If the Jehovah's witnesses only believe that 144,000 will go to heaven, why do the want more to join?

Answer 1

there stupid

Answer 2

They don't know if they are the chosen. They are seeking for answers. They know that 144,000 are guaranteed. If you ask other theologians, they'll tell you that's the original 12 tribes of Israel multiplied by 12000 of each tribe. Those are the Lord's chosen people and in the Judeo-Christian bible, those are the Jewish people. They are the ones to be chosen for life when the world as we know it ends. When there is 1000 years of peace on earth to follow. But, no one knows what happens to anyone else. The Christians believe they will go on to either hell or heaven. The Catholics even have a pugatory where one has to work there way in heaven if they were not good enough but not bad enough either. The pagans of Norse religions believe there is Valhalla for all the warriors. Each religion hs their own belief. Jehovah's just want the right people to go and they are searching for those 144,000.

Answer 3

The answer is simple: because for those who aren't of that number who are given heavenly life, they get to remain right here on the earth to live forever in a global paradise. Most churches today only teach that you have to believe in Christ and then you'll go to heaven. That teaching is wrong. God gives the gift of heavenly life to those whom he chooses, not by something we can do. Those same churches also completely ignore the beginning of the Bible, in the book of Genesis, where it was God's purpose for Adam and Eve to live forever right on the earth in which he put them, to enjoy their life eternally and to fill the earth with perfect offspring. God's purposes do not change. That was his purpose then and that is his purpose now. At his due time, God will step in to man's affairs and completely destroy all false religion and man-ruled governments on this earth. His perfect kingdom, now ruled by Jesus Christ, will bring great blessings to obedient mankind.

One such blessing is that of having the dead resurrected back to life on earth. Wouldn't that be worth being obedient to God and Christ, and having an accurate knowledge of them so you can make the proper changes in your life? Just think of those you may have loved who are now dead. Wouldn't YOU want to see them alive again? That is a bible teaching and a marvelous hope for the future. It's one of a number of teachings the Jehovah's Witnesses share with people every day around the world.

Answer 4

All faithful humans will not go to heaven, only 144,000 chosen will. Those who do will have a definite purpose there: Rev. 20:4-6 and Rev 5:8-10 tell us those chosen to go to heaven “…will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.” (Also Daniel 7:27) 1 Cor. 6:2: “Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?” Rev. 5:10: “You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over [“on,” RS, KJ, Dy; “over,” AT, Da, Kx, CC] the earth.” (The same Greek word and grammatical structure is found at Revelation 11:6. There RS, KJ, Dy, etc., all render it “over.”)

The divine purpose is not to have Jesus Christ rule as king alone for the thousand years. But, as the apostle John tells us: “I saw, and, look! The Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. . . .”—Revelation 14:1-5. The number of such “holy ones” chosen to rule with the Lamb Jesus Christ on the heavenly Mount Zion is revealed as being 144,000, “bought from among mankind.” (Revelation 14:1-5) These, together with Christ, make up the righteous “new heavens” of Jehovah’s new system of things.
Christ and the 144,000 will rule over the earth to the benefit of all here on the earth.

Most of us, though, have an earthly hope. Jehovah created this earth so that humans could enjoy living on it forever. He wanted the earth always to be inhabited by righteous, happy people. (Psalm 115:16; Isaiah 45:18) The earth will never be destroyed; it will last forever.—Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4. In The Lord’s Prayer, we are taught to pray for God’s kingdom. A kingdom is a government, and God’s kingdom will rule over the earth. “... Let your kingdom come. Let your will come to pass, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matt. 6:10.

Even though we all grow old and die because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve, God’s original purpose for the earth will still be fulfilled. In the beginning it was God’s purpose for obedient humans to live forever in an earthly Paradise. And God never fails to accomplish what he purposes! His Word plainly promises: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.

Want to know more?

www.watchtower.org

Answer 5

The preaching work is performed because Jesus commanded it, not because it benefits Jehovah's Witnesses personally or as a religion. As a side point, the vast majority of Witnesses hope to enjoy life ON EARTH forever, rather than in heaven.

Jehovah's Witnesses understand heaven to refer to the dwelling place of spirit creatures such as Jesus and the angels. They understand the Scriptures to teach that exactly 144,000 humans will join Christ Jesus as kings and priests to administer God's Kingdom (which will soon replace all earthly governments).
(Daniel 2:44) God of heaven will set up a kingdom... It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite
(Revelation 14:1) Lamb [Jesus] standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
(Revelation 20:6) they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him

Over whom will they rule? Over the vast majority of mankind, most of whom will have been raised from the dead after Armageddon.
(John 11:23,24) Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”

Hell is NOT someplace/something mankind needs to fear; there is no suffering in the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire


Almighty Jehovah God selects those few who have the heavenly calling. Each person "feels" his own hope and each person's hope remains unquestioned by his fellow Christians. Still the vast majority (literally more than 99.9%*) of Jehovah's Witnesses expect an EARTHLY hope, the same hope given to Adam and Eve.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill THE EARTH and subdue it [caps added]
(Genesis 2:17) You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die [so never eating from that tree means never dying]

Learn more:
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/10/1/article_02.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/10/1/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm

Answer 6

Maybe they increase their own chances of going to heaven by converting?
It could be like a "holy" pyramid scheme.
If they convert one and their convert converts two that's three points closer to winning the grand prize of eternal happiness.

Answer 7

They don't know who among the people of the Earth will be chosen. Another misinterpretation of the Bible resulting in a Man-made lottery.

Answer 8

This is nuts. Any one can go to heaven, if they believe in God and are truely sorry for all of their sins.

Answer 9

I believe that number was modified several years ago. At least, that's what I heard.