a quick poll--need some input

[IntenseOperator]

Contradictions in the Christian Bible



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Theological doctrines:

1. God is satisfied with his works
Gen 1:31
God is dissatisfied with his works.
Gen 6:6

2. God dwells in chosen temples
2 Chron 7:12,16
God dwells not in temples
Acts 7:48

3. God dwells in light
Tim 6:16
God dwells in darkness
1 Kings 8:12/ Ps 18:11/ Ps 97:2

4. God is seen and heard
Ex 33:23/ Ex 33:11/ Gen 3:9,10/ Gen 32:30/ Is 6:1/
Ex 24:9-11
God is invisible and cannot be heard
John 1:18/ John 5:37/ Ex 33:20/ 1 Tim 6:16

5. God is tired and rests
Ex 31:17/ Jer 15:6
God is never tired and never rests
Is 40:28

6. God is everywhere present, sees and knows all things
Prov 15:3/ Ps 139:7-10/ Job 34:22,21
God is not everywhere present, neither sees nor knows all
things
Gen 11:5/ Gen 18:20,21/ Gen 3:8

7. God knows the hearts of men
Acts 1:24/ Ps 139:2,3
God tries men to find out what is in their heart
Deut 13:3/ Deut 8:2/ Gen 22:12

8. God is all powerful
Jer 32:27/ Matt 19:26
God is not all powerful
Judg 1:19

9. God is unchangeable
James 1:17/ Mal 3:6/ Ezek 24:14/ Num 23:19
God is changeable
Gen 6:6/ Jonah 3:10/ 1 Sam 2:30,31/ 2 Kings 20:1,4,5,6/
Ex 33:1,3,17,14

10. God is just and impartial
Ps 92:15/ Gen 18:25/ Deut 32:4/ Rom 2:11/ Ezek 18:25
God is unjust and partial
Gen 9:25/ Ex 20:5/ Rom 9:11-13/ Matt 13:12

11. God is the author of evil
Lam 3:38/ Jer 18:11/ Is 45:7/ Amos 3:6/ Ezek 20:25
God is not the author of evil
1 Cor 14:33/ Deut 32:4/ James 1:13

12. God gives freely to those who ask
James 1:5/ Luke 11:10
God withholds his blessings and prevents men from receiving
them
John 12:40/ Josh 11:20/ Is 63:17

13. God is to be found by those who seek him
Matt 7:8/ Prov 8:17
God is not to be found by those who seek him
Prov 1:28

14. God is warlike
Ex 15:3/ Is 51:15
God is peaceful
Rom 15:33/ 1 Cor 14:33

15. God is cruel, unmerciful, destructive, and ferocious
Jer 13:14/ Deut 7:16/ 1 Sam 15:2,3/ 1 Sam 6:19
God is kind, merciful, and good
James 5:11/ Lam 3:33/ 1 Chron 16:34/ Ezek 18:32/ Ps 145:9/
1 Tim 2:4/ 1 John 4:16/ Ps 25:8

16. God's anger is fierce and endures long
Num 32:13/ Num 25:4/ Jer 17:4
God's anger is slow and endures but for a minute
Ps 103:8/ Ps 30:5

17. God commands, approves of, and delights in burnt offerings,
sacrifices ,and holy days
Ex 29:36/ Lev 23:27/ Ex 29:18/ Lev 1:9
God disapproves of and has no pleasure in burnt offerings,
sacrifices, and holy days.
Jer 7:22/ Jer 6:20/ Ps 50:13,4/ Is 1:13,11,12

18. God accepts human sacrifices
2 Sam 21:8,9,14/ Gen 22:2/ Judg 11:30-32,34,38,39
God forbids human sacrifice
Deut 12:30,31

19. God temps men
Gen 22:1/ 2 Sam 24:1/ Jer 20:7/ Matt 6:13
God temps no man
James 1:13

20. God cannot lie
Heb 6:18
God lies by proxy; he sends forth lying spirits t deceive
2 Thes 2:11/ 1 Kings 22:23/ Ezek 14:9

21. Because of man's wickedness God destroys him
Gen 6:5,7
Because of man's wickedness God will not destroy him
Gen 8:21

22. God's attributes are revealed in his works.
Rom 1:20
God's attributes cannot be discovered
Job 11:7/ Is 40:28

23. There is but one God
Deut 6:4
There is a plurality of gods
Gen 1:26/ Gen 3:22/ Gen 18:1-3/ 1 John 5:7


Moral Precepts

24. Robbery commanded
Ex 3:21,22/ Ex 12:35,36
Robbery forbidden
Lev 19:13/ Ex 20:15

25. Lying approved and sanctioned
Josh 2:4-6/ James 2:25/ Ex 1:18-20/ 1 Kings 22:21,22
Lying forbidden
Ex 20:16/ Prov 12:22/ Rev 21:8

26. Hatred to the Edomite sanctioned
2 Kings 14:7,3
Hatred to the Edomite forbidden
Deut 23:7

27. Killing commanded
Ex 32:27
Killing forbidden
Ex 20:13

28. The blood-shedder must die
Gen 9:5,6
The blood-shedder must not die
Gen 4:15

29. The making of images forbidden
Ex 20:4
The making of images commanded
Ex 25:18,20

30. Slavery and oppression ordained
Gen 9:25/ Lev 25:45,46/ Joel 3:8
Slavery and oppression forbidden
Is 58:6/ Ex 22:21/ Ex 21:16/ Matt 23:10

31. Improvidence enjoyed
Matt 6:28,31,34/ Luke 6:30,35/ Luke 12:3
Improvidence condemned
1 Tim 5:8/ Prov 13:22

32. Anger approved
Eph 4:26
Anger disapproved
Eccl 7:9/ Prov 22:24/ James 1:20

33. Good works to be seen of men
Matt 5:16
Good works not to be seen of men
Matt 6:1

34. Judging of others forbidden
Matt 7:1,2
Judging of others approved
1 Cor 6:2-4/ 1 Cor 5:12

35. Christ taught non-resistance
Matt 5:39/ Matt 26:52
Christ taught and practiced physical resistance
Luke 22:36/ John 2:15

36. Christ warned his followers not to fear being killed
Luke 12:4
Christ himself avoided the Jews for fear of being killed
John 7:1

37. Public prayer sanctioned
1 Kings 8:22,54, 9:3
Public prayer disapproved
Matt 6:5,6

38. Importunity in prayer commended
Luke 18:5,7
Importunity in prayer condemned
Matt 6:7,8

39. The wearing of long hair by men sanctioned
Judg 13:5/ Num 6:5
The wearing of long hair by men condemned
1 Cor 11:14

40. Circumcision instituted
Gen 17:10
Circumcision condemned
Gal 5:2

41. The Sabbath instituted
Ex 20:8
The Sabbath repudiated
Is 1:13/ Rom 14:5/ Col 2:16

42. The Sabbath instituted because God rested on the seventh day
Ex 20:11
The Sabbath instituted because God brought the Israelites out of Egypt
Deut 5:15

43. No work to be done on the Sabbath under penalty of death
Ex 31:15/ Num 15:32,36
Jesus Christ broke the Sabbath and justified his disciples in the same
John 5:16/ Matt 12:1-3,5

44. Baptism commanded
Matt 28:19
Baptism not commanded
1 Cor 1:17,14

45. Every kind of animal allowed for food.
Gen 9:3/ 1 Cor 10:25/ Rom 14:14
Certain kinds of animals prohibited for food.
Deut 14:7,8

46. Taking of oaths sanctioned
Num 30:2/ Gen 21:23-24,31/ Gen 31:53/ Heb 6:13
Taking of oaths forbidden
Matt 5:34

47. Marriage approved
Gen 2:18/ Gen 1:28/ Matt 19:5/ Heb 13:4
Marriage disapproved
1 Cor 7:1/ 1 Cor 7:7,8

48. Freedom of divorce permitted
Deut 24:1/ Deut 21:10,11,14
Divorce restricted
Matt 5:32

49. Adultery forbidden
Ex 20:14/ Heb 13:4
Adultery allowed
Num 31:18/ Hos 1:2; 2:1-3

50. Marriage or cohabitation with a sister denounced
Deut 27:22/ Lev 20:17
Abraham married his sister and God blessed the union
Gen 20:11,12/ Gen 17:16

51. A man may marry his brother's widow
Deut 25:5
A man may not marry his brother's widow
Lev 20:21

52. Hatred to kindred enjoined
Luke 14:26
Hatred to kindred condemned
Eph 6:2/ Eph 5:25,29

53. Intoxicating beverages recommended
Prov 31:6,7/ 1 Tim 5:23/ Ps 104:15
Intoxicating beverages discountenanced
Prov 20:1/ Prov 23:31,32

54. It is our duty to obey our rulers, who are God's ministers
and punish evil doers only
Rom 13:1-3,6
It is not our duty to obey rulers, who sometimes punish the
good and receive unto themselves damnation therefor
Ex 1:17,20/ Dan 3:16,18/ Dan 6:9,7,10/ Acts 4:26,27/
Mark 12:38,39,40/ Luke 23:11,24,33,35

55. Women's rights denied
Gen 3:16/ 1 Tim 2:12/ 1 Cor 14:34/ 1 Pet 3:6
Women's rights affirmed
Judg 4:4,14,15/ Judg 5:7/ Acts 2:18/ Acts 21:9

56. Obedience to masters enjoined
Col 3:22,23/ 1 Pet 2:18
Obedience due to God only
Matt 4:10/ 1 Cor 7:23/ Matt 23:10

57. There is an unpardonable sin
Mark 3:29
There is not unpardonable sin
Acts 13:39


Historical Facts

58. Man was created after the other animals
Gen 1:25,26,27
Man was created before the other animals
Gen 2:18,19

59. Seed time and harvest were never to cease
Gen 8:22
Seed time and harvest did cease for seven years
Gen 41:54,56/ Gen 45:6

60. God hardened Pharaoh's heart
Ex 4:21/ Ed 9:12
Pharaoh hardened his own heart
Ex 8:15

61. All the cattle and horses in Egypt died
Ex 9:3,6/ 14:9
All the horses of Egypt did not die
Ex 14:9

62. Moses feared Pharaoh
Ex 2:14,15,23; 4:19
Moses did not fear Pharaoh
Heb 11:27

63. There died of the plague twenty-four thousand
Num 25:9
There died of the plague but twenty-three thousand
1 Cor 10:8

64. John the Baptist was Elias
Matt 11:14
John the Baptist was not Elias
John 1:21

65. The father of Joseph, Mary's husband was Jacob
Matt 1:16
The father of Mary's husband was Heli
Luke 3:23

66. The father of Salah was Arphaxad
Gen 11:12
The father of Salah was Cainan
Luke 3:35,36

67. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David
Matt 1:17
There were but thirteen generations from Abraham to David
Matt 1:2-6

68. There were fourteen generations from the Babylonian captivity to Christ.
Matt 1:17
There were but thirteen generations from the Babylonian
captivity to Christ
Matt 1:12-16

69. The infant Christ was taken into Egypt
Matt 2:14,15,19,21,23
The infant Christ was not taken into Egypt
Luke 2:22, 39

70. Christ was tempted in the wilderness
Mark 1:12,13
Christ was not tempted in the wilderness
John 2:1,2

71. Christ preached his first sermon on the mount
Matt 5:1,2
Christ preached his first sermon on the plain
Luke 6:17,20

72. John was in prison when Jesus went into Galilee
Mark 1:14
John was not in prison when Jesus went into Galilee
John 1:43/ John 3:22-24

73. Christ's disciples were commanded to go forth with a staff
and sandals
Mark 6:8,9
Christ's disciples were commanded to go forth with neither
staffs nor sandals.
Matt 10:9,10

74. A woman of Canaan besought Jesus
Matt 15:22
It was a Greek woman who besought Him
Mark 7:26

75. Two blind men besought Jesus
Matt 20:30
Only one blind man besought Him
Luke 18:35,38

76. Christ was crucified at the third hour
Mark 15:25
Christ was not crucified until the sixth hour
John 19:14,15

77. The two thieves reviled Christ.
Matt 27:44/ Mark 15:32
Only one of the thieves reviled Christ
Luke 23:39,40

78. Satan entered into Judas while at supper
John 13:27
Satan entered into him before the supper
Luke 22:3,4,7

79. Judas committed suicide by hanging
Matt 27:5
Judas did not hang himself, but died another way
Acts 1:18

80. The potter's field was purchased by Judas
Acts 1:18
The potter's field was purchased by the Chief Priests
Matt 27:6,7

