study article 50. listen to the voice of the fine shepherd.
9 consider an experience that illustrates how jehovah can care for our material needs.
a couple in full-time service drove over an hour in their old car to pick up some sisters living at a refugee center and take them to a christian meeting.
"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44) God did not fulfill what Jesus prayed for.
is bible prophecy now starting to come true regarding a prelude to the great tribulation?.
full disclosure: i still don't believe in the bible's claims about the existence of the supernatural, even of jehovah god (i'm an atheist and a scientific/philosophical naturalist), but i am asking this question because recent events are starting to seem (to me) to fit well the description of some prophecies in the bible.
consider the following.. several hours ago (on 11-26-2021) as i was about to enter a local fred meyer store of my city (in suburb or small city in the metro area of a large city) a person i know told me that a moment earlier a person left the store in a hurry with a cart load up with unpaid merchandise (i think i was told it was groceries but i don't remember that for sure).
Vanderhoven,
You said “No one will be able to anticipate the timing; it will take place in normal times, with people working at their jobs, marrying and being given in marriage; it will be a total surprise, an event one should be ready for at all times...precisely because there will be no signs of his second coming (parousia).”
You have ignored description of “Last Days” in Luke which is truer than that of Mathew because Luke compared all available manuscripts and took only what is true. (Luke 1:1-3) After describing all the global signs such as pandemics, world wars, sea-level rise, Jesus said: “People will faint from terror [thus they are not taken by surprise], apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:26-31)
Noticeable thing is that Luke removed Jesus’ supposed comparing the situation with that of Noah’s time. This is because Jesus never mentioned about Noah’s destruction as it has never happened (compare Mathew 13:24-30) After saying “mankind was made in the image of God” (Genesis 5:1) we find in the very next chapter God repenting about His creating mankind on earth because they have become wicked from their very core, hence HE supposedly wiped that generation (Genesis chapter 6). This is unlikely to happen, and Noah’s Flood is a cooked up story, adopted from other cultures and was put in wrong place. This explains why OT prophets are not aware of such global flood that destroyed mankind except one family.
is bible prophecy now starting to come true regarding a prelude to the great tribulation?.
full disclosure: i still don't believe in the bible's claims about the existence of the supernatural, even of jehovah god (i'm an atheist and a scientific/philosophical naturalist), but i am asking this question because recent events are starting to seem (to me) to fit well the description of some prophecies in the bible.
consider the following.. several hours ago (on 11-26-2021) as i was about to enter a local fred meyer store of my city (in suburb or small city in the metro area of a large city) a person i know told me that a moment earlier a person left the store in a hurry with a cart load up with unpaid merchandise (i think i was told it was groceries but i don't remember that for sure).
then jesus said to his disciples: “truly i say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens.
again i say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.” (mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) for jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of god” are interchangeable—they are one and the same.
when earth comes again under god’s rulership, earth becomes a “kingdom of heaven.” (mathew 5:3, 5) “those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless.
then jesus said to his disciples: “truly i say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens.
again i say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.” (mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) for jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of god” are interchangeable—they are one and the same.
when earth comes again under god’s rulership, earth becomes a “kingdom of heaven.” (mathew 5:3, 5) “those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless.
then jesus said to his disciples: “truly i say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens.
again i say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.” (mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) for jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of god” are interchangeable—they are one and the same.
when earth comes again under god’s rulership, earth becomes a “kingdom of heaven.” (mathew 5:3, 5) “those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless.
if you are a believer.
what you think was the most important thing for satan to stop.
the preaching work or humans becoming kings and priest in heaven?.
Smiddy3,
People who personified Satan may have done it for good intention, but they never realized it put God in a bad light.
For the really inspired ones matter is very clear. This world is spoken as “lying under the power of wickedness” (1 John 5:19) which many Bible Translations rendered it wrongly as “wicked one” implying Satan. The word for “wickedness” is πονηρός (ponéros), and it means wastefulness such as a fruit of tree that has gone waste (Mathew 7:17, eyes that are not focused (Mathew 6:23). In all these places the same word πονηρός (ponéros) is used. (4190. πονηρός (ponéros) -- 79 Occurrences)
“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
The pleasurable days of one’s youth is good, and it is contrasted with unpleasurable days of old-age which is called “evil days.” Thus for the Bible writers evil simply means what is “waste, boring.” “All these evils (ponēra) come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:23 πονηρὰ (ponēra) Neutral plural
then jesus said to his disciples: “truly i say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens.
again i say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.” (mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) for jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of god” are interchangeable—they are one and the same.
when earth comes again under god’s rulership, earth becomes a “kingdom of heaven.” (mathew 5:3, 5) “those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless.
