What is the watchtower? Do you believe you will be one of the 144,00? I don't know much about the Religion just wanted to get my edumacation on ( sarcasm) seriously not trying to rash on your religion just want to know more.
2007-11-01 04:54:57 · 20 answers · asked by mariposa 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Watchtower is a magazine published by Jehovah's Witnesses. By 2006, its circulation is about 28 million each issue, with simultaneous release in 145 languages (another 10 languages are not simultaneous).
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that 144,000 will enter GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATION of God's Kingdom, which is a real government. 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/
2007-11-01 10:02:13 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it's true, however, what is NOT true is that all of the 144, 000 will be Jehovah's Witnesses. What IS true is that they are all witnesses for Jehovah. So many say we think it's only JW's who will achieve this, that's not the case. The first of the anointed were, of course, Christs disciples, then all those who followed after his death...the ones at Pentecost 33CE, etc...you get my point.
It is not so that 'only' men receive this honor. We know there is NO fleshly body in heaven. No differentiating of sex...and we see in Acts that Jehovah poured out his Holy Spirit on both men AND women in the upper room at Pentecost 33CE.
It is also untrue that the 144,000 are from the Tribes of Israel.
If you compare the 12 Tribes in the Hebrew Scriptures to the 12 Tribes called in Revelation you will see that there is a difference. Here it is: Rev. 7:4-8: “I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: . . . Judah . . . Reuben . . . Gad . . . Asher . . . Naphtali . . . Manasseh . . . Simeon . . . Levi . . . Issachar . . . Zebulun . . . Joseph . . . Benjamin.” (These cannot be the tribes of natural Israel because there never was a tribe of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim and Dan are not included in the list here, and the Levites were set aside for service in connection with the temple but were not reckoned as one of the 12 tribes. See Numbers 1:4-16.)
Personally, I have an earthly hope. I love living on the earth and want to be a part of turning it into the paradise it was suppose to be. I want to be here to meet all those resurrected, to live in peace and harmony. What a grand thing it will be.
2007-11-01 06:15:36 · answer #2 · answered by Suzette R 6 · 8⤊ 1⤋
Abdijah mentioned the official website, but if you sincerely want to learn more about this religion, you may contact your local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in your area unless they should come to your door then let them in. They would be very happy to have a home Bible study with you. And, if you were to read the Bible account of Jesus and his disciples, when they resurrected such ones as Lazarus, and the son of the widow of Nain.--John 11:41-53; Luke 7:12-16. To reason that not all good people will go to heaven when they die, then consider that Lazarus was a good man and when he died, he did not go to heaven. When Jesus was speaking about Lazarus' death, he told his disciples: "Lazarus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep." (John 11:11) If Lazarus went to heaven when he died, would not that had been an unloving thing for Jesus to take Lazarus out of the most glorious place (heaven), where anyone could be and bring him back to earth to live again? Also, did Lazarus ever mentioned where he was after he had died? The resurrections that taken place during those times shows that there will be an earthly resurrection for the majority of mankind. The number 144,000 is considerably a small group of anointed ones that will go to heaven. So the majority of mankind should rest their hope on being on an earthly paradise.
2007-11-01 06:23:30 · answer #3 · answered by Elisha Evangelia 3 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is true that we believe that only 144,000 attain to heavenly life. The Watchtower is a Bible journal. Or if you are referring to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, that is a legal entity, a corporation devoted to publishing Bibles and Bible materials. Or you may be referring to the Watchtower that is spoken of in the Bible at, among other places, Isaiah 21:8, or Genesis 31:49. It is a place of lookout or point of observation. Even some cities were named Mizpeh (Hebrew: mitspeh: Watchtower) probably because they were situated on high elevations. Jacob set up a pile of stones (Genesis 31:49 above), calling it "Witness Heap" (Hebrew: Galeed) and "The Watchtower."
It should be remembered that heavenly life was not held out for any human until Jesus made a covenant. Man has always been meant to live here on earth. God made special arrangements for some to be taken to heaven, yes. But it is a limited number. As others have mentioned, the belief that only 144,000 attain to heavenly life is firmly rooted in scripture. Revelation 20:6 and Revelation 5:10 speak of these ones being kings and priests. Kings rule over others, yes? Priests serves on behalf of others, yes? Over whom then shall these rule? On behalf of whom, then, shall they serve? To illustrate: the president of the United States has a cabinet, yes? Is every American citizen the president? Is every American citizen in the cabinet? No. But all American citizens do benefit under the government. It is similar with the kingdom of the heavens. Jesus has been crowned by his heavenly father as King. He has co-rulers – his cabinet so to speak – who rule with him just as he promised. But every person who attains to salvation cannot be kings and priests.
Incidentally, these 144,000 cannot possibly be restricted to Jews. Why not? There is no longer any demarcation between Jews and Gentiles. That was done away with by God long ago. Thus we read Paul's words that there is neither Jew nor Greek . (Galatians 3:28). We also read of the illustration of the grafting referenced in Romans 11:17-24. Gentiles were grafted in to the olive tree. There is no distinction made between Jews and Gentiles.
