9.Christ was raised from the dead as an immortal spirit person
No, Christ was raised not as a spirit, but his body was raised, a glorified body, but not a mere spirit.
VII. The patriarchs and prophets of old and the Great Crowd go to heaven because a) their names are written in the Lamb’s scroll, b) resurrected flesh and blood humans cannot be immortal, and because death will be vanquished forever they must experience immortality in heaven as spirit humans with their glorified flesh and blood bodies transformed, not as earthly flesh, and c) physiologically and morally corrupt mortals who enter into the kingdom are not raised corrupt, but rather incorrupt, incorruptible and immortal, the only condition which allows them to inherit the kingdom of heaven which is in heaven. [Home]
First, the Jehovah’s Witnesses commit another significant error teaching that only the 144,000 are entered in the “Lamb’s scroll of life” and they alone enter the holy city of Jerusalem in heaven.
“ The Lamb’s scroll.” “The scroll of life of the Lamb” is a separate scroll; apparently containing only the names of those with whom the lamb, Jesus Christ, shares his Kingdom rule, including those still on earth who are in line to receive heavenly life (Re 13:8; compare Re 14:1, 4.) Those enrolled in “the Lamb’s scroll” are spoken of as entering the holy city, New Jerusalem, thus becoming part of the heavenly messianic Kingdom. (Re 21:2, 22-27) Their names are written both in “the Lamb’s scroll” and in the other scroll, God’s “book of life.“ Php 4:3; Re 3:5. (Insight, 251)
They overlook the fact that the Lamb’s scroll contains the names of all those from the foundation of the world who have not worshipped the beast.
All the inhabitants of the earth will worship it (the beast), all whose names were not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, which belongs to the Lamb who was slain. (Rev. 13:8 NAB).
The patriarchs and prophets of old, the so-called 144,000 and the Great Crowd who have not worshipped the beast must be included in the Lamb’s scroll (because if not they all worship the beast) and it is these people who go to heaven and enter the city of New Jerusalem at Revelation 21:10, 27.
10 So he carried me away in [the power of the] spirit to a great and lofty mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God … 27 But anything not sacred and anyone that carries on a disgusting thing and a lie will in no way enter into it; only those written in the Lamb’s scroll of life [will]. (Rev. 21:10,27)
The Lamb, Jesus Christ, was not slain or crucified from the foundation of the world but two thousand years ago. Therefore, this verse refers to those slain, or persecuted, literally or figuratively, from the foundation of the world, whose names are entered into the Lamb’s scroll; much longer than 2,000 years.
Paul knew that Jesus was not slain or suffered from the “foundation of the world”; he stated the opposite when he compared and distinguished the temporal repeated sacrifices of high priests under the Law with Christ the high priest’s offer of himself one time, not since the foundation of the world, but two thousand years ago at his death.
Otherwise he would have to suffer often from the foundation of the world. But now he has manifested himself once for all time at the conclusion of the system of things to put sin away through the sacrifice of himself. (Heb. 9:24-26 NWT)
As such, heaven is open to more than 144,000 people. That number is not to be taken literally. This conforms to what Jesus said, that many will recline at the banquet with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11), which the Jehovah’s Witnesses concede is “in heaven, not earth,” (New World Translation, 1653). Paul drove this point home, stating that the ancients of faith are reaching out for a better place, a heavenly land where God “prepared a city for them” (Heb. 11:16). This city is the holy city, New Jerusalem, in heaven.
Secondly, the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that “perfected” resurrected man will be like the allegedly “perfect” Adam, but Adam by their account was corruptible, and became corrupt. He was not immortal or incorruptible but could, and did, die.
By the end of the thousand years, people on earth will have reached human perfection, being in the condition that Adam and Ever were in before they sinned. (Insight, 249)
While Adam even in his perfection, had a corruptible body, it was only because of his rebellion against God that he came into “enslavement to corruption” and passed this condition on to all of his offspring, the human race. (Ro 8:20-22). (Insight, 1197)
However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ resurrected man who passes the final test will have his or her name permanently written in God’s book of life (Insight, 251). It is permanent because death is no more, swallowed up forever and ever (Rev. 20:14; 1 Cor. 15:26,54). And a life without death is deathlessness, immortality. As such, the so-called “perfected” resurrected man would be nothing like the so-called “perfect” Adam because Adam could die but the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ perfected and tested man cannot.
Whether they realize it or not, the Jehovah’s Witnesses resurrect mankind as physiologically and morally corrupt, yet immortal flesh and blood human beings, which is an oxymoron: one can be “corrupt” or “incorrupt/incorruptible and immortal,” but not both. Corruption (Greek phthora) is defined as decay, i.e., ruin, either physically or ethically, with a moral significance (Vine's, 263). Corruptible (Greek phthartos) used of man, being mortal, as liable to decay (Vine's, 263).
