by luffy 25 Replies latest watchtower bible
My ex came back from the convention and the subject came up of familiy, marriage etc...I asked, how they believe marriage family etc will stand in "paradise"...do they believe earthly marriages will still be valid and mates will still be together, or is that annuled!!!..also, whether families now will once again be families then..He didnt seem to be sure.
Just out of interest, could anybody shed some light on the witness beliefs on this?
Thanks
This is one of the most ridiculous of all Watchtower teachings. If you live through Armageddon you stay married, but if you die and are resurrected you are not married, and if you go through Armageddon single you have to stay single. This has caused a lot of worried amongst spinsters and those that have lost their partners in death.
The reasoning is based on Luke 20, which quite obviously refers to heaven, not earth.
The following quote is old but is still pretty much the current teaching.
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w549/15p.575QuestionsfromReaders***Questions
fromReaders•
What is the correct under standing of Jesus’ words at Luke20:34-36(NW):"Thechildrenofthissystemofthingsmarryandaregiven in marriage, but those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Infact,neithercan they die anymore, for they are like the angels, and theyareGod’schildrenbybeingchildrenoftheresurrection"?—H.K.,Canada.Jesus spoke thus in answer to a question raised by the Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection. They posed their question to Jesus regarding a woman under the law of levirate marriage, hence under Mosaic law and not a Christian. They were interested to know whether she or those in her class of humanity would marry in the resurrection, and, if so, whose wife would she be if she had previously had as husbands seven brothers, in accord with the levirate marriage arrangement. This woman under the law of Moses would have no heavenly hope, nor did the Sadducees know of a heavenly class. The question was concerning one resurrected in the flesh to live on earth. Hence Jesus’ answer concerns an earthly class.—Luke 20:27-33.
When "this system of things" is brought to an end at Armageddon, then persons can no longer be children of it. Consequently, those who were once children of this system of things but who died cannot be children of it if they come up in a resurrection. Only by a resurrection can any of the dead enter into the new world, "that system of things." Having been counted worthy of a resurrection from the dead they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, as Jesus said. In this respect they will be like the angels, who do not marry and procreate their kind.—Matt. 22:30; Mark 12:25.
But after their resurrection during the thousand-year reign of Christ under that new system of things, the question is, Will they prove worthy to become children of that system of things forever? "Gaining that system of things" means more than just rising from the grave and entering and making a start in the endless new world. Will these ones brought back in a resurrection of the unjust take up the way of integrity to Jehovah and maintain it? We know that some will fail to do so in the final test that comes at the end of the millennium, that they will fail to gain it, going down in death, and hence will not be among those to whom it is said, "Neither can they die any more." However, many others will maintain integrity right on through this final test and will be "counted worthy of gaining that system of things," and for that reason they can never die at the hands of any other creature.—Rev. 20:7-9.
After that final test there will definitely be no marrying or being given in marriage then by those counted worthy of the new world and having the right to eternal life, just as angels have that right. But even before the gaining of the everlasting new system of things these ones brought back in the resurrection of mankind do not marry, because even prior to the final test they are children of the resurrection. Their being debarred from marrying and being given in marriage does not wait until their names are written in the book of life and they are counted worthy of the everlasting system of things. (Rev. 20:12, 15) By the time they return from the dead through a resurrection paradise will have overspread the earth and the token fulfillment of the procreation mandate will have been effected by the Armageddon survivors and their offspring. (Gen. 9:1; Matt. 24:37; Luke 23:43) That work will have been accomplished by those of the "other sheep" class now living and who survive Armageddon. They are not precluded from marriage and childbirth by the words of Jesus at Luke 20:34-36, since they never die and hence are not children of the resurrection.
It is even reasonable and allowable to entertain the comforting thought that those of the other sheep who now die faithful will have an early resurrection and live during the time when the procreation mandate is being fulfilled and when paradise conditions are being spread earth-wide and that they will share in this divinely given service. Jehovah holds that hope of service out to them now, and it seems reasonable that he will not let them lose out on it because of untimely death now, perhaps a death brought on because of faithfulness to him.—See "TheTruthShallMakeYouFree", pages 362, 363.
This is a great topic because its an area where the JW's doctrine flies in the face of biblical meaning, of course Jesus was talking about going to heaven, therefore these ones would be as angels. This subject is probably little talked about and glossed over as there is no satisfactory explaination - other than the typical God will make it ok in his own way.
CS 101
The first Sunday meeting my mother and I went to after my dad died, this was the subject of the public talk. We were late, and so had to sit in the front row! The poor speaker did not make eye contact with us through the whole talk. My poor mom having to sit there and listen to that.
BB
If you live through Armageddon you stay married, but if you die and are resurrected you are not married, and if you go through Armageddon single you have to stay single.
This sure makes me glad to be apostate. That way, I will know that I will not have to live forever with just other men and nothing else. Sure pushed up my timetable to gather my Christmas decorations and my Ouija board, too.
^ what do u mean "live forever with just other men"? i don't think i've ever heard of that before. can anyone explain?
"Just other men" Im guessing as in just anybody as opposed to with spouses and family...I also wouldnt enjoy the prospect of eternal life under those circumstances...
Interesting why JWS would be so worried as to shun straying family members and only marrying their own kind whilst claiming its because they are saving them, when chances are, according to them, they are facing eternal life without them anyway..
Before the 1950's or '60's the belief was that a resurrected spouse would be reunited in marriage with their pre-Armageddon spouse unless the survivor had remarried (at least this is my understanding). Then there was "new light." I knew of a JW whose wife died and he did not remarry because he expected to be with his deceased wife after the resurrection. I've been away too long to know where the light is blinking now. At any rate, whatever the current belief is, it is subject to change any day now.
Regards,
SandraC
If you live through Armageddon you stay married, but if you die and are resurrected you are not married, and if you go through Armageddon single you have to stay single.
JWFacts - are you SURE this is a Watchtower teaching? I was in the Borg from birth to age 39, and I never heard this one. In fact, a couple of single guys I knew joked about being in the AAA club -- "Available After Armageddon".
I know that they teach resurrected people don't get to marry in the New World, that's weird enough.
I thought the thought was that if your spouse died before armagadon you werent married. if you get thru together you're stuck together
but i never heard of if you were single thru armagadon you would stay single!!!! i thought that depended on when the earth filled up etc!!!!
