q for J ehovah's Witnesses?

Question

I was amazed to read the interpretation of Rev 4:4 in the Jan 1st watchtower
These twenty four elders are sitting on thrones and dressed in white with golden crowns on there heads
OK from this alone I would admit that these elders could very well be representatives of the resurrected 144 thousand.
But the first thing that went through my mind was, why were Jehovah’s top officials all ex humans and not his ancient angelic princes?
The next thing I did was read further on in order to get more clews.
The first clew I found was at 5:9 this showed the twenty four elders praising Jesus and in verse 10 they seemed to me, to be speaking of the anointed as though they were someone other than themselves (REV 5:10 you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”)
Then I found more evidence to support my doubts, in 6:9 where it describes those loyal earthly witnesses not reclining on thrones in the presence of Jehovah him self, but under th

Answer 1

Identifying the 24 Elders

8 John knew that priests were appointed to serve in the ancient tabernacle. So he may have been surprised at seeing what he describes next: “And round about the throne there are twenty-four thrones, and upon these thrones I saw seated twenty-four elders dressed in white outer garments, and upon their heads golden crowns.” (Revelation 4:4) Yes, instead of priests, there are 24 elders, enthroned and crowned like kings. Who are these elders? They are none other than anointed ones of the Christian congregation, resurrected and occupying the heavenly position Jehovah promised them. How do we know that?

9 First of all, they are wearing crowns. The Bible speaks of anointed Christians as gaining ‘an incorruptible crown’ and attaining to an endless life—immortality. (1 Corinthians 9:25; 15:53, 54) But since these 24 elders are sitting on thrones, the golden crowns in this context represent royal authority. (Compare Revelation 6:2; 14:14.) This supports the conclusion that the 24 elders portray Jesus’ anointed footstep followers in their heavenly position, for Jesus made a covenant with them to sit on thrones in his Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30) Only Jesus and these 24 elders—not even the angels—are described as ruling in heaven in Jehovah’s presence.

10 This harmonizes with the promise that Jesus made to the Laodicean congregation: “To the one that conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne.” (Revelation 3:21) But the heavenly assignment of the 24 elders is not limited to governmental rule. In the introduction to the book of Revelation, John said of Jesus: “He made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” (Revelation 1:5, 6) These ones are both kings and priests. “They will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”—Revelation 20:6.

11 What is significant about the number 24, in that John sees 24 elders around the throne? In many respects, these were foreshadowed by the faithful priests of ancient Israel. The apostle Peter wrote to anointed Christians: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession.’” (1 Peter 2:9) Interestingly, that ancient Jewish priesthood came to be divided into 24 divisions. Each division was assigned its own weeks in the year to serve before Jehovah, so that sacred service was rendered without a break. (1 Chronicles 24:5-19) It is fitting, then, that there are 24 elders depicted in John’s vision of the heavenly priesthood because this priesthood serves Jehovah continually, without ceasing. When completed, there will be 24 divisions, each with 6,000 conquerors, for Revelation 14:1-4 tells us that 144,000 (24 x 6,000) are “bought from among mankind” to stand on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Since the number 12 signifies a divinely balanced organization, 24 doubles—or strengthens—such an arrangement.

Answer 2

Jehovah's Witnesses do NOT teach that the 24 elders are 24 persons from among the 144,000 humans with a heavenly hope; Witnesses teach that the 24 represent the ENTIRE heavenly class.

Jehovah's Witness suppose (but cannot be certain) that those humans who are now in heaven perform a work similar to that performed by other angels; that is, leading and directing godly persons toward the truth.

Neither the January 1, 2007 issue of "The Watchtower", nor any other publication of Jehovah’s Witnesses has EVER pretended that any humans today converse with any angels.

Jehovah's Witnesses have long explained that mankind is living during "the Lord's Day" or 'the conclusion of this system of things' when the signs of Matthew 24 and 2 Timothy 3:1-7 are fulfilled. The following passage helps bible students to understand that angels do take an active role in directing true Christianity toward the pursuit of purity and toward the rejection of impurity in their worship. "Talking" between heaven and earth is not indicated by this passage's prophetic words, but interestingly... the stumbling and anger from formerly true Christians are mentioned.

(Matthew 13:39-43) The harvest is a conclusion of a system of things, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in [or during] the conclusion of the system of things. The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom [the Christian congregation; see Col 1:13] all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace [outside the congregation]. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be. At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him that has ears listen.


While it is always interesting to review the plain truth of a matter, it is sad that there are so many opportunities to expose the pattern of innuendo and deceit used against Jehovah's Witnesses (John 8:44).

Answer 3

Although Achtung is correct, I am assured that he does not realize that the organization in which he slavishly devotes his life to is involved in Necromancy, an occult practice used to communicate with the dead. In the Society's own publication, Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand on pg.125 states: "This suggests that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today." This statement implies that those part of the remnant who have passed are still communicating with the Watchtower organization beyond the grave. This same morbid information is also located in the Jan.1,2007 Watchtower.
http://www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com/

Answer 4

Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.
First Roman Catholic Bible was published at Rheims in 1582.
Second one published at Douay in 1609.
These called RCV version of Bible.
The Protestants regarded 7 books as ‘apocrypha’ (doubtful authority) and removed them from Bible.
(The Book of Judith
The Book of Tobias
The Book of Baruch
The Buck of Esther, etc. )
Jesus pbuh said in the book of Revelation Chapter 22 Verse 18-19 ". . . If any man shall add to these things (or delete) God shall add unto him the plagues written in this Book."
On deleting 7 books from bible, the Catholics call ‘cult of Christianity’ to the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.