Chapter 8 -
The Great Multitude - can it enter heaven?
In the previous chapter we
talked about the group of 144,000 anointed ones, the small flock, to whom,
according to the teaching of the Watchtower society, has been reserved
salvation, belonging to the congregation of God and to the body of Christ and
also access to heaven.
But there is
also another group in the teachings of the Watchtower society in addition to
the group of 144,000, the so called great multitude, who are required to be
dedicated and devoted to God, but are never born again or saved, members of the
body of Christ and the congregation of God, neither do they have any hope of
getting into heaven.
Instead, this
group has only earthly hope. They have the possibility of first entering
the millennium, and if they pass the final test , they can enter the eternal
earthly kingdom, paradise on earth. The millennium is seen as the first
possibility for these persons to achieve eternal life:
So "the great
multitude" doesn't wait to get into heaven even after having been saved
from the "great tribulation". Those, who belong "to the great
multitude" expect that the Lamb of God will shepherd them here on earth
after"the great tribulation" and guide them to the eternal life in paradise on
earth. (Jumalan ikuinen tarkoitus nyt
saamassa voiton ihmisen hyödyksi [God's "Eternal Purpose" Now Triumphing for
Man's Good], p. 182)
Those 144,000 are people, who
die on earth and are raised to the heavenly life as spiritual creations, such
as Jesus. (Romans 6:5) When they are compared to the billions who live on
earth, they are a very "small flock,". (Totuus joka johtaa ikuiseen elämään [The Truth That Leads to Eternal
Life] p. 78)
... But is not necessary to
belong to this heavenly group to get freed from the worries of this life. God
also loves His earthly "other sheep". He promises to make a paradise
of this earth, where there is no more pain and sorrow. The facts indicate, that
in recent years God has led people to this kind of hope, to earthly life. (Totuus joka johtaa ikuiseen elämään [The Truth That
Leads to Eternal Life], p. 78,81)
The doomsday (= thousand
years' doomsday) doesn't thus give mankind a so called 'second chance'.
Instead, it gives them the first real chance to get everlasting life in humane
perfection and absolute innocence in earthly paradise. The doomsday gives the
mankind a chance, given by Christ's perfect human offering, to become pure from
sins and to be raised to the full 'glory of God', which they now don't reach
... The doomsday allows them to prove their heart's sincere hope to be freed,
to get rid of sin permanently. (Jumalan
tuhatvuotinen valtakunta on tullut lähelle, p. 129).
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
If we look at the Bible and
what it speaks about the preceding areas, it is noticeable, that it is in
conflict with the teaching of the Watchtower society.
Firstly, when the Watchtower society teaches, that the
great multitude can't get into heaven, but that they have only earthly hope,
this can't be true. For verses from Revelation 7:9 and 4:2 indicate, that they
are in heaven with God, where His throne is:
- (Rev 7:9) After this I
looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one
could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing
before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white
robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
- (Rev 4:2) At once I was in
the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with
someone sitting on it.
Also other verses indicate,
that this great multitude of people has come into heaven after the large
tribulation from earth. This would mean that also great multitudes can get into
heaven, and not only the 144,000 anointed ones, even though the Watchtower
society has taught differently:
- (Rev 7:9,13-15) After this
I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one
could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the
throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were
holding palm branches in their hands.
13. Then one of the
elders asked me,"These in white robes-who are they, and where did they
come from?"
14. I answered,"Sir, you
know." And he said,"These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.
15. Therefore,"they are
before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who
sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
What then comes to the teaching
that man - also they who have already died - has a possibility to get the
approval of God after this life in the millennium, the Bible says that we have
a possibility to be saved only during this life. After it comes the judgement -
which certainly doesn't last for a thousand years - not a new possibility to be
saved:
- (Hebrews 9:27) Just as man
is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
