(Biblical) Eternal Punishment vs Annihilation: What's your opinion?

originally posted by: Deetermined
If the Bible says that man only dies once...

This is another tragic lie of the Church. Good thing you see through it. 'Die once' and 'Second Death' are a contradiction of course.

Let us look at the actual verse....

Hebrews 9:27
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

All the verse is staying is that for every death, there must be a Judgement. That is all.

Sadly, Christians are so brainwashed they think the verse says 'Everyone has to die and it is only one time'. Such rubbish!

If that is the case then...

Say goodbye to the Rapture... lol.

May as well erase all of the 'Second Death' verses.

Don't forget to erase all of the verses of those who died and came back to life again, only to die at a later time.

Oh, and of course erase all of the verses about Enoch and Elijah who never died... lol.

Christians need to quit trying to use Hebrews 9:27 to debunk Reincarnation. Seriously. Stop the lies already.

a reply to: UncleMikey

Christianity is written in a format that doesn't directly threaten the ego-self. If your logic questions that core belief then barriers within the ego-self will emerge to protect its own percieved immortality against any logic. But seeds take time to germinate. So you never know if you wasting your time or not.

Thanks glend.

I will post some more just in case it helps.

For those interested in how Tophet is another word for Hestia and Vesta, here is a lead for you...



BTW, this information is very difficult to come by. It took me a while to put all of this together.

Here is a direct link to the book...

archive.org...

Vesta is the Roman equivalent to Hestia.

Hestia is the sister of Hades. There is another Biblical connection for you. Hades is used several times in the Bible...

Luke 16:23 (New International Version)
"In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side."

The Perpetual Flames of Hestia/Vesta is what is everlasting... NOT the torments. Note that 'for ever and ever' does not mean infinity, but rather 'age after age' or 'incarnation after incarnation'.

The Eternal Flame was in the Temple Altar...

Leviticus 6:13
"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out."

Douay-Rheims Bible
"This is the perpetual fire which shall never go out on the altar."

The Altar is another picture of the Lake of Fire and the Flames of Vesta...

What does the Bible say the penalty for sin is?

Rom. 6:23: “For the wages sin pays is death.”

Does the Bible indicate whether the dead experience pain?

Eccl. 9:5, 10: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all . . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol,* the place to which you are going.” (If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.) (*“Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB; “the grave,” KJ, Kx; “hell,” Dy; “the world of the dead,” TEV.)

Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts* do perish.” (*“Thoughts,” KJ, 145:4 in Dy; “schemes,” JB; “plans,” RS, TEV.)

After one’s death, is he still subject to further punishment for his sins?

Rom. 6:7: “For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin.”

The word “hell” is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read “the grave,” “the world of the dead,” and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered “hell”; that is, they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated. What are those words? The Hebrew she’ohlʹ and its Greek equivalent haiʹdes, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead mankind; also the Greek geʹen·na, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction. However, both in Christendom and in many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place inhabited by demons and where the wicked, after death, are punished (and some believe that this is with torment). However, this is not what the Bible teaches, it traces its roots back to Pagan philosophy and is connected to (build upon) another Pagan philosophy and teaching that the soul survives the death of the physical body.

Does the Bible indicate that the soul survives the death of the body?

Ezek. 18:4: “The soul* that is sinning—it itself will die.” (*“Soul,” KJ, Dy, RS, NE, Kx; “the man,” JB; “the person,” TEV.)

“The concept of ‘soul,’ meaning a purely spiritual, immaterial reality, separate from the ‘body,’ . . . does not exist in the Bible.”—La Parole de Dieu (Paris, 1960), Georges Auzou, professor of Sacred Scripture, Rouen Seminary, France, p. 128.

“Although the Hebrew word nefesh [in the Hebrew Scriptures] is frequently translated as ‘soul,’ it would be inaccurate to read into it a Greek meaning. Nefesh . . . is never conceived of as operating separately from the body. In the New Testament the Greek word psyche is often translated as ‘soul’ but again should not be readily understood to have the meaning the word had for the Greek philosophers. It usually means ‘life,’ or ‘vitality,’ or, at times, ‘the self.’”—The Encyclopedia Americana (1977), Vol. 25, p. 236.

What sort of people go to the Bible hell?

Does the Bible say that the wicked go to hell?