81. There was but one woman who came to the sepulchre
John 20:1
There were two women who came to the sepulchre
Matt 28:1

82. There were three women who came to the sepulchre
Mark 16:1
There were more than three women who came to the sepulchre
Luke 24:10

83. It was at sunrise when they came to the sepulchre
Mark 16:2
It was some time before sunrise when they came.
John 20:1

84. There were two angels seen by the women at the sepulchre, and they were standing up.
Luke 24:4
There was but one angel seen, and he was sitting down.
Matt 28:2,5

85. There were two angels seen within the sepulchre.
John 20:11,12
There was but one angel seen within the sepulchre
Mark 16:5

86. Christ was to be three days and three nights in the grave
Matt 12:40
Christ was but two days and two nights in the grave
Mark 15:25,42,44,45,46; 16:9>

87. Holy ghost bestowed at pentecost
Acts 1:8,5
Holy ghost bestowed before pentecost
John 20:22

88. The disciples were commanded immediately after the
resurrection to go into Galilee
Matt 28:10
The disciples were commanded immediately after the
resurrection to go tarry at Jerusalem
Luke 24:49

89. Jesus first appeared to the eleven disciples in a room at Jerusalem
Luke 24:33,36,37/ John 20:19
Jesus first appeared to the eleven on a mountain in Galilee
Matt 28:16,17

90. Christ ascended from Mount Olivet
Acts 1:9,12
Christ ascended from Bethany
Luke 24:50,51

91. Paul's attendants heard the miraculous voice, and stood speechless
Acts 9:7
Paul's attendants heard not the voice and were prostrate
Acts 26:14

92. Abraham departed to go into Canaan
Gen 12:5
Abraham went not knowing where
Heb 11:8

93. Abraham had two sons
Gal 4:22
Abraham had but one son
Heb 11:17

94. Keturah was Abraham's wife
Gen 25:1
Keturah was Abraham's concubine
1 Chron 1:32

95. Abraham begat a son when he was a hundred years old, by the
interposition of Providence
Gen 21:2/ Rom 4:19/ Heb 11:12
Abraham begat six children more after he was a hundred years
old without any interposition of providence
Gen 25:1,2

96. Jacob bought a sepulchre from Hamor
Josh 24:32
Abraham bought it of Hamor
Acts 7:16

97. God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed forever
Gen 13:14,15,17; 17:8
Abraham and his seed never received the promised land
Acts 7:5/ Heb 11:9,13

98. Goliath was slain by Elhanan
2 Sam 21:19 *note, was changed in translation to be
correct. Original manuscript was incorrect>
The brother of Goliath was slain by Elhanan
1 Chron 20:5

99. Ahaziah began to reign in the twelfth year of Joram
2 Kings 8:25
Ahaziah began to reign in the eleventh year of Joram
2 Kings 9:29

100. Michal had no child
2 Sam 6:23
Michal had five children
2 Sam 21:8

 

[pt1gard]

good job, JAY-IO, for someone in his mid 40s you must be proud of yourself and are close to passing 6'5 for being the most obvious mindless doof, and man with most time on his hands ... again what do you know about 9/11?

umm, marine, are you ever gonna address the questions i asked or are you content with recruiting innocent young men with your lies and having them die for no reason?



and so you are saying that the drug trafficking in afghan. is not a problem, that its being eradicated?

so marine whats up with the babs olson story, i need some help there ...

marine, do you think hani coulda spun the 77 buggy all the way to KY, turned around, and found the pentagon by himself; what did he use some landmarks such as the spruce that looks like a pterodactyl in wv, then spot some old car on cinder blocks and take a left? just how did hansel hanjour do this, bread crumbs:shrug: ? you are a wise guy, you must have a theory?

your hero hit an all time low today, hopefully you can dodge that somehow in your wicked profession and lure more dupes to their death

 

[pt1gard]

bush popularity all time low, jar head

bush popularity all time low, jar head

Down 40 Points
In Five Years

Just 31 percent of Americans approve of the job President Bush is doing, a new low in CNN polling. The rating came on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war. Bush's rating was 40 points higher when the war began. In a speech Wednesday, Bush called the debate over Iraq "understandable" but said a continued U.S. presence there was crucial.

 

[pt1gard]

BUSH AND RECRUITERS ON ROPES

BUSH AND RECRUITERS ON ROPES

"Defeating this enemy in Iraq will make it less likely we will face this enemy here at home," Bush said.

"We're helping the people of Iraq establish a democracy in the heart of the Middle East. A free Iraq will fight terrorists instead of harboring them."

Not far away from the Pentagon, where the president was speaking, voices called for an end to the conflict.

Several hundred anti-war protesters marched through Washington, splattering red paint on government and defense contractors' offices and occasionally scuffling with police.

Protesters, including many veterans, demanded the arrests of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as war criminals.

Others hurled balloons full of paint at a military recruiting station and smeared it on and outside buildings housing defense contractors Bechtel and Lockheed Martin.


better watch it , gomer, you might be next for sending young kids to their death:nono:

 

[THE KOD]

put the rest of your crap in here where it belongs/.

 

[pt1gard]

good, hillbilly, more solid discussion:mj07: :00hour

 

[Hard Times]

Intense Operator you'er one stupid son of Biatch. To show your ASS like this makes one think your a conplete RETARD. You will go on my ignore list like the other retards.

 

[IntenseOperator]

Introduction to Atomic Reactions

 

[IntenseOperator]

The second of three pages designed to give the reader a background in the concepts of Radiometric Dating Techniques.

If you are having problems understanding terms such as half-life, Isotopes, Nuclides, nucleon, mass defect, Nuclear Binding Energy, and various Atomic Symbols See the Atomic Structure Page.


Nuclear Reactions are regulated by the Nuclear Binding Energy.
There is a direct correlation between the average nuclear binding energy and nuclide stability. The higher the average nuclear binding energy is calculated to be, the more stable the nucleus of the nuclide. Looking at the graphic below, we can see that the binding energy per nucleon is highest in the iron-56 range, so the intermediate mass numbered nuclides have a more tightly bound nucleons than all the rest of the nuclides. They are the most stable of all the nuclides. For both the smaller and more massive nuclides, the stability is less. This leads to some interesting reactions.

In Chemistry, molecules that are unstable tend to react with other molecules. When this happens, lots of energy is released, so the reaction is called an exothermic reaction. The same thing is true for nuclear reactions. Reactions that would tend to change a nuclide from an unstable condition to a more stable condition would also be exothermic.


We can see from this chart, to the left or above, that there are two kinds of unstable nuclides; Very small and very large nuclides. There are two types of reactions that take advantage of these two kinds of unstable nuclides. Both reactions take unstable nuclides and form the intermediate mass numbered nuclides which are more stable.

Fission, the first reaction, involves the splitting of the very large nuclides to produce a smaller more stable nuclides. This is a highly exothermic reaction and it is responsible for the energy that is produced in an Atom Bomb.

Fusion, the second reaction, involves the coming together of two unstable small nuclides to form a larger more stable nuclide. This is also a highly exothermic reaction, producing much more energy then even Fission. The Fusion reaction is responsible for the energy produced in the Hydrogen Bomb.

So, Both Fission and Fusion take advantage of instability resulting in an exothermic reaction. The same can be said for other types of nuclear reactions such as: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Positron decay.


In the graphic to the left or above, we see that there are two stable isotopes of Carbon, C 12 and C 13. All the other isotopes are radioactive in that they decay. The ratio of protons and neutrons must be approximately 1:1 for a nuclide to be stable. (Below we will see that as we look at larger nuclides, the ratio slowly changes to 1:1.5.) Looking at the half-lives we can see that the further away from the proper ratio of protons and neutrons the more unstable it is. They have shorter and shorter half-lives so they disappear faster.

When we looked at the fission and Fusion reactions we saw that the products were more stable thus allowing an exothermic nuclear reaction to occur. The same is true for other nuclear reactions. Looking at Carbon 14, 15, and 16; We can see that there are too many neutrons. What the beta decay process does is to effectively turn a neutron into a proton. So what is happening, is that the nuclide turns into another nuclide that has a better ratio of neutrons and protons. It is getting closer to the normal ratio, thus creating a more stable nuclide in an exothermic reaction.

A positron decay is the opposite of a Beta decay. Looking at the following examples: Carbon 11, 10, and 9 have too few neutrons, so the nuclide undergoes a positron decay which effectively turns a proton into a neutron. Again a more stable nuclide is produced because it has a more normal ratio of protons to neutrons. More will be said when we look at these processes. But first let's look at the different nuclear reactions.

Hi,

From my experiences
described on this page,
I know that Jesus is
truly coming back to
save us from this angry
and destructive world.
In addition, I have
found, much to my
delight, that science
within the creationary
paradigm, works!

It is an exciting
thing to explore our
Biosphere from a
different perspective
than everyone else.
Often new possibilities
are realized when
this fresh new
perspective
is explored.

And when I see
new explanations
to phenomena
that no one else
sees, because
I am working in
a new paradigm,
it is down right
exciting!

Mike Brown



Types of Radioactive Decay

The three most common types of radioactive decay which are naturally occurring, are alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. They were found when it was discovered that they responded differently in an electrical field. As can be seen in the graphic, to the left or above, this experiment is very simple. We have a radioactive sample that emits all three types of radiation. The sample is surrounded by a lead block except for a hole that leads to the experiment. A lead plate with a hole serves as a focuser to let only a small beam through. As the rays go through the charged field, some of the particles start bending, going in different directions.

When the beta rays go through a charged field they bend toward the (+) positive charged plate. So beta rays are (-) negatively charged. It is now known that beta particles have a charge of -1.

Alpha rays bend toward the (-) negative charged plate, so alpha rays are (+) positively charged. It is now known that alpha particles have a charge of +2. Gamma rays are not affected by the charged field at all, so they are not charged at all.


In addition to charge, alpha, beta and gamma radiation differ in the degree that they go through matter.

A simple sheet of paper, clothing, or even skin will stop alpha rays. It is fortunate that alpha radiation is relatively harmless when coming from external sources, outside of the body, because alpha radiation has the greatest capacity to ionize matter and cause damage to the body. They have 10 times the ionizing power of x rays, gamma rays, and beta rays. So Alpha radiation is the most deadly when ingested into the body because when the alpha emitting particles are in the actual tissues of the body, there is no dead skin (the epidermal layers of the skin) to stop the alpha rays before it reaches sensitive tissue. Every tissue that the Alpha particle can run into is living tissue!

Beta rays are able to penetrate greater thicknesses of matter so that it takes a thin sheet of metal to stop beta rays.

Gamma rays have the greatest penetrative abilities. It takes several inches of lead or a few feet of concrete to stop gamma rays. Both gamma radiation and x rays are hazardous even when external to the body because they penetrate so well.

Let's explore each one of these radiations types. First we will look at the naturally occurring types; alpha, beta, and gamma. Then we will look at some of the varieties found in the laboratory; positron emission, and electron capture. Look at the graphic below to view a summary of their properties.


Alpha Radiation
Alpha particles are made of a particle that is identical to the nuclei of a helium 4 atom, having two protons and two neutrons, except that the alpha particle is moving fast, 1/10 the speed of light. Look at the chart below (below the Electromagnetic Spectrum graphic) for the summary information on the alpha and other radiation types.


Beta Radiation
Beta particles are made of a particle that is identical to electrons, except that beta particles move fast, much faster than alpha particles. They go 9/10 the speed of light. Thus they have a much higher penetrating power than alpha particles.


Gamma Radiation

Gamma rays are an extremely high energy penetrating form of radiation. Actually they are a form of electromagnetic radiation. They are composed of bundles of energy called photons in much the same way as light is composed of photons, except that the frequency of gamma rays are very much higher than light, so the energy is much higher than visible light and much more dangerous. Gamma rays are the fastest of the types of radiation, going at the speed of light.



Positron emission
An unstable nuclide will emit beta rays when the ratio of neutrons to protons is too high. These are the heavier nuclides (look at the graphic above on this page that has the isotopes of Carbon). If an unstable nuclide has a ratio of neutrons to protons that is too low, making it a lighter isotope, it will emit positron rays. A positron is a positively charged particle that has the same mass as a beta particle or electron. There are no naturally occurring nuclides that produce positrons, only artificially produced nuclides exist.


Electron Capture
Electron capture achieves the same effect as a positron emission. Rather then emitting something, an electron is captured. Usually the electron comes from some inner electron shell.


