Is there Scriptural Evidence to a Resurrection during the 1,000 year Reign?

by Listener 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Listener
    Listener

    This question was addressed on the JW Advisor Blog (a defending Watchtower website), July 24,2016 . The answer is interesting because it is more in accord with what the Bible fortells but it is not in accord with what the Watchtower is currently teaching and has been for decades.

    It has been suggested on this forum that the site has been sanctioned by the Watchtower or written by writers at HQ.

    This is the current view of the Watchtower and is under 'Bible Teachings' on JW org

    https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-the-resurrection/

    The resurrection to life on earth will occur during the Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ, when the earth will be transformed into a paradise.Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:6, 12, 13.




    The Insight Book states

    Resurrection During 1,000 Years.

    Watchtower 2012 7/15

    During the Thousand Year Reign, they will be joined by billions of resurrected ones. (Rev. 20:12, 13)



    JW Advisor answer is

    It took me a little while, but I finally found the quintessential information. The July 1, 1998 Watchtower says this about the final resurrection:
    So the fact is, we do not have a definitive stance for the time of the last resurrection. Note, though that Revelation 20:3 says that "After [the 1,000 years, Satan] must be released for a little while." Verse 7 says that this occurs "as soon as the 1,000 years have ended." However, it does not specify how long "a little while" is. Thus it could be an untold number of years, allowing many ample time to be resurrected in a reasonable time frame and have an opportunity to come to Christ.
    The publication, Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Chapter 40, paragraphs 13-15 says this about the 1,000 years and the final resurrection. Speaking of the anointed, it begins:
    Thus, whenever the resurrection occurs, however it occurs, and at whatever pace it occurs, we need only have faith that those resurrected will have ample time to come to know Christ and make a choice as to whether to serve God or follow Satan into destruction. You are free to believe that the resurrection occurs when the 1,000 have ended, and even to speak about it, as long as you make it clear that it is not the definitive view of the organization as we have not made any other statement than to suggest that the final resurrection may actually begin before the time of the end as interpreting statements of time in the scriptures can be tricky. The scripture itself says "when the 1,000 years have ended", so it is okay to state it that way. What matters is that the resurrection occurs as we understand it. 'When' is not a deal-breaker....



    The Rest of the Dead
    Whom, though, will these kings judge if, as the apostle John here inserts, “(the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended)”? (Revelation 20:5a) Again, the expression “come to life” has to be understood according to context. This expression can have varying meanings in varying circumstances. For example, Paul said of his anointed fellow Christians: “It is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Yes, spirit-anointed Christians were “made alive,” even in the first century, being declared righteous on the basis of their faith in Jesus’ sacrifice.—Romans 3:23, 24.
    Similarly, pre-Christian witnesses of Jehovah were declared righteous as to friendship with God; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were spoken of as “living” even though they were physically dead. (Matthew 22:31, 32; James 2:21, 23) However, they and all others who are resurrected, as well as the great crowd of faithful other sheep who survive Armageddon and any children that may be born to these in the new world, must yet be raised to human perfection. This will be accomplished by Christ and his associate kings and priests during the thousand-year Judgment Day, on the basis of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. By the end of that Day, “the rest of the dead” will have “come to life” in the sense that they will be perfect humans. As we shall see, they must then pass a final test, but they will face that test as perfected humans. When they pass the test, God will declare them worthy of living forever, righteous in the fullest sense. They will experience the complete fulfillment of the promise: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) What a delightful future is in store for obedient mankind! [Emphasis theirs.]

    In summary JW Advisor claims that the Watchtowers view is only speculation (or suggestion as he says) and leaves open the possibility that the earthly resurrection may be after the 1,000 years and JWs are fine in believing this (and having their own interpretation of Rev 20:5)

    I pointed out that he was going against Watchtower teaching but his only comment was as follows

    Protostar, just because you can see your own posts does not mean anyone else can except us admins.

    He did not want to comment on the fact that he was going against Watchtower teaching. However, it's funny to see that he is going against their own teachings....or maybe there will be 'new light'.


  • schnell
    schnell

    So, overlapping generations that add infinite delay after 1914, and a resurrection 1000 years or more after Armageddon.

    I can't wait.

  • prologos
    prologos

    in wt dogma, the "coming to life" refers to the earthly class' receiving perfect life after a full 1000 years of ransom treatment. To this end wt writers have in their publications often used the phrasing : "at the end of the thousand years" rather than the correct "after the thousand years have ended--" wt knows the problem, and tries to hide , obscure it.

    The real issue is of course not the commas in the book of revelation, but the speech capabilities of the snakes in the beginning.

    There is no evidence of any resurrection, past, present or future. show it.

  • freddo
    freddo

    Can anyone else see protostar's posts? How would I do that to report back to you?

  • jookbeard
    jookbeard

    there will be no resurrection at any time during any period in the future.

  • Listener
    Listener

    Freddo I couldn't see my own post even though admin/jw advisor said I could. I could only see the comment that admin posted.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot
    Listener - "Is there scriptural evidence to a Resurrection during the 1000 year Reign?"

    I suspect a really creative person could find scriptural "evidence" advocating pogo-sticking naked under a full moon. :smirk:

  • Listener
    Listener

    But only the GB could come up with their definition of an overlapping generation of non existent anointed ones beginning in the year of the invisible return of Christ in 1914.

  • Half banana
    Half banana

    From a rational point of view any talk of resurrection is a childish fantasy...and yet to a Bible believer this absurdity is swallowed hook line and sinker.

    In all the years of belief in "saviours" including Jesus, how many people have ever been resurrected?

  • prologos
    prologos

    Wt believers, and detractors just have to worry about the fleshly resurrection, pity the catholics, they believe that too, but in addition in the immortality of the soul, and it's stages. best to have left Catholicism first, wt second.

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