The Jehovah's Witness and the 144,000

I met a young lady that was a Jehovah's Witness at McDonald's recently. We introduced ourselves, exchanged our email addresses and had long discussions via email back and forth. Surprisingly, the JW believe in a lot of the same things that we do concerning heaven, hell, the immortality of the soul, and about not partaking in Pagan holidays.

However, we were not able to agree with them on every point. It was not a disagreement as a matter of personal opinion, but something we were able to prove scripturally. If you are a JW reading this, then please let us share our findings with you. And let the Bible be the final authority.

Here is what we found about the 144,000.

It is spoken of only two times in the Bible: Revelation 7 and 14.

JW believe that 144,000 is a literal number and not a symbolic number. We have found so far that a lot of numbers in the Bible, especially in Revelation are in code.

The number 12 is a special and significant number in the Bible. We see in the Bible that there were 12 tribes of Israel, 12 disciples of Christ, 24 elders, that the New Jerusalem has 12 foundations, 12 gates, 12 thousand furlongs, a tree with 12 different kinds of fruit, blooming 12 times a year, and so forth.

The 144,000 is a multiple of 12 which signifies a completeness.

Here is its basic Hebrew numerology:

12 = God's chosen people, part of His covenant, societal perfection

1,000 = Big number, gigantic scale, ultimate

Any number squared = The meaning of that number, but perfected

12 X 12 = 144 = The perfection of God's covenant with man

144 X 1,000 = 144,000 = The perfection of God's covenant with man on a gigantic scale

Immediately after John sees the 144,000, he now sees a great multitude that is innumerable from many tribes, nations, tongues, and so forth. In Revelation, there is a pattern we can find. It usually begins a chapter with symbolic things, then those symbolic things are clarified immediately after. For example, in Revelation 17, John sees a vision of a woman riding a beast with seven heads, ten crowns, rising out of the water. Immediately after this symbolic vision, there is a clarification of what it means in the same chapter. There is a very strong possibility that the innumerable crowd is the result of the symbolic 144,000.

If that statement above is not enough, let us look into more and dig deeper:

The 144,000 were redeemed from the earth. When Christ appears, we shall be caught up in the air to be with the Lord forever. This act of being caught up separates us from the earth below which will face the wrath of the Lord. We have been redeemed from the earth when this occurs.

The 144,000 are said to be resurrected immediately in heaven. In the Bible, it says that no man has ascended to heaven, except the one who descended from heaven (Christ) in John 3:13.

The Bible also only speaks of two resurrections: One for the just to go into life, and the wicked unto damnation.

"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" John 5:29

When Christ appears, it is the dead in Christ that shall rise. The Bible also says:

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Rev 20:6

And then it says that the rest of the dead lives not again until the thousand years are expired in verse 5 above.

The JW says that it is the 144,000 that reign as kings and priests with Christ, but the Bible speaks of those who partake of the first resurrection. The second resurrection is after the millennial reign.

I cannot find anywhere that there is a heavenly resurrection for the 144,000. I only have found that no man can enter heaven as of yet until the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15 explains this in more detail:

Christ was the first to have a glorified resurrection. He was the firstfruit of the resurrection, and verse 23 says:

"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (v23)

We will receive this glorification at His coming. 1 John 3:2, and Phil 3:21 both confirm that we shall see Christ appear, and receive His image. We shall too be like Him at His coming.

This next verse is key:

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." 1 Cor 15:50.

So, this basically says that no one can enter heaven as of yet. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption.

And there's a "BUT"..

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (v53)

So when Christ appears, we will be changed from mortal into immortal, from corruptible to incorruptible. Now this becomes possible. It is never said anywhere in the Bible that this spiritual resurrection ever occurs before His coming.

Here are the qualities of the 144,000. They are: 

SEALED- We see that they are sealed which separates them from the rest divinely. Yet, the Bible tells us that saved believers will be sealed by the Spirit also in (2 Cor 1:21,22, Eph 1:13, Eph 4:30). This sealing is available to us who are saved, and never made apparent to be exclusive to a specific number of people only.

