I see the thought police have already given me a negative rating on the question. I tried hard to write it in a non-offensive way.... Revelations Chapter 14 - 1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. It goes on to say that these are the virgins, the ones who beleive in God ... THe rest are sent to hell. Now if there are 7 billion people alive today and no-one had ever lived before then that would mean about 1 in 5000 got to heaven. If we assume 7 billion people have died so far - then that makes it one in 10,000. Note I am not bashing Jehovah Witnesses - I have defended them on here when I have seen what I consider abusive questions - not based on their religion. I am not bashing Christians or Jews - I am just asking for their interpretation. The way I read it - the Jehovah Witnesses would be right. I used the King James Bible. I will wait for the thought police to down rate me here too....

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT AFTER ARMAGEDDON AND THE WICKED ARE NO MORE, THE GOOD PEOPLE WILL HAVE SURVIVED ARMAGEDDON AND THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO DIED BEFORE ARMAGEDDON WILL BE RESURRECTED. CATHOLICS BELIEVE THEY GO TO HEAVEN AND JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BELIEVE THEY WILL "INHERIT THE EARTH" THE BIBLE QUOTES.IF THE GOOD PEOPLE INHERIT THE EARTH THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE GOD'S ORIGINAL PLAN TO HAVE HUMANS LIVE FOREVER IN A PERFECT PARADISE EARTH WILL FINALLY BE FULLFILLED. I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE PLAN FOR US HUMANS UNTIL ADAM AND EVE SINNED AND BROUGHT A PUNISHMENT TO MANKIND WHICH INCLUDED SUFFERING AND DEATH.THAT IS WHY JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE TO PAY THE RANSOM FOR OUR SINS AND TO GIVE US A SECOND CHANCE AT GOD'S ORIGINAL INTENTIONS FOR HUMANS ON EARTH AS PERFECT IMMORTAL BEINGS.SOUNDS TO ME LIKE JESUS MAY WANT SOME HELP RULING OVER THE POST APOCALYPTIC EARTH AND WHO BETTER SUITED FOR THE JOB THAN 144,000 HAND PICKED HUMANS WHO DESTINY IS TO HELP CHRIST RULE IN HEAVEN.AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS WILL PUT THE DEVIL IN THE ABYSS FOR 1,000 YEARS AND AFTER THE 1,000 HE WILL BE LET OUT TO TEST AND TEMPT US HUMANS ONCE AGAIN.I GUESS TO WEED OUT ANY WEEK MINDED SIN PRONE PEOPLE , WHO KNOWS.I JUST HOPE WE DON'T SCREW UP LIKE ADAM AND EVE AND START THE CYCLE OVER AGAIN , THAT WOULD REALLY STINK.THE BIBLE DOES SAY THE DEVIL WILL EVENTUALLY BE DESTROYED AFTER THE ABYSS AND HIS FINAL DEBUT ON POST ARMAGEDDON EARTH.THIS IS MY INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE AND GOD'S PLAN , EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THIER OWN OPINION

If you are an atheist why worry about it. What about how are we going to feed the earths continuous growing population, I know you are just curious, if you are an atheist how did you even come up with that one?

cambsmam: I come from a Jehovah Witness background, most of my family members are Witnesses. I have asked the same question before and you are right! The bible clearly talks about 144,000ppl going to heaven, as you can see for yourself. I have also asked the same question to my non-witness relatives and although they can provide many answers, they can never base their answers from the bible. As you can see, all religions can provide you with an answer but not all are based on the bible. The bible is the only thing that can provide you with the right answers. Although Jehovah Witnesses have their own bible, they consider all bibles the same and encourage everyone to read them. So keep on reading the King James Version. There might be some differences in words and phrases but the idea is the same. The bible also mentions about a group of people who will have everlastin life on earth. Isaiah 65:17 reads "there will be new heavens and a new earth" You have already read about people going to heaven on Revelation 14, now read Isaiah 65:21-23 it tells us how the new earth will be. Oh, I have no idea why someone would rate a question down. There is no wrong question, I'll give you some points up and hope my answer helped.