Immortality (Greek euthanasia) means deathlessness and the swallowing up of mortality (1 Cor. 15:53, 54). Hence, one cannot be corrupt or corruptible flesh subject to death yet not subject to death at the same time since immortality swallows up mortality and corruption.
More to the point is the impossibility of such resurrected immortals living a flesh and blood existence on earth. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that immortality is reserved for the 144,000 glorified spirit bodies in the kingdom of heaven which is in heaven (NWT, 1653; Insight, 786, 1189, 1190). But if that’s true, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Great Crowd of sheep who inherit the kingdom of heaven (Great Man, ch. 111, 11, 12) must do so as glorified spirit bodies in heaven because flesh and blood (corrupt yet “perfectible” fleshly humans) cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, "It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail" (John 6:23). Accordingly, the Great Crowd of Revelation 7:9 must be standing in heaven, not on earth (Reasoning, 336, and 1 Cor. 15:50).
In other words, only immortals inherit the kingdom of heaven, so the Great Crowd which inherits this kingdom, the sheep of Matthew 25:31-46, must do so as immortals in heaven. They are not simply confined to being “earthly subjects” of the future inherited kingdom. Inheritance (Greek kleronomeo) means to be an heir, obtain by inheritance, receive by lot, to possess, “to receive as one’s own, to obtain” (Vine’s,139). It is used as a birth right, or gift, but nowhere in its definition does it state or can it be implied that those who inherit are mere subjects of that kingdom. In fact, the definition specifically rejects the idea of earthly, corrupt human inheritance of the kingdom of God/heaven.
(7) the kingdom of God, which the morally corrupt cannot “inherit,” 1 Cor 6:9,10, the “inheritance of which is likewise impossible to the present physical constitution of man, 1 Cor 15:50; (8) incorruption, impossible of “inheritance” by corruption, 1 Cor 15:50. (Vine’s, 140)
Whereas “perfect” Adam might have been only corruptible, their resurrected man would be corrupt as he will not have been, and cannot be, educated to perfection. The surviving Great Crowd would likewise be corrupt because they are supposedly not parties to the New Covenant and have no access to the tree(s) of life during the thousand year reign.
Third, as stated, the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that those resurrected during the thousand year reign, the general resurrection, are raised corrupt, sinful. They must be. Otherwise there would be no need to raise them to human perfection. They teach that corrupt man is raised corrupt; this natural man (all of mankind for all practical purposes) is raised a natural flesh and blood man. Thus, they argue there are two types of resurrected bodies: The heaven-bound 144,000 are raised immortal and incorruptible, and their 20 billion earthly subjects are raised mortal and corrupt with the possibility of eventual immortality. But this is not what the Bible teaches.
The Christianity espoused by Paul at 1 Corinthians chapter 15 sees only one type of resurrected body, from the natural to the spiritual, mortal to immortal, corrupt to incorruptible; the regeneration or transformation sequence from one type of body to another. C.S.C. Williams sums up the Christian perspective nicely.
… the gist of the argument is that the actual physical particles of the earthly body are not raised up but that a spiritual body or expression of the man’s whole self, continuous with his earthly body but different from it, will be provided him on the heavenly plane. (Peake’s Commentary, 964)
A careful reading of 1 Corinthains 15:36-54 shows that Paul spoke of one type of resurrection body, not two. We go from one to the other. Nowhere does he state that natural, corrupt man will be raised in the future as a natural and corrupt man, but rather, “the dead will be raised incorruptible”; from the natural to the spiritual. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are improperly reading their theory into these verses without reference to what Paul was saying. Paul’s reference to natural and spiritual bodies in verse 44 and the then-existence of earthly and heavenly bodies at verse 48 cannot be interpreted out of context to refer to the future fleshly condition of 20 billion humans on earth. He was merely pointing out that there are two types of bodies, the natural earthly and the spiritual in heaven, that’s all, just like the fact that the moon and fish have different types of bodies, for he then goes on at great length to explain how the resurrected are changed from one to the other.
36 You unreasonable person! What you sow is not made alive unless first it dies; 37 and as for what you sow, you sow, not the body that will develop, but a bare grain, it may be, of wheat or any one of the rest; 38 but God gives it a body just as it has pleased him, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same flesh, but there is one of mankind, and there is another flesh of cattle, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 And there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly bodies is one sort, and that of the earthly bodies is a different sort. 41 The glory of the sun is one sort, and the glory of the moon is another, and the glory of the stars is another; in fact, star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised up in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised up in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised up in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one. 45 It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 Nevertheless, the first is, not that which is spiritual, but that which is physical, afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is out of the earth and made of dust; the second man is out of heaven. 48 As the one made of dust [is], so those made of dust [are] also; and as the heavenly one [is], so those who are heavenly [are] also. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly one.
50 However, this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Look! I tell YOU a sacred secret: We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when [this which is corruptible puts on incorruption and] this which is mortal puts on immortality, then the saying will take place that is written: “Death is swallowed up forever.” (1 Cor. 15:36-54 NWT).