Protons and Neutrons
In nuclear lab experiments, neutrons are used from a neutron howitzer or neutron generator to make new nuclides. Since neutrons are not charged, they are not repelled by the electrons nor the protons. So they do not need to be made to go at extremely high speeds to cause a nuclear reaction.

Protons, on the other hand, are charged, so they need to be made to ram into atoms at very high speeds. So a particle accelerator (an atom smasher) which is often called names such as cyclotron and synchrotron, uses the charge in the projectile itself to accelerate the particle. In addition to protons, any charged particle can be used.



Nuclear Reactions
There are a few things we need to look at when you want to understand a nuclear reaction. Look at the graphic below and see the nuclear reaction examples.



The mass numbers (number of protons + neutrons)
The mass numbers on the left side of the equation equals the mass numbers on the right side of the equation. Look at the alpha decay example. U has a mass of 238. On the other side we see that the mass numbers for Th and He (the alpha particle) 234 and 4 add up to 238. This is true for all the other examples as well: 131 = 131 + 0; 234 = 230 + 0; and 11 = 11 + 0.


The atomic numbers (number of protons)
The atomic numbers on the left side of the equation also equals the atomic numbers on the right side of the equation. Look at the alpha decay example. U has an atomic number of 92. On the other side we see that the atomic numbers for Th and He (the alpha particle) 90 and 2 add up to 92. This is true for all the other examples as well: 53 = 54 + -1; 90 = 90 + 0; and 6 = 5 + 1.


An Alpha Decay Reaction
In the example graphic to the left or above, you can see that U 238 has turned into Th 234. An alpha particle has two protons and two neutrons just like a He 4 atom So one of the symbols for an alpha particle is He 4. We can see that the alpha particle took 4 from the mass number and 2 from the atomic number. Thus a Th atom is produced. (Remember that the number of protons or the Atomic number determines what element a nuclide is.)


A Beta Decay Reaction
In the example graphic to the left or above, you can see that I 131 has turned into Xe 131. The mass number did not change because all that is lost is an electron which has very little mass. What happens is that a neutron is effectively turned into a proton. That is why the mass does not change but the atomic number does change. Now there is one more proton and 1 less neutron.


A Gamma Decay Reaction
In the example graphic to the left or above, you can see that Th 234 does not turn into a different element. Nothing seems to happen except that we start with Th*. That means there is extra energy, that needs to be released. So a gamma ray is released to lower the energy state of Th. Other wise, nothing else happens.


A Positron Decay Reaction
In the example graphic to the left or above, you can see that C 11 has turned into B 11. The mass number did not change because all that is lost is a positron (which is a positively charged electron) which has very little mass. What happens is that a proton is effectively turned into a neutron. (This is the opposite of what happened in a beta decay reaction.) That is why the mass does not change but the atomic number does change. Now there is one less proton and 1 more neutron.


Using the Nuclide Chart to Visually Predict the Nuclide Produced by alpha, beta, gamma, and positron decay.
Since a radioactive decay reaction is predictable, we can use a nuclide chart to visually predict what the product nuclide should be.


In a beta decay reaction a neutron is effectively converted into a proton. So the product should have one more proton, and one fewer neutron. On the chart, that is the same as going up to the left.

In a positron decay reaction, the opposite happens. A proton is effectively converted into a neutron. So the product should have one more neutron and one few proton. On the chart, that is the same as going down toward the right.

In an alpha decay reaction, two protons and two neutrons are taken away from the original nuclide. So, on the chart, that is the same as going down toward the left two places.

In a gamma decay reaction, no change occurs. Only energy is released, so the chart does not indicate any change.



Lets look at an example. On the carbon 14 dating page, we looked at all of the Carbon isotopes. The carbon atoms that are too heavy, tend to break down by beta decay. On the chart we see the arrows going from C14, C15, and C16 to N14, N15, and N16 respectively. There were too many neutrons, so a neutron is effectively converted into a proton. So we get Nitrogen out of Carbon.

The carbon atoms that are too light, tend to break down by positron decay. On the chart we see the arrows going from C9, C10, and C11 to B9, B10, B11 respectively. There were too many protons, so a proton is effectively converted into a neutron. So we get Boron out of Carbon.



Now here is a very interesting chain reaction. U238 (Uranium 238) is unstable by alpha decay so it looses two protons and two neutrons. We can see the arrow going down to the left for two spaces. That is an alpha decay. We can see all the other alpha decays on the chart because they all go in the same direction.

Th 234 (Thorium 234), however, is also unstable. It breaks down by beta decay, and you can see that there is a chain reaction that goes for 14 reactions. We can see that it is a chain of both alpha and beta decays until we arrive at Pb 206 (Lead 206) which is the first stable nuclide. In addition, there are some nuclides that can bread down by either alpha or beta decay. They are Po 218 (Polonium 218), Bi 214 (Bismuth 214), and Bi 210 (Bismuth 210).

In exploring this world of atoms, you might want to take a good look at the nuclide chart available on the internet from Japan.

 

[IntenseOperator]

Introduction to Radiometric Dating Techniques

 

[IntenseOperator]

The third of three pages designed to give the reader a background in the concepts of Radiometric Dating Techniques

If you are having problems understanding terms such as half-life, Isotopes, Nuclides, nucleon, mass defect, Nuclear Binding Energy, and various Atomic Symbols See the Atomic Structure Page.

If you are having problems understanding concepts such as Average Nuclear binding Energy and nuclide stability; What is it that drives fission; fusion; and other nuclear reactions; Types of radioactive decay, alpha, beta, gamma, positron, and a summary of characteristics; Nuclear reactions; Nuclear equations; The use of nuclide charts to visually chart out nuclear reactions; The U238 decay series shown on a nuclide chart. See the Nuclear Reactions Page.


Half-life of radioactive nuclides
Since Radiometric Dating Techniques are based on the half-life phenomena of radioactive nuclides, lets explore it a little.

Radioactive atoms are unstable so they decay into a something else. The rate that atoms decay or break down is not constant. The rate changes and it is dependent on how many radioactive atoms are in a sample.

If all radioactive atoms have the same chance of breaking down we might expect that the more atoms present, the more atoms would be breaking down at any one time. This is exactly what happens.

However something interesting happens. It doesn't matter how much radioactive material we start with, if we stick with the same radioisotope, such as Carbon 14, it will always take the same amount of time for one half of the radioactive material to turn into something else. It's a first ordered reaction which means that it doesn't matter how much material we start with, we always will have the same half-live. So we will have half of what we started with when that half-life is reached.


The Half-life is defined as the amount of time required for one-half of a sample to decay to a new substance. For Carbon 14 it is always 5730 years. For Carbon 15 it is always 2.25 seconds. For Uranium 238 it is always 4,500,000,000 years. Each different nuclide has a different half-life but the half-life of each specific nuclide stays constant and as far as we can tell, it never changes.

The Chart (left or above) shows what happens to one gram of Carbon over a greater amount of time than just one half-life. The effect is compounded. After one half-life there is 1/2 present, but after two half-lives 1/2 of 1/2 (or 1/4) is present, and after three half-lives 1/2 of 1/2 of 1/2 (or 1/8) is present, and so on. So as we count the half-lives in time we see the amount C14 decline from the original gram of material to 1/2 gram, to 1/4 gram, to 1/8 gram, to 1/16 gram, etc. The loss of C14 is high initially but than slows down thus allowing the half-life rule to work throughout the whole time period. Every 5730 years, half of the C14 that was left, is lost.

Hi,

From my experiences
described on this page,
I know that Jesus is
truly coming back to
save us from this angry
and destructive world.
In addition, I have
found, much to my
delight, that science
within the creationary
paradigm, works!

It is an exciting
thing to explore our
Biosphere from a
different perspective
than everyone else.
Often new possibilities
are realized when
this fresh new
perspective
is explored.

And when I see
new explanations
to phenomena
that no one else
sees, because
I am working in
a new paradigm,
it is down right
exciting!

Mike Brown



Some nuclides emit more than one type of radiation
As we can see, every isotope or nuclide that is radioactive in that it gives off alpha, beta, gamma, or even positron has its own half-life. There are some nuclides that give off more than one type of particle. In the graphic below, look for potassium. It is the first top two nuclear reactions listed in the graphic below.

Potassium can either give off a beta particle or a positron particle. Actually, it also has electron capture (e.c.) which produces the same change as a positron decay. So we can see that potassium 40 gets converted over to argon 40 or calcium 40 depending on the particle that is released. There are two outcomes: beta decay to produce Calcium 40; or positron decay (and electron capture) to produce argon 40.

Also notice that the half-life is different for these two processes. Potassium 40 breaks down to Calcium 40 a little faster then Potassium 40 breaks down to Argon 40. We can determine this be seeing that the half-life for Potassium 40 to Calcium 40 is a shorter time them the half-life for Potassium 40 to Argon 40.

Potassium 40 breaks down to calcium 40 almost ten times faster than it breaks down to Argon 40. This is because the half-life for the production of Argon 40 is almost 10 times longer in time.


Half-lives of Radio-nuclide Geochronometers

There are certain nuclides in nature that are of special importance when it comes to dating techniques. Scientist use them to date the rock surrounding fossils because they seem to work well, producing numbers that they expect (more on this topic later).

The potassium argon determination is extremely important in that it is widely used. Most of the others listed bears mention since they are also used, however they are less important. On the other hand, the rubidium strontium determination is used for rocks that seem to be very old, like the basement rocks of Earth, Moon rocks and meteorites.

The first four examples in the graphic to the left or above, are mostly a single beta decay. The other examples, (Lead-210, U238, U235, and Th232) are a series of nuclear reactions (decays). They are chain reactions like dominoes that kids play with. Often kids will set dominoes up so that when the first one is knocked down all the others will be pushed over in a chain reaction, in a series of events. The two next graphics below illustrate these four series.


The graphic to the left or above shows three series. Both U235 and U238 are labeled. Pb210 (lead-210) is actually within the U238 series. Look for it.

If you look at these two series, U235 and U238, you can easily identify which steps are releasing an alpha particle, and which are releasing a beta particle. As was discussed in previous pages, the steps that go up and to the left are beta decay reactions. The steps that go to the left and down two places are alpha decay reaction.

Looking at the graph, you can see that there are a number of steps that have two different daughter products. Both alpha and beta decay occur with the same nuclide. We can see that there is one such nuclide in the U235 series, Ac-227. For the U238 series, we can see that there are three nuclides that produce both alpha and beta particles. In spite of this phenomena, we can see that no matter which branch a reaction goes in the series, it still gets to the same end product (daughter product).

The graphic to the left or above, shows the Thorium-232 series. Again we can easily determine which are the alpha and which are the beta reaction steps. There is only one nuclide that produces both alpha and beta particles, and that is Bi-212.

A nuclide chart is a great way to view a decay series because in a single glance we can visualize the whole chain reaction. In addition, it is easy to determine which step is an alpha reaction and which step produces beta particles.

 

[IntenseOperator]

Potassium-Argon Dating I

 

[IntenseOperator]

Potassium-Argon Dating I
Not my area of expertise but I am extremely interested in it.
Don't take what is on this page as a scientific endeavor
I am only looking at the evidence and then reporting what I have found to you.

If you are having problems understanding terms such as half-life, Isotopes, Nuclides, nucleon, mass defect, Nuclear Binding Energy, and various Atomic Symbols See the Atomic Structure Page.

If you are having problems understanding concepts such as Average Nuclear binding Energy and nuclide stability; What is it that drives fission; fusion; and other nuclear reactions; Types of radioactive decay, alpha, beta, gamma, positron, and a summary of characteristics; Nuclear reactions; Nuclear equations; The use of nuclide charts to visually chart out nuclear reactions; The U238 decay series shown on a nuclide chart. See the Nuclear Reactions Page.

If you are having problems understanding the basics of radioisotopes techniques, such as. radionuclide geochronometers, half-life, radioactive-decay series. See the introduction to Radiometric dating techniques Page.


Introduction
Is the prevalent view held by the majority of scientists the only plausible way of approaching the problems of time? If the Creation/Flood scenario as indicated by the Bible is correct, then any age significantly over 6000 years would have to be incorrect. Yet Potassium-Argon dates, for example, can easily go back to the time that evolutionists believe the earth began; 4,550,000,000 years ago (4.55 billion years). That is six orders of magnitude larger than what the Bible says Creation Week occurred! How can these dates be made to agree with each other?

