Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents use the Bible to justify their choice to punish their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents use punitive measures in parenting. The core of the pro-spanking argument is stated in Hebrews 12:5-6. However, this passage is interpreted in error by pro-spanking pastors and theologians.

God's Word is stated in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

This passage, when understood correctly, can be comforting to me. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it. God doesn't literally reach down from the heavens and whip His children. However, God does send trials and tribulations the way of the believer. The rod here is a metaphor for enduring hardship, with this kind of language known as "rod language", and was found in many ancient languages. In the Early Church, you wouldn't say "I had a long day at work", but instead you would say "God whipped me hard today". This passage was intended to reassure the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome. 

God doesn't literally reach down from the heavens and whip His children. However, God does punish His children, like only He can. But, earthly parents only punish their children when it harms them. However, God only punishes His children when it doesn't harm them. Heb. 12 only discusses divine parenting, meaning how God deals with us as His adoptive children. God never intended for earthly parents to use His methods, as an earthly parent would get it wrong. 

The Bible does touch in on the spanking issue in the New Testament. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. The offensive touch here included in context, but was not limited to, spanking and other forms of corporal punishment. However, it is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children. You need to avoid the slightest of offense in children, as child abuse is defined in the Bible as entitlement leading to offense in children. The only way to avoid offense in a child is to be willing to meaningfully apologize to a child whenever you hurt their feelings, lest it become offense, period. Even bumping into a child in public can count as child abuse, meaning offense period when the adult isn't willing to apologize for invading a child's personal space. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translated to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking and other forms of punishment. Most Greek parents in the Greco-Roman world used an open-handed spanking to punish their children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Spanking is a parenting tool that is pagan in origin. Spanking was a means of correcting young children who misbehaved by the parent's standard. When Rome took over, Emperor Constantine and the rest of the Roman Catholic Church wanted to keep a tradition going, and so they grossly mistranslated the Latinate Bible. 

The translation of the Bible alone is not God's Infallible Word. Instead, the original Scripture, in Greek and Hebrew, as understood in context, is the Infallible Word of God. All English-language translations are written in error. However, some translations do tell the Truth on parenting, and one of them is Col. 3:21.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Proverbs 13:24: Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents think that the Bible supports or even commands that children should be punished for doing things wrong. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents cite several verses in the book of Proverbs. However, these rod verses are repealed verses, and don't refer much to raising minor children.

One commonly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. 

The Greek root wore translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. This verse ultimately refers not to domestic punishments towards children, but instead refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, which was a form of judicial corporal punishment, meaning a sentence for a crime. A whipping then could only happen in the context of a courtroom setting, and only when the adult son was convicted of a crime, and only once - that any further recidivism would result in death on the spot. 

Christ died on the cross not only to save us from sin, but also to abolish the abovementioned harsh legal punishments in the Old Testament. Christ's Work on the cross ultimately repealed the corporal punishment of adult children. 

The Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. The understanding of child abuse in the Early Church came in the form of entitlement leading to offense. The way to avoid offense in children is to be willing to meaningfully apologize whenever you hurt your children's feelings, especially if you lose your cool with your child. Losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions on children such as spanking or other forms of punishment. The most common punishment in Greek Christian households was spanking administered to bare buttocks. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The Early Christians were hated in the broader Greco-Roman world. This hatred ultimately was motivated by Christian parents being "too soft" on their children. The Early Christians were attachment parents, whereas broader Greco-Roman parents were very strict and punitive in nature.

Even in the Old Testament, King Solomon recommended attachment parenting to Jewish parents. All of the biblical writers advocated attachment parenting to parents in their secular writings. All of the punishments in the Old Testament were for legal adults.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Time-in: Why mammary closeness is the biblical way of doing time-in

Many parents are looking for alternatives to spanking. Most parents think that time-out is the way to go. However, the right way to deal with a crying child is through time-in. Time-in comes in many forms, with some parents kneeling down to their child's level in order to comfort them, and others send their children to a calming corner. However, there is a biblical method of doing time-in - mammary closeness.