WITHOUT GUILE- We are without guile because God has imputed upon us His righteousness (Psalm 32:2, Rom 4:8)

 WITHOUT FAULT-  We are without fault because Christ has perfected us forever with His one sacrifice (Heb 10:10, 14, 17)

 SERVANTS OF GOD- The 144,000 are called the servants of God, as we are. (Rom 6:22, Eph 6:6, 1 Peter 2:16)

 JEWS FROM THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL- 

The 144,000 are Jews, but the Bible says that we are no longer Jews by birthright, but of the heart-

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Rom 2:28,29

PRIESTS-  We have been made priests of God if we partake of the body of Christ.  (1 Peter 2:5, 9)

 ABLE TO SEE CHRIST AND REIGN WITH HIM- The great multitude mentioned in Rev 7 are surrounding the throne of God and of the lamb, and are seen worshiping them. This multitude came out of the great tribulation, washed their robes in the blood of the lamb, and are now before the throne serving God day and night. The Lamb will be in the midst of them also.


My JW friend asked me how I had proof that Christ would be with us. I gave her these verses:

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess 4:17

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3


Also, the Bible tells us that we will all see Jesus. It is not going to be an invisible event. Here is proof:


Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

A great crowd of 500 saw Jesus ascend to heaven. The angels told them that in this like manner, we shall also see Him descend down.

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Rev 1:7

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:30

There is also another possibility about us seeing God the Almighty Himself-

Isaiah (in Isaiah 6) saw God, but first he had to be purified. When we are changed and transformed, we will be purified also into incorruptible, glorified beings, free from the flesh of sin.

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev 21:3

"And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Revelation 22:4


Now I address the verse that is very popular with the JW to support their beliefs of the 144,000:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

The JW believe that the "little flock" is specifically the 144,000. Firstly, there is nowhere in that passage that mentions the 144,000. Peter even asks Christ in this same passage in verse 41 if He is speaking to them, or to all? Jesus replies about the good and faithful servant, and this is who this passage is directed to.

The Lord is our Shepherd and we are His flock. This is spoken of countless of times throughout the Bible. (some examples: Ezekiel 34:15, 31, Psalm 79:13, 95:7, 100:3, Matt 10:6, 25:33, John 10:4, 11, Acts 20:28,29, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:2,3)

Unfortunately, the Lord's flock is small because the road is straight and narrow and there is a few that find it. There is no special group of 144,000 sheep separated from the rest of the other sheep but that God said He will bring us all together to be one fold, and to have one Shepherd (John 10:16).

Also, God is not a respecter of persons. He does not distinguish one above the other (Rom 3:22, Col 3:11, Gal 2:6). All have fallen short of the glory of God, and it is by His grace that we are saved and found without fault before the throne of God. We receive the sealing of the Spirit, and the Father claims us as His own through adoption of sons (Gal 4:5,6 and Rom 8:15). That is why His name is written on our foreheads.


He that overcomes is given all these things:  Power over the nations, to sit on a throne, and he will inherit all things.


"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations" Rev 2:26

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev 3:21


"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Rev 21:7


And who is he that overcomes?


"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:5

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4


"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Rev 12:11

The Bible included you and me in this plan. Christ is our head, our mediator, and we are partakers of His grace and glory. It is not limited to specific 144,000 but that it was given to those who overcome. We shall live with Him and reign with Him. This is all made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord according to the Father's good pleasure.

Christ's Kingdom on Earth

Note: We are not associated with any affiliations, nor religion, nor labels. We are not Jehovah's Witness, Seventh Day Adventists, or anything else but those who desire truth and seek it through God's Word and His Spirit. Our teachings may not be like the majority of Christian churches, but it is from the Bible. We believe the Bible is the final authority, even above doctrine and teachings of men.

We are showing what God's Word says about His Kingdom which is yet to come, so feel free to open your Bible and check each verse to verify it. We quote from the King James Bible.

