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Will there be Christians in ten thousand years?

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
While the way churches function today most likely shall be a thing of the past, God's morality is going to be something all who live will be practicing. As the letter of John tells us, 'love of God ' is obedience to God. We are also told that at that time, none will be telling their neighbor about God since all know what they need in their hearts.
Don't you think that is possible for us here in this life?

At the same time, in the Prophets of the OT when this future is mentioned, we see that all must do some form of worship on the Sabbath to avoid his wrath.
I don't quite get the wrath of God thing. I grew up in a home where my parents unconditionally loved me. I never felt the threat of wrath or vengeance from my father. And that invitation to love was all that was necessary. Even when I did wrong, no one even needed to tell me, hit me, beat me, threaten me with a belt, or some other hell that some children had to face with a parent who was immature in the ways of love. I knew because of their example. I turned out to be a loving person, rather than a fearful one.

I tend to think we see God much the way our parents were towards us. I think love is stronger than fear. That's what Jesus taught.
 

Grandliseur

Well-Known Member
God much the way our parents were towards us. I think love is stronger than fear. That's what Jesus taught.
I don't know how much you have read the OT and NT. While God shows loving kindness toward all his servants, the acts of the past, the deluge, the destruction of Sodom & G., the destruction of his temples, and the causing the nation of Israel to be destroyed in the past, all point to God not tolerating disobedience.

All who do what they can to serve God, obey God shall be protected, or resurrected if they die.
However, I am fairly certain that about 90% of the human population on earth shall be destroyed..
Due to world conditions, the recent political events, the rattling of sabers by superpowers and micro-powers, I wouldn't be surprised if we are at the very brink of disaster. The point is though that all things must wait for the sign of Christ to be ready to make its appearance. Since it is a heavenly sun-like body, if it isn't here yet, we'll have to wait until it is near for God permitting things to come to their conclusion. Remember though, that it shall come as a thief, totally taking us all by surprise.
 

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
I think that would be rather boring. Can we get to be somebody else so we don't have to keep staring at ourselves in the mirror every morning for billions and trillions of trillions of years? Gah! I think we'd all go insane after only a thousand years!

We get a new body, a heavenly body, not a body made of flesh. We will be with God so it will never be boring.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
We get a new body, a heavenly body, not a body made of flesh. We will be with God so it will never be boring.

tell-me-more-about-this-heavenly-body.jpg
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I don't know how much you have read the OT and NT.
I have read the entire Bible and studied it quite a lot.

While God shows loving kindness toward all his servants, the acts of the past, the deluge, the destruction of Sodom & G., the destruction of his temples, and the causing the nation of Israel to be destroyed in the past, all point to God not tolerating disobedience.
Part of my extensive studies of it has shown me a portrait of an evolving understanding of God from an early tribal people to much later understanding of God placed in the crossroads of multiple cultures in the Roman times. The God of the NT portrays a much more loving deity than how he was viewed in the past. The Bible is a record of man's evolving understanding of God, reflective of the times and the worlds they lived in.

Fast forward to modern times, and our understanding of God continues to evolve. We are coming to understand that beating children to expect obedience is not healthy for them, or ourselves to do this. Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. A shepherd leads. He doesn't drive and threaten the sheep. That would be a Bad Shepard who would scatter his sheep and put them in peril. He would soon find himself a sheepless shephard. The blame would be his alone, not the sheep's.

And if you were to say he's good to those who obey, but bad to those who don't, then this says something about the character of God as a parent. No child would truly feel that parent loved them for who they truly were, warts and all. They would understand that that he only loved them conditionally if they don't upset him. That's not love, nor the experience of love. That's just not getting beaten by an abuser. That's just keeping yourself safe from him. Period.

All who do what they can to serve God, obey God shall be protected, or resurrected if they die.
So do you feel that God would stop loving you if you went astray in your life? What if you stop believing God existed? Would God throw you out of his house into the street because you didn't please him anymore? How does the thought of this make you feel? Loved, or afraid? You can't feel both as they are opposite to each other.

However, I am fairly certain that about 90% of the human population on earth shall be destroyed.
Doesn't it distress you to imagine those who you love, God does not and will destroy them eternally because they didn't toe the line of strict obedience or believe how you believe? How does it make you feel this is their destination, when otherwise they are good and loving people to you and others, that you yourself love and would never wish to see anyone abuse them? I'm sure you don't believe 90% of the world are criminals, do you?

Due to world conditions, the recent political events, the rattling of sabers by superpowers and micro-powers, I wouldn't be surprised if we are at the very brink of disaster.
We are on the brink, yes.

The point is though that all things must wait for the sign of Christ to be ready to make its appearance. Since it is a heavenly sun-like body, if it isn't here yet, we'll have to wait until it is near for God permitting things to come to their conclusion. Remember though, that it shall come as a thief, totally taking us all by surprise.
What's the surprise? If I heard nuclear war broke out soon, I would be mortified, but I would not be surprised. We're just all holding our breath right now. So that hardly qualifies as a thief in the night! We see that enemy right there steering his car right towards us!

But here's the really sad thing. This is not going to be the 2nd coming sort of thing. It's just going to be a lot of death, and very likely the extinction of all human life on this planet, making it uninhabitable for anyone. There won't be a shining Christian city that the saved all get to gather together in safely while the rest of the world withers and dies into the dust. Everyone will die.