The archeologist or scientist assumes that the date they receive is generally correct. However, dating mechanisms have their own set of assumptions that need to be realized. This page, Potassium-Argon Dating I, is dedicated to looking at the assumptions that are made in Potassium-Argon age determinations. The second page, Potassium-Argon Dating II, is dedicated to looking at what questions are needed so that a model can be suggested. Two field examples: the first in the Columbia River Basalts, the second in the Yellowstone Fossil Forest will be given as well. In both of these pages, a distinctly Creation/Flood perspective will be taken and the assumptions needed for what ever position taken will be discussed; However, the alternative assumptions held by long age scientists will also be included.

But first, I will discuss the basics of Potassium-Argon dating.


K/Ar dates the Rocks
Archeologists and scientists are dependent upon the use of dating methods to ascertain the approximate age of an artifact or ruin he or she finds. The age of fossils cannot be directly measured by the Potassium-Argon dating process. So instead, the rocks surrounding the fossil is dated. Their assumption that the fossil is the same age as the surrounding rock allows them to do this kind of data collecting. What they do is to take samples of the rock layers above and below where the fossil or specimen is located. Then these rock samples are dated. The researcher then assumes that the dates he or she gets are good minimum and maximum ages for the fossil.

The kinds of rock that this process is thought to work best with is various kinds of igneous rocks, volcanic rock and ash.

Biotite and hornblende give the best dates from an evolutionary perspective. Hornblende give the best date that agree with the evolutionary time scale, but biotite is much more abundant and can keep it's Argon under various weathering conditions. The following rocks which are igneous and/or metamorphic minerals, can also be dated by Potassium-Argon: Sanidine, anorthoclase, plagioclase, leucite, nepheline, muscovite, phlogopite, and lepidolite. Whole rock basalt (lava) and some report that ash can also be used. The only sedimentary rock which can be dated is glauconite, but the results are not always considered reliable by evolutionists.


What is Potassium 40?

Potassium 40 (K 40) is one of three isotopes of Potassium (K) that is found in the earth's crust (see the graphic to the left or above). Both Potassium 39 and 41 are stable and accounts for 99.99% of all the Potassium found on the earth. Potassium 40, on the other hand, only accounts for 0.0117% of the earth's Potassium. K 40 is also radioactive, because it has odd numbers of both protons and neutrons in its nucleus.

K 40 has a half-life of 1.26 billion years, but when it breaks down, there are three possible ways that it can degrade. If a K 40 atom degrades by beta decay then a Calcium 40 atom is produced. However, if the degradation is by either electron capture or positron decay, then Argon 40 is produced. The beta decay is a faster process. For every 88.8 atoms that convert into a Ca 40, only 11.2 convert into Ar 40. The 88.2 to 11.2 is called the branching ratio.

It would seem that Calcium 40 would be the better product atom to track since almost 10 times of it is produced over Ar 40. However, there is a problem with Ca 40. Ca 40 is an extremely abundant atom found in various minerals. How would the Ca 40, that is naturally found in the rocks, be distinguished from the Calcium 40 that is produced by the breakdown of K 40? We would only want to measure the amount of Calcium 40 that is produced when K 40 is broken down, and not the natural Ca 40 in the rocks would contaminate our measurements. This is a bad contamination problem so Ca 40 is not used in any dating calculations.

On the other hand, Argon 40 has just the right characteristics that would seem to make the Potassium40-Argon40 reaction useful to date various kinds of igneous rocks, volcanic rock and ash.

Hi,

From my experiences
described on this
page, I know that
Jesus is truly
coming back to
save us from this
angry and destructive world.
In addition, I have
found, much to my
delight, that science
within the creationary paradigm, works!

It is an exciting
thing to explore our
Biosphere from
a different perspective
than everyone else.
Often new possibilities are
realized when this
fresh new
perspective is explored.

And when I see
new explanations
to phenomena
that no one else
sees, because
I am working in
a new paradigm,
it is down right
exciting!

Mike Brown





The Potassium-40 Argon-40 Reaction

Ar 40 is used for several reasons. First of all, Argon is inert. It does not chemically react with other elements at all. So Argon does not attach itself to the rock or any minerals in the rock. Secondly, Argon is usually a gas. These features are thought to allow any naturally occurring Argon from contaminating our measurements of the Argon 40 that is being produced from the radioactive decay of K 40.

When volcanic material flows over the land, the naturally occurring Argon gas is driven off by the excess heat. When the rock is molten hot, it is more liquid in texture, allowing the Argon gas to escape. If all the gas is driven off, then there should be no Argon left in the rock.

Once the rock cools and hardens, it is considered to be a closed system, because any new Ar 40 that is produced by the breakdown of K40 is trapped inside the rock crystal and cannot get out. So the scientist assumes that he or she is able to measure only that Ar 40 which is produced from K 40 since the rock has cooled. All the other Ar 40 was forced out of the rock by the heat.

By forcing out the naturally occurring Ar 40, the clock of the dating mechanism is reset or set to zero. Later, when we start discussing the K-Ar dating technique from a Creationary perspective, we will see that this reseting of the clock is a major issue. The clock might not always be reset by the heat in the Rock. There are other factors which might not allow the Argon to coming out of the rock as well.

An interesting point to make is that the Potassium-Argon process does not date the age of the rock. What it does, is to tell you how long ago the rock was reset, or set to zero. In addition, some rocks may have been reheated so that the clock was partially reset or fully reset at a later date. So if there are multiple heatings of the rock, the K-Ar dating process may give the researcher a number that is not what the researcher expects to find.

Another issue is atmospheric Argon 40. However, this contamination can easily be accounted for in the calculations. Since Argon 40 exists in the atmosphere, there is a possibility that rock samples could be contaminated with atmospheric Argon. Because the atmospheric Argon is a mix of three different isotopes of Argon: Ar-36 (0.337%), Ar-38 (0.063%), and Ar-40 (99.6%); Any contamination from the atmosphere would induce not only Ar-40, but also induce both Ar-36 and Ar-38 into the rock. Since there is more Ar-36 than Ar-38, the amount of Ar-36 is measured to determine the amount of atmospheric Argon that is inserted in the rock. The ratio of Ar-40 / Ar-36 = 295.5: So this factor can be used to estimate the amount of Argon 40 that has come into the rock via Atmospheric contamination.




Limitations of the Historical Sciences
In any kind of a historical science, assumptions have to be made in the assessing of historical dates. Because it is assumed that man, for example, has ascended over a long period of time, researchers would automatically want to lengthen the amount of time indicated by the artifacts uncovered in archeological digs. They are looking for answers that would fit their present model. I am not trying to say that they are falsifying their data. On the contrary they wouldn't need to falsify anything. Historical data can be so inconclusive that a host of positions is possible from almost any set of data that is collected.

Man is thought to have progressed through a long period of prehistory (cave man's experience) before some sort of civilization is started. Only after civilization begins can we begin to gather some sort of data from the discovery of the artifacts that are found (Pieces of pottery, etc.). The artifacts according to today's traditional thinking should be slowly progressing in complexity as it is thought that man is progressing in his abilities and ideas that he uses.

If man is thought to have progressed over long periods of time, even within the later civilization phase of his existence, than surely as the artifacts are recovered from archaeological sites, the theories and ideas developed will reflect the scientist's own original thinking. This is how science normally works. They normally work within a fairly well defined set of theories that have become a paradigm. A paradigm is a theory that is so well accepted that no one seriously questions it. This way of doing science is most prominent when the evidence is fragmentary at best.

Assumptions throughout the scientific process are extremely important because they must hold the facts together. Only when specific data comes that either substantiates or falsifies the previously held assumption, can it be known if the thinking was originally correct. Unfortunately, with fragmentary data, the artifact that might falsify a theory is extremely hard in coming or it could easily be overlooked. So the problem must be solved by a host of assumptions that will probably never be tested.

There is also the danger that good data could be thrown out because it doesn't fit with established thinking. For instance, I am told that there are sometimes found in the same level both "early" forms and "modern" forms of man. Because of what is considered to be an impossibility, the modern forms are assumed to have been examples of intrusions. The modern form is considered to have been buried much later in spite of the fact that the specimens are found in the same level.

The areas of science, which are the most successful, which the public notices, are the amazing discoveries in medicine, biology, space exploration, and the like. These are the areas that deal with the here and now. If an experiment is conducted and the information needed to answer the problem is not forthcoming, then another experiment can be designed to answer the problem. The process can continue until some answer to the problem is understood. The problem is only limited by money, ingenuity, and the technical difficulties that have to be surmounted.

In addition to the above limitations of science, historical science is limited by the fragmentary nature of the artifacts it is able to find. In effect, the accuracy of ideas is limited by the assumptions chosen by the researchers.




K-Ar Dating is based on Assumptions
K-Ar dating is not based on irrefutable data alone. It has as its basis of understanding, various assumptions which concern the conditions of the Earth for hundreds of millions of years. These assumptions were originated within an atmosphere of long age preexisting ideas. Scientists almost never look for indicators in nature that might speak of a very young age for the world's history. Why would they? Most scientists do not believe that the short chronology of the Bible has any validity at all and most would consider it counterproductive to pursue such a course of investigation. If in fact such an answer were found, it would be quickly dismissed. It would be assumed that there was something wrong with the idea or the data, and a new scenario would be sought.

Some papers give evidence of presenting filtered data. What is meant by filtered data, is that they only present the data that agrees with evolutionary thinking. The other data is eliminated. A very good example of this kind of filtering is a paper by Evernden JF, Savage DE, Curtis GH, James GT: Potassium-argon dating and the Cenozoic mammalian chronology of North America. Am J Sci 1964;22:145-98. This paper is now considered to be a classic paper.

On pages 171-174 they discuss why all but one potassium/argon date for the Rusinga Island bioites was discarded. Yet they use biotite in an uncritical manor in other areas where the dates they obtained matched their expectations. On Page 174, we can also note: "Unfortunately many of the samples that passed field inspection for suitability and were laboriously collected, later proved unsuitable for dating. . . . Thus, of some 65 samples collected by M. Skinner, only 10 could be used." Other creationists such as Paul Giem (in his book, Scientific Theology see references below), have thought: "It might have been interesting to know why such samples proved unsuitable for dating, and what their potassium/argon dates were."

The degree at which the data was filtered may be even greater than just reporting 1/6 of the data they collected. Sometimes the whole rock basalt date is reported, but sometimes only a mineral fraction is reported from the basalt, like biotite or sanidine. Why is it that one type of date is used one time and not at another time, is not discussed in the paper. As Paul Giem notes: "If there are three mineral fractions per basalt sample, there are four different possible dates for that sample. Thus one could pick the dates that fit one's expectations and create a very impressive list of dates with close agreement without there being more than a general correlation of most dates with one's expectations."

It is amazing that a paper that only reports 1/6 of the data, is also considered to be a classic paper. Paul notes: "It is interesting to speculate what would happen if an article in chemistry or medicine were submitted with perhaps 1/6 of the data reported."

It should be remembered that these researchers are not being dishonest in their actions. They think of the long age scenario of evolution as being fact. They do not believe that there is any alternative way to look at history. Period! So when the data does not come out right, it is only natural that they assume that there is something wrong with the dates that do not fit the long age viewpoint.

However, when they turn around and say that the data supports the evolutionary viewpoint and not the Creationary viewpoint. This is not right! The data does not support long ages. So, many people try to say something like: the weight of evidence proves evolution; or, all the data supports evolution. But this is not true either, the weight of evidence does not prove anything. We do not have an issue of weight of evidence. Rather, what we have is weight of interpretation!

This controversy is not over data. The data can go either way. Very intelligent people believe in the long history of the earth and they have good data to support them. There is no question about it. However, I look at that same data and I come to very different conclusions. This process is legitimate! There is such a thing as multiple interpretation to the data base. There is no proof for either position.


The Assumptions used in K-Ar Dating
On this web page I want to discuss a possible scenario that would allow K-Ar dates to indicate a short age chronology. Such a discussion might never be allowed in normal scientific circles because of the assumptions they choose to believe as being true. There is such a strong consensus of opinion on K-Ar dating and other similar topics that deal with the history of the Earth that alternative viewpoints are probably viewed as being counterproductive.

Before we start, lets look at the specific K-Ar dating assumptions.