Ps. 9:17, KJ: “The wicked shall be turned into hell,* and all the nations that forget God.” (*“Hell,” 9:18 in Dy; “death,” TEV; “the place of death,” Kx; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)

Does the Bible also say that upright people go to hell?

Job 14:13, Dy: “[Job prayed:] Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell,* and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?” (God himself said that Job was “a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad.”—Job 1:8.) (*“The grave,” KJ; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.) Did you notice that? At Ps 9:17 the KJ renders she’ohlʹ as “hell”, but then at Job 14:13, when it's not convenient to render it as “hell” because of the theology the translators wanted to push, they were honest that it actually means “The grave”; they knew... (they're just hoping that you as a reader won't check what they're up to, using different renderings for the same Hebrew word as needed for their theology; but they missed one, see below).

Acts 2:25-27, KJ: “David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,* neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (The fact that God did not “leave” Jesus in hell implies that Jesus was in hell, or Hades, at least for a time, does it not?) (*“Hell,” Dy; “death,” NE; “the place of death,” Kx; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Hades,” AS, RS, JB, NW.)

Does anyone ever get out of the Bible hell?

Rev. 20:13, 14, KJ: “The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell* delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” (So the dead will be delivered from hell. Notice also that hell is not the same as the lake of fire but will be cast into the lake of fire.) (*“Hell,” Dy, Kx; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Hades,” NE, AS, RS, JB, NW.)

Why is there confusion as to what the Bible says about hell?

“Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this confusion and misconception.”—The Encyclopedia Americana (1942), Vol. XIV, p. 81.

Translators have allowed their personal beliefs to color their work instead of being consistent in their rendering of the original-language words. For example: (1) The King James Version rendered she’ohlʹ as “hell,” “the grave,” and “the pit”; haiʹdes is therein rendered both “hell” and “grave”; geʹen·na is also translated “hell.” (2) Today’s English Version transliterates haiʹdes as “Hades” and also renders it as “hell” and “the world of the dead.” But besides rendering “hell” from haiʹdes it uses that same translation for geʹen·na. (3) The Jerusalem Bible transliterates haiʹdes six times, but in other passages it translates it as “hell” and as “the underworld.” It also translates geʹen·na as “hell,” as it does haiʹdes in two instances. Thus the exact meanings of the original-language words have been obscured.

Is there eternal punishment for the wicked?

[see next comment]

Is there eternal punishment for the wicked?

Matt. 25:46, KJ: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment [“lopping off,” Int; Greek, koʹla·sin]: but the righteous into life eternal.” (The Emphatic Diaglott reads “cutting-off” instead of “punishment.” A footnote states: “Kolasin . . . is derived from kolazoo, which signifies, 1. To cut off; as lopping off branches of trees, to prune. 2. To restrain, to repress. . . . 3. To chastise, to punish. To cut off an individual from life, or society, or even to restrain, is esteemed as punishment;—hence has arisen this third metaphorical use of the word. The primary signification has been adopted, because it agrees better with the second member of the sentence, thus preserving the force and beauty of the antithesis. The righteous go to life, the wicked to the cutting off from life, or death. See 2 Thess. 1.9.”)

2 Thess. 1:9, RS: “They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction* and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” (*“Eternal ruin,” NAB, NE; “lost eternally,” JB; “condemn them to eternal punishment,” Kx; “eternal punishment in destruction,” Dy.)

Jude 7, KJ: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (The fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ceased burning thousands of years ago. But the effect of that fire has been lasting; the cities have not been rebuilt. God’s judgment, however, was against not merely those cities but also their wicked inhabitants. What happened to them is a warning example. At Luke 17:29, Jesus says that they were “destroyed”; Jude 7 shows that the destruction was eternal.)

What is the meaning of the ‘eternal torment’ referred to in Revelation?

