Afterlife and angels

[gnostic]

Both, Christianity and Islam, believed that if you are judged worthy, you would gain an afterlife in heaven or paradise, or whatever what you want to call the final abode.

Whether by resurrection or ascension, what do the human spirits become?

Do formerly earth-bound people become angels in the aferlife? Or do they become something else?

What does it mean to be a resurrected human?

 

[Archer]

The soul of man will rise above the angels.

 

[Charity]

I believe from the Christian pov that we do not become angels....Christians believe that upon resurrection they will have glorified bodies....Perfect without pain, suffering, or any afflictions.
I have heard it spoken by many over the years particularly when the death of child occurs that people explain by saying "God needed another angel"...I have found this to be unscriptural in my course of studies...

 

[Archer]

I believe from the Christian pov that we do not become angels....Christians believe that upon resurrection they will have glorified bodies....Perfect without pain, suffering, or any afflictions.
I have heard it spoken by many over the years particularly when the death of child occurs that people explain by saying "God needed another angel"...I have found this to be unscriptural in my course of studies...

You are correct. I have had two children die and it is one of those things you become well versed on.

It is funny though, there is not much in the way of scripture about angels. Plenty about actions, but most everything else is guess work, I don't like to guess.

 

[Charity]

You are correct. I have had two children die and it is one of those things you become well versed on.

It is funny though, there is not much in the way of scripture about angels. Plenty about actions, but most everything else is guess work, I don't like to guess.

Did you ever read the book "Angels" by Billy Graham? Myself have had a personal experience and have a friend that has something similar.
I have always been fascinated by this subject.

 

[Archer]

Did you ever read the book "Angels" by Billy Graham? Myself have had a personal experience and have a friend that has something similar.
I have always been fascinated by this subject.

No I have not, sounds like it could be a good read. My was the big Angel fanatic (when we lost our first son she became like that) years ago but has lightened up a bit with the births of our other kids. She may have the book in our library, I will ask her.

 

[Charity]

No I have not, sounds like it could be a good read. My was the big Angel fanatic (when we lost our first son she became like that) years ago but has lightened up a bit with the births of our other kids. She may have the book in our library, I will ask her.

Apparently Graham has contemplated and compiled a lot of info on this. I still have the book in the storage building along with a lot of good reading, When I get moved I need to get back into this and do some studying again. I have really met many people over the years who have told of experiences, but I really have to know the person and their life before I put any confidence in their statement, if you know what I mean. I would be happy to share my experience but I refuse to put something out there for ridicule and put what I know to be true and have it demeaned.....

 

[Archer]

Apparently Graham has contemplated and compiled a lot of info on this. I still have the book in the storage building along with a lot of good reading, When I get moved I need to get back into this and do some studying again. I have really met many people over the years who have told of experiences, but I really have to know the person and their life before I put any confidence in their statement, if you know what I mean. I would be happy to share my experience but I refuse to put something out there for ridicule and put what I know to be true and have it demeaned.....

Trust me I know what you mean by not putting it out there! I have never had an Angelic experience but God has revealed himself to me on more than one occasion. One time at work I freaked and it was all I could think about the rest of the week.

On 911 I was lead to read this, just opened the Bible and there it was:
Zephaniah 1

The Great Day of the Lord 14 "The great day of the LORD is near—
near and coming quickly.
Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter,
the shouting of the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on the people
and they will walk like blind men,
because they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like filth.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD's wrath.
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole world will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live in the earth."

What I have in red is what got me!


I listen to NPR and on another day they were speaking of the Temple Mound and if you know the prophecies you can guess what I heard.

 

[Charity]

Yes, I didn't hear it but I have a pretty good idea......

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

In the Baha'i view, everyone goes on to the Next Life, and our initial circumstances there depend on whether or not we've acquired the spiritual virtues it's our role to be acquiring here and now. Those who have will be spirituall near to God (the definition of "Heaven"); while those who haven't will be spiritually remote (hell).

But our scriptures assure us that God, in His infinite Mercy, will assist even those most remote from Him eventually to draw near to Him, thus acheiving Heaven!

Whether by resurrection or ascension, what do the human spirits become?

We don't know the details in this life, but our scriptures assure us that our state then is inexpressibly wonderful!

Do formerly earth-bound people become angels in the aferlife? Or do they become something else?

I quote the Baha'i scriptures:

"[C]oncerning His words: 'And He shall send His angels...' By 'angels' is meant those who, reinforced by the power of the spirit, have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most exalted Beings...."
­The Book of Certitude, pp. 78-79

Thus angels are in fact people who have become completely spiritual!

