Another 144,000 Question

Cold Steel

Okay, based on my reading, you're clearly better off being one of the 144,000. First, you get to reside in heaven, while everyone else is consigned to living on Earth. Second, a spirit (in WTS eschatology) is much better than being a flesh and bone human. They can fly, read in a darkened room and they get to be with God for eternity.

But what of everyone else? Will flesh and bone humans have the ability to fly, transport themselves over long distances merely by thought and learn of other worlds and beings? In other words, do you think (if you're a JW) that you'll be able to do incredible things, see incredible sights in other heavens and other dominions...maybe help create worlds or build interstellar ships? In other words, how happy are you going to be just living in Eden and eating fried chicken, corn on the cob and watermelon? Has anyone ever written about one's potential powers or abilities?

Me...I don't think we're going to have the limitations we do now. I think we'll be able to think of many different things at once and comprehend incredible things we don't have an inkling about now. In some near death experiences, people report that they could just look at complex things and immediately comprehend how they worked and what they did. They said they saw incredible buildings and other structures that made anything they saw on Earth pale in comparison. They also said they could communicate just by thought, and not merely by words, but could communicate emotions, and that their powers of recall were perfect; that they could remember any part of their lives on Earth with crystal clarity, perfectly understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.

I'm not saying this has to be the way things are, but do JWs believe their powers and abilities will far outstrip anything Adam and Eve were supposed to do, and were the 144,000 enabled to see and do much more than those who were resurrected to Earth?

If you're a JW, what do you think? Would you choose to be one of the 144,000 if given the choice? If you're a former JW, do you recall ever wishing you were one of the 144,000? Is it a secret wish most JWs share? Do they, like, say they don't have a preference, but inwardly, they do? And if you wanted it badly enough and eventually came to believe you were one of the lucky ones, at what age could you declare? Say you were 15 and you one day just partook of the emblems out of the blue, would your parents have gone through the ceiling? Doesn't it cause a stir when one does partake? Do they say, "Did you see Clyde earlier today? He partook! Who does he think he is?"

"Well, dear, it's obvious who he thinks he is. But can you believe his parents let him do that?"

How does it work? Clearly just wanting it isn't enough. How does one know?

Black Sheep

Don't be fooled by the 'heaven is wonderful' nonsense. If it was that great, why did naughty angels come to earth?

DanaBug

An anointed person just knows. It's between them and God. There's no way for anyone else to verify it or disprove it. A 15 year old could probably expect some counseling from the elders to make sure he understands what it means. But if a 15 yr old can dedicate his life to God, I see no reason he couldn't also be anointed.

Personally, heaven never appealed to me. The way they describe it sounds sooo boring. Except for the Lovely Bones version, I like that idea. The living forever....yeah, I don't think I want that either. I'd like more than 70 years on this earth but not forever. Whenever I asked as a child what it would be like I was told, we won't really know until it happens. But having a perfect mind and body leaves a lot of possibilities. Who knows what the mind is capable of when it can be used at full capacity?

DanaBug

Second, a spirit (in WTS eschatology) is much better than being a flesh and bone human. They can fly, read in a darkened room

Wait, what? Is that new? Now, I've been df'd for 6 years but I don't remember that.

Caminante

Black Sheep: They evidently came to earth because they couldn't satisfy their unnatural sexual desires in heaven. Angels weren't created with the capability to reproduce, so I imagine they can't have sex either. They must have found out that married mates experience a special kind of pleasure while engaging into sexual relations and expressed a selfish desire to taste that one too.

Cold Steel: Fly, read in a darkened room? I'm not sure that applies to heaven. Note that form of existence in heaven is completely different than in our material universe (if it were, it could physically interact by a way or another with it). As to the annoiting, I'm not even sure that one professing to be an anointed can tell for sure whether the thing they feel is genuinely the impact of the Holy Spirit, or it's a purely human emotional sensation (since emotions are also expressed by the spirit component of the self). As to skills gained after reaching perfection in Paradise earth, I agree with DanaBug's statement: "[They leave ] a lot of possibilities. Who knows what the mind is capable of when it can be used at full capacity?"

Cold Steel

I would just assume a spirit would exude its own glory, just as the angels did. Remember that John, on Patmos, twice fell upon his face to worship the angel who was guiding him. Of course the angel would say, "I am the First, I am the Last" and all sorts of other things and then when John sought to worship him, he'd say, "see thou do it not, for I am a fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets!" So if an angel (most likely a resurrected prophet) could appear so glorious as to appear to be the resurrected Christ, I imagine a spirit could also appear in such glory.

After someone has his status revealed, some people would have to wish they were resurrected spirits. But perhaps not....

Listener

I can relate to your thoughts Cold Street. There were supernatural miracles that occurred in bible times and with God nothing is impossible. There are many secrets that are to be learnt but they are not for now as the priority is to have the earthly kingdom properly restored.

The org says that the resurrected ones to earth will be neither female nor male (and we are not to speculate the good and bad of this). But it means their purpose on earth will be different.

We know that God has always continued to work and create and we are made in his image. He also always has a purpose for his creations. We know Adam was told to name the animals then fill the earth, what his plans were after that are not known. This means there will always be something for us to do. When you consider the vast universe around us the possibilities are endless.

cameo-d

Caminate: They must have found out that married mates experience a special kind of pleasure while engaging into sexual relations and expressed a selfish desire to taste that one too.

That was before they found out about the nagging they would have to put up with. Now they want to go back.

smiddy

A thought just occured to me ,did angels have free will? What was the test the angels had to undergo???What was the penalty for angels who failed the test ?? If you compare the horrendous outcome for humans, compared to the angelic species, their is no comparison!!! So then who is going to rule with Christ over mankind??Imperfect human beings?? 144000 ??So who do you think would be more authourised to do so ??Angels???

cameo-d

Listener: The org says that the resurrected ones to earth will be neither female nor male (and we are not to speculate the good and bad of this). But it means their purpose on earth will be different.

Like barbies and kens. LOL.

After Armageddon there will be much work to be done. People will have to conserve their energy and sex would be a distraction and a depletion of energy. No male or female means you will be robots and work horses.

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