Q&A — New bodies and the New Earth: souls wait, bodies come later at the resurrection

Eschatology question on timing of resurrection bodies

Q&A — Sequence of events: go to heaven first, receive new bodies later at the future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15)

Follow-up on eschatological sequence — heaven, judgment, glorification, new earth

Mark 13:24-27 — the visible, unmistakable return of Christ after the tribulation

Mike reads the cosmic-sign and Second Coming section of Mark 13.

Luke 21:25-28 — cosmic signs and visible coming after the times of the Gentiles

After the 'times of the Gentiles' pause, Jesus gives the cosmic-sign sequence leading to his coming in Luke 21.

Kim has recently begun teaching that all humans are fallen angels who pre-existed in heaven and sinned there before being born on earth

A new teaching Mike heard that day, translated from Korean. Not yet widely distributed in English.

When talking to someone deep in CoG, prioritize biblical arguments over external historical claims — pick a focused topic (like God the Mother), prepare for their expected responses, and meet them in Scripture

Q&A: Austin asks for a 5-10 minute conversation strategy for someone deeply invested in CoG.

The Babylonian Talmud itself treats Zechariah 9:9 as Messianic — debating how to reconcile a glorious coming (Daniel 7) with a humble donkey-riding coming.

Winger uses a Jewish non-Christian source to establish the Messianic reading of Zechariah 9:9.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20): Sye argues it starts with 'all authority has been given to me' — the mandate is to start with Christ's authority, not argue to it

Sye's argument from the Great Commission

Why preach if God knows who goes to heaven or hell? Sye: God ordains means as well as ends — preaching is the means God uses; not knowing which are sheep, we preach to all

Classic Calvinist answer to the objection against evangelism under determinism

Infants and young children who die are saved — Mike holds this as a personal conviction based on David's hope of reunion with his deceased infant son.

Q&A section: a viewer asks whether their 8-month-old sister who died will be in heaven.

Treasures in heaven are eternal, imperishable blessings — not necessities but blessings, possibly including crowns cast before God — as opposed to the temporary, corruptible treasures of earthly life.

Q&A section: a viewer asks what 'treasures in heaven' means and why they would be needed when all needs are met.

Ehrman opens his classes by describing Apollonius in language deliberately crafted to sound like Jesus — 'divine birth', 'son of God', 'miracles', 'aroused opposition', 'ascended to heaven' — then reveals he was describing Apollonius, creating a psychological shock designed to undermine students' faith before they can evaluate the claim.

The 'visitor from heaven' to Apollonius's mother is Proteus — a shape-shifting pagan deity who lives near the mouth of the Nile ('the old man of the sea') — who tells her the child will be a version of himself. This is categorically different from Gabriel's announcement to Mary, who declared she would bear the Son of God Almighty.

Philostratus records four possible accounts of what happened to Apollonius at the end of his life: (1) no one saw him die because he deliberately sent Damus away, (2) he died in Ephesus tended by two maidservants, (3) he walked into the temple of Athena at Lindus and disappeared, (4) he walked into a Cretan temple at night, the dogs fawned on him, he loosened his bonds, and a chorus of maidens sang 'hasten to heaven.' None of these accounts is a death and resurrection.

Jesus's own words affirm future divine vengeance and judgment — directly refuting Zahnd's 'Jesus closes the book on vengeance' thesis

Winger compiles multiple Gospel and Pauline texts that show Jesus and the New Testament affirming coming divine judgment.

Luke 16:16–17 and Matthew 5:17–18 show Jesus's own high view of Scripture — he came to fulfill, not edit, the law

Winger marshals Jesus's direct statements about the permanence and authority of Scripture to counter Zahnd's 'Jesus edits the Bible' method.

Jeremiah 10:10-15: The climax of the passage — idols vs. the living God

The passage reaches its theological conclusion

Introduction: Ben Shapiro asks Bishop Robert Barron whether he will go to heaven

Mike introduces the premise — an Orthodox Jew asks a Catholic bishop about his eternal destiny

Ben Shapiro's actual question: he observes 613 commandments and does good in the world — does that earn him heaven?

Mike carefully scopes Ben's question to exclude 'those who have never heard the gospel'

Matthew 5:20 — righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees to enter the kingdom

Mike cites another teaching of Jesus directly applicable to Ben's case

Heaven and miscarriage — Scripture does not specify the state or 'age' of those who die before birth

Q&A — question about the state of aborted or miscarried children in heaven

Revelation 22:12 — "repaying each one for what he has done" does not teach levels of heaven or works-based salvation

Q&A: questioner asks whether Revelation 22:12 implies different levels or places in heaven based on works.

