XPost: alt.christnet.christnews, alt.religion.christian
From: usenet@christrose.news
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Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:07:59 -0500
<765knkhaeodljh4hf63qjgfu5onflri95r@4ax.com>
Watchtower Heretic James wrote:
========================================
>> Key biblical truth:
>>
>> Olam does not mean “endless by definition.” It means duration viewed
>>from the standpoint of the subject—often long, undefined, or complete
>> within God’s purpose. Context determines its length. Scripture itself
>> repeatedly places boundaries on it.
>>
>> Therefore:
>>
>> When passages say the earth “remains forever” or the righteous dwell in
>> the land “forever,” the word itself does not demand eternal preservation
>> of the present creation.
> Negatrons, see above where forever means forever. Such as:
>
> -- Living Bible
> Psalms 104:5 You bound the world together so that it would never fall
> apart.
>
> -- Revised Standard
> Psalms 104:5 Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it
> should never be shaken.
>
> -- Darby's Bible
> Ecclesiastes 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation
> cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
>
> -- Webster's Bible
> Ecclesiastes 1:4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another]
> generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
>
> "For ever". They split the word. It now means eternally.
> I see what you are doing, since the word can have more than one
> meaning, you choose the meaning that is not eternally, so as to
> contradict the Bible's claim of an eternal earth.
>
> This should help to explain that the earth really will be here
> eternally, forever, for ever.
>
> -- New King James
> Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is
> God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did
> not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord,
> and there is no other.
>
> Are you saying God lied here?
You are not defending Scripture here. You are accusing Scripture of
contradiction and then trying to rescue it by redefining other passages.
The Bible does not need that rescue.
Let’s deal with your claims carefully and in order.
First, splitting “for ever” does not change the meaning.
You keep appealing to English formatting (“for ever” vs “forever”) as
if
that settles the issue. It does not. English translators are rendering
the same Hebrew word, olam. Spacing in English proves nothing about
duration. The meaning comes from context, not typography.
Psalm 104:5 does not say the earth is metaphysically eternal.
“You set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved”
(Psalm 104:5, ESV).
This is stability language, not eschatology. The same Psalms say that
this very earth will perish and be changed:
“They will perish, but you will remain… like a garment you will change
them” (Psalm 102:26, ESV).
If you insist Psalm 104:5 means “eternally unchangeable,” then Psalm 102
becomes a contradiction. Scripture does not contradict itself. Your
reading does.
Ecclesiastes 1:4 does not teach eternal earth either.
“One generation passes away, and another generation comes, but the earth
remains forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
idem. Neither the word olam nor this context requires anything more than
that the earth remains longer than from one human generations to another
(which it already has).
Now Isaiah 45:18 — this is the heart of your charge.
“Who formed the earth and made it… who did not create it empty, who
formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18, ESV).
This verse says *why* God created the earth, not *how long* its present
form must last. It says nothing about eternity. It says nothing about
never changing. It says God did not create the earth purposelessly. He
created it to be inhabited.
And Scripture explicitly teaches that God will still fulfill that
purpose — in the new creation.
“Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV).
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before
me” (Isaiah 66:22, ESV).
“According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV).
God does not lie. He fulfills His purpose by bringing creation to its
intended goal, not by freezing the first version forever.
You are assuming that “formed to be inhabited” means “must never be
changed.” Scripture never says that. In fact, Scripture explicitly says
the opposite.
“The heavens will pass away with a roar” (2 Peter 3:10, ESV).
“From his presence earth and sky fled away” (Revelation 20:11, ESV).
“The first heaven and the first earth passed away” (Revelation 21:1, ESV).
If your reading of Psalm 104, Ecclesiastes 1, or Isaiah 45 were correct,
these verses could not exist. But they do. And they are plain.
Thus, you are trying to confuse purpose with permanence.
God created the earth to be inhabited.
God sustains it securely for its appointed role.
God defines how long that role lasts.
God then changes it and brings forth a new creation that fulfills His
purpose perfectly and permanently.
That is not contradiction. That is consummation.
And the real issue here is not olam. You have already conceded —
repeatedly — that olam ends when God acts. You admitted it in Isaiah 32.
You admitted it in Habakkuk. You admitted it in Joshua. You admitted it
in Samuel.
You only deny it when the word “earth” appears.
That inconsistency does not come from Scripture. It comes from a system
you are trying to protect.
Scripture is clear, unified, and consistent:
The present heavens and earth endure for the full span God appoints.
When God acts at the end, they are changed.
God brings a new heavens and a new earth.
And *that* creation truly remains forever.
--
Have you heard the good news Christ died for our sins (†), and God
raised Him from the dead?
That Christ died for our sins shows we're sinners who deserve the death
penalty. That God raised Him from the dead shows Christ's death
satisfied God's righteous demands against our sin (Romans 3:25; 1 John
2:1-2). This means God can now remain just, while forgiving you of your
sins, and saving you from eternal damnation.
On the basis of Christ's death and resurrection for our sins, call on
the name of the Lord to save you: "For 'everyone who calls on the name
of the Lord will be saved'" (Romans 10:13, ESV).
[continued in next message]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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