Can God destroy Satan and hell so that they no longer exist?

God could not destroy Satan and Hell and continue existing anymore than a person could destroy their heart and lungs and continue existing. Let me explain. In the Bible, we see that all things in Heaven, Earth, (and Hell) are not only derivative of God, but they are God as well (Ephesians 2:6, 21, 22). This means they are derivative of God’s very essence, and are derivative of God’s own existence. The spirit realm, which is where Heaven, Hell, and Satan reside, is a direct manifestation of God, just as Jesus Christ, their creator, is (John 1:1–3). When you talk about Satan and Hell being cast into the “lake of fire” as described in the book of Revelation 20:14, this does not mean their destruction. It is more of a reference of the place of eternal torment that Satan and Hell will be eternally confined to as a result of their corruption. It should be noted that the lake of fire is also derivative of God’s essence, namely the essence that reacts to those that dishonor him.

How has Christianity evolved over the last 50 years?

In my opinion, two things have evolved in Christianity more than anything. The first is in general opportunities to obtain Bible knowledge. With the advent of the world wide web, along with advances in cable television, and the general pervasiveness and availability of transportation, people now have more access than ever to the scriptures, explanations of the scriptures, and pastoral sermons. It isn’t like times past where a person had to be raised in a religious household, read the family Bible, and attend church every Sunday in order to attain a steady intake of biblical precepts. While such an experience is one that surely produces a sense of family unity, and responsibility, the life and times of the American family and American society have changed drastically to where the above described experience isn’t as feasible in 2017 as it was years ago.

Secondly, the goals of the teachers and preachers of the Christian cultural tradition and doctrine have changed. In times past, most people received their knowledge of the scriptures from local pastors that oversaw congregations of 50–200 members. Cassette tapes of pastoral Sermons from the more widely known pastors were popular as well. The goal of these evangelists was “soul winning” or converting people unto Christ via mechanisms such as baptism, and or a verbal confession of one’s belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. In times past, a pastor prided himself on how many “souls” he won over to Jesus Christ over the course of their pastoral career with many pastors keeping count of these achievements.

Nowadays, the scriptures are used by pastors as motivational tools for the masses, and as ways to establish a general presence in the community namely through community outreach programs. Furthermore pastors in 2017 exercise the presentation of more universally understandable explanations of Biblical precepts, namely through more-recent renditions of the 1611 King James Bible.

With the availability of internet access, and streaming videos on YouTube, as well as online books, movies, and interactive slideshows, the scriptures are less mysterious and more appealing than ever before, making the precepts that govern Christianity more appealing in the process.

Are Bible characters allegories, comparable to movie characters, or are they divinely inspired mirrors of the state of mankind?

Truly some of the most intriguing studies in human creativity are based in Bible lore. It isn’t difficult to find similarities if not outright derivations of modern day movie, television, and comic book characters from Bible characters. I have always held that Bible characters such as God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and even Satan, namely, the Devil and Lucifer, exhibit very human characteristics that make them relatable to mankind. Creativity, authority, sacrifice, altruism, defiance, and rebellion, are all hallmarks of the actions of many if not all Bible characters. Every prophet in the Bible at some point committed offenses against God, and were chastised in various capacities. And while all of their sins were not recorded in the Bible, Romans 3:23 in the NT proclaims that “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” This means that no human soul to ever walk the earth is blameless. In my opinion, the thing that makes the Bible so relatable to people, and as a result of this relatability having the designation as the best selling book of all time, is that the characters in the Bible have a very human quality that makes them identifiable. This quality makes people want to engage in, study, and understand the Bible and its capacity to inspire. In my opinion, there are good, honest, clear thinking, productive members of society that believe that the Bible is purely allegorical, and has no basis in fact or reality; however there are other people that fit this same set of positive criteria that believe that the Bible is literal in its assertions and that the Bible is the divinely inspired and spoken word of God. The thing about the Bible that is the most fascinating to me is its ability to inspire contemplation and good works in people generation after generation for 2,000 years and counting with no end in sight.

Who was Jesus Christ, and why is he more significant than Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle?

Jesus Christ is a figure that appears in pre-mortal form in the Old Testament, many times as “The Angel of The Lord,” and in the New Testament as Jesus Christ the Son, and The Living Word of God. The Bible professes that Jesus was the literal Son of God, namely God the Creator of the material universe. We see his birth, life, ministry, trial, conviction, and execution in the Four Gospels. Furthermore we see him perform what can only be described as miracles, including immaculate conception, the turning of water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding 9,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, knowing people’s thoughts, and his own resurrection from the dead. Some would argue that Jesus’ greatest miracle is saying things that have captured the human imagination even to the present day. Why does Jesus appeal to human contemplation in such a direct and powerful way in relation to other philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle? Socrates’ existence has never been proven, however he is in many respects considered a historical figure. My opinion is that the figure, Jesus, as we know him, claimed to be divine, and his works on earth as depicted in the scriptures are indicative of that. None of the other noted philosophers in history claimed divinity and they even proclaimed the unknowablity of many aspects of the material universe. Is Jesus Christ merely an allegorical figure meant to inspire faith in the God of the Bible, or was he a living breathing divine person who was able to do works that run contrary to nature?

Who were the biblical Caphtorim?

The Caphtorim were a Semitic people that originated in a territory called Caphtor near the Nile Delta in Egypt ca.

Who were the biblical Caphtorim?

The Caphtorim were a Semitic people that originated in a territory called Caphtor near the Nile Delta in Egypt ca. 22nd century B.C. By the 17th Century B.C., they had migrated to the southern sea-coast of present-day Palestine and conquered the Avvim which were the native inhabitants of that region (Deuteronomy 2:23). The Caphtorim soon thereafter became known as the Philistines, the habitual enemies of the Israelites, and they fought intermittent battles with the Israelites from 1050 B.C. to 697 B.C. The Caphtorim spoke a Phoenician language that was not dissimilar from Hebrew, and they worshiped old Canaanite deities such as Baal and Astarte. They were a sea-faring people and their culture and civilization reflected the importance of their coastal dwelling. They had a monarchical style of government with a king reigning as the central political figure. The earliest substantive Bible story concerning the Philistines is found in the book of Genesis 20:1–16, in which Abimelech, king of the Philistines, who taken by Sarah, Abraham’s wife’s beauty, sent for her and took her from Abraham, only to be sternly reprimanded by God. Abimelech returned Sarah back to Abraham a short time later making with him a peace-treaty so as to avoid God’s wrath. The Philistines later had legendary battles with Samson, Saul, and King David. Overall, the Philistines were spoken of in the Bible as a powerful and warlike people whose battles with the Israelites highlighted many of God’s most provocative dealings with the Israelite people in relation to his ultimate plan for them, namely in Old Testament narratives.
This image is entitled, Abraham receives Sarah from King Abimelech. By Nicolaes Berchem c. 1665-1670.

Escultura de la Loba Capitolina alimentar a Rómulo y Remo; prueba de la ilustración para la traducción de Tomás de Iriarte de Conyers Midd… | Roman art in 2019 | Pinterest | Illustration, Ancient Rome and Rome

Escultura de la Loba Capitolina alimentar a Rómulo y Remo; prueba de la ilustración para la traducción de Tomás de Iriarte de Conyers Midd… | Roman art in 2019 | Pinterest | Illustration, Ancient Rome and Rome