Now I am intrigued, Do JW's really believe that only 144,000 will be saved?

Question

If so why would you wish to evangelize if there was a set amount? And how can you know you are part of the 144,000? Haven't that many already died?
Pax,
Debra

Thank you June and others for that clarification.

Answer 1

No, we believe that only 144,000 will go to heaven. The rest of saved mankind will reside in a perfected paradise earth. The few who go to heaven will rule as kings and priests over the Earth alongside Christ for the 1000 years.

Answer 2

They are not the only ones saved from this old wicked system of things. Jesus spoke of two groups of his people. A "little flock" and "other sheep who are not of this fold". Both groups get to live under God's Kingdom that the Lord's Prayer talks about. Though that little flock has 144,000 limited to it, the other sheep are a "great crowd which no man is able to number" The account is in Revelations ch.7. Verse 9 mentions this great crowd. This great crowd includes those resurrected from the dead as told in Acts 24:15. They include both righteous [who have chosen God as their ruler] and unrighteous or those who died before knowing they had a choice to make.

Is this not a loving provision of Jehovah? Why should a person be punished with death when they were ignorant of a choice they could have made?

Why also do you suppose all the space the Bible gives for talking about the meek or righteous inheriting the earth? Earth is mankind's home. Jehovah's original purpose was for mankind to be in charge of the earth and make the whole planet a paradise. His purposes do not change.

While those 144,000 have work to do as priests and rulers with Jesus in his Kingdom, the rest have the whole earth to enjoy. While both assignments are great, I can't help but think we get the best end of the deal.

Answer 3

I`m not JW but I have a friend who is a JW minister
They don`t believe there will only be 1440,000 saved people .
they believe 144,000 will be with God in heaven,
while the unsaved will just cease to exist, the rest of the saved people will inherate the earth and live here forever

Answer 4

Debra, God only promised mankind life on earth
That is why there will be a resurrection day and a judgment day.
Why would God give people a blessing of heaven or a punishment of hell and then bring them back to earth to judge them?

God told Adam to multiply and fill the earth with humans...Adam sinned and lost everlasting life for us.
But that is it..that's all God wants is for us to worship him...in perfect...faithful bodies..on a paradise earth.

The 144000 will be people taken from earth to rule with Jesus..because they know the plight and weaknesses of man.

The number is not yet sealed.

remember with God's permission...Jesus is the King of the kingdom. And he is getting everything set for when Jehovah brings on the Great Tribulation.

Be prepared to go through a bad time if you are not a Witness.
Learn all you can while you can to get saved.

Answer 5

No, that is NOT what Jehovah's Witnesses believe.

The Bible shows that 144,000 annointed Christians will rule as kings over the earth, a station God alone choses. (Revelation 14:1-3) Millions of other Christians will live forever on a paradise earth just as God originally purposed. Psalm 37:9-11, 29; Isaiah 45:18

There are almost 7,000,000 Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. Very few of them entertain the hope of living in heaven.

Answer 6

No.

144,000 to rule in heaven.

Countless BILLIONS to live forever in a paradise on earth. The vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have the hope of living on earth.

Answer 7

Debra, you ought to read better..
A Lie is a false statement made by one to another who is entitled to hear and know the truth and which false statement tends toward injury to the other. A false statement made for the purpose of deceiving and working injury to an innocent person is a deliberate and malicious lie. Therefore lies are man’s great enemy. Beware of Lies.

Answer 8

No, 144,000 is the number that they believe will make it to heaven. They say the other believers will live on paradise earth.

I'm Christian, but in the book of Revelations, we see the holy city of New Jerusalem coming down from heaven like a bride adorned for her groom. The city will be on earth, and God, and the Lamb, and the River of the Water of Life will dwell there. See Revelations Chapter 22.

Answer 9

Why would anyone believe that a paradise needed to have rulers and kings? And, why specifically 144,000? Is god incapable of keeping order in paradise without the help of 144,000 'souls' or people? There is a power hierarchy in paradise? Oh, sorry, I suppose I shouldn't post questions in the answer area, but I was just curious myself.

