Posted on 10/04/2020 12:03:57 AM PDT by tired&retired
The world’s leading psychiatric authority on demonic possession delves into the hidden world of exorcisms and his own transformation from cynic to believer over the course of his twenty-five-year career.
Successful New York psychiatrist Richard Gallagher was skeptical yet intrigued when a hard-nosed, no-nonsense Catholic priest asked him to examine a woman for a possible exorcism. Meeting her, Gallagher was astonished. The woman’s behavior defied logic. In an instant, she could pinpoint a person’s secret weaknesses. She knew how individuals she’d never known had died, including Gallagher’s own mother, who passed away after a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. She spoke fluently in multiple languages, including Latin—but only when she was in a trance.
This was not psychosis, Gallagher concluded. It was, in his scientific estimation, what could only be describe as paranormal ability. The woman wasn’t mentally disturbed—she was possessed. This remarkable case was the first of many that Gallagher would encounter
(Excerpt) Read more at amazon.com ...
Well; if we believe that the Bible is true; these other kingdoms arose AFTER the Tower of Babel story.
Since the language was confused and people separated; the memories of what had occurred earlier was surely shared by all; thus there would be a thread of commonality between ancient stories.
I’ll bet you’re always square in your dealing with your fellow man.!
.............................................
Not sure what exactly you mean by “always square” but no, I’m probably not.
Personally I don't; but this question WILL (or should) open up a new can of worms to be 'discussed'.
There will be around three thousand just today that never get to breathe any of God's air; yet our controllers have shut this country down for a bunch of old folks dying WITH (not FROM) CV-19!
Disclaimer:
I’m one of them old folks.
It sounded better than rectangular.
Four right angles.
Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
I don’t know why the “anti-rapturists” keep stumbling over this. Matthew 24-25 speaks of a gathering of peoples.
Some post millenialists see great meaning at the “last trumpet” phrase meaning that the Rapture occurs at the end of the judgment phase just before Christ sets up his Earthly kingdom or perhaps when the 7th trumpet angel sounds his trumpet. Of course there is the yearly “Christ coming in September before Rosh Hashana” crowd.(When the last trumpet is supposed to be blown before that particular Sabbath).
Don’t forget Matthew 17 also mentions Elijah AND John the Baptist at the Mount of Transfiguration where Christ is seen in in his true glory speaking with Moses and Elijah.
The pertinant passage::: “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
13Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.”
I thought it might amplify a most interesting thread!
Also: God says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5,6).
Do some personal research on Genesis 6 and you'll find all kinds of arguments, pro and con, for the different interpretations. They are quite interesting.
Most online Bibles (like the Blue Letter Bible) provide the Hebrew texts for the Old Testament. You can see for yourself.
The term "bene elohim" in the Old Testament means "angels."
To folks who are interested in Genesis 6, I usually suggest that they dig into it a bit before taking the word of their denomination or their preacher. Keep an open mind as you evaluate the various interpretations.
Some interpretations just seemed contrived or the result of confirmation bias. Others seem downright weak.
But, at any rate, I can assure you that you will have fun and find the topic more than just interesting.
I don't know if you are familiar with the Ancient Hebrew scholar Michael Heiser, but he has done some pretty good work on this stuff (lots of good videos on youtube). He's worth listening to even if you disagree with him.
One more thought regarding Matthew 17 as it relates to the NDE discussion....Jesus is seen speaking to both Elijah and Moses.
Now we know that Moses had died for the Lord had him buried in a place that no one would ever know ‘even to this very day” from the reckoning of scribe that finished Deuteronomy. We also know that there was some sort of dispute over the body of Moses between Michael and Satan. Maybe that story is kept locked up somewhere in the Vatican(lest it blow the whole game plan of the RCC, HA HA !) or in a cave some place until God determines when we shall be able to read it.
So if Moses is “sleeping” in the way we think traditionally of it, well he appeared very wide-awake to the disciples. It makes a little sense now though why Christ said don’t tell anyone until he had been resurrected...at least it makes “heart sense”.
The thief was also to be “with me”(as stated by Christ on the cross) with Christ in paradise suggesting some sort of wakeful consciousness, though “asleep” in Christ as we think of it in the material sense. Also if we think about what happens in sleep, often we dream and the brain is often very active in different ways while we sleep. Perhaps spiritually to be “asleep in Christ is analogous in some way spiritually to what happens in physical sleep. Remember what the Lord says...”I am the God of the Living...not God of the dead!”
NDE’s start to appear more plausible. No one has gone anywhere near the parable yet of the rich man and Lazarus...I suppose that would start the argument that it was only a parable and not really reflective of the truth as it relates to NDE’s...pro or con.
