The following appendices offer further discussion of specific issues that have been more briefly touched upon in the main text:

Klickt hei fir zréck an d'Häll ze gewannen oder den Himmel fir ze bezuelen, oder op eng vun den Ënnerthemen hei drënner:

• Anhang A – Wéi laang ass en Aeon?

  ‘Aeon,’ or ‘Eon,’ is a translation of the Hebrew word, ‘olam’; the original meaning of which was ‘an unknowably remote period in the past or future’ or ‘in perpetuity.’ And this is the sense in which it is used throughout the Old Testament; with the possible exception of a very few texts in the last O.T. books to be written. But in later Rabbinic discussions and liturgy, dating from the middle or late Second Temple period (c.300BC or later), it began to be used in the sense of ‘the age’ or ‘world’,

  We struggle to grasp the concept of unending time; even whilst finding ourselves forced to admit that, for God, this must be an inevitable aspect of his nature. The prospect of never-ending bliss sounds great: but the converse, with no prospect of relief, sounds so awful that we instinctively resist such an idea. As the English ‘aeon’ derives from the Greek ‘aion’ (the meaning of which has varied more over time) many commentators tend to favour translations which downplay either the eternal significance of ‘olam’ or else its punitive associations.

  The question that concerns us here is how these gradual changes in word use should affect our understanding of the New Testament texts.

• Anhang B – De Buck hält Wou?

  We live in a world that is so complex we can mostly only guess the consequences of our actions. And when we consider the possibility of an unending chain of events, stretching from now to eternity, we begin to realize the possibility of an unlimited liability for the devastating consequences of what may have seemed to us, an der Zäit, to be minor acts of negligence or self-interest.

  Faced with such a possibility, might we not prefer instant annihilation? But would it be OK for someone to inflict unspeakable pain and suffering on others, an dann dëst Liewen opzehalen ouni jeemools d'Konsequenze konfrontéiert? Would that be ʻjusticeʼ?

  So where does the buck stop and how can we find freedom from the penalty we deserve and our legacy of guilt? At the cross! This is the point at which God, in the person of Jesus, formally took upon Himself the ultimate responsibility and endured the consequences for all the evil that has ever been committed. This is the only place where all are condemned, all can be forgiven; and none can stand in judgement against any other.

• Anhang C – Ass den Doud fir ëmmer?

  We all know that normal human death usually takes time, and the degree of suffering involved may vary considerably. Awer Jesus’ teaching is founded on the revelation that bodily death is not the end; and that all who die will ultimately face God’s judgement. At that point it will be determined whether a person will be admitted to God’s heavenly kingdom, the beauty of which will be beyond imagination.

  Mee, for those who are not, there will come the shocking realization that they have wasted their life seeking their own fulfilment, only to now lose it all and be forever barred from heaven. These will be condemned to ‘Outer Darkness’ in the ‘Lake of Fire’; also known as the ‘Second Death’. The Lake of Fire will continue to exist as a permanent memorial to the effect of evil. ‘The Devil and his angels’ will suffer there for ever. So also will those humans who deliberately sided with ‘the Beast’ against God in the final years of his reign. But for the rest of sinful humanity their fate is described as ‘destruction.’ How complete that will be and how long it will take is not defined. But is it is not reasonable to expect that its duration or intensity will depend on the suffering they themselves have caused?

• Anhang D – Déi onvergiesslech Sënn

  Och wann se selten ënner Chrëschten diskutéiert ginn, Satan gär eis Häerzer mat der Angscht ze fëllen, datt, op eng Manéier, mir si schëlleg gewiescht un enger 'unforgivable Sënn'; a sinn dofir fir ëmmer an d'Häll veruerteelt. Vill, dorënner grouss Männer a Fraen vu Gott, wéi John Bunyan (vun 'Pilgrims Progress' Ruhm) souwéi Ufänger Chrëschten (wéi ech selwer) sinn Foul vun dëser besonnesch Fal gefall; déi sech a verschiddene Verkleedungen manifestéiere kënnen, fir déi vun engem zaarten Gewëssen ze stierzen, déi suergfälteg iwwervertraulech an all déi tëscht.

  De Satan ass den ultimativen Expert fir Gottes Wuert ze mëssbrauchen an ze verzerren. Seng Liiblingstaktik ass subtil falsch zitéieren a falsch applizéieren souguer d'Wourechten, déi vu Gott selwer geschwat ginn; net ze ernimmen d'Wierder vu göttleche Männer a Frae geschwat, déi nëmmen onvollstänneg verstanen hunn wat se vu Gott héieren hunn. He is devious and determined; wärend mir dacks vulnérabel fir seng Geforen a Bedruch sinn. Awer mir brauchen ni an Angscht ze liewen datt mir versoen wéinst eiser Schwächt oder Mangel u Glawen. Déi ganz Dräifaltegkeet - Papp, Jong an Hellege Geescht - sinn engagéiert eis duerch bis zum Enn ze gesinn.

  Wa mir eis Sënne bekennen, hien ass trei a gerecht fir eis d'Sënnen ze verzeien, an eis vun all Ongerechtegkeet ze botzen. (1 John 1:9)