Quote from teflonfanatic:
I agree that the multitude is redeemed but they also have no heavenly duties or rewards given to them and that's the main point i'm trying to make.
Teflonfanatic, I would first like to say that some of your posts are confusing in the way you jump back and forth with different ideas, Scripture, and answers. So, if I am responding to something here that is not in conjunction with what you really are meaning here, then please forgive me. I am responding to what I think you are talking about.
In Revelation 22:6 it says, "And he (one of the 7 angels, verse 9) said unto me (John, while in vision), 'These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.' " This is indicative of duties to be done.
Regarding awards: Jesus, Himself, says in Revelation 22:12, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Jesus also says in Matthew 5:12 (for people who are persecuted and reviled, vs. 10,11), "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." I Corinthians 3:8,9 says, "Now he that planteth and he that wateresth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."
There is more, but I just want to be sure I'm on the same wavelength as you are.
I see it as Jesus giving them rewards or duties and since he is giving them it, it can be said the rewards and duties are heavenly, I admit I can be wrong, Matthew 5:12 however may be considered a wrested scripture for the JW's i'll ask around and look into it??!!!
@Annela: Your responses i'm responding to are in the order you said them.
1. "While you like to stay in prophecy a lot, it really is not a "Salvational" issue. You have the teachings of the JW that you are pushing on people, and that's confusing. God is not the author of confusion."
The majority of the drama which is vindication of God's sovereignty is in prophecy. You are right the Rev prophecies are not salvation issue but that doesn't mean we shouldn't discern it, at the same time i'm well aware of this verse believe it or not, "Do not all interpretations belong to God"(Genesis 40:
P.S. I know the context is about Joseph having a prophetic dream and only God can interpret it, still I think you can agree that all interpretations belong to God.
2. "While I understand the 1,000 year reign of peace, that is NOT the new heaven and new earth. There are still people left after the 7 year tribulation, and the beast is removed, and satan is bound for a thousand years (the 1,000 years of peace). The redeemed that have been raptured, and those dead in Christ who rose to take part in the rapture, will rule and reign with Jesus on the earth at that time."
what I agree with will be in bold below and what I disagree with will be slashed out below!
1,000 year reign is not new heaven and new earthThere are still people left after the 7 year tribulation, and the beast is removed, and satan is bound for a thousand years (the 1,000 years of peace). The redeemed that have been raptured, and those dead in Christ who rose to take part in the rapture, will rule and reign with Jesus on the earth at that time."Jesus reigns in heaven not earth, "he said his kingdom is no part of this world"(John 18:36), also since all good people go to heaven(you believe it even though we agree God chooses who's good or not) your going to have
MILLIONS if not
BILLIONS of people judging each other(1 Corinthians 6:1-3).
I also believe that the ones who will be resurrected during Christs presence are some of the 144K who died before he came. So that's what believe the rapture is.
3. You have a lot of time periods and dispensations running all together during one dispensation. However, prophecy is interpreted through many time dispensations. While some scriptures have past, present, and future happenings in them, it does not mean that they are happening all at once. God does not live in a time boundary as we do. He is eternal. According to Him, we are already raptured, and praising Him around the Throne, among other things. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.
I never said it's happening all at once, the sealing although happening now is not completed, obviously the resurrection and the binding of satan and the 1,000 years hasn't happened yet and is definitely not happening now etc. We are already raptured? Let's just forget about then in fact why are you here instead of in heaven if your already raptured according to God
The Israelites back then and us today praise God in a place of worship but are we in literal heaven when we do that? A place that's made with hands and is of this creation? The greater tabernacle is not made with hands and of this creation(Hebrews 9:11)
4. The redeemed in the first resurrection (in the grave or alive) will reign with Christ during the 1,000 years of peace. They most certainlydo have duties and rewards given to them. What I have noticed is you say nothing of the rapture. Do you believe in such?
As I stated before I believe the resurrected on the first resurrection are the 144K that died before Christ came back. My point is the rewards and duties for those in the first resurrection are clearly heavenly, for the sake of clarity all the rewards and duties will be listed below starting from heavenly.
HEAVEN1. Co-rule with Christ for 1,000 years(equal in authority)
2. Immortality
3. They become spirit creatures that are not flesh and bone just like Jesus
4. Live in heaven
EARTH1. They are subject and is not spoken of as ruling with Jesus or judging people or angels etc.
2. They are some of the unrighteous resurrected during the second resurrection(Acts 24:15)
3. They are the ones building houses, having a land with occupy and working their hands to the full(Isaiah 65:20-25); Isaiah 66:1
4. They live on Earth
5. Your hostility towards me is unfounded. Only because I questioned your interpretation of Holy Scriptures? Just because you say it is so, doesn't mean it is. You pick and choose a lot of scriptures and throw them out, but they have little or nothing to do with the subject or the dispensation being addressed. Also, like I said before, prophecy (Revelations) is not the easiest to interpret. However, scripture will interpret scripture, and you need the Holy Ghost to reveal certain portions of scripture through study. I mentioned my Salvational born again experience according to scripture, but you have chosen to ignore that as well, when it is all together Biblical (Acts 2:38).
To be quite honest I don't see the hostility, I want you to question however it is frustrating when you try to explain something and it the person gets the explanation different or even backwards, this is probably my own downfall though, considering i'm terrible at communication.
The only way to interpret revelation is to use the bible from both parts to understand the visions and the symbols etc with study and God's spirit. All the scriptures I posted had to do with the born again ruling with Christ, resurrection and the multitude and that's what we have been talking about this whole time so what's the problem?
As for your being born again on a baptismal i'm not going to judge you on that, only God knows if your baptized with fire instead of water and possibly yourself. However many are baptized in the name of the father, son and holy spirit(Matthew 28:19). Again if being baptized means that they all good people go to heaven then there's the issue of millions if not billions judging each other (1 Corinthians 6:1-3).
6. WHAT? Ancient Israel didn't praise God with singing? You need to go back and read the Old Testament. The singers and musicians were appointed to do just that in the temple in the wilderness. Even before that! The singers and musicians a lot of times went before the Ark with singing and praising God.
Your right there was a select group of singers and musicians appointed to sing and play music, however other then the Exodus song I don't recall Israel as a whole playing instruments or singing, i'm humbly willing to admit i'm wrong though and it's nice to see you reading the old covenant it should be emphasized more, I also said
MOST not
ALL!!