God's Law prescribes a secure attachment between parent and child. See Colossians 3:20 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and is better translated as "trust", as in "trust your parents in all things". This passage refers to secure rest, with children surrendering into the loving arms of parents, with parents showing Christian Agape love to their child. Ultimately, this passage refers to a secure attachment between parent and child. The context, when used as a guidepost, tells us how to form a secure bond with your child. One good way to start is time-in, namely in the form of mammary closeness.

Christian parents in the Early Church had a certain specific way of doing time-in, with this method being mammary closeness.  Whenever a child cried, mothers picked up the child, then holding the child close to her bosom in skin-on-skin mammary closeness. Children cry largely because they need something, with the most common of needs being attachment. Whenever a child cried, mothers first did mammary closeness, and if that didn't work, she tried through trial and error to figure out what the child needed. Maybe they were hungry. Maybe they were tired. Maybe they need mom's milk. But, usually, all your child needs is YOU. 

For the first 6 years of childhood, children growing up in the Early Church cried whenever they needed something, and it was up to mothers to figure out what the child needed. Most children past age 6 then were cooperative with parents, in a way that made the parents' day. However, this bliss can only happen if the child is well cared for in the formative years of their childhood. Children are born trusting in their parents for all things. Punishment and even mere parent anger only violates this trust in children. 

Mammary closeness and breastfeeding go hand and hand. This breastfeeding stopped when the child rejected the nipple. This usually happened around age 2. However, some of the time, children weren't ready for solid foods until age 6 or even above. Christian mothers in the Early Church breastfed their children whenever and wherever called to, including in public. 

Mammary closeness is the key to forming a secure bond with your child. As soon as you co-snuggle with your child in skin-on-skin mammary closeness, you will regret not doing so sooner. The traction between the bodies of mother and child helps form a secure parent-child bond.

The depraved and entitled parents who punish their children instead of use time-in will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into the abyss, which is the lake of fire and burning sulfur prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

Birth nudity: Understanding the Christian tradition of birth nudity

Many parents want their children to wear clothing, without thinking twice about it. This is a common assumption on the part of the parent - that children need to be forced to wear clothing in order to be safe from predators. However, the Early Christians had a tradition going known as birth nudity, where mother and child are in the nude next to each other in the family home.

God wants you as the parent to form a secure attachment with your child, with parents then using the context as a guidepost as to how to bond with their child. See Colossians 3:20 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and is better translated as "trust", as in "trust your parents in all things". This word ultimately refers to rest, meaning a child surrendering themselves into the loving arms of mothers, with parents showing Christian Agape love for their child. Ultimately, this commandment refers to a secure attachment between parent and child within the context of the family home. The context can be used as a guidepost as to how to form a secure bond with your child, with one time-honored method being birth nudity. 

There is a right way and a wrong way to do birth nudity. Old Order Mennonites let their children be naked, but then strike them until they are ashamed of their nudity. However, that is not how birth nudity was practiced in the Early Church. Christian parents in the Early Church knew better that mother-child closeness was best done in the nude. 

Children growing up in the Early Church went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the confines of the family home. Mother and children under age 6 were in constant and intense closeness with each other. During this time, milk-dependent children suckled the teat of mothers, in skin-on-skin warmth. Most of the time, children rejected the teat of mothers around age 2, which was when they were ready for solid food. However, sometimes the child accepted the teat of mothers until age 6 or even beyond.

It is good to leave a change of clothing on a hanger in a neutral location, such as a banister on the way upstairs. Children are usually curious enough to find the clothing and try it on. When a child finds their clothing, and tries it on, they should be praised and encouraged to keep wearing the clothing. 

When children growing up in the Early Church - under age 6 - went out and about with mothers, they were covered up by nothing but swaddling blankets, with young children resting securely next to the bosom of mothers, in swaddling blankets. These swaddling blankets were tied from the left breast, then across the dot to the right leg,  or vice versa, or both, with the child being fully protected from male scrutiny. The swaddling blankets were then tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which was grown throughout the Ancient Middle East. 

Children under age 6 went nowhere without their mother. That is because Christian parents in the Early Church knew that young children experienced separation anxiety, and thus mothers were always there for the child, with children seemingly being attached at the hip to mothers. Whenever you leave your child with a parent in loco parentis at all, you realize their worst fears - that you will "go away and never come back". Birth nudity simply means that this intense closeness comes in the nude. 

