only 114,000 people were going to heaven, now Im pretty sure that is Jehova witness' beliefs but where in the world did they come up with this theory?
2006-12-13 18:11:49 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses expect that many thousands of the 144,000 who are resurrected to heavenly life will have never set foot in a Kingdom Hall or read 'The Watchtower'.
The fact is that 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
The men and women who make up the 144,000 are selected by God from among two thousand years of Christians. 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://watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/
2006-12-14 03:56:24 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's 144,000, and they are spiritual Israelites.
You have Israel's sons, which include Levi, and Joseph.
You have the nation of Israel which exchanged two of Joseph's children and excuded Levi and Joseph as a tribe.
Then you have the list in Rev. 7, which includes Joseph, one of his sons Manasseh and Levi.
Are we to conclude Jesus made a mistake in listing the tribes? Maybe John made a mistake and copied the wrong names?
No this list is correct because it doesn't refer to the sons of Israel, or the fleshly tribes of the nation of Israel, but the what Gal 6:. 15 For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation [is something]. 16 And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.
-- refers to as a "new creation" the Israel of God.
but of course all you 'bible students' already knew that, and are only testing JW to see it they caught the difference in the 3 lists.
2006-12-14 08:52:42 · answer #2 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Made it up...think about it. Why are they out there trying to make converts? Seems like the seats on the plane to heaven must be getting pretty full--- aren't there already more than 114,000 of them? Uh-oh... better push to the front of the line-- maybe knock that guy down, or that little old lady there--- grab her ticket!
Silly "philosophy"
As crazy as telling suicide bombers that they'll have 100 (1000?) virgins in Paradise. Sounds like their "Paradise" might be the virgins' hell!
2006-12-13 18:21:24 · answer #3 · answered by Rani 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Its probably supposed to be 144,000. They get that particular number from the book of Revelation. It describes 144,000 people that are pure and saved in the end times. What they seem to overlook is where it mentions a great multitude of people beyond counting who are wearing white and have been washed in the blood of the lamb. Not that I believe any of that end of the world Revelation stuff anyway.
2006-12-13 18:20:03 · answer #4 · answered by Link 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's 144,000 and most likely it was a JW that said that. The Bible says this about the 144,000
Rev 7: 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
Since it is very discript that they are Jews from the various tribes, it cannot be JWs. But the Bible ALSO never says they are the only ones in Heaven. In fact, the Bible says: Rev 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hand
A Great Multitude which no man can number is much higher than 144,000 obviously since that is numbered.
2006-12-13 18:18:15 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think that a better question would be:
If they believe that only 114,000 are going to heaven, why would they be out recruiting...wouldn't that lessen their overall odds of being one of them?
2006-12-13 18:37:45 · answer #6 · answered by Bill K Atheist Goodfella 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
yes that is their belief, they have alot of strange ones. that part was made up by the founder of their religion, and has since been amended cue to the fact that when their religion was founded he didn't expect it to catch on so the 144,000 was a good number. now they have well over that number of followers and have had to back track. sounds to me like your "friend" doesn't even know the basis of his own religion. strange don't you think.
BTW I'm a christian but have knowledge of other religions due to study and family members
2006-12-13 18:31:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
it's 144,000.
JDubs believe god was talking to them. Not all of them, just a few. 144,000 to be exact. they are the ones who will be going to heaven after "Armageddon".
This, of course is supposed to happen in 1914, oh wait... sometime in the seventies, no no no... it supposed to happen when all of the people from the generation of 1914 die, that's it. Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. i guess its open to interpretation so that they can change it again when it does not come....again.
2006-12-13 18:18:17 · answer #8 · answered by southswell2002 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
There will be millions going to Heaven. No one knows who is and isn't going. Only God knows this.
2006-12-13 18:27:36 · answer #9 · answered by Dakota Lynn Takes Gun 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
from where the number?does they have a list by names i don't know from where this peoples come from you must tell us a joke i cant believe that
2006-12-13 18:15:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