Tattoos?

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I felt I must add this little story - nothing to do with tattoos, but a dream. I dreamed that the Lord was returning - lights in the sky, strange vehicles etc. etc. I remember the amazing joy I felt in my dream and this remained with me for a while after I woke up. I was then so sad that it was only a dream. However, this experience has remained with me, and I long to experience that joy again. Looking toward the day!!!
 
I felt I must add this little story - nothing to do with tattoos, but a dream. I dreamed that the Lord was returning - lights in the sky, strange vehicles etc. etc. I remember the amazing joy I felt in my dream and this remained with me for a while after I woke up. I was then so sad that it was only a dream. However, this experience has remained with me, and I long to experience that joy again. Looking toward the day!!!
:cool::) God is even now restoring a sense of imminent expectation in His people. This is the fire that keeps the Church hot in anticipation of His return.
 
Anyway I'm truly okay if others reject my testimony. All I can do is share what I experienced as accurately as possible.

I too had a near death experience, only my vision was of the rings of hell. It happened 10 years before I became a believer and I didn't know know what I was experiencing except this: I was in great fear. I heard moaning and groaning that wouldn't stop. The deeper I went into the "tunnel" with the rings in it, the louder and more rhythmic the sounds became. I was crying and screaming for help but no one came.

If I ever heard that sound again, I would recognize. It was like the smell of death. You never forget it.

There was no "light at the end" of the tunnel I was in.

It wasn't until after I became a believer that I came to understand the vision I had when I was "near death".

As far as tattoos go, it never occurred to me that they might be non-Christian in nature. If they were, I supposed pierced ears would be too.
 
Most "tattooing" during that time, wasn't done for decoration. It was done for religions reasons, non Jewish religious reasons. What little the bible says about it is being directed directly toward Jews, also the 'tattoo' in it is purely a word from translation. The word 'tattoo' gets it's beginnings with tattaow, tattow... it's only been even remotely in use since about the 18th century.

The oldest known tattoos date back to 3300 BC, and are found on Otzi the Iceman. Until the mid 20th century people marked their flesh almost ENTIRELY for religious reasons, with the exception of sailors visiting ports in places such as the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia.

The bible is speaking of marking your flesh in a religious/ritualistic fashion, and to the Jewish community. You have to be the final judge on if you want to get a Tattoo or not, as there is absolutely nothing about cosmetic modification of your body in the bible. Tattoos have even been used for medical reasons, to ensure instruments are properly located for repeated application of radiotherapy and for the areola in some forms of breast reconstruction. Tattooing has also been used to convey medical information about the wearer (e.g blood group, Nazi soldiers had their blood type under their armpits, a few other armed forces around the world have since).
 
Good information Raynmercer, makes sense. Historic picture of that era assists in understanding the scriptures.
 
Hi Humble Christian. If it was me I wouldn't even consider getting a tattoo. I think though that if you really want to represent the NDE like this, that it should be in a place where it is concealed by clothing, and not visible. It's a personal experience that has had a big impact on you, but really means nothing to others. NDE's are common, and as you noticed, there's always scepticism as to what caused it. If you have a tattoo in a visible place it is likely to attract attention if it's unusual, and people are likely to ask questions, and you're likely to be trying to explain your experience to disbelieving, sceptical or hostile people for the rest of your life, and what was a precious moment for you, may end up like a curse, or millstone round your neck. A pearl that is offered before swine too many times loses it's value I think. So I think you should keep it private, a valuable experience between you an God, and then it will stay unsullied in your memory.
 
Tyler what a powerful vision...what a blessing it has become in your life. Sounds like a real turning point. God must have real plans for your service and life.




I would love to see what other Christians think would be a good tattoo that represents what happened to me. I wrote this just after my NDE, I was afraid details would fade with time and I felt obligated to record it as accurately as possible.

Please anyone reading this that doubts what is posted know that it's ok if you consider this to be a dream or drug related. I've spent enough time already defending my experience and I won't do it anymore. File it where you wish...(Sorry if I sound defensive but I've been beaten up for this too many time already)....If I can't share this with my Christian friends who can I share it with?

So anyway let me know what tattoo could represent the experience below!

