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posted 24 May 2005 ***
In the Watchtower Society's book Knowledge That
Leads to Everlasting Life (1995), under the heading 'Mankind Transformed'
we read the following:
"How grand it will be when the knowledge of God
fills the earth! There will be an extensive educational program under
the direction of the King Jesus Christ and his 144,000 corulers." (Page
185)
Belief in the importance of the 144,000 is, perhaps, the most well-known
distinctive emphasis of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, other
than the refusing of blood transfusions. But what do Jehovah's Witnesses
really believe about the 144,000? Where does the teaching come from
and how does it relate to accurate Bible teaching?
In order to find answers to these questions we need review a variety
of quotations from Watchtower Society publications. You will find the
text of a number of the Scriptures at the end of the article - just
click on the reference. All quotations are from the New World Translation
(NWT) unless otherwise stated.
"How many go to heaven? - Since they are to rule
over the earth, it is clear that those who go to heaven will be tried
and tested followers of Christ. This means that babies or young children,
who have not been fully tested during years of Christian service, will
not be taken to heaven. (Matthew 16:24)
However, such young ones who die have the hope of being raised to life
on earth. (John 5:28, 29) So the
total number who go to heaven will be small when compared with the many
who will receive life on earth under Kingdom rule. Jesus told his disciples:
'Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving
you the kingdom.' - Luke 12:32. How small a number will that class of
Kingdom rulers be? Will it include only the apostles and other early
followers of Jesus? No, the Bible shows that the 'little flock' will
include more. At Revelation 14:1, 3 the Bible says: 'And I saw, and,
look! the Lamb [Jesus Christ] standing upon the [heavenly] Mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand…who have been bought
[or, taken] from the earth.' Note that only 144,000 persons are seen
with the Lamb, Jesus Christ, on heavenly mount Zion. (Hebrews
12:22) So rather than all good people going to heaven, the Bible
reveals that only 144,000 tried and faithful persons will be taken there
to rule with Christ." - You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth
(1989), p.124
"The Congregation of God… However, when the Bible speaks of 'the congregation
of the living God,' it is referring to a particular group of Christ's
followers. (1 Timothy 3:15) They
are also called 'the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled
in the heavens.' (Hebrews 12:23) So this 'congregation of God' is made
up of all Christians who have the hope of heavenly life. In all, only
144,000 persons finally make up the 'congregation of God.' Today only
a few of these, a remnant, are still on earth. Christians who hope to
live forever on earth look for spiritual guidance from members of this
'congregation of the living God.' The Bible also refers to this congregation
of 144,000 members by such terms as 'the bride, the Lamb's wife,' 'the
body of the Christ,' 'the temple of God,' 'the Israel of God,' and the
'New Jerusalem' - Revelation 21:9; Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 3:17;
Galatians 6:16; Revelation 21:2… As we have seen, his Son, Jesus Christ,
is the main ruler in this government, and 144,000 persons will be taken
from among humankind to rule in heaven with him. - Revelation
7:4 - Ibid., pp.125, 126
"The Reason Why a 'Little Flock' Goes to Heaven… During his earthly
ministry Jesus said much about the 'kingdom of God.' He taught his followers
to pray that, by means of the Kingdom, God's will, would be done here
on earth. Thus, the earth would become a delightful home for mankind.
But the kingdom, or government itself, would be that of God in heaven,
and for this reason Jesus often referred to it as the 'kingdom of the
heavens,' (Matthew 5:20; 6:9) This
helps us to understand what he meant when he said: 'Have no fear, little
flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.'
(Luke 12:32) Yes, God would give this 'little flock' to share in the
heavenly government over all mankind.
At Revelation 20:6 we read concerning those who would be resurrected
to heavenly life: 'They will be priests of God and of the Christ, and
will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.' Jesus Christ is
the principal king and the high priest, and these faithful ones taken
from the earth serve with him. - Revelation
5:9,10 Why are they chosen from the earth for such a work? Because
it was here at this earth that Jehovah's rulership was challenged. It
was here that the faithfulness of men to God could be put to the test
under opposition from the Devil. It was here that Jesus proved his loyalty
to God under test and gave his life as a ransom for mankind. So it was
from this earth that Jehovah arranged to take a 'little flock' of persons
to be associated with his Son in the heavenly kingdom. They are persons
who show full faith in God's provision for salvation through Christ.
