Why do Jehovah Witnesses hope for eternal life on EARTH...?

Question

...instead of in Heaven.
where the lame will walk and the blind will see. Why do they feel the need to settle for Earth?

Answer 1

It is THEIR interpretation of Scriptures, is all...

Peace be with you.

Answer 2

You been given some good answers about, but think beyond that to the potential of everlasting life.

You would be involved in tearing down all the last vestiges of the old system and turning the Earth back into a Paradise. You will be be using all of your mental abilities, to make this earth into what it was suppose to be all along. Speaking of mental abilities, as a perfect human being, you IQ will be 20 times higher than the smartest person living today, with total recall. Consider all the concrete, steel, and millions of materials, good and bad, that will be recycled. Perhaps we will learn how to add and remove electrons from the atoms, making it possible to turn unsafe materials into safe materials.

Once we are down with Earth, we will head out to explore all of God's creation, terraforming planets for settling, and learning about mega stars and black holes. We may even travel the universe with just the power of our minds. No one knows what is possible.

Consider also who you may meet during the second resurrection. Perhaps the builders of the great pyramids, or Aristotle.

Consider also that right here and now, there are places on Earth that can be said is just like Paradise. Man was made to live on Earth, not in heaven.

Answer 3

I am going to live forever on the earth, but NOT as it is now. It is not my "need" but Jehovah's purpose. All wickedness is going to be removed, and only the righteous will remain.-- Psalm 37:9-11, 29; Proverbs 2:21, 22; Matthew 5:5.

In your question you state that in heaven where the lame will walk and the blind will see. Actually, that will be on the earth. No one will say "I am sick." -- Isaiah 33:24; 35:5-7; Revelation 21:3-5.

The earth is to be restored to a paradise.-- Luke 23:43; Isaiah 35:1-10.

Some think that the earth will be destroyed, but that isn't what the bible says; it tells us that "the earth abideth [or remains] forever." -- Ecclesiastes 1:4; Psalm104:5.

Jehovah's original purpose was for the earth to be inhabited and cared for by humans. -- Genesis 1:28; Isaiah 45:18.

What Jehovah purposes will be done, just as we pray in the "Lord's Prayer." -- Matthew 6:9, 10; Isaiah 55:10, 11.

It is true that a limited number will go to heaven, but have you ever wondered "What will they be doing there?"
The Bible answers that those who are "bought from the earth" are to rule as Kings and Priests with Christ Jesus: - Revelation 5:9, 10. See also Luke 12:32; 22:29; & Hebrews 12:28.

Answer 4

The Watchtower has a strong Old Testament focus on Bible interpretation. It believes Jewish restoration prophecies to have a secondary fulfillment in the future. To do so requires ignoring much of the New Testament and its clear message of a heavenly resurrection.

I have done an extensive article on this at http://jwfacts.com/index_files/earthforever.htm

Their belief requires ignoring scriptures that say the earth will end, explaining them to be 'figurative'.
Isaiah 51:6 “like a garment the earth itself will wear out ”

Isaiah 65:17-18 “For here I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. 18 But exult, YOU people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating.”

It is important to note that the Bible never talks about a future earthly resurrection. The Watchtower doctrine talks about 2 hopes, an earthly and a heavenly one. However the Bible says there is only one hope:
Ephesians 4:4

“One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called”

Answer 5

You mentioned to dazzling you once you're incorrect.... so i'm going to dazzling you If a guy or woman dies on the instant & became into on no account a Jehovah's Witness, they are in a position to have a biblical wish of eternal existence because of the fact they'll in all likelihood be resurrected & given the possibility to place their existence so as with Jehovah's standards. you besides mght mentioned " a guy or woman who died in yet another faith might have genuinely no wish. dazzling?" No that's inaccurate. many human beings from distinctive religions will take transport of the possibility to conform to God's standards. that would mean rejecting former fake worship. whether, those alive at Armageddon who have not replaced would be eradicated. Jehovah has consistently had unique rights bearing directly to the "admittance standards"... he's Almighty God. And why in the international might he reject his very own standards & enable fake worship in his paradise earth? I on no account provide a 'canned answer'

Answer 6

It is not a matter of what any human may or may not PREFER. It is a matter of believing what the bible actually teaches.

Jehovah's Witnesses understand the Scriptures to teach that God's Kingdom 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

That Kingdom will 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.”
(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Until that resurrection, there is no suffering in "hell", or 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

While a limitted number of humans will be resurrected to heaven to share in ruling over mankind, 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]

Interestingly, 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://watchtower.org/e/jt/
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/

Answer 7

They do that because they are told that they are not worthy to go to heaven. They have been told that only the first 144,000 will go to heaven, so they will be on earth. This is of course a big problem because the 144,000 are virgin Jewish males and are 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. The great crowd teaching comes from another place and has been ripped out of context.

