If I'm right in thinking that Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Heaven will only accommodate a certain number of "saved" souls, where does that number come from?
Also if a part of your belief means that you are supposed to spread your beliefs, i.e. calling on people at home, what will happen when the Jehovah's Witnesses have reached the quota (i.e. enough souls are "saved" and Heaven will be full? At that point will you no longer have to spread the word?
Many thanks.
2007-12-20 02:16:33 · 12 answers · asked by spanner the stig 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Heavens can accommodate as many as Jehovah would like it to, But he has chosen 144,000 person from earth to come to his Heavenly home.
Luke 12:32 "Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom."
Rev. 14:1-3: "I saw, and look! the Lamb [Jesus Christ]
standing upon the Mount Zion [in Heaven; see Hebrews 12:22-24], and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads...and they are singing as if a new song...and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth."
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... [ect.]
Gal. 3:26-29: "You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus...there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person i union with Christ Jesus. Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham's seed, heirs with reference to a promise."
IS THE NUMBER 144,000 MERELY SYMBOLIC?
The answer is indicated by he fact that, after mention of the definite number 144,000, Revelation 7:9 refers to "a great crowd, which no man was able to number." If the number 144,000 were not leteral it would lack meaning as a contrast to the "great crowd". Viewing the number as literal agreees with Jesus' statement at Matthew 22:14 regarding the Kingdom of the heavens: "There are many invited, but few chosen."
As far as us preaching the Good News of Gods Kingdom it will be finish when he say it is finish.
2007-12-20 05:58:27 · answer #1 · answered by Vivimos en los Ultimos Dias 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Revelation 14: 1-3 "I saw, and look! the lamb (Jesus Christ) standing upon Mount Zion (in heaven; see Hebrews 12:22-24) and with him a hundred and forty- four thousand having his name and the name of the Father written on their foreheads...And they are singing as if a new song...and noone was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth."
Revelation 7:9 refers to "a great crowd, which no man was able to number." So this would prove the number 144,000 is literal. If it were not literal it would lack meaning in contrast to the "great crowd", viewing this number as literal agrees with Jesus' statement at Matthew 22:14 regarding the Kingdom of the heavens: "There are many invited, but few chosen."
Revelation does not say of them (great crowd), as it does of the 144,000, that they are "bought from the earth" to be with Christ in heaven. We will know when the preaching work is done. It most likely will be when the Government turns on False religion (you can see how involved false religion is with politics and War it is only a matter of time before the Gov. brings them down.This is symbolized in Revelation. The harlot is false religion and the beast is Government. It states that the beast will turn on the harlot and eat her fleshy parts; devour her) Their will then only be true christians standing and we will have much persecution, much worse than now.
Jesus Freak- JW's have never changed their beliefs, I don't know where you got that nonsense.
2007-12-20 02:41:09 · answer #2 · answered by ilvk9s 3 · 8⤊ 1⤋
Only the 144,000 Jesus covenants to be judges kings and priests go to heaven. Luke 22:28-30, 1 Cor. 6:2, 3, Rev. 5:9, 10, 20:4-6......
The rest live on a paradise earth. Matthew 5:5, Revelation 21:1-4.
Heaven can't get "full" as you describe it. Even the number of angels who turned wicked likely outnumbers the people who have lived on earth. Heaven is unlimited. He can even make more angels if he wants as he made the original ones.
It simply was never God's purpose that people all go to heaven. It was his purpose to have earth and the material universe settled.
The fall of man and need of judgment simply caused the need for a jury of our peers to be taken to heaven to judge us and help us change to be like Jesus as a perfect human.
John 5:22, Luke 22:28-30, 1 Cor. 6:2, 3. God does not do the judging, but has committed that to his son (one high priest) and 144,000 underpriest. In Israel (one country) that was committed to the Sannedrin. One high priest and 70 underpriests.
The Bible does not teach the literal earth will pass away, only the wicked people, the spiritual earth. The "earth" had its languages changed in Gen. 11, but it was not the planet that spoke differently. Earth often refers to people not the planet.
Gen. 8:21 promises that he will never again destroy all things living on earth. Neither the planet, the plants, the animals or the righteous people will get destroyed the final time.....the animals and plants were destroyed in the flood.
Debbie
2007-12-20 05:31:10 · answer #3 · answered by debbiepittman 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
You can use your own bible, it will say the same things, ours just doesn't have all the arts,thees,thous,and thys, so it's a lot less confusing.
Revelation 7:4Â And 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:
Is the number 144,000 merely symbolic?
The answer is indicated by the fact that, after mention of the definite number 144,000, Revelation 7:9 refers to “a great crowd, which no man was able to number.” If the number 144,000 were not literal it would lack meaning as a contrast to the “great crowd.” Viewing the number as literal agrees with Jesus’ statement at Matthew 22:14 regarding the Kingdom of the heavens: “There are many invited, but few chosen.”