There could be variation in doing the will of God among the obedient ones. Hence minority (symbolized by 144000) are described as those having “Father’s name written on their foreheads”—they did God's will perfectly. They are “redeemed from the earth and were purchased from among mankind and offered as first fruits to God” [not from any single nation on earth] and “No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” (Revelation 14:1-5) Number 144000 is made up of multiples of number 12 which symbolize “perfection or authority.” (Interesting Facts about the Meaning & Importance of the Number 12 in the Bible) . Hence 144000 stand for the small group of people who perfectly reflected image of God! If a small group is called “first” fruits it presupposes the existence of those who trailed behind them becoming second-fruits in spirituality. And both the groups would reap accordingly. (Mark 4:24, 25) This is repeated in many places such as Luke 6:38 which was later elaborated as “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6; Revelation 14:13)
then jesus said to his disciples: “truly i say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of the heavens.
again i say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.” (mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) for jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of god” are interchangeable—they are one and the same.
when earth comes again under god’s rulership, earth becomes a “kingdom of heaven.” (mathew 5:3, 5) “those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless.
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly I say to you that it will be difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of the heavens. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Mathew 19:23, 24, https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/matthew/19/) For Jesus both “kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God” are interchangeable—they are one and the same. When earth comes again under God’s rulership, earth becomes a “Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mathew 5:3, 5) “Those poor in spirit” are defined as those having no self-importance or egoless (Mathew 16:24) and “the meek” too are egoless. Both are interchangeable, and their destiny too is the same.
Disobedient ones CANNOT change God Almighty's plan
This is better understood against the larger picture. God warned against fall of Kingdom of God on earth if humans disobey Him. Yet they disobeyed, and Kingdom of heaven was rejected from earth. Yet there are many who do not disobey Him (Genesis 5:24) For their sake, God is “recreating” the heaven on earth again. (Mathew 19:28-30) Just because some people rejected God’s rulership even against the warning of death punishment, God will not change His purpose for this earth: “So my word that goes out of my mouth will be. vIt will not return to me without results, But it will certainly accomplish whatever is my delight, And it will have sure success in what I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11) https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/isaiah/55/) God going for a new arrangement of heavenly call would mean HE is partial, and disobedient ones could change the plan of God Almighty.
Teaching about heavenly call is one among other things JWs got wrongly. See how they got wrongly the definition of pagan and God’s people. According to God's word a pagan is one who is loving/greeting only those loving/greeting him, ruled by such things as fear, sensuality, ego, greed, alcohol etc (Matthew 5:43–48; Matthew 6:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; Galatians 5:19–21; Luke 22:25). (EPH.4.17-19.NIV) (1PE.4.3-4.NIV). This is in the same vein as God's word describes God’s people as “peace-makers, those pure in heart and those circumcised in heart.” (5:9; Psalm 73:1; Romans 2:11, 28, 29; Jeremiah 4:4) Jesus simply praised non-Jews when they displayed theocratic spirit (Mathew 8:10-12; Mathew 22:1-14) and promised he would disown anyone already belonging to him but fails to be theocratic. (Mathew 7:21-23)
How can such people catch the mind of God and Christ when they refuse to greet their former associates, thus identify themselves as pagans?
in the just finished wt study # 38, "--spiritual family" , par.
19 , " robert " is reported to have cited math: 12:50. note he has limited "bible knowledge" therefore is not fully indoctrinated.
jesus: .
Matter is absolutely clear from that Scriptures. Yet it is a wonder of all wonders that JWs got away with their false definition who Christ's brother really is.
Luke 8:21 made it even simpler: "he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Similarly, they got wrongly the definition of pagan. According to God's word a pagan is one who is loving/greeting only those loving/greeting him, ruled by such things as fear, sensuality, ego, greed, alcohol etc (Matthew 5:43–48; Matthew 6:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; Galatians 5:19–21; Luke 22:25). (EPH.4.17-19.NIV) (1PE.4.3-4.NIV). This is in the same vein as God's word describes God’s people as “peace-makers, those pure in heart and those circumcised in heart.” (5:9; Psalm 73:1; Romans 2:11, 28, 29; Jeremiah 4:4) Jesus simply praised non-Jews when they displayed theocratic spirit (Mathew 8:10-12; Mathew 22:1-14) and promised he would disown anyone already belonging to him but fails to be theocratic. (Mathew 7:21-23)