They are ones whose lives prove the Devil a liar when he charged that
men serve God only for selfish advantage. Jehovah has marvellously purposed
to use them for his glory. - Ephesians
1:9-12 As kings and priests under the direction of Jesus Christ,
they will serve from their heavenly positions in carrying out Jehovah's
will toward mankind. How wonderful it will be to have as rulers those
who have proved faithful to God! (Revelation
20:4) And how loving of God to put into office those who have experienced
the problems common to humankind! Surely, they, like Christ, will deal
in an understanding way with their subjects. (Hebrews
2:17,18) What a blessing it will be to the inhabitants of earth
as these heavenly priests apply to them the benefits of Christ's ransom
sacrifice, healing them spiritually, mentally and physically until they
reach perfection! - Revelation 21:2-4"
"How Many Go To Heaven? Those who are called by God to share in such
heavenly service are few in number. As Jesus said, they are a 'little
flock.' Years after his return to heaven, Jesus made known the exact
number in a vision to the apostle John, who wrote: 'I saw, and, look!
the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion and with him a hundred and forty-four
thousand…who have been bought from the earth.' (Revelation 14:1, 3)
The 'Lamb' referred to here is, of course, Jesus Christ; and this 'Mount
Zion' is not on earth, but in heaven where Jesus is. (John
1:29; Hebrews 12:22) So the 144,000
are persons who die on earth and are resurrected to heavenly life as
spirit creatures, as Jesus was. (Romans
6:5). When compared with the thousands of millions of persons who
live on earth, they are, indeed, a 'little flock.'" - The Truth that
leads to Eternal Life (1968), pp.75-77
TWO CLASSES OF CHRISTIAN
There are a number of points we could make from the above quotes but
perhaps the most serious issue is that of two classes of Christian.
In Reasoning from the Scriptures (1985) we read, under the heading
"Ancient Babylonian religious concepts and practices are found in religions
worldwide," with the subheading 'Position of the priesthood':
"The distinction between priest and layman is characteristic
of this [Babylonian] religion.- Encyclopaedia Britannica (1948),
Vol. 2, p.861." p. 51
Also, consider the following:
"A United Church. Jesus, the Head, does not split
up the body of his congregation into a clergy class and a laity class
of the 'common people.' He says to his followers: 'Do not you be called
Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas you are all brothers. Moreover,
do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the
heavenly One. Neither be called 'leaders' for your Leader is one, the
Christ.' (Matthew 23:8-10) So Jesus shows that there is no division
among those who make up the true church. However, he did arrange for
men to take the lead in the Christian congregation, to serve the spiritual
needs of their brothers and organize the work of preaching the good
news. Jesus said such ones were not to 'lord it over' their brothers
but were to be like slaves or servants to them. (Matthew 20:25-28) Is
that true of the clergymen you know." - The Truth that leads to Eternal
Life (1968) p.119
Within Watchtower Society publications, there are many negative generalisations
aimed at 'clergymen' attempting to show a) that these regularly teach
unbiblical doctrines and b) that only the Watchtower Society, by way
of contrast, represent God on the earth. These pronouncements about
clergymen are never specific and are often reflecting ideas that most
self-respecting clergymen would never express. These are Watchtower
'straw men' set up with the express purpose of being knocked down -
they only exist in Watchtower publications, backed up by vague media
caricatures which, also have no basis in reality.
Under normal circumstances, no-one who reads Watchtower publications
regularly will come into contact with real clergymen - so who will challenge
the Watchtower image of the bumbling, servant of Satan? Ordinarily,
no-one - certainly no-one Jehovah's Witnesses will talk to, without
fear of being disfellowshipped. This suits the Watchtower Society's
purpose perfectly, for if other churches are led by clergymen, who all
make such glaringly vague and unclear statements, then there can be
no hope outside of the Watchtower organisation. Consider the following
examples:
"The Bible's teaching about the condition of the
dead leaves many of Christendom's clergymen in an awkward position.