As I read these verses, I don't see anything that indicates that these 144,000 are the only people who will be saved. Note especially verse 4 where were are told, "These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." Firstfruits indicates to me that these were just the first to be redeemed. When this term is used elsewhere in the Bible to describe people, it is not used in an exclusive manner, that is to say that those people are the only ones. It is used to say that they are the first and that others will or have followed. So, the 144,000 are not the only ones to be redeemed, they are just the first ones to be redeemed.

Without going in deep - it seems to me that since time is of no essence.... like a year here has no bearing in Biblical terms or in the hereafter, then how can a number like 144,000 have any? Maybe it's just meant to show that a large number would enter. Maybe I'm wroong, but just something I pondered about too and that's the best I could come up with.

No, these are the 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel that during the great tribulation will have a seal put upon there foreheads so they will not be killed nor hurt during this period. The Jehovas false witness, "as I call them" have had to change there doctrine over this since they out grew 144,000. Proving in-fact that there doctrine is false teachings as all other form of religion that does not beleive in the virgin born birth and death, burial and reserection of Jesus Christ. Buddist, Islam, and what ever else is all false. Christianity and the Holy Bible is the only book that fits in todays relm of prophecy being fullfilled. All the other religions have nothing to show from the time it was written till now. Except killing and mind control teaching's. The proff is in the pudding. Read you KJV carefully, and you will start to see. Of course if you are not saved, you probably will never understand it. GOD would never expect you to understand his word. Nor do I think that anyone who is not saved will fully understand the Holy scriptures. Hope this helps you.

i studied with JW's....sister in law is Jw...they do not believe ONLY a 144,000 will be saved!!!! there will be 144,000 that will dwell in heaven with Jesus...(including righteous ones from OT times)!!! the majority of JW's do not have "heavenly hope" they hope to dwell on Paradise Earth.... it is not hard to understand, there will be 144,000 righteous, spotless, in HEAVEN just as Rev. tells us.. Jehovah Witness want eternal life in Paradise Earth.. it is not saying only 144,000 will be saved.... hope this is helpful....

I was ten years old and a priest said son your going to hell. I was mad as hell that God would send a kid to hell. left church and never looked back, studied many Religions and they all say if you don't join this church your going to hell. I came to the conclusion it's not God speaking but the messenger. No offense people but I think they are all full of crap. I think I have a better understanding of God and what he is all about. I think these messengers are false prophets and if he wants to send me to hell so be it. I don't think it's going to happen.

as a Jehovah's Witness that has studied the bible now for almost fifty years i have learned that the reason for 144,000 going to heaven is so that they can comprise the number of individuals who will be assisting our Lord Jesus Christ as part of the government to rule over earth. now if all the good people are to end up in heaven and the bad supposedly in hell over who would Jesus rule on earth? those that end up in heaven are there to rule as kings and priests. revelation 20:6 says in part referring to those that are to go to heaven: "but they will be priests of God and of the Christ and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." also revelation 5:10 says: "and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth. ephesians 1:9,10 mentions "an administration" that at the appointed time will gather all things together again in the Christ. this administration is heavenly based to serve mankind here on earth. just like any government is based and operates out of a specific area this government does the same. the purpose of this government is to bring all mankind in harmony with God's purposes and so mankind can reach perfection on a paradise transformed earth as it was meant since the beginning of mankind.

Get the book "left behind" This explains it well. In their purity, they are fitting first fruits of the Lords final harvest.

The remainder who also believe will not miss out...they are the "great crowd"... (Revelation 7:9) After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. These ones have an earthly future. with no sickness, no death and no famine. (Revelation 21:4) And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Psalm 72:16) There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; On the top of the mountains there will be an overflow. His fruit will be as in Leb′a·non, And those who are from the city will blossom like the vegetation of the earth.

14:3 talks about the elders and the 144000 so there is more than 144000

That number is about the Jews in the last days who will come to realise that they missed the Messiah the first time and come to repent and follow Jesus.