15 Dec 14
2 edits
Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester Thread 161995 (Page 2)
Before discussing the italicized question above, let's establish a representative viewpoint profile of the beliefs regarding eternity of current contributors to this forum: 1) Is the concept of eternity plausible? 2) If so, does eternity encapsulate human history? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?
15 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby1) yes
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
2) not in my opinion; eternity is not the extension of time, it is the absence of time. Therefore eternity is both before and after the events we experience here and now.
3) I don't know.
15 Dec 14
Originally posted by divegeesterBecause of point 2) if correct, then the eternal suffering in burning hell is going on now, has always gone on and always will.
1) yes
2) not in my opinion; eternity is not the extension of time, it is the absence of time. Therefore eternity is both before and after the events we experience here and now.
3) I don't know.
Just a side thought, not meant to disrupt your thread.
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15 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobbywhich meaning of the word 'eternity' are we using?
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
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15 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby"Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -- Divegeester
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
To deem those questions important, presupposes that there are certain kinds of answers. But the actual answers to those questions, if any, might make the questions relatively unimportant to ask. For example, consider "Eternity is part of a reward/punishment construct designed to motivate conformity with rules."
16 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby1) (1 Timothy 1:17) Now to the King of eternity, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
(2 Peter 3:18) No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
(Jude 25) to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority for all past eternity and now and into all eternity. Amen.
(Revelation 15:3) They were singing the song of Moses the slave of God and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity.
According to God's inspired word Eternity already exists. Do you ask because you have doubts?
16 Dec 14
Originally posted by roigamThe word "already" indicates a point along time. I.e. I have "already" done that...
According to God's inspired word Eternity already exists.
Eternity is the absence of time, therefore it is without beginning or end and therefore cannot be time bound. Whatever is in eternity has always been there and always will be there.
16 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyJust imagine the universe as an infinite net that stretches out indefinitely in all directions; imagine a single glittering diamond at every node of the net and picture all these diamonds, infinite in number, each one of them glittering. Now select one of those countless diamonds and inspect it closely during your meditation: see, with your own mind, that on its surface there are reflected all the other diamonds of the net, infinite in number. Each one diamond that is reflected in that one diamond you selected, it is also reflecting all the other diamonds, so that the process of reflection is infinite.
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
Refocus your meditation and, instead of the above mentioned net, see with your mind the universe as an infinite chessboard. Each square is a specific HereNow. Now choose a specific square and put on it the specific HereNow of yours. From this square you can look back and revive, square by square, the memories of your life, and also you can look ahead of you and choose a specific square next to your current one, which will be your next Herenow; the former square is your “Past” whilst the current is your “HereNow” and the one that you will pick up next to your “HereNow” square is your “Future”, clear. Looking back behind the horizon, and looking ahead beyond the horizon, is a process that comes from your sub-conscious: As regards these two horizons, your awareness provides merely the shadows of things that might be, and not the things that were/ are actually existent.
Refocus again during your meditation and turn each square of the chessboard into a polygon with countless sides. Then come up with a complex that stretches out indefinitely in all directions; the interconnectivity of the whole universe is now evident.
Now turn the whole complex of polygons into an infinite net of diamonds that stretches out indefinitely in all directions. Use your conceptual and non-conceptual awareness so that you can understand on your own beyond any doubt that each HereNow of yours is deeply impermanent. Eternity is merely an idea projected by your own mind. Timelessness is empty of inherent existence too. All phenomena are merely phenomena-in-flux and Time is a delusion that must be taken seriously (because we are using this concept, this idea of ours, in order to measure accurately the succession of the events during the constant change of the differ phenomena-in-flux that we are monitoring)
So:
1) No
2) No
3) No
😵
16 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby1) "Is the concept of eternity plausible?"
[b]Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threa ...[text shortened]... istory? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?[/b]
The concept is conceivable. What eternity is experientially is unknown to man, at least to none living in time.
