Jehovah's Witnesses:5 integral Kingdom Questions!

Question # 1:

In Genesis 13,verses 14-17,Abraham is told to look all around him at the land that would be his inheritance,as well as his ""offspring's" inheritance.

Galatians 3:29 says:

"If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."

The Watchtower would say that those who are "Christ's" are the anointed who go to heaven.So how could it be that those in Galatians 3:29 who are "Christ's",and also "Abraham's offspring",will not be heirs according to the "promise" actually given to Abraham & his offspring?That being,the "land"?Are we REALLY to believe that "Abraham's offspring",also known as ""Christ's"(or the anointed) according to Galatians 3:29 will not get the precise inheritance promised them in Genesis 13?Is there a separation here of two vastly differing promises like the WT boldly claims or is it the same promises for the anointed and the OT faithful like the scriptures explicitly claim?




Question # 2:

Hebrews 11:16 says that there is a "heavenly country" and a "city" "prepared" for the OT patriarchs,who the Watchtower claims will inherit a "new earth."

Problem is,Revelation identifies this "city" as "New Jerusalem",which the Watchtower claims is only for an anointed 144,000 and no one else.Why would something be "prepared",namely a "heavenly country" for the Old Testament faithful, if they have no hope of actually attaining it?

Matthew 8:11 says:

"Many Gentiles will come from all over the world--from east and west--and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Again,the Watchtower says that "the kingdom of heaven" is reserved solely for 144,000 folks and NOT those who Matthew 8:11 says will actually be there.So question is:

On what basis did the Watchtower dogmatically determine that the "kingdom of heaven" won't be on the earth since the earth is actually promised to those who are said to be in the "kingdom of heaven" and the "kingdom of God"?This naturally leads to the next question.


Question # 3:


Daniel 7:27 says :

"Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms *under* the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High."

Here we have the saints inheriting a kingdom "under heaven",do we not?Is this not the kingdom of heaven?Is it possible the heavenly kingdom will manifest on earth for the saints?Won't the "new earth",promised the OT patriarchs and NT Christians alike,be "under heaven" according to Daniel here?

Could it be that the kingdom is "prepared" in heaven(1 Pet. 1:4,5) but will be "revealed" when it "comes down"?

Revelation 21:2 enlightens:

"I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, COMING DOWN out of heaven FROM God and prepared as a bride"

So is this "city" being "prepared" "coming down" TO us..or are people going up TO it?It descends to the earth for the patriarchs and the Christians who will receive the same promises according to texts like Romans 15:8,where Christ is said to have "confirmed" the promises made to the OT patriarchs also to the Christians in the body of Christ.

Even further confirmation in Acts 13:32:

"And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers"

According to Genesis 13:14-17..what WAS that "promise which was made to the fathers" that was ALSO "glad tidings" for the *anointed* brothers and sisters in Acts?In these clear and easy texts,isn't it the promises to the "fathers" and "patriarchs" that are confirmed for the "anointed" Christians?Or is it some vastly "different" promise like the Watchtower claims?

Apparently,gifts from God are "prepared" and "reserved" in heaven,but they "come down" and manifest themselves on earth.(James 1:17)What God sources..every good gift from him,including the kingdom,"comes down" to us.Where does the bible say we have to fly up to heaven to receive our gifts that are prepared there?Doesn't the bible instead say those prepared gifts descend to earth?All believers are said to have a "heavenly calling"(Heb. 3:1) because we have a calling from God to be Christian,not because we fly away to heaven.


Question # 4:

Look out.This one's WAY explicit.

Revelation 20:9 describes an invading army that "advances over the breadth of the earth" as it "encircles the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city."(which we've already identified as New Jerusalem)Then it proceeds to say that "fire came down out of heaven and devoured them"(the army)...So question is:

If the "camp of the holy ones and the beloved city" is supposed to be in heaven as the Watchtower insists,then how in the world can it be invaded by an army that "advances over the breadth of the earth?"If "fire came down out of heaven" to devour those invading the "holy ones",wouldn't this suggest(ok.. explicitly confirm to be honest)that the "holy ones" would positively have to be on earth?Otherwise,how could an invading army advancing against them ON EARTH make any sense whatsoever?

But what about Jesus?Won't the "anointed" live with him?


Question # 5:

Acts 3:21 says about Jesus:

"He must remain in heaven *until* the time of universal restitution, which God announced long ago through the voice of his holy prophets."

Wouldn't this scripture suggest(ok..explicitly confirm to be honest) that Jesus will return to the earth since heaven only holds him *until* a certain time?Repetition for emphasis(which I learned from the Watchtower..thanks a lot!):

"He(Jesus) must remain in heaven *until* the time of universal restitution"

Notice "until" yet?

As a Jehovah's Witness,I must have observed the "passover" when I saw this text.I certainly passed over this text!Accidental,I promise.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 says that we are to "wait" for Jesus "from heaven",which seems to correlate,no?When someone comes "from" somewhere to ones who are "waiting",wouldn't that imply leaving where he currently is to go TO those ones?Especially when we consider he's only in heaven "until" the time of restitution?

Fact is,the kingdom of the heavens is NOT distinguished from "the inhabited earth to come"(Heb. 2:5) in scripture.The Watchtower may make prodigious attempts to convince you otherwise,but all these scriptures are clear enough.

Are death and immortality synonyms?

Your typical orthodox Christian believes that man was made in God's image and hence can never *truly* die in that death to them means only a body dies while a soul lives on.In other words,to typical Christians,even death means life.Even in death there exists immortality.They don't think the person perishes,only the person's body with no one in it.The bible says in 1 Tim 6:15-16:

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,who *alone* is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light"

From what I've examined prayerfully in scripture(and this paragraph is kind of on a side note..forgive me),when the bible says God "alone" is something,it doesn't mean no one else can be.What it means is that no one else is but by his granting or allowance.In other words,God gives to all and no one has to give him anything at all.For him,it's a "given."For us,it's a "gift."For example,scripture says God alone is immortal,but others can be MADE immortal by him.God alone is savior,but others can be sent by him to save,essentially becoming saviors...etc..(Isaiah 43:11,1 Samuel 23:5)

If God makes us immortal or grants us the gift of everlasting life,it is only then that we can boast of possessing what God originally intended for man before sin entered the picture.No,those overcome with sin do not receive immortality.This should be clear.In fact,it was God's whole point in Genesis when conversing with Adam about the consequences of failing to exercise faith properly.Immortality and life after death weren't the outcome of disobedience!So why is it taught by mainstream Christianity that disobedience breeds immortality just like exercising faith does?


I'm not sure what God could have possibly said to define death for us so that we could know what it is.Could he have said that the dead don't think or breathe?Well,he did.(Ps. 146:4)Could he have said they sleep and cease to function?Well,he did.(Ecclesiastes 9:5,10,John 1:11)Could he have said that the only hope is a resurrection BACK to life to prove that the dead aren't alive?Well,he did.(John 5:25,Acts 24:15)The Book of Wisdom says in 2:23,24(from the New Jerusalem Bible):

"For God created human beings to be immortal,he made them as an image of his own nature;*Death came into the world only through the Devil's envy*,as those who belong to him find to their cost."

Here the author agrees with the bible when it contrasts,as opposed to compares,immortality and death.Here we see that God intended man to live forever,inhabiting and caring for a perfect earth in peace and happiness(according to Genesis),but death came upon men through the sin of the first man.(Romans 5:17,18)It is only an exercising of faith in the Lord and his God that we receive the GIFT(as opposed to the "given") of immortality.If sinners automatically receive everlasting life(in whatever capacity) this would make moot of God's sentiments to the first Adam that he would "surely die" if he were to sin.(Gen. 2:17)God should have said something like "you will surely live forever in agony instead of bliss" instead were the orthodox view of death palpable.Death is the stark opposite of life.In life there is breath and vitality and awakeness.In death,lack of breath and unconsciousness.Again,death is the antithesis to life as opposed to the equivalent.God uses terminology such as "ashes" and the like to communicate easy reasoning about death for our consideration,to define it precisely for us in fact so that Plato and others shouldn't have been able to fool us.When we go beyond that terminology with our own ideas is when we fall into error.God used specific language to educate and instruct us, and I would guess he never desired for us to discard common sense use of the simplistic terminology he kindly provided by going (far)beyond what he said with contradictory propositions to accommodate long held traditions.The bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19:

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."

Here again we have a clear contrast in life and death.They are not synonyms.If death meant "life in bliss" or "life in hell" after the body dies with no one in it,then it would be a synonym with life.Where IS the contrast in life and death,in turning to ashes and receiving immortality for Christians?If you don't comprehend the simple and appropriate contrast,then when and how was it lost?Ashes,consumption,not breathing or thinking,sleeping(etc.) all apparently mean "awake and alive"(nonsensically enough) to Christians.

The bible doesn't define immortality as two types..one good,the other scary.It defines our hope of glory in Christ as an immortality worth seeking with everything we have,every ounce of that concept of immortality being fantastic!Nothing scary about it.Gehenna(hell in Greek) is scary,but it consumes.(Matt. 3:12,Mal. 4:3)Yes,the fate of those who don't seek the precious gift of immortality is described as "death","perishing","destruction","consumption","ashes".(Rom. 6:23,Jn. 3:16,Matt. 3:12,Mal. 4:3)The wicked are tossed into the lake of fire(or the second death from which there can be no resurrection in it's frightening hopeless finality)along with death and hades.The bible also says death will "exist no more"..It is the last enemy to be utterly destroyed.(1 Cor. 15:26)So apparently whatever is thrown into the lake of fire(including the wicked and death) will be utterly and irreversibly destroyed.(Rev. 20:14,Matt. 10:28)Therefore there is no "eternal dying process" nor blessed gift of immortality for the wicked.How could anyone miss these basic truths?