The very book on which they claim to base their teachings, the Bible,
conflicts with their doctrines. Yet, consciously or unconsciously, they
feel impelled to reach into the Bible to seize on something to prove
their point, thereby blinding themselves and others to the truth. Often
this is done deliberately." - Is This Life All There Is? (1974)
pp.98, 99
On page 187 of the same book we read:
"The 'burning anger of Jehovah' is against all who
have misled their fellowmen by lying about God and his purpose. And
he does not hold guiltless those who support such men by attending their
religious services or being members of their organizations. The time
left before the execution of divine judgment is short. If you are a
lover of righteousness you need to act quickly to obey the Scriptural
command to break all ties with the world empire of false religion."
If Jehovah's Witnesses must stay away from other religious organisations,
how would the book's author possibly know what a clergyman might say
or do - 'consciously or unconsciously?'
The main point that needs to be understood is that the Watchtower Society
criticise other religious groups for having a clergy-laity distinction:
"Jesus, the Head, does not split up the body of
his congregation into a clergy class and a laity class of the 'common
people.'" Hence, every opportunity is taken to represent clergymen
as deliberate deceivers and pawns of Satan. Jesus has, however, according
to Watchtower teaching, divided Christians into two classes: "In
all, only 144,000 persons finally make up the 'congregation of God'…Christians
who hope to live forever on earth look for spiritual guidance from members
of this 'congregation of the living God.'" In contrast to the way clergymen
are written about, the 'anointed class' are always mentioned with complete
reverence and awe. For example, in The Watchtower, 1 June, 2005,
p.10 we read:
"The relatively few remaining anointed brothers
of Jesus still on earth can rely on Jehovah's promise: 'An incorruptible
and undefiled and unfading inheritance…is reserved in the heavens for
you, who are being safeguarded by God's power through faith for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the last period of time.' (1 Peter 1: 4, 5)…Some
of these faithful Christians have been anointed by God's spirit to become
joint rulers with Christ in heaven. They have been declared righteous
as spiritual sons of God, and to them these words apply: 'He delivered
us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom
of the Son of his love, by means of whom we have our release by ransom,
the forgiveness of our sins.' - Colossians 1: 13, 14."
It is wrong to have a clergy class who give spiritual guidance to a
laity class, but it is essential to have a 'little flock, anointed,
heavenly' class who give spiritual guidance to an 'other sheep, earth-inhabiting'
class! And the function of this 'anointed' class? "Heavenly priests";
some churches call their clergy 'priests.'
So what is the difference? When it comes down to it, the Watchtower
Society is being, at best, less than honest about their organisation
and at worst, totally hypocritical in their attitude. There are two
classes of Christian within the Jehovah's Witnesses - a concept totally
foreign to Scripture. Israel's priests were from the tribe of Levi,
yet they were still descendents of Israel. Christian pastors, overseers
(bishops) and elders are drawn from the Christian congregation, but
are not a separate class of Christian. The concept of a 'class' system
is not found in the Bible, therefore it is a man-made interpretation
of selected passages of Scripture, and is not in harmony with the revelation
God has given in the Bible.
In the passage above from You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth,
p.124, we read:
"At Revelation 14: 1, 3 the Bible says 'And I saw,
and, look! the Lamb [Jesus Christ] standing upon the [heavenly] Mount
Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand…who have been bought
[or, taken] from the earth." Note that only 144,000 persons are seen
with the Lamb, Jesus Christ, on heavenly Mount Zion."
This is a very serious statement especially as it comes from a publication
designed to inform and instruct prospective converts. But the Bible
does not say that the Lamb was standing on heavenly Mount Zion, or that
the 144,000 were 'taken' from the earth. The words 'heavenly' and 'taken'
are not mentioned or implied in Revelation 14:1 and 3, but have been
inserted, albeit in brackets, in order to push the reader into thinking
that what they have just read was Biblical. To confuse the casual reader
even more, they insert, also in brackets, the legitimate explanation
that 'the Lamb' refers to Jesus Christ in order to justify their later
use of brackets, making their wrong interpretations seem legitimate
also. Why is there a need to do this, unless they know that the Bible
does not teach what they are teaching?
KINGDOM BEGAN IN 1914
The Watchtower Society are, here, attempting to link in their teaching
that the Kingdom of God began in 1914. In the same publication, p.136,
we read:
"Yes, Jesus then began to rule over his congregation
of followers who, in time, were to join him in the heavens. Thus the
Bible speaks of them as being taken into 'the Son of [God's] love.'
