Two type of bodies are defined in the Bible, natural and spiritual (I Corinthians 15:44). Man is a natural bodied being and God and the angels are spiritual bodied beings (John 3:6). All men will die (Hebrews 9:27), and all spiritual bodied beings will live forever. (Luke 20:36).
The two testaments of the Bible are covenants or wills between God and mankind. The inheritance which heirs receive under either covenant is everlasting life. Each Bible testament describes the path to everlasting life for mankind under that particular covenant.
The path to eternal life under the first covenant was to never sin (Romans 6:23). However, there was a fault in the first testament in that all mankind sinned! (Romans 5:12) Since the first covenant contained a fault, God created a second or New Testament (Hebrews 3:6).
Under the New Testament Covenant, one must believe in Jesus as their Savior to gain everlasting life (John 3:16). Here is how that came to be:
The Word (a Spirit) was made flesh as the man Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Being a man (1Timothy 2:5), Jesus was included as a possible beneficiary under the original covenant between God and mankind.
In fact, Jesus became the only human to become an heir to immortality under the Old Testament Covenant! (1 Timothy 6:16).
His future inheritance belongs solely to Him, it is His possession, He owns it! And He is the only human that "hath immortality" as an inheritance.
But Jesus freely chooses to offer His inheritance as a gift to humans who believe in Him as their Savior. This is codified in the New Testament Covenant! (John 3:16)
But how can the one everlasting life which is Jesus' inheritance be distributed to more that one believer? Here's how that is justified in the scriptures:
Since many sinned due to one man (Adam), it is only fair that likewise many should be saved by the gift of everlasting life offered freely by the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15)
Once the Word was made flesh as Jesus, Jesus had no choice but to die His first death – as it is appointed unto man once to die. So Jesus’ death, while required, is not what saves us.
What saves us is that Jesus offers His just inheritance of everlasting spiritual life received by His living a sinless life under the Old Testament Covenant to those humans who accept Him as their Savior from the wages of their sins under the New Testament Covenant.
Believers receive their inheritance of everlasting life by being born again of the Spirit (John 3:6) at the second Coming (Romans 5:15).
Conclusion: Whosoever believeth shall be born again of the Spirit, as a spirit, into the spiritual Kingdom of God, at the Second Coming. When this occurs, we will become equal unto the angels.
That is how any human may become an angel.
If you want to debate the above explanation, please do so with scripture references to support your claims.
How to become an angel!
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #81[Replying to 2ndpillar2 in post #80]
In summary as regards to the human body and death:
Those who died as nonbelievers and are resurrected again as physical bodies in the second resurrection following the millennium, and still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior, will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer their second death. These individuals will die twice as humans. There is no recovery from the second death. It is eternal! They do not suffer in hell for eternity. Their death is eternal, not their act of dying! They are gone, dust, erased, nada, gone bye-bye, etc. So these will die twice.
After this, death and the grave are finished. Any remaining life is spiritual. The end of time and the age of man are now completed. Man, as a physical being, no longer exists! The place which Jesus has prepared for us will now descend from heaven:
They are now immortal spiritual beings equal unto the angels -- with no death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
In summary as regards to the human body and death:
- A few people will never die
- Some will die once
- And some will die twice
I Corinthians 15:51 wrote:Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
Christians (We) shall not all die (sleep), but all will be born again as spirits (changed). When they receive their spiritual bodies their physical bodies are no longer required and will be discarded. These Christians will not experience death in the usual sense. However, as their physical bodies will rot and decay, they could be said to die in that they no longer support a life. Thus the following verse remains a true statement:[I Thessalonians 4:17 wrote:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Those humans who died as Christians will be born again as spiritual bodies upon Jesus' return. This is the first resurrection. This much larger group will die once.Hebrews 9:27 wrote:And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Those who died as nonbelievers and are resurrected again as physical bodies in the second resurrection following the millennium, and still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior, will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer their second death. These individuals will die twice as humans. There is no recovery from the second death. It is eternal! They do not suffer in hell for eternity. Their death is eternal, not their act of dying! They are gone, dust, erased, nada, gone bye-bye, etc. So these will die twice.