2 Tim. 4:3:For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

You simply cannot say death will be no more when it's tossed in the lake of fire but that the wicked will be forevermore alive in the flames of that same lake.That would defy logic and basic common sense,assigning the same lake within the same scriptural passage with two different functions,to suit a theological presupposition.This would not be honest exegesis,but rather egregious eisegesis.The two functions that Christians assign the same lake in the same text are to preserve the wicked while destroying death.Two complete opposite functions from the same source within the same text!While they at the same time propagate the opposite of what the bible says when they claim that death will actually exist forever in a process of sadistic torture for the wicked.If death for the wicked means eternal life in flames and death will be destroyed,then how could death be perpetuated eternally in flames that preserve the wicked infinitely?Either death will be destroyed OR there will be an "eternal dying process",which is how I've heard some Christian apologists describe the fate of the unrighteous.It can't be both ways.I'm sure many traditionalists would say "death will be no more for the righteous but perpetuated infinitely only for the wicked."However,the bible simply says that it won't be anymore at all,while failing to acknowledge it's preservation for most of humanity like traditionalists choose to do.If there is automatic immortality in death for both the righteous and unrighteous(according to traditionalists),would it be true that those who inherit the kingdom of God will be dead eternally?If the dead are alive(both the righteous and unrighteous dead),I'm assuming so?

One of the most enticing savory morsels of good news in scripture is that the righteous can receive immortality.This gift of eternal life for us was manifest when God's "word of life",or his plans to give life to the world, became flesh in Yahushua.(1 John 1:1,2,John 1:14)This eternal life plan of the Father for mankind in his beloved Son will culminate in a kingdom where death will be no more,neither sickness,mourning nor pain.(Rev. 21:3,4)Yah's kingdom will put an end to all the kingdoms of this world and will last forever and ever.(Dan. 2:44)So question is:

"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God..(2 Peter 3:11-13)"


Yes,"according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."(2 Peter 3:13)Like our Lord said: "blessed are the meek,for they shall inherit the earth."(Matt. 5:5)

God has put it in out hearts to desire immortality and to desire his approval and love because that's what he can provide for us.(Ecc. 3:11)He doesn't give us any righteous desire that he isn't willing to meet if we listen to him.(Eph. 3:20)The immortality he put in our hearts wasn't a promise of eternal pain for us if we're wicked in one of it's supposed two spectrums.Put quite simply,so that even a child could understand:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."(Rom. 6:23)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."(John 3:16)

Again we have a contrasting of death and perishing with eternal life.They're not synonyms in any respect.One involves lack of breath and life..the other breath and life eternally.The latter is God's word made flesh.Our hope of glory in Christ.Thy kingdom come!

The former(death) is described further in the book of Wisdom(which I will end here with because it was Wisdom 2:23,24 that inspired this blog to begin with):

"The breath in our nostrils is a puff of smoke,reason a spark from the beating of our hearts;extinguish this and the body turns to ashes,and the spirit melts away like the yielding air."


Scripture is clear that when the spirit leaves the body,there is no life left anywhere except that God can return your life in a resurrection.Hence the metaphorical "spirit returning to God" when we die because he will give our lives and breath and animation(spirits) back in a resurrection.(Spirit means "breath" but entails more in that there's a spark of life that animates our souls.)In this remarkable sense,our "spirits" are in God's hands.The focus is always life in a resurrection..as opposed to life in death.There is life in death only in the sense that the dead are promised a resurrection.The resurrection is of entire persons and not bodies with no persons in them,common sensically as well as biblically.When Yahushua preached that we would be raised at the last day,he wasn't preaching that we'd already be alive before we came back alive.If so,surely there would have been some serious clarification somewhere because that notion would be astounding considering our hope from biblical cover to cover is a resurrection back to life FROM death,as opposed to life AT or IN death(as if they're synonyms instead of antonyms)itself.God doesn't intend to confuse us with basic essential doctrines.He states them so simply that even children can grasp the truth.(see John 3:16,again)Seek for immortality.If you do not exercise faith,God did not promise it to you.Those who teach eternal life(even if it's in torment) for the wicked misunderstand a very basic bible truth.Follow the path of Yahushua and let everyone know they can receive eternal life in a resurrection if they exercise faith in the Messiah.

What is the Gospel?Where's the true Kingdom of God in your preaching?

Examine:

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

I've no doubt this is part of the gospel,but should it be to the exclusion of Jesus's main gospel?

Luke 4:43:“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Let's examine the historical and biblical context of these Corinthians passages to help us determine if the truth of Jesus's death and resurrection is all we should preach.To quote Anthony Buzzard from his book "Our fathers who aren't in heaven:the forgotten Christianity of Jesus the Jew":

"The point at issue in the Corinthian letter was the resurrection of Jesus which some of the Corinthians were beginning to doubt.--"How do some among you say there is no resurrection from the dead?"(1 Cor. 15:12)In response to this particular crisis in belief,Paul reminds his audience that the death and resurrection of Jesus are of absolutely fundamental significance in the Christian gospel.Without the death of Jesus to gain forgiveness for all of us,and without his return from death to life through resurrection,there can be no hope of salvation in the coming Kingdom.The Gospel of the Kingdom is nullified if in fact Jesus has not been raised from the dead."p.326

Further,Buzzard says:

"The Corinthians had already accepted that belief(in the Kingdom of God)as part of the Gospel of salvation.Thus Paul is able to elaborate on the already understood doctrine of the Kingdom only a few verses later.Having just mentioned the future coming of Jesus(1 Cor. 15:23),he speaks of the kingdom over which Jesus will preside at his coming.(verses 25-27)."p. 326

Christians should not be isolating these Corinthians passages out of context as the sole Christian message because the theme of the bible is ALSO the kingdom of God,from Genesis to Revelation.

The ground was cursed and the tree of life was off limits to Adam who brought death upon himself and every man via sin,rebellion,and disobedience.(Gen. 3:17,24,Rom. 5:12)The Last Adam(Jesus the Christ) via faithfulness,obedience and love for Yahweh his father and his God(John 20:17) restored everything the first Adam lost.(Rom. 5:19,1 John 3:8,Heb. 1:9,1 Cor. 15:22,Rev. 21:1-4,22:2)Since this is the message from Genesis to Revelation,then we should be preaching it just as Jesus and the apostles did with vigor and determination to follow Jesus's footsteps closely,to give hope to mankind!(1 Pet. 2:21,2 Peter 3:13)The message of Jesus's death and resurrection without the promise of a heavenly kingdom on a new earth in the future,at the Last Day when Jesus returns from heaven with his rewards,(Acts 3:21,Rev. 22:12) is missing a key INTEGRAL component.For that was the whole purpose for Jesus's death and resurrection!To impute righteousness to faithful mankind so that they may inherit the earth and dwell forever upon it in peace and bliss.

Psalm 37:29:The upright will have the earth for their heritage, and will go on living there for ever.

Psalm 72:7:In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more. 8:May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth

Matt. 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

How could Christians possibly miss this biblical theme and promise as an essential preaching tool to bring disciples to Jesus,the king of the upcoming eternal kingdom?It's pretty devastating when you think about it.

On one hand ,we have the Jehovah's Witnesses who faithfully proclaim a new earth for humanity while at the same time denying that all Christians have this hope(144,000 will be disembodied heaven dwellers),and that to have the hope at all,those within their organization must obey a few men who are anointed and born again while the rank and file simply cannot be.(John 3:3,Eph. 2:15-22,4:5)Satan has entered the picture and tainted it with deception!On the other hand,we have orthodox Christians who faithfully(well,some of them) proclaim that we become disembodied immortal spirits at death while we fly off to heaven.And that the resurrection isn't of actual people but simply,well,"dust."Essentially transferring the hope for mankind to something far removed from a genuine resurrection at the LAST DAY that was the true hope of every single biblical believer,as opposed to a glorification and inheritance LONG BEFORE.(1 Cor. 15:52,1 Thes. 4:16,2 Tim. 4:6-8,Heb. 11:40,Acts 2:34)Again,Satan has entered the picture and tainted it with relentless deception.

Abraham was to look all around him at his inheritance that he saw afar off but with eyes of faith knew would come to fruition.(Heb. 11:8-10)He wasn't commanded to look UP to the sky because he would inhabit the same residence as those made to be angels and heavenly beings.This SAME hope for Abraham was prepared in heaven,and is being still,(John 14:3)for Abraham's offspring,heirs of the SAME PROMISE,a new earth.(Matt. 6:10)This truth is so far removed from modern Christian thoughtforms that it's downright astounding.

Genesis 13:14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

Galatians 3:29:And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Romans 15:8: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs

"The promise made to Abram(Gen. 12:1-4) provides the bedrock foundation for God's subsequent dealings with mankind.The Christian faith is incomprehensible when divorced from the divine oath of promise which formed the basis of God's covenant or contract with Abraham(Gen. 15:18),justly called "the father of the faithful"(Rom. 4:1,11,12,16).As Paul the apostle remarked,the Christian good news(or gospel) of salvation had been preached in advance to Abraham.(Gal. 3:8)God's dealings with Abraham forge a link between the patriarchs and the Christian faith as taught by Jesus,uniting the story of the Bible in a coherent whole."p.21 "Our fathers who aren't in heaven:the forgotten Christianity of Jesus the Jew" by Anthony Buzzard


The hope of Christians is the same hope Abraham had,again,to inherit the land..north,south,east,and west!And to have dominion over Paradise.:)We will be sitting at that same kingdom table,feasting with Jesus and the OT patriarchs(Matt 8:11),who again weren't promised to reside in heaven but to inherit a new earth,a kingdom from heaven,a heavenly kingdom.Anything that comes from God could be described as Godly or heavenly.Anything with it's origin from God in the heavens could be said to be heavenly.

Daniel 7:27: And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms UNDER the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,

Hebrews 2:5: Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world(the land,or earth) to come, of which we are speaking.

