JW's - Old System/New System

Hezzer · 08-25-2008, 04:50 PM

A comment I made on another thread created some questions, and since I don't want to hijack the original thread, I'll post the response here.

A lot of Christians believe that living as a human on earth is a testing period of sorts and that they will die and hopefully go to heaven if they’ve been a good person. Others believe that God’s kingdom will come and take his people up to heaven in a rapture.

We do agree that some humans will experience heavenly life. The Bible in the book of Revelation speaks of 144,000 bought from the earth to serve as kings and priests with Jesus in his kingdom (Revelations 14: 1-3, Revelation 20:6). Most of that number was gathered long ago from the earliest Christian congregations, though we believe there are some now living that are of that group who also share that hope.

Though there are those who have the innate desire to live in heaven and “work” alongside Jesus and the other angels, I personally do not wish to ever die nor do I wish to live in heaven. The earth was clearly designed for us to enjoy what it has to offer. I would never wish to give up green grass under my toes, juicy watermelon in summer, the affection from my lovable kitties, the smell of fresh flowers, the sound of orchestra music, the sight of a beautiful sunset, intimacy with my husband, the opportunity to have my own children . . . I could go on forever.

The Bible says in Psalm 37: 10, 11 that eventually the wicked will be no more and the meek will possess the earth and reside forever upon it. That is my hope, that I am among those meek ones mentioned.

That puts me in a different group mentioned in the Bible. In addition to the 144,000 that would go to heaven, the Bible book of Revelation also refers to another group, a great crowd which no man could number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues. (Revelation 7: 9,10) This great crowd of humans will enjoy life on earth. In Revelation 21: 3 we read: With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that “Time indefinite he has put in their heart.” Humans want to go on living. To give us such a desire would be cruel on God’s part, but he is love, so clearly he did not purpose that we spend a few decades growing up and gaining some wisdom and experience, only to spend the next few decades breaking down and descending into illness and death. He meant for us to live forever.

Unfortunately, our sinful state and man’s ever increasing alienation from God has created a world that is deteriorating rapidly. Under the present conditions, I can’t see this world going on for another few hundred years and I certainly wouldn’t want to live forever on it as it is now. But the world will not always be this way. As much as it pains us to have to see the world in the sorry state that it is, it does mean something good is coming.

In his sermon on the Mount of Olives (Matthew chapter 24), Jesus told his disciples what things would be occurring on earth during his Kingly presence. Those things are occurring on a grand scale right now and we believe that God’s kingdom with Jesus at the helm is already ruling and will very soon rid the earth of all wicked influences and put the earth back to the way it was originally purposed to be.

Humans will enjoy perfect life in a paradise earth, rid of sickness and death as it was always meant to be. And those who have already died have the hope of a resurrection from the dead as John 5:28, 29 tells us. Just as Jesus woke his friend Lazarus from the sleep of death, he will raise up those who have died.

So when I said “old system”, I was referring to the time we live in right now. What God has in store for us is “the new system” and that is the time I look forward to.

I hope that explains everything. If it raised more questions, please feel free to PM me.