Jehovah's Witnesses, don't you like Heaven?

Question

do you consider heaven ,which is better than anything we can imangine on earth, equal to a paradise here on earth? does this mean you dont want to go to heaven? What is there to work towards? What happens to those that die now? do they come back to earth when it is perfect?

Answer 1

Thank you very much for the kindness you displayed in your question. So many are unnecessarily rude and boorish.


I'm convinced Jehovah's Witnesses believe heaven is wonderful. It is not, however, necessarily better than a paradise on earth. I personally do not want to go to heaven. Why? Well, for one thing, humans get to do things that people in heaven do not.

There is no good food and wine in heaven. No babies smiling at you with that toothy grin. No marriage. No enjoying the gift of love-making between husband and wife. These and so many others are only enjoyed by earthly people - humans.

It is helpful to remember that God promised everlasting life for the faithful. The gift God gives is not "everlasting life in heaven." According to Romans 6:23, the contrast is between death and life. Not life in heaven or life in hell. The wages of sin is death. The gift God gives is everlasting life. And it is God who determines where that everlasting life will be spent.

Everlasting life on a paradise earth is just as wonderful (and more so in some ways) as everlasting life in heaven.

As for those who die now, they sleep in death until the resurrection. This is what Martha - Lazarus' sister - believed in. Compare John 11:24. The resurrection on the last day.

My precious mother sleeps in death. I look forward to seeing her in the resurrection. All I have to do is remain as faithful as she was. And I will be there when Jehovah awakens her.

People who go to heaven do not come back to earth.

Heaven is not necessarily better than anything we can imagine on earth. It is different - to be sure - but not better.

Hannah

Answer 2

I think heaven is wonderful and very holy place for god resides there. But the bible clearly shows us that the Earth was made for mankind, and mankind for the Earth (Genesis account). You have to understand that Paradise is ALSO better than anything we can comprehend, because the Earth today is so far from perfect. The bible tells us that 'there will be a ressurection of the righteous and the unrighteous". Those will be resurrected to live in paradise if they choose to.

Answer 3

Finally, a good question. But, in heaven there is no beer. That's why we drink it here. He he he. Seriously, consider these:

1. All biblical accounts of resurrections occurred here on earth, so have you considered the possibility that those who teach that good people go to heaven are in error?

2. Jesus taught his disciples to pray: "thy kingdom come". He did not say thy kingdom go up, right?

3. He said that the meek shall inherit the earth. So, how could his words come true if you want us to go to heaven?

4. If Adam did not eat the forbidden fruit, he would still be alive here on earth. And, the whole wide earth would be a paradise, right? Nowhere in the Bible can you read that Jehovah God promised to send Adam to heaven...

5. The very 1st command of God to man is: "go to the world, subdue it; and take care of it". So how could this be fulfilled if we go to heaven?

I think now you got the point. It is not that JWs want or do not want to go to heaven. They just happen to base their belief on what the Bible says, and not what humans say.

I may have issues w/ them on some other matters. But, on this one I am 100% with them. God intended us to live forever on a paradise earth--not on some imaginary heaven.

Answer 4

I'm confused, Of course we like heaven, what does that have to do with God's promises?

Revelation paints a beautiful picture of heaven and the throne of God.

It also states at

Rev. 21:3,4 says that the tent of God is with mankind. We will be children of God and have the same close relationship with Jehovah Adam had prior to his sin.

Do I personally want to go to heaven?
I can honestly say no.

I am not working toward anything, Eternal life is a gift.

Those who died yesterday, or today or even tomorrow, Since Jehovah has given judging to Jesus, so if Jesus resurrects them, it will be his decision if they will be here on earth or of the heavenly calling.

No matter how much we want to go to paradise on earth or if we want to go to heaven, it is not our decision.

Yes the earthly resurrection will occur after Armageddon, during the 1000 year reign of Christ and the Holy ones. (That's why it's called reigning with Christ)

Psalms tells us the Jehovah is satisfying the desires of every living thing.

So in the paradise, even the animals will benefit from Jehovah's new earth.

Answer 5

We like heaven very much but that is only chosen for a select few. They are going to take on hevenly bodies. No human can live in heaven. Besides what are you even going to do in heaven jump around on clouds. When jehovah god created humans he created us to live on earth. We would of all been living forever if adam and eve didnt screw up. BUT a question was posed when adam and eve sinned. Satan tempted adam and eve to eat from the tree of knowlege of good and bad and from eating it they would be filled with as much knowlege as jehovah god. you see adam and eve leaned on there own understanding. jehovah when they sinned could of easily poof wiped them out but had all of the angels watching. that is not showing love. so god figured out a new way. he has let this system go on letting humans rule themselves. If u read and undstand the bible there is a common theme gods right to rule over mankind. When amregodon has come and he decides to abolish this system. there will be a resurection just as john wrote in chapter 5 verse 28,29 Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

Answer 6

Just one ??? for you, did King David want to go to Heaven? awe, two ??? if Adam had not died would he have sometime in the future gone to heaven or would he have lived on the Earth forever?

This was King David's hope for the future.
Psalms 37:29  The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
King James Bible

The righteous themselves will possess the earth,
And they will reside forever upon it. Modern Translation Bible

Jesus said to pray for "God's will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven"

Answer 7

I personally would not be all that interested in going to heaven. I'd enjoy myself just fine here on earth.....
But, what happens is we just die. and become unconscious. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) we don't go to heaven and than to earth or anything like that...
Instead, we get resurrected to life (john 17:3) on a paradise earth without sickness, death or pain.
(more scriptures on demand :P)

The earth will become perfect after the meek inherit it-
"but the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." psalms 37:11

which sounds very good, and to me seems more injoyable, than being in heaven.

This paradise earth will be after Armageddon, when god fulfills his promise and purpose for the earth, to make it a paradise, and for perfect humans to live on it in unity and with love for him and each other as one big united family.

That's more or less a quick sum up.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to I.M me.

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses consider their personal preferences to be less important than the stated will and purposes of the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, the Almighty God Jehovah.

If Jehovah's purpose is to have the vast majority of his faithful servants live forever in paradise on earth, who are they to question the obvious teachings of the bible? Jehovah's Witnesses work toward obeying and pleasing Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, rather toward some self-absorbed personal goal.

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]

The Scriptures are full of references to this earthly hope.
(Psalms 37:11) 'the meek will possess the earth'
(Proverbs 2:21) 'upright will reside in the earth'
(Isaiah 45:18) 'God formed the earth to be inhabited'
(Matthew 5:5) 'the mild will inherit the earth'
(Revelation 21:3) The tent of God is with mankind

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 9

nobody really knows if heaven is real, it's just a belief to some people.

Answer 10

The gospel of John has answers.