(Colossians 1: 13) But this rule or 'kingdom' over Christians with the
hope of heavenly life is not the Kingdom government for which Jesus
taught his followers to pray. It is a kingdom over only the 144,000
persons who will rule with him in heaven. Down through the centuries
they have been its only subjects. Thus this rule, or 'kingdom of the
Son of God's love,' will end when the last one of these subjects with
a heavenly hope dies and joins Christ in heaven. No longer will they
be Christ's subjects, but they will then be kings with him in God's
long-promised Kingdom government."
Then, on p.141, it states that:
"In 1914 C.E. Jesus Christ began to rule as king
of God's heavenly government."
TWO ADMISSIONS
Important issues emerge from this; not least being the two admissions
that the Watchtower Society must hope no-one notices! Below I quote
a complete appendix note in the 1969 edition of The Kingdom Interlinear
Translation of the Greek Scriptures, p.1162
"Philippians 1: 23 - 'the releasing'. The verb a-na-ly'sai is used as
a verbal noun here. It occurs only once more in the Christian Greek
Scriptures, and that is at Luke 12:36, where it refers to Christ's return.
The related noun (a-na'ly-sis) occurs but once, at 2 Timothy 4:6, where
the apostle says: 'The due time for my releasing is imminent." At Luke
12:36, we have rendered the verb 'returns' because it refers to the
breaking away and departing of the servants' master from the wedding
feast, so dissolving the feast. But here at Philippians 1:23 we have
not rendered the verb as 'returning' or 'departing,' but as 'releasing.'
The reason is that the word may convey two thoughts, the apostle's
own releasing to be with Christ at his return and also the Lord's
releasing himself from the heavenly restraints and returning as he promised.
In no way is the apostle here saying that immediately at his death
he would be changed into spirit and would be with Christ forever.
Such getting to be with Christ the Lord will first be possible at Christ's
return, when the dead in Christ will rise first, according to the apostle's
own inspired statement at 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17. It is to this return
of Christ and the apostle's releasing to be always with the Lord that
Paul refers to at Philippians 1:23. He says there that two things are
immediately possible for him, namely, (1) to live on in the flesh and
(2) to die. Because of the circumstances to be considered, he expressed
himself as being under pressure from these two things, not knowing which
thing to choose as proper. Then he suggests a third thing, and this
thing he really desires. There is no question about his desire for this
thing as preferable, namely, the releasing, for it means his being with
Christ. The expression to a-na-ly'sai or the releasing cannot therefore
be applied to the apostle's death as a human creature and his departing
thus from this life. It must refer to the events at the time of Christ's
return and second presence, that is to say, his second coming and the
rising of all those dead in Christ to be with him forevermore. (Italic
emphasis added)
The reader should, at this point, check Philippians 1:23 and judge for
themselves what the apostle Paul meant. In case you are finding it difficult
to see the first admission, I hope the following is helpful.
The writer of Philippians 1:23 was the apostle Paul, whose encounter
with Jesus and conversion to the 'Way' of Christ is well documented
in the book of Acts, which also chronicles his remarkable journeys preaching
the gospel. His letters (epistles) to churches and close associates
form the majority of the New Testament, and have framed Christian teaching
and practice since the first century. The apostle Peter referred to
Paul's letters as 'Scripture' in 2 Peter 3:16, however, according to
the above Watchtower quote he did not expect, at his death, to immediately
be with Christ. What he was referring to was being with Christ after
he, along with other dead believers, had risen at the final resurrection.
However, according to the quotation from p.136, when members of the
144,000 'anointed class' die they go to join Christ in heaven. So when
we compare these writings, we can see that, according to Watchtower
teachings, the expectation of the 144,000 is of joining Christ immediately
upon death, but the apostle Paul could not expect to join Christ until
the resurrection. Therefore, the 144,000, including members of the Watchtower
organisation, have become more 'approved by God' than the apostle Paul,
who (by comparison) must be content to be one of the 'other sheep.'
