|
|
| From | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
 The puzzle ofI will give you until next Lord's day (one week), to try and find a solution from within the pages of scripture alone. In one weeks time DV, I'll share what I believe to be the correct answer to the puzzle! "wink" ______________________________________________________________________________ Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” Exodus 32:33 And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,And not be written with the righteous. Philippians 4:3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 22:19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. ______________________________________________________________________________ Bible Fact #1 There is only one "Book of Life" mentioned in Revelation at the end of time. Bible Fact #2 There are names that have been written in that book before the world began. Bible Fact #3 It is possible to have ones name BLOTTED OUT of that "Book of Life". Bible Fact #4 Some who are threatened with such "blotting out" are said to currently "have a part" in that Book of life, but might in fact lose that part for adding or taking away from Scripture for example. Bible fact #5 Some have names that the bible says were NEVER written in the "Book of Life", ever. ______________________________________________________________________________ Questions I believe need to be reconciled in the solution. Question #1 Why the need to blot out names if Divine foreknowledge is exhaustive? Question #2 Why the threat of blotting out if the names are fully predetermined as many claim they are? Question #3 What about the guy who owns a name that was never written in the Book of life in the first place? Does he differ in any way from the guy who's name was there at one point, but got blotted out? Question #4 How does the Salvation invitation of "Whosoever will" square with these Bible quotes re: "the Book of Life"? Hmmmmmmmm. "scratches head" ______________________________________________________________________________ The puzzle runs as follows. Reconcile the Bible verses cited with the five Bible facts I have presented, and give a sound, plausible coherent answer to the four questions I raised as well. Your solution may contain exceptions (Bible based of course) to the five Bible facts as I have alleged them to be, and also to the questions that logically follow from those five Bible facts. All of the verses must be reconciled however. No partial solutions are permitted. "wink" One week will be allowed to solve the puzzle DV. "enjoy" Blessings in Christ Paul |
||
|
Solution to the 2000 year old puzzle. Questions I believe needed to be reconciled in this solution. ______________________________________________________________________________ Question #1 Why the need to blot out names if Divine foreknowledge is exhaustive? Answer to question #1: Divine foreknowledge according to the Bible is by no means exhaustive. God would have to fully know the outcome of all things in human history, before such a book could be written that would not require blotting out the names of the persons who refuse to reconcile with God. ______________________________________________________________________________ Question #2 Why the threat of blotting out if the names are fully predetermined as many claim they are? Answer to question #2: The names are listed in advance that is true, but the names are just names that God will be using when He RENAMES his heavenly people in heaven. Some notables were possibly renamed (in type at least) early during the course of their earthly lives, and a mere handful were PRENAMED one or two generations before they were actually born. (God still reserves the right to save certain key figures whether they wish to be saved or not) "wink" This however is by no means the norm. NAMES from the list get married up with persons during the course of their lives. I believe God has a special NAME reserved for each and every person who has ever been born. If such persons fail to come to terms with God then the NAME that God had been holding for them gets blotted out of the "Book of Life", never to be used again. This might happen usually at the very end of a persons life, but in some rare cases (for sin as grievous as adding or taking away from the Bible), they could stand to lose that intended name during the course of their earthly lives (before death takes them). People are NEVER predetermined for heaven or hell before they can make that choice for themselves. The LIST OF NAMES is prewritten of course, but who gets what name in the end, and/or who loses such and such a NAME that God had been holding in reserve for them is a matter for history to decide as it unfolds. We are not living in a predetermined "puppet show" as some would have us believe. ______________________________________________________________________________ Question #3 What about the guy who owns a name that was never written in the Book of life in the first place? Does he differ in any way from the guy who's name was there at one point, but got blotted out? Answer to question #3: No difference at all. The guy who owns a name that "was never written in the Book of Life", is merely somebody who has lost his hope of ever acquiring a NAME from the Book of Life. His intended NAME has been blotted out already and his earthly name is the only name he can ever lay claim too. That name of course was just the name given to him by his parents, and could