The rate of decay (half-life), and the branching ratio, of K-40 have not changed.
The material in question lost all its argon at an identifiable time, the reset time.
No argon has been lost since the time the rock was reset, or set to zero.
No argon except atmospheric argon, with today's Ar-40 / Ar-36 ratio, has been gained since the reset time of the rock.
No potassium has been gained or lost since the reset time, except by decay.
The ratio of K-40 to total K is constant.
The total K, Ar-40, and Ar-36 in the material in question can all be measured accurately.
The seventh assumption is one that scientists are doing their best to fulfill. We should also be able to safely make this assumption.

The sixth assumption is also fairly secure. When the concentrations of the various K isotopes are measured, the results are always the same.

The fifth assumption is fairly safe. There are some cases where K has been gained or lost; However, the mineral itself has been noticeably altered.

The fourth assumption is probably satisfied for most samples. However, this is an assumption that could be challenged. If the rock was heated in the presence of Argon from the earth's mantle, or perhaps in some primordial Argon which might have had a higher concentration of Ar 36; we might have problems making this assumption.

According to most texts on Potassium-Argon dating, the third assumption is fairly commonly violated. Metamorphism, weathering, and reheating are some of the processes that are mentioned to cause a loss of Argon in the crystal of a rock. Most sedimentary rocks are thought to lose Argon because the crystal structure leaks Argon. A loss of Argon would cause the rock to date younger than it should according to evolutionary thought. This is probably the assumption that scientists make when they choose to present filtered data in a scientific paper. They see the young dates as those samples that have lost Argon. It is an assumption that they probably view as having no alternatives, yet if this same issue was ever pursued, it might uncover other possibilities suggesting a short age time scenario.

Another possibility is that the second assumption is being violated rather than the third. Some samples will not be fully reset, initially. Thus these rocks give a date which is older than what normally would happen if the rocks were fully reset. These older dating rocks give the kind of dates as expected by the scientific community. On the other hand, those rocks that date younger, would not need to have had Argon leak from the crystal after the time when the reseting process occurs. Instead, the rock was probably more completely reset when it was molten. This means that there was less Argon in the rocks to begin with, because the younger dating rocks were more fully set to zero in the reseting process.

The second assumption sounds logical at first. Many text books say it is self-evident. Dalrymple states: (Dalrymple GB: The Age of the Earth. Stanford University Press, 1991 p. 91) "The K-Ar method is the only decay scheme that can be used with little or no concern for the initial presence of the daughter isotope. This is because Ar 40 is an inert gas that does not combine chemically with any other element and so escapes easily from rocks when they are heated. Thus, while a rock is molten the Ar 40 formed by the decay of K 40 escapes from the liquid."

There are reasons and evidences for challenging the second assumption. you can be sure that we will discuss this topic some more later.

The first assumption is often challenged by some creationists. They think that the radioactivity could have speeded up during the flood producing dates with long ages. But there is no known mechanism to explain or predict the increased rate of radioactivity. However there may be a new development in the field of nuclear reactions that could change this situation. People around the world are working on active "Cold Fusion" reactions. There is another group that has been conducting experiments for the express purpose of speeding up the transmutation process thus changing the half-life characteristics of radioactive materials.

Some of these reactions occur under admittedly extremely mild conditions, However, it is another question to suppose that these newly discovered processes can occur or did occur in natural conditions, in the history of our world. Dating mechanisms such as Carbon-14, work within the creationary paradigm without the need of having a change in half-lives. So since the time of the flood, there is no evidence that there has been any change in half-lives of radioactive materials.

On the other hand, It is possible that the creation event could have caused changes in the half-lives of nuclides. For more on Cold Fusion and the creation event click on Extinct Nuclides.

The majority of the fossils are found in the phanerozoic (from Cambrian up to the Pleistocene) layers of the Geologic column. This includes the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic layers. These are considered by most Creationists to have been laid down during the time of the flood. It is possible that the sedimentary layers in the upper Precambrian are also flood deposits (See my Geology page). So the volcanic rock and ash within these layers would have been been produced during the flood event. Only the rocks in the precambrian layers could have been affected by the creation event. Everything else would have been redeposited or re-melted in the global flood.


Let's Challenge Assumption Two
Is all the Argon lost when the rock is molten?
When a scientist needs to measure the amount of Argon that is trapped in a rock, the first step in the process is to get the Argon out of the rock. That is done by heating the rock in a vacuum. In a vacuum, virtually all the Argon comes out of the heated rock.

What conditions could have been present when igneous and volcanic rock was formed? Were the rock layers laid down in a vacuum? Or might we suggest that molten rock was intruded at very high levels of pressure. Within the Creationary flood model, we also might expect layers to be made underwater. Would all the Argon come out of the heated rock under these high pressure conditions?

Since K-Ar dating is so widely used, we might expect that many experiments would have been done to see how well Argon is released under various heated conditions. We might also expect that hornblende and biotite, the most reliable types of rocks from an evolutionary perspective, would have been tested. But this kind of work has not been published.

One has to wonder why these kinds of experiments were not originally done. It is always possible that these kinds of experiments were done, but the results never worked out, thus it was never published. I do not know.

I do know that there have not been too many experiments to determine what really happens to the Argon in various conditions; But there are a few. Dr Giem (see references below) has been able to find only two published papers.

In the first published paper (Karpinskaya TB, Ostrovshiy IA, Shanin LL: Synthetic introduction of argon into mica at high pressures and temperatures. Isv Akad Nauk S. S. S. R Geol Ser 1961; 8:87-9) muscovite was heated to high temperatures (740 to 860 C) under high Argon pressures (2,800 to 5000 atmospheres) for 3 to 10.5 hours. What they found was that the muscovite absorbed large quantities of Argon. When these muscovite samples were then dated via normal K-Ar dating techniques, they were measured to have an age of up to 5 billion years since the clock was reset, or set to zero. In the experiment, the Argon that was absorbed into the rock looked just like the normal radiogenic Argon that comes from K 40!

This is very interesting! From this experiment it sounds like the Argon can go either way. If Argon pressure outside the rock is high, then when the rock is heated up, Argon will flow into the rock rather than flowing out of the rock. On the other hand, if the Argon has a place to go, as in a vacuum, then the Argon will escape out of the rock. So in both cases the Argon flows down the concentration gradient. If the Argon pressure is greater in the rock, then Argon will flow out of the rock. But if the Argon pressure is greater outside the rock, then the Argon will flow into the rock.

In the second published paper (Karpinskaya TB: Synthesis of Argon muscovite. Internat Geol Rev 1967;9:1493-5) muscovite was made in a synthesis from a colloidal gel under similar Argon pressures and temperatures as the first paper. The resulting muscovite that they made had so much Argon that it was literally 0.5% Argon by weight! This concentration of Argon is 2,500 times higher than what is naturally found in the usual muscovite! Doing simple calculations it is easy to see that if the experiment was done again, but with only 2 atmospheres of Argon, that normal amounts of Argon would be forced into the rock.

These two papers should make us uncomfortable accepting assumption 2, because we can see that under certain conditions, Argon can be forced into rocks; And yet we are told to accept the assumption that all the Argon is naturally excluded!


Dating Known Modern Lava Flows
Another way to check the reseting process is to date modern lava flows that have a known date of formation. If we know when a lava flow was made because it happened recently, and we then check to see how much Argon is in the rock; That measurement will tell us how well the Argon actually came out of the rock. This is because there is no time for any new Argon to form, the only Argon present in the rock would be that which failed to get out of the rock when it was molten.

Dalrymple (Dalrymple GB: Ar-40/Ar-36 analysis of historic lava flows. Earth Planet Sci Lett 1969;6:47-55) has dated several lava flows which are known to have erupted in modern times. As it turns out, 4/5 of the lava flows had essentially zero K/Ar ages. So in these flows, essentially all of the Argon came out of the rocks.

The other 1/5 of the flows had an excess age. So, something inhibited Argon from coming out of these rocks. These flows had something that the other flows did not have. Foreign material, composed of small rocks and crystals (xenoliths and xenocrysts) were mixed into the lava. Dalrymple thought that the foreign objects must have caused these lava flows to date with older ages. The foreign material itself could date over 1 billion years old!

This is very interesting. We have indications that the very same thing happened here as we saw earlier in the muscovite experiments. Rather than reseting the clock to zero, we see that Argon probably migrated from other rocks into the molten lava, or at the very least it slowed the loss of Argon in these lava flows until the rock cooled stopping the process.


These flows are on the surface of the earth, where the Argon is able to escape into the atmosphere. It has a place to go. I wonder, what about granitic intrusions, or Plutonic rocks? Plutonic rocks are rocks are rocks that have solidified below the ground. So the cooling and crystallization of molten rock occurs below the surface of the ground. Another name for plutonic rocks is intrusive igneous rocks.

Below the surface of the earth, where would the Argon go? If there is no place for the Argon to go as the rock is cooling, the rock will probably retain its Argon. Also, if there is a partial pressure of Argon surrounding the rock, then, as experiments indicate, Argon might even enter the rock during its cooling to increase its content of Argon.

Now, what happens when volcanic lava flows go underwater into the sea? Two different papers (Dalrymple GB, Moore JG: Science 1968;161:1132-5) (Noble CS, Naughton JJ: Science 1968;162:265-7) show that lava flows in the ocean, show excess ages. The deeper the lava goes in depth into the ocean, the older the K/Ar date.

In the Creationary Flood Model, essentially all layers were deposited under water. So the idea that the Argon does not come out of the rocks very well, when water pressure is surrounding the rock, is extremely interesting!

Your Questions Answered


I'm sure you've had many responses to your article about the potassium-argon dating article and I'm sure sure you won't respond to this one.

If you did research on the subject you should realize that those tests where Argon gas pressure is put onto a heated mica are useless in anything but a laboratory. The concentration of argon used are a magnitude far beyond anything the atmosphere will ever have. Secondly they don't test mica for potassium-argon dating for the very reason it absorbed the argon in experiments, because mica easily weathers (chemically and physically) and melts at a lower temperature than biotite hornblende and other minerals used in testing. It has been confirmed as a valid dating tool by other radiometric dating techniques which all produce similar ages.

I don't see why creationists can't accept the age of the earth as being older than what a book written 2000 thousands years ago says as interpreted by pope usher. You can still believe in God and Jesus and accept the fact that evolution occurred and that someone had a hand in ensuring that our race came to be as our ancestors survived numerous mass extinctions that threatened life as a whole on earth.





The point I was making in citing the two articles using Argon gas pressure in both mica and muscovite was to suggest that when the rock heated up, the Argon gas will follow its concentration gradient. If the rock is in the lab in a vacuum, the Argon gas will flow out of the rock. Or if the rock is subject to atmospheric conditions, the Argon gas will mostly flow out of the rock and one can account for the presence of Atmospheric Argon gas in the rock.

However, if heated rock allows Argon gas to flow out, following the concentration gradient, thus allowing the Argon gas to reach equilibrium with its surrounding medium, one could postulate that the reverse could also happen. If the surrounding medium contained high Argon pressure, the molten rock would then accept Argon gas by allowing the Argon gas to reach equilibrium with its surrounding medium.

I think that the two papers suggest that Argon gas can flow in or out of the rock, depending on the surrounding pressure of Argon. The heating only allows the Argon gas to reach equilibrium with its surroundings.

Research in Hawaii shows that the lava flows on the surface of the ground are able to loose essentially all of the Argon. However, when the volcanic lava flow, goes underwater, into the sea; It shows progressively excess ages. The deeper the lava goes in depth into the ocean, the older the K/Ar date.

This suggests to me that the rock is unable to degas because of the surrounding pressure.

So, it does not matter that the laboratory experiment uses an Argon gas pressure far beyond anything found in the atmosphere. There are other conditions outside of atmospheric conditions that this laboratory experiment can explore.

You must realize that the creationary flood model has virtually all layers being deposited under water. The idea that the Argon does not come out of the rocks, when water pressure is surrounding the rock, is extremely interesting to me! I am also interested in the fact that pillow lava structures are found in these rocks which is an indication that the volcanic flow was formed underwater!

If you read further in my second potassium-argon dating page: K-Ar-dating page 2 You will see that I discuss a couple of historical examples where this inability to degas is exactly what is postulated.



K/Ar Dating II Click on Potassium-Argon Dating II to see the second page which contains a possible scenario that would allow K-Ar dates to make sense within a short age chronology. Data is used to help illustrate a possible scenario allowing K-Ar dates to be interpreted in terms or a short age chronology.

