Just a thought for the jehovah witnesses?

Question

This a question only to the jehovah witness (Other christian denominations can fell free to answer also).Dont need any opinions from an athiest or agnostic,since your answers dont matter.You say that only 144,000 people will make it to heaven,Now I know that there more than a few million jehovah witnesses in the world.If that is the case,How can you know your apart of the 144,000? What of the jehovah witnesses in the past?Wouldnt that number be filled up a few years ago? I thought the 144,000 were from the 12 tribes of israel? I really want to know your answers for this question

Read Revelation 7 vs 4-8, then you can answer the question

Answer 1

I know atheists can really have no valid input to your specific question here, but I'm guessing that your opinion in that regard is universal.

I pity you for choosing to disregard the opinions of a massive proportion of the world's population.

Answer 2

Regarding Salvation, the Jehovah Witnesses believe that there are three classes of people that will be saved by good works. However, each class is working to gain a different type of Salvation. The first class, which will be made up of 144,000 Witnesses will go to heaven. Theses are the Anointed Class. “Only the Anointed Class can be born again.” The Second class includes all other Jehovah Witnesses called “the other sheep.” They cannot be justified in this life or be born again. Jesus and the 144,000 in heaven will rule these people. The third class, which includes non Jehovah Witnesses who have lived good enough lives, will be given the opportunity to earn salvation after death. All who are worthy of the second chance will be recreated by Jehovah to live in the new millennium. The rest will just disappear.
Oh, and I'm Athiest by the way but it doesn't mean that I'm stupid and don't know anything about the bible or religion.

Answer 3

You ask a thought-provoking question. How is it possible that in nearly 2,000 years with billions of people professing faith in Jesus Christ, how could there be any more places to fill if all worthy Christians for 2,000 years were already claiming those positions? Doesn't seem reasonable, does it? Nor should it because it isn't taught anywhere in the Bible.

The highly symbolic book of Revelation speaks of 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe this refers to literal Israel. So why should the number be perceived as literal? Also, these 144,000 Israelites are serving as kings and priests, but other verses in Revelation such as Rev 5:9, 10 show that in addition to the Israelites, persons of every tongue and nation are to rule as kings and priests. So even if these 144,000 have a special position in heaven, it doesn't mean they're the only ones there. Rev. 7:9 speaks of a great crowd that is obviously in heaven since they stand before the throne. The throne is in heaven. Everyone in the vision is in heaven in close proximity to the throne, including the great crowd. And they serve in the temple which is in heaven. "The elder" asks "WHERE did they come from? ". This indicated that they WERE on earth, but now they're in heaven...if they were still on earth, there would be no need to ask the question. It's possible that this great crowd was martyred in the great tribulation, since the previous chapter 6:11 speaks of those about to be killed, indicating a time of tribulation about to happen. Also, Revelation chapter 19 speaks of a great crowd "in heaven". It should be noted that prior to 1935, Jehovah's Witnesses themselves believed that this great crowd before the throne was in heaven, not on earth.

You ask how people know that they're a part of the 144,000. Good question. This was quite a problem back in 1935 when it was "revealed" to Judge Rutherford that not all the JW's would be going to heaven; some would be living here on earth. (By the way, this is the same man who said that we should "confidently expect" that the dead would be resurrected in 1925, so what does that tell you?). Most Witnesses were in quite a quandary, because they had to decide between going to heaven or living on the earth. Some of them took quite a while to figure it out and even then I remember reading in the Watchtower (or possibly the Awake) about one couple who switched to the earth for a few years, then went back to being of the "heavenly" class. Supposedly there are about 8,000 of these people still living, but most of these are ones who were not "sealed" by 1935; many of them hadn't even been born yet. Basically, if heaven appeals to you more than living forever on the earth, then you can claim to be "called".

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only 144,000 have the witness of the spirit in Romans chapter 8. Paul said in verses 8 and 9 that if you don't have that witness, you don't belong to God and you're a dead man. JW's say you don't need it to be saved.

Answer 4

144,000.
Luke 12:32: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.”
Rev. 14:1-3: “I saw, and, look! the Lamb [Jesus Christ] standing upon the Mount Zion [in heaven; see Hebrews 12:22-24], and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. . . . And they are singing as if a new song . . . and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth.”

those Scriptures are why we believe only that chosen few go up into heaven, they will be by Christ Jesus as co. rulers in god's new earth. however,
all those faithful ones, (which you are correct, vastly out number 144,000) also have a hope, they are the ones that will get the promised 'paradise new earth' brought out in the bible.
they will be resurrected to a new earth ruled by Jesus, god, and the 144,000.
they are not all Jews, and hey are not all Jehovah's witnesses. the 144,000 include any faithful followers of Jesus since he's died, which include his apostles, first century Christians, and even a few that so happen to be alive today, although the number is very small.
that is a short over view, and i hope it helped.

Answer 5

We believe that the 144,000 will be co-rulers with Jesus Christ in the heavenly Kingdom that Jesus preached about so much. Read Revelation 14. Also, Jehovah's original purpose was for man-kind to inhabit the earth, as he told Adam and Eve in Genesis Genesis 1:22 With that God blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea basins, and let the flying creatures become many in the earth.”

Most of the people that are among the 144,000 are chosen, but there is still a little gap to fill.

