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[–]In-the-clouds 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

This is an interesting collection of verses showing that clouds represent angels. I was not convinced, however, that all must wait before they can enter heaven, and then all enter at the same time. What is time anyway, and is heaven constrained in any way by it? I do not think heaven is empty, but populated already. But which ever is the case, it does not seem like a point worth arguing, as long as we see the path we must follow to be in heaven. I was glad to see the video.

[–]Vulptex 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Luke 17:20-21

[–]Vulptex 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Elohim is a generic name for any deity. Even the Samuel apparition is called Elohim. Yes this opens up the possibility for gnostic-like notions of a demiurge, because YHWH in Genesis 2-3 is clearly an addition to the original manuscript.

[–]doginventer[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Where do you find information leading you to believe that Gen 2-3 is an addition?

[–]Vulptex 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I did not say that, I said YHWH is an addition to it. Look closely. Every single use of YHWH is awkwardly followed by Elohim, and is dropped from the dialogue which scribes were less likely to alter. Then in chapter 4 YHWH is suddenly used exclusively, including in the dialogue. This fits their character, as the god of chapters 2-3 is clearly human-like and takes selfish vengeance over even petty mistakes, while the one in chapter 4 goes to great lengths to protect murderers. Now YHWH is identified as the son of the "most high" a few times, and his Greek name Κυριος is the same title used for Jesus, who has a very similar character to the YHWH of chapter 4, but nothing like the elohim in chapters 2-3. The exception would be the animal sacrifice part, which is also an obvious interpolation.

There are some more redactions. Genesis 2:6 is an obvious interpolation, because the previous verse says plants didn't grow because there was no rain yet, so why turn around and say a mist provided a water supply anyway? Genesis 2:10-15 is obvious interpolation as well, it tries to assign a geographic location to Eden and then clumsily ends by repeating verse 8, because it interrupted. There is a scribal error in Genesis 2:23, where the woman is called אשה because she was taken from איש, but that makes no sense. However the Samaritan version and the ancient Greek translation have אישה instead, which is a nice play on words. "crafty" and "naked" are spelled the same, ערום, as in the Samaritan version, probably another play on words. But the Jewish version found that too confusing and changed some instances of "naked" to the synonym עירם. And I think the entire first creation story is an interpolation from Babylonian times, not that it matters much since the whole book was assembled over time using smaller individual records which don't agree with each other.

Genesis 17:9-14 is really suspect because it interrupts the subject to insist on circumcision, in a way that looks suspiciously like some temple priest trying to "lay down the rules", just like the church fathers did with Paul's letters (which is why they're such a word salad, except for the fake letters to Timothy and Titus because they made them up in their entirety). 17:23-27 would go with it.

And why does Exodus 6:3 have YHWH saying he never revealed his name until now, yet people have known it countless times before that and Genesis 4:26 & 12:8 & 13:4 have people calling on the name of YHWH? There's more holes in these books than a piece of swiss cheese, it is abundantly clear that the religious institutions severely tampered with them.