Ruining the Earth2.0 (page 2)

peacefulpete

raymond franz....Greek for "ruin" is diaphtheirai it is defined as "morally corrupt, defile, destroy" and is used numerous times in the NT and in the Greek translations of OT. So the Greek can mean "destroy those who are corrupting the earth" which would be perfectly consistent with the general message of the authors of the Bible,

I hope that answers your question.

I'm actually quite polite and actually crave thoughtful exchange. So glad you feel like me, free to both share and learn. What part of the last comment to you was incorrect or offensive?

raymond frantz

Pete, You said:"Go consult with your Greek professor. Better yet get yourself a good novel and step away from the apocalypse stuff for a while."

It's OK, but you still haven't answered Revelation 8:9 about ships physical objects being "diaphiro"

This is the commonly held position of jw teaching that "men" have been polluting the earth since 1914, whereas the verse in Revelation 11:18 speaks about a specific destruction taking place during the last 3 1/2 years.

Also my reasoning is based on the fact that the verse divides humans in groups : Nations (=unbelievers) and the holy ones(=believers).The way the verse is structured leaves the "destroyers of the earth" as a 3rd distinct group.

Interestingly , the concept of the fallen angels destroying the earth during the End Times has been popularised by films and books in recent years. I recommend you watch "Captive State" on Amazon Prime or "Colony".

(* yes I'm a firm believer that the powers to be are familiarising us now using these media about these future destressing events now.

And yes, Revelation is sci-fi beyond your imagination )

peacefulpete

you still haven't answered Revelation 8:9 about ships physical objects being "diaphiro"

I did by repeating the definition. The word is a very good parallel to the word ruin in English. It can mean corrupted, despoiled, destroyed etc. That's why 11:18 was a clever antanaclasis. God ...ruin those ruining the earth.

I understood you had access to a professor of ancient Greek.
And I do mean what I said about unplugging from this stuff. Leaving an apocalyptic sect like the WT means being free to think about the beautiful things in life and stop fearing/wishing/preaching about destruction.

raymond frantz

Pete, oh I see where you're coming from, no I went the exact opposite way, I believe that Revelation is far more stranger and apocalyptic than jws believe it to be.

Vidqun

Raymond, I agree, Revelation is a case of fact being stranger than fiction. But forgive me for not following Hollywood suggestions. I don't know whether you saw snatches of the opening of the Grammy Awards, purely satanic. Thus I do not trust that source at all.

Sum total of man polluting the planet would be detrimental on the long run, by I think the potential use of nuclear and hydrogen bombs is more applicable here. If the first four trumpet blasts are to be literally interpreted, the destruction of harmful human activity is by then well on the way.

For me an interesting passage is Gen. 11 with the confusion of languages:

And the LORD said, "If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. (Gen. 11:6 NET)

So human development had to be slowed down at that stage. But now we have arrived at a "point of no return" and it has again become necessary for God to act, this time decisively.

raymond frantz

Vidgun, spot on I do not dismiss nuclear exchange, the lack of rain in the last 3 1/2 years might allude to a previous nuclear exchange

BoogerMan

I used to think that the 'ruining of the earth' in Genesis & Revelation described moral collapse, but now am more inclined to believe that it will be both a limited moral & physical destruction.

The comments regarding nuclear methods appear to be very possible in view of Revelation 16:13, 14 - "And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of* the great day of God the Almighty."

It's the earth's military powers who are assembled to battle each other for the last time.

If God was going to destroy them, they wouldn't need to be "gathered together" would they? He would simply destroy them where they are!

The 3 instigators of Armageddon are the dragon, the wild beast, and the false prophet - not God, so a limited nuclear exchange might be deployed - thanks to the "inspired expressions."

* to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. (NIV)

It's God great day, but not His battle. His battle occurs after the 1000 years have ended. Just thinking aloud.

Vidqun

The prophet Elijah called out a drought for three and a half years (1 Kings 17:1; cf. James 5:17, 18). The public ministry of the two witnesses is 1260 days = 3 1/2 years (Rev. 11:3). And seeing that "Elijah" will again be sent before the "day of the LORD," a parallel can be drawn between the two droughts (Rev. 11:5, 6; cf. Mal. 4:5). That's why I view the three and a half year drought called out by the two witnesses as a literal drought. Not sure whether a limited nuclear exchange will cause such a drought. A rain of nuclear fallout perhaps?

raymond frantz

One theory goes that the black ash created by a nuclear explosion would cool temperatures at the Earth’s surface, resulting in less temperature difference between the lower and upper atmosphere. Rainfall would drastically decline and thrust large regions across the globe into drought.

But I'm more inclined to believe that God will cause the draught like in Elijah's days.

'The skies over your head will be copper, and the earth beneath you, iron. 24 Jehovah will make the rain of your land powder and dust that will come down on you from the heavens until you have been annihilated." (Deu.28:23,24)

Ruining the Earth2.0

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