If Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will be saved, how does the 144,001st one feel?

Actually, we know, not just believe, that there will be an unknown number of humans who will be saved. There will be well over 144,000 people who will be saved. We do know that there will only be 144,000 persons who will be saved to heavenly life to rule with Christ in God's kingdom government. The rest of those who will be saved will be subjects of that government on the earthly paradise. So there is no problem when you know all the facts that the Bible points out.

People saved: 144,000 persons for heaven (government) and a great crowd of an indefinite number on earth, and future resurrected ones (citizens)

Psalms 37:29 "the righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it."

2 Peter 3:13 "a new earth in which righteousness is to dwell."

Don't worry, you aren't the first to have the wrong understanding of JW beliefs, and you most assuredly won't be the last.

If you go to Revelation 14:1,4 it explains how the 144,000 have been "bought from among mankind" to heaven. Chapter 20:4,6 says that these ones will sit on thrones in God's heavenly kingdom, and will rule as kings and priests with Jesus Christ.

What will this kingdom do? Who will it rule over?

Check out Daniel 2:44. There, after speaking of world powers present [of his day] and future], he records:

"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever."

So God intends by means of this kingdom to remove all earthly ruling powers [kingdoms and governments] and have this kingdom stand in their stead.

Note how this is affirmed in Daniel 7:13,14: "I kept watching in the visions of the night, and look! with the clouds of the heavens, someone like a son of man [Jesus] was coming; and he gained access to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him up close before that One. 14 And to him there were given rulership, honor, and a kingdom, that the peoples, nations, and language groups should all serve him. His rulership is an everlasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed."

Now, ask yourself, where are "peoples, nations, and language groups"? Heaven? No, earth. And that aligns with the Lord's prayer where Jesus encouraged his followers to pray at Matthew 6:10 [KJV]: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven."

Those who will end up having the opportunity to live unendingly on earth, according to God's original purpose for humans, may well number into many millions, even billions.

If you are curious to learn how that could be possible, why not visit:

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/?start=48

where you can download the book, "What Does the Bible Really Teach."

You may find chapters 3, 7 & 8 of particular interest.

There is a future government and there are future constituents of that government.

A government is always smaller than the number they rule over.

The government is God's Kingdom, and the "unnumbered" are the ones who will be ruled over - on earth.

The Kingdom government is made up of the 144,000 "bought from among mankind" (Revelation 14:4) to be part of that government.

They are "bought" out of "every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation" to be priests and kings over the earth. - Revelation 5:9 and 10, Revelation 20:6.

So those future constituents are also hand selected to live here on earth.

It is a blessing of untold joy to be of the 144,000, but it is a great privilege for a person to know that they have been singled out by Jehovah himself to live in the new earth and to be part of the FOUNDATION of a new world as part of the great crowd that will welcome the resurrected ones back to life on an earth that they have had a part in preparing as the paradise.

There is much information on JW.ORG that can help answer your question and many others you may have.

No, no, no. Jehovah's Witnesses know from the Bible that only 144,000 Christians go to heaven.

All other Christians will live in paradise on earth forever.

The Bible is always correct.

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:

Revelation 7:9-10After 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.”

Yet another person who has not listened to a JW, but just to someone parroting about them and getting it all wrong.

Plus

@doug b - we do NOT sell anything. All our literature, books, bibles, mags are given free to interested persons.

@eddie - if you know your Bible you will see that the tribes listed are not the tribes of Israel as they are only representing spiritual Israel. You will recall that Jehovah rejected the Jews as his special people when they rejected his son, Jesus. The Bible tells us he turned his attention to the Nations for his people. Hence, no, the tribes are not all Jews, nor are they all virgins in a physical sense - it means they are not debauched by the Whore of Babylon - which the Bible calls false religions.

Your idea is totally wrong. The Bible, which Jehovah's Witnesses believe, says ther is a great crowd which no man can number who will survive the end of this world, You can read about them in your own Bible at Revelation 7:9-17.

Then there are unnumbered millions who will be resurrected into God's new world promised in the Bible in many places. Jesus promised this in John 5:28, 29

Here is Jesus instrictions for our day.

"36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.

43 “But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account YOU too prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that YOU do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming."___Mathew 24:36-44

You need to take seriously what Jws tell you.

http://www.jw.org/en/

Harpazo = Rapture

END-TIME BIBLE PROPHECY

The Messiah Lord Jesus said BIRTH PANGS would signal the time of the end (Matthew 24:8). There are NINE birth pangs, they are all PRE-TRIBULATIONAL and the 1st three already occurred.