We were made MEN and WOMEN by God,to inherit a new earth(if faithful) from heaven,under heaven.He made angels and the like for a different purpose,a different glory.I don't see anything good in scripture coming from anyone desiring to reside where they weren't created to reside or to be who they weren't created to be.(Gen. 6:1-7)Paul scoffed at the idea of disembodiment and his hope was for a CLOTHING at the Last Day.(2 Cor. 5:2-4)Logically,this means he never wanted to be a disembodied spirit creature or to inherit immortality before the Last Day.(2 Tim. 4:6-8,Heb. 11:40)How could this be missed by the majority of modern Christianity?

God will descend to dwell amongst men(whether that's literal or not would be conjecture on my part since he can dwell in people and amongst people without LITERALLY stepping down.) New Jerusalem DESCENDS to the earth after being prepared in heaven..In other words,we don't fly away to live in heaven with God and New Jerusalem doesn't ASCEND.As propounded from biblical cover to cover,our eyes on the prize should be a transfigured land,a transformed heavenly earth,even as we place our hope in heaven from whence our blessings will descend.(Rev. 21:2,3)

"The gospel records of our Lord's life and teaching DO NOT SPEAK of going to heaven,as a modern believer so naturally does.Rather the emphasis is on that which is "heavenly" coming down to man...Our modern way of speaking of life with God as being life "in heaven" is not the way the gospels speak of the matter."----William Strawson "Jesus and the Future Life" p. 38


I appreciate the way Anthony Buzzard words it in his book when he articulates what the gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus WITHOUT the true kingdom message involved means:

"The loss of Christianity's central point may be likened to a team hoping to go to the moon.They decide that they need a launching pad and a spaceship in order to realize their dream.After they have acquired the necessary equipment for the journey,they forget what it was they needed the equipment for.Their interest in the pad and the spaceship remains,but the trip to the moon is forgotten.

In NT Christianity the prospect of a place in the future Kingdom of God provides the stimulus to the whole Christian venture.The death and resurrection of Jesus make possible the believer's hope for a share in that kingdom.Grasping the nature of the hope is the first step to be taken by the disciple.Belief in Jesus provides the way to the goal and guarantees its ultimate realization.

In contemporary presentations of the "Gospel" people are being asked to "believe in Jesus," in the absence of a clear idea of what Jesus stands for.They are not exposed to Jesus' Message about the kingdom,which he preached long before he spoke of his death and resurrection.The situation is comparable to a political campaign in which a candidate appeals for support before the voters know what his manifesto is.It is difficult to express intelligent faith in Jesus unless one understands what Jesus meant by his "News about the kingdom"--the gospel as Jesus proclaimed it."pp.338-339 "Our fathers who aren't in heaven:the forgotten Christianity of Jesus the Jew"

The disciples asked:

Acts 1:6:“Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

No one should doubt that the disciples knew what the kingdom was,where it is going to be,and what their inheritance was!If Jesus preached the kingdom constantly along with his apostles,is anyone REALLY to believe they didn't know what it was?Jesus didn't rebuke them for their definition of it but simply for trying to know the times and seasons that only his father knew.They were eager for that land promised to Abraham!Why exactly are the best known theologians,the majority of preachers,the every day Christians oblivious to these basic bible truths?Well,there are many reasons,but I'll espouse one,as quoted in Anthony's book:

"Like all concepts the meaning of religious terms is changed with a changing experience and a changing world view.Transplanted into the Greek world view,inevitably the Christian teaching was modified--indeed tranformed...Jewish presuppositions tended to disappear.Especially were the MESSIANIC hopes forgotten or transferred to a transcendent sphere beyond death.When the empire became Christian in the 4th century,the notion of a Kingdom of Christ on earth to be introduced by a great struggle all but disappeared.Immortality--the philosophical conception--took the place of the resurrection of the body....As thus the background has changed from Jewish to Greek,so are the fundamental religious conceptions..We have thus a peculiar combination--the religious doctrines of the bible run through the forms of an alien philosophy."--G.W Knox(professor of philosophy and the history of religion) Encyclopedia Britannica 11th ed. vol. 6 p. 284

Basically,what is obvious to me and noted by too many scholars and experts past and present to count,modern Christianity has divorced biblical revelation from it's Jewish context,it's Messianic hopes,and imposed upon scripture Greek philosophical concepts that simply aren't really present at all,except through egregious misuse of scripture and a blind denial of clear texts.

"The NT speaks always of disapproval and usually with blunt denunciation of Gentile cults and philosophies.It agrees essentially with the Jewish indictment of the pagan world...The modern church often misunderstands its relation to the OT and Israel,and often inclines to prefer the Greek attitude to the NT view."--F.V. Filson,The New Testament Against Its Environment,pp.26,27,43

Again,to exclude the bible's hope from Genesis to Revelation,a restored renewed earth,from our gospel is an injustice to the message,creating a truncated one.

What God begins and ends his holy book with should demand attention and proclamation!

Genesis 2:9:And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.(KJV)

compare with

Revelation 22:2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

FINALLY God's purpose for man fulfilled..from the first book to the last,at last his kingdom come,the heavenly government where blessings will flow from the heavens to the earth and we can only imagine the gifts to come!


Ecclesiastes 3:11:It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people's minds. Yet, mortals still can't grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end [of time]

That's one integral reason why we must declare: "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"(Mark 1:15)

Romans 10:16“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Preach the Lord,his death,resurrection and the purpose for it!The Kingdom of Yahweh and His Christ.

Revelation 11:15:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Daniel 2:44:the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever

"How different the churches might be if they ceased trying to fit Jesus into a traditional Greek philosophically-influenced straitjacket and presented him as the Jewish Messiah and savior of the world,offering his followers something far beyond promises of "heaven"--as a disembodied soul!...The Bible,if read as a Messianic document,tells a thrilling story of a gracious Creator's intention to rescue our planet and restore permanent peace and security for all nations."p.12 "Our fathers who aren't in heaven:the forgotten Christianity of Jesus the Jew" by Anthony Buzzard

Christians should be able to properly define death(because if they can't do that then naturally our real hope at the Last Day will be transferred and all but ignored) and God's kingdom,to recognize where our hope for immortality and glorification REALLY lies and when..at Christ's return and not prior..Generally,they're not.It's inexcusable and tragic.Their reliance on and utter trust in their blind leaders and tradition is every bit as disconcerting as the Jehovah's Witnesses'.Some of Christendom's false doctrines like hell,automatic immortality of a soul,and the trinity have led many astray TO religions like Judaism with no Messiah,the WT society,even atheism.Their bloodguilt is profound.I'm not condemning individual Christians just like I'm not condemning individual JW's..I'm simply appalled at certain systems and certain Greek philosophically influenced and saturated doctrines within them that have strayed from the truth and refuse to be properly reformed.Because they think they already are.

Jehovah's Witnesses and the Kingdom of God

From Insight on the scriptures vol. 1 under "flesh"(a JW publication):
"The apostle Paul declares that “if there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one.” (1Co 15:44) This is corroborated by the apostle Peter when he tells persons of fleshly, human nature, called to be joint heirs with Christ, that they are to become partakers of “divine nature,” namely, spirit life in the invisible heavens. (2 Pe 1:4) This requires a change in organism, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.”—1Co 15:50-54."

Now the WT means a WHOLE lot by this that is unwarranted and inferred beneath the surface.Let's go over a few of those things.We'll take it sentence by sentence.And there are 3 sentences ;)

1."The apostle Paul declares that “if there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one.” (1Co 15:44) "

What the WT inexplicably does is divorce most Christians from these resurrection passages in 1 Cor. 15 and tells their sheeple that this only applies to 144,000 men for all time.(a few thousand at the most currently and only within their organization)With positively zero indication in the texts themselves.This is accomplished through an elaborate system of inference based upon the misuse of a literal few texts.By this method and an unfounded separation of Christians,a few elite men are allowed to maintain control over millions of misled JW's who think those with a soon to come "divine nature" are *somehow* superior in knowledge because they receive a sealing of the holy spirit that just simply isn't available to any of them but these elect few who dispense spiritual "food" to them at the "proper time."They have been led to believe via deceptive rhetoric and repetition and ,yes folks,propaganda techniques,that they cannot understand the bible at all without whoever happens to be on the WT governing body at any given time.In dire and sad contradiction to :

1 John 2:26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

How does the WT get around these texts?Well,by saying they don't apply to anyone but the governing body and a few others only of course.Which is an easy lie to spot for anyone on the outside of the organization but becomes of commonplace blind acceptance with strong deception and indoctrination in the WT "box."Where no one is allowed to think outside that box without feeling intimidated and afraid of what might happen.It's psychological abuse to have people this scared.Independent thought is ok if it's from men who have consistently misled millions.It is simply shameful for them to compare independent thought from their brand of indoctrination to independent thought from the Most High's statutes!

Let me get back on the thought train I intended to stay on here and say that “if there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one" applies to everyone who God grants imperishability to..not just a few men in the WT organization.But any Christian actually reading the bible who exercises faith to the end when Christ returns...**Every.true.Christian.**...Let's move on to the next sentence:

The WT's Insight book says:

2.This is corroborated by the apostle Peter when he tells persons of fleshly, human nature, called to be joint heirs with Christ, that they are to become partakers of “divine nature,” namely, spirit life in the invisible heavens. (2 Pe 1:4)

The WT does the same thing here,applying 2 Pet. 1:4 to ONLY 144,000 men for all time.It is utter unfounded,and I would certainly maintain unbiblical,inference to say that the meek who shall inherit the earth,those who will possess the earth that will be "like it is in heaven" won't have a divine nature in Christ.All Christians have the same inheritance.It is a fictitious invention of the WT that they won't.The 1 Corinthians ch. 15 resurrection passages and 2 Peter 1:4 apply to not a few Christians,but ALL Christians.I cannot stress this easy point enough.Our identity in Christ lies at the very heart of our Christian walk.If we don't have that,we aren't covered in his imputed righteousness and we're adrift, unsafe,insecure,dead in our trespasses.