After this, death and the grave are finished. Any remaining life is spiritual. The end of time and the age of man are now completed. Man, as a physical being, no longer exists! The place which Jesus has prepared for us will now descend from heaven:
All of the newly born again of the Spirit believers were formerly men or women.[Revelation 21:1-4 wrote:And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all their tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
They are now immortal spiritual beings equal unto the angels -- with no death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #82Where is one to start with regard to your misperceptions. As you appear to be a JW, the "Christians" appear to claim you are not a "Christian", so if they are right on everything else that you agree with, how can you discount what they say now? As for believing what Paul says, you kind have gone down the rabbit hole, and I forget how Dorothy got out of her predicament. As for Revelation 21, the kingdom will be ruled from Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:16), and Judah and Ephraim will be reunited on the land given to Jacob, with David as their king, and Israel, which is the combined stick of Judah and Ephraim, will be the "tabernacle of God" "forever". (Ezekiel 37) At that time, the "Word of God" will rule over the nations/Gentiles with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). You are either "born again" now, such as "born of God" now, or when you die, which "every body will die for their own transgressions", you will rest in your grave until the white thrown judgment. It is those without the mark of the beast, who was Caesar, as in Constantine the establisher of the Roman church, who were to rule for 1000 years, after they arose from the dead.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 2:04 pm [Replying to 2ndpillar2 in post #80]
In summary as regards to the human body and death:
The few who will never die are those Christians who are alive at the Second Coming of Christ. They will be born again as spirits and meet Jesus in the air upon his return:
- A few people will never die
- Some will die once
- And some will die twice
I Corinthians 15:51 wrote:Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.Christians (We) shall not all die (sleep), but all will be born again as spirits (changed). When they receive their spiritual bodies their physical bodies are no longer required and will be discarded. These Christians will not experience death in the usual sense. However, as their physical bodies will rot and decay, they could be said to die in that they no longer support a life. Thus the following verse remains a true statement:[I Thessalonians 4:17 wrote:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Those humans who died as Christians will be born again as spiritual bodies upon Jesus' return. This is the first resurrection. This much larger group will die once.Hebrews 9:27 wrote:And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Those who died as nonbelievers and are resurrected again as physical bodies in the second resurrection following the millennium, and still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior, will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer their second death. These individuals will die twice as humans. There is no recovery from the second death. It is eternal! They do not suffer in hell for eternity. Their death is eternal, not their act of dying! They are gone, dust, erased, nada, gone bye-bye, etc. So these will die twice.
After this, death and the grave are finished. Any remaining life is spiritual. The end of time and the age of man are now completed. Man, as a physical being, no longer exists! The place which Jesus has prepared for us will now descend from heaven:
All of the newly born again of the Spirit believers were formerly men or women.[Revelation 21:1-4 wrote:And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all their tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
They are now immortal spiritual beings equal unto the angels -- with no death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #83Peace to you,
Are you referring to this verse:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2Corinth 5:17
Because that verse is speaking about the here and now, and so even though someone is a new creation, that does not mean that they cease to be man/human.
The tent of God is with mankind.
When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. Mark 12:25
Thank you also!
Okay, but it also says that God is with MAN. So that mankind does exist.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:20 amYou make a good point. I think it simply means that God's Kingdom has returned to the earth -- which is what we are instructed to pray for:tam wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:06 pm And what do you make of the verse that states "the tent of God is with mankind" and this AFTER New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Mankind obviously still exists.
I don't think global warming has anything to do with that, since the lack of a sea (whatever the 'sea' here means) should not be a bad thing. But more than that, I have not yet learned.And that will occur:Matthew 6:10 wrote:Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
<=====================================>Revelation 11:15 wrote:The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
But this time the earth is so decimated that God has to bring a new heaven and earth with Him. There is no longer any sea -- perhaps because of global warming?
<===================================>
Yes, please note what you have said: AS WE KNOW MAN. Not that man ceases to exist, but the body (that we know) changes from one that contains sin and death (the natural body), to the one that contains only LIFE (the spirit body/white robe).When the earth rejoins the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God, then flesh and blood man (as we know man) cannot inherit that kingdom.
Yes, I don't see how the new body can experience physical pain (and there is no longer any death in it), but the ability to shed tears will still exist. Some tears come from joy, right? Regardless, that is still man... just changed.Also, the description given (no tears, no death, no pain, etc) certainly does not describe any known species of man.
Other verses describe believers becoming new creatures,
Are you referring to this verse:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2Corinth 5:17
Because that verse is speaking about the here and now, and so even though someone is a new creation, that does not mean that they cease to be man/human.
