Thursday, October 9, 2008

Witness

One of the hazards of working at home is that sometimes the Jehovah's Witnesses catch you there. I answered the door today to two very friendly people telling me that we are in the final days. The man showed me the above illustration and asked "don't you want that to happen?" I said yes, but that I had my own religion (I actually don't, I'm a militant agnostic–I don't know and you don't either). But I was not in a mood to argue about it, so I let them think I am a hardcore Presbyterian and closed the door.

One of the many interesting things about the JWs is this (from Wikipedia):
Jehovah's Witnesses distinctly believe that only 144,000 people will be raised to heaven, and will thus spend eternity with God. They do not believe that this number necessarily comes from descendants of Jacob, but from early Christians, and those of Jehovah's Witnesses who profess to be "anointed" (or "spiritual Israel"). Witnesses believe that the 144,000 have been selected by God from the time of Jesus' apostles through to today. They believe that the 144,000 (those having a "heavenly hope") will reign with Christ in heaven, while all other people accepted by God will live forever on a paradise earth (an "earthly hope").

The illustration must depict the "Paradise on Earth." It seems nice with racial unity and all, but people don't seem to be mixing. And it seems weird that the predator prey relationship has been suspended in the after life, but judging from the leaves, Fall is on the way, so they will still have to deal with winter.

5 comments:

Michael Rork Maiellano said...

You know what, I totally think I've been there. The afterlife apparently is in Austria. And do bears count as part of that 144,000lucky bunch? What about fauns?

Unknown said...

Did you take inspiration from a Swiss landscape? I think it's the region where I live ... Landscape of the "lake of La Gruyère" and a mountain view "Moléson"?

Unknown said...

There are plenty of illustration indicating we will "mix" in the paradise - better yet, the international brotherhood Jehovah's witnesses enjoy now is a fortaste of what is yet to come.

http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=15&mforum=jw

Oneo is New World said...

Please find more at:
www.watchtower.org

Anonymous said...

144,000 are not just the people that are going to be saved. This illustration of paradise is not heaven. This paradise is the future Earth, just like the Eden that was first created by God, with his original purpose of having the rest of faithful mankind to reside in it with everlasting life. And thank you for answering the door.