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Great! Okay - I saw reference to this scripture - Jeremiah 32:33 They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, [f](BG)teaching again and again, they would not listen [g]and receive instruction. 34 But they (BH)put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35 They built the (BI)high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to (BJ)Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it [h]entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. [NASB]
GREAT quote, dear Watkins (peace to you!)! Did you know that the "high places" are not locations, say, up in the mountains, but are things like pyramids? High "altars" like those constructed by the Egyptians, Asians (temples), and Native Americans? ALL of these practiced some semblance of the same hope held onto by the Hebrews/Israelites. The first buried their dead "under the altar".
Revelation 6:9. The third sacrificed to their gods on TOP of theirs. ALL had a hope of a resurrection of SOME kind (either back on earth or in another "world", and so had many possessions... even livestock/horses... even mock armies... buried WITH them. The Egyptians removed the entrails from their dead because they viewed the "heart and kidneys," etc., in the way that is often spoken of with JAH (He "examines" THEM and so the spirit was believed to be IN them, the "vital" organs... with the rest of the body being merely the vessel that held the "spirit"). I digress.
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As I recall, wt uses this in it's argument against 'hell'.
Could be. I don't quite remember, but it makes sense. I mean, given all of their other NONsense. If so, this is just one more example.
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But I'm thinking it isn't the way in which those children died that's the issue but that they were sacrificed to a false god - that is, burned alive. To God it was unthinkable to demand the sacrifice of our children.
Given what some cultures did (i.e., Sati, practiced by those from the East whose women, often merely children, burned themselves to death when their husbands died...
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Sati_(practice)... and "bride burning", also practiced in the "east", including middle eastern now-Muslim areas
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Bride_burning, brides often being merely children, too. The east also has a history of raising boys, from infancy, to become "service" servants (for use by men)... I can understand one thinking that might have been the issue. Remember, Abraham was called OUT of the east (due to where worship of JAH by those there had gone, including practices such as these)... to reestablish pure worship in a land JAH was to give him.
It was NOT
unthinkable to JAH, however, to call for the sacrifice of a children. We have SEVERAL instances where such sacrifices WERE called for. Recall, He made such a request of Abraham... although He didn't let Abraham go through with it. And it was ALL of the firstborns of Egypt that were sacrificed due to Pharaoh's obstinence. Many sacrificed their children to JAH, both in body (remember Jephthah and his daughter?) AND in spirit (remember Hannah, who gave Samuel?). And surely you know that JAH gave His OWN Son as a sacrifice.
My understanding of the issue of cremation/burning the body didn't come as a result of reading the passage in Jeremiah, though. It actually started with my Lord explaining the SPIRIT, what spirit IS, what WE are, and how "spirit" relates to us and our vessels of flesh... what HOLY spirit is... how it works... and how we HEAR him by means of it. In that light, he started by telling me WHERE the spirit "resides" in us: in our blood (recall, the blood SPEAKS!). Which is manufactured by marrow. Which is... in the bones. He then shared that that is why the bones of men like Joseph, etc., were carried back to the land of Abraham... and why Ezekiel saw DRY bones, then such bones COMING to LIFE... when SPIRIT was put in them: because the SPIRIT... is in the bones. Which was one reason HIS bones were not broken (unlike the two men hung on poles with him).
He gave me several other situations to help be understand these things. He shared with me why, although EVERY other part of us "returns" to the dust... the bones do NOT (unless they are pulverized by the elements, etc.; otherwise, they remain - most often, the skull). He gave me more, too much to relate here... but took to me to why fire was an "enemy": why it was used by men such as Nebuchadnezzar (against Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) and Hitler (against the Jews): in attempts to utterly wipe them out, body... AND spirit! He explained why fire was the END result for the wicked, including the Adversary, the "false prophet," and the "wild beast" (remember, they are cast into the Lake... of FIRE!). The REASON for this is because, although it also cleanses... in greater amounts fire DESTROYS... utterly. And although most any kind of deterioration will leave SOME scrap of DNA behind, cremation does not. Due the level of HEAT, DNA is completely destroyed during cremation.
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I use this as one counter-argument to the wt no-blood doctrine. But I don't see the connection with cremation after death. The sin for Judah was false worship/turning away from the true and only God.
Coupled with false worship and turning away, though, is HOW one engages in such worship/turning away. What one DOES... or does NOT do... can constitute a turning away, yes? Including obeying... or disobeying. NOT meaning rebellion (although it can be that)... but to the detriment of one's own life, both physical AND spiritual.