Because we who receive eternal life (Christians who will reign with Christ for a thousand years, and also people who are invited into the Kingdom, but who were not Christian) are still mankind. Adam was a man before he received the long garment of skin (this flesh with its blood, that has sin and death in it). He was a man afterward as well.and all nonbelievers will have suffered their second death by this time. So where are any "men" on the earth?
The tent of God is with mankind.
Those words do not say that man will become angels. In another verse, He states the following:<================================>
Here is what Jesus said:
Children are born. Children born of the Spirit (God) are spirits.Luke 20:36 wrote:Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. Mark 12:25
The second birth (born again), when Christ returns and gathers us up and we are changed (in a twinkling), the corruptible putting on the incorruptible, the mortal putting on the immortal. I did not invent the concept of the 'white robe', btw. See Rev 6:11; 3:4-5; 7:14. The white robe IS the spirit body. Just as the long garment of skin given to Adam and Eve (which most people think is just animal skin clothing) is THIS flesh and blood that we currently possess.Jesus says man must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. He also says that one must be born of water and of the Spirit. And there are two type of bodies -- natural and spiritual. And that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
It seems that living things require a body, and bodies require a birth. What type of birth produces your "new white robed body" which you defined above? And is it a natural body or a spiritual body?
You're welcome. I hope it helps.Thanks in advance.
Thank you also!
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #84Myth-one.com wrote:When the earth rejoins the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God, then flesh and blood man (as we know man) cannot inherit that kingdom.
We know man as flesh and blood -- which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God:
There are no humans in the Kingdom of God now or ever. They don't mix.I Corinthians 15:50 wrote:Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
To inherit the Kingdom of God, a man must be born of the Spirit as a spirit.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #85Peace to you,
[Replying to myth-one.com in post #84]
The tent of God is with mankind.
There isn't much else I can do except point it out (though I think timothy pointed it out first).
You appear to be trying to interpret this verse away because if taken at face value it means that mankind does indeed continue to exist. How is that any different from what another poster did on another thread, claiming that even though Christ said that ANYONE may eat and drink, he actually meant only some may eat and drink?
Christ meant exactly what He said.
Peace again to you.
[Replying to myth-one.com in post #84]
The tent of God is with mankind.
There isn't much else I can do except point it out (though I think timothy pointed it out first).
You appear to be trying to interpret this verse away because if taken at face value it means that mankind does indeed continue to exist. How is that any different from what another poster did on another thread, claiming that even though Christ said that ANYONE may eat and drink, he actually meant only some may eat and drink?
Christ meant exactly what He said.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #86[Replying to tam in post #85]
I don't suspect any translation errors -- do you?
The use of the word "men" in Revelation 21:3 could be akin to how we use the word "earthlings".
The only known place where mankind can survive in the universe is the thin atmosphere around planet Earth. Earthlings are unique to the earth as far as we know.
Earthlings would be those living on the earth -- whether man or spirits. So the two verses would both be true.
That is, "the tabernacle of God is with those living on the earth".
And human earthlings could not inherit the Kingdom of God because they are flesh and blood. They would have to be born again of the Spirit to inhabit the Kingdom of God on the earth.
<===================================>
Do you have any suggestion(s) as to how these verses could both be true and complementary?
Revelation 21:3 wrote:And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
If the scriptures are inspired by God, then both of the above verses are true.1 Corinthians 15:50 wrote:Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
I don't suspect any translation errors -- do you?
The use of the word "men" in Revelation 21:3 could be akin to how we use the word "earthlings".
The only known place where mankind can survive in the universe is the thin atmosphere around planet Earth. Earthlings are unique to the earth as far as we know.
Earthlings would be those living on the earth -- whether man or spirits. So the two verses would both be true.
That is, "the tabernacle of God is with those living on the earth".
And human earthlings could not inherit the Kingdom of God because they are flesh and blood. They would have to be born again of the Spirit to inhabit the Kingdom of God on the earth.
<===================================>
Do you have any suggestion(s) as to how these verses could both be true and complementary?
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #87Yes, those verses don't contradict. Just because a man receives a new body/white robe/spirit body does not mean that he ceases to be a man. He has just exchanged one body (the long garment of skin given to Adam and Eve after they ate of the TKGB, which has sin and death in it)... for the new body (the white robe) that has NO sin or death in it, that has only life in it.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:52 pm [Replying to tam in post #85]
Revelation 21:3 wrote:And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.If the scriptures are inspired by God, then both of the above verses are true.1 Corinthians 15:50 wrote:Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
I don't suspect any translation errors -- do you?
The use of the word "men" in Revelation 21:3 could be akin to how we use the word "earthlings".
