Posts by EverAStudent

25

Mat 27.52 bodies of holy ones.Sorry,bro.Franz but YOU'RE RIDICULING US

by aligot ripounsous in

after jesus' death, mat.

27 : 52-53 reads : and the memorial tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones that had fallen asleep were raised up, (and persons, coming out from among the memorial tombs after his being raised up, entered into the holy city,) and they became visible to many people.

let me first give cognac the credit for having raised this topic lately (i don't know what was written on jwd in the past on this subject).

EverAStudent

I believe the event did take place three days later, after Jesus resurrected. We are told that when the stone was rolled away from Jesus' tomb, it was accompanied by a severe earthquake (Matthew 28:2). Thus the tomb-walker earthquake / resurrection coincides with the timing of Jesus bodily leaving the tomb.

Also consider that the graveyards were located outside Jerusalem by law. Jerusalem is a walled city, and the graveyards, for the better part, are downhill of the city wall. How did an earthquake destroy the stone tombs, throw the bodies 20 feet into the air (and up to a half mile distant) over the city walls, but not be severe enough to destroy the walls or the city?

5

Wish to contact Leolaia

by EverAStudent in

i am sorry to bother everyone, but i am trying to contact leolaia.

using the forum messages did not seem to work.

if anyone knows leolaia personally, please pass along this contact request: i can be reached at [email protected] there is a matter i would like to discuss privately.. thank you all !.

EverAStudent

Hi. I am sorry to bother everyone, but I am trying to contact Leolaia. Using the Forum messages did not seem to work.

If anyone knows Leolaia personally, please pass along this contact request: I can be reached at [email protected] There is a matter I would like to discuss privately.

Thank you all !

A Student

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

Hi Gently,

Thanks for the personal testimony. That is an interesting take you have on "repentance." Many in the orthodox Christian world would probably note that the confession part is only half of genuine repentance.

Repentance must be driven by sorrow over offending God, and such sorrow that one desires to turn around (away from sin). Sorrow like this only comes from faith (a knowledge, fear, and a love for God). Confessing one's guilt is good, but incomplete. One can confess one's guilt about breaking God's laws, but not feel bad about it, nor even desire to change. Kind of like feeling guilty for cheating on income taxes, but doing the same again next year anyway. This is the mentality of the unbelievers who must bow before Christ, they acknowledge who He is, and that they sinned against Him, but they do not care, and they would do it all over again if they could. Their spirit's have not been regenerated and they just cannot understand the spiritual desire to please God.

Sorry to hear you have had such struggles with religion. But thanks for your insights.

A Student

5

1983 - School & Jehovah's Witnesses PDF

by AlphaOmega in

1983 - school & jehovah's witnesses.

.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/o26ahh.

EverAStudent

To Leolaia:

I hope you see this post before it is deleted (I know it is way off topic and deserves to be deleted), but I do need to contact you privately. I have sent two "messages" to your inbox, but you may not have seen them. Please contact me via my forum inbox, or at: [email protected]

Thank you, and my apologies to the moderators and to the forum readers for this off topic post.

A Student

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

Hi Cog, thanks for confirming.

Keep in mind that orthodox Christianity permits each person to study the Scriptures independently and come to conclusions on one's own. Conclusions too far off the general mark tend to foster corrective discussions and even debates (which can be as much fun as they are instructive). So when it comes to the end times, there is some disparity among Christians. Please forgive the fact that this version may be a bit different than those held by others.