The WT also believes that the 144,000 become invisible like they believe Christ is in sober contradiction to Luke 24:39 where the resurrected Christ says:"See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

Jesus here identifies his resurrected visible body as "flesh and bone."We need not go beyond that and assume "spirit creature materialized" when Jesus said he was NOT a spirit.I know 1 Cor. says he was raised a life giving spirit in contrast to the first Adam who didn't have that capacity to grant life but the context is a spiritualized life granting BODY,as corroborated in :

Colossians 2:9: For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells BODILY

The Greek word for *bodily* means *corporeally* which isn't invisible but rather tenable,touchable.1 Cor. 15 also says those in Christ,along with Christ,will be "clothed"(verses 53,54) as opposed to being invisible and bodiless.1 Corinthians 15:35-54 is all about BODIES,perishable and corruptible ones being distinguished from imperishable,immortal,and incorruptible spiritual ones.Nothing in this chapter about disembodiment.

Now for the last sentence in this WT Insight book quote:

3."This requires a change in organism, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.”—1Co 15:50-54."

I agree to some extent on the surface here..the "organism" will be "changed."We will be "clothed" in imperishability,all Christians,as opposed to the WT interpretation of not but a few of them.The WT also believes,and correct me if I'm wrong,that "flesh and blood" CAN inherit the earth,just not heaven,which is reserved for a prime elite few.Just for JW consideration,keep in mind that "flesh and blood" in scripture oft is in reference to the corrupt flesh we now possess as Adam's fallen descendants..then there will be RESURRECTION bodies(flesh!) clothed in glory,imperishability and perfection like Jesus's resurrected body,which he himself identified as being "flesh and bone" as opposed to "flesh and blood."So the WT assertion that because some will possess a "divine spiritual nature" while others will still have "flesh" on earth proves that there are 2 separate locales is just plain wrong on so many levels given that the future clothed flesh of true Christians isn't the corruptible "flesh and blood" that Paul wrestled with as his human inheritance from Adam's fall.(Romans 7:14-25,8:1-17)Basically,the clothed FLESH of the "new creation" in the resurrection IS of a "divine nature."Imperishability is derived from the divine.What it isn't is the the CORRUPTIBLE perishable "flesh and blood" we currently possess as the offspring of Adam that CANNOT enter the kingdom till it's swallowed in glory and made completely new.



The WT carries such a twisted reading of their own theological system INTO texts by assuming that the "kingdom of the heavens" and the "kingdom of God" is not the "inhabited earth to come."(Hebrews 2:5)Scripture would beg to differ!The keys to understanding this are the Lord's prayer and the Sermon on the mount,to name a couple.

Matt 5:3,5:the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them ... They will inherit the earth

Matt 6:10 Your kingdom come,your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

How will this be accomplished?Well,by a descension of what's being stored and reserved in the heavens to this earth.

1 Peter 1:4, 5:an incorruptible…and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you … for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last period of time

This explains why the kingdom that will be on this earth is called a heavenly one.It descends from heaven from whence the blessings flow to a renewed earth "in the last period of time."

Heb. 11:16:But now they are reaching out for a better place, that is, one belonging to heaven

Some of those who reached for this "better place belonging to heaven" were the OT saints that the WT knows will inhabit the earth,proving once again that the heavenly kingdom will be here.

Heb. 13:14:We are earnestly seeking the one [a city] to come

Rev. 21:2:I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, COMING DOWN out of heaven FROM God and prepared as a bride

To quote this blog:

http://kingdomready.org/blog/2010/08/27/heaven/

"The Kingdom of Heaven is a coming Kingdom upon this earth, and this is our reward. A heavenly reward, there is no doubt!, but we will receive it at the day of the lord messiah’s return to this earth, to reward us as we deserve. Just as Abraham was looking forward to this heavenly kingdom in Hebrews 11:16, “they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”


It is very plain that this city is a ‘heavenly one,’ meaning it is created and designed by God, our Heavenly Father, who is its architect. It describes a dominion, a rule of our Messiah here upon this earth. "This kingdom will be indestructible and without end. It will come down TO us in the rulership of Jesus Christ when he returns. We are not going UP to it. We are not coming DOWN WITH it. That is not what the Bible teaches. Rather, the ultimate plan of God is to have the earth renewed and restored, and all evil, sin and death destroyed, so that our Most HOLY GOD can finally come down and ‘dwell’ with us. Nowhere does it speak of us going up to dwell with Him. This Kingdom is our ultimate reward; albeit a heavenly one, here upon the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Repent (turn away) from your sins and be ready for our Lord Messiah’s return to the earth."

Examine:

1 Thess. 1:10:Christians must “…wait for His Son from heaven

Acts 3:20, 21:that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago

So the bible says heaven receives Jesus temporarily until the time comes to restore everything!Our inheritance is being reserved in the heavens..because it belonged to heaven..was prepared in heaven..but will descend to the earth(Psalm 115:16; Proverbs 11:31,Acts 1:6)...we meet Christ as he comes down..where does it say we follow him back up?

Heaven and earth will be united when the kingdom of heaven becomes the kingdom of Yahweh and Yahshua here on earth.The kingdom on earth IS the heavenly kingdom.Who do you think will build and uphold our home on a new earth?God in heaven!It belongs to heaven.Hence we store treasures up there that will descend to a new earth.


To quote :

http://www.biblicaltruthseekers.co.uk/
a site which has several amazing little studies on this topic:


"The kingdom of heaven” is ‘the kingdom of God’ (Matt. 19:14//Mark 10:14; Matt. 19:23-24). It is described as being on the earth (Matt. 5:5 [quoted from Psalm 37:1]; 6:10).—paradise, Israel (Acts 1:6), and Jerusalem. "

Heb. 3:1 says "you who share in a heavenly calling"

You wouldn't assume this means you have to fly away to heaven but simply that you have a calling from God to be a Christian.Similarly,a "heavenly" kingdom doesn't have to mean "residence in literal heaven" but simply a kingdom FROM heaven,from God,perfectly capable of being on a renewed earth sustained by heaven.


Now to bring all this home,to irrefutably prove what I'm sayin' here,carefully examine all the following:

Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

So if you're in Christ,a son of God,you are the offspring of Abraham and heirs of the promise that he was promised.Which means what?Yes!That those in Christ's body will inherit the earth with Abraham.Otherwise this text is moot.Watchtower or holy scripture?What shall it be?

In addition:

Acts 13:32:And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers

So the anointed Christians in the 1st century were having declared to them the same hope Abraham had while the WT has the nerve to say it's a completely different hope altogether.

Finally,examine:

Matt. 8:11:many from eastern parts and western parts will come and recline at the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens

Because the Watchtower doesn't believe that Abraham,Isaac and Jacob will ACTUALLY be in the kingdom of the heavens because they erroneously don't believe it will be a "new earth",they maintain a figurative interpretation here in a futile and desperate attempt to keep their theological system in regards to these matters intact.Sorry,your views about the separation of believers in eternal different destinations isn't scripturally valid and this text has too many explicit others that corroborate it's literalness(many of which I just gave!) to justify a figurative one.Abraham and everyone else will be in the same kingdom at the same location.A kingdom belonging to,from heaven on this earth.


Romans 15:8: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs

This is written to anointed Christians.Yep,again,apparently they have the SAME promises given to the OT saints corroborated for themselves.An earthly inheritance from heaven.A gift from God. For it isn't to angels that God gives a renewed earth,though that renewed earth be "like it is in heaven" as blessings descend!

And what is the only way we can make it there?


John 3:3:Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

So even the OT saints will be "born from above" when their resurrected bodies are clothed with imperishability in Christ.We can have a taste now of what they couldn't in OT times though BEFORE the resurrection by being "born anew" as a "new creature" in Christ NOW,our Christian renewal a foreshadowing of a grander renewal to come!Why deny yourself that?It's offered freely by Yahweh in Christ.No sense or excuse in running backward pretending Christ hasn't come to seal you with a new birth.As if any faithful man of old like Abraham would have refused the gifts available from what Christ has done had he lived in our time!

Some of what we've established:

1.the meek shall inherit the earth
2.Abraham,Isaac,and Jacob will be in the kingdom of God WITH Christians,proving not only that the WT system of theology in regards to these matters is in shocking error,but that many Christians are absolutely mistaken that Christians will be separated eternally from OT saints.Ours being a "spiritual inheritance"..theirs a "physical one."What right do these Christians have to criticize the WT when they're perfectly willing to separate true believers as well into separate locations eternally?Hypocrisy.
3.There is corruptible and perishable flesh and blood that CANNOT inherit the kingdom.There is incorruptible and imperishable corporeal bodies that can.And that kingdom of God is a new earth.

It's surprising what the WT gets away with in their interpretations sometimes!You have to literally be blind,which God allows if you prefer error and following men who aren't Christ to actually following Christ,to accept much of it.You can't cling tight to a corrupt system and expect God to reward you with a spirit of true understanding that the WT says you can't even have yourself!Only a few thousand out of several million of them can.This is so utterly unscriptural and baseless so as to venture into the realms of theological absurdity.It isn't like there aren't tons of websites and books exposing the WT organization for the false doctrines they uphold,the hypocrisy they harbor,the propaganda they promote etc..to wake up JW's who aren't scared of men.And if you're scared to question these men..if you choose to believe them with fists clenched and eyes closed,how in the world can God help you?He condemns that.First obey God and be willing to think independently from MEN who may be wrong THEN his spirit of truth can open your eyes and He can embrace you as his child,something else the WT denies its adherents,devastatingly.I understand to bear the cross of losing potentially everyone you love as well as your many blind traditions can seem utterly wreckless and depressing,but we are called as Christians to suffer this kind of thing for Christ,to bear his cross or we aren't worthy.(Matt 10:37-38)Everything is refuse next to Yahweh and Christ.(Phil. 3:8)Everything's a shadow next to their light.Nothing compares to the glory that is to be revealed in the sons of God!How can you obtain that glory if you aren't even a son of God?Don't let the WT continue deceiving you and controlling your mind.Break free in Christ!

Paradise on Earth

This is the first effort I ever made at a youtube video a long time ago.It's basically just scriptures proving that God's kingdom will include this earth made anew.May his will soon be done on earth as it is in heaven!

