You cannot live forever in paradise on earth

by Gopher 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Gopher

  Funchback: “Extreme Makeover: Earth Edition”? LOL! Does Sears have enough appliances for everyone?

  Darth YHWH: What happens when the sun uses up all its fuel? The inhabitants of the ‘paradise new earth’ will have to wait on Jehovah! Maybe he’ll put all earth’s creatures into a temporary deep and then take the sun to a celestial fuel station to recharge it for another million years or so. After all, Jehovah can do anything when he wants to (even though he hasn’t done much about humanity’s crises lately).

  Peacefulpete: Thanks for that clarification on the Jewish teachings of heaven. I bought into the Society’s distortion that the first-century Jews only knew of an earthly kingdom.

  Sunspot: It takes a while to decompress from all the teachings the Watchtower crammed into our brain over the years. The paradise hope was implanted in me from a very young age, along with the thought that I would NEVER pass away because the end was so near. It’s taken a while to come to grips with the reality of our temporary existence.

  HoChiMin: It’ll take twice as long to get that equivalent of a college education reading Awake, seeing that the magazine is now only published monthly!
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  paulE

  Dear Gopher, I read your post and the responses with great interest. After I left the WTBS, early 90's, I assumed that anything taught by that organization must be totally false.

  Now, I believe that in this case, they may be partially right. Even a blind squirrel can stumble on to an acorn now and then. The belief in human life on a restored earth is not unique to JW's. Some Baptist and Pentecostal groups have long held this belief. In recent decades, some religious educators from such varied denominations as Lutheran and Anglican teach a bodily resurrection on a restored earth.

  The "logic" behind this teaching is God's purpose for man, stated in Genesis, is finally to be fulfilled through the resurrection of the body to life on a restored earth.

  Genesis 1-3 tells us that God created man and woman on earth, and put them into the "paradise of pleasure". The were to "fill" the earth and "subdue" it and have the animals in "subjection".

  Man's disobedience ,sin, led to man's seperation from God and to death. The earth was not filled or subdued. Can man's disobedience or even that of Satan, stop God's purpose? Jesus paid the price for man's sin and conquered death by his resurrection. The apostle Paul indicates that this conquest will be completed when Jesus resurrects mankind. The resurrected body will be incorruptable and immortal. Those still alive at the "last day" will have their bodies "changed" or "transformed". In other words, they too will get the "upgraded" body.

  A significant scripture is Paul's discussion of the groaning creation in Romans 8. Mankind, the earth, in fact, all creation awaits God's promised restoration.

  I know that this post is already lengthy, and addresses issues in general scriptural terms. God forbid that anyone think that I am trying to defend the beliefs of the "blind squirrel", but I think that there is abundant scriptural evidence for bodily resurrection to a restored earth. I will be happy to elaborate if anyone is interested, including comments on the Jewish view of heaven, overpopulation, Luke 23, the sun running out of fuel or emotional satisfaction without procreative powers.

  Thanks, PaulE
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  heathen

  I don't have a problem with the paradise earth . Jesus told the jews " the meek will inherit the earth." Revelation is clear that the entire city of new jerusalem docks with earth and the tent of God is with mankind , not just angels . The new heaven and earth are definitely mentioned . The j-dub concept is a little off from the bible but the paradise earth is part of the promise. IMO
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  Shazard

  Ouh common... if JW would pay me good money, I can solve this gap in their religions. For example...who sayed that there is only one dimension on the Earth. If you shift time-space continum one second in future or past you get whole new empty Earth. So you have infinit parallel universes. Read right dudes and you will see that the Earth will be multidimensional curved time-space and people will have ability to travel through these dimensions and there allways will be plenty of space on THE earth. --- So... JW, 2 million dollars and I will fix YOUR religion :)
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  Clam

  Yes of course! String theory and multi-dimensional habitats. But at the resurrection why not bring everyone back to all be 2 inches tall? Then there'll be tons more space!
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  ChrisVance

  "forever, or until the divine termination of the marital arrangement." Does anyone else remember?

  I think the phrase used in JW weddings was ‘… as long as we live together on earth under God’s marital arrangement’

  Actually, I remember hearing it both ways.
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  heathen

  LOL shazard . I seriously doubt things work that way tho .I think there is a spiritual dimension that most science doesn't discuss . There are plenty of parts in the bible where people claim to have seen it .
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  MungoBaobab

  Darth Yhwh brings up a valid point:

  One of the things that always bothered me when considering the thought of eternal life on Earth was the fact that the Sun has a finite amount of hydrogen and helium to maintain it thermonuclear fusion.

  And the JW answer. Say it with me:

  "But that's just a theory."
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  Van Gogh

  If you hold the bible to be true and want to start doubting again, then look at this exegesis from the Unitarian Church:
  http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=113 )
  The Unitarian Church does not accept the Trinity doctrine and they not believe in any heavenly hope.
  Introduction to their basics:
  http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=302
  Scriftural explanation:
  http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=299
  Sweet dreams (who knows?)
  Theo
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  Benjamin Belial

  Frankly I disagree with your interpretations and logic.

  Then consider this. What happens if the earth (in such a paradise) reaches the point of overpopulation, meaning there are not enough food and other resources available for continued growth?

  There wouldn't be procreation in that new world.

  Problem solved. The Bible even mentioned that there would be no procreation.