Jehovah's Witnesses: What are the 144,000 sacrificing by ruling with Christ in heaven?

Question

I heard somewhere that on the paradise Earth there will be animals and all the foods and fruits I like, nice houses by little streams, lawns to enjoy the sunshine...... Things I can't have if I were in Heaven.

this makes heaven sound really bad.

why would I want to have the heavenly hope and miss out on all these great things?

can all answerers please address the specific questions raised? otherwise you will be inelligible for best answer. thanks

Answer 1

Since all humans have only experienced physical life here on earth, heavenly life is not necesarily bad...just unfamiliar.

The Bible does not explain every intimate detail about heavenly life, however, it too must not be unpleasant. For instance, spiritual persons must have access to, and knowledge about things that we can only guess at.

There is nothing negative in EITHER future. But God originally designed for us to inhabit the earth. However He did institute an arraingement in which a relatively small group of his choosing would be "bought from the earth" to live in heaven. (Rev. 14:3)

The following link leads to an article which shows what the Bible says about the future paradise earth and those who go to heaven:

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20031115/article_02.htm

Answer 2

The angels rejoiced in heaven for various reasons over the years ,no doubt one major reason was the time when Jesus fulfilled his role as a human in offering his perfect life as a ransom for the one lost and then the continuing leadership toward furthering his and his fathers will to have that will done on earth as in Heaven.And the ones who somehow have a Heavenly Hope is desires es to help in that process,and don't feel that they would be sacrificing anything.Their rejoicing would be with be with the angels and Jesus in such a great accomplishment to its end,which is written in unopened books,scrolls.

Answer 3

This is God's original purpose for mankind. For man to live on a paradise earth Why would He change? Malachi 3:6 God says here that he hasn't changed!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 37: 29, The righteous themselves will possess the earth. And they will reside forever upon it.

Answer 4

No individual decides for himself whether he PREFERS heaven rather than earth, or earth rather than heaven. Each Christian is assigned his place by God and Christ and he must simply choose to live in a manner that accepts salvation or rejects salvation altogether.

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/