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Where is our citizenship?
Most non Jehovah's Witnesses are unaware why the Watchtower teaches that there will be no physical bodies in heaven. In Part Four we will discuss the Watchtower's reasoning against physical humans in heaven. In this message we want to check out the only reliable source on this subject and that is the Bible. What does the Bible teach? Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, says "For our citizenship is in heaven". Who is this talking about? Who are the ones whose citizenship is in heaven? If you are a Jehovah's Witness you will give the standard Watchtower answer "It is the 144,000, the anointed ones who go to heaven." Let's continue, reading from Philippians 3:20-21 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,..." According to this verse our bodies are going to be transformed.
What kind of body?
What kind of body will this be? Romans 8:11 tells us. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you..." Now let's stop for a minute. Tell me, who is this talking about? If you are a Jehovah's Witness, you will say this is again talking about the 144,000 the ones who are going to heaven, because they are the ones who the spirit of God dwells in. Now let's continue, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." What will be given life? Your mortal body! No idea here of giving up the mortal body to be replaced by an invisible spirit. Romans 8 continues to speak about this life given to the mortal body. Quote from verse 23, "And not only they, but we also we who have the first fruits of the Spirit.." Now let's stop for a minute. Who is this talking about? If you are a Jehovah's Witness you will answer that the ones who have the first fruits of the Spirit are the 144,000 the ones who go to heaven. Now let's continue, "And not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." What is the adoption? It is the redemption of our body. The body is what is purchased back.
Is the New World Translation reliable?
Now you may say, "But my Bible, the New World Translation doesn't say redemption of the body, it says release from our bodies." Did you know that the Watchtower Society has changed this verse to make it conform to their doctrine? It is easy to check out the facts. Look in your Kingdom Interlinear Translation where the Greek text is displayed across from the New World Translation. Do you see on the left hand column of the English under the Greek text where it says "release by ransom of the body"? This is the original inspired wording, but the Watchtower chose to change this wording because it clearly contradicted their doctrine that you must give up your body to go to heaven. Do you see how they changed "the ransom of the body" to "release from our bodies"? Do you see how they have modified the Bible to fit their own doctrine?
You won't want to miss Part Four when we will discuss how the Watchtower originally came up with the teaching that one must sacrifice his human nature and body to be qualified to go to heaven.
 Go
to part four: Why does the Watchtower teach that
there will be no humans in
heaven? |
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