 

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A Composite Gospel

 

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This Composite Gospel using the text from The World English Bible
(WEB) combines the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
plus a few verses from Acts and 1 Corinthians into one text.
In addition, The King James Version (KJV) and The Updated King James
Version (UKJV) are also used in spots. The text coming from either the
KJV or the UKJV is identified by being (enclosed in parentheses).
Click on the Story Index or one of the Composite Gospel links:
(Composite Gospel I, Composite Gospel II, or Composite Gospel III)
to view the actual Composite Gospel.

Why a Composite Gospel?
Have you ever read one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) wishing that you could somehow read all four of the Gospels together, at the same time? You read one story and you remember that there is more to the story but where is it? Each of the four Gospels give only a part of the picture. So when we read any one of the four Gospels, by itself, we are missing much of the story. We can only get the whole picture when all four Gospels are read together.

You can use your own Bible in trying to find the parallel stories in the four Gospels yourself. However this would be rather difficult and time consuming.

Biblical scholars have provided a very good way to study these parallel stories in the different gospels. They have placed related text in a side-by-side format and its called A Harmony of the Gospel. Below is a small example of a Harmony.



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Jesus Arrives in Galilee



Matt 4:17
17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News."
Luke 4:14-15
14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
John 4:43-46
43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
46 Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine.



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It is very interesting to view the parallel texts side-by-side, but it is not easy reading because it often difficult to figure out how the texts fit together. It can often take quite a bit of time to fit the text together that allow the original four Gospels to agree with each other.

Below is the same selection of text, but as they are found in this Composite Gospel.


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Jesus Arrives in Galilee
(Matt 4:17 Mark 1:14-15 Luke 4:14-15 John 4:43-46)
43 After the two days he went out from there and went into Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
14 So, after John was taken into custody, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
45 So when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and to say, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News." Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."


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What I wanted to do was to have all the four gospels put together in a simple manner so that it would be easy to read. I did not want the reader to have to go through the process of comparing the texts of the different gospels in a careful comparison, so he or she could understand the full story.

But now, the reader can sit back and simply read, knowing that he or she is reading a composite reading of the four gospels that has the combined information found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

What Version of the Bible to Use?
I wanted to start with a version of the Bible which is well respected and easy to read. However, I then found that copyright restrictions would prevent unrestricted free posting on the internet or other media. So copyright law would keep me from legally putting this work on the internet for free. The publisher would want royalties. One of the main purposes in producing this Composite Bible is that it would be a free resource to all who have access to the internet.

Also, I would not just have the text of the Bible on my web site, I would be combining the four Gospel's together into one text, so I would be bringing things together in a way that actually changes the text of the Bible itself. This is not wanted by the publishers who own the copyright. They don't even want the punctuation to be changed.

So, I want an easy-to-read version, but virtually all the new easy reading versions are copyrighted. The only ones that are not, are old and archaic like The King James Version and the American Standard Version of 1901, or so I thought. Then I found out that the Rainbow Missions, Inc., has been working to provide a Public Domain update of the ASV of 1901 called The World English Bible. It is not copyrighted! I have found that The World English Bible (WEB) reads very well. So I have chosen the The World English Bible (WEB) to be the version that this Composite Gospel is based.

In addition to The World English Bible, The King James Version (KJV) and The Updated King James Version (UKJV) are also used in spots to allow for a smoother flowing text. When combining text together, it is sometimes helpful to have an alternate way of expressing the thought. This is especially important when there is a combining of text from different sources such as The four Gospels. The text coming from either the KJV or the UKJV is identified by being (enclosed in parentheses). Both the KJV and the UKJV are both within the Public Domain.

How were these four Gospels combined into a single Composite Gospel?
I chose to use a Harmony of the Gospels by A. T. Robertson to help me understand more fully how the four Gospels relate to each other in a side-by-side format. However, in the process of using Robertson's harmony, I started to realize that I differed from Robertson, occasionally, on how the original Gospels fit with each other. So this Composite Gospel does not follow Robertson's harmony on every point.

In a Harmony of the Gospels, we obviously can have up to all four books side-by-side. However, in a Composite Gospel, only a single text is used. Often, one of the four Gospels is used as the main text, with bits and pieces of the other three Gospels being inserted where they say more than the main text. If one of the original gospels gives more information than the other three; then, the one having more information is chosen as the main text. However, if all the original gospels are about the same in giving information, then the one that is easiest to read will automatically be picked. So, the composite text has all the information that is contained in all four of the Gospels.

It is my purpose to make the sentence structure as simple as possible. In looking over the four Gospels, I have found that Matthew has a very simple and direct way of writing. Mark, on the other hand seems to have a more complicated style of writing. Luke, seems to be awkward at times. So, when more than one of the original gospels are about equal in information and coverage, Matthew is usually chosen as the main source of the text. Then the specific facts, the bits and pieces, are then inserted from the other of the four original gospels to make the composite gospel more complete. So, the same information that is found in the different original gospels, is now contained in this Composite Gospel.

Color is Used to Keep the Reader Connected to the Original Four Gospels
Another important aspect of this Composite Gospel, is that there is a need to keep the reader connected to the original four Gospels while reading the composite text. If the reader looses contact with the original presentation of the Gospel, as is found in the Bible, than this new composite Gospel could have a negative effect on the reader. It is important that the reader knows where the words are coming from in this Composite Gospel.

So, an important feature of this Composite Gospel is that the text itself is color-coded. Each Book has its own specific color as you will see when you click to the actual Composite Gospel.


Matthew - Red Luke - Green Acts - Orange
Mark - Brown John - Blue 1 Corinthians - Light Blue

Added words (usually connecting words) - Purple


Also, the words of the four original gospels are used rather extensively, almost exclusively, as is. Only a few words, mostly connecting words have been added or changed in the text to allow the composite text to read well. These added or changed words have their own distinctive color (purple).

So, not only will the reader of this composite Gospel have a simple reading of the combined information found in the four Gospels, but, as they are reading the text, they will know from what original Gospel book they are reading. Also, the verse numbers, at the beginning of each new verse, is the actual verse as found in the Bible, of the specific Gospel being used at the moment. So it should be an easy matter for the reader to note the color of the verse number and open up the Bible and find the exact verse that they are reading.

The Need to Restate Important Concepts
As a teacher, I have found that it is often helpful to restate important concepts, to say things more than once in different ways, so that the idea can sink into the minds of my students. Since I have found that the writers of the four Gospels often complement each other by saying things in different ways, I have often placed their comments together in much the same way as I might say it as a teacher, in class.

Here is an example where both Matthew and Mark are saying about the same thing, yet I found it helpful to have the text restate this important concept more than once: "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News." "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Having the text restate important concepts could encourage some to look at the text of Matthew and Mark (in this example) to note the difference for themselves. Also, having various text restated should not detract us from having a free flowing composite text of the four Gospels since these four books are often very brief in their presentation; And we, in common conversation, often repeat ourselves for added emphasis.

However, the restating of various text does go against the way most translations of the Bible are rendered. Most translators do a word for word translation, and even if the meaning of the english word is somewhat different from the word in the original language, causing much of the idea to be lost in the translation; It is done anyway. The word for word translation tradition is followed religiously.

I believe that since this new text is a composite text of the four original gospels, there needs to be some sort of indication, within the text itself, that there are differences between the various original Gospels. The restating of various important concepts will help show these differences and at the same time, adding a richness to the story of the Gospel.

The Features in This Composite Gospel are Designed to Limit the Loss of Information
There is a certain amount of loss when four different books are combined into a single account of what happened. Often in the past, there have been attempts to make a single composite Gospel. It is said that they wrote these combined works with a certain amount freedom. This freedom of expression is sometimes necessary since the four original gospels are quite different. Just by its very nature, a Harmony of the gospels is more accurate since there is no loss of information. A Harmony preserves even the differences in style as they originally were written, except for the fact that the actual language is different.

However, in this Composite Gospel, an easier reading of the four Gospels together was the objective. So features were incorporated into this Composite Gospel that are designed to somewhat limit the loss that is enharient in a composite text. Being able to restate important concepts in different ways, using the different original Gospels, is a way to show some of the variation that is found between the different original Gospels. In addition, the adding of the color-coded text also allows the reader to see where these restated concepts come from. It is an important tool in allowing the reader to start seeing the differences, found in the four original Gospels.

Just having the actual text of the four original gospels being identified, will help the reader be aware all along the way, of where the words came from. The reader can then make his or her own decision as to what aspect they might want to explore.


Some Scripture do not Easily Fit Together
There are some parts that are not easy to bring together into a single text. There are some places where the Gospel writers seem to disagree with one another to the point where it is virtually impossible to bring the text together. There are a few examples where I thought it important that the reader see the difference in approach, so that the reader can realize how these books were initially written.

So in these few places, parallel text is placed side-by-side to allow the reader to see for themselves how different they are from each other. Below is a listing of these few places. Underneath each heading is an explanation as to why they were left as parallel text and not as a composite text. In these examples, only the parallel text is shown. The rest of each example can be found in the Composite Gospel itself.





2
Jesus' Genealogy
The genealogies of Matthew and Luke are very different from each other. Matthew starts at the beginning with Abraham going to Jesus, while Luke starts with Jesus, going back to Adam! So they are going in opposite directions and different people are used in the lineage. One uses Mary's ancestry while the other uses Joseph's ancestry. They cannot be made to match nor should they be made to fit into a single text.


(Matt 1:1-17 Luke 3:23-38)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.
8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.
9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.
11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.
14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.
15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.





17
Jesus is Baptized
Luke remembers God saying: "You are My beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.", while Matthew remembers God saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Now, Mark remembers God saying: "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is in-between what Matthew and Luke remembered.

Memories of what happened are different, even on the words from God. This difference was retained in the text to show the kinds of differences we see when we compare the different Gospels.


(Matt 3:13-17 Mark 1:9-11 Luke 3:21-23)
17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "(You are. . .) (This is. . .) my beloved Son, (in you. . .) (with whom. . .) I am well pleased."





51
Sermon On The Mount
Practice Real Righteousness

119
Lord Teach Us To Pray, The Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is found in the Bible in two places. They are kept as two separate texts to allow for comparison because it is such a famous quote from Jesus.


(Matt 6:1-18 Luke 11:2-4)
9 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen..
2 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."





104
Who Will Be The Greatest?
This is one story where the text of Matthew, Mark, and Luke could not me made to agree with each other for the purposses of this Composite Gospel.


(Matt 18:1-5 Mark 9:33-37 Luke 9:46-48 )
1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ?Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven??
33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ?What were you arguing among yourselves on the way??

34 But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.
46 There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.
47 Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts





Click on the Story Index or one of the Composite Gospel links:
(Composite Gospel I, Composite Gospel II, or Composite Gospel III)
to view the actual Composite Gospel.

 

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Are the Wicked Tormented Day and Night for Ever and Ever?

 

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Are the Wicked Tormented Day and Night for Ever and Ever?

Notice that some parts of Revelation say that the wicked will suffer torment for ever and ever while other portions of Revelation say that the wicked experience the second death. Click to see: Section 6.3 and especially Section 6.5 for a more complete look at these Bible texts.

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:11

9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:9-10
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8




Something must be wrong. How can the wicked both die the second death and yet live for ever and ever in agony because they will burn forever?

Revelation 20 is especially interesting. The wicked are said to be tormented day and night for ever and ever, yet twice in the same chapter, the wicked are said to experience the second death. John could not have been so inconsistent as to mix this issue up in the very same chapter!

There is no returning from the second death. Jesus Himself says we should fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, when the wicked are destroyed!

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
If the wicked are destroyed, both soul and body, in the lake of fire as Jesus says, they cannot be tormented for ever and ever.

In addition, if you click on the following link: Hell Fire, does it last forever? You will see, over and over again, that all the rest of the Bible says: The wicked will be completely destroyed. They will perish. They will be burned up until they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. They will be no more. They will cease to exist, etc.

So, why does Revelation say the wicked will be tormented for ever and ever when all the rest of the Bible says the wicked will be completely destroyed and cease to exist? Does Scripture disagrees with itself?

No it does not have to disagree with itself. The answer lies in our understanding of the word "forever". Let's study it together.



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What Does "For Ever and Ever" Mean?

In general, the Greek word aion is translated: forever. However its real meaning is "Age". There are actually two meanings for the word "Age"

"Age" can mean a human lifetime, or life itself. So it can be a limited time, as long as someone is going to live.
"Age" can also mean an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, or an eternity. So it can mean forever and ever.
Basically, if the subject is God or Jesus, since they exist in eternity, the meaning of "Age" would be an unbroken age, or an eternity. On the other hand, if the subject is referring to finite human beings, then the meaning of "Age" would be limited to the life-span of a human lifetime.

