Adam and Eve questions .

[Kat]

Hi Arcturus,

What is important is now. Maybe yesterday and tomorrow are male and female and maybe the tree of good and evil is also there to show the contrasts so we can grow into HIS image. When the contrasts are no longer there, then the scafolding comes down off the building God is making.

I do remember Ray speaks about this evil experience now, to be like the ugly scaffolding of a building that will be removed when we are complete.

Here it is in the second letter to Kennedy.

http://bible-truths.com/kennedy2.htm -------------------------------------------------

How much more comforting it is to believe the Scriptures. God created evil and uses it for a good purpose. Evil's existence is only temporary (like the scaffolding on a new building). When the building is completed, the ugly scaffolding is removed-it serves no further function to the finished building. Only a knowledge of evil, not evil itself, has eternal value. How awful to think that God did not foresee the coming of evil, can't justify its existence, can't dispose of it, can't save most of humanity because of it. There is no justification for, nor redeeming value in, eternal torture. None.

God is Wise. God wants Sons who will know both "good and evil." God's "end" more than justifies His "means." As Paul said:

"For the momentary lightness of our affliction is producing for us a transcendently transcendent eonian burden of glory ... " (II Cor. 4:17). Concordant Literal New Testament.
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This is taken from the Lake of Fire article #1.

http://bible-truths.com/lake1.html --------------------------------------------------------------

Jesus said that the words that he spoke were SPIRIT (John 6:63). Jesus Christ changes not. His words are STILL spirit and they certainly were spirit when John wrote the words of Christ regarding His unveiling or revelation. Just as we physically feed on physical bread for PHYSICAL LIFE, thus also we spiritually feed on Jesus Christ's spiritual body for SPIRITUAL LIFE.

Symbols, metaphors, and parables ARE NEVER LITERALLY TRUE! But they powerfully demonstrate SPIRITUAL TRUTHS!

We will begin with FIGURES OF LIKENESS which include:
~similes (when something is like, or as something else, it is a simile rather than a metaphor)
~metaphors (where one thing is said to actually be something else) as in, "all life is grass" I Pet.  1:24.
  Therefore, the subject of this paper IS a metaphor and CANNOT be literal: John says, "...the lake of fire,
  This IS the second death" (Rev. 20:14), and "...the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
   which IS the second death" (Rev. 21:08)
~implications
~parables (there are many, the shortest one being, "Physician, heal Thyself" Luke 4:23)
~allegories (as in the two women standing for two covenants, Gal. 4:22-28)
~visions (as in a sheet let down from heaven, Acts 10:11-16)
~signs (as in the sign of Jonah the prophet, Matt. 12:39)
~types (as in Adam corresponding with Christ, Rom. 5:12-21)
~shadows (as in the law being a shadow of good things to come, Heb. 10:1)
~examples (as in the tabernacle vessels being examples of what is in heaven , Heb. 9:23)
~images (as Christ is the image of God, Col. 1:15)
~impersonations or personifications (where things are spoken of as persons)
~condescension's (as where God takes on human attributes)
~diminutives (as in "little women, heaped with sins" II Tim. 3:6)
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Saying God is both male and female is by no means a total description of Him .  It is just one more way He is described in 'physical terms' to help us to get a better understanding.  I think that saying He is male and female is showing that God is not limited to the attributes of a man, since He is referred to as He and Him and Christ was a man while on earth.  But I would not think of Him as limited to this gender thing, as we know He is so much more than that.

mercy, peace, and love
Kat

[Deborah-Leigh]

Kat

Thank you for helping out so much!

Those references are very useful especially the portion you posted from LOF. It just makes me realise that after reading and understanding and agreeing with what Ray reveals, I can still forget and then have the joy returned through re-discovery in the forum when excerpts are posted to bring the sparkle back and meanings into tangible meaning through our discussions and support of one another!

Skydreamers I read this translation from the Message this morning and it really does give another insight.

Gal 3 : 26 -28 In Christ's family THERE  CAN BE NO DIVISION into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

This interpretation put another spin on our view of the meaning in this scripture for me. ....We know that Jesus had favourites but his favourites did not rate themselves superior and neither did Jesus rank Himself as above us but came to serve not to be served.

Peace to you

Arcturus

[iris]

This has been a very interesting thread.
Thank you, everyone, for sharing.


Iris