Jehovah's Witnesses : How exactly are you going to inherit the earth without being heirs with Christ?

You are correct about the identity of the "little flock" and the "other sheep". JWs think that the "little flock" is their elite "anointed class" of 144,000 who will go to heaven and the "other sheep" are everyone else who will live eternally on earth. It is one of the more obvious features of the Bible that the "little flock" refers to the Jews and the "other sheep" are Gentiles. This is an obvious teaching from the bible, whereas the teaching that Jesus is actually Michael the Archangel is totally contrived, yet JWs cling to the "Jesus = Michael" teaching and totally misapply the identities of the "little flock" and of the "other sheep". The logic behind this is baffling!

I think it is interesting to note what Psalm 115:15, 16 says (NWT)- "YOU are the ones blessed by Jehovah,

The Maker of heaven and earth. As regards the heavens, to Jehovah the heavens belong, But the earth he has given to the sons of men."

Also Jeremiah 27:5 (NWT)- "I myself have made the earth, mankind and the beasts that are upon the surface of the earth by my great power and by my stretched-out arm; and I have given it to whom it has proved right in my eyes."

If God gave the earth to the "the sons of men" who are "right in his eyes", then how can it be that only 144,000 are "heirs"? The key, as you pointed out, is in Ephesians 3:6. JWs say that Paul wrote that particular scripture exclusively to the 144,000. Interestingly, their NWT Bible cross- references this verse with Galatians 3:14, which states; "The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham might come to be by means of Jesus Christ for the nations, that we might receive the promised spirit through our faith." What was the "blessing of Abraham"? JWs do not believe that Abraham is of the elite 144,000 class. I ask, then, what Abraham's blessing has to do with being a "sharer in the promise in Jesus Christ"? According to JWs, that "promise" that Paul is speaking of is being an heir (one of the literal 144,000) of the kingdom, is it not?

Clearly the JWs (once again) have interpreted something wrong and yet claim that they exclusively have God's direction. The Governing Body is just shooting in the dark, hoping they hit on the truth. In reality, they fail to hit the mark on many occasions. I, for one, no longer follow the teachings of nine total strangers in Brooklyn. I follow the teachings of Christ and his Father as outlined in the Bible. Nothing more is required or necessary!

"HOW EXACTLY ARE YOU GOING TO INHERIT THE EARTH WITHOUT BEING HEIRS WITH CHRIST"

No, they are heirs of the Kingdom. John 3:3 states that no man will see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. So, since thats the case, how are all the prophets of old going to inherit the kingdom since they were not born again too?

The fact is, this inheritance was only given to the little flock, along with Jesus Christ.

ASV Bible

Luke 12:32

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

We all have the chance to inherit eternal life, and thats the prospect we all have.

So, how are we going to inherit the earth? Its not speaking that of a literal planet, but of the ground of which we may live. with that said, we are also to possess it -Psalms 37:11

Knowing all these things, Jehovah God is the one who all these things belong to.

UPDATE:

Anna quote:

Anna, here is where your error are in your statements.

1 - "The little flock and the other sheep were brought together in ONE fold, with ONE hope, ONE shephard."

2 -"The prophecy of bringing other sheep into the fold is fulfilled"

Whats wrong with these statements is that you said that Jesus prophecy stated that he brings the other sheep into the fold, well the scripture doesn't say that. Reading the context of the verse, the sheep are not brought into the other fold, they only become one flock. So its actually speaking of followers of Jesus Christ and not that of the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews and Gentiles are actually describe by the olive tree.

--Ezekial 36:26-27--

This doesn't support any of the prophets of old being born again. Based on the accounts of the Hebrew scriptures, none of them expected to be resurrected into to Heaven, they were actually expecting to be raise physically. As for the anointed Christians, they called the fleshly body a tent, unlike those prophets of old.

the faithful inherit the earth living under Christ as ruler, the loyal dead are resurrected and together those living during the final days and the resurrected live serving God on a peaceful earth eternally.

There are religions that claim to be Christians that are from false prophets. The JW, Mormons and others have their own Bible thus the Holy Bible isn't what they want to hear. One test to go by is: If you have to learn your way into heaven it isn't from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Sprint will lead you into the Truth not works. The JW haven't read the Bible Jesus said there will be a new Haven and earth. So let them have the old one. I pray they will see the light, & I am glad I am not their judge.

They first must believe that Christ is the door...No man /woman enters without him.........

"What does it mean to be a born again Christian?"

What does it mean to be a born again Christian? The classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1-21. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (a ruler of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night. Nicodemus had questions to ask Jesus.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said "...Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again...." (John 3:3-7).

The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart--a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12,13 indicates that "born again" also carries the idea "to become children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.

The question logically comes, "Why does a person need to be born again?" The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins..." To the Romans in Romans 3:23, the Apostle wrote, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So, a person needs to be born again in order to have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:8,9 states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." When one is "saved," he/she has been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is what it means to be "born again" spiritually. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation..." (2 Corinthians 5:17a).

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).

NO WHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES DOES JESUS SAY THAT ONLY 144,000 ARE TO BE BORN AGAIN.

Please stop allowing men to tell you what the scriptures mean. Read the Bible and listen to GOD and ONLY GOD.

Why is it necessary for any Christians to be “born again”?

God has purposed to associate a limited number of faithful humans with Jesus Christ in the heavenly Kingdom

Luke 12:32: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.”

Rev. 14:1-3: “I saw, and, look! the Lamb [Jesus Christ] standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand . . . who have been bought from the earth.” (See pages 166, 167, under the heading “Heaven.”)

Humans cannot go to heaven with bodies of flesh and blood

1 Cor. 15:50: “This I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.”

John 3:6: “What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit.”