XXXXXXXXXXX


February 2006 I was moving a television set and pulled a muscle in my back. The pain only increased over the next couple days. It got so bad that instead of sleeping I had to take a series of standing catnaps at night because I couldn’t sit or lay down without excruciating pain. Finally I decided to go to the emergency room at the closest hospital where they gave me heavy doses of pain medicine and muscle relaxers to ease the pain before sending me home. The pain medicine would ease the pain a bit but I still wasn’t able to sleep. The next evening I decided to return to the hospital. They gave me a large intravenous dose of the most powerful pain medicine available, something called dilaudid. That dose eased the pain and allowed me to sleep that evening.

The next day the pain was back, I was out of my mind and could hardly walk. Obviously I was headed back to the hospital. I was vomiting and uncontrollably moaning from the pain. I remember the 10 min ride to the emergency room seemed like it would never end as every pebble we hit in the road sent me into uncontrollable pain. I couldn’t get out of the car on my own so they came to the car with a wheelchair and wheeled me in so that I could sign in. They thought the only problem with me was that I had a pulled muscle so I wasn’t a priority and had to wait in the wheelchair for almost four hours. I have never known such pain.

Finally it’s time for me to be screened. They take my temperature and it’s a bit high. They take my blood oxygen level and determine that the machine is broken so they take it again only to get the same impossibly low reading. The nurse, still thinking it’s broken, gets her personal device and gets the same reading. Then all hell breaks loose, it’s a full blown emergency to save my life.

They determine that I have double pneumonia (both lungs), third stage empyema and a kidney infection. Empyema is when a lung infection fills the sack that surrounds the lung. The infection bleeds through the lung tissue and collects in this sack.

The doctors immediately came to me for permission to do an emergency chest tube. I asked if it would help and was told it was imperative to attempt to drain the infection from my lungs. All I could say was “let’s do it”. The tube was about the same diameter as a mans thumb. It was going to be pushed through my chest about 6 inches below by right armpit. They can only numb you so far as they can’t numb your entire chest so the first few inches would be ok but the rest of the way to my lung would be unbelievably painful. The doctor/surgeon had to repeat the procedure three times as he couldn’t get the tube in the right spot. I was told that the doctor felt really bad because he knew how much pain he was causing me and I was repeatedly thanking him for having the knowledge to help me during the procedure. He said it really touched him that even though he was causing me incredible pain I was thanking him.

Obviously I’m admitted to the hospital. I’m not sure how long it was but they had to do another chest tube, I had a total of five ranging from the diameter of a mans thumb to the diameter of a pencil. Some went through my side and some through the front of my chest. Anyway when they were going to do the next large chest tube I knew the pain I was going to have to endure. I held my cross necklace in my right hand just before the procedure. They were about to begin, I needed strength to get through the inevitable pain. I started saying “Help me Jesus” out loud over and over again. I never stopped I just kept saying “Help me Jesus” again and again and again. Then at some point I guess I stopped breathing but to me I was aware (though not in the room) and still saying “Help me Jesus”.

Every time I said “Help me Jesus” I rose a little higher in the air. I said it again and rose higher and higher. This happened over and over. I noticed I was in absolutely no pain and realized Jesus was helping me. The “sky” held a golden lace curtain though it was solid and very large. It extended as far as I could see and was directly in front of me. I say lace because it was ornate with gaps between the “carvings”. I was bathed in a bright white light that came from a single source. It shown through the gaps in the gold “lace” curtain and touched my soul. It made you feel endless love, complete peace and supreme happiness. Without a doubt it was God.

The higher I ascended the brighter and more powerful the light. I remember after a while thinking I that I died because you always hear of near death experiences where people see the bright light and feelings of extreme love and peace. I was still repeating “help me Jesus” and thought to myself what a wonderful feeling, I wanted to go higher and way praying that my ascent wouldn’t end because I wanted to feel more of this love and peace. I wanted to get closer to this source, closer to the light. I remember feeling warm from the inside out, not hot just absolutely perfect and comfortable, a deep warmth that’s difficult to explain. I don’t know if I had a body but I certainly felt like myself.

The light as it reflected off the ornate gold openings sparkled and felt alive. It was so wonderful, more wonderful than anything here on earth. I knew I was in the presence of God. Finally I found myself floating just above a golden city. Softly, peacefully I was floating just outside a beautiful golden wall that seemed to surround heaven. I was floating slowly down the wall just above it’s highest point allowing me to see beyond the wall and into the “city”. This was the closest I was to the white light (God). The gold lace curtain was somewhere below me and the light came from just above the “city” (heaven). Nothing was between me and the light and I felt like I was home.

