The JWs & Ps:37, Matt:5

[catsrus]

The JWs showed up with the “theme of the month” on Saturday past. This month is proving that man will live on earth forever per Ps:37 and Matt:5. I know they’ll be back because I was nice but I need some help here. I realize that Ps:37 is a song of comfort to the suffering and answers with a perspective of earthbound relief, appropriate for the time in which it was written; which is next to impossible to explain to literalists. How do I explain Matthew 5:5 to these literalists?

 

[DominvsVobiscvm]

Well, we need to keep in mind that, although the earth will be destroyed (in much the same sense that it was “destroyed” in Noah’s time, though it won’t be by Flood), there will in fact be a New Earth upon which all the just will live with their glorified bodies.

Thing is, we’ll also be in Heaven.

You see, qualities like space are properties of the created Universe. Heaven does not occupy “space” and so it is completely possible to be there and in Heaven at once.

On a higher theological note (though you will not want to bring this up with the Witnesses), Jesus Himself never left the Father’s right hand in heaven, even while he was on Earth.

But that’s a whole other story.

As for the Beatitudes, go throw the whole thing, one by one. Notice that believers are, in fact, promised to inherit the Earth, but they are also promised the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is obviously not making any distinctions, as if the meek are one group apart from those who are poor in spirit!