The thief on the cross hung next to Jesus and with a prickle in his heart, he pleaded to Jesus "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke 23:42

The thief asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered His kingdom that He shall inherit from the Father.

Daniel wrote, "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Daniel 7:13, 14

We see that Jesus shall be given his Kingdom when He comes at His second coming. Where shall this kingdom be?

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15

Jesus will be King over every kingdom in this world. He shall reign on this earth as the true and perfect King. 


More verses to ponder:

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

We pray for His kingdom to come to earth, and for His will to be done on earth just as it is done in heaven.


"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" Matthew 13:41

Jesus will send His angels to cast the wicked out of His kingdom. If it were in heaven in the skies, what would the wicked be doing there? Jesus is casting the wicked out of His earthly kingdom.


We await for Jesus to return and he promises that  “I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:3)

We shall be redeemed from death and the graves. At the last trump at the last day, those in Christ shall be transformed into an immortal and incorruptible being (read 1 Corinthians 15) Then at that moment we shall be caught up in the clouds to be with the Lord at last, and so we shall always be with Him in His kingdom.

And we shall inherit the kingdom with Jesus forevermore,

"Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."  Daniel 7:22


"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Daniel 7:27

What exciting and incredible things we have to look forward to!

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth part 4

Here, we will conclude our four part study on the heavenly kingdom that will be established on Earth when Jesus Christ returns. Click to see PART 1, PART 2, and PART 3 of this study!

When Jesus Christ returns at His glorious appearing, those who are dead and alive in Christ will rise to be with Him forever. The wicked will be destroyed, cut off and consumed by Him. Jesus Christ will descend upon the Mount of Olives (the same place where he ascended up to the skies), and His saints will be with Him. Jesus Christ will reign the whole earth from Mount Zion (spelled Sion in the NT). Here are more details about Mount Zion with scriptures:

From Strong's Concordance:

Mount Sion: a hill of Jerusalem.


Mount Zion: a mountain of Jerusalem (same as Sion).

This is where the Lord shall be. 

"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Psalm 2:6

"The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy." Psalm 99: 2, 9

 ^"When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." Psalm 102:16

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." Psalm 48:2

"For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation." Psalm 132:13
"Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." Isaiah 12:6

"The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." Joel 3:16, 17


"Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain." Zechariah 8:3


We shall dwell there with Him.

"For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein." Psalm 69:35, 36

"They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever." Psalm 125:1, 2



What Zion shall be like!

No more war!

 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isaiah 2: 2, 3, 4

Cloud by day,  fire by night, shade from heat, shelter from the rain

"And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain." Isaiah 4:5, 6

There will be stunning light from God that puts the moon and stars to shame!

"Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." Isaiah 24:23

The Lord shall comfort you there!

"For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee." Isaiah 30:19

"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isaiah 35:10

"For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." Isaiah 51:3


"Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." Isaiah 51:11

"But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." Isaiah 65:25

There shall be healing there!

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. "Isaiah 35: 5,6

It will be beautiful!

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim." Joel 3: 18

No more fear!

^"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it." Micah 4:4

"The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." Zephaniah 3:13

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." Isaiah 65:25

There will be one pure language!

"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." Zephaniah 3:9

You will be in the company of Angels!

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." Hebrews 12:22

The Lord shall rejoice over you!

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

We will have the Father's name on our foreheads!

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." Revelation 14:1

We will have our own houses and vineyards!

"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isaiah 65:21, 22

He shall speak to us and answer us even before we call!

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24


Conclusion:

After the millennial reign (1,000 years with Jesus on Earth), and the great white throne judgment which takes place after Satan is loosed to deceive the earth one last time AKA Gog and Magog), it will be complete. There will be a new heaven and new earth. There will be a New Jerusalem that descends out of Heaven down to the new earth as a gift for the bridegroom (Jesus) and the bride (us). It will be a brilliant design with streets made of gold, walls made of precious jewels, and the lamb will be the light thereof!


