So, according to Jehovah Witness beliefs... 144 thousand of them will go to Heaven... So, when you come to my door on saturday, and you insist on explaining "the way" to me, I honestly asked.. well are you one of the 144 thousand? The guy looked at me in disgust...
so I continued.. well.. If you can't guarantee Heaven for ALL of your followers (jehovah witnesses) Why would I want that? Wouldn't I want to be a follower of a religion that guarantees EVERYONE that believes the opportunity to be in Heaven?
They grumbled and walked on... I was really looking for an answer....
::shrugs:: Guess they won't knock on my door again...
2006-12-21 17:50:55 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To Someonecares.. I am not putting them down.. I asked an honest question which they could not or would not answer... and they walked away... Am I to blindly follow what they say and never ask a question.... ?!?! ::rolling eyes::
2006-12-21 18:00:30 · update #1
Carol... last time I checked Salvation wasn't "something so dumb" . I take it VERY seriously and if I ask a question of someone, not rudely mind you even though they usually are rude.... coming into the neighborhood at 8 am on a Saturday?!?! But if I ask them a question so simple and they balk?? You bet red flags are going to go up
2006-12-21 18:03:38 · update #2
Salvation includes everlasting life, not necessarily in a specific realm.
The preaching work is performed because Jesus commanded it, not because it benefits Jehovah's Witnesses personally or as a religion. Actually, Jehovah's Witnesses expect that many thousands of the 144,000 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/
2006-12-21 23:38:07 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I assume what the person above is saying that if he was one of the Pharisees in the Temple when Christ was there at age 12, he would have thought of Christ as being too young to know what he was talking about?
Perhaps the question you should be asking is why would anyone want to survive through Armageddon. Those who do will spend 1000 years rebuilding the Earth back into a Paradise, only to be tested one last time by Satan. Those resurrected will not marry or be given in marriage, so no sex. Plus, the Bible doesn't say what happens with them, or the ruling class, after the 1000 years. So, by following the Bible, all the JWs promise is hard work now and more hard work later, on behalf of God, and who wants to be doing that? Isn't a lot easier to be a part of Christendom and believe that God is there to serve human wants/needs and not the reverse?
2006-12-22 03:43:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not all of the 144 000 were Jehovah's witnesses. All the first century Christians were given the promise of being kings and priests with Jesus. Only a little over 8 000 claim to be in that anointed class today.
The rest of the Witnesses look forward to living on a paradise earth and that's a wonderful hope, just like what adam and eve had the chance to enjoy.
Isaiah 65 and Psalm 37 give a lot of verses that explain this to faithful ones.
2006-12-22 02:00:54 · answer #3 · answered by jaguarboy 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I apologize for whatever had happened that day to you...maybe there was a misunderstanding? I am a JW and I feel that you don't understand what it means when we say "144, 000 go to heaven". I can understand your point of reason, but it's because no one has explained it to you. The answer is that the Bible does not say that ALL mankind will go to heaven. It does say however, that mankind can enjoy peace forever on earth (Psalms 37:10, 11). This free gift is extended to those who wish to learn the truth about God, from God. So, the bible only states a specific number of people will go to heaven, for they have a job to do there - to co-rule with Christ and become "judges and priests", while the rest of mankind on the earth today has the opportunity to live forever on earth. Be assured, the Witnesses will come again to your door, when they do, please ask them to explain this in greater detail.
2006-12-22 10:34:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Sweetie pie I find it hard to believe that your question could not be answered as Jehovah's Witness are very familiar with their bibles. I'm sure any Jehovah's Witness can show you FROM THE BIBLE where only 144,000 are going to heaven. Now I know this might make u uneasy as you've probably BEEN TOLD that everyone goes to heaven. HOWEVER, there is a very grand prospect for those not going to heaven. I would suggest you speak to the next witness and they will show you FROM THE BIBLE what that prospect is. After your questions are answered using THE BIBLE it is up to you to either accept or reject the message which will show if you accept or reject the bible.
