Re: Lies

by Philly Homer 2008-02-16, 13:29

(Since I don't know whether Raffitz' comment was opposite speech, sarcasm, or just a mistake, I will clarify. Guy on the left is Sora. Girl on the left is Kairi. Both are from Kingdom Hearts.)

Raffitz won't tell me whether that was sarcasm, opposite speech or a mistake?

by Jtull 2008-02-17, 22:44

Alkanosis cares what raffiz say's

by Philly Homer 2008-02-17, 23:44

...-Sigh-

Jtull does care about what I say, right?

by Jtull 2008-02-17, 23:45

Alkanosis knows I dont care what he says.

by Philly Homer 2008-02-17, 23:47

(I feel so loved...)

Jtull did not make me feel better, because someone actually cares!

by Darkjedi 2008-02-18, 00:31

I don't have to shut down my computer.

by Jtull 2008-02-18, 00:32

why???

by Philly Homer 2008-02-18, 01:06

Jtull did not just kill the topic again...

by Darkjedi 2008-02-18, 05:38

Alkanosis doesn't love this song.
http://www.noolmusic.com/youtube_videos/red_hot_chili_peppers_-_under_the_bridge_-_music_video.php

by EnemyofTime 2008-02-18, 19:01

You people don't sound like you need to be commited.

Oh, wait, we're supposed to lie.

You people sound like you need to be commited.

by raffitz 2008-02-18, 19:05

Enemyoftime is the smartest guy in this forum.
(What I said was opposite speach)

by Philly Homer 2008-02-18, 19:24

Raffitz doesn't need to answer my PM.

by Darkjedi 2008-02-19, 15:28

I didn't stay up for two days straight.

by Philly Homer 2008-02-19, 19:12

I bet Darkjedi doesn't feel tired... ;P

by Shemuel 2008-02-19, 19:13

I don't bet Alkanosis couldn't think of something to say.

by Philly Homer 2008-02-19, 19:17

Shemuel is definitely not trying to torment me for some unknown reason...?

by Shemuel 2008-02-20, 13:57

Worry, I definitely am not

by Darkjedi 2008-02-20, 15:44

My mom is not a health freak.

by Shemuel 2008-02-29, 19:07

I'm not glad to hear it. Razz

by Darkjedi 2008-03-01, 18:10

I didn't preach today.

by Shemuel 2008-03-02, 14:38

.....?.....

by Darkjedi 2008-03-03, 03:03

Well, I guess that the opposite of a "?", isn't an "!".

by Shemuel 2008-03-03, 16:52

I didn't actually mean ".....?.....

by Darkjedi 2008-03-03, 17:56

Shemuel knows what preaching is.

by Shemuel 2008-03-03, 18:03

Shemuel understands why a 15-year old is preaching and that he can't have been ordained.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-05, 04:29

I actually am not. I am not one of the youngest ministers in my church.

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 14:17

Not Wow! here you have to undergo years of training in ecclesiatical college to become ordained.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 17:31

I have been tutored for years by the congregation overseer. His son didn't turn out so well, so you could say that he has apprenticed me. LOL. I have been almost a religious freak ever since my Father died, due to his dieing wishes. I am one of the most scripturally literate individuals in my congregation. (I'm not bragging. Sorry if you think that. I don't view my religious position as a power thing, but a responsibility.)

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 17:35

Wow again. What church do you go to?

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 17:49

If I tell you, i'll get flamed for sure. There is so much propaganda about us. Oh man, I don't know if I should tell you...
Ok, if I tell you, I don't want alot of flaming, OK? Wait, I'm proud of my faith!
I'm one of Jehovah's Wittinesses. If you want to learn more our OFFICIAL website it: www.watchtower.org

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 17:50

Ahh, that makes sense. Don't worry I won't flame you for your faith, that's just harsh.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 17:52

Oh good. Oh well, I get doors slammed in my face alot, so i'm used to it. LOL!