The tradition of birth nudity is a time-honored Judeo-Christian tradition predating Christianity by thousands of years, with the tradition originally being a Jewish tradition. Christian parents in the Early Church knew more than parents today that children are created by God to be affectionate with parents, and that punishment severs that parent-child bond. Children want YOU to be their best friend and close confidant. This was how parenting went throughout the biblical context, and that is how parenting should go today, 

The depraved and entitled parents who punish their children for their own nudity will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into torrents of Hell-fire prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for more laws on the books protecting children

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most American parents support the current child abuse definitions, with parental rights advocates claiming that "actual abuse is rare". However, the Bible has its own definition of child abuse. Anything perceived by a child victim as abusive is objectively so. 

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement consists of a parent being sorely disappointed when they don't get what they feel that they deserve from children. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Any parent anger directed towards a child was deemed parental entitlement then, and was condemned as such. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived as offensive or damaging by a child, it was deemed child abuse. See also Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. Any entitlement leading to offense in a child is what is deemed child abuse in the Bible. Offense in children can include any hurt feelings in a child, stemming from parent anger. However, whenever you even offend your child without an apology, you are entitled, as refusal to apologize to a child that you upset alone is a form of entitled defense. Whenever a child is hurt emotionally by how you treat them, the way to avoid offense is to be willing to apologize to a child whenever you hurt their feelings. In public, even bumping into a child can be child abuse if you aren't willing to apologize for the incident. Any time you upset a child, and defend it, you are abusing your child. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions towards children such as spanking and other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men,

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers here to long-term damages from child abuse, namely trauma. The ancients in the Bible had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. When a child grew up to be an atheist, it brought shame onto the parents, as the parents were then put under suspicion of child abuse. Atheism in a young adult was seen as a sign of trauma, not simply as sign of "rebellion" or else being a "lost soul".

Child sexual abuse is understood in the Bible using the Greek root word πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to anything sexually immoral as understood then. Any sexual interaction between an adult and a child is considered child sexual abuse, meaning any sexual advances directed towards a child, even if the child liked it or was flattered by it. Child sexual abuse was rare in the Early Church, and when it happened, it was a huge moral outrage. Any sexual relations outside of marriage was considered fornication in biblical times, with the only way out of sexual sin with a child is to masturbate to thoughts of children. In the Old Testament, sexual abusers of girls were burned at the stake, with abusers of boys being stoned to death. 

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of an internal investigation. When a child was being abused, the child usually confided into the church elders for assistance in getting rid of abusive parents. The elder then called into the courtroom the alleged abusive parents, and if they defended themselves in any way, a guilty verdict was handed down to the parents. The guilty and entitled parents were then excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending punishment of a child as a right. Even King Solomon was anti-spanking, and recommended attachment parenting for minor children. The rod of correction was instead intended for adult children, as a sentence for crime. 

America is a Judeo-Christian country, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context for how to live and treat each other with respect. It just so happens that the Bible was grossly mistranslated at the Latinate level, as when Rome took over, the Roman Catholic Church mistranslated the Bible in order to keep a tradition going. However, the Bible is clear that provoking your child to anger is a moral crime when it comes from entitlement.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Catching children being good: Why to catch children being good (as opposed to being bad)

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common goal for parents to have. However, most American parents think that discipline means catching a child being bad, and then punishing the child. However, the Bible instead calls for children to be caught being good.

God's Law on child discipline is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

The first stanza of this passage clarifies for the second that discipline should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is not enough to stop spanking and punishing your child - you need to avoid the slightest of offense perceived by a child. However, offending children is inevitable in parenting, and thus you should be willing to give a meaningful apology to your child. Any time you cause your child to be upset, you are offending them, and thus an apology is in order. Usually, an informal apology is all that is necessary, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". However, if you lose your cool with your child, you are crossing into entitlement territory, thus a formal apology is in order, such as "I apologize for losing my cool with you", and then you should commit to never losing your cool again as a parent. Any time you refuse to apologize to your child, you are entitled. The first stanza of this verse cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought with them into the parish at Ephesus the pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translated to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions onto children, such as spanking and punishing children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men. 

