Are the 144,000 elohim (Gods) in WT theology?
Are the 144,000 elohim in WT theology?
by hallelujah 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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moggy lover
Sorry, mate, don't know what you mean.
Please elaborate.
Cheers
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nicolaou
no
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hallelujah
Sorry moggy
The question could read "Are the 144,000 considered to be gods in watchtower theology?"
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moggy lover
No. To be honest they would not be so regarded. However, you have brought up an interesting point. Strictly speaking, the JWs are not Monotheists, as they portray themselves to be.
The teaching that encapsulates their theology is called "Henotheism" [ the Grk ''Hen'' means ''one'' and hen-o would mean "one of others''] It is a belief that affirms the existence of a single, infinite and almighty God without the express denial of the existence of other, finite, and ''mighty'' gods.
In Jo 1:1 for instance, the WTS argues that the term "God" which refers to the deity in clause two, undergoes a shift in meaning in clause three and simply means ''a mighty one" So in their own minds, John is saying:"The Word was with God and the word was "a mighty one" "
So, according to the WTS anyone by virtue of being ''a mighty one'' can be termed ''god'' Not the Almighty God, mind you, simply "god" When one makes this artificial distinction in the meaning of "god" - between an Almighty God and a Mighty God - one descends into Henotheism. The only distinction that the Scriptures allow for is between The one True and Almighty God, and other false gods. In this understanding the terms "almighty" and "mighty" when referring to "God" become synonymous.
I do have this sneeky suspicion that maybe somewhere some JWs may regard the "anointed" as "mighty ones" - "gods" but they will never admit to this publicly.
Cheers
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hallelujah
I read in the Insight book many references to the hundred and forty four thousand as being divine in nature. Note that when the WTBTS refers to Christians sharing in Christ's divine nature, the term Christians is used to refer here only to the hundred and forty four thousand;
In the "Insight on the Scriptures" book at page 474 the WTBTS states;
Nature. Also, there is a different nature belonging to those in heaven, spirit creatures of God. The apostle Peter speaks to his fellow Christians, spiritual brothers of Jesus Christ, of "the precious and very grand promises, that through these you may become sharers in divine nature [phy´se·os]." (2Pe 1:4) That this is a sharing with Christ in his glory as spirit persons, Peter shows in his first letter: "God . . . gave us a new birth [a·na·gen·ne´sas he·mas´, "having generated us again"] 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." (1Pe 1:3, 4) "Divine nature" requires a change in nature through death and resurrection, as made plain by the apostle Paul at First Corinthians chapter 15. He explains that the Christian must die and must be resurrected in a different body, a spiritual one, which requires a change.—1Co 15:36, 38, 44, 49, 51.Divine
And at page 639 they also say;
Finally, at 2 Peter 1:3, 4 the apostle shows that by virtue of "the precious and very grand promises" extended to faithful anointed Christians, they "may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust." Elsewhere in the Scriptures, Christians are referred to as ‘sharing’ with Christ in his sufferings, in a death like his, and in a resurrection like his to immortality as spirit creatures, becoming joint heirs with him in the heavenly Kingdom. (1Co 15:50-54; Php 3:10, 11; 1Pe 5:1; 2Pe 1:2-4; Re 20:6) Thus it is evident that the sharing of Christians in "divine nature" is a sharing with Christ in his glory.
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hallelujah
Strong's Hebrew Lexicon defines "divine" as soverign;
Result of search for "divine":
113 'adown aw-done' or (shortened) adon {aw-done'}; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):-- lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with "Adoni-".
http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strongs.cgi?file=hebrewlexicon&isindex=divine
Hence they who claim divinity claim sovereignty.