I would like to see how one justifies the following contradictions, and whether they are contradictions at all or just my inability to read in context
Those two are quite self evident.
This verse clearly states that heaven is not eternal, and yet nowhere is this taught and I have never known a Christian who believed in temporary heaven. Why do Christians believe that heaven is eternal?
okay on the first verse Ezekiel it appears what God says happens to all men.
On the second one in Isaiah it appears such will occur to whatever Babylon is. Both are prophetic and I know little of prophecy.
The latter one all are evil, and such will occur from how I read it.
The first Ezekiel is to His people.
The second is to babylon, whoever that is, and sounds either like something to come (not yet occured) but if I read thru the book, may be something occurs later in the bible.. Don't know.
But the second is not his people, and I can only speculate that if my grandmother sins, my mother sins, learning her mothers, and then i sin learning my mothers, and if our god, is not God, then we are wicked hence..all die for the sin passed down for the wicked.
As to the first verse, to God's chosen, eeks.. we know no one could keep the law, but God commanded they do so or else, however, we know that all men sin, and also that no man can keep the law perfectly, and out of the OT were believers in God, sinners who also did not keep the law perfectly, and yet are righteous, thru faith, yet they sin and are now with God.
RE Babylon, don't know enough about what Babylon represents, but death reaps death, hence an ungodly nation will reap ungodly people... Only Israel was chosen by God, to reveal himself, not other nations, tho of course they could have believed in Him, but the OT deals with Israel.
Can only compare it to....Israel life if do right, later Jesus comes and pays for all sin, now those who believe in Christ are forgiven..
In OT those who had faith in God were declared righteous. We see this in book of Hebrews, nt Faith chapter.
But Babylon must be wholly wicked is how it sounds so nothing will save them; there's not even reference to if they turn, so, it sounds like they wouldn't even wish to turn, basically the wicked will not inherit the earth, which I'm thinking must be speaking of end times, as such is what will occur. Babylon is referenced in revelation, but again is prophetic and symbolic and way over my head.
The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Aliens will join them
and unite with the house of Jacob.
The Isaiah chapter starts with this.. Today, as in OT the majority Israel rejected God and in NT did same with Jesus... But in end times, I believe Israel will come to God...and as the very first verse above is about what God will do for Israel, and all the rest is about wicked Babylon and what will occur to whoever Babylon is.. Babylon has to be utterly beyond hope, no desire for God, no turning from wickedness, not written, but we know in NT God wants all to know Him.
He doesn't destine a nation to hell, each person makes a choice, so appears this is what occurs in the end.. The sins are passed down and unforgiven, since all are wicked, no desire for God..sure not written here, but is obvious thru reading such at least how I see it.
from same chapter in isaiah
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again
and this bit from Isaiah:
How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. [
c]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
"Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
appears to start off to be about satan..morning star, not sure..but later says man, satan is not a man so perhaps reference to the antichrist...
So Isaiah is prophetic here and appears to be about end times..No mercy for the wicked.
And Ezekiel is God teaching his people the seriousness of sin and what is the right thing to do and wrong thing to do, and yet we know ot saints, sinners, are with God, all men are sinners..and no one could keep the law..but God is impressing, do right you'll live, do wrong, you'll perish..
God is merciful, he knows our hearts.
When you think back some 70 years ago, shame to do many things, shame..so people hid their sins more.now we do them in open with no shame..
well imagine israel with God leading them, his very presence with them and yet they still chose evil and turned to idols even tho God was with them and they knew it was God, they did not trust....
So if 70 years ago was a shame to do many things we do openly today; imagine with Gods' presence, I would think many would by community pressure alone of Israel seek to do good, but sin is in all men, and they're hearts followed other after little g gods in the end we find.
Doing right doesn't save us today..Belief in Christ does, we of course as Christians do our best to do right, but fail,but nonetheless already forgiven upon belief. Can't lose our salvation no matter what.
ah, i'm not helping here..but said i'd look, i did, am baffled..on the first scripture only, not the babylon one, that fits with end times.
Maybe tho not baffled as we see mercy many times to Israel if she would change and repent and do right, so yeah, we see much of mercy on Israel when repents, but judgement when returns to wickedness.
oh well..just toss this off...thinking outloud, no clue...
but does make sense that to israel only each man will die for their own sin, but to the wicked, will die for wickedness of the fathers, which is passed down of course, and none in babylon will turn apparently..not even mentioned if they did he would forgiven them, hence they will not return.
seems a picture of Gods wrath, Babylon...
take care
tapero