What does it mean to be a resurrected human?

Someone who has drawn spiritually close to God and thus achieved Heaven. Please note that Heaven and hell both exist here and now as well as after death; indeed, every one of us is in one or the other at every instant as a function of where our heads are at!

Best!

Bruce

 

[John D]

I believe we are fetus's now, in the process of development. Our dying day is actualy our day of birth. So it will be quite exiting to open your eyes on look at yourself and realize what you actualy are.
Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap:clap:clap:clap

 

[gnostic]

I have heard it spoken by many over the years particularly when the death of child occurs that people explain by saying "God needed another angel"...I have found this to be unscriptural in my course of studies...

I did not find resurrection to angel-hood myself in the bible. I did find at least one reference to such transformation in at least two Rabbinic literature, the Talmud and the Haggada, particularly Enoch, who was a human that transformed into an archangel named Metatron.

These two literature, especially came out of interpretations of the laws (Torah), and also contained amount of considerable oral traditions, namely the Oral Torah; the unwritten Torah was later transmitted into the Talmud.

And of course, in the Joseph Smith's account, about the angel, Moroni, I think his name, who visited him, supposedly one of those who lived in the New World (American continents) at that time.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

I believe there is some confusion with the word angel. It is used somewhat loosely. We think of angels as good beings from across the veil. All of these beings are the same type as us, just in a different phase of existence. Before we were born, we existed as spirits. At this time, we were busy doing things. Hey, maybe we were angels visiting people and stuff. After we die, our bodies are buried and we are left as spirits again. At this stage we can again be considered angels. I suppose it depends on what type of person you are. Some might consider you an evil spirit . At some point, depending on a lot of things, we will then be resurrected. We will receive physical bodies again. At this point we would still be considered angels to someone still living on the earth. There have been experience with all three types of angels. Look out for the evil spirits pretending to be angels.

 

[Charity]

I believe there is some confusion with the word angel. It is used somewhat loosely. We think of angels as good beings from across the veil. All of these beings are the same type as us, just in a different phase of existence. Before we were born, we existed as spirits. At this time, we were busy doing things. Hey, maybe we were angels visiting people and stuff. After we die, our bodies are buried and we are left as spirits again. At this stage we can again be considered angels. I suppose it depends on what type of person you are. Some might consider you an evil spirit . At some point, depending on a lot of things, we will then be resurrected. We will receive physical bodies again. At this point we would still be considered angels to someone still living on the earth. There have been experience with all three types of angels. Look out for the evil spirits pretending to be angels.

Christians believe God is the creator right? Well if He did create angels and He created humans, then why would there be a need to change from one form to another? Will we change gender also?What are you referring to with 3 types? Are you speaking of the Cherubim, Seraphim, and living beings?

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Christians believe God is the creator right? Well if He did create angels and He created humans, then why would there be a need to change from one form to another? Will we change gender also?What are you referring to with 3 types? Are you speaking of the Cherubim, Seraphim, and living beings?

Why didn't God create us perfected beings to start out? Answer that and I'll answer why we have to "change form." It's not so much that we change form as it is simply going through a necessary part of our development into our full potential as children of God. Angels are people. They are just people that are not living their mortal lives at this time. Furthermore, they are really good "people" that God entrusts to perform tasks and missions such as declaring the birth of Jesus or appearing to us mortals to deliver messages of instruction or comfort. Ministering of angels is a very real thing and I think we would be amazed if we knew how active the angels are in our lives. As for the three "kinds" of angels, I was referring to the three different situations an angel may be in. 1. He/She has not lived on earth yet, and has not received a physical body. 2. He/She has lived on the earth and died. This person no longer has a physical body. They would be the most common type of angel where it is someone you knew in life who is now watching over you from the other side. 3. He/She is a person who has lived, died, and been resurrected receiving an incorruptible and immortal body. Of these three types, only the ones that are very faithful to God and full of his light and love would qualify as angels. There are also spirits that are good, but just not angelically good. There are spirits ranging everywhere from satanic to divine, just as there are the same range of people. In fact they are people, like us. God only sends the good ones to us as messengers or "angels."

Oh yeah. Not all angels have to live in heaven. Some of God's greatest angels are living on the earth today. I can think of one that I know. God sends angels to help us through this life, some live in heaven, some live in our midst.