The second stanza of this passage clarifies as to what discipline is acceptable, with the previous stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers here to a certain specific method of nurturing children coming from fathers, namely of the teaching sort. Whenever a child was caught in the act of being good, meaning they showed discipline such as self-control or patience, they were lavishly praised and encouraged to keep up the good work. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good Christian example for their children, but backed it up with praise and encouragement, as opposed to punitive measures. This method is an ancient Jewish custom, predating Christianity by centuries. In most cases, children form their own self-discipline, in which case they should be praised and encouraged to keep up the good work. Children also need religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" (see the English Standard Version), and refers to instructing children in the Lord. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a copy of the Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were praised and encouraged to keep studying the Word of God, saying things along the lines of "You can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format. Children were eager to learn about Scripture, with fathers being quick to give pointers on the context.

Catching children being good is one thing, but sometimes, children need limits in the mean time. The idea is to set limits whenever necessary. Christian parents in the Early Church could set a simple limit for any reason, but the word "no" was reserved for any behavior that is unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral  Whenever a limit wasn't received well in children, parents apologized for their children. Christian parents in the Early Church never got angry, and when they did, it was seen as a form of entitlement called parental entitlement, with parental entitlement being seen then as something to avoid and oppose. 

Contrary to popular legend, Christian fathers in the Early Church did not sexually correct their children. Instead, he masturbated righteously to thoughts of his children, meaning usually his daughter. Maybe in neighboring cultures fathers raped their children to correct them, but not in Ancient Jewish culture; Even in Lev. 18:17, the Law then was applied flexibly, meaning broadly, and was applied to all cases of sexual interactions between grown men and young girls, even if the child was not the perpetrator's, with the penalty being death by way of burning at the stake. Daughters were always next to mom's side in the Old Testament. All sexual abuse of a child was considered unlawful then, as in the Early Church  any sexual relations outsdie of marriage being seen as sexually impure, including sexual relations with children. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

The word "no": Why telling children "no" frequently is child abuse

Many parents think children need to hear the word "no" frequent and often. This is a common attitude towards children on the part of parents. Most parents offend their children this way, not thinking for a moment how entitled they are. The fact of the matter is that saying "no" all the time is child abuse. 

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing a child - you should avoid even the slightest of offense perceived by a child. However, offending children is inevitable in parenting, and thus a parent should be willing to apologize to their child whenever they offend their child. Any time you cause your child to be upset, you have offended them  and thus you need to apologize. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". However, when you lose your cool with your child, you are crossing into clear entitlement territory, and thus a formal apology is necessary, such as "I apologize for losing my cool with you", with you then committing never to losing your cool that way ever again. Even refusing to apologize to a child is entitlement in and of itself. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, and is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, including spanking and other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men. 

The word "no" alone, when used frequently, can cause irreparable harm to the parent-child bond. The Early Christians knew this instinctively, and thus customary law then only allowed the word "no" under the strictest of circumstances. Under customary law then, children were only given the word "no", or else were handed a limit, if the child's behaviors or petitioned requests were unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral  

The main reason for the word "no" in dependent children then was sexual promiscuity, meaning parents supervised the courtship of their children, only marrying off their daughters to the suitor that made her wait until marriage. Apart from that, Christian parents in the Early Church used nicer-sounding words in place of the word "no", such as "that can't work", "that can't happen", or "that isn't possible". When children couldn't accept a set limit, they were given an apology. 

Christian parents in the Early Church never set a limit for their children out of anger. That is because parents then never got angry with their children. Parent anger is something in our flawed genome, but only when it is modeled to children. The Early Christians had Jewish blood, meaning no parent anger to show or to hide. Even the Greek and Roman believers eventually lost that unnecessary backbone. There is no need for that kind of protection even today. as I have no genetic capacity for parent anger, and yet I can assert myself just fine when called to. Parenting in the Early Church was instead motivated by worry and concern, with parental concern being the core driver of parental instinct. Jewish mothers even today are not nags, but instead simply worry a lot about their children. Mother Mary was worried to death for her Son Jesus Christ, knowing His fate as the Only Begotten Son of God  Jesus was the perfect child from early on, and even when He ran away to the Temple, all that happened was the rabbis being astonished by His religious astuteness, with this astuteness being evident by the age of 3. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!