why don't jehovahs witnesses think they can drink the wine and eat the bread in remembrance of christ?

Question

i understand your belief system about the 144,000 going to heaven. but why would this exclude the earthly class from being obedient and respecting what christ asked his followers?

Answer 1

All of Jehovah's Witnesses share in a unified observance of the wine and the bread emblems. All those with a heavenly hope partake of these emblems. No human tells any Witness that he cannot partake.


The most significant "Memorial" one could observe is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death. It is sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Apparently Jesus Christ established the occasion to supercede the Jewish Passover, which occurs after sunset on the 14th of Nisan (a month of the Jewish calendar).

(Luke 22:14-16) At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And [Jesus] said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.


Sadly, it is only a minority of professed Christians who follow the BIBLICAL pattern for the Last Supper which was established by Christ himself. Sadly, most of Christendom ignores Christ's celebration and instead follow unrelated human traditions which purport to honor Christ, but in ways unconnected with what Jesus Christ established.

Like the former Passover, those Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have also done so on the date corresponding to Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "fourteen-ers"


There are fundamental differences between the Memorial which Christ Jesus instituted and the so-called "Easter" which Christendom adopted from pagan worship of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Oestre). While most Easter celebrations merely repackage pagan fertility festivals and concentrate on eating, decorating, and frivolity, the Last Supper focuses on the value of Christ's sacrifice and the sober obligation of Christianity.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

Prior to Jesus’ time God’s loyal servants had no hope of going to heaven. They looked forward to gaining everlasting life on earth. Jesus was the first to be resurrected as a spirit, and he became the first one from mankind to be taken to heaven. (Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 3:18, 22) Paul wrote “We have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, which he inaugurated for us as a new and living way.” (Hebrews 10:19, 20) The night Jesus instituted the Lord’s Evening Meal, he told his loyal apostles that he was preparing a place for them in heaven. (John 14:2, 3) This evening meal when he gave the bread and wine it was given to those who would share the heavenly hope The blood and body of Christ is what gains entry to heaven and if you hope to live on earth why would you partake of it. I hope this explains it better.

Answer 3

They observe the ceremony but only three or four witnesses are legable to take part, because they are in the heavenly class. The earthly class cannot partake of it, but they go to the ceremony. What a shame - if they will read the Bible themselves they will see that it is for everyone not a special few. What a shame, what a shame.

Answer 4

While I have no clue about JW I know a lot of American denominations forgo wine and use grape juice.

Answer 5

Because they think it is disgusting drinking the body and blood of Jesus, it is only a symbol