Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell Holbeck
I am very sad that Morty will not hold my hand in Heaven because he does not believe in Jesus
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It might seem sad now that, unless he repents and becomes Saved, this person will be tortured forever because he believed the things taught to him as a child by his wicked parents. Hell is not a nice place and that is where they deserve to be. I deserve to be there too but Jesus has Redeemed me.
Luke is a lovely Gospel and this chapter includes several eyewitness accounts of Jesus in the temple. The temple is not there now. So how does your friend know that there was a temple there then? Or that there was
ever a temple in Jerusalem?
The answer can only be because he has read about it or maybe someone else read about it and told him. And how does he know there was a Jesus to be "abandoned" in the first place?
Because he has read about it.
The same Scripoture telling him there was a temple also tells us about Jesus. The same prophets who spoke in that temple predicted that Jesus would be born. And whan He
was born there were simarlarly prophetic acknowledgements of the fulfillment of those prophecies. Luke records this. Without the Gospel record your neighbour would not know that Jesus existed at all just as without the Old Testament he would not know that there ever were prophets or temples.
Why does he believe some bits but not the other bits?
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:22-23c Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.. KJV
We know that Israelite prophetesses were real:
Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Isaiah 8:3a And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived.. KJV
* MORE PROPHETESSES HERE
The mystery is why, having accepted that there were prophetesses and that they prophecised—otherwise they would not be prophetesses—and having accepted that there was a temple which Jesus visited
twice in Luke 2 alone, all of a sudden the resident prophetess starts spouting nonsense when she sees baby Jesus and the same record telling us that He existed goes wonky when it records what He did?
Luke 2:44b-46a ..they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple..
Luke 2:36-38 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise* unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. KJV
* LIKEWISE
Could you enquire what secret record exists to explain which bits are wonky please (if they're only available in synagogues I will have no trouble obtaining one)? That is a book I would like to see.
SCRIPTURAL CONTEXT
Isaiah 7
Matthew 1
Judges 8
Isaiah 8
Luke 2