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 17:53

As long as you cross me off the list Very Happy

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 18:09

Really? OMG! So, you'll listen if one of Jehovah's Wittnesses comes to your door? You made my day! In fact, you made my week! LOL!

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 18:12

Shemuel wrote:As long as you cross me off the list

I used to listen when they come, but after ten visits you definitely begin to switch off

by Philly Homer 2008-03-07, 18:21

Guess what, I've never had Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons come knocking on my door even though I live in one of Delaware's (wow, I've disclosed where I live) richer suburban areas.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 18:24

If you want Jehovah's Wittinesses to come to your door soon, then go here: https://watch002.securesites.net/contact/submit.htm

by Shemuel 2008-03-07, 18:24

There are relatively very few Jehovah's Witnesses in wales, but for some reason there are quite a few living out of nowhere by me.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 18:31

Yeah, there aren't as many JW's in wales. (JW is abbrevation for Jehovah's Wittinesses) Many other places have alot. Last year, we had a 3% increase in total peak publishers. That's really good!

by Philly Homer 2008-03-07, 18:32

Darkjedi wrote:If you want Jehovah's Wittinesses to come to your door soon, then go here: https://watch002.securesites.net/contact/submit.htm

...Yeah... umm... Do I actually want them to come to my door? O.o"

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 18:43

They're quite friendly. They won't rob you or anything LOL!

by Philly Homer 2008-03-07, 18:45

But isn't that how they recruit people? Dressing up like people that go to parochial schools and acting friendly?

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 18:58

Uh, we don't dress like ancients.
Dress shirt, tie, and pants. Alot of times, a suit.

by Philly Homer 2008-03-07, 19:06

Very business-like. Also, I visited the website you posted on the previous page and... apparently what my church says about you guys is not completely correct.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-07, 22:10

There is soooo much propaganda about us. I get that alot. If you have any questions about my beliefs, feel free to ask.

by Philly Homer 2008-03-08, 01:39

Let's see... the biggest two questions that bite at me are

1. Do you guys really believe only 144,000 are saved?
2. What does Jesus mean to you guys?

by Darkjedi 2008-03-08, 04:28

Do you guys really believe only 144,000 are saved?

We believe the only 144,000 are going to heaven. There is actually another hope for worshipers of God. As explained later on in this article. (I have that highlighted in green.) You may find the following excerpt from one of our articles enlightening:
Do You Hope to Go to Heaven When You Die?

“NO INTEREST in Heaven or Hell.” So read a headline in The Morning Call newspaper (February 12, 1969) of Allentown, Pennsylvania. It reported on a poll of the “Typical American,” twenty-seven years of age, graduated from high school. His principal interests were said to be “football, hunting, fishing, and tinkering with automobiles.” While this may be true of the “Typical American” twenty-seven years of age, there are ever so many millions of other Americans, as well as millions of other nationalities, who take their religion more seriously. Many of them expect to go to heaven when they die.

Are you among those? If so, why do you hope or expect to go to heaven when you die? Quite likely one reason is because you have been taught that you have an immortal soul separate and distinct from your body, which at death goes either to heaven or to a hell of torment. Of course, if you had to choose between those two destinies you would want to go to heaven.

But could it be that the Bible does not teach that you have a soul that lives on after the body dies? Yes, it could be; in fact, such is the case, and it is being recognized by more and more people. Thus, as reported in Time magazine, Roman Catholic Theologian Peter Riga of St. Mary’s College in California acknowledged that the old idea of a man’s having a soul that departs from the body at death “makes no sense at all. There is just man, man in God’s image and likeness. Man in his totality was created and will be saved.” Similar expressions are to be found in the “Glossary of Biblical Theology Terms” appearing at the back of the Roman Catholic New American Bible, published in 1970.