Answer 8

We don't "feel" the need, it's written in the bible that the meek "will" inherit the earth, and that the earth was meant to be inhabited. Psalms 37:10, 11

Addition: Yes, it does say people will go to heaven, but it says only 144, 000 will receive this high glory of going to heaven. The bible clearly states what these people will do in heaven and why they are going to heaven, to be part of the heavenly government, run by Jesus Christ.

Answer 9

The reference to the lame will walk and the blind will see is what Jehovah has promised to those who will be in the earthly paradise.

Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. 2 Without fail it will blossom, and it will really be joyful with joyousness and with glad crying out. The glory of Leb´a·non itself must be given to it, the splendor of Car´mel and of Shar´on. There will be those who will see the glory of Jehovah, the splendor of our God.

5 At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. 6 At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness. For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain. 7 And the heat-parched ground will have become as a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground as springs of water. In the abiding place of jackals, a resting-place for [them], there will be green grass with reeds and papyrus plants.


Isa 25:6 And Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of [wine kept on] the dregs, of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of [wine kept on] the dregs, filtered. 7 And in this mountain he will certainly swallow up the face of the envelopment that is enveloping over all the peoples, and the woven work that is interwoven upon all the nations. 8 He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. And the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for Jehovah himself has spoken [it].

9 And in that day one will certainly say: “Look! This is our God. We have hoped in him, and he will save us. This is Jehovah. We have hoped in him. Let us be joyful and rejoice in the salvation by him.”

The hope of paradise on earth is a promise Jehovah has given, Are we to reject Jehovah's blessings?

Are we to say to Jehovah, If you don't give me heaven, I won't worship you?

I know that where ever Jehovah allows me to live for eternity, I will be happy.

Answer 10

JWs claim everlasting life is a reward for doing the will of God and carrying out one's dedication -- in other words, salvation is a reward for good works. (JWs are expected to spend five hours per week in door-to-door visitation and witnessing, are responsible for selling twelve subscriptions to The Watchtower magazine each month, and are responsible for conducting a "Bible study" each month in the homes of their converts.) According to JW theology, a person has one of three possible destinies. The Anointed (144,000) will be in heaven to reign with Jehovah God. The rest of the faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (not of the 144,000) will live forever on a paradise Earth. Both of these classifications are determined to a great extent on membership in the Watchtower organization as well as going door-to-door spreading the message of the Watchtower. Those people who are not members of the Watchtower organization will be destroyed by Jehovah God and cease to exist. There is no concept of eternal punishment or hell in Watchtower theology (Let God Be True, pp. 90-95, 289). They also believe that men will have a second chance, after death, to be saved.

BUT before you listen to them and join this cult, consider this:

JW leadership claims its victims by asserting itself to be the sole Christian religion and authority on the earth today, as well as God's mouthpiece or prophet. The Watchtower further disrupts families through its harsh and unbiblical interpretation of "disfellowshipping" and the practice of "shunning." Family members who are former JWs are labeled by Watchtower adherents as "apostates" and prevented from even social contact. Disfellowshipped or disassociated children, parents, and grandparents are kept from any type of communication with active members of the organization. Divorces are common within the sect when one member becomes disillusioned with Watchtower teaching and mind-control.

Not only has the name of this cult been changed time and again, but they also change their doctrines regularly -- between 1917 and 1928, they changed their doctrines 148 times! (Prior to 1931, Jehovah's Witnesses had also gone by the names of Millennial Dawn, People's Pulpit Association, The Brooklyn Tabernacle, and the International Bible Students Association.) Russell died in 1916 and was replaced by the second president, Joseph F. Rutherford. "A process of replacing Russell's writings with Rutherford's began in 1921 with the publication of Rutherford's Harp of God. Between 1921 and 1941, Rutherford was to write twenty books and numerous pamphlets, which would slowly revise the doctrine and structure left him by Russell" (Encyclopedia of American Religions, G. Melton, Vol. 1, p. 485). One of Rutherford's books that caused a great amount of controversy was the seventh volume of the Studies in the Scriptures.

I say wait a little while longer and they will preach that all Jehovah's Witnesses will enjoy everlasting life on Mars or some other planet created just for them. I'd say good riddence

Answer 11

Revelation 21


21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Because the Bible say's, that's why...smile