2006-12-23 14:50:02 · answer #5 · answered by Who is it? 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No we do not think that 144,000 of "Us" will be in heaven. We know, as any Christian should know, that Jehovah is not biggoted. HE of course knows what is our hearts. If as you supposedly heard, only Jehovah's Witnesses were going to heaven then that would preclude any who may not have even heard of us from going to heaven. That idea is not something a loving God would do.
As to the number of humans picked to reside in heaven, yes the Bible does show it to be 144,000. So what about the rest of us. We believe that Jehovah did not scrap his original plan for mankind, namely living forever in a paradise earth.
As for who goes to Heaven and who will be in paradise, that is Jehovah's buisness.
We do know that he wishes for all mankind(to be read all people, he does not look down on nationalities or genders) to serve him. To this end he provided us with the Bible. Those who truly wish to serve him follow these teachings.
2006-12-23 22:38:34 · answer #6 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well if you went to heaven what would you do?? The Bible says the 144,000 will rule with Jesus, over who?? Well think about this, does God's purpose ever change? The first thing he did was put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to "be fruitful and become many, to fill the earth and sub-due it." So his initial purpose was for humans to live forever in perfection on earth. A certain angel wanted God's glory for himself so he deceived Eve into disobeying God but Adam was deceived he willfully disobeyed God and here we are down to this day. That is why God sent Jesus to die for us, a perfect soul (Jesus) for a perfect soul (Adam). This gives us the opportunity to once again inherit the earth just as God planned for us in the first place. When Jesus came to earth his followers were faithful and God then decided that some would rule as Kings and Priest with Jesus from heaven over obedient mankind on earth, which are the 144,000. Who Obedient mankind is, is up to each one of us. Thats why we have the Bible as a "manual" for life. Hope this short description helps....
2006-12-22 02:04:39 · answer #7 · answered by joyofjoys 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
You know the old saying "Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die."?
Well, JW's promise people they don't have to die. Most people like that better because it's a natural thing to NOT want to die.
Jesus said he would bring "other sheep", meaning the Gentiles, and join them to his flock of the Jews, and they would be one flock. JW's twist this around by combining it with other scriptures that are unrelated to the "other sheep" scripture, and say that the "other sheep" aren't Gentiles, but people who will live on the earth and not go to heaven. (Jesus said they would become ONE flock - they say TWO separate ones with two different destinies)
But Paul the apostle definitely said that the Jews and Gentiles had been made into one people, thus fulfilling what Jesus foretold. He spoke of Abraham awaiting the "New Jerusalem", heaven, but JW's say he won't go there. Jesus also said that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be "reclining at the table" in heaven, but JW's don't believe that either.
They use the scripture in Revelation about 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel to mean that only 144,000 (literal number) Jews (symbolic, not literal) will go to heaven. They came up with this idea in 1935 and for a while, you could pick whether you wanted to go to heaven or stay here. But now since so much time has passed, they strongly discourage anyone from heaven since supposedly the 144,000 were already picked out 71 years ago.
2006-12-22 12:16:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
They dont talk to complete morons who want to argue about something so dumb. Lets see...they get that number from the book of Revelation it is in there not only Jehovahs Witnesses can see that it is there, it also mentions that a hundred and 44 thousand are going to serve as kings and priests, why would god want everyone up there doing that exspecially when you are here asking if you will go to heaven? No religion can guarantee you a place there, sorry for your luck! Most likely , (hate to burst your bubble) you wouldnt be gods choice to take to heaven and ask him stupid questions and then lie and paste it on the internet. They are the most bible based religion I have ever seen, and they will be back...that is their job, their way of life and who are you to stand in their way? Oh by the way...why would you want to be part of a religion who lies to you and tells you your going to heaven?
2006-12-22 02:00:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 4⤋
I used to be a Jehovahs Witness and you answered with a great one.I myself had asked them the same..,altho those who are not the 144thousand are to be here on earth according to them,of a perfect world only to let satan loose again and start this little game all over.No thanks,been through this hell once,dont want to go through it again lol.Great question!!!!!
2006-12-25 19:32:14 · answer #10 · answered by halfbright 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