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Sorry if this has been posted before - it seems these questions we have are not new. (:
LOL! We have NO problem with re-posting matters here! Just note, that sometimes we will address them anew/afresh and sometimes a dear one will refer you to an existing link that might already address your concerns/curiosity.
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1 Corinthians 15:35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
Another great quote!
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So it seems to me that the distinct differences between 'earthy' or 'natural', and 'spiritual' bodies, and I don't get the impression that 'imperishable' springs from 'perishable', but is a completely new creation from the 'seed' which is our spirit,
I agree that the "seed" is spirit... but it just as seeds have a "pod/shell"... which pod/shell protects it... so do we! And so, what is "sown" (buried)? Is it not the physical body, versus the spirit? Because it is our bodies that are sown (buried) in the ground, with our spirit returning to JAH... yes? So, for purposes of THESE things, the spirit isn't what's "sown"... or buried... but the (physical) body... or "pod/shell" is. Yes? True, it is
And what happens when you sow... or plant... BURY... a seed? It "germinates", right? What is "germination"? And does the seed
entirely disappear/disintegrate? Or... does it CHANGE...
into the "plant" that it becomes? Becomes a NEW [kind of] life entity (seed to flower... seed to tree... seed to shrub... etc.)?
So, for instance, our FIRST body (the physical... or "first"... man) is the seed POD... with our SECOND body (the physical... or "second" man) being the "plant" that results from the SOWING (burial) of the seed pod (first body). The difference between us... and, say, a plant seed... is that a plant seed pod is FULL when buried/sown (if you sow/plant an EMPTY seed pod... NOTHING grows from it. With those who belong to Christ, however, the "seed pod" that is sown/buried... the physical body... IS empty, the spirit having returned to JAH.
BUT... that shell/pod... must be CHANGED... so as to "house" the seed/spirit... which JAH pours BACK into the NEW "vessel". Paul addressed that when he stated, as you quoted:
"It (the body) is SOWN (buried) a perishable body, it (the body) is RAISED an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown (buried) a natural (physical) body, it is raised (resurrected) a spiritual body." Thus, the body... is SOWN (buried)... then, like a plant (which is the NEW "vessel" for the LIFE in it)... CHANGED as it's raised up.
Paul addressed
that when he wrote as to those who do and do NOT die:
"We shall not ALL fall asleep [in death] but we shall ALL be CHANGED. In the twinkling of an eye..." 1 Corinthians 15:51He said this as to what Christ meant when HE said, to Martha:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone that is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all." John 11:25, 26What my Lord meant was that when he returned, the BODY of those who were in union with him but had died would be resurrected (and changed to spirit bodies) and thus "come to life"... at which time the BODY of those who were in union with him but had NOT died would be CHANGED (to spirit bodies) and so NEVER see death. NEVER die... having changed from the body of flesh (that can die) to the body of SPIRIT (which CANNOT die, but must be destroyed). Paul explained this, when he wrote, further, that:
"... we will not all sleep (in death), but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:51-54Notice:
1. All are CHANGED, whether resurrected to a spirit body (those who have died) or changed from a fleshly body to a spirit body (those who have not died). The Greek word here, for "change", is "allassō", meaning "to change, to exchange one thing for another, to transform."
2. The dead are RAISED imperishable, so raised TO/IN imperishable bodies; however, the body that DIES... perishes. Returns to the earth. Disintegrates. Except... you guessed it... the bones! Those must be pulverized, burned, crushed, etc. Otherwise, they remain. Yes? The body that is RAISED does not disintegrate. Because it is IMperishable;
3. The perishable (physical body) MUST PUT ON (be changed INTO) the imperishable (spirit body)... and the mortal (physical body) MUST PUT ON (be changed INTO) the immortal (spirit body). The Greek word for "put on"... "endyō"... means "to sink into (clothing), put on, clothe one's self."
4. And when such does (the first PUT ON the second)... death is "swallowed up." Because death NO LONGER EXISTS... IN SUCH BODY (it only exists in the physical body). Because when it DIES and disintegrates (except the bones... and if there IS a body!), the first body puts OFF "corruption". When it CHANGES, it puts ON "incorruption". The spirit does not die. In order for IT to perish... it must be destroyed.
Now, does all of this make sense with regard to JAH? It absolutely does!! Why? Because... JAH is a "gardener/planter/cultivator/sower... of seed"!!
Genesis 2:8
Matthew 13:3
Mark 4:3
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the only thing that isn't impacted by bodily death.
