Question about Heaven and the Resurrection

by dig692 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • dig692
    dig692

    This is a teaching that I have been starting to research lately, as I am not really sure I believe it anymore.

    Background: I wasn't raised a JW, so I grew up believing that all good people go to heaven, and all bad people go to hell. When I became a JW, I started to believe in the 2 different hopes for makind since it seemed to make sense to me and sounded better than people going to hell. Anyway...

    The JWs teach that only 144,000 have the hope of going to heaven, where they will rule with Jesus Christ over the earth that will be filled with righteous followers of God (earthly hope), thus fulfilling God's original purpose for mankind to fill the earth and subdue it.

    For those of you that don't believe the WTS teaching but instead believe in a heavenly hope for ALL of mankind, I'm curious where the resurrection fits in to that. When would the resurrection take place? And when do people go to heaven? At death? After they are resurrected?

    Looking forward to hearing your responses!

    -Dig

  • moshe
    moshe
    - hope

    That is the operative word that explains everything- I hope I win a lottery someday, I hope I never get cancer, I hope my kids are successful in life, I hope that global warming doesn't melt the glaciers, I hope the Chicago Cubs win the World Series- heaven, just get in line.

  • Larsinger58
    Larsinger58

    First off, read 1 Corinthians 15. The resurrection is a 2-stage process. first it is a resurrection into a physical body and then later a spiritual one.

    The 1st resurrection takes place before the second coming. The resurrection is into living bodies though, thus it is invisible.

    Further, Christ returns back to the earth in the flesh to be with the resurrected and those alive who are of the elect because they are all in the flesh during the 1000 year reign. I mean think about it. Why would they be up in heaven for 1000 years ruling over the earth. How would they do that? Through dreams of some elders or something. NO! God is not that disorganized. Christ and the elect (1,440,000) will all be on the earth.

    When will they go to heaven. Per 1 Corinthians it is not until death is no more. Death is not destroyed in the lake of fire until after Judgment Day, which follows Satan's destruction.

    So basically, the resurrection happens just before Christ himself returns in the flesh in the body of other living people. Then they wait for Armageddon and the sealing of the rest of the elect. Then they rule over those who survive Armageddon for 1000 years.

    Then Satan is let loose for a while then destroyed.

    Then JUDGMENT DAY occurs where they judge all the resurrected ones. When the last person is judged then death is finally thrown into the lake of fire.

    At that time, after all the judging is done, then Christ and the 1,440,000 are transformed into heavenly creatures and go up to heaven.

    That's the Biblical schedule. The WTS is clueless, of course.

    LS

  • sacolton
    sacolton

    At death, your spirit returns to God and forever you shall be with the Lord.

    Ecclesiastes 12:7

    and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

    Also, you must keep in mind that the JWs teach that the Bible was really written for the "Anointed".

  • dig692
    dig692

    Thank you, I appreciate your responses and references. I'm basically trying to forget everything the WTS told me and starting over fresh with a completely open mind and heart so that I can begin to truly understand the Bible. Again, appreciate the responses. Gives me a lot more to think about.

  • snowbird
    snowbird
    I'm basically trying to forget everything the WTS told me and starting over fresh with a completely open mind and heart so that I can begin to truly understand the Bible.

    Now, you're talking!

    Sylvia

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit