Only 144,000 chosen ones can go to heaven? No

Jehovah’s Witness believes that only the 144,000 can go to heaven and have everlasting life. But we believe that every saved believer in Jesus Christ can go to heaven after they die.

They use verses in Matthew 5 where it seems to show people are going to be reigning over the earth, not going to heaven but we debunk that with Revelation 21. We also looked at other verses in Matthew 5 that the saved will have heaven and earth.

Now let’s look at: These verses also can be used from the NWT translation.

1 Peter 1:4-5 “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

There’s a reservation in heaven for those who are saved by faith.

Ephesians 2:5-6 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

The saved people have their seats in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. It’s not just a reservation but our seat is already in heaven.

Revelation 7:4-8 “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

The 144,000 are the Jews. v5-8 gives us a number and tells us which tribe, that’s how specific it is. JW’s will always try to spiritualize every verse. They think they are spiritual Jews.

Revelation 14:3-4 “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”

This is referring to a different timeline in the tribulation where 144,000 single males are going to be necessary when they attack the Antichrist system. There is nothing more fresh for the Lord to use than male preachers who are not bound by family obligations and you need that kind of full-time dedication when you attack the Antichrist system.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.“

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.“

Those who are born again will go to heaven.

1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

‘whosoever’: this means anybody who’s born again.

In Jehovah Witness’s Bible (New World Translation), John 3 actually says ‘anyone; and in 1 John 5:1 it says ‘everyone’. This is not a limitation to 144,000, this is everyone.

God has many names, not just Jehovah

Another issue with Jehovah’s Witness is that they will use Psalm 83:18 to claim that God’s only real name is Jehovah. It’s not Jesus, it’s Jehovah God.

Psalms 83:18 “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”

God’s name = Jehovah.

If they just read the second book, they’d realize this teaching is wrong.

Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

God’s name is also ‘Jealous’.

What does Psalms 83:18 mean? When the Bible says that God’s name is Jehovah, it’s saying that no one else’s name can be worthy enough to take the title ‘Jehovah’. Only His name alone, no other person’s name or other god’s name can take that title. Only God’s name can take the title Jehovah.

Partial washing away of sins?

Jehovah Witness thinks that Jesus’s blood does not really wash away our sins, they think that it was partial.

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Jesus’s blood washing away our sins is not partial, it’s full.

Forbidding blood transfusion?

Jehovah’s Witness forbid blood transfusion. Their proof text is Leviticus 17:11.

Leviticus 17:11-12 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.”

Leviticus 17:14 “For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”

The Bible says that we are not allowed to eat blood.

Jehovah’s Witness argues that because in blood transfusion, we are taking in blood to ourselves, we’re (in a sense) eating blood.

Here’s a problem, if they really believe that blood transfusion is forbidden in the Bible, blood transfusions did not exist during biblical times. Then, what does the Bible mean by ‘eat’? It’s putting into our mouth as a meal.

Leviticus 17:13 “And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.”

Leviticus 17:15 “And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.”

What does God mean by eating? It’s like a meal we put in front of us that we’re eating in our mouth.

But if we’re talking about receiving nourishment, that’s totally different, otherwise, that destroys the context of v11-15. When God’s talking about eating here, He’s not referring to putting some animal or fowl inside our human body. If we have some fowl inside our body, that’s a demonic spirit because devils are likened to fowls.

Why did God forbid eating blood? Look at Leviticus 17:14, because it is the life of all flesh. Notice here God is supporting the notion of having blood for life, isn’t that blood transfusion?

If we really believe God is against receiving blood for nourishment, then we’re all guilty of that sin, especially God, because we were all born from the nourishment of our mother’s blood when we were born. God would be guilty of forbidding us to not receive nourishment from blood but then he would be a hypocrite for allowing us to be born and nourished from blood. God would be a violator of His own rule in law.

Here’s another argument, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day. According to the law of Moses, the Jews were nitpicking saying that He cannot work in labor on the Sabbath day and Jesus violated the Sabbath. Jesus said, is it better to let somebody die when I don’t heal them on the Sabbath or should I heal the person and save a life? Jesus says to love another person is better, that’s fulfilling the law.

We can point out to a Jehovah’s Witness that the law of Moses said it’s forbidden to take in blood, but Jesus said if you love your neighbor as yourself and you rescue a life, then we didn’t break it.

Eternal torment

There is a thing called eternal torment. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists do not believe in the idea that a soul can burn forever in hell. Jehovah’s Witness believes in a doctrine called annihilation, in other words, upon physical death, we fall into hell and poof, we’re gone. Even their own bibles support eternal torment.

Revelation 14:10-11 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

The verse clearly shows that we’re forever tormented.

Jehovah’s Witness will say that it means the person is annihilated forever. But that doesn’t make any sense. In the middle of v11, it says ‘they have no rest day or night’, and the first part says ‘the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever’. They’re feeling it, they’re alive, they’re in existence, they’re not annihilated.

Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

The lake of fire is a place of torment that lasts forever.

Who goes to the lake of fire?

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Sinners.

Matthew 21:41 “They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”

Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

The punishment of the fire of hell is everlasting, i.e. eternal punishment.

Jehovah’s Witness might resort to saying that the fire is everlasting, not the person in it.

Then, what’s the point of having a lake of fire burning forever if no one’s going in there.

If a Jehovah’s Witness insists on annihilation, then we can argue the second half of v46, that this paradise/salvation for saved people, that they’re not going to live for eternity. They’re picking and choosing what they want. Here’s a key in debating with them: find a verse where they would recognize everlasting eternal life in heaven but in that same verse it talks about everlasting death or punishment. Tell them, why are you picking and choosing which half you want?

Matthew 25:46 says ‘everlasting punishment’, not fire. We’re being punished forever. It’s not a punishment forever if we’re gone.

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