then why are they telling everyone how to get there?
Just curious.
2007-02-21 07:36:23 · 17 answers · asked by Lakin J 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The preaching work is performed because Jesus commanded it, not because it benefits Jehovah's Witnesses personally or as a religion. As a side point,
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]
2007-02-23 10:07:50 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Jehovah's purpose for mankind is to dwell on earth and takes care of the animals. Humans are not to become angels and live in heaven with God after they die. Only certain ones that Jehovah picked from the earth (144,000 will have these previleages of going to heaven) to rule with Jesus during the thousand years reign. Besides these 144,000 humans, not a single soul will get to go to heaven.
Sorry to spoil everyone's unrealistic dream of becoming angels. It doesn't work that way. Whatever Jehovah said, that is what will happened (read Psalms 37:9,10,11,29; 72:16; Isaiah 65:21,22). If Jehovah God wants humans to become angels after they die, why would he made perfect man and woman (that can live forever) and told them to have children and fill the earth?
2007-02-24 21:43:53 · answer #2 · answered by My2Cents 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rev.14:1-4 tells us that only 144,000 who are chosen from the earth go to heaven.These ones will be ruling as kings and priests with Christ over the earth.
You are mistaken when you say that Jehovahs Witnesses are "telling everyone how to get there".Jehovah's Witnesses share with people the wonderful hope and promise that our Heavenly Father affords all those who want to listen and obey him,and that is the promise of life everlasting on a paradise earth.Ps.37:9-11,29;Pr2:21;
John17:3
2007-02-23 09:30:49 · answer #3 · answered by lillie 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Hi. We are in no way trying to get people, ourselves or others, into heaven. The Bible makes it clear that Jehovah decides who goes to heaven. However, we do feel that 144,000 humans will end up in heaven. So, what about the rest of us? When Jehovah first created Adam and Eve he did so with the purpose of them filling the Earth. I do not see why he would change his decisions based on humans messing things up. All we wish to do is share the Bible with others.
2007-02-23 01:25:36 · answer #4 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
There are already over 6 million active Jehovah's Witnesses. If it were a matter of "giving up our seat", that has already been accomplished.
The fact of the matter is that it is not about going to heaven for us. The scriptures point to 144,000 that will go to heaven to rule with Jesus. Why go to heaven to rule if you have no subjects to rule over?
The remaining faithful and righteous ones will live forever in paradise on earth once Satan and all wickedness is done away with.
2007-02-22 16:33:06 · answer #5 · answered by girlinks 3 · 5⤊ 2⤋
If Heaven was made for humans why did God create a Earth, A sun to warm it, an ecosystem for life to grow on it, an atmosphere to protect it?
The genesis account talks of the first human pair in a paradise but once ejected they found the world around them barren and Inhospitable making it difficult to raise crops.
They were told to multiply and make the Earth an Eden (but never happen because of breaking God's law).
Jesus restored that promised of a paradise for those that follow his commandments and will be allowed to enter into his kingdom which is in heaven (144,000 will rule with Jesus, Rev 7:4-8) and on the EARTH (the great crowd, Rev 7:9) from every nation and tribe. Matt 6:10
2007-02-21 15:46:33 · answer #6 · answered by keiichi 6 · 10⤊ 2⤋
144 thousand, are the Priests of God that teach the people during the Millinneum, not that only they will get to Heaven.
2007-02-21 15:40:35 · answer #7 · answered by Royal Racer Hell=Grave © 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They are not. Most of them expect to be on the New Earth. So they see two peoples of God: one in the New Heaven (144,000), the other on the New Earth. (I don't know with which ones, according to them, Jesus will be).
The Bible doesn't teach anything like that.
2007-02-21 15:41:50 · answer #8 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
We aren't telling everyone how to get there. We are telling them how to gain everlasting life ON EARTH - which is God's promise.
2007-02-21 15:41:58 · answer #9 · answered by eliz_esc 6 · 7⤊ 2⤋
at the end they have an Ultimate Fighting competition to decide the 144,000
2007-02-21 15:41:24 · answer #10 · answered by Timmy Tard 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