And that is exactly what the Bible teaches. It states that in the beginning “man came to be a living soul,” not that he received a soul. Just as there is a great difference between having a wife and being a wife so there is a great difference between having a soul and being a soul. Also, the Bible tells us that “the soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” So it could not be immortal. Further, God’s Word shows that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” That is why the Bible speaks of death as ‘sleep.’ Interestingly, Martin Luther at one time taught that believers who died were unconscious until the resurrection.—Gen. 2:7; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Eccl. 9:5; 1 Cor. 15:20; 1 Thess. 4:13.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-08, 04:29

Some Do Go to Heaven

Yes, the Bible shows that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection. But it also makes clear that some are then raised to heavenly life. First of all, there was Jesus Christ. Of him, the apostle Peter said: “This Jesus God resurrected, of which fact we are all witnesses.” Thereafter “he was exalted to the right hand of God.” We are also told that “Christ entered . . . into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us.”—Acts 2:32, 33; Heb. 9:24.

Further, Jesus promised his apostles a place in the heavens so that “where I am you also may be.” (John 14:2, 3) That his apostles had this hope is clear from their writings. Thus the apostle Paul wrote: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, should be dissolved, we are to have a building from God, . . . everlasting in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1) Such Christians have “a living hope . . . to an incorruptible . . . inheritance . . . in the heavens,” where they will be “sharers in divine nature.”—1 Pet. 1:3, 4; 2 Pet. 1:4.

Then, could it be that the countless millions who have entertained hopes of going to heaven will have their hopes realized? The Scriptures make it very clear that the number of those going to heaven is, comparatively speaking, small indeed. Thus Jesus said to them: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” And in three places in the book of Revelation, the number of spiritual Israel, the number of those with the Lamb Jesus Christ upon the heavenly Mount Zion, is given as just 144,000. Of these, it is said that “they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”—Luke 12:32; Rev. 7:4; 14:1, 3; 20:6.

For a man to be eligible for the heavenly hope, certain steps are required on his part and on God’s part. He must repent from his past sinful course, must convert by turning around to follow a course of righteousness, must dedicate himself to do God’s will and be baptized. However, that is as far as he himself can go. The rest depends upon God.—Acts 3:19; Heb. 11:6; Acts 4:12; Matt. 28:19, 20.

Then, if God so wills He individually calls such a man and chooses him through His Son, Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 1:9, 10; 1 Pet. 2:9) Such a man God also declares righteous on the basis of his faith in Christ’s blood, and by His holy spirit the man is brought forth as a spiritual son. (Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:15, 16, 33, 34; Jas. 1:18) Once having received this heavenly hope he must keep integrity, proving faithful until death. That includes keeping separate from the world, ‘pummeling his body’ so that he controls it and not it him, and being on guard against the snares of the Devil. (Jas. 1:27; 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Pet. 5: Cool

Doing so, he can look forward, even as did the apostle Paul, to receiving the “crown of righteousness.”—2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 2:10.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-08, 04:30

The Earthly Destiny

Is the destiny of everlasting life limited to those going to heaven, to just 144,000? By no means! Did not Jesus tell us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? (Matt. 6:10) Besides, we read that “the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isa. 11:9) And still more, we are assured that ‘the tent of God will be with mankind’ and that He “will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” (Rev. 21:2-4) Those words must refer to this earth, for there never was death in heaven where God is. Furthermore, in Psalms 37:11, it says:" But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." Do, so called "meek" individuals possess the earth today? Of course not! This scripture must be referring to the future. Surely these and many other scriptures of similar import indicate that there are people who will be rewarded with a fine earthly existence. The hope and prospect of thousands of millions who have died lies in a resurrection of the dead to life right here on this earth, for did not Jesus say, “the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out”?—John 5:28, 29.

That others, aside from those whose destiny is heaven, will gain salvation is clear from the context of one of the scriptures that mentions the 144,000 spiritual Israelites: “After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: ‘Salvation we owe to our God, . . . and to the Lamb.’” Incidentally, the fact that this great crowd cannot be numbered argues that the number given for the spiritual Israelites is a literal number.—Rev. 7:9, 10.