However, the typical timeline, as I have studied it, goes like this:

Rapture (the first resurrection), where all the spirits of the "dead in Christ" who have been waiting in Heaven rejoin their bodies, and the living Christians are snathed up off the planet, they all rest and rejoice in Heaven for a short time

The Great Tribulation begins (no Christians remain on the planet as they have just all been removed), the Jews come to realize that Christ was the Messiah, many repent, sending 144,000 evangelists into the world, in the heat of all the judgments / plagues unleashed by God they see untold multitudes saved, they are persecuted brutally, many being martyred, Jesus cuts short the Tribulation so that all flesh does not perish, at least, not yet

Millennium begins, Jesus returns to Earth with the just previously resurrected "dead in Christ" and those snatched away at the Rapture, and imposes His Messianic rule over all the remaining Earth for one thousand years, Israel prospers and all the promises made to her are fulfilled, Satan is imprisoned

At the end of the Millennium, Satan is released and he gathers an army against Israel, before it strikes, it is destroyed by Jesus

Jesus then casts Satan into the Lake of Fire, He disposes of the entire universe in flash with fire (even the elements are dissolved), He resurrects the unbelieving dead, shows them their sins (Jesus does not offer to pardon them of their sins like He will do for the believers), the unbelievers confess their guilt on their knees as they confess that Jesus is Lord, the unbelievers are put into the Lake of Fire, followed by Hades and Death which, no longer being needed, are also put into the fire

Jesus creates a new universe (heavens and earth) and puts new Jerusalem on the new earth, the Father and the Lamb put their throne in the new Jerusalem and together the Father and the Son become the "temple" of the city, and all the believers in Christ worship YHWH there for eternity, for this is heaven

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

To JWfacts: I have been thinking about what you wrote, specifically about all the unbaptized being destroyed at Armageddon. In the JW scheme of things, when does Armageddon happen? In most orthodox Christian circles, Armageddon is thought to be pre-Millennium, during the Great Tribulation. Presumably much of the earth at that time will be unbelieving, which is what the Great Tribulation is all about, the last resort call to the unsaved to repent or be punished.

As I understand JW dogma, after Armageddon, the Millennium begins and all those who ever died (excpet those who died at Armageddon, Adam and Eve, other apostates?) will be resurrected for a thousand years so as to try and prove their worthiness for everlasting life. How close and I?

Thanks.

A Student

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

Cog and Aude: Thank you. That helps give me a peek into their actions. Their publications have helped me bypass some of the discussion points for which they have already prepared and dip into Bible passages they seem not to have considered as heavily. This makes the conversations more meaningful. I suppose at some point they will cut me off as unreachable, but for now...

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

To all! Thanks for the welcome!

Much appreciation for the detailed responses! I'll keep lurking to check for addional input and responses.

Maddie: So I should not consider it unusual that they gave me their little brown recruiting handbook (Reasoning from the Scriptures)?

A Student (returning to lurking mode)

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

Thank you very much for the quick responses. These preliminary responses mesh well with what I have been observing. Particularly with regard to the works-oriented aspect of the "opportunity" to "prove your worthiness to gain everlasting life" during the Millennium. Praise the Lord that my salvation is entirely dependent on God and not my worthiness!

Follow-up question to Onthewayout: In very early meetings with the JWs, I asked them about the cost of the magazines and books they have been dropping off, was I going to be billed, or what? They responded that these were gifts (so far they have given me some useful stuff: Reasonong from the Scriptures, the Kingdom Interlinear, some pamphlets, some Awake!, and Watchtowers, etc.). Is the pioneer paying for this, and will they at some point demand (ask?) for contributions? How does this work? No JW I have met with so far (or over the years) has actually tried to sell me anything. Just curious what the typical promotional activity looks like.

Thanks again for all the advice and answers.

A Student

18

Two Questions: 1) Hesitancy discussing salvation, 2) Marriage in Paradise?

by EverAStudent in

for the better part of a year, my wife and i have been meeting with a team of jws.

they teach us jw dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of jesus christ.

it took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out.

EverAStudent

For the better part of a year, my wife and I have been meeting with a team of JWs. They teach us JW dogmas, and we use it as an opportunity to expose them to the orthodox gospel of Jesus Christ. It took quite a long time to figure out what their "plan of salvation" was, as they seemed reluctant to just spell it out. Why this reluctance (this is not a rhetorical question, I would like to know genuinely why their "plan of salvation" seems so cloaked in secrecy, looking for authoritative answers if anyone knows)?

A second question: In straightforward language, what is the JW doctrine regarding marriage and procreation during the Millennium, and after the Millennium?

Thank you.

A Student