There will be an article about the new heaven/earth/Jerusalem soon! 

But when Jesus appears, we shall always be with Him! He shall reign over us! We as His children are eagerly awaiting the return of our King! We are pilgrims on this Earth awaiting our heavenly kingdom for it's arrival! Such glorious things are awaiting us on Zion! We are the daughters of Zion, and how glorious will the Lamb's kingdom be when He comes to rescue us from our enemies!

Let us rejoice in anticipating these things to come!


And feel free to research more about Zion! There are thousands of verses about Zion/Sion, holy hill, holy mountain, city of God, etc!

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth part 2

Let us continue our studies about heaven. If you haven't read part one to this study, please click HERE.

This is a big topic, and could trigger an automatic response of rejection from those who haven't heard this before. Some might feel upset, offended or defensive, but please stay open to God. We want to find truth, and let us do it together as brethren in Christ. If you find scriptures showing otherwise, then please post them in our comments section under this blog entry.

We at a Voice in the Wilderness use the King James Bible. We also check the Hebrew/Greek original language behind each scripture that we find for more accuracy. If you are interested in doing a more in depth study of the Word, then an easy way is to download E-Sword. It is a small file and free of charge. It helps us search for verses instantly and it will also provide the original greek and hebrew word and definition for every word in the KJV.

There are three Greek and Hebrew definitions of one English word, "Heaven."

*The first definition is the physical heaven: "Shameh" the realm of the sky.

Here are some examples of where Shameh is used for the word Heaven

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

"And God called the firmament Heaven.." Genesis 1:8

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days, and for years." Genesis 1:14

"... and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." Genesis 1:20

"... I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven.." Exodus 32:13

*The second definition of heaven is: "ouranos", the abode of angels and the dwelling place of God.

Here are some examples of where ouranos is used as Heaven listed below.

"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

"Let your light shine so before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth.." Luke 10:21

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.." John 6:51

"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." Revelation 21:10

*The third definition of Heaven is: "epouranios," which is the spiritual Jerusalem, of the resurrection and glorified, the Kingdom of Christ in it's future manifestation.

Here are some examples of epouranios used as the word Heaven listed below.

"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" John 3:12

"And as we have bourne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." 1 Corinthians 15:49

"But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." Hebrews 12:22

"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever." 2 Timothy 4:18

In this entry, we hope to establish with you that for one word of Heaven are three different meanings. One is a physical heaven where the sun, the stars and the sky is. One is the realm of God, where he currently resides with His angels. The last one is the one we await for: the future heavenly kingdom of Jesus. We are waiting for epouranios, which will occur on Mount Zion (Sion) when Jesus returns to claim His throne and shall rule the earth.

There will be a post coming soon about Mount Zion/Sion where Christ's kingdom will be located on earth.

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

We are very aware that the popular belief in Christianity is that after we die, we go up somewhere beyond the skies to a place called Heaven. Please allow us to show you some verses that may show otherwise. Also keep in mind that we are not Jehovah's Witness for we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and our authority, even above man's doctrine.

This website and those teachings are for those who hunger for truth and answers, and who are or want to actively search for it. Jesus is the truth while we live in a world run by the father of lies. God has given us truth and it is in His Word that we all may have it. We also need to look within ourselves and check whether we are open to Him showing us His truth, and to be willing to be wrong so that God may correct us.

If we are shut in with what we believe in, and if we refuse to open our eyes to more then we are only stunting our own growth in our walk with God, and limiting God. God is an ocean, and one may spend an entire lifetime studying these truths and only reach as far as the shore. That is how vast and deep He is.

Back to the topic,

Some of us may have heard this phrase from the Bible before, that the meek shall inherit the earth. It sounds poetic and lovely, but it is far more than that. Allow us to list these verses:

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Psalm 37:11

"For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." Psalm 37:9

"For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth: and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off." Psalm 37:22

"The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever." Psalm 37:29

We see here that the Bible tells us multiple of times that the wicked shall be cut off, and that God's people will inherit the earth. Psalm 37:29 tells us that the righteous shall inherit the earth and live there forever.