2) "If so, does eternity encapsulate human history?"
History indicates time as a record of events from the past to the present. Time exists within the material universe, which appears to exist independent of eternity. That's my best answer.
[b]3) "Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed?"
According to God, yes.
16 Dec 14
Originally posted by black beetleWhat is time, if not a succession of events?
Just imagine the universe as an infinite net that stretches out indefinitely in all directions; imagine a single glittering diamond at every node of the net and picture all these diamonds, infinite in number, each one of them glittering. Now select one of those countless diamonds and inspect it closely during your meditation: see, with your own mind, th ...[text shortened]... ange of the differ phenomena-in-flux that we are monitoring)
So:
1) No
2) No
3) No
😵
17 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby"Before discussing the italicized question above, let's establish a representative viewpoint profile of the beliefs regarding eternity of current contributors to this forum: 1) Is the concept of eternity plausible? 2) If so, does eternity encapsulate human history? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?" (OP)
Eternity
This thread has been prompted by the recent summary statement: "Supposing such a thing as eternity exists, and supposing we are all to end up there one way or another, then I would say the question of what that eternity consists of and why are the most fundamentally profound questions a human being can ask." -divegeester [threadid ...[text shortened]... an history? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?
Originally posted by divegeester
1) yes
2) not in my opinion; eternity is not the extension of time, it is the absence of time. Therefore eternity is both before and after the events we experience here and now.
3) I don't know."
____________________
Originally posted by kiki46
"Yes, yes, yes. All are absolutes."
____________________
Originally posted by black beetle
"So:
1) No
2) No
3) No"
____________________
Originally posted by josephw
1) "Is the concept of eternity plausible?"
The concept is conceivable. What eternity is experientially is unknown to man, at least to none living in time.
2) "If so, does eternity encapsulate human history?"
History indicates time as a record of events from the past to the present. Time exists within the material universe, which appears to exist independent of eternity. That's my best answer.
3) "Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed?"
According to God, yes."
___________________
An unhesitating "Yes" to each of the three questions on the basis of the authority of the Word of God.
____________________
stellspalfie; JS357; roigam; Soothfast; Duchess64; other "current contributors to this forum":
1. Yes? No?
2. Yes? No?
3. Yes? No?
17 Dec 14
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyOriginally posted by Grampy Bobby
"Before discussing the italicized question above, let's establish a representative viewpoint profile of the beliefs regarding eternity of current contributors to this forum: 1) Is the concept of eternity plausible? 2) If so, does eternity encapsulate human history? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your ...[text shortened]... hess64; other "current contributors to this forum":
1. Yes? No?
2. Yes? No?
3. Yes? No?
"Before discussing the italicized question above, let's establish a representative viewpoint profile of the beliefs regarding eternity of current contributors to this forum: 1) Is the concept of eternity plausible? 2) If so, does eternity encapsulate human history? 3) Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed? Your views?" (OP)
Originally posted by divegeester
1) yes
2) not in my opinion; eternity is not the extension of time, it is the absence of time. Therefore eternity is both before and after the events we experience here and now.
3) I don't know."
____________________
Originally posted by kiki46
"Yes, yes, yes. All are absolutes."
____________________
Originally posted by black beetle
"So:
1) No
2) No
3) No"
____________________
Originally posted by josephw
1) "Is the concept of eternity plausible?"
The concept is conceivable. What eternity is experientially is unknown to man, at least to none living in time.
2) "If so, does eternity encapsulate human history?"
History indicates time as a record of events from the past to the present. Time exists within the material universe, which appears to exist independent of eternity. That's my best answer.
3) "Has an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable God always existed?"
According to God, yes."
___________________
An unhesitating "Yes" to each of the three questions on the basis of the authority of the Word of God.
____________________
stellspalfie; JS357; roigam; Soothfast; Duchess64; other "current contributors to this forum":
1. Yes? No?
2. Yes? No?
3. Yes? No?
Or whatever?