There is another explanation, of course, that the Watchtower Society
has not represented Jehovah's true teaching. After all, it is not Watchtower
teaching that the apostle Paul should hold out hope for 'heavenly citizenship,'
yet missed the mark.
We must also emphasise that elsewhere - see among others, The Watchtower,
1 December 1964; The Watchtower, 15 December 1973 and The
Watchtower, 15 July 200 - Paul is shown to be a member of the 144,000
and this makes the above claim even more confusing.
SECOND ADMISSION
To highlight the second admission we quote from Reasoning from the
Scriptures (1985), p.100:
"What is the condition of the dead?
Eccl. 9:5 'The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the
dead, they are conscious of nothing at all."
Ps. 146:4 'His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that
day his thoughts…do perish.'…
Is there some part of man that lives on when the body dies?
Ezek. 18:4 'The soul…that is sinning - it itself will die.'
Isa. 53:12 'He poured out his soul…to the very death.'"
Also, a quote from Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (1995),
p.82:
"Jehovah clearly explained what death would mean
for the sinner Adam. God said: 'In the sweat of your face you will eat
bread until you return to the dust of the ground, for out of it you
were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.' (Genesis
3:19) Adam would return where? To the ground, to the dust from which
he had been created. At death Adam would simply cease to exist!"
The teaching Jehovah's Witnesses follow - and have always followed -
is that at death, humans cease to exist and become a thought in the
mind of Jehovah. If that is true, how can members of the 144,000, who
are human at death, "…die and join Christ in heaven?" If they die, they
cease to exist, so how can they join Christ in heaven after death?
These are two admissions that Jehovah's Witnesses need to see for themselves.
For if the Watchtower Society has printed an erroneous statement, can
they truly be the 'faithful and discreet slave'? If the statements are
true, has the teaching changed? If so, were they wrong before, and what
does that say about people who claim to be the 'faithful and discreet
slave'?
The Watchtower Society, in the 'You can live forever…' quotes
highlighted above, have again pushed the idea of the 144,000 having
being 'taken,' this time into the 'kingdom of the Son of God's love.'
In the New World Translation of Colossians 1: 13, we read
"He delivered us from the authority of the darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love…"
So how do they justify saying that the Bible speaks of them (the 144,000)
being 'taken into' the kingdom of the Son of God's love, words which
alter the meaning expressed in the text of Scripture? Cross referencing
with Revelation 14:1&3, as referred to on p.124 of the same publication
(quoted above) we see that the Watchtower Society needs to replace the
meaning of 'bought from the earth' with 'taken from the earth.' And
where is the 'authority of darkness?' Consider the words found on p.16
of 'You can live forever…';
"There is no need to guess at the matter. The Bible
clearly shows that an intelligent unseen person has been controlling
both men and nations. In the Bible, Jesus Christ calls this powerful
one 'the ruler of this world.' (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)
And on p.17:
"Think about what the Devil offered Jesus Christ.
It was 'all the kingdoms of the world.' Did all these worldly governments
really belong to the Devil? Yes, for how else could he have offered
them to Jesus? Jesus did not deny that they were Satan's, which he would
have done if Satan did not own them. Satan is really the unseen ruler
of all the nations of the world!"
So, in Watchtower thinking, being taken from the earth and being taken
into the kingdom of God's Son is one and the same event. The problem
is that it is not what the Bible actually says, so change a word here,
a word there - change the meaning a little, let it say what we want
it to say rather than allowing the real God's Word to change us! That's
the issue! And, had they not considered Jesus' words in John 8: 44:
"YOU are from YOUR father the Devil, and YOU
wish to do the desires of YOUR father. That one was a manslayer when
he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not
in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition,
because he is a liar and the father of [the lie]."
Jesus, therefore, did not necessarily accept Satan's claim on the world,
but refused to argue with the lie. He simply countered the lies of Satan
with the truth of the right application of God's Word - an excellent
example for us for when we are facing the Devil's attacks. Is it possible
that an organisation which claims to be God's sole visible channel on
earth wanted to deceive people about this, or worse, didn't know about
it?