In the Greek New Testament, "Age" almost always refers to the subject of Jesus or God. Since He lives forever, the time that is meant is forever or for an eternity. However in the Old Testament, we have many examples where forever only means the life-time of an individual. The Hebrew language can have the same two meanings. Here is an example, in Old Testament Hebrew, where forever only means how long a person will live.

If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
And when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;
you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the LORD has blessed you with, you shall give to him.
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.
And if it happens that he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you,
then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. Deuteronomy 15:12-17
Obviously, the person can only be a servant for as long as he or she lives. He or she does not live for eternity. So forever means only his or her life-time.

The idea that forever in the Old Testament Bible can be just a limited lifetime of an individual is common. Lets look in the New Testament.


Idiomatic Phrases

In the New Testament, the word "age" is not used by itself, but rather; It is included in an idiomatic expression or a phrase. These phrases are thought to describe an undefined period of time.

There are a number of similar phrases found in the New Testament. All of these phrases are usually translated as: "forever". Here are two typical phrases:

In Hebrews 5:6 & 6:20 The phrase: eis ton aiona literally means: "unto the age"
and in Hebrews 13:8 the pleural phrase: eis tous aionas literally means: "unto the ages"

These two phrases, "unto the age" and "unto the ages", are both translated as "forever". Yet, they can either mean "forever", or they can mean, "for as long as the person lives". So, these phrases do not have to express the idea that the time is forever, or an eternity. They can also be understood to mean the life-span of an individual as well. It depends on the context of the word. This is exactly what we found to be the case in the Hebrew example above.


Compound Idiomatic Phrases

Now, lets look at Revelation 14:11 and 20:10. Both of the following phrases are usually translated as: "for ever and ever"

In Rev. 14:11 the phrase: eis aionas aionon literally means: "unto ages of ages"
In Rev. 20:10 the phrase: eis tous aionas ton anionon literally means: "unto the ages of the ages"

"Unto ages of ages" and "unto the ages of the ages" are really compound expressions. The expression itself means multiplied ages. Some feel that these compound phrases could more emphatically declare the idea of eternity, so the suffering of the wicked would last forever and ever. However, this view would pit Revelation 14:11 and 20:10 against all the other texts of the Bible that speak of the wicked being destroyed. Even within Revelation 20 itself, this punishment of the wicked is called the second death (Revelation 20:6, 14). The death in which there is no return. So, this idea, that the wicked will suffer for ever and ever, does not make sense.

A second possible view is that the wicked will burn for a prescribed period of time as determined by the Judgment of God and the righteous saints. So the compound expression would express the idea that punishment would be metered out. It would be measured according to a judgment process.

In the New Testament, we see that the righteous will actually judge the wicked when they are with God.

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4.
So, for a thousand years, the righteous people who are with God, will judge both the wicked angels and the wicked people who did not choose to follow God. On Judgment Day, the wicked will be facing eternal damnation. They will be burned with fire. This is the day when the wicked face the wrath of God and of His indignation.


The eternal (forever) meaning of these compound phrases: "unto ages of ages" and "unto the ages of the ages" should be understood by the context of the associated text. This means that it should agree with the other texts of Scripture.

The wicked are to face judgment, and they will be tormented for worshipping the beast, for following Satan. We know that the wicked will experience the second death at this time. So they will not burn forever and ever They will be experiencing permanent death and they will cease to exist.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
So, we should not automatically assume that the wicked will be tormented for eternity. Instead, the wicked will only be tormented for a certain period of time, as long as they are alive, as prescribed by the judgement. This should make sense, that the meaning is not forever, since the wicked themselves are not immortal. They have a limited life-span. Click to see: I always believed that the soul was immortal.


If either "unto the age" or "unto the ages" were used in the description of the torment, it would be clear that man would not last very long in the fire, since the natural process of burning would cause a very short period of suffering. However, since the compound phrases: "unto ages of ages" and "unto the ages of the ages" were used in the description of the punishment, because of the multiplied ages definition; It might be that the time will be metered out, for longer periods of time, so that the wicked will get their just reward.

It might be that the righteous will help determine how long each of the wicked are to suffer before they die.

However, it should be clear, from all the rest of Scripture, that the final fate of the wicked is to be completely destroyed.

For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1
You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:3.
For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near. . . . . And they shall be as though they had never been. Obadiah 1:15-16.
So eternal suffering is not an option for consideration, for the understanding of these two texts in Revelation.


The Smoke of Their Torment

Here is another interesting note: "The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever", from Revelation 14:11 obviously comes from Isaiah 34:10. It is the description of the destruction and desolation of Edom. Most of the book Revelation actually is connected with the Old Testament.

It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever. Isaiah 34:10
It is clear that Isaiah was not saying that the smoke would be ascending forever since he also says that the land would then become a waste for generations. He says that it would be a place that only wild animals would inhabit. The animals would take over the land.

But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.
They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing.
And thorns shall come up in its palaces, Nettles and brambles in its fortresses; It shall be a habitation of jackals, A courtyard for ostriches.
The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the jackals, And the wild goat shall bleat to its companion; Also the night creature shall rest there, And find for herself a place of rest.
There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs And hatch, and gather them under her shadow; There also shall the hawks be gathered, Every one with her mate. Isaiah 34:11-15
The description of the smoke, is only a temporary action. Once the smoke is gone, then the animals take over. So, this text really speaks of complete destruction, not that the smoke would be forever rising, but that it would become a wasteland. The fire would do its job and then nothing would be left. If the area would be forever burning and smokey, the wild animals would never inhabit the area. Animals run away from smoke and fire.

The destruction of Edom matches the destruction of the wicked at the end. They will also vanish away once the fire does its job of destroying the wicked.

But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. Psalm 37: 20.
So in this case the word "forever", only means for as long as Edom burned. And in Revelation, "forever" only means for as long as the wicked burn. The fire will not be quenched until everything is burned up.


Conclusion

Because all of the Bible teaches that the wicked will one day cease to exist and they will be as though they had never been; We know that the wicked will not suffer forever and ever. But rather, they will suffer until they die in the flames. So they will be tormented and they will have no rest day nor night until they die. The smoke of their torment will ascend up until their bodies are consumed. This is the death of judgement, the second death from which there is no return, when they are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

Since the meaning of the word "age" can either be "forever" or it can be "for just a lifetime", Revelation 14:11 and 20:10 can now agree with the rest of the Bible in our understanding. The fire will not be put out nor will it be quenched until the wicked will be totally consumed.

Since the compound phrases: "unto ages of ages" and "unto the ages of the ages" were used in the description of the punishment, because of the multiplied ages definition; It probably means that the time will be metered out, for longer periods of time, so that the wicked will get their just reward as dictated by the judgement. Some might burn longer, while others might burn a shorter period of time.

So, once they are consumed by the flames like an oven, they will be stubble because they were burned up. And they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. This will be the end of the wicked! After they are burned up, there will not be a fire to sit before, nor even a coal to warm yourself. This is the complete end of the wicked.

Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Isaiah 47:14.
And the wicked will be no more. It will be as if they never existed!

For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
For as you drank on my holy mountain, So shall all the nations drink continually; Yes, they shall drink, and swallow, And they shall be as though they had never been. Obadiah 1:15-16.
There is no hell that burns forever! They will be burned up!



Difficult Bible Question Answered and Explained.


I agree with the results of your word study on aion. I don't believe people will be punished forever but that there will be an end of the punishment. However to what end is that punishment intended. Is there a purpose for punishment?

Your argument is that God will torture people for periods of time based on the degree of their wickedness but that ultimately there will be an end to their agony when they are completely consumed and just cease to exist.

Couldn't a loving God (whose end goal is to make it as though these wicked people never existed) simply just twitch his finger and wipe these people out? Why does he subject the wicked to years (hundreds or thousands or billions) of punishment and torturre when he will not even let them have a memory of their experience?

Think about torture for a second. It is used for a purpose is it not? To get people to confess, give up information. Isn't punishment something good parents use to correct rebellious uneducated children. Isn't the purpose of punishment to teach a person a lesson.

Can you imagine if our legal system tortured people for twenty years before sending them to the gas chamber? Don't you think every Christian in the world would be marching in the streets for just and fair punishmnet? Why then do we assign such characteristics to God?

Try opening your heart and mind to another option. You are already putting yourself at odds with so much christian doctrinal history when you disagree with the meaning of forever and ever, why not go a bit farther.

Imagine that God uses fire to purify sinners. God uses brimstone (sulfur) to sanctify sinners. That the lake of fire is not a literal BBQ for wicked people, but is a symbol for God's righteous judgement that does not torture people but burns away their wickedness so that the old carnal minded humanity is burned up and they can learn righteosness. Remember that this burning is all done in the presence of holy angels and the lamb. Revelation 14:10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

Can your heart really imagine Jesus standing at the edge of a lake of literal fire watching billions of people burning for years and years. What does your heart imagine Jesus is doing as he stands there and watches?

Try to open your heart to the possibility that the lake of fire is not literal but speaks of spiritual judgement. Jesus and his holy angels are doing the judging, and the judgements are righteous and they have a purpose other than meaningless vindictive torture.





I do not see any evidence that judgement is a spiritual judgement. It will be very physical.

For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, Says the LORD of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.
But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3.
Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Isaiah 47:14.
You are right in saying that God's final judgement is NOT a punishment that will change the wicked. There is nothing for the wicked to learn. However, the Bible speaks of the final judgement as being a righteous act of eternal destruction that comes on the wicked. God will repay the wicked with tribulation.

which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10.
When Jesus was here on earth, He said that if anyone led a little child to sin, it would be better for them if they were drowned in the sea.

"Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 16:5-6.
This also suggests to me that there is something fearful to face that is worst than death for the wicked.



Length of Time

The Bible does not say thousands of years or even a single year. The Bible acually does not indicate how long it will take. I don't think it will take that long.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4
We see that judgment was given to the righteous.

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.
I was listening to a man in a meeting describing how a cat was playing with its food. A rat was in its grasp. In a desperate attempt to get away, the rat jumped and landed in the camp fire. As he mentioned the rat jumping into the fire, the audience made stray noises indicating their horror of hearing about a rat suffering.

I agree with you. I cannot imagine God's wrath lasting for years and years. For God and for all the righteous, I believe they will be relieved and happy when it is all over. The suffering will be at an end. What ever is to be done to the wicked, all will think it just. But to say it will take years, that is going too far.

No one, neither God nor the wicked will have pleasure in the destruction and suffering of the wicked. Except that everyone will know that it is necessary.

Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
When God says: "Why should you die?" it is clear to me that He is speaking of eternal death and destruction. Not the sleep the righteous will experience.

I have no way of knowing how it really will be. I know that God is a God of love and He will cleanse the Universe of all sin and evil. He will do what is needed to ensure that sin will never raise its ugly head again.

But we are so use to hearing of the wicked people suffering for an eternity that we can make the assumption that it would continue for years and years or some long period of time. But we need to put all the text of the Bible together to try to understand what will happen.



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What Happens During the 1000 Years Following Jesus' Second Coming?

 

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Most people who read the Bible know that in the end, righteous people will inherit eternal life and go to Heaven but that the wicked people will not get either gift. The future of the wicked is not good. However, there are many different ideas on what will happen, especially to the wicked. But if we look at what might be the most famous verse in the Bible, we can see that it is clear what is going to happen to both the righteous and the wicked in the end.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
From this famous verse, we can see that the two outcomes are clear. People will either perish, no longer existing, or they will live forever! There is no other outcome mentioned in the Bible. When we look at this 1000 year period following the second coming of Jesus, in the Bible, we can see that these same two options are clearly described but with greater detail.

So, let us look at the Bible to see what specifically happens to the people of the world. We will do this in three stages: First we will see what reward God gives the righteous; Secondly, we will look at the fate of the wicked; Finally, we will look at how the righteous will inherit the earth after the wicked are completely destroyed.

Reward for the Righteous, Eternal Life
My kingdom is not of this world

When Jesus was on earth 2000 years ago, Jesus was very specific when He said that His kingdom was not of this world.

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." John 18:36.
Of course, one could argue that Jesus was only speaking of our sinful world. However, in John 13-14, we find that Jesus says there are places to live in His Father's house. It only makes sense that Jesus is coming to take His saints back with Him to heaven and not the earth.

In John there is a discussion that Jesus has with His disciples about His leaving them. And they would not be able to follow Him at that time.