The first birth pang was worldwide conflict coupled with famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7-8). Worldwide conflict was fulfilled in 1914-1918, major famines happened in 1918-1921 and most of the world’s major earthquakes began to occur since 1900.

The second birth pang was the restoration of a Jewish State (Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 22:17-22; Ezekiel 36:22-24; Zephaniah 2:1-2). This was fulfilled in 1948.

The third birth pang was Jewish control of the Old City of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2). For the third Jewish Temple (Tribulation Temple) to be rebuilt, Jerusalem needs to be under Jewish control and this was accomplished in the Six Day War in 1967.

The fourth birth pang will be the Ezekiel 38 war. Russia, allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany and Armenia will invade Israel. God will miraculously destroy the invading army by earthquake, civil war among the invading soldiers, pestilence, blood, flood, hailstones, fire and brimstone. This will bring a revival in Israel where many Jews will turn to the Lord, and Israel will spend 7 years and 7 months burying the bodies and burning for fuel the military equipment left behind (Ezekiel 39:9-16).

The 5th birth pang will be the development of a one world government (Daniel 7:23-24).

The 6th birth pang will be the splitting of the one world government into 10 kingdoms and this Ten Kingdom Stage will continue until mid-Tribulation (Daniel 7:24).

The 7th birth pang will be the revelation of the Antichrist (II Thessalonians 2:1-3; Daniel 7:24).

The 8th birth pang will be a period of peace and false security that will be shattered by the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

The 9th and final birth pang before the Tribulation is the signing of the 7-year covenant between Israel and the Antichrist. THIS EVENT IS WHAT BEGINS THE (7-year) TRIBULATION - NOT THE RAPTURE!

The Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) is also a pre-tribulational event (Luke 21:34-37; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:6-8). The fact that the Church is not mentioned in any of the Tribulation Scriptures proves the Rapture is pre-tribulational. All raptured Christians will receive glorified bodies (Romans 8:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54)) and it can happen at any second.

THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 6-9 AND 17)

The Ministry of 144,000 sealed Jewish believers will bring many throughout the world to accept Christ.

There will be a powerful Ministry of Two Witnesses who will also be anointed Jewish believers.

A one world religious system (Babylon the Harlot) will rule. Under this one world religious system, many who are saved during the Tribulation will suffer persecution and death.

The Political system of the 10 kings of the one world government will continue.

During the first half of the Tribulation there will also be war, worldwide famine, death (1/4 of the world’s population will die), a huge earthquake, a blackout and a meteor shower. 1/3 of earth’s dry surface will be destroyed, 1/3 sea life and salt water will be destroyed, a fallen angel called Wormwood will make 1/3 of earth’s fresh water bitter, 1/3 of earth’s natural light sources will be destroyed, there will be another blackout and demons in the form of “locust-scorpions” will come up out of the abyss led by Abaddon their king and they will inflict harm and pain for five months upon those who are not sealed by God (unbelievers). Another demonic invasion will occur and the demons involved will be led by four fallen angels who will be released from the Euphrates River and this army will kill 1/3 of the earth’s population.

MID-TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 10-14 AND 17)

The Antichrist will war against the 10 kings, and during the war the Antichrist will be killed.

Satan will be cast out of the atmospheric heavens onto earth and will resurrect the Antichrist.

The Antichrist will kill 3 kings (the kings of Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia) and the 7 other kings will submit to him.

The Antichrist will kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem and the wicked people will celebrate this event. Three and a half days afterwards, God will resurrect the Two Witnesses and take them up to Heaven and the people who celebrated will become terrified. The city of Jerusalem where the murder of the Two Witnesses occurred will then suffer an earthquake which will kill 7,000 people.

The False Prophet will receive from Satan the power to perform great miracles and will deceive many. The False Prophet will command all people to worship the Antichrist and have persons create an image to the Antichrist. The False Prophet will use his satanic powers to give it life and the ability to speak. The False Prophet will cause those who refuse to worship the Antichrist and the image to be killed.