Others have also encouraged you to visit the Official Site or seek information from those at your local Kingdom Hall if you sincerely wish further information. I encourage you to do the same.
Hannah J Paul
2007-11-01 07:21:07 · answer #4 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
Yes, we do believe 144,000 humans are in/will be in heaven to serve as kings and priests. However, if you recall in Genesis it says Jehovah's original intention was for humans to live perfectly on Earth, we see this as still being His main goal. It doesn't seem that because 2 humans decided to go against his grand design the Almighty would scrap it.
The Watchtower, I presume you refer to the magazine, is a Bible study aid. Generally 2 study articals appear, featuring subjects of a wide range, example. Recently we studied in the Bible about child rearing.
No, I personally don't see myself as one of the 144,000.
If you want to know more your best bet is to talk to one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in real life, Bible in hand.
If that isn't an option you can go to http://www.watchtower.org
2007-11-01 15:58:25 · answer #5 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
they might't they're going to collapse. in spite of each little thing that's a employer, The brainwashing in this cult is astounding, they do an effective pastime in brainwashing rubbish into human beings's heads. as quickly as your exterior you think of oh my gosh did i've got self assurance that trash. It starts to sound ludicrous, Like Jesus got here down In 1919 and picked watchtower lol. He got here invisible lol, Beth Sarim important lol. I call it the cult of lols. undesirable human beings in it are being fed horse manure and don't even comprehend it. I additionally discover maximum people who convert to the Jehovah's witnesses from different faiths in no way relatively studied their different faiths eg Catholicism. I even have sat down with a clergyman and suggested doctrines with him and wow he responded greater actually than the elders. I even stated seem i don't think Christianity is the actuality i'm agnostic, he respected my ideals. by capability of how stick to it dude, your doing existence saving artwork here, The greater we demonstrate watchtower and the wear they do the greater lives we shop. maximum of ineffective deaths through their volatile shunning practices and no blood stance and their preserving of pedos.
2016-09-28 03:20:12 · answer #6 · answered by cogliano 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is true that only 144,000 go to heaven. (Revelation 14:1-3) Have you ever wondered what those who go to heaven will do?
Revelation 5:9, 10 tells us they are to be Kings and Priests.
However, there are un unumbered bunch of people who will live forever - on the earth. (Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:9-11, 29; Psalm 72:8; Proverbs 2:21, 22; etc.)
If you want to learn more about our beliefs and the Scriptures that teach these truths, just visit the following links:
http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm
(Jehovah's Witnesses—Who Are They? What Do They Believe?)
http://www.watchtower.org
(Official JW website)
2007-11-01 05:17:10 · answer #7 · answered by Abdijah 7 · 12⤊ 3⤋
Do you have to work for the United States Government to live in America?
Definitely not. The same applies to God's government when it replaces the human government. Only a small number of the population (a 144,000) will work in God's kingdom (Rev 5:10) while the rest of humanity fulfill god's original purpose for the Earth.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it
2007-11-01 05:42:42 · answer #8 · answered by keiichi 6 · 13⤊ 2⤋
, the apostle John was given a vision in which he saw “the Lamb [Jesus Christ] standing upon the Mount Zion [his royal position in heaven], and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.” Who are those 144,000? John himself tells us: “These are the ones that keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. These were bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:1, 4) Yes, they are faithful followers of Jesus Christ specially chosen to rule in heaven with him. After being raised out of death to heavenly life, “they are to rule as kings over the earth” along with Jesus. (Revelation 5:10) Since the days of the apostles, God has been selecting faithful Christians in order to complete the number 144,000.
10 To arrange for Jesus and the 144,000 to rule mankind is very loving. For one thing, Jesus knows what it is like to be a human and to suffer. Paul said that Jesus is “not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15; 5:8) His corulers too have suffered and endured as humans. In addition, they have struggled with imperfection and coped with all kinds of sickness. Surely, they will understand the problems that humans face!
2007-11-01 12:47:00 · answer #9 · answered by dumaguetejoe 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Abidijah is right... Only 144,000 go to heaven, and they will rule as King and Priest in heaven.
The rest that have found favor with God are called the Great Crowd, they will live here on Earth in a Paradise under this Government. I hope I am one of these that have found favor with Jehovah, I want to live forever on earth in Paradise!!!! How wonderful!!! No dying, no sickness, no pain, no worries, no crime, everything peaceful, clean air, plenty of food for everyone, wonderful conditions!!!
We have to take in knowledge NOW to have this hope as the Bible tells us. It says that "this means everlasting life, there taking in knowledge of you, the only true God and the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ" So we have to be busy in spiritual things, gaining an accurate knowledge so we can have this hope.
Learn more!
www.watchtower.org
2007-11-01 05:25:28 · answer #10 · answered by Learn about the one true God 3 · 13⤊ 2⤋