I think all the scriptures that seem to indicate people will live in heaven forever are misused,as I now believe "heavenly kingdom" means of divine origin and when we have treasures stored up "in heaven" it means God has blessings for us there ready to bestow upon us.etc..And no,I'm not a JW,though I used to be.

Did the disciples go door to door like Jehovah's Witnesses do?

This blog is inspired by the book "In Search of Christian Freedom" by former governing body member Ray Franz..HIGHLY recommended for JW's and ex JW's.First Read "Crisis of Conscience" then this one.

Though there are many other groups who evangelize,some of which do it door to door,no other group but the JW's place such an emphasis on doing so as evidence of the genuiness of one's Christianity and faith.

The WT certainly imposes guilt on individual JW consciences if they do not participate enough in this "field ministry."They kind of speak out of both sides of their mouth.On one hand,they say not to compare your activity in the field service to others' activity.But THEN they will, out of the other side of their mouth,say that ones who aren't active enough and who don't attend every meeting when they're physically able are spiritually weak and bad associations.Talk about a guilt trip and an imposition on one's conscience,sly and unwarranted.Sort of similar to the Pope making his followers feel guilt for failure to attend Mass regularly.

Even though the bible makes it clear that there is absolutely NOTHING we can do to earn our salvation because ONLY the blood of the Lamb of God can accomplish that,WT literature makes things such as the following loud and clear for their followers:

"It is by our endurance in proclaiming "this good news of the kingdom" that we may attain to salvation."~WT 7/15/1979

So right off the bat,an apropos question would be :Why as a JW do you buy in to this?Do you believe like the WT teaches that we cannot "attain to salvation" without enduring in the kind of preaching activity just as they set it out?If the bible is true and there's nothing we can do to buy our salvation..no work at all..then wouldn't that fact render statements like these as outright lies?Yes,faith produces good works..so why doesn't the WT organization trust the rank and file to have enough faith to produce works that satisfy individuals' consciences and their proddings?And that may include SOME OTHER way of sharing the good news.

To quote Ray Franz:
"There is little doubt that the majority of JW's have come to accept the teaching that this particular method of door-to-door witnessing is a God-ordained one,that it was the method used by Christ and his disciples,and that it is the best and most effective way to accomplish a worldwide preaching of the good news in our time."~"In Search of Christian Freedom" p. 208

Sometimes,people are arrested for this activity and have to leave behind their familes.One POIGNANT example is Nancy Yuen who(a while ago )left 4 children,one of whom was only 1 yr. old,was detained for 4 yrs.,then finally sentenced.Another JW,a schoolteacher,also with 4 children,was arrested.

Apparently,because of WT literature,these women,who faced the intense and frightening prospect of being separated for an indefinite amount of time from their children,assumed that this particualr method of preaching was necessary,as if there aren't alternative methods,some even superior possibly.The organization hailed Nancy in an article for her being willing to go to prison for the door to door activity so apparently they approve of viewing this particular preaching method as a NECESSARY method if one is physically able at all.Nancy Yuen,after being arrested 6 times,wasn't reunited with her family for TWENTY-THREE YEARS.By that time,her children were grown.

She stated "I had to give up everything,even my little children to be loyal to God."

Was she really being loyal to God or men?Could she have possibly found some other method of reaching people with "the good news of God's kingdom" and been able to be there for her family and serve God outside imprisonment?Was she possibly influenced by repetition and reiteration in WT literature such as this?:

"The dedicated one MUST BE a house-to-house witness as was Christ Jesus and his apostles to the extent of his ability."-WT 7/01/1955

"Thousands have experienced arrest and imprisonment simply because they felt under obligation to maintain that method of spreading their message in the face of contrary legal restriction."-Ray Franz "In Search of Christian Freedom" p. 212

Through letters to the society,circuit overseers and others have expressed THEIR conscientious concerns about the society itself imposing guilt on people for not living up to their manmade objectives.

Witnesses are taught to either attend every meeting,go in field service as much as is humanly possible and to read and study EVERY publication or they just aren't doing enough.They are then labelled as weak and made to feel unworthy if these objectives aren't fully met.Is it encouraging or burdensome to have such heavy loads?What about families who have numerous obligations and people who have to work a lot or elders who have too many responsibilities to realistically fulfill the expectations they hear and read about constantly in WT publications?

A circuit overseer said in a letter he sent to the society in regards to the aftermath of circuit overseer visits:
"These talks many times have the effect of beating a faithful and tired horse that already feels overworked."

Now before I continue,I want to make something clear.I don't condemn door to door activity nor the declaration of the good news of God's kingdom in the manner the apostles accomplished it.But obviously it is of the utmost importance to "make sure of all things,"to see if there are any other possible interpretations of the texts JW's incorporate to insist that a literal door to door ministry is that of which the apostles partook.Is it POSSIBLE the WT has mislead their followers?Let's see.

Acts 5:42 And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.

Acts 20:20:I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.

JW's automatically assume this is a literal consecutive going from door to door.
To quote Ray:
"A person can go from house to house by going from a home in one area to a home in another area,just as a doctor making "house calls" might go from home to home.It does not at all require the idea of consecutive door-to-door visitation." p.214

In Acts 2:46: And day after day they were in constant attendance at the temple with one accord, and they took their meals in private homes and partook of food with great rejoicing and sincerity of heart

In that text the same distributive sense of the greek word KATA appears just like it does in Acts 5:42,yet the NWT renders a distinction.

"Because it is illogical to think that the disciples' taking meals was done by going from one house to the next on down the street ,and since the WT society wishes that particular sense to attach to the phrase "from house to house" (in support of its door to door activity) it does not want to raise probable questions by using the rendering "house to house" here.As stated,most Witnesses do not realize this switching of renderings and the WT society prefers not to call attention to it or address it openly."-p.215

In other words,in the texts where house to house is used,another possible rendering is,according to the society's own interlinear and interpretation in other texts,"in private homes."It isn't that house to house is a poor translation at all..It's perfectly acceptable.What is iffy is attaching a meaning to it that,given some evidence,may not be the proper honest one.

"That the apostles and other early Christians visited people in their private homes is clear.That they engaged in door-to-door activity as done by JW's today is definitely NOT clear.It is a claim with absolutely no supporting proof."-p.215
Before you as a JW label this man as insane,keep in mind he was a member of the governing body and made it his mission to examine this and the society's claims diligently and thoroughly.

Examine:
Matthew 10:9 Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your girdle purses, 10 or a food pouch for the trip, or two undergarments, or sandals or a staff; for the worker deserves his food. 11 “Into whatever city or village you enter, search out who in it is deserving, and stay there until you leave. 12 When you are entering into the house, greet the household; 13 and if the house is deserving, let the peace you wish it come upon it; but if it is not deserving, let the peace from you return upon you. 14 Wherever anyone does not take you in or listen to your words, on going out of that house or that city shake the dust off your feet.

JW's say that searching out people signifies going door to literal door to find those receptive to WT teachings."Stay there until you leave" is rarely addressed in the literature.My opinion is because they know that,after various discussions within governing body meetings and concerns raised,that these texts are about OBTAINING LODGING.Clearly,this doesn't demand the view that Christ and the apostles actually went door to door in the same current JW fashion,but rather only demands that they visited private homes to obtain lodging in this instance,being instructed to stay where they were received hospitably.Makes sense huh?Certainly makes more sense than the WT interpretation to me personally after examining the context.

To quote the WT:

"The carrying of the kingdom message from house to house in printed form, and presenting this to the people, is too humiliating for such self-important ones...Even today there are those who, from time to time, find the field service a drudgery and attending meetings tedious. This is what can happen when we lose our fear of Jehovah and, along with it, our love for him.

The article goes on to say:How sad the outcome is for those who lose the fear of God! They lack appreciation for the undeserved privilege of having a relationship with the Sovereign of the universe." -WT 12/01/1987

Apparently,the WT thinks we don't fear or love or even have a relationship with God if we don't hand out their magazines door to door.And this is the kind of rhetoric that is pretty constant in the publications.Obviously,this is intimidating and manipulating.Just another example of them comparing fully meeting their manmade requirements and policies to pleasing God himself.No matter how the bible may lack support for all their claims.Where does Jehovah say you don't love or fear or even know him if you don't hand out WT literature door to door?Interesting indeed that these quotes in the 1987 publication were quotes from a 1937 publication that was written by Judge Rutherford who took no part in door-to-door activity.

The WT writes all their articles about house to house activity with deceptive rhetoric to mold the holy texts to THEIR OWN ideal,instead of presenting ALL the facts.That isn't right.

Sharing the good news IS vital. HOW it is actually done is not as vital as they would have you believe.It can be done at work,in public,through internet,in casual conversations with family or friends or strangers..a NUMBER of ways.

As Ray points out,the other 30 accounts where the word "house" or "home" occurs should be of interest.And it is always in relation to LODGING or GATHERING.There is no single instance of disciples going from one door to the very next door in succession.The Greek phrase "katoikin" is used 4 times in reference to the believers gathering in the disciples private homes.Just more evidence that "house to house" probably connotes these types of gatherings.

examine:
Luke 10:7:Do not be transferring from house to house.

This phrase makes sense only if one understands that the context is Jesus exhorting his disciples to search suitable homes for lodging and remaining there once its found.Conveniently,the WT isolates surrounding texts and largely ignores the points they don't like altogether and the implication in this one..Or imposes their own interpretation on them that makes little sense.It CLEARLY says NOT to transfer from house to house.What it DOESN'T say is TO transfer from house to house after a few minutes in one where one receives the WT literature hospitably.

KATO is distributive,not consecutive.Meaning the disciples visited homes but not necessarily literally knocking on door after literal door.But rather going to find lodging,visiting those they've met publicly,or congregating in homes,depending on where we are in scripture.In Acts 20:20,equally as many a number of translations render "house to house" as "in private homes" or "at home."

Was Jesus giving instructions on preaching activity or as to obtaining lodging?