Addition: So, you've got a heaven and a paradise and the heaven is where the 144,000 go for the first 1,000 years, because Christ needs help with the not as good people who are on the paradised earth. But, after 1,000 years where do they go?

Addition: I'd ask these questions to the JW's that knock on my door, but where I live, they don't speak English and the pamphlets they leave are always in Spanish. I'm sensing a bit of hostility from you thumbs downers.

Answer 10

Harpazo = Rapture

END-TIME BIBLE PROPHECY

The Messiah Lord Jesus said BIRTH PANGS would signal the time of the end (Matthew 24:8). There are NINE birth pangs, they are all PRE-TRIBULATIONAL and the 1st three already occurred.

The first birth pang was worldwide conflict coupled with famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7-8). Worldwide conflict was fulfilled in 1914-1918, major famines happened in 1918-1921 and most of the world’s major earthquakes began to occur since 1900.

The second birth pang was the restoration of a Jewish State (Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 22:17-22; Ezekiel 36:22-24; Zephaniah 2:1-2). This was fulfilled in 1948.

The third birth pang was Jewish control of the Old City of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2). For the third Jewish Temple (Tribulation Temple) to be rebuilt, Jerusalem needs to be under Jewish control and this was accomplished in the Six Day War in 1967.

The fourth birth pang will be the Ezekiel 38 war. Russia, allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany and Armenia will invade Israel. God will miraculously destroy the invading army by earthquake, civil war among the invading soldiers, pestilence, blood, flood, hailstones, fire and brimstone. This will bring a revival in Israel where many Jews will turn to the Lord, and Israel will spend 7 years and 7 months burying the bodies and burning for fuel the military equipment left behind (Ezekiel 39:9-16).

The 5th birth pang will be the development of a one world government (Daniel 7:23-24).

The 6th birth pang will be the splitting of the one world government into 10 kingdoms and this Ten Kingdom Stage will continue until mid-Tribulation (Daniel 7:24).

The 7th birth pang will be the revelation of the Antichrist (II Thessalonians 2:1-3; Daniel 7:24).

The 8th birth pang will be a period of peace and false security that will be shattered by the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

The 9th and final birth pang before the Tribulation is the signing of the 7-year covenant between Israel and the Antichrist. THIS EVENT IS WHAT BEGINS THE (7-year) TRIBULATION - NOT THE RAPTURE!

The Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) is also a pre-tribulational event (Luke 21:34-37; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:6-8). The fact that the Church is not mentioned in any of the Tribulation Scriptures proves the Rapture is pre-tribulational. All raptured Christians will receive glorified bodies (Romans 8:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54)) and it can happen at any second.


THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 6-9 AND 17)

The Ministry of 144,000 sealed Jewish believers will bring many throughout the world to accept Christ.

There will be a powerful Ministry of Two Witnesses who will also be anointed Jewish believers.

A one world religious system (Babylon the Harlot) will rule. Under this one world religious system, many who are saved during the Tribulation will suffer persecution and death.

The Political system of the 10 kings of the one world government will continue.

During the first half of the Tribulation there will also be war, worldwide famine, death (1/4 of the world’s population will die), a huge earthquake, a blackout and a meteor shower. 1/3 of earth’s dry surface will be destroyed, 1/3 sea life and salt water will be destroyed, a fallen angel called Wormwood will make 1/3 of earth’s fresh water bitter, 1/3 of earth’s natural light sources will be destroyed, there will be another blackout and demons in the form of “locust-scorpions” will come up out of the abyss led by Abaddon their king and they will inflict harm and pain for five months upon those who are not sealed by God (unbelievers). Another demonic invasion will occur and the demons involved will be led by four fallen angels who will be released from the Euphrates River and this army will kill 1/3 of the earth’s population.


MID-TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 10-14 AND 17)

The Antichrist will war against the 10 kings, and during the war the Antichrist will be killed.

Satan will be cast out of the atmospheric heavens onto earth and will resurrect the Antichrist.

The Antichrist will kill 3 kings (the kings of Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia) and the 7 other kings will submit to him.

