Some might argue that “ALL NATIONS, PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” worshiping the Lord in His kingdom only includes the small number of those who survive Armageddon and does not include all the billions of people who died prior to that. If true, then the wonderful provision of these “times of restitution spoken of by the mouth of all God’s holy prophets” (Acts 3:19-21) would only apply to a scant tiny percentage of all the people who ever lived. Oh what empty promises these scriptures would be if that were true. But no, the Bible teaches that everyone who ever lived will be resurrected. So then all the billions of people resurrected will have an opportunity for everlasting life if they accept Christ in His Kingdom.
Acts 24:15 – “there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” NKJV
John 5:28-29 – “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will … come forth” NKJV
Rom 5:18 “through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” 1 Cor 15:22 – “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” NKJV
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that John 5:28-29 applies only to those only those whom Jehovah remembers in memorial tombs. However there is no scriptural evidence for this view. This Greek world for memorial tombs is a common word for tombs used often throughout the Gospels referring to the tombs of the dead. Yes, any tomb or grave is a memorial unto the loved one left behind. However, to arbitrarily limit this verse to select ones whom Jehovah remembers is very subjective. Jehovah who sees every sparrow fall and ever hair on our head would certainly remember every evil person he ever judged as the good. Not only does this verse not specify anything about bringing back those whom Jehovah remembers, but it does not qualify its statement by excluding those whom he has judged in the past. As a matter of fact, the Acts 24:15 text cited above which in the NWT reads, ” there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Thanks Brother Pete!
Ken, Somewhere the org . moral compass went awire. ie, Rom.6:23 says in part “the wages sin pays is death’. The JW belief is that by virtue of a person entering death, he has REDEEMED himself, by dying and will automatically get a ressurrection because he died before armageddon, even a mass murder or child molester (Christ covers all). Not at all believing that Jesus redeemed him already. So follow this thru, A person dying at armageddon, although a child or one that has not known fully about Jesus will die because God’s set time table is upon us. You must have found God earthly organization to survive. (I am quoting the wat.) They once declared that all have had an opportunity to find it, not realizing babies are born everyday. What is the age of majority with God?
Although they say now that Judgement day is 1,000yrs long. They still won’t change the scriptures to the 1,000 yrs when knowledge will be known by all and all resurrected babies will reach the age of majority. They push Christ ransom out everytime.
They fail to realize Rom is just saying why we die not that is the only way for a sinner to be saved by dying and ressurrection.
I always looked at little children and nice people and tried to tell them. But he can’t kill them because of my approach I felt. Because we worked the territory so much we were a nucience in my area. They hate the name we bore.
And no, I have not finished even vol 1 because I read all scriptures now and read so much on this site. The language is clearer. But amazingly, I can understand the 19th century phrases now that I use other bibles and not just the language of the NWT.
BTW, it will take some time for your wife to accept the cross. We were mislead into thinking all religious pictures are worshiped. The watchtower has a logo and the watchtower is more sacred than the bible in JW org. I have never seen anyone put the cross and crown above Jesus as we put the org above and replaced him with the governing body. And I have said all this before my coffee. LOL
Wow..you said all of that before coffee! Excellent!!:)Amen to what you said.Recently I was saying to my wife how the Jw’s put more emphasis on the GB than Jesus,I told her the next time she goes to a meeting to write down the number of times the GB/FS is mentioned compared to Jesus;she’ll be in for a suprise!
I remember when I was was a Jw, some of the talks they used to give made it seem like hardly anyone was going to come back in the resurrection, like everything you did wrong would subject you to gehenna!Gloom and doom….so sad………
Ken – Here are nearly 100 scriptrues showing how patient and loving Jehovah is and that his plan is to give EVERYONE a full opportunity to be saved. http://www.friendsofjehovahswitnesses.com/2011/03/19/two-salvations-a-ransom-for-all/