Rev. 14:9-11; 20:10, KJ: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment [Greek, basa·ni·smouʹ] ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

What is the ‘torment’ to which these texts refer? It is noteworthy that at Revelation 11:10 (KJ) reference is made to ‘prophets that torment those dwelling on the earth.’ Such torment results from humiliating exposure by the messages that these prophets proclaim. At Revelation 14:9-11 (KJ) worshipers of the symbolic “beast and his image” are said to be “tormented with fire and brimstone.” This cannot refer to conscious torment after death because “the dead know not any thing.” (Eccl. 9:5, KJ) Then, what causes them to experience such torment while they are still alive? It is the proclamation by God’s servants that worshipers of the “beast and his image” will experience second death, which is represented by “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” The smoke, associated with their fiery destruction, ascends forever because the destruction will be eternal and will never be forgotten. When Revelation 20:10 says that the Devil is to experience ‘torment forever and ever’ in “the lake of fire and brimstone,” what does that mean? Revelation 21:8 (KJ) says clearly that “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” means “the second death.” So the Devil’s being “tormented” there forever means that there will be no relief for him; he will be held under restraint forever, actually in eternal death. This use of the word “torment” (from the Greek baʹsa·nos) reminds one of its use at Matthew 18:34, where the same basic Greek word is applied to a ‘jailer.’—RS, AT, ED, NW.

What is the ‘fiery Gehenna’ to which Jesus referred?

Reference to Gehenna appears 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Five times it is directly associated with fire. Translators have rendered the Greek expression geʹen·nan tou py·rosʹ as “hell fire” (KJ, Dy), “fires of hell” (NE), “fiery pit” (AT), and “fires of Gehenna” (NAB).

Historical background: The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) was outside the walls of Jerusalem. For a time it was the site of idolatrous worship, including child sacrifice. In the first century Gehenna was being used as the incinerator for the filth of Jerusalem. Bodies of dead animals were thrown into the valley to be consumed in the fires, to which sulfur, or brimstone, was added to assist the burning. Also bodies of executed criminals, who were considered undeserving of burial in a memorial tomb, were thrown into Gehenna. Thus, at Matthew 5:29, 30, Jesus spoke of the casting of one’s “whole body” into Gehenna. If the body fell into the constantly burning fire it was consumed, but if it landed on a ledge of the deep ravine its putrefying flesh became infested with the ever-present worms, or maggots. (Mark 9:47, 48) Living humans were not pitched into Gehenna; so it was not a place of conscious torment.

At Matthew 10:28, Jesus warned his hearers to “be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” What does it mean? Notice that there is no mention here of torment in the fires of Gehenna; rather, he says to ‘fear him that can destroy in Gehenna.’ By referring to the “soul” separately, Jesus here emphasizes that God can destroy all of a person’s life prospects; thus there is no hope of resurrection for him. So, the references to the ‘fiery Gehenna’ have the same meaning as ‘the lake of fire’ of Revelation 21:8, namely, destruction, “second death.”

Is eternal torment of the wicked compatible with God’s personality?

Jer. 7:31: “They [apostate Judeans] have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart.” (If it never came into God’s heart, surely he does not have and use such a thing on a larger scale.)

Illustration: What would you think of a parent who held his child’s hand over a fire to punish the child for wrongdoing? “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Would he do what no right-minded human parent would do? Certainly not!

By what Jesus said about the rich man and Lazarus, did Jesus teach torment of the wicked after death?

Is the account, at Luke 16:19-31, literal or merely an illustration of something else? The Jerusalem Bible, in a footnote, acknowledges that it is a “parable in story form without reference to any historical personage.” If taken literally, it would mean that those enjoying divine favor could all fit at the bosom of one man, Abraham; that the water on one’s fingertip would not be evaporated by the fire of Hades; that a mere drop of water would bring relief to one suffering there. Does that sound reasonable to you? If it were literal, it would conflict with other parts of the Bible. If the Bible were thus contradictory, would a lover of truth use it as a basis for his faith? But the Bible does not contradict itself.

What does the parable mean? The “rich man” represented the Pharisees. (See verse 14.) The beggar Lazarus represented the common Jewish people who were despised by the Pharisees but who repented and became followers of Jesus. (See Luke 18:11; John 7:49; Matthew 21:31, 32.) Their deaths were also symbolic, representing a change in circumstances. Thus, the formerly despised ones came into a position of divine favor, and the formerly seemingly favored ones were rejected by God, while being tormented by the judgment messages delivered by the ones whom they had despised.—Acts 5:33; 7:54.

What is the origin of the teaching of hellfire?