Does this mean that there are two kinds of destinies for those who gain salvation through exercising faith in Jesus Christ? (John 3:16) Yes, for there is no question about the Scriptures speaking of both heavenly and earthly blessings and rewards. The logic of this fact will be apparent if we will but reason on the subject. If all the countless millions who will eventually gain salvation were to go to heaven to serve as priests and kings, in behalf of whom would they serve as priests and over whom would they rule as kings? But when we understand that only 144,000 will thus serve and they will bless the countless millions who will be raised from the dead and live right here on this earth, it all makes sense. Besides, when we consider that the vast majority of those resurrected from the dead will at the first have little knowledge of Jehovah God and of his righteous requirements, we can see how much work there will be for the heavenly priests and kings to bring these back into harmony with their Creator. The Bible shows that a thousand years will be devoted to this work, for which reason it is called the Millennial kingdom.—Isa. 11:1-9; 2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 20:4-6.

Serving as earthly representatives of the heavenly kingdom will be “princes,” even as it was prophetically foretold of Jesus Christ: “In place of your forefathers there will come to be your sons, whom you will appoint as princes in all the earth.” (Ps. 45:16) These princes will include all the men of faith from Abel on to John the Baptist. Will none of these be in heaven? No. How do we know? Because Jesus said that up until then, 31 C.E., no one had ascended to heaven. And, of John the Baptist, he said that no “mother’s son” was greater than he, yet “the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” The Bible also says that even King David, a man approved by God, did not ascend to heaven.—Matt. 11:11; John 3:13; Acts 2:25-35, New English Bible.

Why did not any of these go to heaven? Because the way to heaven waited for Christ’s sacrifice to open it up. Besides, none could precede him, for he was to be “the firstborn from the dead, that he might become the one who is first in all things.” It therefore follows that only those dying after Christ’s death and resurrection and ascension to heaven could hope to gain life in the heavens.—Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:20; 2 Tim. 1:10.

The facts indicate that the general call or invitation by God for the heavenly prize has ceased, the full number having been called and chosen. That is why today the Christian witnesses of Jehovah herald far and wide the good news of everlasting life in a Paradise earth by means of God’s kingdom. In view of the time in which we are living, the hope is held forth that a “great crowd” of “other sheep” will not need to die but will pass from this old system to a new system of things, in which they can live forever. To make this hope fully your own, accept a Bible study with one of Jehovah’s witnesses.—John 10:16; Matt. 24:14.

by Darkjedi 2008-03-08, 04:31

What does Jesus mean to you guys?

We believe that Jesus is the son of God, and the savior of mankind. (Through the ransom sacrifice. If you don't know what that is, it is explained below.)
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Another excerpt from one of our publications.
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A Corresponding Ransom for All

“The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.”—MATTHEW 20:28.

THE ransom is God’s greatest gift to mankind. By means of “the release by ransom,” we can have “the forgiveness of our trespasses.” (Ephesians 1:7) It is the foundation of a hope of everlasting life, whether in heaven or on a paradise earth. (Luke 23:43; John 3:16) And because of it, Christians may enjoy a clean standing before God even now.—Revelation 7:14, 15.

2 The ransom is therefore not something vague or abstract. Having a legal foundation in divine principles, the ransom can bring real, tangible benefits. Certain aspects of this doctrine may be “hard to understand.” (2 Peter 3:16) But you will find it well worth the effort to examine the ransom closely, for it reflects God’s surpassing love for mankind. To grasp the meaning of the ransom is to understand a key feature of God’s unfathomable “riches and wisdom and knowledge.”—Romans 5:8; 11:33.

