This question is specifically for Jehovah's Witnesses. What is eternal life and how do you get eternal life?

Question

Also, how did you become a Christian if you are one? What does a JW have to do in order to become one of the 144,00 that will go to heaven? Do you believe in the literal body resurrection of Jesus? If no please explain. Please use the scriptures from the New World Translation and the King James Bible since most people have a KJV but may not have a NWT.
Thank you for your cooperation.

OK, please let the JW's answer this.

correction: 144,000

Answer 1

After the resurrection, today's Jehovah's Witnesses expect to live in a new paradise on earth under God's reign, because they feel that only 144,000 of the saved will go to heaven.
The Bible teaches that some will be saved and others not. When you talk to people about spiritual things, if someone were to ask you how he could be one of those who will be saved, could you answer him from the Bible?
God's Word says that the Scripture alone has all that it takes to bring us to perfection:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
It follows, therefore, that we should be able to answer the question of how one can be saved from the Bible alone without resorting to men's teachings. If we can't, how do we know that we ourselves will even be counted among God's people?
While Jehovah's Witnesses do not expect to enter God's heavenly reign after death, they want very much to be where He rules on earth. God explains that there is something that must happen before a person can even see a place where He rules: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
The Jehovah's Witnesses have complicated the issue by teaching that the Bible says that only 144,000 people will be born again and go to heaven. This is Jehovah's Witness doctrine, but no passage in the Bible presents or infers this teaching (See chapter 3). Following the teachings of their leaders, however, many Witnesses believe that after the resurrection they will be God's subjects in a new paradise on earth, and that they can enter without being born again. God says the opposite, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Two verses ahead, John 3:5 repeats the thought in another way, "… he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." God's word allows no other means of entrance into any place where He reigns. The next verse explains that the rebirth is spiritual, rather than physical. "What has been born from the flesh is flesh and what has been born from the spirit is spirit" (John 3:6).
Follow God's Word Because Men Make Mistakes
Pastor Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, when he revised his book, The Time is at Hand, said that he had included a mistaken interpretation in the first edition. He wrote in the author's forward when the book was reprinted:
"The author acknowledges that in this book he presents the thought that the Lord's saints might expect to be with him in glory at the end of the Gentile Times. This was a natural mistake to fall into… we drew a false conclusion, however, not authorized by the Word of the Lord."
Can we trust Russell's statement that he fell into "a natural mistake?" He and the leaders who followed him did not claim to be infallible. When they realized they had taught doctrinal errors, at times they said so. If we can trust anything they said, we should be able to trust these statements. Therefore, in questions such as how to enter into the paradise where God reigns, when God's Word differs from the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses, remember that it is God who will judge. When Christ said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3), He said it in a way which leaves no room for exceptions, even though He knew that later some people would claim to be of a lesser class with no need to be born again.
If you asked directions and someone pointed and said, "Go north!" when the right direction was south, no matter how sincere the person was, or how often in the past he had been right, this time he was wrong. Following wrong directions would never get you to your destination. When it comes to our salvation, rejecting the teaching of God to follow the mistakes of men keeps people out of God's kingdom. To get there God says for the third time in five verses, "…Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). This third time, the New World Translation, written for Jehovah's Witnesses, makes it even more clear that they are not excluded: "Do not marvel because I told you, You people must be born again" (John 3:7). There is no other way for a Jehovah's Witness or any one else to enter, or even see, any place where God reigns, so why not be born again?

