by brotherdan 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Dan,
You'd have to argue details with the Jews. I'm taking their explanations, since the OT is their book.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=222&letter=J
But I agree with you that the God of the Bible appears capable of slaughtering anyone in any manner. I don't understand why Watchtower has to sugar coat that obvious fact.
the OT is their book
Oops...nope. The Pharisees were Jews and got it ALL wrong. Jesus had the true teaching about the OT.
Leolaia,
I'm always amazed at the depth of research you do on Bible topics.
I pity the poor dub who comes to your door armed with just a couple of proof-texts out of the Reasoning book.
Dan said ... "God detests the offering of humans to him."
I always wondered how Abraham could have believed Jehovah was asking him to kill his son. If Abraham was your pal and told you he was going to offer his son as a sacrifice to Jehovah, wouldn't you question whether or not Abraham was nuts or if the request was made by a demonic entity?
To make the request of Abraham, wouldn't that have been inconsistent with Jehovah's character?
God had no intention of letting Abraham sacrifice his son.
Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sarah, and the heir to God’s promise of a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3), so how else would God test Abraham’s loyalty to Him than by asking Abraham to give up what was perhaps his greatest possession (cf. Hebrews 11:17-19). God, by keeping Abraham from completing the sacrifice, never intended for Isaac to be killed, but merely wished to see if Abraham would obey.
It's also possible that Abraham KNEW that God would not allow him to go through with the sacrifice. Notice what he says to Isaac when asked why they were building the alter and no lamb was present at Genesis 22:8-12 -
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
If you belive in eternal hot hell you are not in true religion and those who are in false religions are destined to be destroyed ifv they heard the news there is no such hot hell and still resist .
Call Harold Camping on his Open Forum program 1-800-322-5385 and tell him you have proofs in the Bible there is hot hell forever and what he will tell you . He was teaching literal hot hell untill 2007 AD like no one else in this world and all of a sudden changed his view .He was 100% sure about hot hell till that time and was denouncing Jehovah's Witnesses for their false doctrine on hell !
The Pharisees were Jews and got it ALL wrong.
Have you ever read anything about the Jewish religion beyond Wikipedia articles or Christian apologists writing along the lines of "ignore 2500 years of Jewish writing and tradition, here's what I say they really believed"?
You might try reading a bit of the Mishnah....you might be surprised how "pharisaic" Jesus really was.
Dan, I realize your explanation and agree, however, doesn't saying that such a thing never came in to God's heart contradict the fact that he made the request, whether he intended on letting Abraham follow through or not? I don't know, its just one of those things that seemed a little odd to me.
Leolaia you better listen what the Watchtower teaches on hell and also tune to Open Forum by Harold Camping who had taught for decades like no one else about hot hell and changed his view . You take the Bible words literally in time when they should not be . Jesus was teaching in parables and metaphors - Matthew 13.11,34-35.
Just for simple common sense how death can be tormented in Revelation 20.14 ? Death is a process or an idea .