Dispensationalism: Mike rejects the label but holds a modified view — national Israel has a distinct future in God's plan; he rejects full replacement theology

Q&A: questioner asks about dispensationalism and kingdom of heaven vs. kingdom of God.

John 6:53 — "eat my flesh and drink my blood" is symbolic, not a basis for the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist

Q&A: an ex-Catholic questioner asks whether John 6:53 has legitimate Hebrew roots or is scripture-twisting in support of the Eucharist.

Book of Revelation and the new heavens and new earth

Q&A question about what Revelation says about the new heaven and earth.

1 Corinthians 13 face-to-face language connects to the new creation

Mike links 1 Corinthians 13:12 to the new heavens and new earth discussion.

Free will in heaven: believers will have genuine free will but no desire to sin

Viewer asking whether we will have free will in heaven

Marriage does not exist in heaven; relational bonds persist but are not exclusive spousal bonds

Second part of viewer's marriage question about afterlife

John 3:13 — "No one has ascended" does not necessarily contradict Elijah's translation

Viewer asking about John 3:13 and its apparent contradiction with Elijah ascending

Full preterism vs. partial preterism: full preterism claims the second coming already happened and leads to heresy.

Distinguishing varieties of preterism.

The Christian hope of eschatological restoration answers the problem of evil: God wiping away every tear, remaking of heaven and earth

Mike elaborates his response to the problem of evil using Christian eschatology

Q&A on John 14:2-3 "I go to prepare a place for you" — Mike's understanding of the intermediate state and the new heaven and new earth

Viewer question on the afterlife and the meaning of Jesus preparing a place

Near-death experience books should be tested against Scripture and not used to supplement or replace it; the danger is NDE narrators becoming gurus with insider knowledge

Response to a question about the theological accuracy of books like 23 Minutes in Hell and 90 Minutes in Heaven

Matthew 5:18 (not a jot or tittle will pass) is about how the Law will not be stripped piecemeal, not about its perpetual applicability

Exegesis of Matthew 5:18 against the Hebrew Roots reading

Galatians 3:19, 24-25 — the Law was a temporary guardian "until the offspring [Christ] should come"

Pauline support for the Law's transitional termination at the first coming

Proverbs 30:1-4 — God and his Son in the Hebrew Bible

McLatchie highlights Proverbs 30:1-4 as an often-overlooked text implying the divine sonship within the Hebrew Scriptures.

Why unity argument doesn't work for Islam — Quran vs. Bible authorship

Cameron Bertuzzi's question: if unity of Scripture argues for divine inspiration, why doesn't it work for the Quran?

Q&A: Revelation 20-21 as the end of the Mosaic law -- Winger is uncertain; notes a real transition happens in new heavens/new earth but declines to definitively call it the end of the law

Q&A on eschatology and the law

Colossians 1:20 — 'all things' reconciled through the blood of the cross supports universal extent

Winger turns to Colossians 1:20 as a secondary passage confirming the universal extent of the atonement.

Luke 9:54-56: Jesus rebukes disciples who want to call down fire to destroy enemies

Biblical response to Anderson's death-wish for homosexuals

Worldview gap: secular view — people are generally good and deserve heaven; biblical view — the opposite

Explaining why gospel sounds offensive to secular ears

Mythicists must composite multiple figures (Dionysus, Horus, Asclepius, Apollonius, Hercules) to approximate Jesus — historians reject this method

Exposing the composite methodology of Jesus-myth parallels

Red flags for mythicists: fringe scholarly support + primarily internet bloggers = gullibility warning; comparable to moon landing denialism and Holocaust denial

Warning signs that a position may be a conspiracy theory

Teresa Dedmon / Bethel: selling art as a vehicle for "spiritual impartation" and prophetic clothing that enhances God's presence is false teaching and commercial exploitation.

Second specific example from Bethel: the creative arts director's website claims her paintings and clothing impart heaven's presence.

Upcoming content: critique of The Physics of Heaven (Bethel/Bill Johnson-connected book)

Winger previews his next Tuesday topic: a critique of The Physics of Heaven, a book promoted by Bethel Church, Bill Johnson, and Jesus Culture. He has read it without advance reviews and found the content disturbing.

Logical analysis of "all roads lead to God": three possible meanings, two incoherent

Winger begins systematic dismantling of the primary slogan

Refutation of "all religions work": Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre as a test case

First reductio ad absurdum argument against religious pluralism

Pluralism is insulting to actual religions: each has a different destination and goal

Pluralism disrespects the distinct truth claims of individual religions

Second meaning of pluralism: no religion works, but everyone ends up with God anyway — hidden personal religion

Winger dismantles the second interpretation of "all roads lead to God"

Islam's fundamental claims: closer to Christianity but built as a rejection of it — different God, no grace, no cross

Comparative religion analysis of Islam vs. Christianity