God’s time is always now. I think of it like the person who dies on July 20, 2020 and awakens and finds himself in heaven and after a moment he walks up to the being he already knows from Holy Ghost instinct is Stephen. The person, we’ll call him Mike starts to speak with Stephen and they greet each other with a Holy handshake(they’re all baptists up there...you know that right...just joking). Mike starts asking Stephen about what it was like during the first days of the church and Mike says...”wow...2000 years ago you were stoned and everything”. Stephen stares at him quizzically and states...”2000 years, 2000 years!!!??? Why I just got here about a minute ago myself and I saw you just arriving!”
It makes me wonder just what Moses was into during that 40 days and 40 nights he spent on Sinai....Perhaps the disciples were witnessing a crack or a tesseract in time when Moses,Elijah, and Christ had converged in the Shekinah glory of God that topped Sinai when Israel was gathered at the base of the mountain. The disciples may have been a witness to the “nowness” of the omnipresence of the living God the Father!
Elijah came and got swept up in a chariot, he comes, and also came and was present as John the Baptist(if it can be received), and he comes and is coming again before the dreadful day of the Lord.
“You believe that aborted fetus’ are lost?”
Lost in the sense that they do not know which way to go? Yes
Is that just your take on it? Hard to say, of course. I personally would like to think that an innocent would be spared of separation from God like that.
The majority of the women having abortions are not religious.
It’s not just my take, it’s my direct observation and experience.
It is not 100% of the time, but most of the time.
Prayers are the path to resolution.
I have never heard the ‘levels of death’ you’ve listed and provided a link to the chart. I’ll need to examine it before commenting. Thank you for providing it to me.
These are the last words of God recorded by the last prophet, nothing more for four hundred years, unto John Baptist's ministry began, which John himself knew, and of which he quoted from Isaiah. I believe this is figuratively speaking of John, not of the literal coming of Elijah, which occurs in the midst of, not before, that great and terrible Day of The LORD (Rev. 8-11). With this prophecy from Isaiah, John Baptist, as a prophet, ended the centuries of God's silence (Is. 40:3-5).
Could be but Matthew 17 suggests that Jesus thinks of Elijah as one who is still yet to come despite also
being of the person that was John the Baptist.
Since we haven’t seen the Dreaded Day of the Lord yet, we haven’t yet seen Elijah who would turn the heart of the fathers to the sons and the sons to the fathers. Haven’t seen anything like that yet.
Later on, Beloved John while on earth and physically alive was given a vision into Heaven, as was Paul also, Neither of these instances were of an NDE category. It might be possible that John Boanerges and Saul/Paul, like Daniel in his old age, might have been in a catatonic styate whilst receiving a vision of which special revelation used the vision as a vehicle to impartr spiritual teruth, but it was to certified prophets, not NDE experiences nor earthly manipulations of Satan giving his disobedient fallible disbelieving children fake visions.
Satan has the power to conduct lying miracles and utterances to deceive the watching world. Be wise and not misled by them, of which we seem now to be in the middle of many of these special devilish powers.
Stand fast. Keep to the scriptures. Don't ne led to misinterpret them to supprt Satan in his workings, as he did at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, testing him by misquoting and misapplying the words of God.
Put on the spiritual armor, of which the only offensive weapon is the memorizedand coerrectly applied Spoken Words (ρημα = hrayma, Strong's Number G4487 in his Concordance's Greek dictionary) of God.
Like Lazarus, this was only a temporal temporary special manifestation of God's δύναμις (dunamis = doo'-nam-is) healing and resurrection power, I guess spilling out on other tombs next to the one holding Jesus' body.
This "Talitha cum" enlivenment happened several times at the time of Jesus' training of the special disciples, and even after His ascenscion as ministered by Peter to Tabitha/Dorcas, or centuries before by Elisha to a widow;s son because of her faith.
There is no indication that these underwent assumption, but laid down again and went back into their physical death state. I don't at this time have any explanation for this, and indeed don't need any to preach the saving gospel, which is toward birth in the spirrit of humans who are yet alive physically. Of late, having the written Gospels and the history and words given to the Apostles and elders constituating the now-closed New Testament, we see no more such temporary resurrections.
What do you think of that, my Bro?
Though logic might be applied in the application of Scripture. no logical reasoning is necessary to understand what I said. What is necessary is a spiritual discernment, not a "natural" (ψυχικος = psookeekawss, soulish) one, a reading and believing what the God-breathed Word says without putting human limits on it. You know better than this, Els.
Love you, man!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.