To quote Ray
"The disciples ALREADY KNEW how Jesus "witnessed" for they had been with him and observed his example.Their own accounts say nothing of his going from house to house but DO relate his speaking in synagogues,marketplaces and other public places and of his accepting invitations to particular homes and speaking to people present there."-p.226,footnote.

It can only be viewed as intellectual dishonesty that the WT never once presents alternative interpretations(superior imo),but rather hides what they've learned through study and governing body meeting discussion on the topic with continual circular reasoning and positive statements in their literature,shamelessly.Surely as reasonable JW's you can discern that the way men assert their views in such a positive and charismatic and single minded fashion can fool and blind the readers or listeners to think there is no other option or interpretation.Secular Christian books and orthodox sermons accomplish about the same thing for millions of Christians.JW's recognize the deception there but not within their own organization.

Keep in mind the disciples publicly preached FIRST then went to the private homes of ones they had met publicly preaching.A good example is Lydia who Paul met in public then went to her home as a guest.These accounts in no way support a WT interpretation.None of these biblical accounts where disciples are made,and they are numerous,indicate that it was from door to door activity.In Luke's eyewitness accounts,he gives evidence of MANY becoming believers and it was as a result of public talks in public places in a public manner.The 3,000 at Pentecost became believers THAT VERY DAY(another thing that is supposedly impossible in the world of the Watchtower where it takes seemingly forever to be acceptable enough to get baptized.)These ones were not responding to door to door activity either.All those who became disciples became acquainted with those who helped them in public somewhere.If homes were involved,it was by invitation most likely.

Questions from Ray,in my own words:
Where had Paul borne witness about repentance toward Yah and faith in the Messiah?From door to door activity?OR in public places,mainly synagogues?When homes WERE involved,had he gone there in door to door activity ,or had he in each case been invited to that specific home?Could this be what Jesus meant when he said to stay in the homes of "worthy persons?"

Paul found believers publicly and then THEREAFTER went to their homes to give personalized instruction.This seems to be what all the evidence as a whole suggests,so why does the WT fail to recognize or report this?Could they fear a drop in door to door activity if they release all the pressure in accomplishing the ministry via this method,and,essentially,a great loss of money since they make so much through literature used in the field ministry?Could they fear a shaking of their empire?

Only a small fraction of the enormous volume of WT publications distributed actually get read.However,the volume put out gives an impression of a greater worldwide witness than is actually accomplished.The apostle Paul taught in private homes where he was invited which starkly contrasts the Jehovah's Witness method of brief preaching,handing out of literature,and RARELY teaching,usually not even getting past the doorstep.When they do,it doesn't exactly constitute a "bearing of thorough witness about repentance and faith in the Lord" but rather a hoping that the "householder" will read the WT publications.Which cannot do the wonders or offer the whole truth and nothing but the truth that holy scripture can.

As for feelings of empathy that JW's claim they have for the people they're trying to reach,Ray says:

"The very fact that Witnesses are trained to think of the people they visit as "worldlings,"to discount any profession of spirituality on their part as not genuinely Christian,and to view only those few who respond as "sheeplike,"certainly hinders any true empathetic feelings.Even if a person is suffering due to severe problems and needs,rarely will the Witness concern himself with anything other than seeking to place literature or making a convert."-p.233

I might add a convert to an organization and not to Christ because the organization forbids almost every JW from actually being in Christ.

Fact is,there is stronge evidence that most people become JW's through family or friends or informal witnessing at work or elsewhere and not in the door to door activity at all.There is simply too much emphasis placed on hours,time sheets and magazine placement as if it is more meaningful than love,faith and reaching out without legalism and burden attached.An honest ministry should be accomplished out of faith and love as opposed to fear of being perceived as spiritually weak or not Christian enough.And if as a JW,you claim the WT uses no such intimidation or fear tactics,I can offer my testimony that I WAS influenced by the propaganda in the literature to do more,do more,do more or be unworthy of my brothers and sisters and Jehovah's love.I was motivated by imposed fear along with my faith and love in Jehovah.I did feel stress and pressure.Not from Jesus,whose load is light,but from WT literature inspired by legalistic men.

My intentions here are not to emphasize that the JW's are doing something wrong by going door to door.But rather to get them to think about the possibility that they have been misled by men who hide the actual most logical interpretations of the texts that they use constantly to instill fear in JW's that if they do not accomplish their ministry in this particular manner that they aren't really "Christian."Obviously,the society wholeheartedly portrays this method as vital and fundamental to their very existence as Christians.That is both dishonest and sketchy.They're hiding a lot.They have secret meetings the rank and file will never know about where they have discussed these matters and are well aware that these texts don't prove a literal going door to door of the apostles but rather a visiting of private homes to either obtain lodging or visit ones they met in synagogues or in public or to meet in humble Christian home gatherings.That simple.


Other valid interpretations that convey the sense of what actually occurred given all the evidence,the contexts,and all the biblical records:

Acts 20:20:I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.(New Living Translation)

And how I kept back nothing which might be of profit to you, teaching you publicly and privately,(Bible in Basic English)

and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes,(Weymouth NT)

Acts 5:42:And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.(American Standard Version)

And every day, in the Temple and privately, they went on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.(Bible in Basic English)

But they did not desist from teaching every day, in the Temple or in private houses, and telling the Good News about Jesus, the Christ.(Weymouth NT)

Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.(World English Bible)

etc..

Of course I encourage individual JW research to make the truth your own.It isn't ok for men to hide all the facts,ignore the most logical interpretations,and to build and maintain a facade that enslaves people to a particular manmade policy that has sent some people to prison and holds others captive to the concept that they're not even Christian or decent if they don't follow the rules in WT literature and the instruction given at kingdom hall podiums to the letter.May your faith in and love for Yaheweh guide you all to share the good news in whatever capacity you feel compelled,making converts to Yeshua,to be born again in him(or you've no way to enter the kingdom) as opposed to converts to an organization that cannot save you like the Messiah can.Don't let men nor a latter day manmade organization insist to you it's your Messiah.A "mother organization" is an idol.My intention here is not to criticize an organization just for the heck of it but to wake up JW's misled by blind guides to bring them to Christ,the only way to salvation.The REAL truth.Exposing the MEN they follow may help them follow their true shepherd,their Lord.

Psalm 118:8:It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to trust in earthling man.

Are there 2 SEPARATE hopes for Christians?(a Watchtower interpretation issue regarding "little flock" and "other sheep") pt.2

Now that I have made all the points I have made thus far,the rest of their proof texts are SIMPLY explained..

Let's move on to the next set they use to support this "two class system" for Christians:

Luke 12:32 “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom. (they say little flock corresponds with 144,000,the anointed bride of Christ)

John 10:16: “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd."(They say other sheep corresponds with the great crowd and are the kingdom subjects and not able to be in Christ or born again or to reign with Christ..etc..but must instead count on Christ's anointed brothers to mediate for them.Ultimately,they believe how they treat the "little flock" will determine whether or not they get to survive Armageddon.Most of them believe they are the "other sheep.")

Almost every commentary I have seen,and I agree with them,admit that the little flock are the Jews to whom Jesus is speaking.There won't be many natural Jews to inherit the kingdom in comparison to the "other sheep" which are the gentiles.It is such an easy and natural explanation.Sometimes even if a JW admits this they insist on STILL interpolating another interpretation/application,saying that the Jews symbolize spiritual Israel and the Gentiles the great crowd,again assuming they're not the SAME CROWD.JW's also ignore that scripture says they will become one flock..which to me certainly in no ways implies a separate flock,a separate destiny,a separate hope.Yet,they expect you to suspend your disbelief and admit that the one flock just means that they're all sheep of Christ's even though they'll be separated.Their interpretation AGAIN here demands that they utterly ignore that the gentiles are grafted in with the Jews..no longer begging for crumbs from the table of the Jews(Mark 7:27,28),but rather now partaking of the same spiritual feast.Just to reiterate..the other sheep ,aka the gentiles, are allowed in the same flock with the Jews now and considered brothers of Christ's also,as there is no longer any partiality toward the Jews to the exclusion of others from Yaheweh for the SAME blessings.

One is reminded of :
Ephesians 2:13 But now in union with Christ Jesus you who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made the two parties one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. 15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace; 16 and that he might fully reconcile both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. 17 And he came and declared the good news of peace to you, the ones far off, and peace to those near, 18 because through him we, both peoples, have the approach to the Father by one spirit.

Both peoples(Jews and gentiles) now can approach by ONE spirit in union the father,as opposed to only one group being allowed to do this.The wall is destroyed and the flock is one.There is no way this advocates a separation in any capacity.


Zechariah 8:23:‘It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: “We will go with you people, for we have heard [that] God is with you people.”

JW's will say that the Jews are spiritual Israel,which to them means a literal few men in the WT Organization currently and that those taking hold of their skirts are everyone else in the WT organization.The JW's profess that these will not have the same reward nor the same hope,that those taking hold of the skirt are the other sheep,the great crowd,who will live on earth and be kingdom subjects.That the Jews are a little flock,the 144,000,who will reign over them from heaven.First of all,this has already been fulfilled.Second of all,if we must give it a second application,then it would have to be the non Jews,the Gentiles,recognizing that God is either with the faithful natural Jews or with spiritual Israel who they are welcome to join if they recognize where one needs to be in order to be accepted as a member.And if they're skirt-clinging,then obviously they do.In Christ's body,open to ALL faithful Jews,faithful gentiles,faithful people after Christ,as made obvious throughout the NT.If one takes ahold of another's skirt,that means you will essentially get to the SAME destination,not two separate destinations.Again,just like the Gentile woman begging for crumbs from the table of the Jews,those taking hold of the skirts are no longer excluded from the SAME feast.As opposed to two separate feasts.Welcomed at the SAME table,as opposed to two separate tables,the large one full of people serving the others at the smaller table who wear crowns as they obey them.That's just not the reality.Same hope,same reward.Even in the OT the foreigners who went with the Jews received the same blessings as the Isreaelites if they conformed to their laws.Christ is our ONLY priest and mediator now and when we become Christian we are promised the opportunity to reign with him in his kingdom,not just a few of us.It's really so simple.