How to Be Born Again
Nicodemus wants to understand how to be born again, and asks, "How can these things be?" Jesus explains that our rebirth is accomplished by trusting Him, Jesus Christ, to save us:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).
Not just the 144,000, but everyone who believes in Christ to save him will be born again and will receive everlasting life.
In fact, as we have seen in verses three and seven, and will see again in verses 16 to 18, trusting Christ is the only way to be saved. The message of John 3:7, "Ye must be born again," cries out to your heart throughout the passage. It is not just for people of that day. It makes no distinction between an earthly kingdom and a heavenly kingdom and no exception for people who lived after 1914. It says, "whosoever." This is not a matter of trying to win an argument. Your own entrance into paradise or anywhere else where God reigns is at stake as well as the entrance of all those you are trying to help. I urge you to take God's word so seriously that you do not give the benefit of the doubt to people who "draw false conclusions" and make "natural mistakes" but to the word of Jehovah Himself.
Because of its importance in bringing people to salvation, the next verse, John 3:16 has probably been committed to memory by more people than any other Bible passage.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
God does not condition our salvation on how many visits we have made, how many books we have distributed, or on our ability to be worthy, but on the Savior's ability to save. Those of us who have trusted in Christ have received everlasting life. We testify to you that we have been born again and our spiritual lives have started. God's solution works! Why not shift your faith from whatever else you have believed, and put it in Jesus Christ. Trust Him to save you. If you do, you too will receive everlasting life. You will be born again and have a place in God's kingdom.
The very next verse explains why Christ came into the world. Understand it, and many of the Bible's teachings will fall into place and make sense.
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved"
(John 3:17).
John 3:18 explains what will happen, not only to those who trust Christ, but also to those who insist on following another way:
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Let God's word convince you to quit trusting in what you have done or hope to do, and trust in Christ. The Bible does not admit a second chance after the resurrection. "…he that believeth not is condemned already." (See also Luke 20:35-36.)

Works?
Those who have been born again, the ones who trust Christ to save them, usually do more good works than other people. Observing this, many have fallen into a natural mistake and jumped to the wrong conclusion. They believed that these people's works must have saved them. This leads them to teach that people can be saved by doing the right works, or that at least the works will contribute something toward their salvation.
This is contrary to the scriptures, and while we will go into it more fully in the last chapter, let's glance at two of the passages that explain the relationship between faith and works:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).
We receive this gift through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. There is no other way we can get it! Jesus said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).
Only by trusting Christ to save us can we receive God's gift of salvation and be born again.

Answer 2

Matthew 24:13 "But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." If we are enduring, or in other words remaining faithful to Jehovah, then we can be confident that we will be resurrected. If we are living a life of dedication like we vowed to Jehovah that we would then he will give us life as he vowed he would. We can be confident of receiving eternal life if we are putting forth a sincere effort to live our lives according to the Bible. We can be certain that we would be resurrected if we die right now and be certain that IF we continue to do the "will of the Father" (Matt. 7:21) then we can be certain that we will be resurrected whenever we die in the future or that we will survive Armageddon. It is kind of like having a term life insurance policy. You can be certain that the insurance company will pay if you die IF you are making your payments. There is no requirement as to how much personal study or how much you tell others about the good news. Each individual has different circumstances. A single brother who has a part-time job and lives at home with no other responsibilities and perfect health would not likely be doing his best if he studied only for the meetings and went out for an hour or two a week. A brother with physical problems, a full time job, two kids and a wife may likely be doing his best if he was doing the same. Jehovah does accept our best whatever that is. He also doesn't expect us to be perfect. He does, however, expect a concentrated effort to obey what the Bible teaches.

Answer 3

I found it so interesting that, as usual, some looked upon this as another golden opportunity to label the Jehovah's Witnesses as a "cult." Also another golden opportunity to malign the NWT. And of course, how telling that some who responded are not Jehovah's Witnesses – and this despite the following specificity of your question: "This is specifically for Jehovah's Witnesses." I particularly found interesting the post of one respondent who gave an apparently exhaustive list of things one cannot do in order to get into "JW heaven." But you also got a couple of responses from Jehovah's Witnesses which should prove a bit helpful to you.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 4

befor i start i just want to say this is wut i grow up with
Jehovah's Witnesses
i no longer attend but do respect
and i have explored many religons


i will adress each question one at a time

eternal life: one thing u must do to obtain eternal life is to preach the word of Jehovah's aka god
this is non negotiable

Jehovah's witnesses do not belive in trinity fyi they belive that Jehovah jesuse and the holy spirit are three difernt entities
but this dose not mean that Jehovah's Witnesses do not belive in jesus they love and respect the son of johova

The 144,00 : the 144,00 are the ppl who will actualy go to haven and live among god u may look at them as shosen ppl of god kind of like saints regular ppl good ppl in the johovas witness religion we will live hear on earth on a new born garden of eden



resurrection of Jesus: no jesus was not reserected after being crusifid he returned as a sprit and wen armagedon comes he will still b a spirit

Answer 5

In the JW religion, there is not an assurance of salvation, this is contrary to what the Bible teaches.
It is a works based religion, as is all false religion.