Earthlings would be those living on the earth -- whether man or spirits. So the two verses would both be true.
That is, "the tabernacle of God is with those living on the earth".
<===================================>
Do you have any suggestion(s) as to how these verses could both be true and complementary?
I don't know how else to say it.
But here is the meaning of the word translated as man or mankind in that verse:
ἄνθρωπος ánthrōpos, anth'-ro-pos; from G435 and ὤψ ṓps (the countenance; from G3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:—certain, man.
**
STRONGS G444:
ἄνθρωπος, -ου, ὁ, [perhaps from ἀνήρ and ὤψ, i. e. man's face: Curtius, § 422; Vanicek, p. 9. From Homer down]; man. It is used:
1. universally, with reference to the genus or nature, without distinction of sex, a human being, whether male or female: John 16:21. And in this sense:
a. with the article, generically, so as to include all human individuals: Matthew 4:4 (ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος); Matthew 12:35 (ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθ. every good person); Matthew 15:11, 18; Mark 2:27; Mark 7:15, 18, 20; Luke 4:4; John 2:25 [Winer's Grammar, § 18, 8]; John 7:51; Romans 7:1, etc.
b. so that a man is distinguished from beings of a different race or order;
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon ... jv/tr/0-1/
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #88Here's a wild idea, why don't we use what the Bible suggests.tam wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:08 pmYes, those verses don't contradict. Just because a man receives a new body/white robe/spirit body does not mean that he ceases to be a man. He has just exchanged one body (the long garment of skin given to Adam and Eve after they ate of the TKGB, which has sin and death in it)... for the new body (the white robe) that has NO sin or death in it, that has only life in it.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:52 pm [Replying to tam in post #85]
Revelation 21:3 wrote:And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.If the scriptures are inspired by God, then both of the above verses are true.1 Corinthians 15:50 wrote:Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
I don't suspect any translation errors -- do you?
The use of the word "men" in Revelation 21:3 could be akin to how we use the word "earthlings".
Earthlings would be those living on the earth -- whether man or spirits. So the two verses would both be true.
That is, "the tabernacle of God is with those living on the earth".
<===================================>
Do you have any suggestion(s) as to how these verses could both be true and complementary?
I don't know how else to say it.
That is, there are two type of bodies -- natural and spiritual.
It most certainly does if the new body is not a natural flesh and blood body!
If a man receives a new body, then he is no longer a man unless the new body is also that of a man.
If a man receives a new spiritual body, he is no longer a man, he is a spirit.
See how that works?
So a man born of the flesh becomes a spirit when born again of the Spirit.
That's how Jesus explained it.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #89No one is disputing that. Yet just because that is a fact doesn't mean that flesh/a man can't live forever on earth as the Bible says is going to happen. That's my wild idea, lets use MORE of what the Bible says.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:04 am
Here's a wild idea, why don't we use what the Bible suggests.
That is, there are two type of bodies -- natural and spiritual.
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Re: How to become an angel!
Post #90Scientists have concluded that human beings can currently live to a maximum of about one hundred and twenty years of age. Shortly before reaching one hundred and twenty the process that causes body cells to reproduce fails. The cells then die as well as the person.2timothy316 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 26, 2022 11:39 amNo one is disputing that. Yet just because that is a fact doesn't mean that flesh/a man can't live forever on earth as the Bible says is going to happen. That's my wild idea, lets use MORE of what the Bible says.myth-one.com wrote: ↑Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:04 am
Here's a wild idea, why don't we use what the Bible suggests.
That is, there are two type of bodies -- natural and spiritual.
They believe this limit is metered by what they call telomeres. This they believe is the key to the human life cycle. Telomeres are repeating DNA strings (TTAGGG) that cap chromosomes. Each time a cell divides its telomeres become shorter. When they reach a preset length the cell ceases to divide, ages, and dies. Independently, others came up with exactly the same number as the maximum age for mortal mankind three thousand years ago:
120 years is somewhat lower than forever.Genesis 6:3 wrote:And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
<============================================>
The fact which we agree on: There are two type of bodies -- natural and spiritual.
Man is a natural bodied being, with a maximum life span of 120 years if he or she dies of natural causes.
The Bible confirms that all natural bodied beings die and return to dust:
Can we agree on that fact also?Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 wrote:For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
And where does the Bible state that natural bodied men will spend eternity on the earth?
Jesus Christ states that a man must be born again as a spirit to gain everlasting life.