Does 1 John 2:17 imply an afterlife?

[Frank Goad]

Does 1 John 2:17 imply an afterlife?I think it does.Because it says people who do the will of God live forever.And it can't be talking about living forever physically.Or people who do the will of God would never die.

 

[Trailblazer]

Does 1 John 2:17 imply an afterlife?I think it does.Because it says people who do the will of God live forever.And it can't be talking about living forever physically.Or people who do the will of God would never die.

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

No, I don't think it means that people who do the will of God will live forever physically, it means they will abide forever in heaven after they die physically on earth.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Does 1 John 2:17 imply an afterlife?I think it does.Because it says people who do the will of God live forever.And it can't be talking about living forever physically.Or people who do the will of God would never die.

A person ' remains forever ' by being resurrected to either Heaven for some (Revelation 20:6; 5:9-10; 2:10) or by being resurrected back to live life forever on Earth (John 3:13) as part of the humble meek who inherit the Earth as Jesus promised Earth at Matthew 5:5 from Psalms 37:9-11.
Resurrect at the last day (John 6:40) Jesus' coming 1,000 year long Millennium-Long Day governing over Earth.

'Afterlife' implies being more alive after death than before death.
The living do Not need a resurrection but the dead (not the living) do.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
No, I don't think it means that people who do the will of God will live forever physically, it means they will abide forever in heaven after they die physically on earth.

I find Adam and Eve would live forever physically on Earth if they obeyed God.
That physically living forever would also hold true for their offspring.
People do Not turn into angels.
ALL the people Jesus resurrected were happy-and-healthy physical resurrections.
During Jesus' 1,000 year reign over Earth ' enemy death ' will be No more on Earth.
- 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Isaiah 25:8

 

[Trailblazer]

I find Adam and Eve would live forever physically on Earth if they obeyed God.
That physically living forever would also hold true for their offspring.

But the Bible does not say that anywhere.

People do Not turn into angels.

Angels are people, holy souls, but not only angels reside in heaven.

ALL the people Jesus resurrected were happy-and-healthy physical resurrections.

I believe those were spiritual resurrections.

During Jesus' 1,000 year reign over Earth ' enemy death ' will be No more on Earth.
- 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Isaiah 25:8

1 Corinthians 15:24-26
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Isaiah 25:8
8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

I do not believe that these verses refer to physical death and there is no reason to believe that. I believe they refer to spiritual death.

According to my beliefs, physical death is not the enemy, spiritual death is the enemy.

32: O SON OF THE SUPREME! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?
The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

Jesus made it perfectly clear that the physical body (flesh) profits nothing, only the spirit profits a man, and that is why only the spirit continues after death.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

[paarsurrey]

Does 1 John 2:17 imply an afterlife?I think it does.Because it says people who do the will of God live forever.And it can't be talking about living forever physically.Or people who do the will of God would never die.

" 1 John 2:17 "

Is " 1 John 2:17 " even from (Jesus) Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah*, to whom one is to look for guidance, please?:

Holy Bible King James Version (Red Letter Edition)
The Roman Catholic Holy Bible with the words of Jesus in red.
World Messianic Bible
One could see that it is not from him, please, right?

Regards
________________
*Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah neither believed in the Hellenist deity (of dying, rising, atoning and ascending) nor gave teachings to this effect to his followers, please, right?

 

[Wildswanderer]

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

No, I don't think it means that people who do the will of God will live forever physically, it means they will abide forever in heaven after they die physically on earth.

The new earth is a physical reality.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

The new earth is a physical reality.

Good point ^ above ^ because we can discern the new earth is to be a physical/material reality.
At 2 Peter 3:5 we read about the heavens of OLD and the earth..... (Noah's day or his time frame)
At 2 Peter 3:7 we read about the heavens and the earth of NOW ..... (our day now since Noah's day)
At 2 Peter 3:13 we read about the NEW heavens and NEW earth ..... (under Christ's 1,000 year reign over earth)
NEW earth because righteousness will dwell on earth under Christ's heavenly governmental direction for us.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

" 1 John 2:17 "
Is " 1 John 2:17 " even from (Jesus) Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah*, to whom one is to look for guidance, please?: ________________
*Yeshua- the Israelite Messiah neither believed in the Hellenist deity (of dying, rising, atoning and ascending) nor gave teachings to this effect to his followers, please, right?

The ' world ' (Not the Earth) is what is passing away ( the world of badness in these last days of badness on Earth )
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5,13

If alive at Jesus' coming Glory Time of separation on Earth (Matthew 25:31-34,37) and separated as one of Jesus' figurative ' sheep ' who can remain alive on Earth, and be here on Earth to see calendar Day One of Jesus' coming 1,000 year governmental reign over Earth leading to 'everlasting life on Earth' as originally offered to Adam before his downfall - Genesis 2:17

 

[URAVIP2ME]

But the Bible does not say that anywhere.
Angels are people, holy souls, but not only angels reside in heaven.
I believe those were spiritual resurrections.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death..........................