For those who belong to Christ, no, bodily death has no PERMANENT impact, no; only a temporary impact. For those who do NOT belong to Christ, however, it can have both. Christ himself resurrects those who belong to HIM... to "white robes"... or clean, SPIRIT bodies. As such, these have NO condemnation (
Romans 8:1); hence, they aren't subject to the SECOND death (
Revelation 20:6, 17)... in the "Lake of Fire." Those who do NOT belong to him are resurrected to judgment... and condemnation... the result of which is destruction in the Lake of Fire. Fire... because fire destroys the body... AND the spirit!
Matthew 10:28 This is the "second" death... in which destruction is both bodily AND spiritual. It is called the "second" death because those who have died (bodily) are resurrected to life (to stand before the Judgment) and, having no "covering" (the blood of the Lamb, which cleanses them from their sins: it is the means by which (1) their sins are "blotted out" from the Book of Remembrance, and (2) their names are written in the Lamb's Book (of Life). And so THIS death absolutely impacts both the body AND the spirit!
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I don't agree that it would take too much energy, for the God who created and radiates pure life-energy, to produce a new body "just as He wished".
That's fine... and I totally understand your position. I can only share what I received. What some, including you, might miss, however, is:
1. The "energy" it TAKES to create that first man (Adham). Remember, JAH started with just one... "split" that one... and then brought all others forth FROM the one/two. Why not just make a BUNCH of humans... as He made a "myriad" of spirit beings? We always look at man being "lower" than spirit beings... and this is true. In some ways, but not necessarily ALL ways.
2. The same pure life-energy that creates... destroys. Devastatingly. So, while WE may not understand JAH's "reasoning" behind creating/making/doing/undoing things as He does, I am made to understand that there are very valid reasons for them. This... the dichotomy between creation and destruction... and just how closely related they ARE... being one of them. It only took a breath to start it all... and it only takes a breath to end it. BOTH had/have to be precisely controlled so as to result in JAH's will. Whatever is "good" to HIM.
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I also thought of the tragic results of murder which ends in the murderer dissolving the victim in acids - gruesome, I know, but there is no identifiable DNA remaining.
Interesting. I am not so sure that the process leaves NO identifiable DNA remaining, dear one. I have heard that if the contents are strained it can be determined that a human was present AND there may even be enough material to perform dental exam and determine DNA. I could be wrong, but that's my understanding (based on a case studied while in law school).
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I know you said, Shellamar, that there must be exceptions to your idea that cremation is wrong - so how can we conclude that it is wrong?
I may have been speaking rhetorically, dear one. Perhaps even hopefully... but that won't change MY mind as to whether it's wrong in JAH's eyes or not. Because it truly wasn't my opinion, but what I received from my Lord. And so, if HE says to me it's something "undesirable" to the Father, who am I to argue? I mean, I could try and "reason" about it, based on my OWN (very limited) understanding. But why? Since HE is the Truth... and his mouth always speaks truth... my course is to simply say, "Yes, Lord!" I leave the why-fors to him... put FAITH in what he said about it... then do MY best to do "just so." I cannot imagine that what I "think" I know could ever over-shadow what he does.
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I can hardly believe God needs baby teeth...
Yes, I understand. And, given our need for things to be SO... mmmmm... complicated... when it comes to God, I get that that particular thing might be hard to accept. But there are many things related to God... AND Christ, even... that MANY can hardly believe. Including things like faith IN God and Christ... or even the existence of these, yes? Doesn't make them untrue, though...
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that seems to limit God's abilities and I think He is Good in a limitless, higher-than-our-understanding kind of way...
Consider, though, that perhaps it's NOT a matter of placing limits on HIM, dear one, but rather,
not overstepping the limits He places on US. Which limits are NOT for His own ego... but for OUR benefit. Always! Unfortunately, many of us don't want to accept that there ARE limits... and so WE stretch His commands out. To accommodate OUR desire to do our OWN will ("Do not burn your bodies because..." "Oh, no, we can burn them because God can undo WHATEVER we do!"). We entirely overlook the TRUTH: that such warnings are NOT due to limitations in JAH's abilities... but for OUR benefit! Again, WE have NO idea the amount of pure life-energy that goes into creating, whether it be an entire universe (physical OR spiritual), a myriad of spirit beings, or one human. WE can't create ANY of these things... at least, not without some kind of detriment to another/others. Sure, the time may come when we can clone humans, but that is not creating. That is replicating.
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Anyway - a few more thoughts.
Yes! And just a few more from me, too - LOLOL!
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Love and HIS peace!
The greatest of love and peace to you. and to your household, as well!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
Shellamar