The 144,000 in JW theology

[Wootah]

My understanding only 144,000 JWs go to heaven in total over the sum of human history.

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/q ... to-heaven/

Is that correct?

There are 9 million JWs worldwide (rounded up).

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... w-many-jw/

Will the vast majority of them not go to heaven and be annihilated? What happens to the JWs that don't make the 144, 000?

[PinSeeker]

That is an interesting difference: in Christendom all think they are born again and adopted to be kings and priests ... we don't.

Yes, I know. That's unfortunate.

We are not so conceited...

Well, we are (or should be anyway) quite filled with humility, amazed at the mercy and compassion we've been given, even though deserving quite the opposite.

The rest I could comment on but will just, you know, let go because of its... misguidedness.

Grace and peace to you, Eloi.

[Eloi]

Oh, no ... it is realistic. We do not invent the rules .

Actually, when we understood the differences of both hopes, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses were very happy, since living as spirits is not something in the heart of everyone ... There are so many wonderful things on earth to enjoy!!! That was what Jehovah created the earth for in the first place.

In Christendom you just fantazise a lot ... too much wishful thinking and do not even understand the biblical truths ... neither want to. To be teachers you must be students first (Matt. 28:19,20).

[myth-one.com]

In Christendom you just fantazise a lot ... too much wishful thinking and do not even understand the biblical truths ... neither want to. To be teachers you must be students first (Matt. 28:19,20).

I agree. People who read or even "study" the scriptures, do not do so to discover biblical truths.

They read the scriptures seeking support for what they have been taught as the truth.

When they cannot find that support, they simply provide their own interpretation.

Long ago and far away, the final source of truth in this thread was the scriptures.

If the scripture stated that the wages of sin is death, then the wages of sin is death.
=======================================================

Now there are those that "agree" that the wages of sin is death, where death clearly means eternal existence in torment.

But when one asks them what the wages of sin is -- they say "death."

It is better for them to be "right", even at the expense of their religion.

[Diagoras]

People who read or even "study" the scriptures, do not do so to discover biblical truths.

They read the scriptures seeking support for what they have been taught as the truth.

When they cannot find that support, they simply provide their own interpretation.

There's certainly ample evidence for that view.

The 144,000 is a number found nowhere else in the Bible other than Revelation. It refers to only one group of people. These things are true. I have read tons of subjects on the 144,000 number. Jehovah's Witnesses are the only ones that have made any sense of that number.

One thousand is a number used throughout the Bible to symbolize completeness/fullness. The number twelve, is, also, in the case of the tribes of Israel, and later the twelve disciples and the twelve apostles. <..> As for the 144,000 in Revelation 7, what should be seen is not a hard and fast number of 144,000, but rather 12 times 12 times 1000 <..>, which is also a number of completeness used in the Bible, actually a complete completeness ~ so a metaphor of reality, a complete, complete, completeness, which sounds repetitive and is and purposely so.

I'm not sure that the 1000 multiplier has some hidden meaning when it comes to the 144,000. The only thing that seems logical to me is that if these 144,000 are to be kings and priests over the earth as it says in Revelation 5:9, 10.

Jehovah's witnesses believe that in the case of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation, it is to be taken literally. If that literal number also reminds us of completeness in a biblical sense, that just adds an interesting dimension to things.

Ah! The millennium. There are several different views/understandings of what that "thousand years" is, Eloi, you know that. I do not agree (although not a total disagreement) with the pre-tribulation, pre-millennialist group of which you are a part. I do not agree with the post-millennial view, either, although my understanding and theirs are a bit closer together. And I do not agree with the preterist camp, either, although, again, there are some things we would agree on. Yes, I believe the "thousand years" to be representative of the time in which God's people on earth are "troubled"...

All Christians will reign with Christ in the new heaven and new earth, which will finally be one.

It might be interesting to hear from some Mormons, Skoptzists or Muslims on this numerical subject?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/144,000

Not to exclude anyone who follows Judaism, of course. They seem to be a bit more flexible and inclusive when it comes to the afterlife (in any of its supposed forms):

https://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-pract ... -afterlife

Get ready for your heaven to look a little different from what you expect – is what I’m getting at. I don’t see any one ‘side’ having definitive answers here.

[JehovahsWitness]

I don’t see any one ‘side’ having definitive answers here.

Fair enough; of course that means you are in no position to say definitively which interpretation is true, including your own (if you have one). I cannot therefore see how you can imply that Jehovahs Witnesses are in error.

I am convinced what Jehovahs Witnesses believe is true because only they (in my personal opinion) have a clear understanding of why people go to heaven. Once the reason becomes clear, the understanding of the number becomes clear. Nobody else has been able to explain to me, in a clear, simple and biblically sound way "what people called to heaven to do?" which is why imho the only way their "everbody goes to heaven" position is tenable.



JW

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

HEAVEN , THE 144, 000 and ... THE MILLENIUM

[myth-one.com]

I am convinced what Jehovahs Witnesses believe is true because only they (in my personal opinion) have a clear understanding of why people go to heaven. Once the reason becomes clear, the understanding of the number becomes clear. Nobody else has been able to explain to me, in a clear, simple and biblically sound way "what people called to heaven to do?"

Where do the scriptures state that people go to heaven?

The scriptures state that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;... (I Corinthians 15:49-50)

[JehovahsWitness]

The scriptures state that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;... (I Corinthians 15:49-50)

Did I say "flesh and blood" people inherit the kingdom ?













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[Diogenes]

I am convinced what Jehovahs Witnesses believe is true because only they (in my personal opinion) have a clear understanding of why people go to heaven. Once the reason becomes clear, the understanding of the number becomes clear. Nobody else has been able to explain to me, in a clear, simple and biblically sound way "what people called to heaven to do?" which is why imho the only way their "everbody goes to heaven" position is tenable.

What is your Biblical basis for believing the JW position is accurate, that only 'THEY' have a clear understanding of "what people called to heaven to." I'm not sure what you meant by that. What is your understanding of which people are called to heaven? Or why? Or did you mean "What they are to do there?" Perhaps my English is deficient, but I did not understand what you meant to say, let alone your support for it.

[JehovahsWitness]

What is your Biblical basis for believing the JW position is accurate, that only 'THEY' have a clear understanding of "what people called to heaven to." I'm not sure what you meant by that.

Emphasis MINE

If you dont know what I mean, why are you asking for a biblical basis for what I mean?

To clarify, I mean that when Jehovahs Witnesses explained to me how they understood the scriptures, I was (and remain) personally convinced that their explanation was biblically accurate.

I dont need to show any scriptures to prove I really had the above experience.

[JehovahsWitness]

What is your understanding of which people are called to heaven?

"Which people", as in "who"? Are you asking me "Who are called to heaven"?

WHO GO TO HEAVEN?


Biblically only "born again" (spirit anointed) baptised Christians are called to heaven. ie only those chosen by God and invited by Christ have that privelege. Revelation indicates the 12 faithful Apostles were the first to receive such an invitation and scriptures indicate the invitation subsequently went out to all first century Christians thereafter (Rev 21:14 , 1 Pet 2:9). Biblically, only God and Jesus can name them all.




JW




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How many of the 144,000 are presently left to be selected?
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To learn more please go to other posts related to...

HEAVEN , THE 144, 000 and ... THE MILLENIUM