of lost information. Fortunately, there are some hints about this missing information. I think this information was/is extremely important, as it would provide core information as to the nature of God the Father and of Christ.

The starting point for understanding what is missing comes from Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Christ as a Mortal. This is from Isaiah 53:2-4:
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.


I believe that this points to Christ, as a Mortal, being physically unattractive. He could have very well have been bald, acne scarred, been short, etc. As many experience, there are serious disadvantages to not being attractive in this life, and I believe Christ personally experience this (based on the above).

When Christ was Resurrected, his body was not only made immortal, but it was perfected. Everything that was even esoterically imperfect was fixed. So much so that his closest friends and followers did not recognize him at all.

I believe that this is why he had to carry the marks from the crucifixion after the resurrection. Because he looked so different, he needed to show that it was indeed him.

There is only the above prophecy from Isaiah, plus the reaction of people meeting Christ after the resurrection that hints at this. I am sure that a LOT was written or discussed about this, but we have almost nothing.

I believe that the nature of the resurrection gets at the nature of God and Man in the hereafter.

I do not believe that the resurrected Christ was somehow a “temporary” form of existence. Rather I believe that Christ now exists as a permanently resurrected and immortal being. A being in the same form as his father, our Heavenly Father.

I believe that the Resurrection is a physical rebirth to a perfected state, and that we will continue forever in this immortal state.

I believe that what happened to Jesus is what will happen to most all. I believe that our bodies will be fully restored and perfected. We will continue in a state similar to what Jesus was described as being after his resurrection. This is why I got into the bit about his disciples not recognizing him, because I believe that in his being perfected; he looked completely different from his mortal state.

Christ, resurrected, interacted with others as a physical being. He ate (and suppose drank), talked, and so on. Yet at that point, he was immortal, and, as described, had the ability to appear (ascend and descend from on high) at will.

I do not believe that our bodies are an impediment. Instead, I view them as a gift from God that we will retain, however in a perfected state, after the resurrection.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

The Savior’s Second Coming

Post by Navigator »

I believe that Jesus Christ, mankind’s Savior, will return. This return will accomplish a number of things, chief of which is the Resurrection of the good and righteous.

Christ left this earth after spending forty days with his Apostles, after his own Resurrection. He left to return to his (and our) Heavenly Father’s presence. Christ would stay with him until it is time for Christ to return to earth. This return is often referred to as Christ’s “Second Coming”.
The Apostles were told how Christ would return

Acts 1:11:
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go.

Christ will return in full glory, with the full power and majesty befitting him, and the entire world will witness his descent back onto the earth.

I believe that Christ’s return will enable a number of crucial events:

Christ will cleanse the earth.
He will destroy all that are wicked. He will consume them with fire.
Malachi 4:1:
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

The Good and Righteous will be physically Resurrected.
Those that have done good in this life, and those that have accepted Christ by striving to live his commandments, will rise from their graves and will be caught up to meet the Savior as He comes down from heaven.

Christ will usher in a thousand years of peace.
This period is known as the “Millennium” (more on this in another post shortly). During this period, Christ will personally reign on the earth as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. (Rev 17:14). All will acknowledge his right to do this.

The wicked will not be resurrected until after the end of Christ’s thousand-year reign on earth.
Revelation 20: 5:
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Cool Breeze
Posts: 2935
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:19 pm

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by Cool Breeze »

It doesn't really matter, as we should just strive to do our best to keep the commandments and repent if we do not, but your chiliasm theology is heresy and it's already been treated by the church as such. The period of the Church brings the gospel that our King has defeated death and in this sense, history is over and we do have peace in the risen Lord. Even in the apocalypse it says that after the "1000 years" (our current times) Satan will be let out for a while. The parousia of Christ will be to judge, he will be returning just as he ascended, but this time to judge the world. And the demons with Satan and those who rebel against God will be thrown into the lake of fire. Period.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by Navigator »

I believe that those that do not repent of their evil works (sins) will have to personally suffer for them. They will feel the same pain/anguish as they have caused in others. Yet this suffering, I believe, is finite. Even monsters like Hitler will eventually endure all of the suffering that they have caused.

