***Worship God 2002
wt chap. 10 p. 99 par. 16 A Kingdom "That Will Never Be Brought to Ruin" ***After the abyssing of Satan and his demons, Jesus Christ and his 144,000 joint heirs will rule as kings and priests for the thousand years. (Revelation 20:6) During that period, mankind will be brought to perfection, with sin and Adamic death forever eliminated. At the end of the Thousand Year Reign, having successfully carried out his assignment as Messianic King-Priest, Jesus "hands over the kingdom" to his Father, "that God may be all things to everyone." (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) At that point, Satan is released for a little while to test redeemed humankind as to their support of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty. After that final test is complete, Jehovah will destroy Satan and the rebels who sided with him. (Revelation 20:7-10) Those who upheld Jehovah’s sovereignty—his right to rule—will have fully demonstrated their unswerving loyalty. They will then be brought into their proper relationship with Jehovah, being accepted by him as his sons and daughters, divinely approved for everlasting life.—Romans 8:21.
This is one of the core teachings I've always had difficulty accepting. I say to myself cynically, "so let me get this straight"..............
The first human pair sinned against God willfully disobeying Him after being decieved by rebellious spirit who took the form of a serpent. So God in His wisdom initiated a course of events that would redeem mankind. So for thousands upon thousands of years, the human race has been undergoing trials and tribulations. Wars, violence, sickness, natural disasters, etc.. If you can think of something messed up, chances are somebody on this Earth has done it. There's nothing screwed up that hasnt been achieved. However, God's purpose was and is still in motion. Through the course of all that time, God had chosen a certain population of the Earth as His chosen people based on the friendship He had with their forefather. Everybody else living then pretty much sucked I guess? Through that people, and that people only, God's Son would arrive and with His death and resurection, He would be a propitiatory sacrifice for all of mankind. However.......there's a hitch......only 144,000 people out of the billions upon billions who have lived and died throughout the thousands of years of mankind's existance, would experience the immediate benefits of that sacrifice upon their death. Their hope is heavenly. Everybody else is chopped liver.
The rest of the human population would go on as normal......, live, suffer, die, and if God through his Son saw fit, He'd bring them back to life.....on the Earth. Then afterwards God's Son would direct mankind to tear down all that mankind had built for the previous thousands upon thousands of years, and restore the Earth back to a paradise condition as God originally intended. This would take a thousand years. During that process, humans will be brought into alignment with God's thinking, His way. After all that is said and done, after a thousand years, which proceeds the previous thousands upon thousands of years.......Satan is let loose again, but only for a little while. Which is something else that bothers me. The coming end of this system of things has been a little while for the past 2000 years. Which proceded several thousand years .So Satan is let loose again for this "little while", and it starts all....... over.......... again.
I cant help but think there is something missing? Or something is twisted. I'd be willing to live with a simple, "we don't know", but the WTS isn't willing to concede that much. Nope, just wait on Jehovah to turn the lamp a little brighter despite the fact you've got this nagging feeling you need to get a new electrical outlet. In the meantime, don't forget that your salvation doesnt rest upon Christ's sacrafice and your faith in it, rather it rests on your association with several peculiar Medicare aged men in New York. Does any of it make any sense?