http://towerwatch.com

Thank you for asking about how I became a christian; Well I was walking along, minding my own business, when God hit me with a Scripture..It was the one in John, I am sure that you know the one...When Jesus returned, and Thomas needed proof that it was Jesus?@(&^

Thomas put his hand in the scars...and ....said..."My Lord, and my God"

Now being the Good witness that I was, I understood, that when the word Lord, has a capital L, that means that the word Jehovah, should be substituted...Right?...Right!...so if we were tor re read the scripture in witness speak, it would read. "My Jehovah, and my God"...Wow

This I had to ponder, until my ponderer was sore....I had to go and seak the real truth, and had to go looking into the Word of God to see if what I was being taught was in fact truth...God brought me along on a long and someties painful journey, in that I lost all of my family for his true doctrine....Now I am a Real Christian, and I love the Lord and bless him for delivering me from false religion.

Answer 6

Dude, I hate to break it to you, but Jehovah's Witnesses are NOT Christians, despite what they may claim.

As for the NWT, I'll give a lot more credit to hundreds of experts in ancient Hebrew and Greek than I will to one guy who knows some Greek and no Hebrew. When Atheists get on this forum and start lamenting on how the Bible has 'changed' over the years, the NWT is what comes first to mind.

Answer 7

For the good of mankind.
That is the fountain of youth.
Vital for the survival and advancement of living human kind to be the Son of God.
It comes from mastering our creator's universal gifts of life.
Revealation 22.13-17
Ever wonder how all "The young one" were all living in misery at loss with those gifts and blindly searching for it.
While the " Dirty old men" keep on getting them to follow the dead Mummy geting kick on the butts as casualty of the dead Mummy in not worshiping God.
Luke6.39-40,41-45,46-49
What do you think?

Answer 8

im very upset that i cant be one of the 144,000. my mother and father told me that they were already chosen and i would be stuck here or headed on a bus south when my number was up.

i guess that means i'll be sitting next to you.

Answer 9

Eternal life is life without end. It is an undeserved gift, but a person must not disqualify himself from receiving the gift. A Christian become one by following the Christ.

The 144,000 with heavenly prospects are selected by God, it is certainly not the result of some human competition with winners and losers. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was literally resurrected, and did literally materialize as a human for several weeks after his resurrection. Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses also believe the bible to quite plainly teach that Jesus was resurrected to heavenly life.

(1 Peter 3:18, NWT) Christ died once for all time... he being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.
(1 Peter 3:18, KJV) Christ also hath once suffered... being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit

(1 Timothy 3:16, NWT) He was made manifest in flesh, was declared righteous in spirit, appeared to angels, was preached about among nations, was believed upon in the world, was received up in glory.
(1 Timothy 3:16, KJV) [He] was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.


The bible quite plainly teaches that flesh and blood bodies cannot attain heaven.

(1 Corinthians 15:44-50, NWT) It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body... flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom.
(1 Corinthians 15:44-50, KJV) It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. ...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God

(2 Corinthians 5:1-8, NWT) In fact, we who are in this tent [that is, in earthly bodies] groan, being weighed down; because we want, not to put it off, but to put on the other, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ...while we have our home in the body, we are absent from the Lord... But we are of good courage and are well pleased rather to become absent from the body and to make our home with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:1-8, KJV) For we that are in this tabernacle [that is, in earthly bodies] do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. ...whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord... We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


Many Scriptures indicate that spirit creatures could materialize as humans during bible times, so it is unsurprising that Jesus did so for several weeks after his resurrection. Materializing would allow Jesus to provide needed strengthening and upbuilding to the apostles and disciples, but those goals would not require Jesus to re-animate the fleshly body which had been impaled and which had died. Regarding the fact that Jesus materialized in a new human body, it is noteworthy that many or most of those who had walked alongside Jesus for years even did not recognize Jesus until he began to speak in his familiar manner. The fact that his materialized body reproduced the wounds of Jesus' impalement would allow many of those disciples to serve as powerful eyewitnesses to skeptical non-Christians largely unfamiliar with the idea of a heavenly resurrection.