Issues to Be Settled

3 The ransom became necessary due to the sin of the first human, Adam, who bequeathed his offspring a futile legacy of sickness, disease, sorrow, and pain. (Romans 8:20) By virtue of their inherited imperfection, all of Adam’s descendants are “children of wrath,” deserving of death. (Ephesians 2:3; Deuteronomy 32:5) God could not yield to unprincipled sentiment and simply forgive mankind out of hand. His own Word shows that “the wages sin pays is death.” (Romans 6:23) To excuse mankind’s sinfulness, God would have had to ignore his own righteous standards, to invalidate his own legal justice! (Job 40:8) Yet, “righteousness and judgment are the established place of [God’s] throne.” (Psalm 89:14) Any deflection from righteousness on his part would only encourage lawlessness and undermine his position as Universal Sovereign.—Compare Ecclesiastes 8:11.

4 God also had to settle other issues raised by Satan’s rebellion, issues of far greater significance than the human predicament. Satan cast a dark shadow across God’s good name by accusing Jehovah of being a liar and a cruel dictator who deprived his creatures of knowledge and freedom. (Genesis 3:1-5) Furthermore, by seemingly thwarting God’s purpose to fill the earth with righteous humans, Satan made God appear to be a failure. (Genesis 1:28; Isaiah 55:10, 11) Satan also emboldened himself to slander God’s loyal servants, charging that they served Him only out of selfish motives. If placed under pressure, boasted Satan, none of them would remain loyal to God!—Job 1:9-11.

5 These challenges could not be ignored. If they were left unanswered, confidence in and support for God’s rulership would finally be eroded. (Proverbs 14:28) If law and order deteriorated, would havoc not reign throughout the universe? God thus owed it to himself and to his righteous ways to vindicate his sovereignty. He owed it to his faithful servants to allow them to demonstrate their unbreakable loyalty to him. This meant dealing with the plight of sinful humanity in a way that gave precedence to the paramount issues. He later told Israel: “I—I am the One that is wiping out your transgressions for my own sake.”—Isaiah 43:25.

Ransom: A Covering

6 At Psalm 92:5, we read: “How great your works are, O Jehovah! Very deep your thoughts are.” It therefore requires effort for us to comprehend what God did for mankind. (Compare Psalm 36:5, 6.) Happily, the Bible helps us understand matters by using a number of terms that describe or illustrate God’s grand works from a variety of viewpoints. The Bible speaks of the ransom in terms of a purchase, a reconciliation, a propitiation, a redemption, and an atonement. (Psalm 49:8; Daniel 9:24; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 2:17) But perhaps the expression that best describes matters was the one used by Jesus himself at Matthew 20:28: “The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom [Greek, ly′tron] in exchange for many.”

7 What is a ransom? The Greek word ly′tron comes from a verb meaning “to loose.” It was used to describe money paid in exchange for the releasing of prisoners of war. In the Hebrew Scriptures, however, the word for ransom, ko′pher, comes from a verb meaning to “cover” or “overlay.” For example, God told Noah to cover (ka·phar′) the ark with tar. (Genesis 6:14) From this viewpoint, then, to ransom, or to atone for sins, means to cover sins.—Psalm 65:3.

8 The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament notes that ko′pher “always denotes an equivalent,” or correspondency. Thus, the cover (kap·po′reth) of the ark of the covenant corresponded in shape to the ark itself. Likewise, in atoning for sin, or ransoming, divine justice demands ‘soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ (Deuteronomy 19:21) At times, though, justice can be satisfied if an equivalent is offered in lieu of strict punishment. To illustrate: Exodus 21:28-32 speaks of a bull that gores a person to death. If the owner knew of the bull’s disposition but did not take proper precautions, he could be made to cover, or pay, for the life of the slain one with his own! Yet, what if the owner was only partially responsible? He would need a ko′pher, something to cover his error. Appointed judges could impose upon him a ransom, or fine, as a redemption price.

