by smiddy 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Perry,
Millions of church-age saints (believers during the times of the gentiles) will have already been raptured, their bodies resurrected and united with their souls. They will have bodies exactly like the one that Jesus had after his resurrection..... able to thrive in heaven and on earth, doubtless multi-dimensional and very powerful. (Higher than the angels)
Serious question Perry: Will immortal bodies eat food? Even if they don't need to?
Smiddy,
Why the need for 144000 imperfect humans to Rule with Christ Jesus for 1000 years ?
Presumably they won't be imperfect. Redundant yes, but anyone that is resurrected to heaven should obviously be made perfect.
The only example of an immortal human body in scripture is Jesus, after his resurrection. In that body he ate and drank, appeared in rooms without using doors & ascended into heaven in that same body.
Presumably church age believers will be able to do the same since the scripture reads that when he appears (at the rapture) we shall be "just like him".
I always wondered growing up in the WTS would there have been a need for 144,000 to rule over the earth with Jesus if Adam and Eve had not sinned.
Jesus and God manage to rule over the 200 million plus angels without co-rulers.
And the WTS spiel says that Jesus and the 144,000 will step down as rulers briefly to ceremonially say they are subject to God, and then continue ruling forever......
(The Mormons also believe that spirits have flesh bodies in heaven.)
No such thing as co-rulers, but one will sit on the right and one on his left. Jesus says that he who dies to himself and is a servant to all shall be the one to sit at his left and right.
It's good to know that spirit creatures still have digestive systems. If spirit creatures can eat, what happens to the matter that is eaten? Is it destroyed in violation of thermodynamics, or is there actual holy shit somewhere?
If they are flesh and bones, where is heaven?
The words Reigning and Ruling has two different meanings. The priests in the Old Testament writings didn't have rulership authority over the people the same way as the king. Thier is no scripture in the New Testament in the original Greek that implies the followers of Christ would be rulers.
(The Mormons also believe that spirits have flesh bodies in heaven.)
Hi Blondie,
As far as I know, in mainstream Christian doctrine, Jesus is so far unique in that he is the only one with a glorified human body....(until the resurrection at the rapture). Then, "we shall be like him." & "meet him in the air".
The three main doctrines in Christianity are: 1. Justification (covered by the blood to be legally righteous) 2. Sanctification (set apart for the purposes of God) & 3. Glorification (having a glorified body like Jesus.)
When asked if his body was really him, Jesus invited others to touch him and reassured them that an apparition (spirit) could not be touched like he could. He went into heaven in front of hundreds in this same body. Angels asked, "men of Galilee, why do you stare into heaven? Do you not know that THIS SAME JESUS, will return in like manner."
The glorification of the human body; ie. gaining extra capabilities of which immortality is not the least, is bedrock Christian doctrine since the times of the apostles. Having a glorified, supernatural, yet real flesh and blood body - forever, is characterized as "the blessed hope" in Titus 2: 13 that will realized at Jesus glorious appearing. This is THE HOPE of Christians, whether they are now in the body, or already out of the body with Jesus.
Your word choice makes it sound like this is a fringe doctrine, In reality, it has been the hope of most every born-again Christian for the past 2000 years. Not only are Christians expecting God to reverse the effects of sin that none of us asked to inherit; they are also expecting God to make good on his promise to glorify them.... make them even better than perfect Adam & Eve was.
Maybe the term Ruling isn't meant in the traditional sense of governing.
Maybe it's like THEY rule, as in FALCONS RULE BABY!!!
