WHAT DOES THE BIBLE Really TEACH? A WT book—Chapter 8 Part 2 "What is God's Kingdom"

DISCLAIMER--I will, by no means, exhaustively write about each and every error in each and every chapter of this book—that would require a book several times the size of this WT book. I will pick out a topic or two from each chapter to write about. Some will be a “mole hill” in the landscape of Bible doctrine and others will be a “Mt. Everest.”

Chapter 8, “What Is God’s Kingdom? Read all of Revelation 7 and you will see that it describes a heavenly scene. The WT, without warrant, divided the Chapter into a heavenly scene and an earthly scene. The ‘little flock’ i.e. the 144,000’ mentioned in Luke 12:32 was redefined by the WT to mean the remnant (those still alive) of those with a ‘heavenly hope’ i.e. the 144,000. Luke 12:32 reads, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

Read all of Luke 12 and you will see that the correct context has Jesus speaking to a small gathering of converted, Jewish believers. Jesus also said in John 10:16, "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold: I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” (NAS)

Was Jesus speaking of a secondary, earthly class, who would also be saved but remain on a paradise earth and look to the ‘little flock’ for spiritual food as the WT teaches. No, Jesus was speaking of the time when the Kingdom would be opened to the Gentiles. His words were fulfilled and recorded in Acts 11:1-18.

Paul also recorded the fulfillment of Jesus' words in Galatians 3:28-29:

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (NAS).

In looking at Revelation 14, keep in mind the KEY WORDS "BEFORE THE THRONE."

Rev. 14:1-3 “And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000, having His name and the name of His father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song BEFORE THE THRONE and before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.” (NAS)

Now look at Revelation 7:9-15:

(9) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing BEFORE THE THRONE and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

(10) and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  

(11) And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces BEFORE THE THRONE and worshiped God,

(12) saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen."

(13) Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"

(14) I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(15) "For this reason, they are BEFORE THE THRONE of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

It is important to note that according to Rev. 14:1-3, the 144,000 are "BEFORE THE THRONE." If the 144,00 are in Heaven (and according to WT doctrine they are indeed in heaven), then there are many others in Heaven as well because that same phrase "BEFORE THE THRONE" is also found in 7:9 and refers to a “great multitude that no man can count,” which is a different group from the 144,000!

Jesus said,” "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26, NAS) 

Jesus himself taught that wherever He is, ALL his servants “will be also.” Since Jesus is in heaven, then all His servants, whose numbers far exceeds 144,000, “will be also.”

Next month, Chapter 8 Part 3 is here.