If you read the whole of Colossians chapter 1 in context, there is no
hint of the 144,000 concept, and in the New World Translation, the verses
following verse 13, which should reflect the apostle's view of the deity
of Christ, have been altered by placing words in brackets to change
the original meaning. Such textual dishonesty is unforgivable. The Bible
either teaches something or it does not. If it does not, men actually
break God's command by altering the text, in brackets or not, for in
verse 27, when compared with the Kingdom Interlinear Translation it
can be seen that words, not in brackets this time, have been added to
the text in order to change it.
How does the Watchtower teaching relate to accurate Bible teachings?
The main Bible texts we need to look at are Luke 12:32; John 10:16;
Revelation 7:4 and 14:1,3.
Luke 12: 32
"Have no fear, little flock, because YOUR Father
has approved of giving YOU the kingdom." New World Translation
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to
give you the kingdom." New International Version
These are comforting words of Jesus to His disciples (v.22); encouragement
after hearing Jesus lay into the religious leaders of His day (11:37-54),
and addressing a crowd of thousands about judgments that were likely
to come upon those who follow Him seriously (12:1-12). He then delivered
a stinging rebuke to a pair of squabbling brothers. It would be natural
for the twelve disciples to wonder just what they had got themselves
into. Jesus is not insensitive to their feelings and says to them 'do
not worry' (v. 22), and 'do not be afraid' (v. 32). He addresses His
disciples as 'little flock' as a term of endearment, rather than an
indication of the number of those who would be in heaven. 'Give you
the kingdom' is reflected in Jesus' words in Luke 22:28-30:
"However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with
me in my trials; and I make a covenant with YOU just as my Father has
made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at
my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes
of Israel." New World Translation
"You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you
a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one to me, so that you may eat
and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." New International Version
The mistake the Watchtower Society has made is lifting a simple statement
of Jesus out of its natural context, and giving it a meaning it was
never meant to have. This reference, at Luke 22:28-30 would not fit
Watchtower teaching, as literal Israel is considered to be irrelevant
to the end times. The similar reference in Revelation 7 is, as we shall
see, interpreted symbolically to be the heavenly 'anointed' class by
Jehovah's Witnesses.
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." New World Translation
"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them
also. They, too, will listen to my voice, and they will be one flock
and one shepherd." New International Version
In most publications only the first part of the verse is quoted, for
the last part completely destroys what the Watchtower wants people to
believe. The Jehovah's Witnesses believe, as shown above, that Jesus
has called out a 144,000 'little flock' who are to be co-rulers with
Him in the Kingdom of God. Watchtower teaching is that Jesus is the
mediator of the 144,000, who in turn mediate for the 'other sheep.'
However the final part of the verse is clear - 'His' sheep and the 'other
sheep' will form 'one flock' with 'one shepherd.' The one shepherd is
Jesus which, therefore, means the Watchtower-style 144,000 would have
no function. Therefore the first part of the verse is wrenched out of
its natural setting in order to show that there are two classes of Christians,
a heavenly class and an earthly class, whilst the last part is ignored.
In 1 Timothy 2: 5 we read;
"For there is one God, and one mediator between
God and men, a man Christ Jesus." New World Translation
If the 144,000 teaching were true, and the 144,000 are also mediators,
then 1 Timothy 2: 5 would be a lie. However, it agrees with the last
part of John 10: 16 and is Biblical truth.
In the context of John 10, v.16 comes as part of Jesus' discourse about
being the Good Shepherd of the flock. Verses 3 and 4 record Jesus as
saying;
"The watchman opens the gate for him, and the
sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep out by name and leads
them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them,
and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."
As if to emphasise his point here, verse 5 continues;
"But they will never follow a stranger; in fact
they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's
voice." New International Version
As we have already seen, the 'other sheep' also listen to Jesus' voice.
Therefore, they literally become 'one flock with one shepherd.' What
did Jesus mean when he said 'I have other sheep who are not of this
fold.' Jesus was speaking as a Jew, to other Jews. This is confirmed
by verse 19. Therefore, the 'this fold' He spoke about is Judaism. What
about the 'other sheep?' The answer lies in references such as Acts
1:8; 8:4-8, Galatians 6:15 and Ephesians 2 that relate to the bringing
in the Gentiles to the same 'fold' as Jewish believers. These are the
'other sheep' who are given equal status as Christian believers, with
Jewish believers, without having to follow the whole of the Jewish law.