Looking over the wall I could see gold pillars with platter looking objects sitting on top. The weird thing is when I looked at these objects from 100’s of feet away I could also smell them...yes I could smell these objects just by looking at them. It was a godly, royal scent...almost sweet...it's difficult to accurately describe but it felt like it could only come from God. Still floating down the outside and above the wall bathed in light I looked at and smelled maybe 5 or 6 more of these objects, it was intoxicating and I never wanted it to end. A voice came, I don’t know if it was out loud or not but I suspect God spoke directly to my mind. He said “you may stay here or you can return". Without anything said I knew if I chose to return God would heal everything in my body. My thoughts turned to my family and in an instant I said “I would like to return”. I know even though I was in such peace and love, being toughed by God I still chose to return. That is the last thing I remember from that experience. I woke and was heard saying “I touched the face of God and he said everything was going to be OK”….and it was…

I had a ventilator breathing for me for 11 or 12 days and in the hospital for a total of 18 days. During that time I had surgery on my right lung to remove the empyema and remove some of the infection. I had another complication where my lungs lost all their stretchiness ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome). A lot of people die from just that but my lungs healed and I recovered, just like God said. I have almost completely recovered from everything though I’m not sure if I will regain the function of the lower part of my right lung.

I know God allowed me to return for some reason. I pray everyday that he will reveal his plan to me though I get the feeling that part of that plan is for me to share this story.

God is no longer an untouchable faith to me, he is real, real as you or me, I was in his presence. I feel so very blessed by this experience and am so thankful that I am able to share this story with you.

God bless you all…


It’s difficult to Photoshop what I saw on my ascent to heaven but this is close. The ornate gold curtain was much more beautiful, like it was carved and the light really came to life when it came through the openings. Also it felt more open and bright.

671s1i.jpg
Wow what an experience! That was a tough time in your life, and you walked away with a great blessing, awesome. No inspiration for a tat jumped to mind but if anything ever strikes me I'll be sure to let you know.

You search in your heart as to why you want the tattoo, if I would have had the money 10 years ago I'd be covered in tattoo's. I used to want to take mine off, but now they're just there, they should look really cool if I live to be 90 ( OK...maybe not so cool :) ).
 
I had a weird dream awhile back, and it's been coming to mind recently, I don't know if there was a reason I had this dream. First I was in military uniform, dancing with my wife. I left a community room and walked into a room that was like a G.I. grocery / factory. There was a deli with a G.I. working there, and conveyeor belts that would bring you your order. I had some cheese coming my way. Next thing I know I'm driving up what looked like a cattle-ranch, in the sense that there was a lot of dirt and orange painted steel tubing fencing/gates. I went up to a gated area where there were about 25-30 people fenced in. There were no animals, just these people. They had what appeared to be pig-snouts for noses, but other than that they were dressed, walked, and talked like normal humans. The one I spoke with was wearing an orange hard-hat and carried a clip-board. He said "They say we're not real people, but were gonna' show them that we are." I looked and we headed into an industrial elevator that looked like it went into an underground bunker. Everybody fit on it. The door shut to the ouside world and in a matter of seconds, the floor of the elevator dropped out and next thing you know, everybody's waist high in water. I looked up and this giant, three-bladed contraption immediately spiraled down into the water, released a bright, blue-green flash of electricity, and then reveresed its direction back up to where it was. Next thing I saw was everybody dead. In this dream, 25-30 people were executed in a matter of seconds. After this happened I had a feeling in the dream that the meat packaged at the deli and sent down the conveyor belts was tied to this.

If this is an inappropiate post or it offends anyone, I will remove it at once. I just don't know what to think.
 
