|
Heaven and Hell (18:0) God is a Spirit" (joh 4:24) (18:1) see -also- ".. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.." (1co 15:50) (18:2) see Therefore heaven and hell are for Spirits, NOT physical places (18:3) The body returns to dust: "For dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return" (gen 3:19) (18:4) see Bahá'í Quote: ".. The rewards of the other world are peace, the spiritual graces.. The gaining of desires of the heart and the soul, and the meeting of God.." ".. the punishments of the other world.. consist of being deprived of (these) special divine blessings.. and falling into the lowest degrees of existence. He who is deprived of the divine favours, although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the people of truth" (saq 224). (18:5) see Bahá'í Quote: "Where is Paradise, and where is Hell? Say: The one is reunion with Me, the other thine own self" (tbh 118) (18:6) see Basis for Christian belief (act 1:11) (18:7) see Bahá'í Quote: ".. They that are the followers of the one true God shall, the moment they depart out of this life, experience such joy and gladness as would be impossible to describe, while they that live in error shall be seized with such fear and trembling, and shall be filled with such consternation, as nothing can exceed.." (gwb 171). (18:8) see 1. Where is Heaven and where is Hell? (18:9) "Say, The one is reunion with Me, the other thine own self" (tbh 117) ["self" designates one's lower nature. Heaven & Hell are spiritual conditions (not physical places) since God is a Spirit, Jesus is a Spirit (who sits at God's right hand), and after death everyone will be in spirit form - because "flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (1co 15:50) (js)] (18:10) see 2. The Rewards of this life & the next (heaven): (18:11) "The rewards of this life are the virtues and perfections which adorn the reality of man.. delivered from the animal characteristics and qualities which are the characteristics of human nature, and they became qualified with the divine characteristics, which are the bounty of God." (saq 223). (18:12) see 3. Punishment specific to this world (hell): (18:13) ".. there is not greater torture than being veiled from God, and no more severe punishment than sensual vices, dark qualities, lowness of nature, engrossment in carnal desires.." (saq 223). (18:14) 4. Punishment specific to the next world (hell): (18:15) "The souls of the infidels, however, shall -- and to this I bear witness - when breathing their last be made aware of the good things that have escaped them, and shall bemoan their plight, and shall humble themselves before God. They shall continue doing so after the separation of their souls from their bodies." (gwb 170).
(18:16)
see
|