a question for Jehovah's witness`s??

Question

If you believe there are only a limited number of places in "Heaven" why do you still try to recruit more members???

Surely those places have already been filled.
and if not why would you want more competion fot those limited places??

Marvin tfm are you saying after all that hard work JW`s get to be bureaucrat's!!
WOW!!

Answer 1

It was only in the early 1930s that this idea of 144,000 places for humans in heaven materialised. Prior to that, ALL JWs said they were anointed with 'holy spirit' and had the heavenly calling. Numbers are not available for then but certainly well short of 144,000. Yet considering they believed then, as now, that from the time of Christ till now there has always been anointed Christians with the heavenly hope, their arithmetical skills are questionable. Less than 144,000 faithful Christians called to be in heaven up till the 1930s? Really?

The politics behind the new 144,000 teaching had more to do with 'dealing with' rebellious 'Bible Students' than in interpreting scripture. A great deal of discontent in the ranks had arisen with failed hopes for 1914 and 1925, then Judge Rutherford sort-of took over and a lot of JWs didn't like his methods and his manner. About one-third were deeply unhappy so Rutherford decided to deal with them by identifying them as 'the evil servant' of Matthew 24. Then in 1932 the book Preservation was written by him, laying the doctrinal basis for producing two classes of Christians - the anointed (the leaders and the 'good' JWs) and the 'other sheep' (new recruits from their upsurge of prosyletising work). The 'baddies' were called the 'Mordecai-Naomi' class. The 'goodies' who stuck with Rutherford were called the 'Ruth-Esther' class. Once the baddies had been given the cold shoulder and made their exit, the new recruits were told they were the 'Jonadabs' (who joined Jehu and served him). They could not hope to go to heaven as they weren't anointed but would live forever on a paradise earth IF they remained faithful to the anointed class.

So all new converts to the religion are joining in order to live forever on a paradise earth - an unlimited number. No competition for the anointed who are going to rule over this paradise earth - just plenty of subjects. Spiritual apartheid.

Answer 2

Oh, what a naughty question! Putting aside the use of the adjective to recruit (which has nasty commercial conotations) the reason JW's continue to proselytise from door to door is because they need to keep their membership numbers up. This is because (a) they need more people on earth over whom the elite 144,000 will govern and (b) they need to maintain their revenues. You see, the Watch Tower Society is actually a PUBLISHING COMPANY, and Witnesses who go from door to door with their literature are called PUBLISHERS.

Now to give credit where credit is due, they are very sincere publishers. They really do believe that only 144,000 people can be in the new covenant Jesus established 2,000 years ago and only they can be fully anointed by the Holy Spirit. The millions of other JW's only get a measure of the Holy Spirit and are told that the Holy Spirit does not inculcate in them a desire to go to heaven. Not something I've ever read in my Bible but who am I to try and disabuse anyone of wanting to settle for second best?

It does not seem to have occurred to any of them how incomprehensibly H-U-G-E heaven is compared to our tiny little planet. They do not dwell on passages in scripture that talk about this planet being consumed by fire (as it surely will when the sun dies and implodes) or the bits where it talks about God creating a NEW heavens and a new earth. No, they have bought into the belief that they are destined to live forever on a paradise earth. However, because the shed blood of Christ does not cover them, they have to earn their salvation and even if they survive Armageddon they can not be assured of salvation. How sad. That's not the gospel message Jesus taught.

Anyway, I am led to believe that there's a change afoot re the date when the 'sealing' of the number of the anointed closed. It's going to be extended. I understand this exciting news will be printed in the Watchtower magazine in January 2008 - only the edition they give to the public is unlikely to contain this marvelous news. I believe it is to be reserved for the faithfull who go along to the Sunday Watchtower Study meeting. If anyone gets sight of this, perhaps they would be kind enough to share it with lesser mortals such as you and me?

Answer 3

Yes we believe only 144,000 have the heavenly hope.(Rev 14:1-And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads)
We try to study with people to teach them the bible so that they can have the earthly hope as we ourselves hope to have. Most Jehovah's Witnesses do not even want to go to heaven, but want to live forever on Earth restoring it to a paradise with our families and friends.

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

Proverbs 2:21-22-For the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it.  As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.

Answer 4

We aren't trying to "recruit" anyone for one. and two, we don't know if those spots have been filled. We're not "competing" for them. There are 144,000 who have a heavenly hope, everyone else is is consistently righteous will be here on a perfect paradise Earth.

Answer 5

Witnesses believe that most people will be resurrected back onto a paradise earth after armageddon.

From what I remember, I think the limited ones who go to heaven will assist god in overseeing the earth.

Answer 6

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]

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 7

I've seen this question SO many times!!!

Yes, we believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven to rule with King Jesus. (Rev. 7:4-8, Rev. 14:1-3)

But there will ALSO be a GREAT CROWD that no man can number, of humans to live on earth. (Rev. 7:9,10, Psalms 37:11, 29) A vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have the hope of living on an earthly paradise and not ruling in heaven. The globe is large enough for billions of humans without the cramping we see today, since even currently uninhabited areas will then be inhabitable. (Isaiah 35:6,7)

So, see you there?

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the bible is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching.
The bible tells us that 144.000 will be taken from the earth to rule with Christ in the Kingdom of heaven.
The question now is,"Who will they rule?".
The bible clearly states that the earth was not created for nothing but to be inhabited. There are numerous scriptures stating who will inhabit the earth and under what conditions they will live.

Now as for you, if you are truly interested in the teachings of the bible you will make it your goal to search out the Scriptures for yourself. If you are not interested in the teachings of the bible then you will continue to listen to men and be persuaded by what they say they believe in.

Answer 9

I heard about this too...I dont where the number 140,000 came from..would be nice if some one can enlighten me too on this.

Answer 10

For one thing, we do not recruit. We comply with Jesus' final command to his followers to "go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you."

Those who go to heaven will rule with Jesus over the earth for 1,000 years. If all good people went to heaven, who would there be on earth to rule over? Surely not the wicked or animal life, which has no sense of spirituality.

The subjects of that heavenly rulership or government will be right here on the earth.

Ps. 37:11: "But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."

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