9 Another Hebrew term related to “ransoming” is pa·dhah′, a verb that basically means to “redeem.” Numbers 3:39-51 illustrates how exact the price of redemption was to be. Having rescued the Israelite firstborn from execution at Passover 1513 B.C.E., God owned them. He could thus have required every Israelite firstborn son to serve him in the temple. Instead, God accepted a “redemption price” (pidh·yohm′, a noun derived from pa·dhah′), decreeing: “Take the Levites for me . . . in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.” But the substitution had to be exact. A census of the tribe of Levi was taken: 22,000 males. Next, a census of all Israelite firstborn: 22,273 males. Only by the paying of a “ransom price” of five shekels for each individual could the 273 excess firstborn be redeemed, excused from temple service.

A Corresponding Ransom

10 The foregoing illustrates that a ransom must be the equivalent of that for which it substitutes, or covers. The animal sacrifices that men of faith from Abel onward offered up could not really cover men’s sins, since humans are superior to brute beasts. (Psalm 8:4-8) Paul could thus write that “it is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away.” Such sacrifices could serve simply as a pictorial, or symbolic, covering in anticipation of the ransom that was to come.—Hebrews 10:1-4.

11 This foreshadowed ransom had to be the exact equivalent of Adam, since the death penalty that God justly applied to Adam resulted in the condemnation of the human race. “In Adam all are dying,” says 1 Corinthians 15:22. So it was not necessary for thousands of millions of individual humans to die sacrificial deaths to correspond to each individual of Adam’s progeny. “Through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world and death through sin.” (Romans 5:12) And “since death is through a man,” redemption of mankind could also come “through a man.”—1 Corinthians 15:21.

12 The man who could be the ransom had to be a perfect human of flesh and blood—the exact equal of Adam. (Romans 5:14) A spirit creature or a “God-man” would not balance the scales of justice. Only a perfect human, someone not under the Adamic death sentence, could offer “a corresponding ransom,” one corresponding perfectly to Adam. (1 Timothy 2:6) By voluntarily sacrificing his life, this “last Adam” could pay the wage for the sin of the “first man Adam.”—1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 6:23.

13 Neither Adam nor Eve, however, benefit from the ransom. The Mosaic Law contained this principle: “You must take no ransom for the soul of a murderer who is deserving to die.” (Numbers 35:31) Adam was not deceived, so his sin was willful, deliberate. (1 Timothy 2:14) It amounted to the murder of his offspring, for they now inherited his imperfection, thus coming under sentence of death. Clearly, Adam deserved to die, for as a perfect man, he had willfully chosen to disobey God’s law. It would have been contrary to Jehovah’s righteous principles for him to apply the ransom in Adam’s behalf. Paying the wage for Adam’s sin, however, does provide for the nullifying of the death sentence upon Adam’s offspring! (Romans 5:16) In a legal sense, the destructive power of sin is cut off right at its source. The ransomer ‘tastes death for every man,’ bearing the consequences of sin for all of Adam’s children.—Hebrews 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.

14 To illustrate: Imagine a large factory with hundreds of employees. A dishonest factory manager bankrupts the business; the factory closes its doors. Hundreds are now out of work and unable to pay their bills. Their marriage mates, children, and, yes, creditors all suffer because of that one man’s corruption! Then along comes a wealthy benefactor who pays off the company’s debt and reopens the factory. The cancellation of that one debt, in turn, brings full relief to the many employees, their families, and the creditors. But does the original manager get to share in the new prosperity? No, he is in prison and thus permanently out of his job! Similarly, the cancellation of Adam’s one debt brings benefits to millions of his descendants—but not to Adam.

Who Provides the Ransom?

15 The psalmist lamented: “Not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; (and the redemption price of their soul is so precious that it has ceased to time indefinite).” The New English Bible says that the ransom price was “for ever beyond his power to pay.” (Psalm 49:7, 8) Who, then, would provide the ransom? Only Jehovah could provide the perfect “Lamb . . . that takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) God did not send some angel to rescue mankind. He made the supreme sacrifice of sending his only-begotten Son, “the one he was specially fond of.”—Proverbs 8:30; John 3:16.