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The **** shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 13:33,36-14:3
In this discussion Jesus had with His disciples, Peter wanted to go with Him to heaven, but Jesus said they could not go with Him now. But here, Jesus tells them not to be troubled because there were many places in His Fathers house to live and He was going to prepare a place for them and will come again to receive them unto Himself so that they will all be together again.

So, when we look at the whole conversation, we can see what Jesus is saying. He is going to heaven now to prepare things for us and that He will come again to take us back to His Father's house, which is heaven. In verse 36, Jesus says that they cannot follow Him now, but that they will follow Him afterwards.

The places in His Father's house are in Heaven, not on earth. As we will see later on this page, there is nothing on earth for the saints at this point. Even the earth itself is all broken up. So, Jesus will take His saints to Heaven where the New Jerusalem is presently located.


Jesus Gathers His Elect and Brings Them With Him

When Jesus comes at the end of the world to collect His Saints, He gathers them together from all the parts of the earth. Here we have two parallel accounts of what Jesus told His disciples about His second coming:

29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31. 24. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25. And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Mark 13:26-27.


When Jesus comes with power and glory, His people will be scattered over all the face of the earth. So His angels will gather His elect and bring them together when the trumpet sounds. (Elect means: His chosen ones)

Below, Paul comforts the Christians in Thessalonica who were concerned that people were starting to die who had expected to see Jesus come in their life-time.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
So, Paul tells the Thessalonians that God will not forget those who have died. If we believe that Jesus has risen from the dead, we can believe that God will bring them with Him.

Now, what does Paul mean? There are two possible choices:

Does he mean that Jesus is taking those who sleep, from heaven back to the earth so that the dead would be already with Jesus when He comes in the clouds of glory? (This would mean that the dead people who sleep, are already in heaven)
Or does it mean that Jesus will take those who have fallen asleep back to heaven along with those who are still alive? (this would mean that Jesus raises up the dead when He comes to the earth at the last day.)
It is clear from the next few verses that Jesus will not only take all the living elect, but He will also raise from the dead all of His chosen ones who died, when He comes again, at His second coming, at the trump of God.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Concentrating on verses 16 and 17, we see that Jesus Himself comes down from heaven at His second coming. This is the big event at the end of the world when Jesus comes to get His people and take them back with Him. With a shout of the archangel's voice and the trumpet of God, the dead in Christ rise up first. Then, all who are still alive in Christ, are brought up together with those who had died in the clouds and they meet the Lord in the air to be always with Him.

It is at the second coming of Jesus, the time of the end, when both those who died and those who are alive, will be taken up into heaven. So, it is clear that when Paul says in verse 14 that when Jesus comes again, even those who sleep in Jesus will God take back to heaven with Him and so will we ever be with the Lord!

Looking at 1 Corinthians, we find that Paul is consistent. Jesus is the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep in Jesus and here again Paul says that the dead in Christ will be raised at the time of His coming:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
All who have died in Christ, shall be made alive at Christ's second coming. It doesn't happen before His coming at all.

So, it looks like Jesus is taking all His people back to be with Himself, because there are places for His saints to live and He wants us to be with Him. This most likely is the beloved city, the New Jerusalem and we know that the New Jerusalem does not come out of heaven until after the 1000 years. The very last part of the book of Revelation speaks of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven to the New Earth. We will see that later on this page.


The Righteous Reign with Christ a Thousand Years

God has very definite plans for the righteous. In the Bible there are many clues showing what these plans are. In Romans and 2 Timothy, we find interesting bits of information.

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:14-17. 10. Therefore I endure all things for the elect?s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Timothy 2:10-12.


The righteous have now become the children of God by adoption. They were led by the Spirit of God and were able to obtain their salvation through Jesus. So now, they can call God as their daddy or father because they have become adopted into the family of God!

What God does for the righteous, His chosen ones, is to give them eternal glory by having them live and reign with him! The righteous become joint-heirs with Christ and they actually are glorified together with Christ!

In 1 Corinthians, we see that the righteous will also act as judges:

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.
The righteous will judge the wicked, both those who lived on the earth and also the evil angels that had tempted people to go against God.

In Revelation 20, we find that it is during the 1000 years that the righteous live and reign with Christ. It is during this 1000 years that judgment is given into the hands of the righteous. It is at this time that they will judge both the wicked angels and people:

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.
So, the righteous live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. They judge the wicked and they will be priests of God and of Christ. They are blessed and holy because they were raised in the first resurrection. This is the resurrection of the righteous when Jesus came. The wicked will not be resurrected until the 1000 years are finished. That is when the wicked will be judged and they will experience the second death from which they will never live again. They will cease to exist.

The righteous, as it says in verse six, will never experience the second death. The second death is only for the wicked, not the righteous. All through the Bible, the first death is described as a sleep because God will resurrect all people from the grave. Click on: "What happens when people die?" to better understand the first death that almost all people will experience. Only those who are living when Jesus comes will never see death.

As we will soon see, it is the wicked, who will not only die the first time, but they will be raised up at the end of the 1000 years to receive judgement and then they will die the second death from which there is no returning. They will cease to exist. But the second death has no power against those who took part in the first resurrection at Christ's second coming, at the beginning of the 1000 years.


At the End of the 1000 Years God's People Come down in the New Jerusalem to Earth

At the end of the 1000 years, the wicked will be judged. We will study this subject out much more thoroughly when we look at the reward of the wicked. Right now, we want to concentrate on the righteous while the wicked are destroyed.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Revelation 20:7-9
As we will see, when we look at what happens to the wicked, Satan is let loose from his prison and he then goes out to deceive all those who were raised up at the end of the thousand years. And Satan convinces them to attack the beloved city of Jerusalem, where the righteous are located. But as they surround the city, fire comes down from God and devours them.

At this time, the righteous are in the New Jerusalem, the beloved city. Look at the following two Scripture concerning the New Jerusalem and the righteous:

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2 13. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
14. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Revelation 22:13-15


So, we see that the new Jerusalem comes down from the city and it is only the righteous who have the right to enter the gates of the city. The only ones that are left outside are those who are wicked. As we saw earlier, the wicked surround the people of God and the city and then fire comes out of heaven to destroy them. All the righteous are safely inside the city.

For the 1000 years, we have seen that the righteous live and reign with Jesus. This must be a healing time for them because God waits for a 1000 years in order to judge the wicked. This is a long time. It must be for the righteous that God waits so long.

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, that during the 1000 years, God puts the righteous at the very heart of the judgement: Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels? God actually gives the judgement of the wicked to the righteous!

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4.
So, it looks very likely that God gives the righteous the judgment of the wicked to help them heal. What better way to show the new sons and daughters of God about the righteousness of God, and that all things that He does is righteous? During this 1000 years, the righteous will judge the wicked, and they will live and reign with Jesus; They will be where God is! What better way to learn of God than to be with God personally?

Once the wicked are destroyed, God makes new heavens and a new earth and all weeping will be no more.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Isaiah 65:17-19
God has now put all the questions that the righteous might have had, out of their minds, because they have all been answered during the 1000 years. There is no longer any reason for any of the righteous to question God or to wonder why He does things the way that He does, because, God Himself has laid Himself open, showing what He has done so that the righteous can judge the wicked.

Now, the righteous see the wisdom in the complete destruction of the wicked at that time. After all, they took part in the judgement themselves! So, with their complete trust in God, having seen how God has conducted the whole proceedings, they are able to praise God for His victory and for the destruction of the wicked. And now, God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and the former things will not be remembered nor come to mind any longer. They are completely healed of the heartache they went through.

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. Malachi 4:2.
After we look at the reward of the wicked, we will look at the verses of the Bible that show us what the new world will be like after the wicked people are destroyed.

Reward for the Wicked, They will Perish
All The Wicked are Destroyed by the Brightness of His Coming

When Jesus comes to pick up His righteous people, at the beginning of the 1000 years, all the wicked people who are alive at the time when He comes, His Second Coming, They will all be killed by the brightness of His coming. So, during the thousand years following the second coming, there is no one left alive on the earth. All the wicked will be killed when Jesus comes. The best two scriptures that I have found so far, to confirm this point is the following: Revelation 19:21 and 2 Thessalonians 2:8

And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:21.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thess 2:8-10.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:15-17.
. . . Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:29-33.

No Person is Left Alive on the Earth in the Thousand Years

Jeremiah also helps to show that there will be no one left on the earth after Jesus comes. It is interesting that he uses the same words used in the book of Genesis to describe the Earth. The Earth was without form and void.

And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Jeremiah 25:33.
I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth.
I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:23-26.
We can see that there are broken down cities, all man is destroyed and the ground is extremely unstable. This is the result of God's fierce anger, and at the presence of the Lord, all this was done to the earth!


Satan will be Under Lock and Key.

When Jesus comes, we saw that the righteous were taken to Heaven to be with Him. We also saw that all the wicked were killed by the brightness of His coming, and we saw that the earth was also destroyed to the extent that Jeremiah said the Earth was without form and void.

Now, we see that Satan is put into a bottomless pit and is bound for a thousand years.

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:1-3.
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6
Some believe that the righteous people will reign with Jesus on earth during this time, so they think Satan must be somewhere else. However, it is very clear from the Bible that no one will be left alive on the earth during the thousand year period. There is no one that Satan could deceive or tempt. So the earth could very well be the pit that Satan is placed in. It would be a fitting place for Satan to view the destruction of cities and man and think what he has done.



The Wicked Experience the Second Death! at the End of the 1000 Years

Later, the rest of the dead will be brought back to life. These are the wicked dead, who do not live again until after the thousand years are ended. This is the second resurrection, the resurrection of damnation which occurs a thousand years after the righteous are raised.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. Revelation 20:5 (first part).
Since the wicked experience the second death, they will be killed by the judgement of God. However the righteous will never again experience death. Those who are raised in the first resurrection of the righteous, the second death has no power!

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11.
The second death is only for the wicked. Those who overcometh will not be hurt at all.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6.
Also, if we look at verse 6, above, we see that all those who were taken by Jesus, all those who were raised by Jesus in the first resurrection would never experience death again. They will not experience the second death. Only the wicked who were either killed by the brightness of Jesus' coming or who were already dead (they did not experience the first resurrection) will eventually experience the second death.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:13-15
Notice that the second death is connected with the wicked being put in the lake of fire. The wicked cannot be tormented day and night for ever and ever if it is suppose to be when they die the second death.

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:7-8.
Below are four parallel accounts of what will happen when the wicked are judged and experience the second death. These accounts are color-coordinated, showing how the four accounts relate to each other.

Green - The thousand years
Orange - Satan released from the bottomless pit
Blue - The second resurrection, the resurrection of the wicked.
Dark Blue - Satan tempting the wicked.
Red - If any man follows Satan. . .

Blue/Green - The New Jerusalem, the beloved city, coming down from God out of heaven.
Light Blue - The resurrected wicked surrounding the saints in the beloved city.
Pink - God Judging the wicked
Brown - The second death
Purple - The lake of fire and brimstone
Grey/Blue - Tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Gold - The beast and the false prophet


Revelation 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:7-10
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 14:9-11
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Revelation 21
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 22
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.




Tormented Day and Night for Ever and Ever

Notice that some parts of Revelation say that the wicked will suffer torment for ever and ever while other portions of Revelation say that the wicked experience the second death.

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:11

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8




Jesus Himself says we should fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, when the wicked are destroyed!

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
If the wicked are destroyed, both soul and body, as Jesus says, they cannot be tormented for ever and ever.

In addition, if you click on the following link: Hell Fire, does it last forever? You will see that in all the rest of the Bible, over and over again, that the wicked are destroyed. They will perish. They will be burned up until they will be ashes under the soles of your feet. They will be no more. They will cease to exist, etc.

So does Scripture disagree with itself. No, The answer lies in our understanding of the word forever. Click to see: tormented day and night for ever and ever.

After the Wicked are Burned Up
The Wicked will be Completely Burned to Ashes

The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. Psalm 145:20.
For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. Psalm 37: 9-11, 20.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37: 9-11, 20, 38.
May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! Psalm 104:35.
Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Isaiah 47:14.
For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, Says the LORD of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.
But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3.
The Righteous Inherit the Earth!
The Earth is Completely Made New

For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:11
But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. Malachi 4:2.
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Isaiah 65:17-19
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13
The very last part of the book of Revelation speaks of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven to the New Earth:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:1-5.
A Description of the New Jerusalem

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

 

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And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Reverlation 21:9-27
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5
God Encourages us to be with him, He wants us with Him!