11. Paradise Earth – Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Part 11

If one has ever been greeted by a Jehovah’s Witness at the door, after the short and brief courtesies of “Hello, my name is… etc.”, the conversation will inevitably begin with a question like; “What do you think of all the wars in the world today?” or, “Do you think the world is a nice place to live in with all the evil that is in it?”. These questions are leading and are designed to provoke a response of sympathy from the hearer. From this point on, the Witness at the door will proceed to tell of a coming kingdom of peace on earth where wars will cease, and death will be no more. For Jehovah’s Witnesses, Paradise Earth is what the Millennial will be for Christians, except for a few major differences. Firstly, Paradise Earth in Watch Tower eschatology is not restricted to a thousand years but is forever! Secondly, and more importantly, Jesus will be nowhere present on Paradise Earth, He will be in heaven with Jehovah and the angels, governing over the affairs of the earth with the 144,000! I have a question for Jehovah’s Witness: "How can paradise be paradise without Jesus being there?”. Furthermore, what about the new heaven and the new earth which the Bible speaks of, along with the new Jerusalem wherein shall dwell the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb forever, and the Saints shall come in through the city gates? These things along with more shall be the focus of this eleventh teaching part as the beliefs of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society are compared with the Bible.

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