16 By his willing participation in the divine arrangement, God’s Son “emptied himself” of his heavenly nature. (Philippians 2:7) Jehovah transferred the life-force and the personality pattern of his firstborn heavenly Son to the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary. Holy spirit then ‘overshadowed her,’ guaranteeing that the child growing in her womb would be holy, absolutely free of sin. (Luke 1:35; 1 Peter 2:22) As a man, he would be called Jesus. But in a legal sense, he could be called ‘the second Adam,’ for he corresponded perfectly to Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47) Jesus could thus offer himself up in sacrifice as “an unblemished and spotless lamb,” a ransom for sinful mankind.—1 Peter 1:18, 19.

17 To whom, though, would that ransom be paid? For centuries Christendom’s theologians argued that it was paid to Satan the Devil. The fact is that mankind has been “sold under” sin and thus has come under the control of Satan. (Romans 7:14; 1 John 5:19) Still, Jehovah, not Satan, “exacts punishment” for wrongdoing. (1 Thessalonians 4:6) Therefore, as Psalm 49:7 explicitly states, the ransom is to be paid “to God.” Jehovah makes the ransom available, but after the Lamb of God has been sacrificed, the value of his ransom must be paid to God. (Compare Genesis 22:7, 8, 11-13; Hebrews 11:17.) This does not reduce the ransom to a pointless, mechanical exchange, as if money were taken out of one pocket and put in another. The ransom involves not so much a physical exchange as a legal transaction. By insisting that a ransom be paid—even at great cost to himself—Jehovah affirmed his unwavering adherence to righteous principles.—James 1:17.

“It Has Been Accomplished!”

18 In the spring of 33 C.E., it was time for the ransom to be paid. Jesus Christ was arrested on false charges, judged guilty, and nailed to a stake of execution. He petitioned God with “strong outcries and tears” because of the intense pain and the humiliation involved. (Hebrews 5:7) Was it necessary for Jesus to suffer so? Yes, for by remaining “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners,” right down to the end, Jesus settled with dramatic finality the issue of the integrity of God’s servants.—Hebrews 7:26.

19 Christ’s sufferings also served to perfect him for his role as High Priest for mankind. As such, he would not be some cold, detached bureaucrat. “For in that he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test.” (Hebrews 2:10, 18; 4:15) With his dying breath, Jesus could cry out in triumph, “It has been accomplished!” (John 19:30) Not only had he proved his own integrity but he had succeeded in laying the basis for the salvation of mankind—and more important, the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty!

20 In what manner, though, would the ransom actually be applied to sinful mankind? When? How? These matters were not left to chance. On the third day after Christ’s death, Jehovah raised him from the dead. (Acts 3:15; 10:40) By this momentous act, a fact verified by hundreds of eyewitnesses, Jehovah not only rewarded his Son’s faithful service but gave him opportunity to finish his redemptive work.—Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.

21 Jesus was “made alive in the spirit,” his earthly remains disposed of in some undisclosed manner. (1 Peter 3:18; Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27) As a spirit creature, the resurrected Jesus could now make a triumphant return to heaven. What unbridled jubilation there must have been in heaven on that occasion! (Compare Job 38:7.) Jesus did not return simply to enjoy his welcome. He came to perform other work, including that of making it possible for the whole human race to benefit from his ransom. (Compare John 5:17, 20, 21.) Just how he accomplished this and what it means for mankind will be discussed in the next article.

[Footnotes]

The Greek word here used, an·ti′ly·tron, appears nowhere else in the Bible. It is related to the word that Jesus used for ransom (ly′tron) at Mark 10:45. However, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology points out that an·ti′ly·tron ‘accentuates the notion of exchange.’ Appropriately, the New World Translation renders it “corresponding ransom.”
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Another note: If you have any more questions regarding our hope to live on the earth, in paradise, please ask.
Wow, you read alot! Good job! :study:

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