 

[Charity]

Why didn't God create us perfected beings to start out? Answer that and I'll answer why we have to "change form." It's not so much that we change form as it is simply going through a necessary part of our development into our full potential as children of God. Angels are people. They are just people that are not living their mortal lives at this time. Furthermore, they are really good "people" that God entrusts to perform tasks and missions such as declaring the birth of Jesus or appearing to us mortals to deliver messages of instruction or comfort. Ministering of angels is a very real thing and I think we would be amazed if we knew how active the angels are in our lives. As for the three "kinds" of angels, I was referring to the three different situations an angel may be in. 1. He/She has not lived on earth yet, and has not received a physical body. 2. He/She has lived on the earth and died. This person no longer has a physical body. They would be the most common type of angel where it is someone you knew in life who is now watching over you from the other side. 3. He/She is a person who has lived, died, and been resurrected receiving an incorruptible and immortal body. Of these three types, only the ones that are very faithful to God and full of his light and love would qualify as angels. There are also spirits that are good, but just not angelically good. There are spirits ranging everywhere from satanic to divine, just as there are the same range of people. In fact they are people, like us. God only sends the good ones to us as messengers or "angels."

Oh yeah. Not all angels have to live in heaven. Some of God's greatest angels are living on the earth today. I can think of one that I know. God sends angels to help us through this life, some live in heaven, some live in our midst.

I have in the past read and done research on angels...I myself hold a fascination for them, based on a encounter. I am privy to a lot of info on this and I do know for a fact that when visible to human beings , angels consistently appear in human form. Based on the accounts that I have read and studied there is no doubt when you have such an encounter....Unfallen angels are continuously praising God, they They are used in bringing announcements of good news they also warn of coming danger and act as guardians.

You stated "God sends angels to help us through this life, some live in heaven, some live in our midst".
"My secret is out, you have found out about me" :angel2:
Thanks for the discussion

 

[Katzpur]

Whether by resurrection or ascension, what do the human spirits become?

I don't believe that human spirits "become" anything different than what they are right now. They just exist within a different realm.

Do formerly earth-bound people become angels in the aferlife? Or do they become something else?

I believe that some become angels, but you and I probably don't see angels the same way.

What does it mean to be a resurrected human?

I believe a resurrected human being to be immortal, for one thing. I believe our spirits (which never die, but merely continue to exist outside of the body after death) re-enter into the body to give it new life. I see us as resembling the people we are today, but no longer being subject to physical infirmities, disease or injury.

 

[logician]

Both, Christianity and Islam, believed that if you are judged worthy, you would gain an afterlife in heaven or paradise, or whatever what you want to call the final abode.

Whether by resurrection or ascension, what do the human spirits become?

Do formerly earth-bound people become angels in the aferlife? Or do they become something else?

What does it mean to be a resurrected human?

You'll have to check with someone in the afterlife on this one.

Let us know when you hear from someone.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

I have in the past read and done research on angels...I myself hold a fascination for them, based on a encounter. I am privy to a lot of info on this and I do know for a fact that when visible to human beings , angels consistently appear in human form.

I believe that if you saw any spirit, even without a body, it would seem human. Our spirits look like bodies, but they are not physical. So they look just the same as us (only full of light or something, you know what I mean.)

You stated "God sends angels to help us through this life, some live in heaven, some live in our midst".
"My secret is out, you have found out about me" :angel2:

I know you were joking around, but in a way, it's true. You are here on the earth with a very specific purpose. And I am sure God is depending on you. You never know what good you may bring into others' lives. We need to live so that the light of Christ is shines through us and brightens the world (See Mathew 5:14-16). I wish I could hear about your experience, but I don't know the right place. Face to face would be nice...

Sorry about the minor thread derailment...

 

[footprints]

Both, Christianity and Islam, believed that if you are judged worthy, you would gain an afterlife in heaven or paradise, or whatever what you want to call the final abode.

Whether by resurrection or ascension, what do the human spirits become?

Do formerly earth-bound people become angels in the aferlife? Or do they become something else?

What does it mean to be a resurrected human?

As science hasn't concluded these points, it is very hard to give an answer conclusively. Belief in the positive or negative and the power of association and suggestion added to it, is all that is left.

Ghosts, angels, spirits, entities, et al, is there really any difference?

Are there other dimensions upon which a spirit/soul can cross?

Does the Yin of the mortal body combine with the Yin of the Universe? Does the Yang of the mortal body combine with the Yang of the Universe?

Is there a time and a place as our solar system, galaxy, travels through the universe where the magnetic fields are just right where we can interface directly with spirits et al?

So many questions, so few answers.