Now that's not a pretty or happy prospect. That's not the hopeful imaginations of those who believe they are going to escape this because they are faithful to God. Good people die all the time. God doesn't stop that from happening. It doesn't work that way. We will have collectively killed ourselves as a species, and the only way God will be saving us, is if we wake up and stop it from happening.
 
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Grandliseur

Well-Known Member
Your whole post was very nice, a lot to comment on if I should try to be comprehensive. I'll try to check what is most important.

The God of the NT portrays a much more loving deity than how he was viewed in the past.
This is what I consider a common misconception; though, it also is a very natural one.Should I begin forwards or backwards? I think I will begin with the NT.

First a positive note, seemingly supporting your statement:
Revelation 21:3-4 . . .And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”​

Here then is what the NT promises those not pleasing to God:
Revelation 21:8 8 But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.”
(This doesn't promise torment after death, but utter destruction. Another subject)
Matthew 16:27 27 For the Son of man is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense each one according to his behavior.
Matthew 25:46 And shall go away these into a cutting-off age-lasting; the and just ones into life age-lasting.
(a parable, true, but depicting what?) Luke 19:27 27 Moreover, these enemies of mine that did not want me to become king over them BRING here and slaughter them before me.’”​

The difference between the Law Covenant (Mosaic Law, or just the Law) and the New Covenant (Law of Faith, Law of Christ) was extreme. The Law promised life if obeyed and death if disobeyed. The Law of Faith contained Mercy. Thus sinners could be forgiven, but not always. There was a sin to death and one not to death.

By means of the Law, God demonstrated by means of his people how none could earn life, all died because all sinned. Thus, the severity of the Law acted as a tutor to Christ, to Mercy. In fact, from this we know that all ancient Jews looked forward to their redeemer, Christ, or Messiah.

o do you feel that God would stop loving you if you went astray in your life?
As I said, there is a sin not to death, and one to death. What we have here is the need to study what we are told we must do to avoid getting the death sentence. I am referring to other things than simple death presently. The scriptures I included should tell you the need for this.

the only way God will be saving us, is if we wake up and stop it from happening.
Scripture speaks of the re-creation. This world with its nations, not earth, shall be ended. The kingdom of Christ installed to rule the entire earth.

Ps 72:. 4 He will judge the poor of the people, He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee while the sun endureth, And so long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 He will come down like rain upon the mown grass, As showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more.

Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to YOU, In the re-creation, when the Son of man sits down upon his glorious throne, YOU who have followed me will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Darby: 28 And Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That *ye* who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, *ye* also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
We are seeing the world through different perspectives. These are not compatible.

Let me give you a run down, trying to be brief, beginning with today, what is expected to happen:
As Jesus told us, we would have wars here and there
Cities and nations going bankrupt
Around this time of bankruptcy, there will be an attack on religion, to what extent is unknown, but it seems that the least to expect is the destruction of the Vatican.
Following this, a Great Tribulation shall occur, a global meltdown of the economy shall happen, maybe WWIII. A great many shall die here.
Hereafter, the sign of Christ, a sun like object shall be seen, many objects from its debris field shall impact earth, and because of the proximity of this sun like object, the gravitational forces nearly tear the earth apart.
Following this comes Armageddon. At this time about 90% of the human population shall have perished.
After Armageddon, Christ Kingdom rule takes over all the earth, cleanup begins, resurrections of the dead righteous and unrighteous begin.
This is called the re-creation. Earth is being brought back to a pristine state, as much as is possible. Humanity lives in 'Paradise' in which most of our crime becomes a thing of the past. Most but not all crime, mind you. The unrepentant criminals get put to death as is needed. However, people who entered the kingdom do not age, grow old, or ill. They live without dying for all this time.
Paradise is not paradise to everyone. Many want to be able to become mega rich like before, to lord it over others, to have things that ruin the earth, but they are biding their time, waiting.
Finally, all of humanity has been brought to perfection, all are physically as Adam and Eve without flaw, ready to be tested. satan is let loose with his angels. This happens after 1000 years has passed. He gathers a great number among the ones who live; he is confident that he can win and attack the Holy City.
His defeat ends in him, his angels, and his followers being destroyed.

The humans who survived did so despite great pressure, great temptations. These will never die and keep on living. From then on, as it says, God will live with them, be among them. This refers not to a physical presence but to his continual spiritual presence in all their efforts.
Revelation 21:2-4 . . .. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
Well, there's not much more to be said then. You think you know what you think you know, and I don't even care to challenge you. Have fun.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
I'm going to say no or it's highly doubtful. Humans will have completely revolutionized ourselves through technology by that time, assuming scientific progress continues apace. We may not even be humans anymore in the biological sense of the term, but some post-human cybernetic or digital species. We might have self-evolved past the need for physical bodies by then. Who knows. The future's wide open with this, but transhumanism will definitely be a reality somehow. I don't see the crude Abrahamic religions surviving such a revolution. Eventually the Luddites may go to the wayside through their own undoing.
 

Grandliseur

Well-Known Member
Well, there's not much more to be said then. You think you know what you think you know, and I don't even care to challenge you. Have fun.
Yeah, either I am an idiot, or it will be as we have informed. Nothing to do but wait and see.
Frankly, I think I prefer God's paradise to the conditions promised by Steven Hawking.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Assuming humanity is live and well will there be Christians still around ten thousand years from now? Why or why not?
The name might still be around, the religion itself I would take will be quite different from what it is today.
 
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