Only persons who have been “born again,” thus becoming God’s sons, can share in the heavenly Kingdom

John 1:12, 13: “As many as did receive him [Jesus Christ], to them he gave authority to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith in his name; and they were born, not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God.” (“As many as did receive him” does not mean all humans who have put faith in Christ. Notice who is being referred to, as indicated by verse 11 [“his own people,” the Jews]. The same privilege has been extended to others of mankind, but only to a “little flock.”)

Rom. 8:16, 17: “The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.”

1 Pet. 1:3, 4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you.”

What will they do in heaven?

Rev. 20:6: “They will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”

1 Cor. 6:2: “Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?”

Can a person who is not “born again” be saved?

Rev. 7:9, 10, 17: “After these things [after the apostle John heard the number of those who would be “born again,” those who would make up spiritual Israel and would be with Christ in heaven; compare Romans 2:28, 29 and Galatians 3:26-29] 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. 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.’ . . . ‘The Lamb [Jesus Christ], who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life.’”

After listing many pre-Christian persons of faith, Hebrews 11:39, 40 says: “All these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (Who are here meant by “us”? Hebrews 3:1 shows that they are “partakers of the heavenly calling.” The pre-Christian persons who had faith, then, must have a hope for perfect life somewhere other than in heaven.)

Ps. 37:29: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”

Rev. 21:3, 4: “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 out 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.”

Is it possible for a person to have God’s spirit and yet not be “born again”?

Regarding John the baptizer, Jehovah’s angel said: “He will be filled with holy spirit right from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:15) And Jesus later said: “Among those born of women there has not been raised up a greater than John the Baptist; but a person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is [Why? Because John will not be in the heavens and so there was no need for him to be “born again”]. But from the days of John the Baptist until now [when Jesus stated this] the kingdom of the heavens is the goal toward which men press.”—Matt. 11:11, 12.

The spirit of Jehovah was “operative” upon David and “spoke” by him (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 23:2), but nowhere does the Bible say that he was “born again.” There was no need for him to be “born again,” because, as Acts 2:34 says: “David did not ascend to the heavens.”

source:L

Reasoning from the Scriptures

Published by Jehovah's Witnesses

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Why did ANna say: "The little flock and the other sheep were brought together in ONE fold, with "ONE HOPE", ONE shephard."??

While John 10:16 says: "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"

Was the phrase "ONE HOPE" was added by anna?

Apostle paul wrote: "Do not go beyond the things that are written" (1Cor4:6)

Very interesting. You make an excellent point that I had never seen before. Nice job.

Some more food for thought:

JW's, the overwhelming majority anyway, do not partake of the bread and the wine either. As I remember, Christ said do this in remembrance of me, right? He didn't say keep doing this in remembrance of me....but only if you are one of the 144,000 annointed ones....and not if you have an earthly hope.

Great question. The offer of God is the same for all of us. The offer of the Watchtower is for all that rather follow manmade religion

After Christ's Millennial Reign, every surviving human on earth will be just as fully a child of God as any anointed former human in heaven. Being an "heir of God" is not exactly synonymous with being an "heir with Christ".

Does the questioner pretend that every child receives the exact same inheritance as every one of his siblings? Perhaps the questioner will consider whether she believes that each individual anointed Christian will receive an inheritance identical to that received by his "joint heir", Christ himself.

.. ..(Colossians 1:16) All things have been created through him and for him.

.. ..(Matthew 11:27) All things have been delivered to me by my Father

.. ..(1 Corinthians 15:27) God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that it is with the exception of the one who subjected all things to him.

.. ..(Hebrews 2:8) All things you subjected under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him God left nothing that is not subject to him.

Just as Jesus receives the unique inheritance of "all things", so too those anointed by God receive the unique inheritance of heavenly life administering God's Kingdom, and the earthly subjects inherit the restored paradise earth in a literal way. It seems rather obvious that EVERYONE who faithfully "conquers" enjoys both an intimate parent-child relationship with God AND the inheritances that come with that.

The matter is discussed well in the Jehovah's Witness publication "Revelation - Its Grand Climax At Hand". Consider this from page 304.. ..

[quote]

“Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7) ...The [earthly] great crowd out of all nations also look to this promise. They too must conquer, loyally serving God until they come out of the great tribulation. Then they will enter into their earthly inheritance, ‘the kingdom prepared for them from the founding of the world.’ (Matthew 25:34) These and others of the Lord’s earthly sheep who pass the test at the end of the thousand years are called “holy ones.” (Revelation 20:9) They will enjoy a sacred and filial [family] relationship with their Creator, Jehovah God

[end quote]

Thus, every true Christian will be an heir; every true Christian will be child of God; every true Christian will receive an inheritance. Interestingly, the expression "heirs with Christ" is only used once in the Bible, and the Bible writer rather plainly demonstrates his understanding that being a 'joint heir of Christ' is a subset of all the "heirs indeed of God". Among the totality of all heirs who will eventually receive inheritances, those heirs resurrected to heaven are merely the "firstfruits". Whom does the questioner believe will constitute the latter heir "fruitage", if not those who come to enjoy perfection on earth?

.. ..(Romans 8:17,21-23) If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, BUT joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together. ...creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now. 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.[emphasis added]

Again, the expression "heirs with Christ" refers the specific inheritance of this limited group, rather than to the more general inheritances of all of God's children.

.. ..(Romans 8:17) We are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ

Does the Bible detail the particular inheritance of this relatively little group which Romans calls "joint heirs with Christ"? Yes.

.. ..(Luke 12:32) Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom [to administer].

.. ..(Revelation 1:6) He made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—yes, to him be the glory and the might forever.

.. ..(Luke 22:29-30) I make a covenant with you [anointed Christian], just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, that you [anointed Christians] may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom [in heaven]

Thanks for a fun question!