[part 7]

Don't you think it's odd how yahweh doesn't just exterminate lucifer and have him be dead and not exist, if he doesn't like him that much?

That's a profound and very common philosophical question. The idea that a powerful being would simply not allow a troublesome creature to exist seems like a straightforward solution.

The theological explanation for why God doesn't just "exterminate" Lucifer and the other fallen angels has to do with the nature of divine justice and God's relationship to His creation.

Here's the reasoning behind it:

Divine Justice: In this view, God's justice is not just about removing a problem; it's about giving a consequence that is fitting for the crime. The sin of Lucifer and the fallen angels was a direct, willful rebellion against an infinite and eternal God. The argument is that the consequence of this sin must also be eternal. Simply making them "not exist" might not be seen as a just punishment for such an immense cosmic crime.

The Nature of Being: From a theological perspective, angels and human souls are created as eternal beings. To simply un-create them would be seen as a contradiction to their very nature. Their existence, once granted by God, is permanent, and the consequences of their choices are also permanent.

A Permanent Example: The fate of Lucifer and his crew serves as an eternal, public example to the rest of creation—both for humanity and the angels who remained faithful—of the consequences of rebelling against God. Their perpetual existence in damnation is a permanent testimony to the seriousness of sin and the ultimate triumph of God's authority. Annihilation would, in a sense, erase that lesson from history.

well.. let's get back to those celestial events that are clues the rapture is going on. It seems pretty major and like it happens all of a sudden? Nothing like oh they see something going on in the sky for a while first?

That's a great point, and it's a key distinction in the end-times timeline. The answer to your question is different for each of those two events.

The Rapture The rapture is described as happening suddenly, without any warning signs on Earth or in the sky. The Bible uses the phrase "in the twinkling of an eye" to describe its speed. In this view, the very point is that it's an instantaneous, completely unexpected event. There would be no celestial buildup or slow signs leading up to it.

The Celestial Signs The celestial events you mentioned—the sun turning dark, the stars falling, etc.—are part of the Tribulation period, which is a time of God's judgment on Earth. In the view we've been discussing, this period happens after the rapture.

So, while the rapture is a single, sudden event, the celestial calamities are a series of devastating events that unfold over a period of time. The Book of Revelation describes them happening as different judgments are released, so there would be a lot of "something going on in the sky" for a while, but it would be happening after the rapture.

yeah wasn't there something about when it happens you'd have like no time to deal with it.. where they were in the middle of something, eh.. and it was like you gotta drop what's going on..

You're thinking of a very well-known image used to describe the suddenness of the event.

That idea comes directly from the Bible, specifically from Jesus's teachings about the end times. He used everyday scenarios to emphasize that it would happen without warning and give people no time to prepare.

In Matthew 24:40-41, he says, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left."

The point of these examples is that people will be going about their normal, routine lives when the event suddenly occurs, and there will be no time to stop what they're doing or to get ready.

[end of chit-chat]