I'm trying to get my head around a basic overview of how the Jehovah's Witnesses understand the narrative flow of Scripture and their own history within that. To me this provides a good general framework from which most of their theology flows. This is a brief sketch that I have done off the top of my head. I'm sure there are plenty things that I'm missing, perhaps even major oversights. What thing should be added?
- Story of the Bible for JW's
- Hebrew Scriptures
- Earth created as Paradise, man is created to care for it. Man is intended to live forever.
- Man sins. God punishes man by death and death becomes inherited.
- God puts in place a temporary sacrificial system of sacrifice to atone for sins.
- God chooses a people, the nation of Israel.
- Christian Greek Scriptures
- Christ came as 'Second Adam'/ another perfect man to atone for the sins of Adam.
- God welcomed in 144,000 to be his new chosen people, a.k.a. Spiritual Israel.
- The early church fell into apostasy after the death of apostles.
- 1914 Christ rule in heaven began, the Kingdom is established.
- 1918 God chose a people, the Intl. Assoc. of Bible Students/ aka Jehovah's Witnesses.
- Near Future
- Armageddon/ Great Tribulation/ Judgment of Mankind.
- 1000 year rule of Christ begins, Satan is bound.
- Resurrection
- Earth reworked into Paradise.
- 1000 years ends, Satan is released, Jehovah takes over ruling.
- Final tempting by Satan, majority of man apostatizes.
- Final judgment, Satan is destroyed, apostates annihilated..
- Survivors live forever on Paradise Earth.