Do those of the “great crowd” referred to at Revelation 7:9, 10 also go to heaven?
Revelation does not say of them, as it does of the 144,000, that they are “bought from the earth” to be with Christ on heavenly Mount Zion.—Rev. 14:1-3.
The description of them as “standing before the throne and before the Lamb” indicates, not necessarily a location, but an approved condition. (Compare Revelation 6:17; Luke 21:36.) The expression “before the throne” (Greek, e·no´pi·on tou thro´nou; literally, “in sight of the throne”) does not require that they be in heaven. Their position is simply “in sight” of God, who tells us that from heaven he beholds the sons of men.—Ps. 11:4; compare Matthew 25:31-33; Luke 1:74, 75; Acts 10:33.
The “great crowd in heaven” referred to at Revelation 19:1, 6 is not the same as the “great crowd” of Revelation 7:9. The ones in heaven are not described as being “out of all nations” or as ascribing their salvation to the Lamb; they are angels. The expression “great crowd” is used in a variety of contexts in the Bible.—Mark 5:24; 6:34; 12:37.
Matthew 10:7Â As YOU go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’
Matthew 10:27Â What I tell YOU in the darkness, say in the light; and what YOU hear whispered, preach from the housetops.
Mark 16:15Â And he said to them: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Acts 10:42Â Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the One decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
2Tim 4:2Â preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season, reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and [art of] teaching.
2007-12-20 06:18:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
"Quota", where did you get this information? There is no "quota". The Bible speaks of 144000 who will rule in Heaven with Christ, but it also speaks of a "great ccrowd that no man can number", Revelation 7 v 9 & 10. JWs will continue to call on people until Jehovah God says "thats it".
2007-12-20 03:24:33 · answer #5 · answered by Everlasting Life 3 · 9⤊ 1⤋
The 144,000 will go to heaven.
(Rev. 7:4, Rev 14:1)
There is no "reaching the quota" because not only 144,000 will be saved. The rest (countless billions) will live on earth. So there is no maximum in this case.
Learn more;
http://www.watchtower.org
2007-12-20 02:20:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 10⤊ 1⤋
I just cannot believe where all these funny ideas come from because none of the basic truths have ever changed. Didnt the Bible say "the truth gets brighter as the day dawns" so only the most minor points get further clarified. The basic beliefs it stands on always have remained. Those who have left are so out of touch they speak lies about JWs.
2007-12-20 06:01:01 · answer #7 · answered by Purple triangle 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
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 vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses hope to enjoy life ON EARTH forever, rather than in heaven.
Jehovah's Witnesses 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. Jesus himself noted that those who are 'given' the administration of the Kingdom government would be a relatively "little flock", while all of Christianity constituted Christ's "other sheep".
...(Luke 12:32) Have no fear, LITTLE FLOCK [with a heavenly hope], because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom [to administer alongside the Christ] [caps added]
...(John 10:16) And I [Jesus] have OTHER SHEEP, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring [to be subjects of the kingdom government][caps added]
Those kingly, priestly administrators in God's government by Christ will assist in the rulership of heaven and earth (where most Christians who survive Armageddon will remain).
...(Revelation 7:9-11,13,14) Look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes... These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation [compare Matt 24:3,21]
Almighty Jehovah God selects those few who have the heavenly calling. Each person "feels" his own hope by means of holy spirit 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 meant never dying]
It follows that those resurrected after Armageddon will be resurrected to earth. It seems that the vast majority of dead humans will be resurrected, including the previously unrighteous.
...(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.”
...(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/we/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
2007-12-20 08:15:57 · answer #8 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
JWs have changed their teaching on the 144,000 in the last 20 years (I know because I have family members who have been JWs for 40-50 years and I've watched them change their doctrine several times). They used to teach that only the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation would inherit Paradise. But as the old leadership of the Governing Body in their headquarters in Brooklyn, NY started dying out, they began to change that teaching in the late 1980's. They came up with something called "A New Light" that now teaches there will be countless people who will inherit the earth -- "earth dwellers." When you talk to Witnesses today they loath the idea of going to heaven and are quick to tell you they are looking forward to being an earth dweller in Jehovah's Paradise. (The current generation of Witnesses don't realize this teaching is different from what their parents or grandparents were taught.) Unfortunately, JWs ignore the fact that the Bible teaches that the earth will pass away and God will create a new heaven and a new earth.
2007-12-20 02:41:04 · answer #9 · answered by Blessed 5 · 3⤊ 8⤋
144,000 comes from the bible somewhere - the number of ones that go to heaven.
witnesses do not believe you go to heaven or hell, but that a number 144,000 anointed ones will go to heaven. they believe god will restore the earth to a paradise like adam and eve's days, with only witnesses in it
2007-12-20 02:20:44 · answer #10 · answered by LS 3 · 8⤊ 3⤋