The False Prophet will issue his own counterfeit seal known as the Mark of the Beast and it will be placed on all those who surrender to the Antichrist’s authority and accept him as god. Those who refuse to take this mark will not be able to buy or sell. Those who take this mark will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

The Antichrist will break the seven-year covenant he made with Israel, cause the sacrifices to stop, sit in the Jewish Temple, declare to the world that he is really God and set up an idol called the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15-16; 11Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:11-15).

Through the Antichrist and the False Prophet, Satan will attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all but he will fail because 1/3 of the Jews will succeed in fleeing into the wilderness. These Jews who escape will accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour during the Tribulation (Zechariah 13:7-9) and while they are in hiding, God will miraculously provide for them (Zechariah 13:8-9; Isaiah 41:17-20). Divine intervention will also destroy the pursuing army.

THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES FOUND IN REVELATION 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)

In the second half of the Tribulation, those with the Mark of the Beast will suffer skin sores, the remainder of sea water and fresh water will be destroyed, the sun will cause terrible burns and the wicked will blaspheme God. There will be yet another blackout and persons will suffer gnawing pains.

Babylon will be the center of world economy and political system but Babylon will be swiftly destroyed by fire and become uninhabitable for man.

The Antichrist will locate the Jews who sought refuge in the wilderness and surround them with his armies to wipe them out. The Lord Jesus will then descend from Heaven with His angels and Saints. He will come with great glory riding upon a horse and will destroy the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all of their armies. After this, a loud voice will cry out “It is done!” followed by the greatest earthquake in the earth’s history and hail weighing 120 pounds will fall.

At the end of the Tribulation, there will be another blackout, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken (Matthew 24:29), the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be thrown into the eternal Lake of Fire and Satan will be cast into the Abyss and bound for 1,000 years.

THE MILLENNIUM

The Lord Jesus will reign over the entire earth during the Millennium. The Jewish and Gentile believers who survive the Tribulation will go on to populate the Millennium. Believers who died before and during the Tribulation and believers who were raptured will be present on earth during the Millennium and because they will have glorified bodies they will not reproduce. All believers will be given special tasks by the Lord Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6). There will be no wars (Isaiah 2:2-4), animals will return to the Edenic state and become vegetarians (Isaiah 11:6-9), people will not labour in vain but eat what they plant and inhabit what they build, there will be renovations in the heavens and earth and there will be righteous and unrighteous children born during the Millennium (Isaiah 65:17-25).

At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed from the Abyss and will deceive and gather the unrighteous for a war against the righteous. This will be his final attempt to destroy the righteous and when the unrighteous of the Millennium surround the good people, God will send fire down from Heaven which will suddenly and massively annihilate all of the wicked people. Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will remain in torment for eternity (Revelation 20:7-10).

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

The Great White Throne Judgment will be the next main event. The old heavens and earth will be done away with and all will stand before God’s throne to be judged (Revelation 20:11-12). Those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire which will be their final and eternal abode (Revelation 20:14-15).

THE ETERNAL ORDER (REVELATION 21 AND 22)

Those whose names are found in the Book of Life will enjoy paradise with God forever. The heavens and earth will be made new and the New Jerusalem will come down upon the earth making the earth like Heaven. All curses from the fall will be removed and the earth will be inhabited by the Triune God (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit), all angels and all of the righteous. The seas, moon, night and sun will be done away with and the glory of God will illuminate the earth. The River of Life will flow from God’s throne, the Tree of Life will bear health-giving fruits and leaves and the name of Jesus will be on the foreheads of all of the righteous.

God’s Plan of Salvation for Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkDk1GZ7do

Not accurate...

The 144,000 are those chosen for a heavenly future...to be with Jesus as " kings and priests" and be involved in the judging...

A small number out of all who have EVER died...

Buit there are more decent people than that...and they are catered for...

(Revelation 7:9) 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.

These ones have been considered acceptable to continue living on the earth...without ever having to die...

(Revelation 21:4) 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.”

So when it comes to what people believe, LETS BE ACCURATE.

It doesn't cause any problem to them because they have a two tier system.

Before 1935, JWs believed that all Christians had one hope...a heavenly one.

Their second leader ,JF Rutherford closed the gates to heaven and developed the teaching of two different hopes.

The 144000 elite go to heaven and the rest ,the Great Crowd,will remain on a paradise earth .

Interestingly , Revelation 7 has the Great Crowd in heaven, in the inner sanctuary, but the Watchtower claims that it is symbolic.

Like the guy who just missed getting Beatles tickets at Candlestick Park.