By the way, I agree with you a lot, but I will only respond to certain aspects of this comment.
Yes. The beast is the Antichrist (the man of lawlessness (2 Thess 2:3). The false prophet is the one who testifies of him and encourages the world to worship him and his image.
Mankind has a spirit and a soul and a body (1 Thess 5:23). We are 3-fold in nature, as God is. We are created in his image and likeness.
Yes, they were actually present and rejoicing at the creation (Job 38:7), meaning they were created before the world we live in.
Demons were present in Jesus' day for sure, are the NT writer speak of demons and demonic activity as still present during the church age. To be more precise, the "angels that sinned" (Gen 6:4; 1 Pet 2:4, Jude 7-8) are the ones currently in prison, not the demons. Its a common assumption that fallen angels and demons are synonymous, but they are not. Angels can materialize, while demons seek embodiment (and tons of other differences).
Hell is not natural fire (which exists within time). It is God's eternal fire, which exists outside of the domain of time, in which nothing changes. A good picture of this is when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush:
“...the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2).
People's natural lifespan is irrelevant in Hell because they won't exist in the time domain anymore. It is their punishment for sinning against the eternal God. This should motivate us to seek the lost all the more. The reason people wince at the thought is because we think it sounds harsh of God to administer this justice...but in reality, we really don't realize how evil our rebellion is, and that we deserve eternal damnation. Yes...we really are that bad.
Yes, these describe the first death, which is a shadow of the second death. Take a look at how the Bible describes both the first death and the second death. They are quite different. People often misapply verses about the first death, claiming that that are justifications of annihilation in hell, when in fact, they have nothing to do with hell.
Other than these, I agree. And you make some great points
are they "people" (men)
This is why earlier in this thread I argued the difference between "spirit" and "soul". Mankind is "soul", while satan and his angels are "spirit".
- the angels including satan = (at least) 6000 years old so far, most likely older
- the fallen's children (demons) = in prison since the flood (approx 4000yrs)
adam (early man) = max. 930 years (and mankind has declined since)
- modern man = barely reaches 100-120 years
- a dog = 10-13 yrs
- a fly = 28 days
...and now, not to be gruesome, but imagine setting fire to each of these creatures starting from the fly and working our way up. How long would it take a fly to burn up compared to a dog...how long for a small dog compared to a modern man?
Of course, if we extrapolate this out imagine how long it would take for a modern man to burn up compared to a demon...then a demon compared to an angel.
- modern man = barely reaches 100-120 years
- a dog = 10-13 yrs
- a fly = 28 days
...and now, not to be gruesome, but imagine setting fire to each of these creatures starting from the fly and working our way up. How long would it take a fly to burn up compared to a dog...how long for a small dog compared to a modern man?
Of course, if we extrapolate this out imagine how long it would take for a modern man to burn up compared to a demon...then a demon compared to an angel.
“...the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2).
People's natural lifespan is irrelevant in Hell because they won't exist in the time domain anymore. It is their punishment for sinning against the eternal God. This should motivate us to seek the lost all the more. The reason people wince at the thought is because we think it sounds harsh of God to administer this justice...but in reality, we really don't realize how evil our rebellion is, and that we deserve eternal damnation. Yes...we really are that bad.
They are annihilated. Like chaff that blows in the wind, they are ash.
Malachi 4:3 (the day of the lord)
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:3 (the day of the lord)
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Other than these, I agree. And you make some great points
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