Examine the following:Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. 34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you received me hospitably; 36 naked, and you clothed me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’ 40 And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

JW's say the brothers are Christ's brothers and the sheep are those who are good to them but that they can't ALSO become brothers.I think there are 2 possible interpretations here..number 1.If the sheep are not already,they will become brothers.It would be special pleading to suggest they don't.Examine also the following:

Matthew 10:41 He that receives a prophet because he is a prophet will get a prophet’s reward, and he that receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will get a righteous man’s reward.

I know JW's will say the reward is everlasting life,and I would agree.BUT it has to be read INTO the text that they don't simply receive the SAME reward just as stated,born again in Christ unto salvation,which is certainly what the texts suggest,never hinting at the same reward "only not really."As a JW,why do you think there are 3 groups:brothers,sheep and goats?Why do you think the brothers won't be on the left side with the sheep and if they aren't,then where are they?Also,how do you know that when Jesus decides to put them on his left side he doesn't then consider them brothers and that if someone is good to them like they were good to his disciples before they became one,that that person who is won't also become a sheep/brother?And it IS bias inference to say those good to Christ's brothers when Christ approves them don't also become his brothers.I know JW's will start thinking "other sheep are the sheep here"..but the other sheep becomes one fold with the little flock of real Jews.Meaning SAME FOLD.No separate folds possible.No separate hopes hinted but by men misusing texts here and there to prove a theology system that is false and completely unsupported by the glaring majority of texts,and the few that they think do don't either upon examination and without special pleading..JW's using Zech. 8:23 and "other sheep" from John 10:16 to support their view here is based entirely upon having a false view of THOSE.They actually support MY view.The gentiles are grafted in with the Jews into the SAME fold,the SAME flock.

2nd possible interpretation here:Jesus is talking to those who are his brothers who have been good to their fellow brothers.

Examine:
Matthew 20:26 This is not the way among you; but whoever wants to become great among you must be your minister, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave

Jesus commanded that his brothers receive one another graciously,serve one another humbly,and to put others before themselves.So who's to say he wasn't talking about his brothers receiving their rewards for treating ONE ANOTHER well and receiving one another as they should,with exceptional love among themselves?Another quick interesting point:JW's apply "inheriting the kingdom" almost always to the "little flock"..these texts say the sheep will inherit the kingdom.So according to how they generally incorporate terminology to convey information,the sheep in this scenario will get the same reward as the little flock,if they're consistent with their ideas..The only ones in view here are sheep,goats and angels.NOT brothers who aren't sheep,sheep,goats and angels.The other sheep, aka the gentiles, join the same fold,again,which in no way connotes a few in heaven & the majority left on earth.(It's far fetched and unjustified to make such a bold claim,leaping some place far away from what the texts simply communicate.)

Lastly,let's examine

Romans 8:18 Consequently I reckon that the sufferings of the present season do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us. 19 For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will but through him that subjected it, on the basis of hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves also who have the firstfruits, namely, the spirit, yes, we ourselves groan within ourselves, while we are earnestly waiting for adoption as sons, the release from our bodies by ransom.

Briefly,I'll go over the main points.JW's say that the groaning creation is anyone outside the 144,000 who are waiting for the literal 144,000 men to be revealed as sons of God so that eventually they too can be set free and and have glorious freedom as God's children,though not adopted as sons to reign with Christ the same way the very few are..My opinion is that the creation,since it is referred to in the past tense,would be all men BEFORE Christ.ALL those after him have the opportunity to be adopted as sons of God,sealed with his spirit.Firstfruits simply means that these men were the first ones to receive the promised and life changing holy spirit securing their adoption and testifying to their place in Christ's body.It doesn't mean there will be afterfruits who can't have the same,but only that they're the first ones to receive it.

Examine:1 Corinthians 15:22, 23: “In Christ shall all be made alive. But
every man in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming

So we can discern from these texts that Christ is identified ALONE as firstfruits,but that certainly doesn't mean his brethren after him will not receive the same hope of reigning or of immortality!

As for a releasing from their bodies,since elsewhere we have assurance that our bodies will be CLOTHED with imperishability,it must simply mean that we will be released from the worldly and sinful flesh to which we're all bound till our resurrection when we will be given a "spiritual body" as opposed to a "natural body."Changed,transformed in "the twinkling of an eye."

Philippians 3:20 As for us, our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will refashion our humiliated body to be conformed to his glorious body according to the operation of the power that he has, even to subject all things to himself.

Apparently,our bodies will then be clothed with glory and imperishability.As for our citizenship being in heaven,again,he probably meant that,in correlation with earthly things NOW being of this current Satanic world,that the heavenly kingdom only exists in heaven as of now.And so that is where we need to rest our hope.We also know that soon it will descend to the earth when "the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ."(Rev 11:15)Essentially,again,it doesn't demand we fly away to heaven but that the heavens will descend to us and over us so that a heavenly kingdom can be established on a "new earth.":-)

Don't let blind guides nullify Christ's invitations to you,a part of his Bride if you'll only listen to HIS voice.(As opposed to men who deny you his voice,inexplicably,eisegetically,and hazardously.)

Matthew 25:1 “Then the kingdom of the heavens will become like ten virgins that took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were discreet. 3 For the foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them, 4 whereas the discreet took oil in their receptacles with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom was delaying, they all nodded and went to sleep. 6 Right in the middle of the night there arose a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Be on your way out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and put their lamps in order. 8 The foolish said to the discreet, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are about to go out.’ 9 The discreet answered with the words, ‘Perhaps there may not be quite enough for us and you. Be on your way, instead, to those who sell it and buy for yourselves.’ 10 While they were going off to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and the virgins that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11 Afterwards the rest of the virgins also came, saying, ‘Sir, sir, open to us!’ 12 In answer he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you.’

I know the qualifications the WT society imposes upon these inspired texts..but where does JESUS or anyone else in the bible provide you ANY reason not to trust that scriptures like these apply to all Christians?Be ready.Be discreet.

Matt 23:13:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for you yourselves do not go in, neither do you permit those on their way in to go in.

How can you be ready and discreet like you need to be with all your life if you trust men that tell you the very texts that demand this don't even apply to you?Don't trust men over Christ!Or Christ MAY say:

‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you.’

Are there 2 SEPARATE hopes for Christians?(a Watchtower interpretation issue regarding "little flock" and "other sheep") pt.1

Much of these interpretations are personal conjecture based upon reasoning and scriptural revelation,without the WT lens or men making me ignore Christ's words and much of the NT in application to me and most people.I say conjecture simply because I refuse to pretend that we all know everything perfectly and that there aren't other possibly valid thoughts out there!I can say with sheer confidence,however,that the WT interpretation is not plausible unless Christ truly only spoke to 144,000 men.But such a notion was NEVER qualified nor hinted.I thank the few people who helped me realize many things that I had as much assumed once I started reading scripture alone prayerfully,those who helped me clarify a few questions and bring the truth into greater focus.I feel blessed for your help and kindness and am truly grateful.

All Christians after Christ can be sealed with God's spirit!What a dangerous thing to listen to men who tell you that you can't be in utter contradiction to the pertinent biblical revelation that you CAN.It should be a given based on scriptural revelation that any Christian after Christ may have this opportunity and blessing..Lest a JW should assess this information and STILL insist that even though gentiles become one flock with the Jews,they could still just together symbolize Spiritual Israel and there are yet others who aren't allowed to be,that JW is going to need better proof than just the WT society telling him so.It would be sound and perspicacious and in fact life saving to listen to Jesus Christ himself instead.His invitations are for you.He never qualified that they aren't.So don't let men do so.

Don't throw Jesus's words away assuming they're for a VERY few men.He said in my father's house(Christ's body) there are MANY mansions.He wants to prepare a place for you.It is in violation of Yaheweh's principles to implicitly put faith in men,especially if they contradict his Son in ANY way.You have ONE mediator and it isn't a group of men in NY.You have one savior and it isn't an organization.Though their rhetoric and insistences may seem sound on the surface,it is only because we can all easily be deceived if we put implicit faith in blind guides.For the same reason James White sounds reasonable to a Calvinist,for the same reason Athanasius sounds reasonable to a trinitarian..that is why the Governing body sounds reasonable to a JW.That reason would be that one doesn't listen to Jesus's simple words and the bible's overall revealed succint truths beacause he's letting men drown its voice.The solution is to simply listen to Yaheweh and His Son,using reason and exercising humility,while being willing to sacrifice the words of men when they hinder your journey toward faith,truth,and love with tradition,policies,and fallacies that clearly contradict scripture's overreaching revelations.

I am going to go over a few supposed proof texts that Jehovah's Witnesses incorporate in their insistence that there are a literal 144,000 adopted from the earth to rule as kings and priests with Christ in heaven OVER a "great crowd" who will reside right here on earth forever.In other words,they propagate a "two separate hopes" theology for Christians,with just a literal few Christians going to heaven as Christ's anointed brothers and everyone else living here.For the majority of Christians(and they believe Jehovah's Witnesses are the only true Christians) Christ IS NOT their mediator nor their brother but rather the 144,000(who they believe are a select few men in the upper echalons of the WT organization) are their mediator and kings,their "faithful and discreet slave class" who they think Christ is using to feed them spiritually,who they think they actually need before they can reach Christ.They believe they must cling to the coattails of these men if they wish to see salvation.Even though scripture says there is NO mediator but Christ between God and man.In other words,they don't believe the bible's explicit statement about Christ's unqualified sole role as mediator...Though I am not dogmatic about any interpretation that I am about to present ..I consider the reasoning I will use superior to the WT's.Hopefully,I will be able to provide reasons why in the process.Let me begin by also saying that Jesus and the NT writers offer succint compelling and heart-tugging statements throughout the NT that only eisegesis of the highest order could dictate that they are only made for a literal 144,000 men.Surely 144,000 Christians would've been gathered LONG ago..WT speculations on this matter are confounding since they REALLY believe that men totalling 144,000 worthy to be Christ's brothers STILL haven't been found.And that currently they are only found within the WT organization and nowhere else.As if there haven't been countless martyrs and true servants throughout time after Christ,logically far exceeding the 144,000 mark.