This is the natural meaning of the verse, consistent with the rest of
God's Word.
Revelation 7:4 and 14:1,3
"And I heard the number of those who were sealed,
a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel."
Rev. 7: 4, New World Translation
"Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all
the tribes of Israel." Rev. 7: 4, New International Version
This is the first time the number 144,000 is mentioned in Scripture.
That they are 'sealed' gives the Watchtower the reason to claim that
they are the only ones to join Jesus in heaven, or does it? The other
place the number is mentioned is in Revelation 14:
"And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon
the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having
his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And
I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the
sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was of singers who
accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. And they are
singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living
creatures and the elders; so that no one was able to master that song
but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the
earth." Verses 1 to 3, New World Translation
"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount
Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written
on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of
rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sounds I heard was
like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song
before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed
from the earth." Verses 1 to 3, New International Version
To explain all the imagery involved in these verses is a task too large
for this study, however, we can cover various points which are vital
to the understanding of the issues.
First, from these verses in Revelation, Jehovah's Witnesses claim that
Jesus revealed that the 'upper' class of Christians numbered 144,000
and that these were in heaven. In Revelation 14:1, we see that the Lamb
and the 144,000 are standing on Mount Zion. This was the main mountain
upon which Jerusalem was built, and was often a synonym for the city
itself. As already shown the Watchtower Society wants to push the idea
that this was 'heavenly Mount Zion' rather than its physical counterpart.
It is sufficient to say that the Bible passage itself does not support
their view.
Revelation 7 names the tribes of Israel which the 144,000 represented
and this part of the passage is rarely covered in Watchtower publications.
This specifically nominates the 144,000 as Jewish, but Jehovah's Witnesses
do not admit to the significance of the Jewish people. The Society say
that this refers to 'spiritual' Jews and not the literal tribes of Israel.
They seek some justification for this by pointing out that the tribes
in Revelation 7 do not match those of Exodus 1.
G.R. Beasley-Murray says of this in The New Bible Commentary
(1977), p.1290
"5-8 The enumeration of the tribes one by one here serves to emphasize
the completeness of the number of God's saints for whom He cares during
the coming ordeal. For the church as the true Israel cf. Rom. 2:28;
Gal. 3:29; 6:16; Phil. 3:3; Jas. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1 with 2:9. The order
of the tribes is curious in a number of ways. Judah heads the list,
an unusual procedure amongst the Jews; here it is because it is the
tribe of the Messiah. Dan is omitted whereas Manasseh appears, although
the latter is included in Joseph. Irenaeus explained this as being due
to the ancient belief that antichrist was to spring from Dan. The half-tribe
of Manasseh was then inserted to make up the twelve. Buchanan Gray discovered
that if vv. 5c, 6 (i.e. Gad to Manasseh) were placed after v. 8, the
list would conform to the usual enumeration of the Jewish tribes by
which they are arranged according to descent by their mothers: the sons
of Leah are Judah to Benjamin; the sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin;
the sons of Leah's handmaid, Gad and Asher; the sons of Rachel's handmaid,
Naphtali and Dan (here replaced by Manasseh). It is possible that our
text originally maintained this order but suffered a dislocation by
a copyist in early days."
We can also add that if the writer intended to show a 'spiritual' Israel,
why go to the lengths of detailing the tribes represented? The nation
of Israel continues to be important to God's prophetic revelation from
beginning to end; that is what is being stressed.
In Revelation 7, after the listing of the tribes of Israel, we read
about 'a great crowd, which no man was able
to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues…' These,
say Jehovah's Witnesses, are the 'other sheep' - faithful Witnesses
who are not in heaven, but on the earth - they are not the same class
of the 144,000 'anointed' ones. However, the passage (v.9) informs us
that they were 'before the throne,' but according to the Watchtower
Society this does not indicate heaven, but the earth. However, Revelation
14:3, we learn that the 144,000 were 'before the throne,' but, as we
have seen, the Watchtower Society wants people to believe that means
in heaven. So the 144,000 and the 'great crowd' are in precisely the
same place! We have further information about the 144,000 in Revelation
14:4,5:
"These are the ones that did not defile themselves
with women, in fact they were virgins. These are the ones that keep
following the Lamb no matter where he goes. These were bought from among
mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and no falsehood was
found in their mouths, they are without blemish." New World Translation
"These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they
kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were
purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.