In ancient Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs the “nether world . . . is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness.” (The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, Boston, 1898, Morris Jastrow, Jr., p. 581) Early evidence of the fiery aspect of Christendom’s hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt. (The Book of the Dead, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1960, with introduction by E. A. Wallis Budge, pp. 144, 149, 151, 153, 161) Buddhism, which dates back to the 6th century B.C.E., in time came to feature both hot and cold hells. (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1977, Vol. 14, p. 68) Depictions of hell portrayed in Catholic churches in Italy have been traced to Etruscan roots.—La civiltà etrusca (Milan, 1979), Werner Keller, p. 389.

But the real roots of this God-dishonoring doctrine go much deeper. The fiendish concepts associated with a hell of torment slander God and originate with the chief slanderer of God (the Devil, which name means “Slanderer”), the one whom Jesus Christ called “the father of the lie.”—John 8:44.

More info:

Myth 1: The Soul Is Immortal (One Myth Leads to Another)
Myth 2: The Wicked Suffer in Hell

In context (playlist):

What the h*ll is HELL anyway? Are you going there?

But I already know many here won't “put up with” that information or those Biblical teachings cause it's not what they want to hear.

“For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome* [Or “healthful; beneficial.”] teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled.* [Or “to tell them what they want to hear.”] They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.*” (2 Timothy 4:3,4; *“false stories,” KJ; “myths”; remember the articles at the end of my previous comment? The commentary in this thread are good demonstrations of the endresult of this phenomenon, some of the descriptions below and the scriptures quoted near the end of this comment.)

“So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes.” (Ephesians 4:14)

“Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;" “We have much to say about him, and it is difficult to explain, because you have become dull in your hearing. For although by now* [Lit., “in view of the time.”] you should be teachers, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a young child. But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment* [Or “their perceptive powers.”] trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (Col 2:8; Hebrews 5:11-14)

Compare the bolded part above with what was said about Pagan philosophy in my first comment and the section under “What is the origin of the teaching of hellfire?” of my previous comment.

One Myth Leads to Another

“LOOK out,” wrote the apostle Paul to Christians living in the latter half of the first century C.E. What was he warning against? “Perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.”​—Colossians 2:8.

Despite Paul’s warning, from the middle of the second century C.E., some Christians began using concepts borrowed from ancient philosophers in order to explain their beliefs. Why? They wanted to be accepted by the educated people of the Roman Empire and thus make more converts.

Justin Martyr, one of the most famous of these Christians, believed that God’s Spokesman had manifested himself to Greek philosophers long before the arrival of Jesus. According to Justin and like-minded teachers, the contribution of philosophy and mythology to Christianity made this form of religion truly universal.

Justin Martyr’s form of Christianity became very successful in gaining converts. However, the adoption of one myth led to the creation of others and produced what is now commonly believed to be Christian doctrine. To expose these myths, compare what the following reference works say with what the Bible actually teaches.

For subsequent pages in that article series, see end of previous comment.

Coming back to the first sentence of this comment (please read again first). Instead, they'll do what's described in the first minute of the video below (specifically just before 0:50, but please don't skip the introduction if you're going to watch at all):

In context again (playlist):

"and the Word was a god"

2 Peter 3:16,17:

speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. However, some things in them are hard to understand, and these things the ignorant* [Or “untaught.”] and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard so that you may not be led astray with them by the error of the lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness.* [Or “stability.”]

1 Timothy 4:1,2:

However, the inspired word* [Lit., “the spirit.”] clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements* [Lit., “misleading spirits.”] and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron.

Coming back to the parable about the rich man and Lazarus (already discussed in my previous comment, but this one is more detailed):

originally posted by: UncleMikey
You have given two false choices. The Unsaved are neither 'annihilated' nor are they 'tormented for infinity'. This is the false paradigm Christians are kept in unfortunately. ...

There's something ironic in eastern mysticists trying to forcefit their eastern philosophy and mythology (often from Babylon, or finding its roots there) into the Bible by twisting or misinterpreting what it's actually talking about when the scholars and theologians of Christendom already beat them to it, by centuries. Sort of as part of a modern marketing campaign to appeal to members of Christendom and the West. While thinking they have (secret or advanced) knowledge, understanding, insight, wisdom, enlightenment and something useful to offer, Oprah Winfrey style (with her book The Secret).