Let's begin this analysis of their theology system on these matters with Revelation chapter 7.

Verse 4 says "And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel"..then it goes on to name those tribes,12,000 from each.JW's will readily admit that the tribes and even the numbers in the tribes are symbolic.After all ,revelation is a book of symbols.Then they go on to insist that 144,000 ISN'T symbolic, which is an inexplicable discrepancy and diversion from their believing the other numbers are.I don't know how the leap is made from everything being symbolic BUT the 144,000,except that they want to manipulate the texts to conform to their system of theology about this "two class system."This allows them to draw on OTHER texts that they can manipulate to also conform,essentially misleading people with eisegesis and rhetoric that SEEMS sound perhaps on the surface,but only if one doesn't read the bible and OTHER commentaries besides those of the WT that actually make more sense.That actually adhere to Christ's obvious succint and beautiful truths throughout the NT,without the WT lens corrupting their purity and detrimentally erasing their application for the VAST majority of Christians.Christ never qualifies that his invitations to his bride are for a LITERAL few Christians only,or that his saying you have NO life in you if you don't "feed on his flesh and drink of his blood" is only applicable to a minute minority of his servants.Christ also said you're fruitless and will be burned up with fire if you aren't "in him",a privilege the WT society claims belongs only to a very few of them.Which to me suggests that most of them(if they believe these men!) cannot be fruitful or even continue living long,according to Christ.Revelation chapter 7,after declaring these tribes,goes on to say in verses 9-11:

9 After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. 10 And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation [we owe] to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their faces before the throne and worshiped God


Couple more facts about the WT interpretation of these..They say that the 24 elders in heaven represent the 144,000 in their heavenly stations,because elsewhere revelation says they have on crowns(4:4).Before proceeding,let me reiterate again that these are my OPINIONS that I am NOT dogmatic about.I don't believe this to be the case simply because it has to be read INTO the text that crowns always mean "anointed brethren."The fact that they bear the name "elders" suggests and connotes to me that they are ancient,perhaps elder angels(or other creatures) of God's who hold very special positions due to their age and wisdom.Which would make sense because Christ is given the most exceptional exaltation of all as the most ancient of God's Sons.Their crowns could simply signify some type of authority God has delegated to them.We must also keep in mind that God's earthly temple order is modeled after his heavenly,suggesting to me he would have elders in heaven as our model here..Again,this IS conjecture.Another point I would like to get out of the way is that to my knowledge and in my opinion,all the texts that people use to prove that Christians go to heaven don't necessarily do so.The language God uses to communicate doesn't DEMAND this.He uses phrases like "kingdom of the heavens" and NOT "kingdom IN heaven".Revelation says that New Jerusalem descends over the earth to bless it,so who's to say the kingdom of the heavens isn't on this earth as heaven descends over it,blessing it benevolently?(21:10)..It "comes down FROM heaven."The blessings are here on earth,ultimately.I am not suggesting that Christians' new "imperishable" bodies won't be able to access heaven..I don't think scripture is clear enough to assume whether that would be possible or not.But my conjecture is that the main hope for mankind is an eternal life in Edenic type conditions on a "new earth."God placed it within our hearts to desire peace here and created us to inhabit and care for the earth.And his grand purposes always get fulfilled.(Is. 55:11)

Let's examine Matt 5:5 “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth. and then verse 10 “Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them."

It would be odd(and I could be wrong) if Jesus was suggesting two different locations of residence for Christians with the SAME HOPE as ONE FOLD.ALL Christians should be meek and will be persecuted for righteousness' sake.So the kingdom OF(as opposed to in) the heavens & the blessed new earth blessed by heaven may be the same place.

Another argument of the WT's is that the anointed brothers are adopted FROM the earth which the WT insists means that they are obviously going to heaven.Again,that notion has to be read INTO the text.The text simply states the location from which Christ adopts them.(the earth)

Also,our being adopted from THIS earth,since God's kingdom isn't fully manifest here yet,except that Christ resides in Christians,connotes our alien residence in a world that isn't really "the new heavens and the NEW earth" which will soon manifest itself.Our being adopted means we will have the right to freedom in God's new kingdom as sons and daughters of God when this earth becomes the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.We're no longer sons & daughters of THIS world,which is lying in Satan's power,but are instead imminent recipients of a much greater beneficent & beatific calling.

Ephesians 4:4 One body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

Notice these texts say "ONE hope,one faith,one baptism"..not two hopes,one faith,two baptisms.

Which is relevant to the point I am about to make in regards to Revelation chapter 7again..

The JW's will argue that the 144,000 men have to be a different group than the following great crowd because the symbolic tribes represent Spirtual Israel and the great crowd are from ALL nations and tribes and tongues and peoples to differentiate them from the 144,000.But to insist that this is the way these texts must be viewed is to COMPLETELY ignore that spiritual Israel,which the symbolic tribes represent are from every tribe, tongue,people and nation,as God is no longer partial.So the most natural implication for me is that the great crowd of people from all nations,again,are the very ones spiritual Israel symbolizes right before they're mentioned in this book of symbols.Christ opened the way for this..remember?The gentiles and ALL nations could suddenly have the SAME hope.Yes,the great crowd IS probably spiritual Israel,symbolically represented BY the tribes,apropos.

Basically,the WT separation here is unwarranted.After John saw the 144,000 he saw a great crowd,suggesting to me personally that they are the SAME group.And this isn't my opinion alone.Many biblical scholars and students have come to the same conclusion.We know that these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation!And Jehovah's Witnesses say that the 144,000 with the heavenly hope are the "chosen ones","the elect."In light of this,let's examine Matthew chapter 24 where we read in verse 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short. ..The WT assumes that the "elect" left on earth at the time of the Great Tribulation will undergo the sufferings of the tribulation and that is how they explain away the implications in this verse.But,to me,a more plausible explanation would be that,in correlation with Matt 24:22,those coming out of the tribulation from Revelation ch 7 (the great crowd!)are the SAME ones ,aka "the elect",for whom God cut those days short.As if,assuming there was a SEPARATE hope like JW's do,God wouldn't also want to cut those days short for those who he loves who aren't of the elect.As if he would for the elect but not the "other sheep",which the WT says are not the elect but the ones who follow them and treat them well and cling to their coattails & hence secure their salvation.In other words,he doesn't mention cutting the days short for anyone who isn't the elect suggesting that he cuts the days short for the them(simply),and that would be the great crowd who comes out of the great tribulation.

Examine:Revelation 7:14:These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation(correlating with Matthew 24:22,again), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them.

According to JW theology,the great crowd are only on the temple's COURTYARDS,and not allowed in the temple because they say the temple is heaven and the earth is the courtyards.So to explain the implications that would leave for these texts away,they simply say that:

(From Wt 9/1 2006:) "Revelation 7:9-15 gives further details, telling of “a great crowd” from “all nations” who gather in worship and prayer to God “day and night” as they stand in the OUTER COURTYARD of the spiritual temple."

So I guess I'll simply ask the JW's..where does Revelation 7:15 remotely imply "outer courtyards" of the temple but by the insistence and eisegesis of men?I don't know why God's great spiritual temple can't include the earth when it too will be holy and new and clean as New Jerusalem descends over it,becoming "one" with it.Jehovah's Witnesses actually go into the NT assuming that the same partiality God afforded to the Israelites in the OT carries over to the New,even though the bible makes this CLEAR:

Acts 10:34:Peter opened his mouth and said: “For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, 35 but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him."

Of course,God opened the way for the Gentiles to receive the SAME blessings the faithful Israelites enjoyed,with NO partiality.So why JW's insist there is STILL a blockage to most men in relation to God's granting the ultimate Christian blessings to them when this isn't even implied is beyond me.Scripture makes it abundantly clear that Gentiles will be "grafted into" the same favor,the same fold(and have the same hope!) the faithful Jews enjoy.(Rom 11:17-24)Otherwise,what were Peter's visions regarding what was unclean being made clean and Pentecost(the list goes on)all about?Remember..ONE hope.In other words,Jehovah's witnesses assuming that the gentiles symbolize the "great crowd" of Christians who cannot possibly be anointed and only allowed in the "outer courtyards" and the Jews symbolizing "spiritual Israel" who can be anointed and allowed access where the majority aren't propagates the partiality that God eradicated with Christ's death and this essentially nullifies His invitation to all for the SAME HOPE.This invitation,of course,is for those after Christ to be kings and priests.Some of those BEFORE CHRIST who are most favored with God will,according to scripture,be "princes" in all the earth.

Psalm 45:16: In place of your forefathers there will come to be your sons,Whom you will appoint as princes in all the earth.

Faithful Christians after Christ are ALL offered the invitations to be his brothers and to reign with him.

So WHO exactly will be "kingdom subjects?"All those before Christ I'm assuming because they will need to learn about him and be guided to the truth and fulfillment of all things,the great Amen,Christ, by those faithful who had the privilege to already be exposed to all we know now as Christians in him.It's always possible,and this is conjecture,that there will be some who die after Christ who didn't have the opportunity to be born again yet and so will also be kingdom subjects.But the whole point is that if you're a mature Christian,I can't find an excuse in scripture not to be in Christ,born again,feeding on him,and accepting his invitations.There is no way anyone but a Jehovah's Witness,because of repetition in their literature and an elaborate system of inference from a misuse of a select few texts,would assume Christ and the apostles' words throughout the NT just simply cannot apply to them.There is literally NO qualification anywhere to suggest they don't.It is actually ridiculous to read most of what the NT says and say "welp..that's not for me!"Scripture doesn't say it was written for us ,just not all of us.The OT partiality was made obsolete.

In part 2,I will cover other WT "proof texts" that they isolate to try and support this "two hope theology" system.Stay tuned.