(John 20:14-16, NWT) [Mary Magdalene] turned back and viewed Jesus standing, but she did not discern it was Jesus. ...She, imagining it was the gardener, said to him: “Sir, if you have carried him off, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
(John 20:14-16, KJV) [Mary Magdalene] turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. ...She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

(John 21:4-7, NWT) Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not, of course, discern that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them: “Young children, you do not have anything to eat, do you?” ...He said to them: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find [some].” ...[John] said to Peter: “It is the Lord!” Hence Simon Peter, upon hearing that it was the Lord...
(John 21:4-7, KJV) Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? ...And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. ...[John] saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord...

(Luke 24:30-32, NWT) And as he was reclining with them at the meal he took the loaf, blessed it, broke it and began to hand it to them. At that their eyes were fully opened and they recognized him
(Luke 24:30-32, KJV) as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20010315/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19980315/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 10

(Note: I'm using the New International Version of the Bible)
WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE AND HOW DO YOU GET ETERNAL LIFE?

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

To get eternal life, you have to come to a accurate knowledge of the Bible. Also, you have to preach, which is the will of the Father.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the WILL of my Father who is in heaven.

How important is preachings? It means your life.

Ezekiel 33:8-9
8 When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

WHAT DOES A JW HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO BECOME ONE OF THE 144,000 THAT WILL GO TO HEAVEN?

Those who are selected to goto Heaven have the promise...

James 4:5
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Matthew 22:14
"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Also, Paul wrote to Timothy (both who are in Heaven) about enduring till the end to have this promise.

2 Timothy 2:12
if we endure,we will also reign with him. If we disown him,he will also disown us;

Why did they have to endure?

Revelation 20:4
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

-----------------
What about the ones not selected to goto Heaven?
-----------------

They will be on the paradise earth.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:9
For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

If everyone went to Heaven, what is the point of the resurrection?

John 5:28-29
28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Eternal life is for EVERYONE, but not everyone will be in Heaven with Christ.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL BODY RESURRECTION OF JESUS?

No, we don't because if we did then there would be problems as shown below.

(Note: this was taken from another Answer of mine, so you don't have to answer these questions.)

Question (1) - Jesus body was a sacrifice for our sins. If Jesus body was resurrected, how can it be a sacrifice?

Hebrews 10:10
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"

John 6:51
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."


--==Answer [1] Temple Raised==--
The Temple Jesus was referring to was not his fleshly body, but his spiritual body. As the Bible states, there two different types of bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:44
it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
______________________________________...

Question (2) - Why does the Bible state that Jesus was raised as a spirit?
1 Corinthians 15:45
So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"[; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1Peter 3:18
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, HAVING BEEN PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH, BUT MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT.
______________________________________...
--==Answer [2] Jesus' Flesh and Bones==--
Since humans cannot see spirits, Jesus had to materialize to be seen by humans. This was also done by angels as stated in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 19:1-3
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can WASH YOUR FEET and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."
"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and THEY ATE.

Another account shows the angel having hands and being called a man.

Joshua 5:13-15
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

As you can see, spirit creatures can have the appearance of a man, and this is what Jesus did.
______________________________________...
Question (3) - If Jesus was raised in his his flesh what happen to his body? Because the scriptures say that flesh cannot inherit heaven, and that Jesus was not a in his flesh in Heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:50
50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,

______________________________________...
--==Some scriptures to seriously think about==--

Jesus appeared right in front of their disciples.

Luke 24:36
While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be to you."

John 20:19
So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Jesus was preaching in prison (another realm) when away from his disciples.

1 Peter 3:19
in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,


Jesus was made visible to his disciples.

Acts 10:40
"God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,


Mary didn't recognize Jesus.

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

Mary didn't thought he was a gardener.

15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

16Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).


Doors were locked yet Jesus appeared right in front of them.

John 20:26
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Jesus was talking to his disciples yet they didn't know who he was. (Luke 24:15-32).





-=Wally=-
Why don't you read what the scriptures are saying.
(1) God and Jesus said that no man can enter into Heaven without being born again.. This doesn't mean that no one can gain salvation.

(2) The faithful men of old were NOT Born Again, and yet they were saved.

(3) You can have salvation without being Born Again.

Answer 11

umm......actually........anyone can go to Heaven as long as they sincerely believe in God.....says so in John 3:16....

TRY READING THE BIBLE FOR YOUR ANSWER....