Too bad so many people are so easily infatuated with "every wind of teaching" that 'tickles their ears' (Eph 4:4; 2 Tim 4:3,4) that are "the teachings of demons" (1 Tim 4:1) and teachings of "a liar and the father of the lie" (John 8:44), who they don't even believe exists (as a person); so no way to realize either that they are "ignorant" (2 Pet 3:16) of the "beneficial teaching" of the Scriptures that exposes these "myths/false stories" (2 Tim 4:3,4). Only with the help of God's holy spirit can they break free, but they're not interested in God's help either. Relying on their own (so perceived by them) "wisdom" (1 Cor. 1:19-25). Thinking they are "wise" (Isa 5:20,21), enlightened and have knowledge that others don't, while their minds, hearts, spirit/mental attitude and thinking are "molded by this system of things", "according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience" (Rom 12:2; Eph 2:2), "the wisdom of the world" (1 Cor. 1:19-25) and its ruler and god ("the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth", Rev. 12:9, the one they don't believe exists, at least not as a person trying to deceive them at every turn and by means of constant promotion of his lies in media, entertainment and religious philosophy and teachings coming out of Babylon the Great).

Philosophy (Reasoning From the Scriptures)

Definition: The word philosophy is derived from Greek roots that mean “love of wisdom.” As used here, philosophy is not built on acceptance of belief in God, but it tries to give people a unified view of the universe and endeavors to make them critical thinkers. It employs chiefly speculative means rather than observation in a search for truth.

How can any of us acquire true knowledge and wisdom?

Prov. 1:7; Ps. 111:10: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge . . . [and] of wisdom.” (If the universe were not the product of an intelligent Creator but only of some blind, irrational force, then no unified view of the universe would be possible, would it? Nothing that would qualify as wisdom could result from a study of something that was itself irrational, could it? Those who attempt to understand the universe or life itself, while endeavoring to leave God and his purpose out of account, meet with constant frustration. They misinterpret what they learn and misuse facts that they glean. Leaving out of account belief in God destroys the key to accurate knowledge and makes impossible any truly consistent framework of thought.)

What is the origin of human philosophies?

They come from people who have limitations: ... On one occasion, “Jehovah proceeded to answer Job out of the windstorm and say: ‘Who is this that is obscuring counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins, please, like an able-bodied man, and let me question you, and you inform me. Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you do know understanding.’” (Job 38:1-4) (Humans by nature have limitations. Additionally, their experience in life is relatively brief and is usually confined to one culture or one environment. The knowledge they possess is thus restricted, and everything is interconnected to such an extent that they constantly find aspects that they had not adequately considered. Any philosophy that they originate will reflect these limitations.)

They are developed by humans who are imperfect: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) “There exists a way that is upright before a man, but the ways of death are the end of it afterward.” (Prov. 14:12) (Because of such imperfection, human philosophies often reflect a basic selfishness that leads perhaps to momentary pleasure but also to frustration and much unhappiness.)

They are influenced by demonic spirits: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) “The one called Devil and Satan . . . is misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Rev. 12:9) “You at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) (Philosophies that encourage people to disobey God’s wholesome and upright requirements reflect such an influence. No wonder that, as history testifies, human philosophies and schemes have often brought grief to large segments of humankind.)

...

How does God view the “wisdom” offered by human philosophy?

1 Cor. 1:19-25: “It is written: ‘I will make the wisdom of the wise men perish, and the intelligence of the intellectual men I will shove aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where the scribe? Where the debater of this system of things? Did not God make the wisdom of the world foolish? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not get to know God, God saw good through the foolishness [as it appears to the world] of what is preached to save those believing. . . . Because a foolish thing of God [as the world views it] is wiser than men, and a weak thing of God [as the world may see it] is stronger than men.” (Such a viewpoint on God’s part is certainly not arbitrary or unreasonable. He has provided in the Bible, the most widely circulated book in the world, a clear statement of his purpose. He has sent his witnesses to discuss it with all who will listen. How foolish for any creature to think that he has wisdom greater than that of God!)

Spirit of the World (Reasoning From the Scriptures)

Definition: The impelling force that influences human society made up of those who are not servants of Jehovah God, causing such people to say and do things according to a characteristic pattern. Although people act on individual preferences, those who manifest the spirit of the world give evidence of certain basic attitudes, ways of doing things, and aims in life that are common to the present system of things of which Satan is ruler and god.

Why is being tainted by the spirit of the world a matter of serious concern?