If the Bible is your authority as well and if you believe in the Word of God, then we know the Word does not make mistakes or contradict itself. Often times Christians are divided and they disagree with each other, that is because of man's doctrine. Beware of what you believe in without checking the scriptures first, and we should all study God's Word more on our own than we listen to it from the pulpit. Even though Christianity may be divided, there is only one truth. It is not a matter of opinion nor respecting what we believe in, but we all should be in agreement and united in seeking the one truth together.

Moving on...

When the second coming occurs, Jesus Christ will appear to all the world and He will claim His kingdom... on earth.

"And the Lord shall be king over all the earth.." Zechariah 14:9

Remember when Jesus Christ ascended to the skies at the Mount of Olives after he rose from the dead? Two angels appeared unto the people and said:

"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

And when Jesus returns, He will descend upon the very same place he ascended up to heaven from: The Mount of Olives.

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" Zechariah 14:4

And from there, Christ will reign the world from Jerusalem at the Mount of Zion (NT spells it Sion). There will be another blog entry focusing around Mount Zion and His Kingdom.

Let us show you more verses:

When Jesus returns, we shall reign with Him for a thousand years. This is known as the millennial reign.

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6

We shall reign with Christ and this is included in the blessed hope we look forward to.

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:10

We shall reign with Jesus Christ on Earth. This can be a shocking revelation to many of us, especially when we have been taught that we will go to a place up in the sky with clouds and angels. Yet, what the Bible actually tells us is that Jesus Christ will come down and He will rule the earth. We shall reign with Him on earth. The wicked people will be cut off and gone, and God's people will enjoy Christ's kingdom on Earth.

Imagine the earth with nothing to fear. Imagine the earth where we never have to worry about locking our doors, about strangers, about letting our children run outside and play, and imagine an earth where Jesus will be our king!

Here is a glimpse of the kind of earth this would be when Christ returns to be our king!

"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." Isaiah 65:21-25

Can you imagine how beautiful that would be? We'd build our own homes, grow our own vineyard and imagine no property taxes or rent (wink). We shall enjoy the work of our own hands. Also imagine a closeness with Jesus our Saviour, where before we even call upon Him, He will hear us and answer us. There will be such great peace, and there will be no fear, no death, no crying. All the wicked, former things are passed away. 

There will be more entries very soon about Mount Zion, about the three different translations of the word "heaven" in our Bible according to the Greek/Hebrew text, and more about what we shall look forward to! Thank you for reading and I pray that you mediate upon these things, and ask Him about these things. Let Him lead you, and always remain open to Him.



What Heaven is to me are not streets made of gold, sky high mansions, riches, crowns and immortality, but Heaven to me is to be where you are my Saviour..

The Buried Truth About the Grave

I am going to address a heavy topic about where we shall go when we die, and debunk the popular and widespread belief about this topic. I will also clarify some things when it comes to seeing spirits, ghosts and so forth. Are there truly lost spirits? Do people immediately go to heaven or hell right after they die? Why does Jesus and the Bible often say that dead people are asleep? If you have asked those questions before, then continue reading please.

One of the popular beliefs say that people die and immediately go to hell, heaven or wander lost on Earth to await judgment. Yet after thinking about this intensively, it does not make any sense for people to go straight to heaven or hell without being judged. The whole point of Judgment Day is to determine who goes to heaven and who goes to hell right?

Here is what the Bible says about this:

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" Hebrews 9:27

So, it is appointed for us to die once, then there is the judgment. But when does the judgment take place? Please read Revelations chapter 20 for a great explanation!

Verses 4-6 show that the dead in Christ shall rise and then they shall reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is called the Millennial Reign. The rest of the dead lived not again until AFTER the thousand years were over.

Verses 11-15 reveals that the Judgment Day takes place after the millennial reign with Christ and it is for those who died without Christ. They will be judged for their works. Those who are judged lived not again until after the Millennial Reign and they were delivered up from the sea and hell (graves) unto the Great White Throne.

