I am beginning to think that the apostle Paul may have been a manic depressive . That is one part that does make it very confusing as he believed that he would be transformed in the twinkling of an eye but I doubt that was how he met his end . He did write one part about being poured out like a drink offering on the alter of God and such . Revelation does make clear that there are 2 resurections one was apparently prior to the final battle or armageddon as the WTBTS calls it and one after the 1000 year reign of christ . The ones after the 1000yr. reign are the ones who are noted as living outside the city of jerusalem and eating from the trees of life along a river that flows from the city of new jerusalem .
Does the Soul continue to Exist after the Death of the Body?
by Blueblades 21 Replies latest jw friends
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wednesday
don't see that the bible teaches "soul sleep" Paul spoke of being absent from the body and being present with the Lord. If the soul = the body as the wt teaches....that would make no sense. Paul also said that to die was gain. He longed to die but he knew that he still had work to do here for Christ and his followers. Also, the parable in Luke of the rich man and Lazarus that Jesus taught tells us of life immediately after death. Then, there is also the resurrection of the body for the dead while the living are changed into glorified bodies at the coming of Christ for His church. There is a lot going on. I do not pretend to understand
DJ, how are u? have been thinking about u lately.
Dj, i am almost willing ot believe that paul was speaking to all of us, not just the bride of christ. But jws say there are 2 classes, and all that. I haven't read anything but jws version , so can u briefly explain to me how to overcome that line of resoning. I really would like to know.
I have worked in hospitals for many yeras, and i have seen and felt the presence of something near the death bed. yet when my own mom died, nothing. my son was there with her, and for that i am greateful.
weds
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Lutece
I hope so, life flies by too quickly........we'll find out soon enough!
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Satanus
I think it does. However, i don't believe in any judgement, not much in karma, and don't have a definite opinion on reincarnation. Though, the cycles in nature suggest reincarnation. For examples: some matter is recycled in black holes, the earth's crust eventually gets shoved back into the mantle as new crust wells up in the middle of the atlantic ocean, many bugs go through stages - worm/catarpillar, pupa/caccoon, butterfly/moth.
SS
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UpAndAtom
Now here’s a very interesting one…Jesus is talking about Elijah coming back from the dead, and the disiples understood that he was talking about John the Baptist. Their correct understanding confirmed that Jesus’ teaching was understood correctly. Note again, that the idea of reincarnation is not refuted by Jesus, but instead taught. This point ties in very closely with my previous post. You really have to ask yourself why the disciples answered the way they did, if reincarnation was a rejected theory.
*** Rbi8 Matthew 17:10-13 *** 10 However, the disciples put the question to him: “Why, then, do the scribes say that E·li'jah must come first?” 11 In reply he said: “E·li'jah, indeed, is coming and will restore all things. 12 However, I say to YOU that E·li'jah has already come and they did not recognize him but did with him the things they wanted. In this way also the Son of man is destined to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples perceived that he spoke to them about John the Bapti st.
Consider the following…the disciples are feeling confident with the idea of reincarnation, but are still grasping to understand karmic consequences. They see a blind man in the street and ask Jesus the following question…
*** Rbi8 John 9:1-3 *** 9 Now as he was passing along he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?” 3
If reincarnation was wrong, then why didn’t Jesus just say so? After all, how can a man sin before he is born??? Why didn’t Jesus say, “You stupid fools – stop thinking that way!” But instead… he simply explained to them that they should not presume to understand another person’s karma, less they make the whole process a mockery.
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LittleToe
Blueblades:I don't believe this text supports your notion that we should live in mortal fear, if we wish to have life. It does highlight that we shouldn't fear man, though, and encourages the idea that there is an afterlife where we will account for what we did in this life.
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DJ
Hi Wednesday,
How are you? I have been limiting my online time because it was getting in the way of living...lol. I suppose what you are asking refers to the jw teaching of the the earthly class and the 144,000. If you read in Rev.7 the "great crowd" is NOT said to be earthly. On the contrary, the bible says that they are before the throne and so are the angels in the next verses. Also in Rev. 19, it says that the great crowd is in HEAVEN. As far as the bride of Christ goes....nowhere does the bible teach that only the 144,000 are the bride. The whole 144,000 being literal while none of what it says about them being literal is jw garbage. It says they are male, virgins. It also says in verse I don't know for sure what is literal and what is symbolic but I am not going to believe the wt interpretation because they don't have much right in the rest of the bible imo. As far as REV goes.....the wt has a field day there because they can pick and choose symbolism vs literal and make up whatever meanings they want to and they do! If you look at Rev 7:3 the 144,000 are being sealed ON the EARTH while the great crowd is placed before the throne. Backwards to what we were taught... I do not pretend to understand all of that but I can see now when the wt just makes up what they want the bible to say instead of what it really does say. I hope that I answered your question. Take care.....I'm waiting for a hurricane to hit today...yipee
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rem
I'm not aware of any evidence that the soul continues to exist after the death of the body, or that there even is a soul for that matter.
rem
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willyloman
"There are more things in heaven and on earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies."
--Shakespeare
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integ
yes