If John was privy to a vision of this time period in Revelations, as the Witnesses claim. Then perhaps we could have a vision of what the future would be like if the "new system" actually happened. Perhaps it would go something like this ... I set there in a vision of the night and I looked around me and I was in the calm of days, and all was perfect. People were standing around talking, children were playing and smiles were on thier faces. I knew from what I had been told that this must be the "new system of things" and the old system had indeed passed away. I walked around and all of the people seemed so happy in their faces, and all just seemed ten times better then I could have ever expected. None of the people seemed to notice me, so I went to a man holding what looked like small clippers working on the lawn. "Excuse me sir, can I ask you a question?" The man paused for a minute and looked up with a huge smile on his face, "sure, why not." Then he set down on the lawn to speak to me. I started out by explaining who I was, "I am here in a vision from Jehovah to see this time period and tell people what it is like, to build their faith in what the word of his organization has promised", the man did not seem phased by this and I figured miracles were probably second nature in this new world. So I continued, "first, how many years has it been since Armageddon?" The man gave it some thought and answered, "I would say about 100,000 or more" while he still kept that big smile on his face. "Really 100,000 years that is amazing, I heard of living forever so much, but hearing you say 100,000 years is just the most faith enriching statement I have ever heard." I was filled with joy. I continued in my questioning, making sure to take as much advantage of this moment of vision that I could, "So tell me what has it been like?" The man took a deep breath and spoke again, "Well in the beginning, it was amazing. Seeing all the events happening just like we were warned and all the people dying. I remember being a old man and instantly I started growing younger after the big day. I was in my 20 again when the first resurrections happened and I was so happy seeing my wife coming forth from the grave, and my mother. Of course, my father was never a Witness so he never made it. Then we had the time of cleaning up the mess. I really got sick of all those diapers people left behind from the old system, that they thought would degrade in time. I had dinner with Moses for the first time about 500 years after the "big day" and he was a "hoot" kept making references to splitting the swimming pools water. Then the 1000 year reign came to the end and it was messy. Tons of people wanted the old back and we had to gather them together to be killed." he continued on about a few more details, all the while having that huge smile. I spoke for a minute, "this is amazing, you are speaking about things from the past, that I have only heard about at the Kingdom Hall, as things that would take place in the far off future." He continued to speak, "after all those bad days were behind us, and my wife was dead again for wanting to go with Satan and the demons. We started really focusing on making the world a garden again and living life to the most. I did everything I could do to experience this "new system of things" life, I climbed every mountain, swam across the seas and even studied every animal and insect first hand." I set stunned at all of this, "this life must be so amazing, and you have done so much. What else have you done?" He still kept that smile, "Well about 95,000 years ago I had done everything. I wanted to read books, but all the "old system" books were destroyed and only the ones available were written by the "princes." They never said anything new though, so soon I just stopped reading. One day I woke up about 85,000 years ago and just wanted to die. Something that is not easy to do now! I climbed to the top of a cliff and jumped, but I bounced like a beach ball without a scratch. I found a old Chevy and drank some battery accident, but it tasted like lemonade, and I chained my foot to a large rock and jumped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean only to have to wait 125 years for the chains to rust away and have me float to the surface. That was some dark and lonely times, trust me." I stopped him from speaking, "Are you saying you attempted to kill yourself? Why?" The man still had that smile, "Oh you wouldn't understand, you have not done everything like I have. You know, when I heard about living forever and having all the time in the world. I never thought about something, maybe that is to much time." I set there puzzled though, he was still smiling, so I asked, "are you not happy right now though, working on this garden?" He laughed, "Do you know what I am doing? I am cutting each blade of grass one at a time to pass the time, I am so bored I spent 50,000 years cutting this grass over and over and over again. Because there is just nothing I haven't done." "But you are smiling though," I said with a confused tone. He set up again, "Well that is because we all just found a book that said the sun was going to burn out soon, and we figured we all would get a second chance to die and get out of this promised life." Then I looked up and the sun was getting really bright, brighter then I could ever imagine. It was huge, and growing and growing. The people were all cheering and yelling "kill me" "kill me" and the man I was speaking to, jumped to his feet screaming with excitement. The sun seemed bigger and bigger and I could feel my skin burning, the wave was nearly upon us and then "Boom" it went back to normal again. The man bent over in pain "Damn, Damn, Damn, we are trapped ... it never ends!", as he pounded his fist on the lawn, and all the people were crying out "no", "no", "I want to die, I want it to end." I was so confused, what message was I suppose to take from this. I thought it would be something wonderful and enlightening. Instead I saw people smiling with a hope that they would die and cheering that they were going to be burned, and then crying when they learned they would still live forever. I am so confused. The man passed me a note, and then walked away. Suddenly I was back to my own time, and sitting up in my bed. Wow, what a nightmare I thought, and reached for a drink of water. I then laid back down and felt something on my back. I got up and looked and it was a note. I opened it and it was from the man in my vision. I read it out loud ... "You think it sounds so good, at this time in your life, to live forever. You think it sounds like such a reward. Yet think about all that that means, and all that you have done in only the short years you have been alive. This thought of living forever, is not a reward that can be cherished, but a place of torment you could never escape. If we can not get out of this life everything that we need in the 80 or so years we have, then do not think 100,000 years will ever make it any more fulfilling. With a times table in life, you have a reason to prioritize and learn to do what you can. With the ability to live forever, nothing matters anymore. Please do me this last favor and give me a second chance to learn this before it is to late. Find this man, who is me, and go to this address and get him out of the religion. Get him out of this path to torment." I looked at the bottom of the paper for the name and address of the man I saw in this vision of the night, and read it to myself. I dropped the paper and nearly fell of the bed. The name on the paper was me! ... now why isn't that vision in the Bible? My thought Dragon
Edited by - kenpodragon on 13 October 2002 20:47:22