Under their theory, during the thousand year reign the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ resurrected man (and the Great Crowd) will always remain corrupt because, as pointed out earlier, they cannot be educated to incorruptible “perfection” and they can’t be declared righteous or justified and reconciled to God under the only viable covenant, the New Covenant, through forgiveness of sins because (they claim) they are not, or cannot be, parties to it, and, it will have expired by then. And, because Jesus only gave his life once for forgiveness of sins and will never return for that purpose, the earthly Great Crowd and resurrected billions will forever be corrupt flesh, natural and earthly, and can therefore never inherit the future kingdom of God. Their theory is simply not feasible because death is swallowed up forever and that can only result in a state of immortality, a spiritual reality, in heaven. Paul said it best:
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality. (1 Cor. 15:52-53 NWT)
At Hebrews 11:39, 40, Paul emphasized the heavenly calling of the ancients reminding us that their perfection would not take place apart from the believers of the Christian era.
And having obtained witness through the faith, these all did not obtain the promise. God having foreseen something better concerning us, that they should not be perfected apart from us. (Heb. 11:39,40, Green’s Literal)
In a bizarre twist of logic the Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret these verses to mean that the perfecting of the ancients happens after the heavenly perfection of the 144,000, and that the “perfection” of Abraham, Moses and Isaiah, etc., is completed on earth, not heaven like the 144,000. But that can’t be. They state:
Then the Bible calls faithful men of old such as Abraham righteous. (Ge 15:6; Jas 2:21) Many of these men are listed at Hebrews chapter 11, and of them the writer says: "And yet all these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise as God foresaw something better for us [spirit-begotten, anointed Christians like Paul], in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us," (Heb 11:39, 40) so, the perfecting of them will take place after that of the ones having part in "the first resurrection." (Insight, 788)
After listing many pre-Christian persons of faith, Hebrews 11:39, 40 says: “All these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.“ (Who are here meant by “us”? Hebrews 3:1 shows that they are “partakers of the heavenly calling.“ The pre- Christian persons who had faith, then, must have a hope for perfect life somewhere other than in heaven.) (Reasoning, 78)
Again, they miss the point and the focus of what is being said about the ancients not being perfected apart from Christians, even if it's only the heaven-bound 144,000. If men of old and the so-called 144,000 are perfected in different times and different places they are perfected apart from each other, obviously. If the 144,000 are perfected by faith but all others by education and testing and the performance of deeds as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach, then they are perfected apart from each other, the opposite of what God intends. But since they are not to be perfected apart from each other and the so-called resurrected 144,000 gain ultimate perfection, like Christ did in heaven (Heb. 5:9, 7:28), the ancients must be perfected in heaven also, not earth.
Because the two groups are not to be perfected apart from each other, the 144,000 do not receive a better reward than the men of ancient times. Prior to both groups’ ultimate heavenly perfection, Christians realized the saving grace of Christ that the ancients could only dream of, and in that sense God foresaw something better concerning Christians, not that they receive a better and higher reward than Abraham or Moses.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses counter otherwise, arguing that the ancients or anyone before Christ receives a lesser reward and don’t go to heaven based on a cursory glance at Matthew 11:11,12 which says:
When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” … Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Mt 11:1-3, 11, 12 NAB)
They teach that the ancients don’t go to heaven, “Because John will not be in the heavens” either, based on the above verses,” (Reasoning, 78,79). But again they read these verses out of context. John was alive when this question was posed to Jesus who answered in the present tense, saying “… a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.” At that time, before the time when John would receive his resurrected glorified body, he was, as corrupt flesh, lesser than one in the kingdom of heaven. These verses say nothing about his future condition and any extrapolation to the contrary is unwarranted.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses also refer to Christ’s resurrecting of Lazarus as a demonstration of “what resurrection will mean for mankind in general” (Insight, 785; Reasoning, 336-337), implying they will be corrupt flesh on earth. But if that is the case the 144,000 would not go to heaven at all. Lazarus, as a first century Christian, was one of the anointed 144,000 and their resurrection, according to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is invisible to the human eye (Insight, 787). So it couldn’t be an example of the generally resurrected corrupt body, and if it was it disproves their “invisible 1918 first resurrection of the 144,000” theory (Reasoning, 336-337). And if Lazarus was not one of the anointed it proves wrong their theory that all first century Christians were of the anointed class of 144,000, which only leaves open the possibility that Lazarus, resurrected Lazarus, quit following Christ, but that seems unlikely.
Jesus didn't say that he resurrected Lazarus to show what resurrection meant for mankind in general. He did it for love, because he had pity. He resurrected his friend "...so that the Son of God may be glorified through it," (John 11:4) and "so that (they) may believe" (John 11:15).
http://144000.110mb.com/144000/i-6.html#VII