I had a weird dream awhile back, and it's been coming to mind recently, I don't know if there was a reason I had this dream. First I was in military uniform, dancing with my wife. I left a community room and walked into a room that was like a G.I. grocery / factory. There was a deli with a G.I. working there, and conveyeor belts that would bring you your order. I had some cheese coming my way. Next thing I know I'm driving up what looked like a cattle-ranch, in the sense that there was a lot of dirt and orange painted steel tubing fencing/gates. I went up to a gated area where there were about 25-30 people fenced in. There were no animals, just these people. They had what appeared to be pig-snouts for noses, but other than that they were dressed, walked, and talked like normal humans. The one I spoke with was wearing an orange hard-hat and carried a clip-board. He said "They say we're not real people, but were gonna' show them that we are." I looked and we headed into an industrial elevator that looked like it went into an underground bunker. Everybody fit on it. The door shut to the ouside world and in a matter of seconds, the floor of the elevator dropped out and next thing you know, everybody's waist high in water. I looked up and this giant, three-bladed contraption immediately spiraled down into the water, released a bright, blue-green flash of electricity, and then reveresed its direction back up to where it was. Next thing I saw was everybody dead. In this dream, 25-30 people were executed in a matter of seconds. After this happened I had a feeling in the dream that the meat packaged at the deli and sent down the conveyor belts was tied to this.

If this is an inappropiate post or it offends anyone, I will remove it at once. I just don't know what to think.

WOW, I'd say that was a nightmare...I think it's going to give me nightmares :eek:. I'm reping you points for the description of this one, vivid, and it's going to be stuck in my head everytime I see a pig. Are you a vegetarian by any chance?
 
I have a few questions that I would like to ask. This is neither an argument for or against tattoos. My questions are simple. My first is, if tattoos are so bad according to the scriptures that you have quoted, for those who have, then why is it that God still blesses those with tattoos? Take for example the recent revival movement with the preacher . My next question is this, who are we to say that this vision that this individual was giving (and thank you for sharing it) was meant to be kept private? Who are we to say that by getting this tattoo, knowing he WILL be asked about his tattoo repetitively, that it isn't God's will for him to have it? Perhaps it is in his heart to have this tattoo because God (not the devil) put the desire within his heart so that people DO ask him about it inadvertently witnessing to someone that he would not have been able to touch on a spiritual level other wise? What I am saying is simply this, pray upon what has been given to you. If it is still in your heart to get this tattoo and you feel that God has placed within your heart to have this tattoo, then by all means, regardless of what others say (myself included) get the tattoo. I too have been praying on a tattoo on something that has been put into my life. I know God put the desire within me to get the tattoo, the problem I'm having, and that I've been praying on is how to depict that which the Lord would like me to say in a way that I cannot speak with words. As always, with anything that has to do with matters that are prayed on, what may be true for one, that God has told you no, does not necessary mean that its wrong for another. God may have told you it was a sin to do it because it was not within his desire for you to do so because he has a plan for you that your own personal actions and convictions would hinder his plan for you.
 
It is a reasonable request that if a person requests a explanation to a statement and it is given that it is acknowledged by that person. I am requesting an acknowledgment. And not sure what all this "kicking" business is all about.
 
. It is a reasonable request that if a person requests a explanation to a statement and it is given that it is acknowledged by that person. I am requesting an acknowledgment. And not sure what all this "kicking" business is all about.

You might want to check a persons profile...or the pic on the left of my posts!

Also what have is said or suggested in any way that has anything to do with revivials or preachers or being one?

I fail to see how you made any connection at all!!!
 
I was wondering if Techie would ever come back here and respond? Guess he won't.


She...and I did not realise I was under a timer...I thought that I could look a few things up...listen to further discussion...

then responded.
 
Ok, Techie, is a month long enough for your research? It will be nice to see what you find also. Have a good day. And thanks for the responds.
 
Ok, Techie, is a month long enough for your research? It will be nice to see what you find also. Have a good day. And thanks for the responds.


Hey I dunno...but while your being so obviously childish llisten to this

I am a parent of children...the last 2 at home are both disabled one severaly...I am doing a degree and studying for exames...I am going through a divorce and as such having to support my family and do other everyday stuff like house work...

or were you serious at limiting me to your time frame...tell you what here is a knee jerk response

out of the 613 laws of moses(not God) what makes a person so much more holier than thou or super religious if they just obey the tattoo one? why does a person feel that much more a christian in observing somethng Jesus was actually furious over when he had a go at the religious leaders at the time about...when Jesus did on the cross...can you remember what was fulfilled...tell me...those of you who religiously stick by the no tattoo thing as it make as person less a christian...for the women do you not follow rule 436? if not why not...for the men do you follow rule 504?
what puts one rule over another was all I was originally asking....

a straight answer will be fine...any day now...take your time.

I amsorry some people have felt the need ot be morally superior to others over this issue...but I am not Jewish or a levi priest...so those rules do not apply to me...I am a Christian...not under the law of moses.
 
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