Jw's and Hell

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Can anyone tell me what the JW teaching on hell is? I have read only briefly that JW’s do not believe in hell, and would like to understand more of this belief of theirs.

What do they think happens to the JW souls who don’t make the 144,000 cut? And that number reflects not only the living JW’s but also those who have already died. Not much safety in numbers there, is there?
 
Here is an official JW page that talks about it. From what I have read on their page this is a important “doctrine” to them.
Here are some main poins from that article:
The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.
They teach that hell is simply the “common grave” (that is the term they use all the time), ie once dead your buried and thats it.
However:
As does Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction. Death and Hades are “hurled into” it in that they will be done away with when mankind is freed from sin and the condemnation of death. Willful, unrepentant sinners will also have their “portion” in that lake. (Revelation 21:8) They too will be annihilated forever. On the other hand, those in God’s memory who are in hell—the common grave of mankind—have a marvelous future.
They say at the final judgement the bad people will simply cease to exist.
If you decide to read that article you will see that it is very unBiblical and weak and twists passages and ignores others, (and I would guess even makes up stuff).

Im not quite sure how they define who is a “willful unrepentant sinner” though.
 
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in a Paradise earth, while the 144,000 go to heaven the remainder of the jw’s will live together happily on a paradise earth, you will see a nice picture of a garden with lots of flowers and smiling happy people in the watchtower publications on Paradise earth…

the jw’s also believe that at the end of “this system” there will be a fiece war “armageddon”

as this scripture says mathew 24 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:
so yes Armageddon is coming soon and only the jw’s will survive while all us “wordly” people will die at armageddon and our body leftovers will get eaten up by birds, and the jw’s will bury all our bodies in order to get ready for a paradise earth

The jw’s also teach that if armageddon does not come before we die then we get another shot at becoming jws in the time of judgement, but if armageddon does come now then thats just too bad for us 😦

Jaded might be able to help here, I don’t think jw’s openly admit that its only the jw’s who will survive…

hope that helps and yes I admit it was a bit guesome lol

Evanescence
 
Im not quite sure how they define who is a “willful unrepentant sinner” though.
Click to expand...
A willful unrepentant sinner" is anyone who refuses to become a jw.
 
Thanks for the info so far. I’ve got some reading to do from the website catholic dude sent!
 
Catholic Dude said:
Here is an official JW page that talks about it. From what I have read on their page this is a important “doctrine” to them.
Here are some main poins from that article:
The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.
They teach that hell is simply the “common grave” (that is the term they use all the time), ie once dead your buried and thats it.
However:
As does Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction. Death and Hades are “hurled into” it in that they will be done away with when mankind is freed from sin and the condemnation of death. Willful, unrepentant sinners will also have their “portion” in that lake. (Revelation 21:8) They too will be annihilated forever. On the other hand, those in God’s memory who are in hell—the common grave of mankind—have a marvelous future.
They say at the final judgement the bad people will simply cease to exist.
If you decide to read that article you will see that it is very unBiblical and weak and twists passages and ignores others, (and I would guess even makes up stuff).

Im not quite sure how they define who is a “willful unrepentant sinner” though.
Click to expand...

I read the web link and it’s pretty bizzare. Their belief of hell is so unbiblical. They believe when you die, your soul dies, you have no conscious existence, therefore hell can’t exist. From that web link:

The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go."

And on the spirit?

“That spirit can be compared to the electric current that activates a machine or an appliance and enables it to perform its function. Just as the current never takes on the features of the equipment it activates, the life-force does not take on any of the characteristics of the creatures it animates. It has no personality and no thinking ability.”

Bizzarre…
 
Another member posted these scriptures on a different thread (Everlasting Life - what does it mean to you) and as you can see, they totally contradict the JW belief that the “dead simply return to the grave.”

Hebrews 10:29 A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?

Question: The writer of Hebrews says that there is something that is “worse punishment” than “dying without mercy” under the Mosaic Law. But if the wicked die and only go into a state of non-existence, how can there be such a thing as “worse punishment” ?

From the Beloved Disciple

Revelation 20:10, 15 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever… and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Question: What is the plain meaning of the word “torment”? What is the plain meaning of the words “forever and ever”?

The words of our Lord:

Matthew 8:11, 12 - 11: I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be throwninto the outer darkness**; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.**

Matthew 13:41, 42 The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire;** there men will weep and gnash their teeth.**

Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness;** there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’**

Matthew 24:50-51 …the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.

Matthew 25:30 …cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness;** there men will weep and gnash their teeth.**

Matthew 25:45-46 Then he will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into **eternal punishment**, but the righteous into eternal life." ** Luke 13:27-28 27:** But he will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out.
**
Question:** What is the plain meaning of the words in these scriptures? (Notice that some scriptures, for example Matt 25:30 and 24:51, explicitly show that the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” takes place after the punishment has been inflicted, not in anticipation of it)
 
Thanks Carol Marie,

The strength of the passages you quoted make it really hard to understand why JW’s believe the way they do :confused:
 
ParamedicGirl,

Just to follow up on your last post, JW’s have “answers” in response to all of the scriptural passages that CM posted. They believe the way they want to believe because that’s what the Watchtower Society teaches them to believe.

After hearing it many, many times…and not having access (because the WTS tells them that all other viewpoints are from Satan) to any other viewpoints, they begin to believe it.

It’s definitely mind control, hence why JW’s are truly a cult.

