You don't try to guess, really? Not even about that "place" Jesus said He was going to prepare (*)? The house with many mansions? No speculation on what that really means (if it's not a real house with many mansions -- maybe "suites" is a modern word for it?)
After that part, I don't think I quite follow. A to part II? Open? Bell curve? Oh, you mean some will be at one of the extremes, but most will be somewhere in the middle? Not as many tears? Streets paved with aluminum? Nice Stetsons instead of crowns, maybe?
* And remember: if it were not so, He would have told you!
Since you didn't ask me, thought I'd just S H A R E !!!
The 'place' is specified in the context - 'In my Father's house are many mansions' (ie, abodes, or dwelling places). The place He was going to prepare for the disciples was their dwelling-place, or 'mansion', in his Father's house. What is the Father's house? Well, the Father is God, and so God's house would be His temple. And Paul says the ekklesia is the temple of God. So... the 'place' is in the ekklesia of God. He was going to build His ekklesia, and they would have a 'place' in it.
Similarly, in His messages to the seven churches in Revelation, He mentions 'he who overcomes' would be made a 'pillar' in the temple of God.
Place Prepared is not heaven or any place in heaven, if heaven is taken tomean some 'place' up beyond the sky.
Unless Jesus is coming back to take us to another planet, which *might* be the case, depending on how you interpret certain other verses of scripture... but that's probably for another time and place.
You don't try to guess, really? Not even about that "place" Jesus said He was going to prepare (*)? The house with many mansions? No speculation on what that really means (if it's not a real house with many mansions -- maybe "suites" is a modern word for it?)
After that part, I don't think I quite follow. A to part II? Open? Bell curve? Oh, you mean some will be at one of the extremes, but most will be somewhere in the middle? Not as many tears? Streets paved with aluminum? Nice Stetsons instead of crowns, maybe?
* And remember: if it were not so, He would have told you!
"Preparing a place" suggests Christ's work is not done;
I believe His prep now consists of the spiritual work necessary to
bring Heaven to earth. I understand the "mansion with many rooms" in a different context, that being an attempt to illuminate an aspect of God, not describe our final place, which we know to be earth.
"The A to part 2 (of your Q)"= the answer to the 2nd part of your Q.
Yes, I think your soul will find itself conscious in the spiritual plane, and whether that is better than now is up to the individual. I don't think free will will ever be magically suspended, as is generally assumed. This is all just my guesses tho.
"Preparing a place" suggests Christ's work is not done;
I believe His prep now consists of the spiritual work necessary to
bring Heaven to earth. I understand the "mansion with many rooms" in a different context, that being an attempt to illuminate an aspect of God, not describe our final place, which we know to be earth.
"The A to part 2 (of your Q)"= the answer to the 2nd part of your Q.
Yes, I think your soul will find itself conscious in the spiritual plane, and whether that is better than now is up to the individual. I don't think free will will ever be magically suspended, as is generally assumed. This is all just my guesses tho.
Thanks.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
OK, a followup for those who said "yes": Does that mean you think God will do a better job of it, next time?
Also, are you sure it won't start out perfect, like earth did, and then go seriously haywire at some time, like earth did?
I think God did what he meant to do this time, for us to acknowledge a perfection and ultimate good we have to know there is abomination and an ultimate evil. I believe that's why our time here is so short to go ahead and get all of these sufferings and things out of the way so that when we come into his glory we will have a basic understanding of the difference and who he truly is, and based on the "weeding out" of the harvest here it ensures that those chosen will know who God is and what his purpose is, the rest will be explained to us in those days. Life is short and full of troubles, but so it must be for us to even be able to understand the concept of eternal perfection.
As for going haywire...
I believe the some of the purpose here on earth is to assure that it doesn't happen again. A deacon at my church spoke of a verse once where those in heaven will be able to look over into the lake of fire and see the souls in anguish, I will ask him what verse this was in the meantime I will search for it myself so don't quote me on it yet.
Kind of like one of those rubbing your nose in it deals. Where satan left heaven with 1/3 of its hosts and was cast down here unto earth and given a domain, then god created us from the earth in satans domain and at the end time coming to gather the church up out of satans kingdom which is 1/3 of earths population seems like an eye for an eye.
Also the fact that he will create a new heaven and a new earth filled with only the souls of the righteous, after having seen all of the things of this life and seeing what happened to those who did not choose God as well as having our experiences/testimonies for all of heaven to hear and see, I don't believe that anything could happen at that point to make it all go haywire.
I think God did what he meant to do this time, for us to acknowledge a perfection and ultimate good we have to know there is abomination and an ultimate evil. I believe that's why our time here is so short to go ahead and get all of these sufferings and things out of the way so that when we come into his glory we will have a basic understanding of the difference and who he truly is, and based on the "weeding out" of the harvest here it ensures that those chosen will know who God is and what his purpose is, the rest will be explained to us in those days. Life is short and full of troubles, but so it must be for us to even be able to understand the concept of eternal perfection.
As for going haywire...
I believe the some of the purpose here on earth is to assure that it doesn't happen again. A deacon at my church spoke of a verse once where those in heaven will be able to look over into the lake of fire and see the souls in anguish, I will ask him what verse this was in the meantime I will search for it myself so don't quote me on it yet.
Kind of like one of those rubbing your nose in it deals. Where satan left heaven with 1/3 of its hosts and was cast down here unto earth and given a domain, then god created us from the earth in satans domain and at the end time coming to gather the church up out of satans kingdom which is 1/3 of earths population seems like an eye for an eye.
Also the fact that he will create a new heaven and a new earth filled with only the souls of the righteous, after having seen all of the things of this life and seeing what happened to those who did not choose God as well as having our experiences/testimonies for all of heaven to hear and see, I don't believe that anything could happen at that point to make it all go haywire.
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