The Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the 144,000 in the book of Revelation are JW's, Why?

To be accurate, what they claim is that since the time of Jesus, only 144,000 persons can be born again and "anointed" or filled with God's Spirit. They say the first century apostles and disciples were part of this limited number, those who have been singled out to reign with Christ Jesus as kings and priests from heaven.

They also claim that not all first century Christians had a heavenly hope (but without any biblical evidence to back that up), and that a great apostasy set in meaning there were only a handful of "anointed" and Spirit filled Christians right up until the late 19th century.

What they claim is that Jehovah has abandoned Israel (because they killed Jesus) and has now appointed Jehovah's Witnesses as his earthly organization. The "anointed remnant" are now part of this heavenly ruling class - and at the last count, there were about 19,521 of them.

They think they have restored "true religion" and that Jehovah has adopted their "anointed remnant" as "spiritual Israel". None of that is in the Bible, of course.

The Bible nowhere says God has abandoned Israel. On the contrary, Scripture says all Israel will be saved.

The Bible nowhere says God has appointed a "spiritual Israel" made up of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Bible says that the 144,000 are Jews. See the article in the link below for biblical proof.

It is a figurative number that was taken as literal and out of context by the JWs, while ignoring the immediate context of the 12 tribes and labeling them as figurative.

Coincidentally, there is also 144 cubits in Revelation 21:17 "He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement."

And what did the Watchtower say about that measurement, you might ask?

"Only a symbolic city could have the dimensions and splendor of New Jerusalem. Its base was foursquare, about 555 km (345 mi) on each side, or about 2,220 km (1,379 mi) completely around, that is, 12,000 furlongs. Being a cube, the city was also as high as it was long and wide. No man-made city could ever reach that far into “outer space.” Round about was a wall 144 cubits (64 m; 210 ft) high."

All these things added up together makes the Watchtower version of a religion suggestive in nature, they are false teachers, blind leading the blind!

Edit to Tim:

The term "Israel" can refer to the people OR it can refer to the land given to God's people.

In the New World, the entire planet will the land of God's people or in this context, Israel.

Those born again spirit anointed spiritual Jews, the Israel of God, will rule with Christ over the 12 tribes of Israel, or the entire earth, made up of those who, not only survived the Great Tribulation, but also those resurrected back from life.

The number '12' in scripture can represent the 'full number' or 'complete' Thus the entire New World, the entire Earth will be ruled over by Spiritual Israel, Christ's body, Christ's bride.

The difference between Rev 7:4-8 and verse 9-17

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Edit:

I love it when people misquote Romans 11:25, 26.

My ESV bible at the start of Romans 11 has the subtitle:

"The Remnant of Israel" for Romans 11:1-10

The next subtitle is:

"Gentiles Grafted In" for verse 11-24

What are Gentiles grafted into? The Remnant of Israel.

Jews and Gentiles become God's people, one nation made up of Jews of the heart and not of the flesh, whose glory comes from God and not the flesh.

The third subtitle to this chapter is:

"The Mystery of Israel's Salvation" verses 25-36.

Vs 25 "a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."

Here Paul is contrasting fleshly Israel, with spiritual Israel (made up of both Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Christ who make up the full number of 144,000)

Vs 26  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

In what way is all of Israel saved? The fleshly Israel? NO the spiritual Israel made up of Jews and Gentiles.

The grafting in of the wild olive branches, (the Gentile) onto the tree of God's people.

What promise was made to the fleshly Israelites?

(Exodus 19:5, 6) “5 Now IF you will strictly obey my voice and KEEP my covenant, you WILL certainly become my special property out of all peoples, for the whole earth belongs to me. 6 You will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”” (CAPS by me)

Did fleshly Israel Keep God's commandments? NO

Did fleshly Israel "strictly obey my voice"? No they rejected God's voice when Jehovah said:

"This is my Son, the beloved".

Since fleshly Israel rejected Jehovah and his Son, Jehovah rejects them as his people. (except for a remnant who remain on the olive tree. (Rom 11:1-26)

Who is the holy nation today? Who are the special property of God today? We don't have to guess.

(1 Peter 2:9, 10) “9 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies” of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people; . . .”

Praise be to the God and Father, for saving the Gentiles and making them his people.

So neither is circumcision or uncircumcision anything, but a NEW CREATION is.

What is this new creation? The Spiritual Israel of God!

BG and Tim: in your teaching, Jesus made a mistake when he named the fleshly nation of Israel, (Rev 7)

In my understanding Jesus purposely renamed the tribes to show this nation isn't fleshly but spiritual.

Those singing the new song are made up of both fleshly Jewish Christians and fleshly Gentile Christians.

From all nations, tribes and tongues speaking the spiritual language of truth.

The Body of Christ, the Spiritual Nation, the Israel of God, the Bride of Christ all describe the same group of people.

They describe - the anointed, spirit begotten, born again christian, no matter what fleshly nation they were born into.

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Because our understanding fits the scriptures description of who are the 144,000 are, what they do and where they come from.

Who is a Jew (Israelite) today?

(Romans 2:28, 29) “28 For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people.”

Who sing the new song?

(Revelation 14:3) “3 And they are singing what seems to be a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to master that song except the 144,000, who have been bought from the earth.”

What do they do in heaven?

(Revelation 5:9, 10) “9 And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.””

Is this group 'fleshly Jews'? No Either Jesus made a mistake when he named them in Rev 7 or he wasn't talking about the literal fleshy nation of Israel, but the spiritual nation, the Israel of God.

(Galatians 6:15, 16) “15 For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is. 16 As for all those who walk orderly by this rule of conduct, peace and mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God.”

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That is not entirely correct. The 144,000 are Christians who are loyal to Jesus and his God Jehovah starting with the 1st century Christians. They are chosen and bought from humanity to rule in heaven with Jesus.

These people could anybody just as long as they recognized Jehovah as the only true God and dedicated their lives to preach the good news about God's kingdom teaching other how to be Christian to anybody who were looking for the Father.

The JW cult is nothing but lies.

Their cult leaders vomit it out and the JWs lap it up.

Revelation Chapters 7 and 14 speak to the 144,000 in a figurative way, because the tribe of Dan is omitted and the "tribe of Joseph" is added, (there is no tribe of Joseph). And the context includes a "lamb" (figurative) cf. John 1:29. A figurative "lamb" requires, for consistency, a "figurative" 144, 000. In addition, only unmarried Jewish men are qualified to follow the "Lamb", Rev. 14:4, if the passage is literal.

The 144 thousand mentioned in Revelation is only a drop in the bucket to all who will live forever in Heaven. Scripture tells of a crowd before the throne of God too numerous for anyone to number. By definition, that cannot be 144 thousand, which is indeed possible to number.

In fact, if only 144 thousand in all of history are destined for heaven, that means less than 20 people who die every year will go there. At most, a little over a thousand would be living on earth right now. So, their "little flock" would actually only be a minuscule flock, especially if anyone outside the JW faith is able to attain to that number.

The only possible answer to why Jehovah's Witnesses can believe the 144,000 number is that they have accepted that teaching without question from their leaders.

That's just *one* of their bizarre, un Christian beliefs.

According to the book of Revelation they will be Jewish males. Nothing suggest they are anything else. Nor can they be women. And they are to be "virgins", so no one who has every been sexual active can be one of the 144,000.

But then JWs have no clue what the Bible teaches.

Because they are a mixed up cult started by a man named Charles Taze Russell back in the 1800s. Cult members always follow lies and deception.