Blessings,
JP Augustine
 
JP Augustine:
ParamedicGirl,

Just to follow up on your last post, JW’s have “answers” in response to all of the scriptural passages that CM posted. They believe the way they want to believe because that’s what the Watchtower Society teaches them to believe.
Blessings,
JP Augustine
Click to expand...
Hi JP, Is there any way of finding out what their answers are?
 
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paramedicgirl:
Hi JP, Is there any way of finding out what their answers are?
Click to expand...
In my opinion, if you asked a JW to respond to the scriptures previously posted that support the concept of hell, the JW would say, “I am so happy to hear that you have an appreciation for God’s Word. Did you ever wonder why God’s name Jehovah is not printed in YOUR Bible?”

To which you might say, “No… I’m not concerned with that… I’m actually wondering about these scriptures that seem to support the existance of hell.”

To which the JW would reply, “But Jehovah God clearly instructs us in the manner by which we should live our lives so that we can live forever in Paradise on Earth… wouldn’t you like to be a part of this New Earth?”

To which you might say, “Actually I am Catholic and that is not our belief… I have the hope of someday going to heaven.”

To which the JW would reply, “Oh yes… Catholic. It must have been very distressing to you when you heard of the rampant sex abuse among the Priests… Jesus himself said you will know them by their fruits… does that concern you?”

To which you might say, “Actually it’s a very small percentage of Priests that were responsible for the abuse. I’ve known many Priests who were wonderful servants… in fact my own Priest Father Tom is a very dedicated holy man.”

To which the JW would respond, “Did you know the Bible says that you are to call no man Father?”

To which you might say, "No… I didn’t know that. But actually I’m curious about those scriptures that seem to support hell. Are you willing to talk about that?

To which the JW would say, "I’d be happy to discuss the Bible in detail. We offer free at home bible studies and I could come back at this time next week and we could study this brochure, “Should you believe in the Trinity? I think you’ll find it very interesting and it will answer many of your questions.”

And that’s the way it goes. Getting the JW to talk about any scripture that doesn’t support the Watchtower’s views is almost impossible. It’s sort of like… :banghead:
 
carol marie:
In my opinion, if you asked a JW to respond to the scriptures previously posted that support the concept of hell, the JW would say, “I am so happy to hear that you have an appreciation for God’s Word. Did you ever wonder why God’s name Jehovah is not printed in YOUR Bible?”

To which you might say, “No… I’m not concerned with that… I’m actually wondering about these scriptures that seem to support the existance of hell.”

To which the JW would reply, “But Jehovah God clearly instructs us in the manner by which we should live our lives so that we can live forever in Paradise on Earth… wouldn’t you like to be a part of this New Earth?”

To which you might say, “Actually I am Catholic and that is not our belief… I have the hope of someday going to heaven.”

To which the JW would reply, “Oh yes… Catholic. It must have been very distressing to you when you heard of the rampant sex abuse among the Priests… Jesus himself said you will know them by their fruits… does that concern you?”

To which you might say, “Actually it’s a very small percentage of Priests that were responsible for the abuse. I’ve known many Priests who were wonderful servants… in fact my own Priest Father Tom is a very dedicated holy man.”

To which the JW would respond, “Did you know the Bible says that you are to call no man Father?”

To which you might say, "No… I didn’t know that. But actually I’m curious about those scriptures that seem to support hell. Are you willing to talk about that?

To which the JW would say, "I’d be happy to discuss the Bible in detail. We offer free at home bible studies and I could come back at this time next week and we could study this brochure, “Should you believe in the Trinity? I think you’ll find it very interesting and it will answer many of your questions.”

And that’s the way it goes. Getting the JW to talk about any scripture that doesn’t support the Watchtower’s views is almost impossible. It’s sort of like… :banghead:
Click to expand...
Thanks Carol Marie, you had me laughing -good start to my day!
🙂 🙂 🙂
 
As a former JW I can answer this. JW’s believe that only a certain amount of people go to heaven, 144,000 bought from the earth. They do it this way, some of the ones who have hope of seeing God, and firmly believe they will, will die and go to heaven as part of the 144,000. They beleive that there are very few of these left on earth now, and that the 144,000 are mostly in heaven. The rest of the faithful will be alive on earth after armageddon. ( where this old system dies, and the new one comes ) These are the people who have the “earthly hope” the 144,000 have the " heavenly hope". Your right, they do not believe in hell at all.
They consider hell to be the grave. They do not believe the soul
survives the body after death. The only soul that goes to heaven
is the 144,000 bought from the earth. The rest, when they die will be ressurected if faithful, to everlasting life on earth, and the ones
who make it alive out of armaggeddon will never die, and live on earth forever. The ones who are judged by Jesus as being condemned, will simply go out of existance, not burning in everlasting hell. When the body dies the soul dies with it according to them. When your one of the 144,000 bought from the earth, you ( not your body, ext ) goes directly to heaven.
The Bible clearly states that there is a hell, and this cannot be
denied! Christ Himself talks about hell in the Bible. It is not a
literal grave as the JW’s say it is. I guess they don’t want to think
that perhaps there could be a hell where one would go if they were
condemned by Christ in the judgement. But there is a hell, and
that is a fact.

QUOTE=paramedicgirl]Can anyone tell me what the JW teaching on hell is? I have read only briefly that JW’s do not believe in hell, and would like to understand more of this belief of theirs.

What do they think happens to the JW souls who don’t make the 144,000 cut? And that number reflects not only the living JW’s but also those who have already died. Not much safety in numbers there, is there?
 
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