But where are the people who die? What are they doing as of right now? Check this Out!

"Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb." Job 21:32

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10

"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:4

The Bible says that those who are in the grave remain in the grave. They have no thoughts, no memory, and they know nothing. They are simply dead and unaware of what is happening in the world and how much time has passed since they died. Keep reading please!

"For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Isaiah 38:18

"For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Psalm 6:5

If those people went straight to heaven after death, then surely they would remember Jesus their Lord! Surely they would praise Him and give Him thanks! Yet the Bible shows this is not the case because those people are asleep in the grave.

What did I mean by asleep and why does the Bible continually call the dead people "asleep" or "sleeping?" Sleeping means the same thing as death to the Lord. Those two words mean the exact same thing. When we are asleep, we are unaware of what goes on outside. I have been put under for surgery once when I was a teenager and to me it felt like a moment when in actuality, hours had passed. That's why the Bible also calls it "in the twinkling of an eye." Because to the dead, it would feel like just a moment had passed from their death till the moment they see Jesus appear from the sky. They are unaware that thousands of years have passed. Amazing isn't it??

"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." John 11:11-14

Here are some examples of prophets and men of God who are asleep in the grave and still dead. They have not gone anywhere else yet.

"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand" Acts 2:29, 34

"And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 11:43

When we die, we await in our graves completely asleep for the resurrection day. We wait until Jesus Christ returns in the foretold second coming to quicken us and give us incorruptible bodies. We wait for that last day!

"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:24

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job 19:25-27

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

We have not received immortality as of yet. We have received the promise of Christ that He shall return for us. At the last trumpet, when Jesus Christ appears, we will receive incorruptible bodies and immortality! Death shall be swallowed up in victory!

But for the souls without Christ, they shall die. They shall not be quickened unto life. The gift of God is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord so that is a gift from God himself unto us. Those who reject the gift shall not have everlasting life.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4

Are you fearful of death, thinking we will be lost and all alone? Forgotten in the graves? This is not the case! Here is beautiful news: Jesus Christ is still with us even in the grave. We will never be forgotten nor alone.

"If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell (grave), behold, thou art there." Psalm 139:8

Now I am going to address ghosts, evil spirits and lost spirits. We must be warned that satan is a great deceiver. Angels are able to transform into anything and appear as a loved one. One third of the angels are fallen angels who serve satan's evil will. Remember what God's Word says in the Bible and do not be deceived!

There are NO ghosts, or dead people wandering the Earth. Those are evil spirits, demons, and fallen angels of the darkness. The dead are asleep, awaiting Christ's triumphant return. The Lord would not allow souls to wander lost in the dark. Those are evil spirits so do not be deceived but renounce them in the authority and name of Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, Saul of the Old Testament sought a witch to conjure up a "familiar spirit." Saul saw the "spirit" of Samuel back from the grave. It was a demon. This demon looked like Samuel and talked like Samuel but it was not Samuel. The Lord was angry at Saul for getting involved with the devil and witchcraft that Saul knew he would die and he did the next day. (read 1 Samuel 28:7-25)

I have a personal experience to share as well. When I was younger, I woke up from a nightmare and saw my mother standing in the doorway smiling at me. I had a two minute long conversation with her, telling her about my dream, then I watched as she vanished. This spirit imitated my mother while my mother was alive and well, asleep in the next room.

The Bible warns not to be involved with these things and not to trust familiar spirits, or those spirits who look like our deceased loved ones!

"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deutronomy 18:10, 11

"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:31

I hope this article has explained a lot for you. I encourage you to seek the Word and go to the Lord for guidance through prayer about this topic. I know this topic can be painful for those who have recently lost a loved one. Let this also encourage you because our loved ones are not aware that they are dead, not aware of the evil in this world, but that in their life, the next moment of awareness, they get to see Jesus in all His glory. What a joyful sight!


*Note: hell in the Hebrew and Greek translations means Sheol which actually means "grave."