never have been written down in such a Book as the Book of Life (written before the foundation of the world). The two cases cited in question #3 are identical. Different language was used to describe the same situation, that's all. God had an interest in allowing this puzzle to exist for almost 2000 years IMO. That is why the references to this Book of Life are written in the very specific language that they are written. More on such possible reasons for the puzzle in later posts perhaps. "wink" ______________________________________________________________________________ Question #4 How does the Salvation invitation of "Whosoever will" square with these Bible quotes re: "the Book of Life"? It is PERFECTLY compatible! God has held for a time, a NAME from the Book of Life in reserve for every single soul who has ever been born. God was ready to save ALL. All had an intended part in God's heaven. God is not willing that ANY should perish! The Spirit of God lights EVERY man that cometh into the world. Christ died for the sins of the WHOLE world. The gospel is indeed a legitimate offer to WHOSOEVER! What more could God do than this? Still, He gives us the right of refusal of His offer of mercy, Salvation and Forgiveness. Sadly, many have refused Him. They have chosen their own unhappy fate AGAINST the wishes and good intentions of ALMIGHTY GOD. God is BLAMELESS in all of this. God's Word is true. There are no contradictions within it. There are puzzles aplenty, but that we could rightly expect from Someone so much wiser and greater than we. ______________________________________________________________________________ Kudos to all who have lived in the shadow of such conundrums and puzzles for years, and have yet remained true to God in their souls. God bless each one. Just the same, its nice to anticipate the day when ALL such puzzles will be cleared up forever. Blessings in Christ Paul Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Genesis 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 1 Kings 13 1And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. |
||
|
Five possible reasons for the 2000 year old puzzle? 1 Peter 1 10Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. #2) Unanswered questions like these, force a person to take the Saviour and His offer of Salvation completely on a FAITH basis. If we could prove each and every mystery within the Bible, what room would be left for FAITH? Hmmmm. #3) Some men are naturally disposed to think of this universe as a thing of FATE (generally those who have lived lives of great favour and blessing). Other men resist such notions of FATE, convinced that there always remains hope that their personal situations will get better eventually (generally those in difficult stations in life). God wishes to save all of these men and women (those predisposed towards FATE and those against it), and so in His wise benevolence, He has allowed both notions to runs concurrently within the varied branches of Christendom. What a wise God we have! #4) Given the likelihood of Christ's IMMINENT return, when the FATE of this world will be sealed instantly the moment the Christians are taken to glory, it would seem very appropriate to me that God finally reveal to believers that REAL TANGIBLE HOPE EXISTS TODAY for every man, woman and child on the face of this world. Armed with this certain knowledge, that hope remains for all, how can Christians keep the message of Salvation only to themselves any longer? #5) Lastly, the revelation of this answer in these closing days of earth's history, may reflect with pinpoint accuracy where professing Christians REALLY have placed their faith and trust. Do they trust in their various Church Dogma and doctrines, over and above the WORD OF THE LIVING GOD? Alas I fear that certain churchgoers may finally seal their own fates on this very question. Whose Word stands and whose Word falls. Does the Bible itself have the innate AUTHORITY to trump tradition and Church doctrine; if such Church doctrine can be shown from the Scriptures to be in error? Just my $.02 on the possible reasons for this 2000 year old puzzle. Many Blessings in Christ Paul M. Blackmore |
||
|
deadofknight 29-Apr-08, 00:59 |
Deleted by walkingman on 29-Apr-08, 01:21.
|
||
|
Delete? As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." Some things are indeed hard to understand (puzzling). So say the Scriptures. These are the very Scriptures that you claim to have the right to question. Your novel notions re: the alleged incompleteness of the Scriptures are not welcome in this club. Your PM to me cited your honest intentions to abide by the club rules, and to be a positive influence here in the club. Alas, such has not been the case. Your very first post violated the only rules we have. You leave me no choice but to dismiss you from the club. I hope you find another club more in tune with your apparent desire to question the Scriptures. You could always revive your own club I suppose. You mentioned that you started the very first club here on Gameknot. This club is not so much about interaction and chit-chat, but it is intended to serve as a "DATABASE" of Bible answers for those who are interested to know what the Bible has to say about the great questions of life. It is by no means a forum to debate the veracity, authenticity, or completeness of those Scriptures. With regrets again Paul |
||
|
Video link (2000 year old puzzle) Blessings in Christ Paul M. Blackmore (the guy in the video) |