The Antichrist will kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem and the wicked people will celebrate this event. Three and a half days afterwards, God will resurrect the Two Witnesses and take them up to Heaven and the people who celebrated will become terrified. The city of Jerusalem where the murder of the Two Witnesses occurred will then suffer an earthquake which will kill 7,000 people.

The False Prophet will receive from Satan the power to perform great miracles and will deceive many. The False Prophet will command all people to worship the Antichrist and have persons create an image to the Antichrist. The False Prophet will use his satanic powers to give it life and the ability to speak. The False Prophet will cause those who refuse to worship the Antichrist and the image to be killed.

The False Prophet will issue his own counterfeit seal known as the Mark of the Beast and it will be placed on all those who surrender to the Antichrist’s authority and accept him as god. Those who refuse to take this mark will not be able to buy or sell. Those who take this mark will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

The Antichrist will break the seven-year covenant he made with Israel, cause the sacrifices to stop, sit in the Jewish Temple, declare to the world that he is really God and set up an idol called the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15-16; 11Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:11-15).

Through the Antichrist and the False Prophet, Satan will attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all but he will fail because 1/3 of the Jews will succeed in fleeing into the wilderness. These Jews who escape will accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour during the Tribulation (Zechariah 13:7-9) and while they are in hiding, God will miraculously provide for them (Zechariah 13:8-9; Isaiah 41:17-20). Divine intervention will also destroy the pursuing army.


THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES FOUND IN REVELATION 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)

In the second half of the Tribulation, those with the Mark of the Beast will suffer skin sores, the remainder of sea water and fresh water will be destroyed, the sun will cause terrible burns and the wicked will blaspheme God. There will be yet another blackout and persons will suffer gnawing pains.

Babylon will be the center of world economy and political system but Babylon will be swiftly destroyed by fire and become uninhabitable for man.

The Antichrist will locate the Jews who sought refuge in the wilderness and surround them with his armies to wipe them out. The Lord Jesus will then descend from Heaven with His angels and Saints. He will come with great glory riding upon a horse and will destroy the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all of their armies. After this, a loud voice will cry out “It is done!” followed by the greatest earthquake in the earth’s history and hail weighing 120 pounds will fall.

At the end of the Tribulation, there will be another blackout, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken (Matthew 24:29), the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be thrown into the eternal Lake of Fire and Satan will be cast into the Abyss and bound for 1,000 years.


THE MILLENNIUM

The Lord Jesus will reign over the entire earth during the Millennium. The Jewish and Gentile believers who survive the Tribulation will go on to populate the Millennium. Believers who died before and during the Tribulation and believers who were raptured will be present on earth during the Millennium and because they will have glorified bodies they will not reproduce. All believers will be given special tasks by the Lord Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6). There will be no wars (Isaiah 2:2-4), animals will return to the Edenic state and become vegetarians (Isaiah 11:6-9), people will not labour in vain but eat what they plant and inhabit what they build, there will be renovations in the heavens and earth and there will be righteous and unrighteous children born during the Millennium (Isaiah 65:17-25).

At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed from the Abyss and will deceive and gather the unrighteous for a war against the righteous. This will be his final attempt to destroy the righteous and when the unrighteous of the Millennium surround the good people, God will send fire down from Heaven which will suddenly and massively annihilate all of the wicked people. Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will remain in torment for eternity (Revelation 20:7-10).


THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

The Great White Throne Judgment will be the next main event. The old heavens and earth will be done away with and all will stand before God’s throne to be judged (Revelation 20:11-12). Those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire which will be their final and eternal abode (Revelation 20:14-15).


THE ETERNAL ORDER (REVELATION 21 AND 22)

Those whose names are found in the Book of Life will enjoy paradise with God forever. The heavens and earth will be made new and the New Jerusalem will come down upon the earth making the earth like Heaven. All curses from the fall will be removed and the earth will be inhabited by the Triune God (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit), all angels and all of the righteous. The seas, moon, night and sun will be done away with and the glory of God will illuminate the earth. The River of Life will flow from God’s throne, the Tree of Life will bear health-giving fruits and leaves and the name of Jesus will be on the foreheads of all of the righteous.


God’s Plan of Salvation for Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkDk1GZ7do