No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless." New International
Version
This is very specific information which does not seem to find its way
into Watchtower articles. Many Jehovah's Witnesses will seek to spiritualise
these verses; virgins, for example, has been taken to mean that these
persons had not allowed themselves to be influenced by 'apostate teachings.'
However, the reference to 'no falsehood was found in their mouths' and
being 'without blemish' is, at best, semi-literal in that it proves
that the Watchtower Society teachings are 'the truth.' However they
do not seem to ever say that the 144,000 were morally pure in every
way, which, actually, seems to be more likely than any of the spiritualised
meanings.
CONCLUSION
How authentic is the 144,000 teaching? In every area we have shown this
teaching to be false - based on misinterpretation of biblical texts.
A more rigorous study of many of the quoted texts would show that, on
the basis of personal and corporate identification with the sacrificial
death and physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, all who die
in Christ join Him immediately after death occurs. Therefore, all true
Christians have the hope of heavenly life, because the Lord Jesus Christ
is, bodily, in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.
As the Watchtower teaching about the 144,000 is false, all teachings
connected with it must, at best, be questionable. This includes the
impossible notion of the kingdom being installed in 1914. In fact, so
many of the Watchtower teachings collapse with the 144,000 doctrine
that any Jehovah's Witness who reviews these things honestly and Biblically
must, surely, abandon them as false, and seek for the true. And the
true exists outside the scope of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.
The true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the whole company of people
who have entered into a personal relationship with the Father, through
Jesus Christ the Son, and in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
This is true Bible centred Christianity, and makes sense of the entire
New Testament record.
All Jehovah's Witnesses are warmly invited to thoroughly investigate
these matters. The true Church of God is waiting to welcome them home.
Scriptures
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said
to his disciples: 'If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown
himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me.' back
John 5:28, 29 Do not marvel at this, because the hour
is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice
and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those
who practice vile things to a resurrection of judgment. back
Hebrews 12:22 But YOU have approached a Mount Zion
and a city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem…) back
1 Timothy 3:15 … but in case I am delayed, that you
may know how you ought to conduct yourself in God's household, which
is the congregation of [the] living God, a pillar and support of truth.
back
Revelation 7:4 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… back
Matthew 5: 20; 6: 9, 10 For I say to YOU that if YOUR
righteousness does not abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees,
YOU will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens; "YOU must
pray, then, this way: Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.
Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also
upon the earth…" back
Revelation 5: 9, 10 And they sing a new song, saying:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and open the seals, because you were
slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every
tribe and tongue and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests
to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth." KIT "… upon
(epi) the earth". back
Ephesians 1: 9-12 "… in that he made known to us the
sacred secret (KIT mystery) of his will. It is according to his good
pleasure which he purposed in himself for the administration at the
full limit of the appointed times, namely to gather all things together
in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.
[Yes,] in him, in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs, in
that we were foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates
all things according to the way his will counsels, that we should serve
for the praise of his glory, we who have been first to hope in the Christ."
"And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good
pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put in effect when the
times have reached their fulfilment - to bring all things in heaven
and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also
chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works
out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order
that we, who were first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of
his glory." New International Version. (NIV) back
Revelation 20: 4 And I saw the thrones and there were
those who sat down on them, and the power of judging was given them.
Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they
bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped
neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark
upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ
for a thousand years." back
Hebrews 2:17,18 "You made him a little lower than
angels: with glory and honour you crowned him, and appointed him over
the works of your hands. All things you subjected all things to him
[God] left nothing that was not subject to him. Now, though, we do not
yet see all things in subjection to him." back
Revelation 21: 2 - 4 I saw also the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. With that I heard a loud voice from the throne
say; Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with
them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.
And he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more,
neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things
have passed away." back
John 1: 29 The next day he beheld Jesus coming toward
him, and he said: 'See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the
world!' back
Romans 6: 5 For if we have become united with him
in the likeness of his death, we shall also be [united with him in the
likeness] of his resurrection. 'If we have been united with him like
this in his death, we shall certainly also be united with him in his
resurrection.' NIV back
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