I find Adam was Not an angel. Heavenly angels were created first before any physical creation.
Adam and Eve and their children were Not created to turn into angels, but be here on Earth forever.
I do agree that Not only angels reside in heaven - Revelation 20:6; 2:10; 5:9-10; Daniel 7:18
Those few resurrected to heavenly life do Not become angels but mentioned as: saints/holy ones.
Thus, people do Not turn into angels but serve in heaven as saints/holy ones with Christ for a thousand years.

There is No death in heaven ( No tombs in heaven ) the death problem exists right here on Earth.
We pray that God's will ( His purpose ) be done ' here on Earth ' as it is done in Heaven.
So, when 1 Corinthians 15:26 says 'enemy death' will be destroyed it is talking about Earth.

 

[Trailblazer]

The new earth is a physical reality.

That's true, but it will not be inhabited by dead people who have risen from their graves and come back to life, it will be inhabited by people who are still living on earth at the time, and the generations to come.

 

[Trailblazer]

NEW earth because righteousness will dwell on earth under Christ's heavenly governmental direction for us.

Yes, the NEW earth will be inhabited by the righteous who are living on earth when the NEW earth is established.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Yes, the NEW earth will be inhabited by the righteous who are living on earth when the NEW earth is established.

...... and then followed by the resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous (Acts of the Apostles 24:15) who are Not resurrected to heaven, but who are to be resurrected back to live life on Earth.
Both the righteous who choose to remain righteous and the unrighteous who choose to become righteous can live forever on Earth even ' after ' Jesus 1,000-year reign over Earth ends - 1 Corinthians 15:24-26.

 

[Trailblazer]

We pray that God's will ( His purpose ) be done ' here on Earth ' as it is done in Heaven.
So, when 1 Corinthians 15:26 says 'enemy death' will be destroyed it is talking about Earth.

Yes, it is talking about the enemy, which is spiritual death, which was destroyed on Earth when Christ returned.
Physical death will never be destroyed because God created the human body to be mortal, not immortal.

1 Corinthians 15 says that there are two different kinds of bodies:

--- The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies.
--- For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies, which are different.

Our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God which is in Heaven. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever is referring to Heaven, which will last forever. Our physical bodies will die and we will be raised (resurrected) as spiritual bodies that will be suited to go to Heaven and live forever.

1 Corinthians 15:40-54 New Living Translation

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies.

44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[c] this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.[d]

Read full chapter

There is also a New Earth, also referred to as the Kingdom of God on Earth, and that Kingdom will be inhabited by people who are "living" on Earth when that Kingdom is established on Earth.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Right, physical bodies can Not inherit the kingdom of heaven - 1 Corinthians 15:50
Those who have a first or earlier resurrection will have a spirit resurrection as Jesus did - Revelation 20:6

 

[Trailblazer]

...... and then followed by the resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous (Acts of the Apostles 24:15) who are Not resurrected to heaven, but who are to be resurrected back to live life on Earth.

Physical bodies do not get resurrected as physical bodies and live on Earth, they get resurrected as spiritual bodies and go to Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:40-54)

Both the righteous who choose to remain righteous and the unrighteous who choose to become righteous can live forever on Earth even ' after ' Jesus 1,000-year reign over Earth ends - 1 Corinthians 15:24-26.

Yes, the righteous and the unrighteous will live together on Earth, and eventually the unrighteous will choose to become righteous..

 

[Wildswanderer]

That's true, but it will not be inhabited by dead people who have risen from their graves and come back to life, it will be inhabited by people who are still living on earth at the time, and the generations to come.

No, it will be all believers from every time.

"looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."

Who was this written to?
The believers of that time.

 

[Trailblazer]

No, it will be all believers from every time.

I don't believe that dead people come out of their graves and live on earth again in a physical body but you are free to believe that if you want to. Christians interpret Bible verses differently which means they can have more than one meaning. More than one meaning can be correct but some meanings are not correct.

"looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."

Who was this written to?
The believers of that time.

If the Bible was written only for believers of that time I guess that means it no longer applies to this time.

I do not interpret that verse literally, so I don't believe that the heavens will literally be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat, as I don't even believe there are any physical elements in heaven, only spiritual elements.

However, I do believe in a new earth in which righteousness will dwell. I also believe we are already living in the Day of God so there is nothing to wait for. If people were looking they would see.

“In the Book of Isaiah it is written: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” No man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day—the Day of God Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: “And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.” This is the Day which the Pen of the Most High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make mention of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy Scriptures concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible dimensions.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 13

 

[Wildswanderer]

If the Bible was written only for believers of that time I guess that means it no longer applies to this time

Why? It applies to believers from every time but was written for those at that time.

 

[Trailblazer]

Why? It applies to believers from every time but was written for those at that time.

Yes, I agree with that.