1 John 5:19: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (Satan has fostered a spirit that dominates the thinking and activities of those of mankind who are not Jehovah’s approved servants. It is a spirit of selfishness and pride that is so pervasive that it is like the air that humans breathe. We need to exercise great care not to submit to Satan’s power by letting that spirit mold our lives.)

...

What are some of the characteristics of the spirit of the world against which we need to be on guard?

1 Cor. 2:12: “Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been kindly given us by God.” (If the spirit of the world takes root in a person’s thinking and desires, its fruitage is soon seen in actions that manifest that spirit. So, breaking free from the spirit of the world requires not only avoiding unchristian activities and excesses but also getting to the root of the matter by cultivating attitudes that reflect God’s spirit and genuine love for his ways. This you should keep in mind as you consider the following manifestations of the spirit of the world.)

Doing what a person wants to do, without regard for the will of God

Satan urged Eve to decide for herself what was good and what was bad. (Gen. 3:3-5; in contrast see Proverbs 3:5, 6.) Many who follow Eve’s course do not know what God’s will for mankind is, nor are they interested in finding out. They just “do their own thing,” as they say. Those who know God’s requirements and try to conform to them need to be careful that the world’s spirit does not cause them deliberately to ignore the counsel of God’s Word in what they may view as “little things.”—Luke 16:10; see also “Independence.”

Reacting to situations on the basis of pride

It was Satan who first allowed an overestimation of self to corrupt his heart. (Compare Ezekiel 28:17; Proverbs 16:5.) Pride is a divisive force in the world of which he is ruler, causing people to consider themselves better than those of other races, nations, language groups, and economic status. ... [whereislogic: or other religious persuasion, especially those who take their "beneficial teaching" (2 Tim 4:3,4) from the Bible without twisting it to fit into their theology or religious human philosophy.]

...

So please don't respond to this comment with a demonstration of that last manifestation of "the spirit of the world" and the pattern prophecied at 2 Tim 4:3,4. It's so predictable and a little bit boring, and you'll only end up giving Satan what he wants from you. Instead, try something truly new and rare for a change:

a reply to: UncleMikey

Forgot this one at the end of my last comment, a personal message from Jehovah God to all of mankind. The first few verses about Cyrus are better understood if you've seen the documentary that I will link below that, it's part of a Bible prophecy and personal message to Cyrus the Great written down long before he was even born, that came true exactly as Jehovah instructed Isaiah to write down in exquisite detail. Imagine being Cyrus reading that just after you've conquered Babylon and coming in contact with these writings from 200 years earlier mentioning you by name along with all those details that then happen exactly as described; it's in part 2, after 8:05, but best not skip there cause important information and archaeological evidence is discussed before that (I will link part 2 first, you can start there if you want to save some time). But first Isaiah 45:


In context, starting with part 1 (playlist):

the bible-accurate history reliable prophecy part 1 of 3

And while I'm at it, a little something about Babylon the Great; since that is where you get most of your information, teachings and beliefs from. Just like everyone else commenting in this thread, so it's not as original or special as you might think. Anyone who doesn't believe that humans have an immaterial part, thought of as either a soul or some form of spirit or energy, that survives the death of the physical body, raise you hand, i.e. that "death [is] a passage to another kind of life." Quoting the ancient Babylonian view as described in The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria (Boston, 1898), M. Jastrow, Jr., p. 556. A slightly altered version of Satan's lie to Eve: “You certainly will not die.”​—Genesis 3:4. Cause that version of his lie got exposed rather quickly when Eve did die.


So...

Or Babylon the Great and its god, Satan the Devil, "the god of this system of things" (2 Cor 4:4). 'Funny' (interesting?) how your Gurus and those into promoting new age philosophy and eastern mysticism by occasionally using a Bible verse here or there and subsequently twisting their meaning to fit into the religious philosophies and theosophies they want to promote will probably never use any of the Bible verses I've been using, quoting or referring to in my commentary in this thread (in particular starting in my 3rd comment and responses to you). Have you ever heard them before? Or are they not interesting enough, so it's one ear in and the other ear out (is that an English expression as well? It is in Dutch)?

The videos above in context (playlist; Babylon the Great = False Religion):

False Religion is a Snare and a Racket

Don't miss this one (which is in the playlist above, which links to video 42, the video below is nr. 68, for now):