The rest of man-kind will live in a paradise Earth, filled with righteous people under Jehovah's rulership, which is the intended initial purpose of our Creator.

Answer 6

Not a J.W. but I know the answer.

Christ pointed out to all Christians that "Christians were now Spiritual Jews/Israelites and now "descendants of Abraham to be numbered amongst the stars" and that since they were, the Christian congregation would make up the "new 12 tribes of Israel"" who YOU MUST REALIZE they were ONLY 2 TRIBES KNOWN at Christs TIME!!!

Back in around 600 B.C.E. Nebuchadnezzar hauled all the Jews but 2 tribes OFF TO BABYLON. Around 450 B.C.E. they allowed the rest to return to Jerusalem, but they had not been able to keep their genealogies straight and could NOT enter them into the "record" much as the Mormons do today, the Jews Meticulously did then. This IS WHY we KNOW CHRISTS GENEALOGY. By destroying the records of the bloodlines, God did away with all other tribes. To this day, no Jew KNOWS WHAT TRIBE HE IS FROM. PERIOD. The final record was destroyed in the destruction of the temple in 76 A.D. when Jerusalem was sacked by Rome.

So the Christian Congregation at this time made up the NEW SPIRITUAL ISRAEL and the 12 Tribes. Over the FIRST 100-150 A.D. many came to God and became the 144,000. However, apostasy soon set in and the "church" changed format, with it changing to a "Universal or Catholic" format. This turned the church AWAY from God. No longer WAS HIS NAME important, no longer was HIS WILL looked forward to being done, etc. Now, it was all about "bringing everyone they could to church no matter how they did it." Bringing in Pagan beliefs? No problem.

Christmas - pagan - worship of Tammuz and the Cross, later Saturnalia
Easter - pagan - worship of Astarte and the egg and rabbit
Halloween - pagan - day all souls came back
Valentine's day - pagan - lover's day
Infant Baptism - pagan
Rosary Beads - Buddhism
Nun's in Black - Buddhism
on and on and on . . .

but these are all "doctrine on men" or "borrowed from other religions." NOT CHRISTIAN.

So, in the mean time, NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE became 144,000 BEFORE THE APOSTASY SET IN. Now there is still room for some to become 144,000 or Chosen. How do you know? How can YOU NOT KNOW? Most people have a desire for eternal life on EARTH. There hope is here, there desire is here. For the chosen of Christ, to rule with him in Heaven, it is NOT. The desire to sit with him in Immortality and be his brother and desire nothing else, even to death. Those who want to live in earth have NO DESIRE FOR DEATH, but for eternal life.

Answer 7

Haha! I answered and I don't believe in god and there's nothing you can do about it. nanny nanny poo poo! But really tho, I was raised a J.W. hence not believing and Jehovah is supposed to let you know somehow that you are part of the 144,000 and the rest of the people will live happily ever after to start over again here on pretty precious earth after Jehovah does away with the "wicked". Yeah that's all of us here that don't believe. And no, witnesses don't use the internet much and they don't celebrate Jesus' birthday because they think that he was born some time in October but they aren't sure and plus all holidays are pagan based yadda yadda yadda and they don't celebrate birthdays cuz they don't celebrate Jesus' birthday yadda yadda yadda. Funny thing is though, they have baby showers and last time I checked that had to do with someone being born so how is that different from celebrating a birthday? Anyway, christianity has too many contradicting factors for me to follow. Alrighty bye bye then...

Answer 8

144,000 will go to heaven, they have been given a sign that they are the ones... Its when the last of the 144,000 that the end will be set in motion and we are seeing that now.. Not all are going to heaven because jehovah did not creat this beatuiful world for nothing.. It has been said all of the 144,000 have now almost died so the end may come soon? It was not filled all at one because only a selected few will be able to enter in to the heavens. He needs to only chioce the deserving ones... As far as heaven there is none thats like puting your childs hand on a hot stove god would never treat his child like that....

Answer 9

I'm not absolutely certain, because I'm not really one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but I was raised as one and attend the Memorial every year, and this what I have gathered: The 144,000 are descendants of Jesus' apostles. They will go to heaven when they die, while the rest of the witnesses- the ones that have remained in Jehovah's favor- will lie in wait, sleeping, until the new system of things when Jehovah clears the earth of evil and resurrects the deserving dead.

I'm pretty sure I'm right, but it's not impossible to believe that I'm wrong.

Answer 10

Just a little something for those that have give negative answers:

We might be able to deceive fellow humans, but we cannot fool Jehovah. (Heb. 4:13) Time and again the Scriptures exhort us to be honest with one another, for liars will have no place in an earth swept clean of unrighteousness. (Prov. 14:2; Rev. 21:8; 22:15) The reason for that should be clear. The promoter of all untruth is none other than Satan the Devil. John 8:44.

Making honesty our way of life brings numerous benefits. Among them are a clean conscience and the satisfaction of being trusted by others. But, the most important benefit, is that honesty wins us the friendship of Almighty God. Psalm 15:1,2.



No more for the desires of men, but for God’s will. For the time that has passed by is sufficient for US to have worked out the will of the nations when WE proceeded in deeds of loose conduct, lusts, excesses with wine, revelries, drinking matches, and illegal idolatries. Because WE do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of US. But these people will render an account to the one ready to judge those living and those dead

Answer 11

The 144,000 converts is only in reference to the Jews, not Jehovah Witnesses.