On the subjects of Heaven and Hell, are we sure the bible teaches that God created mankind, gave them a relatively short lifespan, at least relative to eternity which has always been and always will be, and if during that short lifespan they do not do things the way he wants them done he will torture them beginning at the point they die forever and beyond?
Young folks today are not buying it.
We tend to take what we read in Revelation as literal fact or worse selectively as literal fact. Those who take John's mention of a "thousand year reign" as literal fact are not likely to agree with others who take as literal fact that only 144,000 will be taken up into heaven. Nor are they likely to accept that John's picture of pearly gates and golden streets is to be taken literally; but they might be happy to believe that those who are thrown into the (literal) lake of fire (literally) will be tormented day and night for ever.
We pick and choose from the possible literal interpretations.
Unless I am mistaken, and obviously I can be, Revelation was written to seven churches in Asia or whomever that phrase refers and that at least some of those folks understood precisely what John was writing about whereas we do not.
Does speculating about Heaven or Hell serve any more of a purpose than speculating about which team will win the game today or which candidate will be the next president? What can excite Christians more than the idea of spending eternity with God, wherever?
John Jenkins
865-803-8179 cell
Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
http://alumcave.blogspot.com/
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