The Heavenly Hope -- Simplified Suggestion

by FusionTheism 2 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  FusionTheism

  The Bible says there is just "one hope" for Christians (Ephesians 4:4).

  Revelation says God will come down and bring Heaven down to Earth. (Revelation 21:2-3)

  The Old Testament focuses more on the hope of the earth being a paradise and the New Testament focuses more on going to Heaven.

  But as we can see Revelation and Ephesians, there is only "one hope," and we will get to experience both the paradise earth and heaven.

  I see no reason in the Bible why we would need to take the number 144,000 literally in Revelation, where almost all the other numbers mentioned are symbolic.
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  richgirl

  I have noted that over the years WT has taught that New Jerusalem comes down to earth (spiritually/figuratively speaking) and that blessings flow out of it into the earth. See for example the illustrations in the "Rev..Grand Climax" book (page 308,309). But when you read the description in Rev, it seems not that things flow out of it, but that people of all nations are invited into it. The water and the trees of life are in the city, not outside it. To partake of these, one would have to enter the city, wouldn't they? The gates are always open. I have also noticed how the GB still applies many things that have reference to the New Jerusalem, to themselves, as of 1918/9. The wording of Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21 have so many similarities. They even cross reference to each other in the NWT. However, the GB consistently applies the words in Isaiah to themselves (and the org) in the present, but the words in Rev, to the future.
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  Crazyguy

  I don't think the Hebrew scriptures ever mention a paradise earth and living forever on it, just a couple of vague scriptures about the meek living on on earth. As far as the NT goes it's clearly all about ones going off to heaven until new Jerusalem comes down but to earth it's clear especially when it's bigger then the earth. Both these concepts come from Egyptian older religious beliefs so I believe the Christians were copying this older religion.