Dear Saint Steven: how are you regarding Hebrew? You are surely aware that there are over 20 distinct words for destruction. Would you be able to tell us how many of those words link destruction with being bought to change & transformation?
Dear Saint: Time is up, my young friend. Your answer=
The punishment of the Father of all fathers is not merely correction: it is correction that improves, changes, transforms for the better.
Our God punishes with an objective in view, not as an end in itself!
There are dual aspects to our Father’s Realm as shown in the following…
Tamiym/ 'ymt means to be consumed, destroyed, exhausted and spent, but also to be finished and made sound.
Kalal has the same meaning, linking destruction, being spent, exhausted, as well as to be finished and made sound.
Tamam, the root word of Tamiym means to be finished, complete, summed up, made whole: linked with to be consumed, exhausted, spent and destroyed.
Shalam/ ~IX, another expression of destruction, has the scope of being finished and ended, made good or whole, & being made sound, coupled with to be restored.
Shebar, rooted in Shabar, means breakout, and being brought to birth; and underlying new birth and breakout? To be crushed and broken. Again there is dual meaning in our Lord’s words of destruction and re-creation.
Chalowph
The destructive Hebrew word Chalowph is rooted in being altered, renewed, changed, and to sprout again. It should also be noted that this is not just change, but change for the better.
In the Christian story God descends to reascend. He comes down;… down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him. -C.S. Lewis