Hey,
Sorry for my delay.
There are some very well researched posts here. The references to extra-biblical sources is profoundly interesting since those sources have been considered sacred for millennium. Enoch is quoted by Jude who mentioned Prophets more ancient than his generation including Enoch. The only trouble I have with favoring Enoch as pure Holy Scripture is that the English translation is from the Ethiopic which was translated from ? and that was translated from ?? The fact that it held the interest of so many Hebraic and Christian peoples for so long and was repeatedly retranslated adds to the evidence it is sacred literature.
The 66 book Bible is a closed set of Sacred texts. Wrongly so I think. The Catholic council of Trent added Sacred texts back into canonized scripture which I agree with. These and other writings considered Sacred were kept in Synagogues and libraries as the content of the Dead Sea Scrolls includes them. I appreciate that an open mind is needed to read and process their content especially when ones background includes the Watchtower. There are Gnostic gospels and Nag Hammadi (FALSE) scriptures that fail to apply to the Truth of Hebraic Sacred literature.
As a point of fact the Watchtower teaches that the resurrection of those who are not of the 144,000 is to this Earth and occurs after Armageddon but before the release of Satan from his 1000 year long imprisonment in the Abyss. The purpose given for this is that they must reform themselves back to spiritual perfection and 100% obedience with help from God who reforms their body to perfection. I have noted that this is a re-incarnation theme. Re-incarnation is based on the concept that a person returns to life on Earth as a man to get another chance to reach perfection called Nirvana to some.
A time line is provided in Revelation 20. Here it is from The Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Revelation 20
Satan Bound
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the 1,000 years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
The Saints Reign with the Messiah
4
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
7
The Great White Throne Judgment
11
13
Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. [I] also [saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God's word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years.
5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over these, but they will be priests of God and the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.
vs. 1 to 3 is the imprisonment of Satan at the beginning of the thousand year reign.Vs. 5 "The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed."
vs. 6 "but they will be priests of God and the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years." cannot be linked to the 144,00 mentioned twice previously in The Revelation. They can just as likely be separate entities and most think so.
vs. 7 "When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released", rounds up his sympathizers and supporters who gather against the Saints but there is no battle, "Then fire came down from heaven" which ends this last stand of Satan & partners.
THEN THE TIMELINE CONTINUES TO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:
vs. 11 "A great white throne and One seated on it." (Matthew 25:31 -32 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.")
vs. 12 "the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books." Is the first group to be judged.
vs. 13 "Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works." Death and Hades were considered to be gods - persons - by Greeks with Hades being definitely so. But a figurative meaning is most likely.
vs. 15 "And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." ( Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" and 25:46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.")
The description of the judgment in Mt. 25 tells of the King separating people AS A SHEPHERD does. Goats were not unclean or despised animals to Hebrews. The Watchtower ignores an obvious fact, that taking care of fellow humans, even strangers is a most important criteria for favorable judgment. They call such charitable works to be like "painting the deck of a sinking ship." Then they spiritualize the story and ignore the entire content of it to say that some people are "goat like" because they don't obey the GovBody, blah, blah.This life is your chance, don't blow it.
Hebrews 9:27 "it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment" After death comes judgment - not extra time.
It makes no sense to believe that dead persons who were 100% unconscious would be brought back to consciousness, judged, announced worthy of eternal fire and then to be annihilated forever returning them to 100% unconsciousness. That scenario makes no sense to a Watchtower (and similar) belief system, there would be no point to tell a 100% unconscious dead person ”wake up, you are bad, go back to eternal sleep.” so they ignore the timing and obvious content.
Be nice, charitable. Almost all religious belief systems teach being nice. Knowing Jesus bumps one up the status of sainthood, being in the first resurrection. Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.
Matthew 7:21 - 23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? ' Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!'I never knew you!’ because they had no relationship with Jesus.
Sorry this is almost a week after this thread started but I hope it reinvigorates the topic.
The authority mentioned in Mt. 7:29 is because he identified himself as being the Great Judge in Heaven and stated what he was expecting.Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.
Sorry this is almost a week after this thread started but I hope it reinvigorates the topic.