In the end, the evil will be permanently separated from God. This is the definition of "spiritual death" or often called the "second death" in the scriptures. This is part of their eternal torment. The other part, I believe, is the full realization that they didn't have to suffer, that they could have had eternal rewards if they had just made different choices during mortal life.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

The Millennium (Christ’s Reign on Earth)

Post by Navigator »

A thousand years of peace, love, and joy will begin on the earth at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This thousand-year period is called the Millennium.

Because of the destruction of the wicked at the Savior’s Second Coming, only righteous people will live on the earth at the beginning of the Millennium. They will be those who have lived virtuous and honest lives.

During the Millennium, mortals will still live on earth, and they will continue to have children as we do now. People will still have their agency, and for a time many will be free to continue with their religions and ideas. Eventually everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is the Savior.

During the Millennium, Jesus will reign personally upon the earth. The Lord will be king over all the earth, and all mankind literally under his sovereignty, and every nation under the heavens will have to acknowledge his authority.

Because only the good and righteous will be alive during the Millennium, Satan will have no influence.

There will be no war. People will live in peace and harmony together. Things that have been used for war will be turned to useful purposes.
Isaiah 2:4
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more

There will be no death as we know it. When people have lived to an old age, they will not die and be buried. Instead, they will be changed instantly from their mortal condition to a resurrected state.

The Lord will reveal all of his works. We will be able to learn what exactly happened in the past, and what will happen in the future.

The resurrected will be able to socialize and work with each other and with mortals.

Life during the millennium will be similar to life now, but without the bad parts (no wars, disease, evil, natural disasters, etc.). People will eat and drink and will wear clothing. People will continue to plant and harvest crops and build houses (see Isaiah 65:21).

At the end of the millennium, Satan will be set free for a short time. Some people will turn away from Heavenly Father. Satan will gather his armies, which will include those whose deeds on earth have postponed their resurrection until this time (the wicked and unrepentant). They will face those who have accepted Christ and have striven to do good. They will fail (again), and all will then face final judgement by Christ.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by Navigator »

I should have added a few details concerning the Millennium, that answer common questions.

The resurrected alive will include all who died as children, including those that died in the course of abortions. I believe that infants/very young children are incapable of sin, they don’t know the difference between right and wrong. And since they died without sin, they are gifted the resurrection by Christ’s atonement.

The resurrected will include all who would have followed Christ, but who did not have the opportunity while in this life to accept him and follow his commandments. God knows the true hearts of all, and those that would have followed him will not be punished for not having the mortal opportunity to do so.

The good/righteous that lost children, in pregnancy or in early childhood, will have the opportunity to form family bonds with these lost children, and to have familial experiences and relationships.

The Lord will make whole what the righteous have lost due to evil/sin during their mortal lives.

tim
Posts: 1063
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:33 am

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by tim »

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, paid a big price for their sin. When scorched from the face of the Earth, their battle could not win....
Take warning, my dear brother, be careful how you plan.
You're working with the power of God's own holy hand.

- Fred Kirby, 1945
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; - Exodus 20:5

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by Navigator »

I do believe that nuclear weapons will eventually be used. Its just that they won't be used that much in WW3. That is because as evil as Putin and Xi are, they are not deranged. What good does it do to try and conquer additional territory if what you want to grab, plus your homeland, is a smoking pile of ruin?

However, WW3 is not the end of war. Nuclear weapons will be used by a Hitler type prior to Christ's return. This will be the Anti-Christ.

The world is cleansed by fire at Christ's return. Nuclear weapons will probably be the means.

Christ does promise the righteous that he will protect them from this. Nobody else will receive this protection.

Navigator
Posts: 901
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:15 pm

Re: Religion / Theology

Post by Navigator »

I would like to suggest people read a translation and interpretation of Isaiah that a friend of mine pointed me to.

It is the BEST insight into Isaiah's writings I have ever read. It is Isaiah's description of the events that will unfold, IMHO, post WW3, prior to the Millenium.

For just a taste, and to see how it applies to what is discussed on this site, here is a link to just chapter 3.

https://www.isaiahexplained.com/3#commentary

I will try to copy and paste that soon.

But I would recommend using the site on the link to go through the entire book of Isaiah. The interpretation this Hebrew scholar makes is pretty clear.

In reading I think a good rule of thumb is to use "God/Christ" as what is meant by "Jehovah", and "Christian" as what is meant by "my people" or "people of the covenant (since baptism is a covenant)"
Last edited by Navigator on Thu Dec 23, 2021 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

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