Posted by Bibleman [Bibleman] on November 11, 1999 at 11:31:41 {mJnjjpluA6f9UnUPxURUslyACFuF8c}:
In Reply to: *******To Flee or not to Flee posted by Antique on November 11, 1999 at 05:07:12:
Hi Antique,
You ask some great questions Antique!
But before I forget, let me interject this KEY TEXT for you. Matthew 12:36. This will clarify.
"I tell you tht every unprofitable saying that men speak, they will render an account concerning it on Judgment Day; for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned."
Wow! This says it all. This is the key text. This says that people will pay for what they do in THIS LIFE. It's not about coming back and then the slate gets wiped clean, "Oh, let's see how you do under your own vine and your own fig tree, try not to rape anybody this time, all is forgiven."
No. But you can analyse this scripture for yourself.
YOU ASK:
So will the wicked actually be resurrected and then die or are they just not resurrected. And if they are brought back, then they have a new perfect body,..
Another great question. Such focus!
But as you see from text above, people have to come back, righteous and unrighteous, to answer for what they did during their lives. It's like a court hearing before the Supreme Court.
And yes, quite simply, some will have a resurrection to "life" and some to a resurrection of adverse "judgment".
Now I don't know exactly how they will come back and into what body. But even if they did come back in a perfect body if they are found condemned, no problem with throwing them into the lake of fire for the "second death." From which there is no return.
[with a perfect body and....] with a perfect mind and then can possibly see what they did wrong and repent. See where this is going?
I can see where this is going. But the answer is YES and NO. They will be judged per the things they did in their first life. But, it will also be determined if they sinned out of weakness or pressure or due to the wicked system, or if they sinned willingly. I see where you're going, but there is a WONDERFUL reply for your concern, and that is!
Hey! The judging will be left up to you! That is, people like you. The 144,000 are people just like you who know this is it, this is eternal death, and they will be empathetic to the umpteenth degree. So if you can see mercy in a "reformable" person, then so can Jehovah. That's why not knowing the details of god's laws, etc. won't be the issue. So YOU will determine who is righteous and who is not.
Again, many had led decent lives and were good, honest and loving people and they'll be automatic.
Others will have to be judged more closely.
But you can make that judgment call. You can be the one to draw that line. And it is to Jehovah's benefit to allow as many to live as possible.
But unfortunately, there will be some who there will be no forgiveness for. For instance, Judas Iscariot. Or Satan.
Many people are sensitive to this so this concept might help you understand better. Just imagine that all the wicked people said: "Hey, Jehovah, I don't think I want you ruling over me. I don't like the way you do things. I want to do my own thing without you interfering. You have no right to rule over me and dictate to me what I want. I'm a free moral agent!"
Then Jehovah thinks about it, takes a deep breath, and says: "Okay. You're a free moral agent. I suppose you have a right within limits to do what you want. So, go ahead and do what you want to. You don't have to obey me. But it's only going to be for 6000 years. After that, I have other plans for MY universe."
And that is one critical factor in the eternal condemnation. It is really unfortunate, but it was their choice for the SHORT LIFE.
That is, the choice is either a SHORT LIFE for sin, or a LONG LIFE for obedience. So a person makes that choice.
So in that way, it's not that Jehovah is killing them as much as he is just not extending them eternal life whom he only gives to the obedient.
This underscores that LIFE is not right, especially eternal life. Eternal life is something for whom Jehovah reserves for the righteous.
So in a way, Satan had his life and did what he wanted to do. Judas did what he wanted to do. Etc. Fine. But it was for a limited time of 6000 years only. God did not promise everybody eternal life. AND, he did not force them to do what they didn't want to do during their lives. They made that choice.
Only now, the 6000 years are up, and he's only extending life to those whom are compatible with what he wants in his universe.
So in a sense, it is not like a condemnation of the wicked as much as a reward for righteousness.
But there is a STARTLING reality of timing to this as well. Just like in the days of Noah, once it started raining, there were plenty of people who wanted to repent and change their ways. But Jehovah doesn't hear them. So it is about timing.
A startling reality.
Thus "where you are going" is really here: Read Ezekiel 33. This is how Jehovah's justice works:
"18 When someone righteous turns back from his righteousness and actually does injustice, he must also die for them. And when someone wicked turns back from his wickedness and actually carries on justice and righteousness, it will be on account of them that he himself will keep living."
So this introduces the critical aspect of TIMING!
Thus even if some were righteous all their lives long and then at the last minute, turn to wickedness when the Messiah arrives. Then all the good they had done during their long life will not save them. But if someone was wicked all his life, and then at the very end sees where he wants to serve God in time before Armageddon, then all his wickedness will be forgiven!
So that means many righteous ones will end up erroring at the last minute and will lose out, but many wicked who have a change of heart and see the light in time, will actually get into the kingdom.
So that's a HARSH reality.
So unlike modern courts, who might judge your potential for repentance, it's what you were doing when the TEST was going on.
Our scenario now is the man with the writer's inkhorn is Jesus Christ who is going through and marking who will be spared. But you must get marked at the time he comes through. If you don't get marked at that time, then the angels of death will wisk you away at Armageddon.
So to an extent, it's not what your intentions will be to do on Saturday that matters, it is what you were doing on Tuesday when the Messiah came through to mark those who were awake.
So that's going to be EXTREMELY painful.
Here's an example. Witnesses have been in the truth for years. They know the Bible. They pioneer. They're loyal to the organization. But then somebody points out to them something in the Bible that doesn't agree with the Watchtower. They don't think anything of it. They know its wrong per the Bible but they continue to believe the false teaching and preach it, in essence, rejecting the Bible. So they don't get marked.
Then when Armageddon comes, they think they are about to enter the new order and they find out they're not on the list. And they can't figure it out. So they start recounting all they've done: "I've done this in your name, and that in your name, I've pioneered, I did just what the Society told me. I was faithful to my mate. I never robbed anybody..." Jesus: "Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness."
They will die because they were not AWAKE!
So it is a horrible price to pay for being casual about God's warnings.
So TIMING is critical as well. That's why there is the most extended amount of time now to preach to many to help them wake up in time and realize the Messiah came in 1992 and the world is about to end. Maybe a few more might just understand this is real and get marked. But for many who think they can check it out later or that Armageddon is down the road, they will become a statistic like those during the flood, and will have no one else to blame but themselves.
Oh, did somebody tell you the Messiah came as the Prodigal Son in 1992? "Yes, but..."
Well, were scriptures given? "Yes, but..."
What about the chronology for 1992, 529BCE, etc. Did somebody offer you evidence for such dating? "Yes, but..."
"Oh, PAAAAALLEEEEZE! Listen! I'm sorry! I made a mistake! I'll check everything out now. I'll pay attention now. I'm ready for the millennium! I didn't realize. Oh, PALLLLEEEZE! Can't you see I've changed? I've repented?"
"Yes, but..."
Cheers,
Bibleman