RR144
Bible Student
All of the wonderful Jehovah’s Witnesses that have come to my door have expressed no desire for a heavenly hope. Their desire is to be on Paradise Earth forever. And what could be wrong with good food, a nice house, domesticated wild animals and beautiful scenery?
The problem is the difficulty in making a scriptural case for an earthly hope. Yes, the Bible clearly teaches about the earthly kingdom, but for the Christian, the Bible only speaks of a heavenly hope as in the following scriptures: (Note: All scriptures are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).
The Upward Call is to HEAVEN. Compare Colossians 3:1 "If, however, you were raised up with the Christ, go on seeking the things above, <Strong's #507> where the Christ is seated at the right hand of God." Now compare: John 8:23 “He went on to say to them: “You are from the realms below; I am from the realms above. <Strong's #507> You are from this world; I am not from this world.”
None of these scriptures indicate any other hope for the Christian than the heavenly hope. As a matter of fact, Eph 4:4 says, “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called” (Eph 4:4). So, for the Christian there is only one hope; the heavenly hope. Throughout the book of Acts, whenever anyone is baptized, nobody is ever given the option of whether they want to choose an earthly or a heavenly reward.
Even the Great Crowd are said to be in Heaven in Rev 19:1 which says: “After these things I heard what was as a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven.” The Greek words translated great crowd is exactly the same as in Rev 7:9.
The problem is the difficulty in making a scriptural case for an earthly hope. Yes, the Bible clearly teaches about the earthly kingdom, but for the Christian, the Bible only speaks of a heavenly hope as in the following scriptures: (Note: All scriptures are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).
Philippians 3:20 - “But our citizenship exists in the heavens, and we are eagerly waiting for a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 1:5 - “the hope that is being reserved for YOU in the heavens.
Hebrews 3:1 - “Consequently, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest whom we confess-Jesus.”
Matthew 5:12 - “Rejoice and leap for joy, since YOUR reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to YOU.”
Luke 6:22-23 - “Happy are you whenever men hate you, and when they exclude you and reproach you and denounce your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for look! your reward is great in heaven, for those are the same things their forefathers used to do to the prophets.”
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 - “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, should be dissolved, we are to have a building from God, a house not made with hands, everlasting in the heavens. For in this dwelling house we do indeed groan, earnestly desiring to put on the one for us from heaven,”
Hebrews 6:19-20 - “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm, and it enters in within the curtain, where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek forever.”
1 Corinthians 15:42-45 - “So it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised up in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised up in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised up in power. It is sown a physical body; it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living person.”
1 Corinthians 15:49 - “And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we will bear also the image of the heavenly one."
John 14:2-3 - "In the house of my Father are many dwelling places. Otherwise, I would have told you, for I am going my way to prepare a place for you. Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you home to myself, so that where I am you also may be."
1 John 3:2 - “Beloved ones, we are now children of God, but it has not yet been made manifest what we will be. We do know that when he is made manifest we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.”
Philippians 3:14 - “I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.”
The Upward Call is to HEAVEN. Compare Colossians 3:1 "If, however, you were raised up with the Christ, go on seeking the things above, <Strong's #507> where the Christ is seated at the right hand of God." Now compare: John 8:23 “He went on to say to them: “You are from the realms below; I am from the realms above. <Strong's #507> You are from this world; I am not from this world.”
Daniel 12:3 - “And those having insight will shine as brightly as the expanse of heaven, and those bringing the many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever.”
None of these scriptures indicate any other hope for the Christian than the heavenly hope. As a matter of fact, Eph 4:4 says, “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called” (Eph 4:4). So, for the Christian there is only one hope; the heavenly hope. Throughout the book of Acts, whenever anyone is baptized, nobody is ever given the option of whether they want to choose an earthly or a heavenly reward.
Even the Great Crowd are said to be in Heaven in Rev 19:1 which says: “After these things I heard what was as a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven.” The Greek words translated great crowd is exactly the same as in Rev 7:9.
