The flood (of Noah's day)

[marie glen]

Many died. Perished in the waters. A horrible scene.

Therefor some folks might believe the flood of Noah's day was a bad thing. Yet also in the account is "every intent of the heart was evil" (Genesis 6:5).

What kind of world was that? Imagine being a child in such a world. Is it kindness to let it run its course, if every intent is for evil?

And we shouldn't forget how Revelation tells us all dead upon earth and in the seas, shall be resurrected, will repent and will be reconciled (the 3 R's)..

I think the misperception of God as being rather 'mean' seems, to me, to go hand in hand with this idea of E.T.

I've been learning lately that truth requires God's armor.. And part of this is the "large covering shield of faith" which word "faith" includes "trust" (the greek).

"Trust". Do we think the flood was mean (so take away from his word and call it myth like any other?).. Or do we trust that all He does is perfect? Let the (fire of) Armageddon occur.. mean? Or perfect?

..just some thoughts about the supposed 'meanness' of God which seems to be all over.. (for now, that is)

[sheila]

Hi Marie.  the tokogae is used of God to teach the superiority of His approved ways[good] positive. with all it's benefits of loving kindness

interactions with man in neighbors/family etc.examples[vessels of wrath/honour shows forth openly the contrasting spirit influences]

  the balance had become so negative that very little positive could be wittnessed. Enoch has many things to say that help us

  understand. God judged the fallen negative angels that had so 'wronged" man in this manner andbound them in chains til the lake

of fire judgement.Those[men] whose flesh perished in the flood...spirits returned unto God.


    Noahand the deliverance per the ARK of man/woman and the animals..as being above these 'flood waters' of negative spirit that

   attempting to wash the woman away[Jerusalem above,Our Mother/spirits born from above] God showed a parabolic act of

deliverance of all spirit creatures from the spiritual floods of the negative/wicked/fallen angel spirits.  Noah and those on the ark

represented a remnant[that which remains..the spirit/Love]  we dwell in this flesh realm  temporally...and this world is passing away

  but what is eternal/and what will remain..is faith,hope and LOVE..even that which is of God and His immortal image. :2c:

[marie glen]

Amen Sheila, I agree we "all" are learning to know good from the not good - which to me also means life from what is not life.. and what works from what can never work.. the verse about Jesus visiting those in hades, I tend to think was mistranslated and refers to His preaching via the Spirit while the ark was being prepared.. of course my :2c: on that may be completely off of course, but it sticks with me.

It's interesting to hear other's takes on these things. :thumbsup:

The Angels who left their first place I think of as the whole "1/3 of the stars dragged by the dragon's tail"/who followed Satan in rebellion, and I think of them as locked into judgment and chains of darkness, but not in a literal pit or abyss..

It will be so interesting when we know the truth if all these things of His Word won't it?! But for now it keeps things interesting!
   :gsmile:

[Ross]

I.M.O the flood was also a little example of the coming cleansing process where few will be saved- Noah was saved, the rest were killed- which many interpret as saying that the rest will go to hell, instead of knowing that the rest will be trained in the right way of living in the coming ages. The millennium being a major flood of correctness/righteousness- then the post millennium like the new creation after the fire of cleansing/purification.

I've been learning lately that truth requires God's armour.. And part of this is the "large covering shield of faith" which word "faith" includes "trust" (the greek).

The work of Christ is that shield; the helmet is the knowledge that we are completely saved by His faith; the sword is the truth,
we stand in a firm position because of Him- complete trust does indeed give security.
.

[Dandelion]

I agree Marie. Many Christians I know equate what occurred in the Old Testament as verifying that God would allow people in Hell for eternity.

I, personally, believe that when we die we will realize that our life on earth, compared to eternity, was as the snap of one's fingers.

All of us must die to this world, to enter the next. And, God's ways are not ours, but, I believe that He does not equate death in the O.T. with spending eternity in Hell.

Our time to die was established before the beginning of time, in God's mind, a thread of His infinitely wise tapestry of our existence and our Salvation, designed for all of our own good. The culmination of that 'good' is for all of us to become transformed, so we may become citizens of Heaven. In fact, that is the destiny of all of our 'own good'....Heaven....and when we die is designed to be the optimum time for us to depart this earth....nothing by chance....God did not wake up one day and decide to kill off some Philistines or flood the earth, etc. No, no, no..........He planned it all before the beginning of time......for all of our good.

So, whenever we die and for whatever reason is not a whim or accident, or wrath of a heartless God....it is a carefully calculated part of our Salvation. And, we can trust, comes from a loving God, who will bring all of us back home to Himself, as my Baltimore Catechism said when I was in first grade, " to be happy with Him in Heaven."

D.                     :myahoo:  (Why didn't I see this icon before?...Love it. Hahaha.)

[eaglesway]

"In my Father's house there are many abodes/dwelling places."

Even as Jesus proclaimed the gospel to the spirits in prison from the days of Noah(2 Pet) and descended into the lower parts of the earth, and then ascended to the right hand of God "leading captives in His train" so that He might fill all things, this is our inheritance, as the first-fruits and ambassadors of the kingdom- in the age(s) to come.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Worlds without end, ages of ages, "Who has known the mind of the Lord, and who has been His counselor, Who has given to Him that He should repay, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be the glory into the ages." Romans 11:32

[jugghead]

I also see it as the mercy of God

taking it within the context of what happens IN us:
If every thought that man had was evil, can you imagine if God destroyed every thought and every desire all at once, it would be like the mind and heart being completely emptied of everything it contained ..... that in itself would be the equivalent to becoming an abyss, i think it would drive a man to insanity

It is why I believe we enter into the process of the renewing of the mind, destroying each thought separately and replacing them with His thoughts as they are destroyed and given a new heart of flesh that brings to life the desires of God IN us

It is what I think Paul was talking about in taking up the cross daily, the flesh dies a little at a time while we are given life a little at a time ..... but also knowing that we reckon ourselves dead in that it will be the final result.

[marie glen]

Amen! :banana: We can trust that He has done and is doing all things perfectly and that he 'end' result will be perfect!! :banana: